Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, November 21, 1993                   TAG: 9311220293
SECTION: HOME                    PAGE: E-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: James Dulley
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

WAYS TO ADD MORE LIGHT TO A ROOM

A: You have several efficient and attractive options for brightening your kitchen - natural sunlight tube kits, a small high-efficiency skylight with a tapered lightwell, or a new airtight recessed light.

On a sunny day, a do-it-yourself 10-inch- or 13-inch-diameter sunlight tube provides the equivalent lighting of fifteen 100-watt light bulbs. The tube extends from your ceiling to a few inches above the roof. Since it is small in diameter, you can install one in a few hours without cutting any rafters.

From inside your room, the sunlight tube looks just like a standard round light fixture attached to your ceiling. The frosted globe on the ceiling helps to diffuse and distribute the sunlight throughout your room.

The inside surface of the small aluminum sunlight tube is highly reflective. Sunlight, which enters the clear tube cover on your roof, reflects back and forth off the inside tube surface with little loss of intensity. Special roof flashing eliminates any possible water leaks.

By the time the light rays reach the bottom frosted globe in your kitchen ceiling, they are just diffused light in all directions. Even on an overcast day, it produces light. Because it is small in diameter, there is little energy loss as with a larger skylight.

Another option is to install a small high-efficiency skylight. This reduces both the cost and the energy loss of a larger one. Build a tapered lightwell from the roof to your kitchen ceiling. This distributes the light better and makes the skylight look larger than it actually is.

You should select a skylight with an insulated thermally-broken aluminum, vinyl, or fiberglass frame material. Triple-pane plastic or double-pane low-e argon gas filled glass is most efficient. It is important to select the proper size skylight for balanced appearance and energy efficiency.

There are new recessed lighting fixtures available that are completely airtight. Standard can-type recessed fixtures can lose many dollars of energy each year and can contribute to attic moisture problems.

With this new design, you can lay attic insulation over the light fixture instead of leaving a 3-inch uninsulated clearance gap as with standard fixtures. These new recessed fixtures also reduce noise transmission into your home.

Write for Utility Bills Update No. 777 listing manufacturers of sunlight tube kits, high-efficiency skylights, and airtight recessed light fixtures, recommended skylight sizing guide, and instructions for building a lightwell. Please include $2.00 (check or cash).

James Dulley, Roanoke Times & /World-News, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, Ohio, 45244

Q: I have heard of someone trying to make the water heater more efficient caused it to explode and shoot through the roof. Can you explain what happened and how to prevent it? P.P.

A: There are reports of water heaters shooting from a basement up through a house. This may happen when a pressure release valve malfunctions and the water tank literally explodes from too much pressure. Whenever you add an insulation jacket to a water heater, make sure to cut a clearance hole to allow for free movement of the moving parts in the pressure release valve.