Paul’s musings

Not much, just a drive-by shot of the snow rolling in.

Snow's rolling in

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I volunteered at the official opening of Phase 1 of the Durham College Whitby Campus expansion, an I scored a solar powered light.

Solar clip light

The sticker on it indicates that it’s made in China.  Am I the only one that sees the irony in that?

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I decided to visit the main Durham Campus today. They have this crazy full-sized Stargate-like ring out in front of the college, made out of what appears to be stainless steel.

Ring in front of Durham College

I didn’t see a dial pad nearby, so if it is a Stargate, it’s incoming only.

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Tree on the roof

I decided to get a real tree this year instead of using the artificial one. Why? Because I can.

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It’s my Anenometer, just like every one else’s.

anenometer

Everyone has one, right?

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The winter sun trying to burn through the clouds of snow

As we approach the winter solstice, it’s no wonder we pay more attention to the sun. Here Sol is, trying to force its live-giving warmth through a layer of early morning clouds.

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I’ve decided to start a new section in my blog, entitled, “Paul’s Energy Saving Tips.” As an energy auditor, it’s my job to find ways for people to save energy in their homes. Some things are easy and cheap (or even free), and can save a person significant amounts of money on their home heating costs. To illustrate this, I’m going to start off with replacing the door sweep.

The door sweep is usually made out of a combination of hard and soft vinyl, and runs under the door leading to the outside.  Its job is to provide an airtight seal under the door, while still allowing the door to open and close easily.  Because it is dragged across the threshold every time the door is opened and closed, it can wear out.  Because it’s made out of vinyl, the soft part can harden and crack over time.  Then there’s the fact that, over time, a house settles; so what may have been an airtight seal a couple of years ago in a new house has now become a small gap.

Many people do not realize that a door sweep is usually easy to adjust, and cheap and easy to replace.  Many also do not understand how important the door sweep is at preventing cold outside air from infiltrating the house, even if there’s a storm door installed.  Using an inexpensive digital temperature reader, I will illustrate.

Base reading of the door

First, a base reading of the door is in order.  This door provides a thermal barrier between the inside of the house (at 21 degrees Celsius), and the outside of the house (at minus 6 degrees Celsius).  It’s a standard steel foam core door with a storm door installed, and the inside surface temperature of this door is measured at 18.7 degrees Celsius.  My goal is to have the door sweep come as close to this as possible.

First sweep reading

I discovered that this door sweep is performing extremely poorly, as the temperature measures only 10.3 degrees Celsius at the door sweep.  It is around 12 years old and has never been adjusted.  My first test involves loosening the screws and lowering it so that it can make a tighter seal, which costs nothing but a few minutes of time.

Door sweep after adjustment

That simple adjustment made a considerable improvement, by nearly four degrees Celsius, demonstrating that adjusting the door sweep is a worthwhile task.  New good quality door sweeps aren’t very expensive (around $10 each), so I decided to replace it and see what kind of improvements that would yield.

Thermal reading of the new sweep

Not quite as dramatic as the adjustment, the new sweep improved thermal resistance by two and a half degrees Celsius.  That’s within roughly 2 degrees Celsius of the foam core door, which is acceptable.

Not only does this procedure help to reduce heating costs, it also makes the area near the door considerably more comfortable to be around when it is very cold outside.  Both adjusting and replacing are jobs many people could do themselves in a few minutes, and mean that you may be able to put off replacing a drafty door.  It’s just like money in the bank!

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Had I taken this picture five seconds before I did, you would have seen a ray of light shining down from the clouds onto the train. Alas, I missed the moment; but the photo still turned out nice.  Besides, it’s all I got for today.

CN Rail

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We received a lot of wet, heavy snow overnight last night and throughout the morning. This meant I was charged with the unpleasant task of shoveling the driveway. Yes, I have a snowblower, but the motor needs fixin’. I decided to use the “Ergonomic” shovel I bought last year to clear the many tonnes of wet snow from my driveway.

Shovels

I had completed approximately 1/4 of the job when the blade snapped off the handle of this rather expensive shovel.  That’s when I turned to the old plastic and wooden handle cheapie I bought 13 years ago, which finished the job without breaking.  Lesson learned: Cheap shovels are tougher and last longer than expensive ergonomic shovels.

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Today’s Photo Du Jour comes to you from my back yard garden.

This is a dead chive flower dusted with yesterday’s snow.  There are still many seeds in this flower which will seed the soil next spring; when the snow melts, it will provide the water the seeds will need.  The blanket of snow will ensure those seeds are protected during the harsh winter.  Knowing this, how can anyone hate the snow that protects and later feeds life?

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