Let’s talk about the controversial issue of venting an unconditioned attic with outdoor air. It's easy to confuse causes and symptoms sometimes, and that happens a lot with attic ventilation. I'll say upfront, though, that the International Residential Code requires…
In a recent article on the result of my radon test, I referred to the US EPA's work on the health effects of radon. They claim that about 21,000 people in the US each year get lung cancer from indoor…
For the past couple of years, I've carried my Aranet4 carbon dioxide monitor* with me when I travel. For much longer than that, I've been checking the ventilation in hotel rooms. What I've found is that it's rare to see…
![How Radon Enters A Home [US EPA]](https://www.energyvanguard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/how-radon-enters-home-epa.jpg)
I got a high radon test result for my house this week. I've lived in the house nearly four years now and finally got it tested. Yay! The result is high. Boo! But what does it really mean? I haven't…
When you turn on an exhaust fan, it blows air from inside the house to the outdoors. That air leaving the house will be matched by an equal amount of air coming in from outside. The more airtight the house…
![Nine Individual One-to-one Mini-split Heat Pump Outdoor Units [Photo Courtesy Of Jonah Richard]](https://www.energyvanguard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/mini-split-heat-pump-outdoor-unit-one-to-one-1000.jpg)
When it comes to mini-split heat pumps, you get to play by different rules. With a traditional split system heat pump (or air conditioner), there's one outdoor unit and one indoor unit. But with mini-splits, you have the option of…
Let's say you have an older house. Maybe the laundry room used to be in the basement but got moved to the main floor later. Then someone added a bunch of can lights in the kitchen and family room. Over…
If you want to kill the thermal performance of your insulation, you can take your pick of several excellent ways to do so. Of course, you could just not install insulation. (It happens, even in new construction.) You also could…
Before 2001, the biggest construction project I had ever taken on was a bookcase. My most complicated project was probably the mahogany lamp table I built in tenth grade shop class. (I still have it!) Then I decided to build…
Cold air is dry air, right? Think about the humidity in your house in winter compared to what it is in summer. If you're in a humid climate, it's going to be drier in winter. Even in dry climates, it's…