Winterizing Your Home

[Mikawa Ossan]

I have just begun to winterize my apartment. I put calking (or whatever you call it--specifically this (http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%82%BB%E3%83%A1%E3%83%80%E3%82%A4%E3%83%B3-%E3%81%99%E3%81%8D%E3%81%BE%E7%94%A8%E3%83%86%E3%8 3%BC%E3%83%97-TP-161/dp/B000TGOJP2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=kitchen&qid=1222587051&sr=8-2)) around the front door, and I'm trying to think of other things to do to winterize the apartment I live in.

I've heard that if you use thicker curtains, you can save heating costs that way, but frankly I don't want to spend the amount of money it would take to buy new thick curtains for my patio-size windows just to save a little money on heating. (The calking cost me a total of 196 yen for the door, BTW.)

Any other ideas?

[kusojiji]

You would probably save enough to justify the curtains.

[FrustratedDave]

Are you kidding... My electricity bill is about ￥100,000 a month , if there was anything I could do save money I would. I am very interested in what anyone has to suggest.

[epigene]

Our place is on the fourth floor of a condo building. With the living room and bedrooms facing true south, the warmth keeps the entire apartment warm for most of the day. We rarely use heaters, although we do have gas stoves and air conditioners.

In addition to warmth from sunshine, part of the reason why we don't heat it is because of my spouse, the naturalist, who doesn't like overly heated rooms. So the family naturally became accustomed to relatively cold air.

However, we also use the "sukima" tape like you to prevent draft from the entrance area.

Another thing I use every winter is the "wataire hanten":
http://www.e-miyata.com/winter2008/hanten/923-a-big.jpg
I find it very warm and comfortable to wear inside the house. :cool:

[Mikawa Ossan]

I've seen this stuff that's like Saran Wrap for your windows. Basically you use a hairdryer to apply this plastic coat to your windows....but when I went to the local home center today, they didn't have any.

I've also seen something called a window heater
http://www.roov.co.jp/heater/feature.html
but I can't intall it where I live.

My electric bill last month was about 3200 yen (yes, I'm insanely proud of that), but every winter it shoots up, so this year I want to take precautions!

[FrustratedDave]

That window heater looks like it could be a good idea. Thanks for the link.

[Mikawa Ossan]

Dave, no problem!

Epigene, hanten might be a good idea! Usually what I do is wrap my upper body in a blanket and put my lower body under my kotatsu. Of course, that just makes me want to sleep...

In terms of heaters, here is some more info that I've found. Sorry that they're all Japanese links!

Comparison between a wall unit heater and an oil fan heater:
http://www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~y_suzuki/trendy/casa/danbo.htm

Sunramera ceramic heater:
http://review.rakuten.co.jp/item/1/206306_726078/3.0/
http://www.sanramera.jp/

Sanramera seems to be a pretty good heater from the reviews I've read. The biggest problem with it is the small one costs 40,000 yen and the large one costs more than twice that! It's definately somthing that I'm considering, though.

As far as the Saran Wrap on your windows, I can find information on that in English from America websites, but in Japanese, the best I can find is "bouhan sheet" which also cuts UV or infrared rays. They sometimes advertise that they make AC more efficient, but not heating...although if you were to pair this with sanramera, it might be effective.

As I have been researching, I read that if you place a sheet under your denki carpet, it makes the denki carpet more efficient. I've also read that especially if you use a wall unit aircon, ceiling fans can be effective.

[dreamer]

Errr...just a question...
Is winter that terrible in Japan? (I am in Tokyo)
￥100,000 seems absolutely amazing to me o_O

[Mikawa Ossan]

dreamer, winter in Japan, like so many other things, is what you make of it.

I'll let Dave speak for himself, but I have a sneaking suspicion that he's not just talking about his house.

What I mean by my first statement is simply that in the places that I've spent winter in Japan (Nagoya, Osaka, Yamaguchi, Nagasaki, etc.), there is very little insulation, and heating is done on a room by room basis (generally speaking). It doesn't delve into below freezing temperatures very often, but it does get into single digit temperatures fairly regularly (centigrade).

