7 Home Depot Summer Buys That Pay for Themselves by Fall
Not every investment takes years to pay off. Some simple products from Home Depot can pay for themselves within a few short months.
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As you plan out your summer projects, consider these quick wins.
WaterSense Showerhead
Price: $22.64
With a flow rate of 1.75 gallons per minute, this six-inch square Pfister showerhead from Home Depot exceeds the EPA’s WaterSense guidelines. Beyond saving you money on water, it also saves on water heating.
“Summer is a great time to buy one as more people use your showers between guests visiting and family members coming home,” said Natalia Bassova, realtor at Resort Real Estate. “You should be able to save at least $15 to $40 per month depending on usage.”
Smart Irrigation Controller
Price: $138
Rather than a preprogrammed timer, smart irrigation controllers like the Alexa-enabled B-hyve controller water your grounds based on actual rainfall.
“If you’re paying over $100 [per] month for water in dry regions once the trees and lawn start sucking up water, it wouldn’t surprise me if a controller like this dropped your outdoor water consumption 20% to 50%,” said Danny Niemela with ArDan Construction. “Plus, some utilities offer up to a $100 rebate when you buy these to soften the blow even further.”
Retractable Clothesline or Drying Rack
Price: $25
Clothes dryers cost you money twice — first through the energy required to run them, and again through the extra heat they add to your home, which makes your air conditioning work harder.
But for $25, you can buy a retractable clothesline that hides away when you’re not using it. Or if you prefer, a drying rack that folds away.
“Households with electric dryers can expect savings of $21 to $26 by fall if they line-dry four loads a week, even from late summer,” said Ben Mizes with Clever Real Estate.
Ceiling Fan
Price: $49.97
For less than $50, you can buy a 44-inch Clarkston II fan with three LED lights. And this small change can make a huge difference in your cooling costs.
Hunter Fans noted that ceiling fans use 50 to 100 watts per hour, while central air uses 2,000 to 5,000 watts per hour. If you can get away with just using the ceiling fan in the room you’re in, rather than running central air, it can cost you a one-hundredth of the energy cost.
Even if you do run central air, ceiling fans help you keep the thermostat at a higher temperature.
“Each degree that you increase the thermostat setting saves a hefty amount on cooling expenses, so a fan can return its price within a summer or even a month,” said Cody Schuiteboert of Best Interest Financial.
Solar Window Film
Price: $33
Niemela added that window film can block UV radiation and keep the sun from heating your house, saving on cooling costs.
“A good film can reject up to 70% of incoming solar heat gain. That could mean savings of $15 to $30 a month on cooling costs, so solar film can pay for itself in two billing cycles,” he said.
Basic HVAC Care Products
Price: under $50
Even a few minutes of simple do-it-yourself HVAC maintenance can drastically cut your cooling bill.
“A can of coil cleaning foam averages $10,” said Niemela. “A fin comb runs $16 bucks. Good air filters are $15 [to] $25 for a three-pack. Just spot cleaning your condenser could recover $10 to $20 bucks a month with very little effort.”
Door and Window Sealing
Price: under $50
You lose the most energy efficiency through your doors and windows. Fortunately, it’s cheap and easy to seal them better.
Bill Nishanian of Nash Painting points to a few simple fixes. “Behind window and door trim, there’s often there is an empty void between the rough framing two-by-fours. A few cans of spray foam like Great Stuff can fill in all the gaps and provide added insulation. Then caulk the trim when you reinstall it to further eliminate heat loss.
“Make sure you replace or add new weatherstripping that fits tightly against the frame, and add a sweep at the bottom of the door to keep bugs, air and water from getting in.”
These fixes cost little money and time, but can pay for themselves in as little as one month of summer heat.
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Editor’s note: Prices and availability are subject to change.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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