Automatic Door Closers Save on Energy Costs
Automatic Door Closers Save on Energy Costs
Everyone today is looking for ways to cut energy costs. We buy energy efficient light bulbs, replace old appliances with new Energy Star rated models, think about installing solar panels on our roof and watch carefully the amount of time our air conditioning runs. But sometimes we overlook the simplest ways to save on energy costs like making sure doors are securely closed to maintain the desired temperature in our home.
DCS Global, the Phoenix-based manufacturer of the Ultra-Glide sliding glass door closer recently tested the effect of leaving a sliding door open over a period of 8 hours. Just one sliding glass door left open while air conditioning is being used resulted in electric costs 40% higher than normal. Even with the door left halfway open, the electric cost was significantly higher at a 30% increase.
Open doors can effect more than your energy bill. When doors are left open, your air conditioning unit works harder to maintain a cool temperature and reduce the humidity in the home. Because your air conditioning unit is worker harder due to the warm air flowing into the house, it will most likely also have higher maintenance costs and a shorter life overall. Humidity can also create problems in your home resulting in damage to painted finishes, carpets and furniture, leaving homeowners with higher maintenance and cleaning costs.
Busy households are sometimes challenged by kids and pets coming in and out of the home and doors being left open. You can still try to instill good habits in your kids, but the quickest solution to keeping your energy costs down is an easy installation of sliding glass door closers like the Ultra-Glide. Self-closing devices are easily installed on sliding doors, and can be color matched to the doors to blend in and go virtually unnoticed in any dcor.
Automatic door closers have additional benefits, especially for homes with pools. They add an additional measure of safety for children and pets in the home, with the option of adding a self-latching device to sliding doors. This handle can be mounted at a height that prevents children from opening the sliding glass door on their own. Installing the latch along with the Ultra Glide self-closing device ensures that children stay safely inside the house.
One small addition to your sliding doors can make a big difference in your household's overall security and your energy costs. By simply letting the Ultra-Glide ensure the doors are closed each and every time they are opened, you can experience effortless year-round savings on your energy bills.