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…
The question of heat pumps in old houses is coming up a lot lately. With the great electrification upon us, heat pumps are quickly becoming the number one choice for space heating. In fact, data from the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and…
OK, it's time to spell this out in black and white because there seems to be some confusion. Monitoring carbon dioxide (CO2), as I've been doing with my Aranet4 portable CO2 monitor* for the past couple of years, is a…
![Preparing An Old House For Electrification [Photo By Scottbb, Flickr.com, CC License]](https://www.energyvanguard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/electrical-panel-neat-wiring-electrification-old-house-cropped.jpg)
With the Inflation Reduction Act providing lots of incentives to improve your home and go all-electric, let's look at how you can prepare for the conversion. As with any home improvement job, it's best to do your homework. In this…
When you turn on your toaster, you know what happens to the electricity going through those filaments. You can feel it. The energy you extract from the electricity turns directly into heat. But what about the other electrical devices and…
Are you afraid of heat pumps? Some people are, and it's usually related to experiences or stories of uncomfortably cold homes. I won't deny that there have been some horror stories about people suffering in brutally low indoor temperatures during…
James Watt was a great scientist and engineer, known mainly for his work on the steam engine. Actually, that's not true. What he's really known for is confusing a great many people who deal with energy. But C. Wilhelm Siemens…
It's been a good year in the Energy Vanguard Blog. Counting this one, I've published 46 articles during the year. Of the previous 45 articles, I think the following might be ten most important ones. This is just my own…
I recently got a couple of questions from someone who's interested in changing out his air conditioner and furnace with a heat pump. With the Inflation Reduction Act and all the talk of electrification, the question is becoming more common. …