Residential Energy Audit Reports - Brian James with Electric Cities of Georgia conducted three energy audits for us last week. This included the home of Mrs. Susie Reid on Longstreet Circle (she came to the last Council work session). In addition he did the homes of Anita Carson on Wesley Street and Melvin and Gussie Baker on Oxford North Road. We had requests from both of these homeowners and it made sense to combine all three energy audits into one visit. Without being specific about which home is which here are some of the recommendations he made:
• It appears the HVAC system serving the upstairs may not be operating correctly. During my inspection, the heat pump almost immediately went into defrost mode. This suggests the defrost control system may be at fault. When the system is defrosting the emergency heat source (electric strip heat) is activated.
• Your attic insulation needs improvement. There is approximately 3 to 4 inches of blown in fiberglass, but much of it has been disturbed and many areas are significantly thinner. Currently the upstairs has two separate HVAC systems but one does not operate at all. It may need to be abandoned.
• Your home has nine fireplaces. The chimneys are open and allow indoor air to leak outside. You should install dampers in the fireplaces you intend to use. Any fireplaces that are not to be used can be plugged with inflatable balloon seals.
• Your refrigerator is older and far less efficient than modern refrigerators. Upgrading to a modern refrigerator will save about $200 annually.
• There is a very large hole in the closet ceiling of the HVAC system. There was a significant amount of outdoor air being drawn directly into the return for the HVAC system. The ceiling should be repaired with sheet rock.
• All three homeowners were advised about more economical thermostat settings, changing regular light bulbs to energy-efficient light bulbs, and changing the settings on their water heaters.
|