All Blog Posts Tagged 'air' (17)

Before drywall was installed, I tested the infiltration (air leakage) at the Proud Green Home (PGH) at Serenbe,…

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Sleeping on the front porch after a hot summer day was a straight out necessity. The upstairs of the 1940’s farm house had turned into a sauna and sleeping in the upstairs bedrooms was not possible. Even after the sun went down, the upstairs seemed to get hotter. Let's look at some ways to cool a house without air conditioning?

Now that I spend time trying to figure out how a home can be more energy efficient, I think back to those hot summer days and wonder two…

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Whether you are a “do-it-yourself” home energy auditor or a seasoned professional, learning about a home from an initial visual inspection is an important tool during an energy audit of home which can highlight energy saving opportunities. The visual inspection is the first indication…

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DETROIT (WWJ) - Just ahead of the official start of summer (June 20), Metro Detroit is expecting a couple of days with near record-high temperatures.

“By dinner time Tuesday, 6 p.m., we’re still looking at 91 degrees in Metro Detroit with high humidity levels,” he said.

We have record heat coming for the next couple days around Metro Detroit. Air conditioners will be on full blast and people will be roasting in their 2^nd story bedrooms at night.…

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In order to feel comfortable in the cooling season conditioned air has to be at the right air temperature AND relative humidity. Conventional AC dehumidifies when it is running but it is thermostatically controlled by air temperature only. Which means that when air temperature is reached the AC turns off and stops dehumidifying. Not a big problem if you live in an arid climate such as Pheonix but if you live in New England where the summers are very humid and not…

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9 Steps to a More Energy Efficient Home and Lower Power Bills



How to reduce energy at home has gradually become a household desire as a result of high definition T.V.'s and homes the size of a castle. Throw in a struggling economy and the melt down of a nuclear plant and becoming more energy efficient seems like a great idea.

Our power bills rise as a result of increasing power costs and the need for more and more power to operate are power hungry homes and…

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Why is there a heating register 4 feet up on the wall?

by Don Ames,   www.detectenergy.com

In my last article, I spoke about a home energy audit and the hot tub on the back deck. Remember, it was a manufactured home with a great deck overlooking a roaring hillside stream. Next door, the neighbors were the countryside recyclers, at least I suppose that's what they might call themselves.

Personally, I think I would call them by a…

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Check out these fantastic tips on measuring airflow! This covers measuring with a vane, pitot tube, TESP, temp rise method, hot wire anemometer and more. Complete with videos and diagrams, it's all here. 

http://www.trutechtools.com/MeasuringAirflowTipsandTechniques 

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What is Air Sealing and How can it Save Energy?

by Don Ames, www.detectenergy.com

Air sealing is important because air leaks through the walls, floor, and ceiling of your home. Air leaks out of your home when the air pressure inside the home is greater than the air pressure outside the home. Air also travels from hot to cold. The bigger the hole and the greater the pressure or temperature difference, the more air…

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by Don Ames,  www.detectenergy.com

Heat flows out of your home in two ways, transmission and air leakage. Transmission and air leakage occur through all surfaces of the home - walls, floor, roof, windows and doors.

The amount of heat transfer depends on two factors: thermal resistance and surface area. Thermal resistance has to do with the quality and quantity of the material in the walls, floor, roof, windows, and…

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Energy Efficient House: Common Sense Guidelines to Energy Conservation.

by Don Ames,   www.detectenergy.com  The security of home energy conservation and the Energy Spy Insider.

Think of the ways we try to separate the outside climate from the inside climate. In a nut shell, that is the goal of an energy efficient house. Take a snowmobile or a dog sled and you will see a domed home made out of snow and ice.…

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There is a Weatherization Assistance Program Near You!

By Don Ames,   www.detectenergy.com

I receive calls on a regular bases asking me about help fixing the problem of being cold and whether or not I have heard of any Weatherization Assistance Programs. These calls are not about being cold for a day - while the furnace is fixed - or being cold for a week - while a few more dollars are scraped together to have the…

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Are Energy Saving Retrofits Cost-Effective?

by Don Ames

Government and Utility based programs that offer weatherization and other energy saving…

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Thinking of convincing the homeowner that you are the right contractor for the window replacement project? Make sure that you are prepared to demonstrate that you have the knowledge to evaluate the problem correctly. The customer wants and expects to perceive this quickly or you will not be selected for the follow-up. So, to ensure your business is the one selected for that coveted follow-up session, it is critical to showcase your knowledge and experience, the two fundamental factors that say… Continue

How Oil Pointed the Way to Home Energy Savings

 

Don Ames

 

When the oil fields began to be developed in places like North Dakota, manpower was an immediate need. Manpower was needed in remote places where the oil was hiding and having enough ready housing was a problem. The cheapest and quickest solution was manufactured housing. Pull it in, set it up, and your done.

Manufactured home communities began to sprout up over…

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It took me a while to figure out that a building is basically just a structural framework with control layers. Yeah, there's also electrical, plumbing, mechanical systems, and finishes, but the heart of a building is the stuff that holds it up and that moderates the flows of heat,…

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