Daphne
Portland, OR
On Oregons high desert, summers are hot and dry and winter is freezing cold. Desert living presents unique energy challenges.
Our older manufactured home sits above ground on concrete blocks. Last summer we discovered a porch leak had filled the black plastic covering under our flooring with snowmelt from more than a decade. To release the water, we cut a hole in the plastic, then rebuilt the porch - this time with a roof. Getting an eyeful of our homes underpinnings convinced us well eventually need additional insulation to keep our floors warmer!
During hot summer evenings we sometimes ran two room air conditioners; our bedroom and the guest bedroom. We didnt need to cool the entire house, but those A/C units were annoyingly loud and interfered with sleeping. An unfortunate incident caused us to remove both A/C units to install security bars on all doors and windows. We gave away the units, and now sleep with open windows and doors, safe from bugs because of screens, and safe from intruders because of bars. Our summer energy bill is lower, but the house can still get uncomfortably warm during the day.
As retired teachers away from home for extended periods of time, our biggest challenge remains: how can we keep our pipes from freezing, yet not waste heat? Heat tape and lowering the thermostat help, but severe weather fluctuations still play havoc with the best laid plans and our pocket books!