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Old 01-26-2011, 01:21 PM
 
Location: Nebraska
4,531 posts, read 8,841,110 times
Reputation: 7595

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For about $65 you can buy a Laser Infrared heat detection device at HarborFreight.com. When you get it walk around the outside of your house and record surface temperatures. Any areas on the outside of your house that show a temperature variance higher than other areas of the house are places where you are losing heat. Windows, doors, soffets, eaves and chimneys are the usual suspects.

You can have a professional outfit do this survey for you for several hundred dollars if you don't feel competent enough to do it.

GL2
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Old 01-26-2011, 01:35 PM
 
Location: Nebraska
4,531 posts, read 8,841,110 times
Reputation: 7595
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gunluvver2 View Post
For about $65 you can buy a Laser Infrared heat detection device at HarborFreight.com. When you get it walk around the outside of your house and record surface temperatures. Any areas on the outside of your house that show a temperature variance higher than other areas of the house are places where you are losing heat. Windows, doors, soffets, eaves and chimneys are the usual suspects.

You can have a professional outfit do this survey for you for several hundred dollars if you don't feel competent enough to do it.

GL2
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Here is a link to the device I mentioned. It looks like it is on sale right now at HF. You might want to check with Radio Shack for the same gadget. It might cost more but the quality will probably be better.


Non-Contact Laser Thermometer - Diagnostics - Automotive & Motorcycle

Good Luck,
GL2
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Old 01-26-2011, 02:13 PM
 
Location: Central NH
1,004 posts, read 2,340,126 times
Reputation: 1067
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gunluvver2 View Post
************************************************** ***
Here is a link to the device I mentioned. It looks like it is on sale right now at HF. You might want to check with Radio Shack for the same gadget. It might cost more but the quality will probably be better.


Non-Contact Laser Thermometer - Diagnostics - Automotive & Motorcycle

Good Luck,
GL2
That's pretty cool. I wonder what the effective range is? For that price it's worth having in the tool arsenal.
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Old 01-27-2011, 12:37 AM
 
Location: Nebraska
4,531 posts, read 8,841,110 times
Reputation: 7595
Quote:
Originally Posted by bignhfamily View Post
That's pretty cool. I wonder what the effective range is? For that price it's worth having in the tool arsenal.
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I am not sure about Harbor Freight device but I have a friend that has a high quality one that he uses in outdoor photography. His is sensitive enough to spot a rabbit in a thicket thirty or forty yards away.

GL2
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Old 01-27-2011, 03:30 AM
 
Location: Central NH
1,004 posts, read 2,340,126 times
Reputation: 1067
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gunluvver2 View Post
************************************************** ********
I am not sure about Harbor Freight device but I have a friend that has a high quality one that he uses in outdoor photography. His is sensitive enough to spot a rabbit in a thicket thirty or forty yards away.

GL2
Even better! A multi-purpose tool
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Old 02-14-2011, 02:39 PM
 
2 posts, read 3,014 times
Reputation: 10
Since November 7th I have purchased 700 gallons of oil for an 3 story home that was just renovated. About 1700 square feet. I believe the contractor that renovated didn't put any insulation behind the drywall and there is ZERO insulation in the attic/basement! I think 700 gallons over 3 months is extremely high am I wrong?
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Old 02-14-2011, 06:55 PM
 
Location: Madbury, New Hampshire
885 posts, read 2,656,183 times
Reputation: 659
Quote:
Originally Posted by highheatcost View Post
Since November 7th I have purchased 700 gallons of oil for an 3 story home that was just renovated. About 1700 square feet. I believe the contractor that renovated didn't put any insulation behind the drywall and there is ZERO insulation in the attic/basement! I think 700 gallons over 3 months is extremely high am I wrong?
My heated sq ftg is about 2600. My wife and kids stay at home during the day, so the thermostat only goes down at night. We just refilled 250 gallons, the prior fill was just before Christmas. I figure we're burnt about 5 gallons a day. 2003 home that is not well sealed (well insulated yes, well sealed, no). We also have a fireplace which is like having a small open window when not in use - even with the damper closed. I will say our oil consumption dropped remarkably after we put good, lined full curtains on all windows, and close them at night.

You're looking at about 7 gallons a day (Nov 7 - Feb 14 = 100 days or so into 700 gallons = 7 gallons/day).

If you do not have insulation in the attic floor, then you are quite literally burning money. It's hard to see how such a renovation passed a permit inspection. If the contractor was too stupid or tight to put in attic insulation you may be right on the walls. It's hard to see why too. Insulation just isn't that expensive.
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Old 02-14-2011, 09:01 PM
 
Location: Boilermaker Territory
26,400 posts, read 46,389,722 times
Reputation: 19524
Propane prices have been running very high, over $3.30. Insulate, weatherstrip, add additional window treatments as needed, and consider installing a pellet stove.
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Old 02-14-2011, 09:24 PM
 
Location: Flippin AR
5,513 posts, read 5,230,375 times
Reputation: 6242
Call your propane company. This happened to me when I moved to NH, with Eastern Propane. The company was charging me about $6 per pound of propane, when someone using as much as I was should have been paying about $2.50 per pound (our whole house is heated with propane). You are charged according to the volume you use, they explained. Since I had just moved in and had only been there 6 months, I was charged the highest rate per unit. My propane bills were about $1,000 a month until I called and complained.

Threaten to go with another company, and they'll give you a better rate. I should have caught it earlier, but then again I wish businesses weren't so unethical.
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Old 02-15-2011, 09:47 AM
 
Location: Londonderry
5 posts, read 25,702 times
Reputation: 18
What was the price per gallon on your last fill-up? I think our first bill was $2.85/gal, then it was $3.15 and the last one was higher than that. We do have Eastern Propane and when i looked up prices online they seemed to be inline with what the average was....I could be wrong though.
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