by Tim Snyder | Jun 24, 2014 | ABC Action Plan, Building Envelope, Conditioned Spaces, Energy-Savings Tips, Heating & Cooling, Home Systems
There’s no need to sweat because of hot weather and high air conditioning expenses Summer heat is here. What could be worse than sweating all night long in an upstairs bedroom that your air conditioning system can’t seem to reach? How about being shocked by a huge...
by Joseph R. Provey | Apr 8, 2014 | Attics, Basements, Building Envelope, Conditioned Spaces, Crawl Spaces, Featured Posts, Heating & Cooling
Controlling moisture has challenged builders for thousands of years. Too much of it inside a structure can lead to rot, mold, insect infestations. Consequently, roofs and siding, weather-tight windows and doors, and waterproofed basements were developed. It’s one...
by Tim Snyder | Mar 10, 2014 | Basements, Featured Posts, Heating & Cooling, Plumbing
A surefire way to cut energy expenses: Let another appliance heat the water you use for washing. “Domestic hot water” –the heated water used for washing clothes, dishes and people— is the third-largest energy cost in most households, only exceeded by heating and...
by Joseph R. Provey | Feb 18, 2014 | Case Studies, Crawl Spaces, Featured Posts, Heating & Cooling
Myhomescience.com will be producing a series of energy-upgrade case studies. The first describes a job done in 2013 by Halco Energy. Halco was recently recognized as “best in the country” in a field of over 1,900 Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® contractors...
by Joseph R. Provey | Feb 12, 2014 | Energy-Savings Tips, Heating & Cooling
Electric resistance heating is the most costly way to heat your home. In fact, it’s more than twice the cost natural gas per BTU. So it may seem counterintuitive to hear that using electric space heaters can lower your heating costs. Placing a heater in the rooms...
by Tim Snyder | Feb 10, 2014 | Building Envelope, Conditioned Spaces, Electrical, Heating & Cooling, Home Systems, Plumbing
It doesn’t take a big budget to make a big difference in your home’s energy expenses and environmental impact. Full disclosure: The inspiration for this blog came from a well-written post by Derek Markham at Treehugger.com. As Markham points out, humans have an...