Old House Energy Conservation Tips

Lower energy bills in style with innovative and time-tested ideas for conservation and heating.

1. SMALL FOOTPRINT These little designer vents are the only evidence you’ll see of an energy-efficient air-delivery system that heats, cools, ventilates, filters, humidifies, and dehumidifies. Hi-Velocity Systems, (888) 652-2219, hi-velocity.com

2. SHEER WARMTH Protect the beauty of historic windows with custom invisible storm windows. Designed for interior or exterior use, they come from a company trusted by institutions such as the Montpelier Foundation. Allied Window, (800) 445-5411, alliedwindow.com

3. VICTORIAN GLOW Cast-iron fireplace grates like the Victorian are modeled after authentic 19th-century coal grates. Fitted with a bed of realistic-looking coals, the grate can burn gas. Fires of Tradition, (800) 325-7988, castironfireplace.net

4. SLOW HEAT The custom-built Sinatra Cuisine soapstone masonry heater with bake oven radiates heat slowly over a long period of time. A smaller, DIY-friendly version without bake oven is also available. M. Teixeira Soapstone, 877-478-8170, soapstones.com

5. SCROLLWORK GRILLE The Bell Foundry grille register in bronze or aluminum comes in sizes from 4″ x 6″ to 48″ x 24″. Choose from four finishes, including burnished bronze (shown). Craftsman Home Connection, (509) 535-5098, heatregisters.com

6. SMART SKYLIGHT The Smart LED system combines a tubular skylight fitted with LEDs that come on only when it’s dark outside, cutting energy use by up to 94 percent. Eligible for Federal tax credits, it lights up to 250 square feet. Solatube, (888) 765-2882, solatube.com

7. WARM COVERUP Transform the appearance of any radiator with a metal cover in a selection of historical styles dating to the early 20th century. Monarch, (201) 828-5717, monarchcovers.com

8. COMPACT WATER HEATER The Tempra Plus tankless electric water heater is designed to replace a conventional water heater for potential energy savings of up to 20 percent. The unit measures 165⁄8″ wide x 14½” high x 45⁄8″ deep. Stiebel Eltron, (800) 582-8423, stiebel-eltron-usa.com

9. STREAMLINED RADIANT Part of the Bisque collection, the Seta updates the classic radiator profile with distinctive “pepper shaker” tops. Each unit is 24″ high and 24″ or 35″ wide. Runtal North America, (800) 526-2621, runtalnorthamerica.com

10. A CLEAN BURN Save trips to the woodpile with the Cape Cod woodstove. The 3-cubic-foot firebox puts out a low .45 grams of emissions per hour. A push-button GreenStart igniter is optional. Travis Industries, (800) 654-1177, lopistoves.com


Tags: fireplace materials OHJ February 2016 Skylight tools wood stove

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