Don Ames's Blog (43)

by Don Ames,   www.detectenergy.com

Please read the article and catch the screen cast at the end of the article.

Earlier in the week, I spoke about construction flaws and how builders have a tendency to build energy waste right into the structure of a home. The contractors really don't mean too, we all understand that, but , never-the-less, poor construction design, short cut methods, and lack…

by Don Ames,  www.detectenergy.com

Construction flaws waste energy, reduce comfort, and encourage building deterioration. A little knowledge about construction methods can help you locate and correct these flaws. Let's face it, homes were not created equal, homes are the result of a hundred hands belonging to fifty different people that will never live in the house, but, never-the-less, have great influence…

by Don Ames,  www.detectenergy.com

Got a phone call from a Son today, he was down at the local Mall looking to exchange a shirt he got for Christmas. This is one of those times when I wish that cell phones would just go away. Why do we need to be in constant touch with everybody all the time?

"Yes son, I bought the shirt there and I don't know why I cut the tag off and I don't know what happened to the…

Clothes Dryer Problems Can Lead to Inefficiency and Fire.

by Don Ames,   www.detectenergy.com

Story appeared in my local newspaper the other day about an apartment laundry room that had dryer problems. It occurred to me, being the highly trained home energy auditor that I am, that any clothes dryer that had such a problem that it would catch fire, must have been a very inefficient clothes dryer for a long…

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.…

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…

If You Like Recycling and Efficiency, Get A Heat Pump

by Don Ames, www.detectenergy.com, The Energy Spy Insider weekly Free eNewsletter.

The heat pump maintains its great efficiency by recycling refrigerant over and over again. In fact, the Heat Pump is the king of recycling. If you've seen a new, shiny heat pump lately,…

What is Humidity and How Does it Effect Home Energy Savings

by Don Ames,   www.detectenergy.com

We all know what humidity is - it is the cause of the mold on the ceiling in the bathroom. Humidity is what happens to the bathroom mirror during a shower. Humidity is why we have an exhaust fan in the ceiling of the bathroom. Humidity is why a hot summers day in …

Getting the Most out of Your Pergola, Think Solar Power Panel

by Don Ames,   www.detectenergy.com

Sitting in a meeting the other day, I was listening to a discussion on where to put half-a-million dollars worth of solar power panels. The discussion considered placing panels on roofs, on picnic shelters, and carports - it's not easy trying to find a place for a bunch of solar panels. After all, there are things to keep…

Your Home: Calculating Potential Energy Savings With the Home Heating Index

by Don Ames,   www.detectenergy.com,  the Energy Spy Insider

This is about taking a miles-per-gallon approach to calculating Home Heating Performance and Potential Home Energy Savings. I will cover the Home Heating Index formula that will allow you to evaluate your Energy Performance and Energy Saving Potential. By using this…

by Don Ames

If you don't want to read the whole article, at least go to the bottom of the page and watch the screen cast. Take a look at some real effective garage door insulation. No, I didn't make this up.…

How to Raise the Efficiency of Your Fireplace

by Don Ames,   www.detectenergy.com

Story tells of a gentleman that came home from work…

Wood Burning Fireplace: Energy Efficiency Loser.

by Don Ames,  www.detectenergy.com, and the eNewsletter, the Energy Spy Insider

People can have a Love-hate relationship with their wood burning fireplace. There is a lot of loving and hating going on right about now, because cooler weather has come and there are about 35 million fireplaces in the U.S. Whether we are hanging the Christmas stockings with care or trying…

By Don Ames,  www.detectenergy.com & the Energy Spy Insider Free eNewsletter

by Don Ames,   www.detectenergy.com

At the beginning of a home energy audit, I make it a habit to ask the homeowner if I can see their…

If a double pane window is better than a single pane window, should I use triple pane windows?

By Don Ames,  www.detectenergy.com

Should I be using triple pane windows for my retrofit project? 

If a double pane window is better than a single pane window, should I use triple pane windows?

By Don Ames,  www.detectenergy.com…

Household Energy Consumption and Successful Energy Education

by Don Ames,  www.detectenergy.com

Two homes…

Energy Auditors: A Professional on a Mission to Save Energy

by Don Ames,   www.detectenergy.com,  

Hopefully, most people that become Doctors, want to be Doctors. If someone is going to go digging around in my belly, I want them to enjoy what they're doing and not wish they were out leading a group of fisherman on a flounder trip.

I feel the same way about Energy Auditors, anyone that is going to test my…

Energy Retrofits and Priorities for Energy Efficiency

by Don Ames,   www.detectenergy.com

Nothing worse than saving…