Don’t Do HVAC to Me
One talk at the 2012 Building Science Summer Camp stood out above all the others. The last speaker on Tuesday was Henry Gifford. (Yes, that Henry Gifford!) When he was done, the majority of the audience stood and applauded. The…
ventilation
Why I’m Not a Fan of Positive Pressure Mechanical Ventilation
We want our homes to be airtight. It saves energy. It helps keep water vapor from getting into places where it can cause problems. It keeps bad air from moldy crawl spaces and contaminated garages out of the house. It…
7 Steps to Commissioning a New Home & HVAC System
Ken Fonorow is a friend of mine whom I've known since my days on the Gainesville Energy Advisory Committee when I was in grad school in the mid-'90s. He's also helped build the market for ENERGY STAR and high performance…
5 Reasons Bath Fans Have Such Poor Air Flow
I've spent a lot of time in attics looking at problems with insulation, air sealing, HVAC systems, and ductwork. I've also seen why so many bathroom ventilation fans don't move much air. A typical bath fan is rated to move…
Breathe! – Get Fresh Air into Your Home with ASHRAE 62.2
Guest Post. Today's article is a guest post by Paul Raymer, one of the top guys I know on the topic of getting fresh air into homes. Guest Post. Today's article is a guest post by Paul Raymer, one of…
Don’t Let Your Attic Suck – Power Attic Ventilators Are a Bad Idea
Trade shows can be both educational and infuriating, and there’s one product I see at a lot of trade shows that fits easily into the latter category - power attic ventilators. The variety of this device that’s been popular lately…
It’s the Hole – Understanding What a Blower Door Is for
There's been a lively discussion going on in the RESNET/BPI group on LinkedIn. I posted my article about how infiltration occurs at the surface, not in the volume, and it's generated some good comments. In that article, I said we…
Myth: A House Needs to Breathe
Have you heard that one before, that you shouldn't seal up your house too tightly because a house needs to breathe? It's a common myth, but that's all it is - a myth. Houses do NOT need to breathe. People…
ENERGY STAR 2011 – Version 3 of the New Homes Program
I've just finished going over the newly released ENERGY STAR 2011 guidelines for new homes and, as you might expect, I'm happy about some of the new requirements and disappointed/perplexed about others. Overall, though, the program is moving in the…