Up until now, I've used a kerosene fan heater, wall AC/heater unit, denki carpet, and kotatsu in various ratios. The inside room temperature of my apartment has usually been somewhere around 10-20 degrees, depending on how I choose to fight the cold. This year, I'm trying to see if there isn't a better way than what I've been doing up until now, which is why I started this thread. If you have any ideas, please feel free to share them!

[nanook]

At night, we would just use a hot water bottle in bed, a "yutampo" or two. No further heating necessary. One or two kettles of water on top of an old fashioned kerosene heater in the evenings serve as an air humidifier and as hot water supply for the yutampos (and tea) at the same time. Thick curtains do make a difference, IMHO, as air is a pretty good insulator.

If you use open fire for heating, as with a kerosene heater, make sure, that there is always a supply of fresh air. Those heaters eat up a fair amount of oxygen and produce some toxic fumes. So keep a window ajar, while the heater is on.

Just my 2yen

[180 drifter]

i have heard the same thing about the thicker curtains retaining more heat. i also agree with what mikawa ossan said about the very little insulation. i usually spend about 30000 en on kerosen a month in the winter up here in Misawa. the weather up here is comparable to the Northeast of the United States. Maybe like upstate New York. i have also been trying to figure out how to save some money on my heating bill. i am really happy i don't have central heating otherwise my heating bill would be rediculous. i think this year i am gonna get the thicker curtains, and big carpet for the living room, maybe using the kotatsu a little more, and getting those little "snakes" to put under the doors so heat can't escape through the space between the door and floor. as for sleeping just using like 3 big blankets usually keeps me warm through the night but that run from under the covers to the shower in the morning usually sucks! haha

[FrustratedDave]

Errr...just a question...
Is winter that terrible in Japan? (I am in Tokyo)
￥100,000 seems absolutely amazing to me o_O
Mikawa ossan is not completely off base about the costs of heating/ cooling in Japan. Most people usually get away with under 20,000 yen.:(

But I was talking about the electricity bill in my house alone. Unfortunately or fortunately , which ever way you want to look at it I have quite a big house that is made out of solid concrete. The problem is that our living room alone is just on 900 sq ft or 26 tsubou and has little insulation on the walls. The celing is also quite high at 9' ,so it is really hard to get the room warm. We are on all electricity (oorudenka)and just for that room we usually run 3 to 4 reverse cycle AC's in mid winter even though it does not get much lower than 0 at the coldest of times. BTW , my wife will not use a kerosene heater due to the dangers that have been talked about on the news with carbon monoxide poisoning.

[Mikawa Ossan]

I finally found what I was talking about regarding the window wrap. It's called "dannetsu sheet" (断熱シート).
http://www.nitoms.com/products/tape/shouene/index.html
I'm thinking I'll be investing in this pretty soon.

Here's some information I found on windows and curtains:
http://allabout.co.jp/house/kankyosumai/closeup/CU20030921f/index3.htm

And this was very interesting if you read all four pages or so:
http://kkj.or.jp/event/winter06/winter01.html

Oh, and Dave, what can I say but.......wow.:bikkuri:

[Chidoriashi]

I don't have anything really special to add here. I live in Shizuoka prefecture, and my insulation-less apartment has an average temp of 0 degrees in the coldest months (well that's downstairs). haha. Yeah, it gets colder in my apartment than it does outside. Basically I am usually comfortable putting on extra clothes and turning the heater on just every once in a while for a bit. When i sleep though i use one of those accordion style heaters and set it on low (500watts). I sleep under a huge down comforter so i stay really warm.. sweating many times actually. The reason i use the heater at night is cuz i find if i breath in cold air all night more often than not i will wake up with a sore throat. it only gets my room up to about 8 degrees (I think) but it is enough. My electric bill during the winter usually runs 7000-9000 yen.

[Chidoriashi]

Mikawa Ossan> 3200 yen?? I have never even seen mine that low. when I have been on vacation and not used heater/ac at all that month... maybe it would get down to 4000..

[dreamer]

The problem is that our living room alone is just on 900 sq ft or 26 tsubou and has little insulation on the walls.
my apartment is about 3 tsubou so I think I should be fine...

