Here are some energy-efficiency blog posts I have written over the years. I hope these will help you narrow down those vampire loads, cold room mysteries, high energy bill conundrums, and generally help you save money, live more comfortably, and improve your indoor environmental quality.
I purchased an existing house this past year and of course got a home inspection by Benjamin Meredith of Building Knowledge prior to closing. He identified a list of things that needed to be adjusted, replaced, fixed, and monitored. As with any older home, it has issues and I certainly understood it would need some maintenance. On the top of the list Ben created for me was the heating and cooling system. The existing system was functioning, but not optimally. It was more than 15 years old (probably more than 20 years old) and nearing the end of its life. The system was using more energy than it should to barely keep up with comfort on moderate days.
We added a WiFi enabled control system that links to my phone allowing tracking and comfort adjustments easily from anywhere. The UV light kills biological contaminants in the air and keeps the house odor free. I am certainly happy to have invested in this heating / cooling system a few months ago that not only keeps my electric bills low and my house comfortable, but now provides knowledge I am doing everything I can to keep everyone as healthy as possible. Clean fresh air inside our homes is a must and this is a way to help achieve that goal.
This system also met Pearl Certification for the HVAC system which could improve resale value of the home. Pearl Certification is a national firm that provides third-party certification of high-performing homes: homes with “performance assets” that make them healthy, safe, comfortable, energy and water efficient.
If you are thinking through upgrades on your home right now, it might be time to consider upgrading your heating / cooling system to one that is efficient, keeps you comfortable, and cleans the air.
Heating and cooling supply vents are almost never installed right which is costing you money. The vent should be sealed off during construction to prevent debris from falling into the opening, but also for job site safety. This will prevent blockages in the duct from various debris to block air flow. It is common to find screws, wood, and drywall in duct work.
The vent should also be tied tight to the subfloor using mastic. This reduces the amount of air that will hit the bottom of the register and flow back down into the room above or below. This allows the air flow to get to the room it is intended to reach. In the average house 30% of the air leaks out of the duct work before it reaches the room it is intended to heat or cool. In a tight well designed duct system only 10% of the air leaks out of ducts.
Using hard duct as opposed to flex duct is another important strategy to getting the air to the room it is intended to heat or cool. If flex duct is required then limiting the bends in the design is important.
HVAC stands for the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning system in your home or business. The system should be able to heat and cool your home to create a comfortable living environment. It should also have a source for bringing in fresh air and to control humidity. An HVAC system is designed by a mechanical engineer based on the principles of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer.
An effective HVAC system will keep the fresh air in your home comfortable and healthy. A proper ventilation system has air filtration that removes toxins from the indoor environment. A properly designed system should include a ventilation strategy as well as heating and cooling capacity. Ventilation includes both the exchange of air to the outside and the circulation of air inside the thermal envelope. Keeping your home green and your energy bills low starts with clean air.
HVAC stands for the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning system in your home or business. The system should be able to heat and cool your home to create a comfortable living environment. It should also have a source for bringing in fresh air and to control humidity. An HVAC system is designed by a mechanical engineer based on the principles of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer.
An effective HVAC system will keep the fresh air in your home comfortable and healthy. A proper ventilation system has air filtration that removes toxins from the indoor environment. A properly designed system should include a ventilation strategy as well as heating and cooling capacity. Ventilation includes both the exchange of air to the outside and the circulation of air inside the thermal envelope. Keeping your home green and your energy bills low starts with clean air.
HVAC stands for the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning system in your home or business. The system should be able to heat and cool your home to create a comfortable living environment. It should also have a source for bringing in fresh air and to control humidity. An HVAC system is designed by a mechanical engineer based on the principles of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer.
HVAC stands for the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning system in your home or business. The system should be able to heat and cool your home to create a comfortable living environment. It should also have a source for bringing in fresh air and to control humidity. An HVAC system is designed by a mechanical engineer based on the principles of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer.
