I had the energy audit done on my house yesterday. Thank goodness the guy didn't have any sniffles or anything! The auditor found that part of my house is insulated and the rest isn't. He says the back part of my attic has about 4 inches of insulation but the front part doesn't have any at all. The outside walls do have some insulation. He can't say how much for sure though. He recommended I get the insulation done first.
There is an open space in the attic between the front of my house and the back part. It goes from attic to basement with nothing in between. The back section of my house is an addition done 20 years ago. The space should have been connected and closed up when the construction was done but for some reason the contractor didn't finish it.
The auditor said my windows were fine and need not be replaced unless I just wanted double pane glass. I have storm windows that close pretty tightly which acts sort of like double pane. That was a relief. I was worried he would say I needed new windows. The cost of new windows is outrageous!
My furnace doesn't have adequate air intake. I need a new intake vent cut. Something the furnace contractor should have done when he installed the furnace a few years ago. The current vent is not the same size as the ductwork. Not a big deal though, just cutting the existing vent opening larger. He said I can have it changed to a drop down filter vent which will be easier for me. He also recommended that I have one more floor vent installed on the furnace. The new floor vent would be for the coldest area of the house. Geeze... I need to clean this vent already. Quilting creates lots of dust. I have to clean it about twice a month.
Both my kitchen sink and my bathroom sink are cracked. The cracks can't be seen from above but I've always had a leak in both. I always thought it was the drain pipes leaking and I kept buckets under them. He showed me it's actually cracks in the bowl part. See no cracks visible.
See where the water is flowing? Now why didn't I think to look at this before having the auditor point it out?
I need a new dryer vent to the outside. The one I have is out dated and lets cold air into the house around it. He said I might think about one of those kind that can be converted in the winter to keep the dryer heat in the house and reversed in the summer. I've never heard of those but I like the idea. I also need to clean out the dryer.... lots of lint in there that can be a fire hazard. Gosh, I should have done that before the auditor arrived. My dryer lint brush broke and I haven't replaced it yet.
All my appliances are adequate. Mid rage for energy usage. Not energy star but will do for now. I can replace those as they wear out.... hopefully in several years.
I need a new water heater. The one I have is about 30 years old. He said it's in good shape for its age though. Well duh, I do flush out the sediment every year. He said I don't need to run out and get a new one tomorrow but I should start thinking about replacing it as soon as I can with one more energy efficient.
I wish I could say I'm getting back to full time quilting but there is still a junk day coming up. The fair is starting on Thursday and I want to go there to see which of my customers won ribbons. I need to start getting estimates on insulation and shop for some sinks and shop for a new water heater. I also should start putting new plastic on the windows and do some caulking outside before the cold weather sneaks up on me.
Gee whiz, I need to work to get the money for these things and I also need to get these things done before cold weather. I'm kind of caught between a rock and a hard place. Which to do.... which to do.....
For now the studio wins.... I'll think about caulking outside after junk day stuff is carried outside and hopefully after much more quilting is finished. With just a little luck the cold weather will hold off long enough.
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