Solar water heaters take off in China


We talk to the mayor of Rizhao and the director of Mountain Yoga about how they are using solar water heaters.

Home Heating System Care

When filters become clogged with debris, they cut down on a heating system's efficiency and, over time, can cause parts to wear out faster. A permanent air screen or electronic air filter should be cleaned according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Disposable filters should be checked periodically—monthly during winter—and cleaned or changed as needed. Pleated fabric filters are a good, inexpensive choice for reducing dust and allergens.

In addition to regularly inspecting your heating system's filter, brush and vacuum the heat exchanger surfaces every year if recommended by your owner's manual. Before heating season, clean the blower blades and seal any air leaks in ducts with several wraps of duct tape.

Here's how to change or clean a filter:

1) Turn off the power to the unit.

2) Look for the door or panel that conceals the blower; sometimes this is marked "Filter." Lift this door or panel off its holding hooks, or unscrew its retaining screws to remove it.

3) Standard filters are mounted next to or under the blower motor. Slide the filter out along its tracks. Check to see whether it is a disposable filter or intended to be cleaned and replaced—this information should be marked on the filter's edge, along with directions for cleaning, if applicable. If it's a disposable filter, its size will be printed on the frame's edge. Make a note of it.

4) Buy a replacement, and slide it into place, noting that arrows stamped on the side indicate the proper direction of airflow; be sure you face these in the proper direction.

5) While you have the furnace open, vacuum out the area around the blower. If possible, slide out the fan unit, clean each fan blade with a toothbrush, and then vacuum with a brush attachment on a vacuum cleaner.

6) Look for oil ports on the motor, normally located near the motor shaft. If the motor has these, apply two to three drops of non-detergent motor oil into each port (you may have to remove a cover plate to do this). Most contemporary motors don't require lubrication, but motors with oil ports should be lubricated once a year.

7) Look for worn belts between the motor and pulleys.

Ideally, you would want to have an expert inspect your heating system at least once a year.

Keep Your Garage Warm!


If you are thinking about heating your garage and can't determine what the best method to accomplish this is, maybe a propane garage heater would be a good choice. Let's investigate the reasons this might be the case.

Propane garage heaters are usually the simplest solution for heating a garage. Since many people use their garages year-round, heating them is usually a necessity. Garages are like homes to heat; you could use an indoor propane heater or an outdoor propane heater to heat them. Whatever type of heater you decide to use, proper insulation and ventilation is a must.

Since garages are usually not as well insulated as homes are, using an electric heater is probably going to be a waste of money. This is especially true in colder climates. If you use a wood stove, that wouldn't be very efficient plus you would have to consider the carcinogens that this would cause.

There are many brands of heaters. Some of the more common brands are Mr. Heater, ProCom and Empire. Some have their own built-in thermostats.

Since propane gas is flammable, any contact of this gas with combustible items may lead to harm to you or others. Propane heaters should be kept safely to forestall leakages and possible contact with other combustible items.

Propane garage heaters are specifically built to actually mount on a wall similarly to the way an air conditioner is. You can get bigger heaters that are suitable for heating a two or three car garage. These heaters could cost in the range of $500 or more. Although they may be higher in price, they are well worth the cost.

Generally, garage heaters are easy to operate and able to heat larger areas where other heating solutions may be impractical. Before you consider what heater to purchase, you may want to consider the following: how many BTU's of heat you will need, clearance from walls, ceiling and combustible materials and whether the circuit feeding the heater is sufficient to carry the amperage (electricity flow) the heater requires.

Along with the wall heaters, there are portable propane garage heaters. Most of these heaters have a propane tank that is attached to the heater and just like the wall heaters, require proper ventilation. The portable heaters are usually cheaper than the wall heaters.

Propane garage heaters are an excellent way to heat a cold garage in the winter months. With the proper ventilation and insulation, you should be able to use your garage in the same manner you would in the spring and summer months.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lindsay_Bourda
Brought to you by D&D Plumbing Heating and Cooling, Vacaville

Want to Stay Warm in Winter? Think COLD


Be Careful in the COLD!
Brought to you by D&D Plumbing Heating and Cooling, Woodland

Summer Tips for cool nights


How to stay cool during hot summer nights

Brought to you by D&D Plumbing Heating and Cooling, El Sobrante

A Consumers Guide to Purchasing a New Heating System

Learn how to choose a high efficiency heating system that’s right for you.

Efficiency Ratings
The Efficiency Ratings standards are set by the U.S. Department of Energy under the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987, which became effective January 1, 1992.

All natural gas heating systems have what's called an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating. The rating is expressed in percentages.

Minimum Efficiency Standards
Furnace 78% AFUE
Gas-fired Boilers 80% AFUE
Gas-fired Steam 75% AFUE

The higher the AFUE rating – the more efficient the heating system – and the less energy needed to heat your home.

For example, a new, high-efficiency furnace with a 94% efficiency rating provides 94 cents worth of heat from every energy dollar. By comparison, an older, standard efficiency furnace with an efficiency rating of 60%, provides 60 cents worth of energy for every dollar spent.

