Is it time to replace your old dryer? Great news: The federal Energy Star program has started certifying clothes dryers, making it easy to pick out the most cost-effective and efficient models. Read on to find out what the change means and how to pick out the best model for your home.

Moisture and Heat Settings

The upside is clear: “ENERGY STAR certified dryers use 20 percent less energy than conventional models without sacrificing features or performance,” the program promises. So what took so long for dryers to get the federal efficiency stamp of approval?

“With dryers there are fewer major variables to manipulate — mostly it’s drying time and the amount of heat provided,” said Emilio Gonzalez, a Consumer Reports test engineer, so it was harder to find adjustments to meet the standard.

How did manufacturers finally find the extra energy savings?

The savings are not trivial. Energy Star claims that if every household in America switched over, consumers would save a total of $1.5 billion annually in utilities. The reduction in pollution would be the same as taking 2 million cars off the road.

Upgrade the Laundry Room

The first certified models are already available -- find a list of them on the Energy Star directory, which allows you to compare size, fuel type, energy use and other factors.

If you have a gas hookup in your laundry room, consider purchasing a gas-powered dryer. These models have a higher price tag but are more efficient across the board than their electric cousins. No matter what kind of dryer you buy, make sure you adhere to the following tips so you get the most for your money:

As there are performance standard. All lights that are DLC Qualified have been tested and meet or exceed these requirements. Most recently, DLC has created a higher performance standard, DLC Premium. With DLC Premium, the LED lights are among the most efficient available. For example, our LED Retrofit Kits are DLC Premium Listed, while many of our competitors’ products are only DLC Standard Qualified.

To you, the consumer, this means a DLC Premium retrofit solution will be 20-30% brighter and / or use 20-30% + less energy. Comparing our units at 165 lumens/watt versus a competitive product at 97 lumens per watt, their product requires 135 watts to produce the same amount of light our product needs barely over 75 watts to create. To you, this saves you thousands of dollars month after month. So while both carry the DLC qualification symbol, ours will save you much more every minute the light is turned on.

One of the benefits of retrofitting is you get to recapture the investment in your existing fixtures. Think of a car dealership. Many are beautiful architecturally designed fixtures and the dealership had spent a lot of money to have them installed. The owners would like to convert to LED, but installing a new fixture is not an ideal solution. First, the finished result would not look as aesthetically pleasing as the current appearance. Second, the investment in the existing fixtures would be ‘throw away’. With a LED retrofitting kit, think of the driver as the ballast replacement and the head as a replacement for the metal halide bulb.

Secondly, most of the times a retrofit kit solution is less expensive than a new fixture solution. So not only are you able to recapture your fixture investment, but converting to LED should be cheaper than replacing the fixture with a new LED fixture.

Being DLC Premium Qualified, each kit must be backed with a 5 year warranty. Since our heads are so designed so thermally efficient, the heads have been upgraded to a 10 year warranty. The drivers come with a standard 5 year warranty, but an optional 10 year warranty on the entire unit is available. This means that you should not have to worry about replacing metal halide bulbs and ballasts for 10+ years. For some of our customers, not replacing bulbs and ballasts is almost as if not more important than energy savings provided by converting over to LED.

Our most powerful kit produces close to 51000 lumens while only consuming 350 watts. We believe we have some of the most, if not the most, efficient retrofit kits on the market today. While others are capable of creating 51000 lumens, they need significantly more watts to be able to do so. This is important, because one of the reasons you are probably considering on converting to LED is to save money. But it would be wrong for you to think that all LED solutions are the same in terms of efficiency. Some of our competitor’s kits are rated at 97 and 110 lumens per watt. Our fifth generation of LED retrofit kits are rated up to 165 lumens per watt. This means our competitors are 50% less efficient than our latest models. Over the life of the LEDs, this means you electrical bills are going to be significantly higher than it needs to be. Yes, it will be lower than the current metal halide or high pressure sodium bulbs you may currently be using, but they will cost you significantly more to operate over our latest ultra-efficient retrofit solutions.

The most important thing to do is to match the correct retrofit kit with your existing lighting. We created 11 retrofit kits as part of our family of LED solutions, from 30 watts all the way to 350 watts. Each unit is designed to fit into your existing fixture without the need for taking down the fixture and sending it to use so we can create a custom plate. Some suppliers provide that as their solution. With our 11 retrofit kits, there is no need to take down a fixture and send it to our offices so that we can design you a retrofit plate. Retrofitting Content by MyLEDLightingGuide

If you are looking to remodel, expand or sell your home, there's a good chance you will have a close encounter with your local building code. These laws can be extensive, confusing and change frequently. The code is there for your safety, but it can still be frustrating to deal with. Older homes in particular are likely to have outdated technology that wouldn't pass a current inspection. Before embarking on a project, take time to understand what the laws are and how they can affect you.

What Is Building Code?

Just about anything you want to do to your home beyond cosmetic changes probably has a corresponding law. Building code covers a number of standards mostly related to safety, including but not limited to HVAC, the electric system, plumbing, the structural integrity of the building and fire safety. If you own a rental unit, there are probably additional standards that you are required to meet before accepting tenants.

Of course, specific housing codes vary by municipality, although most are based on models like the International Residential Code and the National Electric Code. Go to your city or town  website or visit the building department for more information. You can also look up many city and municipality codes from around the country on a website called Municode.

Is My Old Electric Wiring Safe?

The electric code is one of the most important pieces of building code, because failing to comply can endanger your home and property. Some common violations include improperly sized connections, overfilling outlet boxes, not properly grounding and not spacing outlets correctly.

Many code problems require only a simply fix, but others can be a much bigger undertaking. For example, old houses may conduct electricity on knob and tube wiring, which became obsolete in the 1940s. This type of wiring can put your home at risk and isn't equipped to handle high power loads typical in modern homes. If you still have knob and tube, you may discover an expensive upgrade is necessary when it's time to sell the house.

The laws governing electric systems are complex and confusing to many homeowners. The national code on which most cities base their own laws is 1,000 pages long -- far more than the average home DIY-er is able to digest. You could inadvertently run afoul of the law by doing something as simple as replacing a light fixture without upgrading the wiring to the most recent standards. It’s wise to consult a qualified electrician before undertaking a project  so you don’t find yourself in over your head – and on the wrong side of the law.

What if I'm Out of Compliance? 

If you have an older home that doesn't meet the current laws, don't panic. Usually older buildings are grandfathered in when the codes are updated. However, if you want to modify or replace parts of the house, you might be required to do additional work to bring any outdated aspects into compliance.

Do your research so you understand when you need to pull a permit or bring in a city inspector. Talk to local officials up front so they can help you understand how to proceed. When in doubt, hire a qualified professional experienced in local housing laws to let you know where you are up to code and in what areas you fall short.

Your local Mister Sparky® electricians are always here to help. We can advise you on bringing your home into compliance with local laws and do the work for you. Give us a call for more information.