Getting ready for winter in the North Country
Local tips on battening down, saving money

By GEORGE EARL, Adirondack Daily Enterprise : September 17, 2008

SARANAC LAKE NY- The old adage that there are two seasons in the Adirondacks - winter and

Saranac Lake real estate broker Rob Grant points to the size difference of his old heating system, on the left, and his new one, on the right, in the basement of his 23,000 square foot building on Broadway. (Enterprise photo — George Earl)

getting ready for winter - has been refreshed for many this season as year-round residents figure out creative ways to insulate themselves from high heating bills from November to May.

New furnace

Real estate broker Rob Grant said he's replacing his Saranac Lake office/apartment building's antiquated heating system with a super-efficient propane furnace, but he said it took more than the threat of global warming to get him to do it.

"Yeah, you want to go green," Grant said, "but it takes an energy crisis to make you do it."

Grant owns a 23,000-square-foot commercial building on Broadway where he replaced an 80-year-old oil furnace about the size of a small Volkswagen with a new, high-efficiency propane furnace not much larger than a mini-fridge. The three-story building houses his business, other retail and office spaces, and several residential apartments on the third floor.

"For us, the savings were simply too much to ignore." he said. "We're projecting a 40 percent savings."

Insulation

Dan Reilly, the managing partner of HomEnergy Services Inc. in Saranac Lake, sells heating fuel and high-efficiency furnaces. He said there are many opportunities for homeowners to save on their fuel bill and that it doesn't necessarily start with getting a new furnace.

"Insulation comes first," Reilly said. "Insulation comes before windows and doors, which come before a new furnace." But there are exceptions, he said.

"If the insulation is OK and the furnace is really old, it might be more cost-effective to buy a new furnace."

Reilly said the most common furnace in homes also happens to be one of the most inefficient.

"The most common thing people have is a hydronic boiler (hot water system) with a coil," he said, explaining that circulating hot water is actually very efficient but that the coil that heats the water isn't. "Hot water coils are going to be a thing of the past because the coil is always hot. So on a mild day, say 20 degrees, those boilers don't need to be at 100 degrees when it can send out 80-degree water."

Low-cost improvements

Another smart move, according to Reilly, is to replace thermostats with automatic sensors that adjust the temperature throughout the day and night.

Other inexpensive improvements, like replacing old radiator valves, can save money as well.

"Some people complain that they have a room that gets really hot," Reilly said. "Those radiators are wasting energy and probably need new valves."

Clyde Rabideau, president of the Rabideau Corp. construction company based in Saranac Lake, recommends starting with caulk.

"The first thing to do is a good $3 caulk job. Look for air infiltration points, such as around windows and electrical boxes," he said.

Wayne Reisfield, the assistant manager at Curtis Lumber in Ray Brook, said it's important to get to know the energy-saving products that are available.

Energy audit

Art Olson, a program implementer for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, recommends starting with an energy audit by an Energy Star-rated contractor. They can test for air leakage, combustion safety, molds and moisture content, and energy efficiency, and then give advice on the best ways to improve the safety and energy efficiency of your home.

This audit is so important, Olson said, because simply making a home airtight without allowing for proper ventilation poses health and fire hazards.

Tough times all around

Reilly said many of his home heating oil customers are having a tough time paying their heating bills from last year, plus coming up with the money for this year.

"We have people who haven't paid their bills from last year," he said. "People who are successful in the community - landlords and property owners, people seen as well-off - are struggling, not just people who qualify for HEAP (the federal Home Energy Assistance Program)."

Contrary to popular opinion, Reilly said, oil companies are feeling the pinch as well.

"When someone doesn't pay, that's tough for us," he said, adding that profit margins are small for middlemen in the oil business. "All we are is a trucking company, and the cost of diesel is going up."