Crawlspaces – those nasty, damp, moldy spaces under your home that you dread entering. They’re one of the least understood parts of a home and the source of countless problems. In this post, I’ll review some of the worst problems and how to avoid them. Crawlspaces often have two big issues: Water / moisture – [...]
Archive for the ‘HVAC’ Category
Insulating Basement Crawl Spaces
Posted: February 1, 2012 in Building Science, Conservation, Construction techniques, Ducts, Energy auditing, HVAC, Insulation, Mold & Moisture, PlumbingTags: basements, crawl spaces, frozen pipes, mold
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Do you wonder why your house gets dusty so fast?
Posted: January 18, 2012 in Conservation, Construction techniques, Ducts, HVAC, InsulationTags: dust, dusty house, HEPA filter, leaky ducts
Do you feel like your house is always dusty, in spite of how much you vacuum and clean? Have you tried all the tricks – HEPA vacuum cleaners, air cleaners, taking your shoes off before coming in the house, washing the dog…. all to no avail? Chances are good that you’re being plagued by a [...]
5 Things to consider when replacing your heating system
Posted: January 12, 2012 in Conservation, HVACTags: boiler, furnace, heat pump, heating system
#1: Research replacement systems before your current system dies Hopefully, you’re reading this before you need to replace your heating system. Other than buying a car, a new heating system is likely to be the biggest single item you’ll purchase for your home. And just like a car, you want to do your research before [...]
Understanding and Evaluating Heat Pumps
Posted: January 5, 2012 in HVACTags: air conditioning, energy efficiency, heat pump, refrigeration
Heat pumps are a bit of magic. But you use one in your home every day – your refrigerator. So if you can accept that your fridge works, somehow making 0 degree air from the 70 degree air in your home, plus some compressor action, then you should be able to accept that heat pumps [...]
Are you unintentionally poisoning your family?
Posted: December 6, 2011 in Building Science, Conservation, Construction techniques, Ducts, Energy auditing, HVACTags: back-drafting, backdrafting, boiler, carbon monoxide, co, furnace
A family friend recently told me of “issues” with their home heating system – “when it runs, the lights get halos around them from all the soot in the air.” I couldn’t believe it when I heard this, and immediately warned him that the condition likely is making his family sick and could easily kill [...]
The Energy Geek Video 3: Ultra Efficient Heat Pump Review
Posted: December 1, 2011 in Conservation, HVAC, ReviewTags: 12 RLS, 12rls, energy efficiency, fujitsu, geothermal, heat pump, mini split
I bumped this back up to top of the list since it’s one of the most popular posts I’ve ever done. I also just had the misfortune of losing ALL THREE indoor units during a recent storm and power surge that killed appliances all around my development. Argh! However, they’re up and running again, good [...]
Reduce your heating bills – seal your ducts
Posted: November 29, 2011 in Building Science, Conservation, Construction techniques, Ducts, HVACTags: duct sealing, ducts, energy efficiency
I admit it – I go crazy when I see leaky ducts. I’m not talking about ducts that have little leaks, I’m talking about problems that cost you hundreds of dollars per year and could be fixed in a few minutes with a piece of tape. Incompetent heating contractors hate me. Why? Because I’m on [...]
The Top 5 Things to winterize your home
Posted: November 18, 2011 in Conservation, Energy auditing, HVAC, WindowsTags: energy efficiency, weatherization, winter, winterization
Freezing temperatures are setting in around much of the country, so now what do you do? While each house is unique, there are some things to remember to avoid unpleasant surprises and expensive repairs later one. #1: Winterize your outdoor water pipes We all know, when pipes freeze, they often burst due to the extreme [...]
Heat and Energy Recovery Ventilators (HRV and ERV)
Posted: October 5, 2011 in Building Science, Conservation, HVACTags: energy recovery, ERV, heat recovery, HRV
This post follows up on the last post, covering how to get rid of smells in your home. One of the best ways to get rid of smells or “staleness” in your house is to bring in fresh air. We all do this during these wonderful autumn days when we open the windows and let [...]
Eliminating Problem Smells in Your Home
Posted: September 20, 2011 in Building Science, Construction techniques, HVAC, Mold & MoistureTags: chemical odor, chemical smell, odors, smells, voc, vocs, volatile compounds
At some point, everybody deals with unpleasant odors in their home. Whether it’s from people, animals, mold, chemicals or something else, smells are everywhere. As home get tighter and more energy efficient, odor and chemical problems can get worse and worse because the stinky air remains in the house longer since it isn’t flushed out [...]
