The HomeFix Show has a new home and it is on 670 KBOI! Joe kicks off the new era of HomeFix and tries to work through the “new digs” jitters. With only a one hour show for now, callers pack the lines and ask about getting more water pressure out of a well, painting wood windows, slow running faucets, and getting wood trim to fit in a door jamb. Joe also announces the winner of the Dremel 300 Rotary Tool contest.

Let’s talk bathrooms and how your water use impacts your energy bills. According to the Department of Energy, heating water is the second largest residential energy use.

For a lot of us, a nice hot shower is a luxury. But a standard showerhead uses about 4 to 6 gallons of water per minute—so even a five-minute shower can consume 30 gallons. Here’s a simple solution. Replace standard showerheads with energy efficient ones which cut the flow rate to just 2.5 gallons of water per minute. You’ll reduce water use by 50 percent or more—plus cut your energy costs for heating hot water for showers by as much as 50 percent.

Installing faucet aerators is another easy way to save water and the energy to heat it. Older faucets allow a flow of 3 to 5 gallons of water per minute. New energy efficient faucets are regulated and flow at no more than 2.5 gallons per minute.

Now let’s talk toilets. If you have plans to remodel a bathroom or add an extra bath in your home, you’ll likely be shopping for a new toilet. While there are many high efficiency, low-flow toilet models to choose from, the latest technology is dual-flush toilets. Dual-flush toilets allow you to choose a half flush or full flush offering significant reductions in water usage compared to traditional toilets that use a single full flush. With a dual-flush toilet, you can save money and help the environment.

For more energy-saving tips, visit the Energy Efficiency.

Joe teases listeners throughout the show to listen at the end for a “Big Announcement”. Then he drops the bombshell: This is the last HomeFix show to be heard on 580 KIDO. The show is being moved to 670 KBOI effective next week, March 6. He also talks about a caller from last week asking about the ban on incandescent bulbs, truth or fiction? And then Joe brings up the new April 2010 EPA Lead Safe Certification that contractors will need to have. Callers ask about bathtub caulking, a garage to bedroom conversion, window replacement selection advice, foundation cracks and issues, installing engineered wood floors, and installing a new entry door.

WWND. No not a typo. It means What Would Norm Do? You know Norm, The New Yankee
Workshop guy on PBS? The Master Craftsman with the infinite skill and killer
workshop we all dream of.

I have jested that if Norm needed a piece of wood trim, he would go out behind
the shop and fall a tree that he planted when he was 3 years old. He would then
climb up a mountain and dig out some ore so that he could smelt the iron to
make his own custom planer blades. The trim would be then stained with a finish
that he brewed up in his own lab made from the skin of tropical fruit only found
100 feet up in the air in the canopy of an equatorial rainforest. That is what
Norm would do. And it would all work. The first time.

I have often been in situations where there was an easy way and a hard way to
get a home repair or improvement done. The easy way would work, but be of questionable
long term quality and less than perfect fit or finish. The hard way may appear
to be a lot to-do about nothing, but when complete will be the best end result
possible with no doubt of durability or performance. WWND?

I have seen the work of a skilled craftsman that truly loved the job they were
doing. It wasn’t always the paycheck; it was the end result of what they
were building. Pride. And it showed. On the other side were the workers I have
seen that just drug themselves through the days work not really giving a darn
about what they were doing or the person who would be impacted by their lack
of interest. WWND?

You may find yourself in this situation from time to time and it may benefit
you to ask yourself What Would Norm Do.

I find that the most rewarding shop, garage, or home repair time I have is when
I can make a little more out of something than what it needed, but is what it
really deserved. When I take my time, being extra careful, using the right tools
and materials, the end result is the better for it. And I don’t have to
go back and fix it again later.

People today are fixing rather than replacing. They are becoming more self-sufficient
as they learn to do things that they used to hire out. I think this is a good
thing.

You should be spending more time in the hardware store and less time in the
gym. Want a work out? Go replace a rotten fence post. Want to feel like you
accomplished something today? Install new cabinet knobs. Looking for pride in
a job well done? Paint a room. Taking on what some call work and viewing it
as an opportunity to excel and leave things better than you found them is a
better motivator and esteem builder than just about anything out there. Want
to take it to the next level? Involve your kids in the project. Teach them.
And ask them… “What would Norm Do?”

Joe and Vicki Prin own Joe Prin Remodeling LLC, Idaho Registered Contractor
#RCE-23530, and can be contacted at 573-1082 or by email- joe@joeprin.com. Listen
to the HomeFix Radio show hosted by Joe, Saturdays, 8-10 AM on 580 KIDO

The purpose of the program is to save energy and stimulate the economy by encouraging
consumers to replace old, less-energy efficient appliances with new, ENERGY
STAR qualified models.

The rebate will be available to Idaho residents who pay Idaho sales tax on the
purchase of a new, ENERGY STAR qualified appliance which replaces a working
appliance. The unit may be purchased at any Idaho appliance retailer.

The target launch date is late February or early March, 2010. Qualifying appliances
must be purchased after the program launches to be eligible.

Rebate amounts will vary from $25 for a room air conditioner to $300 for an
oil boiler. Other ENERGY STAR qualified appliances will include clothes washers
($75), dishwashers ($50), refrigerators ($75), air-source heat pumps ($250),
solar and gas storage water heaters ($150) and oil and gas furnaces ($110-$125)
and gas and oil boilers ($200-$300).

Act quickly once the program launches, as funds are limited. The program will
last until funds are exhausted and will be issued on a first-come-first-served
basis.

