by Richard Serra

Created on: January 09, 2010   Last Updated: January 10, 2010

The cost of heating oil and gas has outpaced what we normally are used to paying for heating our homes, and unless we take the bull by the horns and do something to help reduce the costs, it will be the number one drain of our utility budget. By making sure you have a contract with your fuel provider, you can save on expensive repairs should you need service or parts replacement.

Aside from all the normal things you can do to save energy, such as making sure your windows and doors are draft proof, there isn't too much that one can do to effectively save on fuel costs-that is unless you go to extremes to preserve every unit of heat that is provided through the radiators.

When you look at baseboard heat, it doesn't look like there is anything that you could do to help keep the costs down, but in fact there really is, and it's a simple inexpensive fix that will provide you more heat for the buck.

If you were to take the covers off the baseboard, you would see a copper pipe with fins that radiate the heat from the hot water that flows through the pipes. Every so often, it's a good idea to vacuum the fins so as to remove dust accumulation that might restrict radiant air flow. Now here is the kicker of an idea for saving a lot of wasted heat that comes from the heated water traveling through the pipes, and that is to insulate the bare part of the pipes, the part that do not have any fins that radiate the heat.

If you use the insulation (a styrofoam type) to cover every inch of exposed pipe that comes from the heater to the very last exposed piping, then the only exposure to cold air is the part where the pipes contain the fins. Since the heated water is "radiated" through those fins, you will get maximum hot water flowing through the area where the fins are located on the pipes.

With the rest of the pipes well insulated, the water doesn't have a chance to get cold when the furnace or circulator shuts down the heated water going through the system. This will also allow for the standing heated water in the pipes to remain hot, and therefore, provide more time between the thermostat calling for more heat.

The reason this works is because all the exposed pipes are now able to retain the heated water without cooling down quickly and therefore, calling for more heat when the temperature drops. With the insulation idea, the temperature of the water drops more slowly and the rooms stay warmer a bit longer.

However, it's not so much how much longer the room stays warmer, as much as the savings you get by the heater not having to reheat all the cooled-down water that will circulate back into the furnace to be reheated. The cooled water mixes in with the already heated water and the furnace has to work longer to heat it back up.

So you can understand the importance of this one very good idea as a savings tip for increasing your furnaces efficiency. Of the few tips that can make a difference, I believe you will notice a decent decrease in fuel consumption, and that is what I consider a very good money-saving tip to consider.

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