Let there be light.
CSA International, a testing and certification organization, offers advice on what to look for when purchasing compact fluorescent bulbs.
Choose the bulb that best suits the fixture. Spiral-type bulbs may be used in almost every fixture. CFLs with globes are available in various sizes and shapes. They look similar to traditional incandescent bulbs and may look better in fixtures with exposed bulbs.
Determine how much light is needed. Check your fixture to ensure the light is the proper size and wattage. Light output is described as "brightness" and is measured in lumens.
For example, an incandescent 40-watt bulb puts out 450 lumens, but it takes only a 9- to 13-watt CFL to do the same thing, CSA says.
Dispose of CFLs properly. Never place a CFL directly into the trash. CFLs contain a trace amount of mercury. Some retailers provide CFL recycling drop-off. You also may contact your local waste-management agency for disposal or recycling options.
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If disposal or recycling options are not available, place the CFL in a plastic bag and seal it before putting it in the trash. Do not place a CFL in the trash if the waste-management agency incinerates.
Additional information is available at www.lamprecycle.org and www.epa.gov.
energy tax credits
How do energy tax credits work?
If you can afford to remodel in today's tight-credit climate, Todd Jurs, president of Advance Design Studio in Chicago, says that increasing energy efficiency as part of the renovation can have a payback.
Roofs made with qualified products can help decrease the amount of heat transferred into homes, thereby reducing cooling costs. Metal roofs with appropriate pigmented coatings and asphalt roofs with appropriate cooling granules also need to meet the Energy Star requirements.
Roofs that are eligible are "reflective roofs." The credit is 30 percent of the cost up to $1,500, installation excluded.
Most of the credits expire Dec. 31.
new under-sink trap
Product find: Consultant Bruce Irving, whose latest TV foray is a program titled "This New House" on the DIY Network, was taping at the International Builders Show in Las Vegas in January when he came across a novel product.
It's what Irving describes as a clear plastic P-trap under the sink that has "a self-cleaning sweeper, and since it's clear, you can easily fish out anything important." You can check it out for yourself at www.pfwaterworks.net
Questions? E-mail Alan J. Heavens at aheavensphillynews.com or write him at The Inquirer, Box 8263, Philadelphia PA 19101. Volume prohibits individual replies.