In lighting, what are Lumens, Watts, and Life?
Watts refers to the amount of energy used by a light bulb. Lumens refers to the amount of light emitted by a light bulb. Life usually noted in number of hours tells consumers the estimated time a light bulb will last. By comparing the lumens and life of different bulbs of the same wattage, you can select the light bulb that provides you with the best combination of light output and length of life.

How does the fluorescent light work?
Fluorescent light bulbs and fluorescent lamps are the same thing. Fluorescent lamps have tiny filaments at both ends of a long glass tube. The tube contains a small amount of mercury that becomes a mercury vapor when the lamp is lit. Special chemicals on the filaments rapidly release electricity into the lamp. The electricity jumps or bounces from one end of the lamp to the other end. The electricity jump creates or looks like a flash of lightning. In fluorescent lamps there are 120 or more flashes a second all during the period of time the lamp is lit. The flashes are steady so it appears that the light is continuous. The flashes produce ultraviolet energy rays that our eyes cannot see. The tube of the fluorescent lamp is coated with a phosphor white powder. The powder coating changes these invisible rays to white light.
Since fluorescent light comes from a long tube, it is soft and melts shadows. Harsh shadows are made only by small, bright spots of light. Fluorescent light is now used in many homes, stores, schools, offices and streets. More of this kind of lighting is used than in the past. It is much cheaper than it used to be and has been proven to last up to 12 times longer than the regular light bulb. It is also 75% more energy efficient.

What is ENERGY STAR®?
ENERGY STAR is the symbol for energy efficiency, as designated by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The ENERGY STAR label helps consumers identify products that are more efficient than comparable products.
ENERGY STAR labeled homes and products use less energy, cut the cost of utility bills, and help protect the environment. The ENERGY STAR label can be found on your computer equipment, photocopiers, home electronics, appliances and, of course, on your home.

Can CFLs improve the lighting in my home and save me money?
The standard incandescent bulbs currently lighting your home have changed very little from Thomas Edison's first light bulb in 1879. Only 10% of the energy used by these standard bulbs contributes to light; the other 90% is wasted as heat. ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs provide the same high-quality light as incandescent bulbs, but generally operate at temperatures of less than 100 degrees F. Why spend money heating rooms in your home with lighting? Advanced technology enables CFLs to use 75% less energy than a standard incandescent bulb and last up to 10 times longer. This means that over the life of one CFL, you can avoid replacing up to 13 incandescent bulbs! The super efficient performance of CFLs also means you can save at least $25.00 in energy costs over the life of each CFL that replaces an incandescent bulb.*
* Based on a minimum life of 6,000 hours at $0.10 kWh.

Does energy efficient lighting provide enough light?
Yes, ENERGY STAR CFLs emit the same amount of light as standard bulbs, but have lower wattage ratings because they use less energy. Use this equivalency guide when replacing standard bulbs.

Did you know? • An ENERGY STAR labeled CFL can last up to 5 years. • ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs come in a variety of creative shapes, color temperatures, and brightness. • ENERGY STAR labeled light fixtures operate at much lower temperatures than many traditional lamps, so the risk of starting a fire in your home is much lower.

Why should I care if my home is energy efficient?
Not only will an energy efficient home save you money, but it will also reduce air pollution. Home energy consumption contributes to producing nearly 20% of all air pollution. This stems from the fact that energy is produced by burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas. So by purchasing an energy-efficient home you are reducing fossil fuel energy production that has been linked to global warming.

Is the installation of a THERMOSTAT difficult? Can I do it myself or does it require a professional electrician?
Installation takes the average person less than thirty minutes and does not require professional assistance. There are five simple steps:
1. Turn off the power to your heating and cooling equipment.
2. Remove the top/cover of the existing thermostat.
3. Label the wires coming from the wall and remove the base of the thermostat.
4. Mount the base of the thermostat.
5. Match and attach the labeled wires to the connectors and snap the cover in place.

What are the average energy savings I can expect in summer and winter from the installation of a THERMOSTAT?
Energy savings depend upon how the thermostat is programmed. The savings can run as high as 33% of overall energy costs to as low as 0%. The savings depend on the temperature that the unit is set to and the length of time for the "setback" periods. Obviously, a change of 10 degrees in temperature will save more energy than change of 5 degrees. Similarly, a ten-hour change period will save more than a five-hour period. If the thermostat is programmed with a single fixed temperature, it will not provide any energy savings over a manual thermostat although it will provide a more accurate temperature measurement.

Will I be uncomfortable from it being too cold or too hot when I wake up if I use a PROGRAMMABLE THERMOSTAT?
Programmable thermostats can serve as effective energy conservation devises for families that are not home during prolong periods of the day and forget to lower heating or raise cooling temperature thermostat set points while they are sleeping. These devises will not affect your comfort since they can be programmed to pre-warm or pre-cool the house so that it is comfortable when you come home from work or when you wake up in the morning.

Why do I need Power Protection?
When the electricity powering your sensitive electronic equipment experiences a surge or other type of anomaly, it can effect the operation of the equipment. A study by IBM has showed that a typical computer can be subject to more than 120 power related problems per month. The effects of power problems range from the keyboard lockups, hardware degradation, data loss or damaged components. Power problems are the largest cause of data loss, with electric related power failure/surge responsible for over 45% of all problems.

How do I choose the right generator for my needs?
Add up the wattage for all of the equipment you want to simultaneously run. Use Ohm's law to convert amperage to watts (amps x volts = watts). Then select a generator that exceeds your wattage total. Remember, some types of motors can require more than twice their running wattage to start.

Why do I have a room that is always too cold?
Your problem room may be located far from the furnace. Friction in the long duct reduces airflow to the register in that room, thus delivery of heated air. Also, perhaps the room is over an unheated garage or the duct is simply too small (undersized) to get enough heated air to that room. Remember too, when you are delivering heated air to a room, that air has to have a way to get out of that room. Otherwise there will be no air circulation. Does the room have an air return register? If not, is the door of that room kept closed, stopping air circulation?

Why do I have a room that is always too hot?
The room that you have a cooling problem with may be far away from the central air system. Long duct runs cause reduction in airflow, plus, the cooled air may have heated up before it gets to the problem room. Perhaps the problem run is to a room on the South side of the house, which has a large window, catching a lot of summer heat.
Chances are that your 'hot' rooms are on the second level of your home. You see, cooled air is dense and heavy. It does not like to flow upstairs. This is a very common problem, worsened by undersized ductwork and inaccessibility of those ducts.
Particularly for upstairs cooling problems, select the largest fan you can fit and use duct diameter expanders & reducers to adapt to the ducts already in place.

What temperature difference does boosted airflow make?
This is dependent on a host of variables. How well insulated is the room? What heat gain in the summer through a window? How far is the register from the furnace? Is this room over an unheated garage? Etc.
Here is an example: During the winter heating season, you need a room about 4 °F warmer than it is. To achieve this you will need 11% more airflow out of the register(s) in that room assuming that your furnace runs 60 minutes out of the hour.
If your furnace runs 20 minutes out of the hour on a cold winter day, that is 1/3 of an hour. You will need 3 times the 11% or 33% boost. In most applications, an Inductor will boost up to 80%. Thus, well up to the task of warming up a room.

Are there rebates from ENERGY STAR Partners?
Yes! To encourage customers to buy energy efficient products, ENERGY STAR partners occasionally sponsor rebates on qualified products. Click here to see currently available rebates.