First Home

[KiwiJo09]

Yeah, there are no kids in the picture. Bulk stores, I figured were better for paper towels or toilet paper. I did think that we may just be wasting food if we buy from a bulk store. Since we're only two, it may not be worth the membership fee.

[JoeP]

If you can, paint rooms with exposure to sunlight lighter colors to avoid absorbing sunlight and heating up. You can also get blinds that reflect a lot of the sunlight so your rooms don't heat up too much. Switch from incandescent bulbs to CFL or LED bulbs where possible; the lights that get the most usage are normally the best candidates.

Damp Rid is also good for use in closets, pantries, and wherever else air doesn't move too much.

[KiwiJo09]

If you can, paint rooms with exposure to sunlight lighter colors to avoid absorbing sunlight and heating up. You can also get blinds that reflect a lot of the sunlight so your rooms don't heat up too much. Switch from incandescent bulbs to CFL or LED bulbs where possible; the lights that get the most usage are normally the best candidates.

Damp Rid is also good for use in closets, pantries, and wherever else air doesn't move too much.

All the walls are white, so step one is complete. LOL.

What kinds of blinds would reflect light? We definitely need those.

We were planning on changing out all the bulbs as soon as we move in. The bathroom has at least 10 bulbs above the mirror. It's well-lit, but seems like a bit much. You don't really need THAT many bulbs!

[bjl584]

All the walls are white, so step one is complete. LOL.

What kinds of blinds would reflect light? We definitely need those.

We were planning on changing out all the bulbs as soon as we move in. The bathroom has at least 10 bulbs above the mirror. It's well-lit, but seems like a bit much. You don't really need THAT many bulbs!

Any blind that closes completely and block out the light is fine. The small slatted mini blinds work great. You can get them at Lowes or Home Depot very inexpensively, and they will custom cut them for you to any size that you need for free. I did my entire house with them for around $120.

As for the lights, get some CFL bulbs for the large lighting fixtures that you will be using a lot. I don't remember the figures exactly, but something like a 60watt bulb equivilant will draw only 11 to 13watts of power if you use CFL bulb. Buy the daylight ones. They mimic sunlight and give off a nice bright white light.

[elessar78]

On Demand Water Heater

I spoke to the tech who came in to fix my heater when we first moved in and he said that unless it's a new build it's nearly impossible to recoup the cost of the on-demand heater. And we're just talking about recouping, not actually seeing savings.

[isaac]

I spoke to the tech who came in to fix my heater when we first moved in and he said that unless it's a new build it's nearly impossible to recoup the cost of the on-demand heater. And we're just talking about recouping, not actually seeing savings.

This is exactly what I would tell people if I were a water-heater-fixer.. job security!

[elessar78]

This is exactly what I would tell people if I were a water-heater-fixer.. job security!

Are tankless water heaters a worthwhile investment?

DTM . . . unless the costs of tankless water heaters have gone down considerably then it still holds true.

[UnknownXV]

I'd love to see the results for an electric tankless water heater.

[ecoadapt]

Your friends who advised you not to turn off your AC are absolutely right, especially in FL. It wouldn't raise your bill (the working extra hard thing is a myth) but humidity can damage your home and furnishings and spur mold growth.

This is right. It might not raise your electric bill but it might raise other bills.