Otherwise, I remember that in Boston, I used to have like an extra store that I could pull down when it was too cold.
I'm usually going for the cheap method of putting more clothes and using more blankets.

On average my bills in the UK, US and France have always been at most ￥10,000 despite the temparature varying between 37°C and -20°C

[FrustratedDave]

Oh, and Dave, what can I say but.......wow.:bikkuri:
Yeah, your telling me...

my apartment is about 3 tsubou so I think I should be fine...

Otherwise, I remember that in Boston, I used to have like an extra store that I could pull down when it was too cold.
I'm usually going for the cheap method of putting more clothes and using more blankets.

On average my bills in the UK, US and France have always been at most ￥10,000 despite the temparature varying between 37°C and -20°C

Unfortunately we have kids and the little one is still not old enough to be battling the cold with clothes.

Besides I am already starting to feel the cold, hasn't it been cold lately?

[dreamer]

Besides I am already starting to feel the cold, hasn't it been cold lately?
Well...I was around Namba and Umeda last weekend and I was wearing a t-shirt and short pants without any problem...we stayed out a couple of nights and the temperature was about the same as in France but back to Tokyo, I didn't have to switch on the AC indeed...

[180 drifter]

yeah i am gonna take a trip down to tokyo here next week for a week. hope the weather is nice. i am trying to get down there before it gets too cold.

[kusojiji]

Best way to stay warm on cold winter nights is to have a nice warm person to sleep with!

[mr.sumo.snr]

I built a large, modern, well-insulated house six years ago. We installed a central air-conditioning system for winter and summer. My electricity bill maxes out at about 36000 yen in August and January (plus an additional 20000 yen for oil in January). The bill in April and May is around 24000 yen.

It's a steep price to pay for some - but I can use every room in my house at any time of the year - in comfort - and that's a cost I'm willing to pay. No alcohol, no pachinko, no Starbucks (literally) and little gasoline...it all balances out.


--

[Chidoriashi]

mr.sumo.snr> actually 36000 yen is surprisingly low to me. I would have thought central heating and air would be way more expensive than that in Japan.

[FrustratedDave]

I built a large, modern, well-insulated house six years ago. We installed a central air-conditioning system for winter and summer. My electricity bill maxes out at about 36000 yen in August and January (plus an additional 20000 yen for oil in January). The bill in April and May is around 24000 yen.
It's a steep price to pay for some - but I can use every room in my house at any time of the year - in comfort - and that's a cost I'm willing to pay. No alcohol, no pachinko, no Starbucks (literally) and little gasoline...it all balances out.
--
I would hate to see the cost of having my house central heated!!!!:shock:

But it would be good to have... 36,000 yen is supprisingly cheap.

[180 drifter]

i agree with these guys that is really cheap

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

In Japan being humid
It is the most effective for a saving of heating costs to change a windowpane for vacuum glass.
And it can prevent dew condensation, too.
However, an initial investment is high.
When I lived in an old apartment in old days,
I used a futon dryer.
I warmed futon before sleeping.
In addition, a futon dryer is useful for mold and the extermination of a mite.

Futon kansouki
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%B8%83%E5%9B%A3%E4%B9%BE%E7%87%A5%E6%A9%9F

A price is around 5,000 yen.
http://kakaku.com/kaden/bedcloth-dryer/ranking_2131/

[epigene]

In Japan being humid
It is the most effective for a saving of heating costs to change a windowpane for vacuum glass.
And it can prevent dew condensation, too.
However, an initial investment is high.
When I lived in an old apartment in old days,
I used a futon dryer.
I warmed futon before sleeping.
In addition, a futon dryer is useful for mold and the extermination of a mite.
Futon kansouki
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%B8%83%E5%9B%A3%E4%B9%BE%E7%87%A5%E6%A9%9F
A price is around 5,000 yen.
http://kakaku.com/kaden/bedcloth-dryer/ranking_2131/
My vote for futon kansouki!! Very cheap and effective!!
Another one for heavy curtains--you'll see how different and what good investment they are! :cool:

[nanook]

to have a nice warm person to sleep with!If, what you mean, is actually sleeping, I would prefer a few cats or dogs. Their body temperature is slightly higher and they are less rambunctious :-)

SCNR

[mr.sumo.snr]

mr.sumo.snr> actually 36000 yen is surprisingly low to me. I would have thought central heating and air would be way more expensive than that in Japan.

