Many of the problems that people experience with cooling their homes are pretty straightforward — simple to fix and often simple to prevent. Of course, there are also bigger problems, like bad insulation, air barriers, and duct installations, but today my…
You know how when you change the filter in your air conditioner, it has a little arrow on the edge showing which way the air is supposed to flow through it? What do you think happens if you put it…
It's summer here in the Southeast. Yeah, I know we haven't reached the official beginning of summer marked by the summer solstice, but air conditioners are roaring here, and that's official enough for us. With that in mind, here are…
When I wrote about the net zero energy home that Amy Musser and Matt Vande built, I was really impressed that they were willing to share the mistakes they'd made and what they would do differently if they could go…
Energy Vanguard has scheduled a new webinar on the fundamental principles of air conditioning. Titled Understanding Air Conditioners — The Refrigeration Cycle Demystified, it will cover: Energy Vanguard has scheduled a new webinar on the fundamental principles of air conditioning.…
Of course, there are more than 3 reasons that your 3 ton air conditioner isn't really 3 tons, starting with the fact that it's not 3 tons in weight. That unit refers to cooling capacity and goes back to the…
Neville poked his head up through the scuttle hole into the attic and surveyed the situation. Troy immediately heard a scream erupt and had to get out of the way as Neville quickly jumped down off the ladder. Neville poked…
If you were a really strange person, or even a normal person who maybe just has some really odd ideas, and you wanted to breathe the gaseous emissions from a dead, rotten decaying possum, while in your home, how would…
Let's face it. Some ideas are just plain stupid. The photo below shows one of them. The product description† says, "Use to decoratively cover up A/C units..." Yes, they include heat pumps, too. What do you think will happen if…
Amy Musser has a PhD in Architectural Engineering and, like me, used to be a college professor. Her husband, Matthew Vande, is an architect with an MS in Architectural Engineering. He is also a treehugger (photo at right). Together, they…