Blog
Here you will find all of our energy related articles. From energy saving tips to real customer savings and everything in between.
Air Sealing Outlets
Air sealing is one of the most critical aspects of energy efficiency in a home. Having the best insulation but many air leaks will nullify the insulation and cause problems in some parts of your home. This is most common around outlets and ceiling penetrations. Here are several ways to properly seal outlets.
Why do I need a blower door test?
Imagine it’s winter time and it’s really cold outside. So you put on the biggest sweater you own and walk out to get the mail. Once you’re out there the wind picks up and chills you right to the bone. All of that heat the sweater was keeping in is now gone and so is your faith that your biggest sweater works to keep you comfortable. That’s exactly how insulation works in a home with air leaks, worthless.
What is a blower door test?
A blower door test is a procedure designed to discover how air-tight a structure is. Air can leak through walls, windows, doors, ceilings, basements, and even appliances. The blower door test results show exactly how much air is leaking.
Do air leaks really cost me money?
A recent home that we tested showed a mediocre ACH50 number of 7.1. For a 1965 rancher with no updates, this isn't a bad result; it's not a great one either as new home construction in Maryland requires 3ACH50 or less. But for the existing building, it's not as bad as some of the others we've tested with similar construction.
Even insulated spots can have problems Part 2
Remember the customer with the rim joist issues? Well after some discussion and a little elbow grease, progress has been made. The great part about being asked to return and share the progress shows that the customer really cares about their home energy consumption and comfort.
Even insulated spots can have problems Part 1
During a consultation near the end of 2019 the customer had expressed that their basement felt colder than they felt it should. Look and see what we discovered