![Closet Air Can Stagnate With VOCs, Mold, And Other Pollutants. [Photo By Allison Bailes]](https://www.energyvanguard.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/closet-return-air-ventilation-iaq.jpeg)
A house does NOT need to breathe. But closets? That's a whole other thing.† A closet is officially defined as a confined space intended to concentrate pollutants and grow mold, which then get removed from the house on the clothes…
Over the past few decades, we've made great strides in reducing infiltration in homes. But we know that achieving greater airtightness requires paying more attention to indoor air quality. One of the primary ways we improve IAQ in airtight homes…
![Whole-house Electricity Monitor Installation Tips [photo By Allison Bailes]](https://www.energyvanguard.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/electricity-monitor-installation-tips.jpeg)
In the past four years, I've installed five electricity monitors in my electrical panels. (One was a re-installation after a major electrical upgrade during my basement renovation.) Two of those installations were in my 200 amp main panel (before and…
![Condensation On An Attic Air Handler [Photo By Energy Vanguard]](https://www.energyvanguard.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/attic-air-handler-condensation-drain-pan-water.jpeg)
I was talking to one of my sisters who lives in Florida, and she told me about someone she knows who was having trouble with her air conditioner shutting down. Naturally, that person called an HVAC company to come diagnose…
Imagine that you've got a problem with your air conditioner that requires you to call your local HVAC company. The technician comes over right away. You take them outdoors to the crawl space access so they can go in and…
As I'm sure you do, I track my energy use at home. I've got a spreadsheet with the data from all of my electricity bills since we moved into this house in 2019. I also track individual parts of my…
Imagine that you've built a high-performance home somewhere in the southeastern US. It's airtight. It's well-insulated. The mechanical systems were designed properly and keep the indoor conditions just where they need to be. Now, you have an opportunity to spend…
Who among us doesn't like to take a good swing with a sledge hammer at the wall of an old house. I sure do, as you can tell from the lead photo. But demolition isn't the topic at hand today. …
I've been using an electricity monitor in my all-electric home since 2022. When I began, it was simple. I had only a single electrical panel to monitor. Then I remodeled my basement, and things became more complex. I still have…
Imagine a sunny spring day. You're feeling warm from the sun as you walk down the street. Then you go into a big concrete parking deck. Suddenly, you feel a chill. That's radiant cooling. (And it was radiant heating from…