Get the most up-to-date information from the Idaho Office of Energy Resources
(OER).

What temperature is too high?

Water heaters often come set at 140°F – some as high as 160°F.

These temperatures are excessive and increase the risk of scalding.

As a rule of thumb, for every 10°F that you lower the tank temperature,
you’ll realize a 13 percent savings on your water heating bill.

Water temperatures above 140°F cause sediment to develop more quickly.

What temperature is too low?

Harmful bacteria (Legionnaires’ disease) can form in the tank and pipes
if temperatures are below 120°F for extended periods.

What temperature is just right?

ENERGY STAR recommends that settings be adjusted to 120°F.

Typically between the medium and low setting on the dial.

Idaho Power recommends settings between 120°F and 130°F – depending
on how far the faucets are from the tank.

Make certain the water flowing from the faucet furthest from the tank is 120°F.

Test by holding a standard thermometer under the faucet

If I lower my water temperature, will my dishes still be clean?

The short answer is YES.

Occasionally you hear that some dishwashers require higher temperatures

Since 1994, all standard-sized dishwashers have been manufactured with booster
water heaters. Since dishwashers have an average life of about 11 years, there
probably aren’t a lot of units out there where this is a concern.

If your domestic hot water is supplied by gas and you want to minimize the use
of the electric booster heater, you can run the tap until the water is hot before
turning on the dishwasher.

Dishwashers are complex these days and have sensors that determine ideal temperatures
for the selected wash cycle and soil level of the load. High pressure jets frequently
eliminate the need to pre-rinse dishes and more efficient controls and settings
are standard on ENERGY STAR models.

Some water-volume controls require dishwashers be installed on level.

What is a ductless heat and cooling system?

A ductless heat pump is a highly efficient zonal heating and cooling system
that does not require the use of air ducts; it is easily installed as a new
primary heat source for electrically heated homes.

What are the benefits of having a ductless heat pump?

A ductless system is energy efficient and can help you save money on your monthly
electric bill. Ductless heat pumps are designed to heat and cool homes at lower
cost than baseboard or wall heaters. They are quiet and heat rooms evenly, eliminating
hot and cool spots, making living areas more comfortable. Ductless heat pumps
can operate using 25 to 40 percent less energy than electric resistance, depending
on your home’s circumstances

You may be eligible for the Ductless Heat Pump Pilot incentive if:

your home’s primary heat source is electric: baseboards, wall heaters,
ceiling heat (electric forced air furnaces and heat pumps are not eligible),

you contract to have a qualified ductless heat pump installed in the main living
area of your home by a participating contractor.

Additionally, three key factors that account for the high efficiency of ductless
heat pumps are:

1.Ductless heat pumps allow the user to control each heating/cooling zone independently,
eliminating the costly over-heating and cooling common to central air systems.
Central air systems can lose as much as 30 percent efficiency through air leaks
and conduction in the ductwork, ductless heat pumps distribute air directly
into each zone, which can result in up to 25 percent greater efficiency.

2.Ductless heat pumps use inverter-driven variable speed compressors that allow
the system to maintain constant indoor temperatures by running continuously
at higher or lower speeds, allowing the system to ramp-up or down without great
losses in operating efficiency, avoiding the on/off cycling common in electric
resistance and forced air systems.

3.Modern ductless heat pumps have very high Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratios
(SEER), usually between 16 and 22, and Heating Seasonal Performance Factors
(HSPF) between 8.5 and 11.

*Definitions, benefits and statistics found at www.goingductless.com.

Take a look at where the thermostat is set. Some hot tubs have been factory
set to heat water to 104°F but most health departments recommend 102°F
for adults and children.

Turn the heat down or off if you go on vacation or won’t use the hot
tub for a week or more. If you have an older, non-energy efficient hot tub,
consider draining it if you will be gone during winter months. Such tubs can
freeze which causes a great deal of damage to the equipment. Energy efficient
hot tubs can maintain non-freezing temperatures for weeks with appropriate covers.

Take a look at your cover. Is it hard (foam) with good insulation? Does it
fit snugly against the top of the tub? A cover in good shape is essential because
most of the heat loss will be through the spa cover. If the interior foam is
torn or begins to soak up water, replace the cover.

Add an energy efficient floating blanket to retain heat and reduce the amount
of moisture build-up on the inside of your hard cover which will help it last
longer. Adding a ¼” closed-cell foam floating blanket under the
hard cover can increase the total R-value to 16 (standard covers are an R-12).

Create windbreaks around your hot tub. Privacy panels, landscaping or fencing
are all effective at cutting wind exposure.

Look for an Energy Star model if you’re in the market for a new hot tub.
Today’s spas and hot tubs have significant improvements over those of
the mid-90’s so when possible, replace your hot tub with a newer, energy
efficient model. An average-size energy efficient hot tub uses 5-7 KWh per day.
A poorly insulated, inefficient hot tub can use 12-18 KWh per day; almost three
times as much energy.

Helana and Patty from Idaho Power are in studio for the first hour of the show and provide an informative and “enlightening” talks about compact fluorescent lighting, LED lighting, energy efficient fixture upgrades. Joe also talks again about the spring lumber price and market, why it is expected to go up so much. Callers ask about lighting, adding a gas line in a home for a new stove, and how to dispose of CFL’s.

Joe starts off the show talking about a home is doing a full interior make over on. How it came about, what was done, and what the current status is. Callers ask about building a dog run, the proper way to attach a ledger to a house for a new deck, wood stove venting concerns, staining concrete, and soda blasting water stained brick.