by Joseph R. Provey | Dec 23, 2013 | Heating & Cooling
If your home is heated and cooled with air, take a few minutes to inspect the ductwork that distributes it throughout your home. You can typically find it in the basement, attic, or in a utility closet on the main level. Turn on the furnace or air conditioner to...
by Tim Snyder | Dec 18, 2013 | Building Envelope, Featured Posts, Heating & Cooling, Home Systems
The same convection force that makes a hot-air balloon rise can cause a house to have major comfort and energy problems. Everyone knows that hot air rises and that cool air sinks. Convection: It’s a basic law of thermodynamics aptly demonstrated by a hot air balloon...
by Joseph R. Provey | Dec 16, 2013 | ABC Action Plan, Attics, Building Envelope, Conditioned Spaces, Heating & Cooling, Home Systems
A great case can be made for upgrading your home’s insulation and for air-sealing gaps and cracks sooner rather than later. These improvements typically pay for themselves in 6 or 7 years — and then continue to generate savings for as long as you live in your...
by Tim Snyder | Sep 11, 2013 | Conditioned Spaces, Heating & Cooling
There’s something very cool about high-efficiency heating equipment. Most of us are smart enough not to put our hands directly over a chimney when a fire is burning below it. We know that enough heat goes up the chimney to cause a painful burn. But this rule...
by Larry Janesky | Aug 28, 2013 | ABC Action Plan, Attics, Heating & Cooling
There are 88 million homes in the U.S. and Canada alone that burn twice as much fuel for heating and electricity for cooling than they need to. This is because they are insufficiently insulated and poorly air sealed. They also have energy-wasting building assemblies,...
by Joseph R. Provey | Aug 12, 2013 | Conditioned Spaces, Heating & Cooling
What do athletes and dancers have in common with HVAC systems? Good balance! Without it, all sorts of fumbles, falls, and fiascos can ensue. For example, one room or floor of a house might be uncomfortably hot while another too cold. Air you’ve paid to heat gets...
