A client recently asked me how much it costs to raise her home's temp during the day. This is a simple way you can get that same info (this is a different cost from maintaining that temp): For gas heating systems: Get a stable home temp (turn the thermostat Read more »
Heat pumps deliver more heat to your home than they consume. How? The magic is in the ability of refrigerants to absorb heat when they expand, and release it when they compress. The refrigerant is compressed inside a home, releasing heat, then moved through pipes and allowed to expand in copper tubes outside, absorbing Read more »
Given the same mechanism for heat transfer (blowing air over a heating element, for example) gas and electricity use the same amount of energy to heat the same volume of air. Energy is measured in many different units, but generally British Thermal Units (BTUs) for gas and kilowatt hours (KWh) Read more »
A client recently told me that during the depths of last winter, he was spending upwards of $1000 per month on propane. My first thoughts were that the house was too leaky, or not insulated, or that the ductwork was shot. But, through diagnostic testing, I realized that the real Read more »
My attic is insulated with fiberglass batts. Thank you, insulation contractor! Wait, what happens when I look under this batt of insulation? Oh, I have no effective insulation. I want my money back! Lesson to insulation contractors: Align the pressure and thermal boundary. In english, this means make sure Read more »
Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless, tasteless gas emitted by the incomplete combustion of fuel. It comes from wood, natural gas, charcoal, and almost everything else that burns. CO binds to hemoglobin and prevents oxygen from entering or leaving the bloodstream. This means that oxygen that it carries can't Read more »
Every building material resists heat flow in some manner. Glass does it poorly, fluffed insulation does it really well. The ability of a material to resist heat flow is called its R-value. When I recommend ugrades, such as adding insulation to the attic, I use software that generates a Read more »
My friend with the whiskers would like to say "Hi!" He is a prime example of misaligning the pressure and thermal boundary. In any heated space, the boundary that holds the warm air inside of your home (pressure boundary) should be touching, and on the warm side of, your insulation Read more »
Jargon. I forget how much of it I use until I get that blank stare from a client. So here is a primer, and a reminder that if I start using too many acronyms in a conversation, you are to poke me in the chest and say "Hey! Speak English!" Read more »
If you have a water heater tank that uses natural gas, you may be able to cause the exhaust (carbon monoxide) to flow into your house. A good thing? Not at all, but at least you'll know if backdrafting may be a problem or not. And knowing is half the Read more »