Takings steps to make your manufactured mobile home more energy efficient is all about using less energy and saving money. But can you make mobile homes more energy efficient? Quite simply, there are very many and they can actually be realized by all parts of our society. Making your home energy efficient is an important tool in the fight against climate change because it reduces emission of greenhouse gases. However, consider this broad set of benefits that goes far beyond climate change: energy conservation makes your house more environmentally friendly while saving you tonnes of money in the long run.
There are several changes that you can make to your pre-manufactured mobile home to save energy and also cut the cost of electricity and fuel bills. Some changes are quite easy and inexpensive while others might take a little more work. All in all, the costs savings and the benefit of increased manufactured mobile home efficiency are worth it! Below are our top 10 tips for making your mobile or manufactured home more energy efficient:
Mobile Home Roof and Ceiling
1. Change the Roof Covering
Did you ever know that a cooler roof coating could lower your mobile home’s temperature, reduce smog, and save on your electric bills by cutting down all unnecessary AC costs and reflect up to 85 percent of the sunlight? Installing a Cool Roof or White Roof Coating reflects most of the heat from the sun away thus helping to cool your home.
2. Add Roof Insulation
It might take more work, but you can actually save up to 15 percent of insulation and heating costs simply by insulating your roof cavity. Installing sloped roofs allows extra room for insulation within the ceiling of your mobile home.
Energy Efficiency Inside Your Mobile Home
– The interior of your manufactured home can be a major cause of much wasted energy. From the walls and lighting, to the doors, windows, kitchen, furnace, bathroom and appliances – there are many ways to lower the energy bills and also save money inside the mobile home.
3. Save Energy in your Kitchen
Do you know that you are capable of speeding up cooking and saving energy by the use of lids on pans and pots? Pressure cookers can also reduce the cooking time even further.
Other ways for reducing energy inside the kitchen include; choosing Energy Star appliances, defrosting food in the refrigerator in advance rather than using a microwave, not overfilling the refrigerator and not using your full oven for smaller meals.
4. Replace Light Bulbs with the Energy Efficient Lighting
All pre-manufactured mobile homes can benefit by using energy efficient lighting. With majority of the homes using 10-12 percent of the total home energy on lighting, making savings can lower the energy bills of your mobile home.
Simple ways that you can use to improve energy output of your lighting include: changing the light bulbs to more compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL’s). This is beneficial because CFL’s usually use up quarter of the energy used by the regular light bulbs. Switch the lighting off when it’s not needed; clean the lighting fixtures so as to maximize the lighting output.
Source: Thinkstock/ Jeffrey Hamilton
5. Service your Furnace
Unlike site built homes, manufactured mobile home furnaces usually draw air directly to the furnace via removable grilles. Replacing or cleaning the furnace filter can reduce the energy costs drastically and make your furnace much more efficient.
It’s also a great idea to inspect your squirrel cage blower at the top of the furnace for any grease or dust.
6. Make your Windows more Energy Efficient
Simple plastic window coverings can help to reduce energy costs and also cut out drafts. Disposable plastic coverings can be removed for the summers.
Storm windows – the extra glass panes that are fitted to the interior of the windows can also be installed for a more permanent energy saving. The internal storm windows are more protected from these elements as well. Make sure that the frame is sealed tightly. Additional insulation can also be achieved with foam tape.
7. Mobile Home Cooling (inside and outside)
Apart from cooling the air, air conditioners also take out moisture so as to make the air comfortable. You can lower the AC running costs just by lowering the moisture within your mobile home for the AC unit to run more efficiently. Moisture usually comes from 2 main sources: air leakage from the Air Conditioning units and from the ground.
Another way for reducing air conditioning costs is by preventing the heat before it gets to your mobile home using the cool roof solution and employing an effective use of Trellises, Window Films and shade trees.
Mobile Home Flooring and the Crawl Space Savings
8. Add Insulation cover under the Floor
Mobile homes often have insulation. However, they tend to be partially-filled which means there’s always room for more. It is a great idea to hire insulation professionals and ask for the Blown Fiberglass so as to reduce the potential corrosion of metal parts from the cellulose insulation.
Source: Thinkstock/ Vicheslav
9. Check your Crawlspace and Ducts
The Crawl space beneath your pre-manufactured home is mostly neglected. However, there are energy savings that can be had beneath your floor. Adding skirting around your mobile home can also prevent heat from escaping. Nevertheless, you still have to ensure that you still have access to the crawl space.
Check the area beneath your furnace for any loose joints or ducts and if possible use the metal Duct Tape since traditional gray fabric tapes can become loose.
10. Check for Water Seepage and Leakage
Leaks in your manufactured mobile home’s walls and roofs allow for the water to seep in which causes mold, rot and mildew. By installing gutters, sealing the roof and taking steps so as to seal leaky seams and around drain and water pipes, you can make your mobile home last longer and also save a lot of money on the costly repairs.
Featured Image: Thinkstock/ joshuaraineyphotography