I checked with my wife and she told me July's bill was 38000 yen (it was a sweaty one this year).

Few other things that should be factored in. It's now my 13th year in Japan and my tolerance to the heat is considerably greater than during those first years. My apartment air-con in 1995 would be set to 20C and maximum output. These days I'm quite happy with 26C on the lowest power setting during the summer days and 28C overnight.

I have excellent double-glazed widows. Vertical sash-type with UPVC frames. Very little heat loss or external heat invasion. Ground floor ceilings are 2.7m and first floor are 2.4m - air has somewhere to go - as does my head! And I guess having my external walls painted cream-color also helps.

But yes, it's pretty reasonable when I also consider I usually have three desktop computers running 24/7. A separate air-conditioner for my classroom (when I used the central air-con alone to keep that room cool my wife would be sitting in the kitchen wearing a fleece jumper - in June), and the house is located in the warmest district in the southern-most city of Nagano-ken. It will hit 38C here in August. Water is heated with oil but everything else in the house runs on electricity.

BTW - it cost 2,500,000 yen to install the central air-con – it came with a 25 year guarantee.

So far this year it’s been off early April through mid-June and late August through to now.

--

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

It is PS3 that run a fever most in my room.

[Mikawa Ossan]

Here's a link I found in English:
http://www.geocities.com/green_in_japan/shrinkwrapping.html

Bubble wrap seems to work pretty well on windows. I found that same advice on some other site I found in Japanese.

Here's some wrap you can get for your windows in America, but apparently not in Japan.
http://www.amazon.com/tag/window%20plastic

I'll stop going on about window plastic now.

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

When you seal up your room, please be careful about carbon monoxide poisoning.
As for the winter, death by accident of carbon monoxide poisoning increases.
http://www.nikkeibp.co.jp/sj/2/interview/46/

[Uncle Frank]

When you seal up your room, please be careful about carbon monoxide poisoning.
As for the winter, death by accident of carbon monoxide poisoning increases.
http://www.nikkeibp.co.jp/sj/2/interview/46/

I made my house here in Maine(where it gets darn cold) way too air tight.
When we got a new and bigger furnace(forced hot air/oil), it had to get air from up the chimmny, drawing the smoke and CO2 back down and into the house. I ended up having to crack a window in my basement to get enough fresh air into the house for the furnace to run. Sometimes you can over do it.

Uncle Frank

:relief:

[Mikawa Ossan]

A lot of good points here, especially about safety! You can be warm as can be, but it makes no different if you're dead.

Incidentally, the heater to which I provided a link to earlier doesn't produce carbon monoxide or take water out of the air. Just a thought.

Floors, I think are important, too. I am thinking of going to get a piece of carpet (about 180cm x 180cm) to put in my room for the fall and to put under my kotatsu pad come winter.

OR

I might just move everything into my tatami room for the winter. Tatami is much warmer than wood flooring, so that would solve that problem fine. The only problem with that is that my wall AC/heater unit is in my other room, should I wish to use it on particularly cold days.

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

A point to be careful to about use of a kotatsu.
A low temperature burn
Skin does a light burn even low temperature when exposed to a stove and a kotatsu for a long time.
About a floor heater,
I use a pot carpet (an electric carpet).
http://kakaku.com/kaden/hot-carpet/
I am on an insulation sheet to flooring,
And I spread a hot carpet.
And I put a kotatsu.
I do not use electricity of a kotatsu.
http://store.shopping.yahoo.co.jp/soukai/4901983901109.html

[Dogen Z]

Another useful thing to do is to clean the filter of the AC/heater unit. Makes it work more efficiently (cheaply). I'm gonna have to clean mine this weekend.

BTW, a towelkette or light blanket between you and a futon will make warming up the futon unnecessary.