Annual Savings: Simple Payback
If you install a residential warm air furnace at 90% AFUE vs. 80% AFUE, the estimated annual savings in energy costs is $115 with a simple payback of approximately 3 years*.

*Analysis of annual savings provided by the Consortium of Energy Efficiency, a national non-profit organization consisting of utilities, government agencies and energy efficiency groups.

High-Efficiency Furnaces
Furnaces with efficiencies over 90% are called condensing furnaces and offer the most energy savings.

These furnaces achieve 90% AFUE rating by sending flue gases through a secondary heat exchanger. This device further extracts heat that is usable energy for your home.

Remaining flue gases then exhaust outdoors through special plastic-type vent pipe inserted through the wall of the home. This "direct-vent" piping configuration also draws in outside air for combustion. Since indoor air is not used in the combustion process, cold air leakage (infiltration) is reduced – an added energy savings.

High-Efficiency Boilers
A boiler can last between 20-30 years, so it is important to choose an efficient model in order to reduce long-term costs. The most efficient boilers forced hot water boilers are considered to have an AFUE rating of 85% or higher. We recommend purchasing steam boilers with an 82% or higher AFUE rating.

Venting Your Heating System
Often times the installation of a high efficiency heating system requires changes to your venting system. It is recommended that you consult with your contractor for proper venting methods.

Guarantees and Warranties
A new heating system is a major investment, so make sure you understand the warranties that come with your new equipment.

Parts and labor are usually covered by the manufacturer and installing contractor for the first year. Some brands also offer warranties of two to ten years. High-efficiency furnaces are generally the manufacturer's top-of-the-line products and have longer warranties.

Sizing Your Heating System
Sizing your heating system should always include the help of a qualified heating contractor. A system that is too large can be wasteful and a system that is too small can't provide proper comfort. A qualified heating contractor can help you estimate the heat-loss in your home by evaluating the insulation levels and the square footage of wall, roof and floor space exposed to the outside. Then, using the outdoor and desired indoor temperatures, they can calculate the appropriate capacity for your new heating system, measured in BTUs (British Thermal Units) per hour.

Choosing a Heating Contractor
Reliable companies will send an estimator to provide a survey and provide a heat-loss calculation for your home. The contractor should also supply you with a written proposal clearly outlining the work to be done with the agreed upon price and many offer service after the installation is complete.

Portable Oil Heaters Offer A Good Solution To Keep Warm

Winter is almost here and you are probably thinking about a heater to keep you warm. You should know that for heating smaller spaces such as a bedroom or a bathroom the best solution are portable oil heaters. These are safer than other type of heaters and provide the warmth you seeking. As the temperature drops a solution to keep warm is necessary, but one that is also energy efficient and economical. Even if you have central heating, it may be necessary to have a portable oil heater for those rooms or places that cannot seem to get warm enough.

Portable oil heaters are also know as space heaters because they are used to heat small spaces. The size of the heater will determine the size of the space it will heat. You have probably seen portable oil heaters because they look like a small radiator. The inside of the tubes of the heater have oil and elements that heat it up, which in turn heats up the space it's located in. The oil inside these heaters never has to be replaced. These heaters come with thermostats that allow you to set the temperature that is comfortable for you.

Unlike radiant heaters that warm what is directly in their path. Portable Oil heaters are convection heaters that warm the air in the entire room gradually. This why they are the best choice if you have a room full of furniture. The downside to these heaters is that it takes a little longer to warm up since depends on the oil heating up. It also takes a little while longer for them to cool off after they have been shut down, because the oil contained in the tubes needs to cool off. The nice thing about these heaters is the run silently, although it makes a few popping sounds while the oil is heating up, after it has done so you will not hear it.

There are many portable oil heaters available among the best known and highly regarded are the DeLonghi, their DeLonghi EW7707CM Oil-filled Radiator with ComforTemp Technology is a new version that is highly regarded. They make various models for different size rooms, needs and budgets.

Portable oil heaters are and eco friendly and energy efficient choice that will consume less electricity while at the same time warming an entire room. It is a good time to start looking at these heaters as surely the temperature will soon drop and we will be glad we have one available. Portable oil heaters are a good choice and worthwhile to look at as a heating option.

I enjoy writing articles to improve your live and make it more comfortable such as the Pelonis HC 461 a ceramic heater, if you would like to read more of my articles please visit Portable Oil Heaters

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Raul_Mendez
Brought to you by D&D Plumbing Heating and Cooling Vallejo

Solar Water Heater




Brought to you by D&D Plumbing Heating and Cooling Vallejo

Geothermal Heating


A brief introduction to geothermal: the next wave of clean and sustainable energy.
Brought to you by D&D Plumbing Heating and Cooling Davis

How About a Heater For Your Dog's House?


Our http://cedardoghouse.com/doghouseheat... dog house heater is for your dog or cat outdoors. This dog heater is safe for your outside pet house. A heated dog house will keep your cat or dog warm when needed in cold weather.

Energy saver sensing bulb "automatically" controls the temperature for maximum efficiency without running continuously. Dog heater is quiet. It features a heat guard, and a chew guard cord for protection. Includes free digital thermometer for easy outdoor monitoring.

No assembly, just simple installation guide. Free house prep with purchase of both dog house and dog heater together.

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