If you are living in a mobile home either temporarily or permanently, you will want to cut down your electric consumption. Here are several ways in making your mobile home energy efficient.
Improving the Roof Paint Job
In the hot and humid months of June, July, August, and September, mobile homes tend to heat up. This is because mobile homes are not built with much ventilation. In regular homes, large attics the separate the outside from the inside keep them cool. Vents on these attics further contribute to reduction of heat penetration to the house. The space separating the roof of a mobile home and the ceiling is not enough to keep the inside cool. As a result, air conditioning systems work harder during hot summer days, and consume more energy. To lessen the heat penetration to the home, cool roof coating can be done. Do this when it is not raining since cool roof coating is water-based. Repainting the roof of your mobile home will also deflect the heat that can potentially penetrate to the inside.
Providing Better Roof Insulation
Many people, even a mobile home contractor, would suggest that you couldn’t do anything to improve the insulation of your mobile home. However, this is a common misconception: you can access the roof cavity from the edge of the roof that is connected with the wall or from the directly through the rooftop. Doing so will save you as much as 15% of your total cooling system consumption. You can do this on your own or find someone who knows how to do this.
Maintaining Good Air Conditioning
Air conditioning occupies the biggest chunk of your electric bill. This is why you need to make sure that you get the most out of it. To do this, check your air conditioning system regularly. You can start with the air duct: make sure it is sealed. Any small leak would let the outside air to enter, thus making the air conditioning to work harder.
Your mobile home’s air duct is usually located underneath. You may want to skirt your mobile home to the ground of few inches from the ground to protect the duct during winter and summer. Skirting would also provide additional protection from your pets to destroy the duct.
Air Sealing your Mobile Home
The best way to keep the air outside from entering is to seal every spaces of your mobile home. Windows, doors, and other openings can be sealed by weather stripping, a rubber sealant that keeps that interior airtight. Doing this will let the air from coming out of the mobile home.
The Mobile Home Location
Sitting your mobile home under the shade would let you save some air conditioning. Since shades draw away heat even before it reaches the roof of your mobile home, your air conditioning will not be forced to cool the interior.
Keeping the Water Heater in Mind
The water heater takes 14% of your total energy consumption. This is the second largest energy consumer next to the air conditioning system. If your water heater is located outside the compartment, it surely takes additional energy load since the heat is lost because of the outside air. You cannot cover it of course for safety purposes. Instead, you can use insulation jacket. This will keep the heat inside the tank.
The thermostat dictates the energy consumption of the water heater. If you have less water demand, 120 degrees Fahrenheit is sufficient enough. For larger water consumption, 140 degrees Fahrenheit is usually required.
Using Shutters, Shades, and Drapes
Proper selection of shutters, shades, and drapes is important to keep the heat inside or away from the mobile home. However, you have to use them properly. Close them during the night to keep the cool air from the outside away and open it during the day if you are not using air conditioning. Use thick shutters, shades, or drapes during winder to keep to cool air from coming in.
Consider all these to make sure you maximize the use of power in your home. As a result, you will save money on electric bills.