QUESTION: I saw a show about using windmills to generate electricity for homes. It seems windy around my house and I would like to eliminate my electric bills. Does this make sense and how do I select a windmill?ANSWER: Installing a windmill to generate all the electricity for your house can make economic sense in some situations. Generally though, you are still better off getting electricity from your utility company.It would make more economic sense to plan to use a smaller windmill to reduce your electric bills and not try to totally eliminate them.With adequate wind conditions (speed), a windmill capable of producing 10 kilowatts of electricity (enough for all the needs of a typical home) may cost more than $20,000 to install. Depending upon your local electric rates, it will generally take many years to payback its cost.If your home is very energy efficient, you may be able to get by with a smaller, less expensive model though.If you are planning to build a home in a remote area that does not currently have electric power, installing a windmill may be the most cost-effective option. The cost for the utility company or a contractor to run new electric lines to a distant house can be extremely expensive and installing a windmill will eliminate this expense.Some people are willing to make the additional investment in a windmill for environmental reasons. Windmills produce pollution-free electricity and reduce the need for mining coal or drilling for oil and gas. They also are completely quiet and create a majestic feeling for many people.Check with you local electric utility company about its policy on buying electricity your windmill produces. On windy days, when the windmill produces more electricity than your family needs, it can be fed back into the utility electric grid. The utility company may either pay you for this electricity or allow it to run your electric meter in reverse.Also available are smaller windmills, costing from $500 to $1,000 which produce from 100 to 400 watts. This is enough energy to help you survive through emergencies and power outages. They are also ideal to provide electricity to an outdoor shed or cabin. Often, they are mounted on boats to provide electricity and keep the batteries fully charged.To select a windmill, first test the wind speeds at your location for several months. Some of the windmill suppliers will provide you with a wind gauge. The wind speed will determine your economic payback and allow you to select the proper size windmill. All the new windmills available have power and safety controls and are very reliable.The following companies offer residential windmills: Aeromax (888-407-9463 www.aeromag.com); Alternative Energy Store (877-878-4060 www.altenergystore.com); Lake Michigan Wind & Sun (920-743-0456 www.windandsun.com); Wind Generation Prod. (954-525-9999 www.windbugger.com); Wind Turbine Ind. (952-447-6064 www.windturbine.net); and Windstream Power (802-658-0075 www.windstreampower.com).Send inquiries to James Dulley, Butler Eagle, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244 or visit www.dulley.com.

QUESTION: My master bathroom is built over the garage and the tile floor always feels cold during winter. The garage is not heated, but it stays fairly warm. What can I do to keep the bathroom floor warmer?ANSWER: First make sure your bathroom floor is really much colder than the rest of your house. Tile, even at normal room temperature, can feel cold on bare feet. Check its temperature with a thermometer.If it really is cold, add some insulation above the garage ceiling under the bathroom. To minimize the amount of work, use blown-in insulation.This will require only several small holes to be cut in the ceiling.

QUESTION: I am looking for a gas or propane wall furnace for a large work room in my house. I have seen some counterflow ones which are more expensive than others. Is this design worth the extra cost?ANSWER: A counterflow vertical wall furnace is the most efficient design. Without getting too technical, the fact that the room air and the flue gas flow in opposite directions in the heat exchanger, improves efficiency.Most good quality wall furnaces will use a counterflow design. This should not increase the cost a lot, so shop around a little more. The ones you have priced so far probably have all the bells and whistles.