Pet Door Saves Energy--and a Lot of Your Time
QUESTION: I have to let my cat and dog in and out many times a day. A gust of cold air blows in each time. Will a door-mounted pet door really help much and can I make one myself?
ANSWER: Opening your door several times a day to let your pets in or out wastes a lot of heat in the winter. In the summer, it allows heat and humidity to get indoors. If your pets are like my cat Ralph, they never seem to be in a hurry to get through the door.
A pet door that mounts in the bottom of your door saves energy. In addition to having a much smaller area open than when opening your door, a pet door is open only when your cat is actually moving through it. It is not held open while your cat makes up its mind to go out or come in.
Good quality cat and dog pet doors often use a brush-type weatherstripping that seals well when it is closed. This not only reduces heated room air loss, but it reduces drafts in your home. With less drafts over your feet, you can often set your thermostat down a degree or two.
One of the most effective types of pet doors uses a battery-operated electro-mechanical lock. You can select “in-only,” “out-only,” “both,” or “locked.” The door itself is made of clear plastic so your pet can see through it and is not frightened walking through it.
Your pet wears a small collar with a special small magnet on it. A sensor in the pet door senses the magnet and allows only your pet to enter or exit. Without the collar, it will not open. This keeps stray cats or other small animals from visiting on cold winter evenings.
Another design of pet door has the same four settings but without the magnetic-sensing lock. Others use a flexible clear plastic that bends in or out. Magnets are used to center the door in the closed sealed position.
These pet doors are very easy to install yourself. You just saw a hole through the bottom of the door and screw the indoor and outdoor halves over the hole. They are made with attractive trim panels. Special kits are also available to mount a pet door through a glass patio door panel.
You can easily make an insulated pet door yourself. Make a plywood tunnel frame and hang a door from a hinge at the top. Glue rigid foam insulation board to the door. You can also make a two-door unit. With one “in-only” door and one “out-only” door, each door swings only one direction. This allows you to use a tighter-sealing type of weatherstripping.
You can write to me at the address below for Utility Bills Update No. 317 listing addresses and telephone numbers of manufacturers of the new magnet-sensing and other pet doors, product information, and instructions for making an insulated pet door. Please include $1.50 and a self-addressed business-size envelope.
Hallway Best Place for Thermostat Accuracy
Q: I am remodeling my house and I have the option to relocate the furnace and air conditioner thermostat. What is the most efficient location for the thermostat?
A: The best location for the thermostat is where it gets the truest reading of the average temperature of your house. Chest height is generally a good vertical location.
Try to locate it away from rooms that are heated by the sun during the day. Also, keep it away from furnace registers and breezes from the opening of doors. A hallway is often a good location because it is free of most of the causes of false temperature readings.
