March 2011
1 post
Moved to WordPress!
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Thanks!
February 2011
29 posts
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5 Bright Ideas for Saving Energy - #1 - Know thy...
When I give talks or do energy audits, people want to know the “best” ideas for saving energy. You know - the things that cut your energy bills in half and don’t cost much to implement.
Interestingly, this isn’t as crazy as it sounds. I’ve based my career on trying to give out as much practical information as possible. The theory is, if it’s easy and you can...
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Energy Costs
Sorry, I couldn’t come up with a snappy title for this one. This is about money and energy, so it’s a bit dry.
After my recent post on water heating, a friend dropped me a note and reminded me that the economics vary considerably depending upon the cost of the fuel. This is absolutely true, though unless you’ve studied a lot of utility bills, you might not realize just how much...
Anonymous asked: What are your thoughts on solar heated water?
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Water heating - trimming your bills
If you haven’t yet read my first posting about water heaters, I highly recommend that you do so now. Without that foundation, you’re not going to get the most out of this article.
Invariably, this question comes up - “how do I reduce my water heating bill?”
Let’s break this down into a few parts. What affects your bill?
The amount of hot water you use
The...
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Energy Data - your path to enlightenment...
As I said in the post on water heater, I’m a numbers guy. But you probably have no idea just how much of a numbers geek I am….
A few years ago, I found Phil Malone’s amazingly cool website documenting his journey to energy efficiency building his own super-efficient home. You see, Phil is a kindred spirit, as are all the people on this page. We’ve all come to the...
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Water heaters - efficiency, insulation, costs...oh...
After my last try at this long post, I’m going to break this one down into a few parts. There’s lots of material here, so bear with me.
So recently a friend asked me about water heaters - how much energy do they use and is adding insulation a good idea. Let’s start with energy use…
Energy Consumption
Just how much energy does a water heater use? Is it as significant as...
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Energy Efficiency 101 - What's an energy audit?
If you’ve ever looked into energy efficiency, you’ve probably heard about energy audits. But what is an energy audit? What does it involves? Why should you get one? How much does it cost?
I’ll try to touch on all these topics, and more, in this posting, but if there’s anything I miss, please ask a question at “Ask Ted” and I’ll be sure to answer!
What is...
Anonymous asked: Hi Ted,
I was wondering about the energy used in heating hot water. I have heard it is bout 20% of my utilities. I have also heard that by insulating it with 6 inch fiberglass will help to improve efficiency. What do you think?
I was wondering about the energy used in heating hot water. I have heard it is bout 20% of my utilities. I have also heard that by insulating it with 6 inch fiberglass will help to improve efficiency. What do you think?
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Retrofit your attic hatch for improved comfort and... →
The typical attic hatch is drafty and improperly insulated. Fixing it can reduce the energy loss of a room by half. This afternoon project is simple and cost effective providing results you can enjoy year-round.
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“If you saw smoke coming from the wall, you’d call the fire department and...”
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Got Mold? Part 3 - a flood doesn't have to be the...
By now, you’re probably terrified of water, and well you should be - it is a silent destroyer of homes. On the other hand, I don’t want anybody freaking out because they spilled a bucket or even a glass of water on the floor!
Mold doesn’t grow instantly. It needs time, water, and sometimes warmth. I’ve seen plenty of cases where people have had a serious flood in their...
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Got Mold? Part 2 - Crawlspaces and Moisture
Crawlspaces - they are some of the nastiest places around your home. Usually they’re filled with cobwebs and dust. They’re too low to move around in comfortably. And often, they’re filled with moisture, mold and wood-eating insects.
Because of this, most people avoid them. I had the misfortune of being the guy who spent every working day in these spaces until my knees and back...
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“Fact of the day: Water and moisture related issues cause more damage to homes...”
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There's No Such Thing as a Small Leak!
Writing these posts have reminded me of all the horrors I’ve seen in buildings and homes. Unfortunately, some have been in my own house! This is one of those (unfortunate) cases.
This all happened some years before I got into the building science business, so I didn’t know the warning signs to look for, and it cost me dearly!
Not long after I moved into my home, we started hearing...
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Got Mold?
If you’ve ever owned a home, you’ve probably had mold at some point. Mold on the wall. Mold in the shower. Mold in the basement. Maybe mold in the attic, like shown in this picture.
Mold spores are all around, floating in the air, on surfaces, in your house plants, wherever you look, you’ll find mold spores. This is perfectly natural!
On the other hand, when mold grows...
Ducts - How bad are a few leaks?
Let me give you a hint - leaky ducts can kill you.
No joke. Duct leaks are serious business, and yet, most people have no idea just how important ducts are. I’ve had arguments with HVAC contractors over poor duct installation practices. Frankly, it’s criminal when ducts are installed like they are in the picture above. I mean, what were they thinking?
Ok, let’s take a step...
Corroding pipes, part 2 - proof!
Remember when I said that you should never, ever connect copper pipes to a steel water heater because this would cause your pipes to rot out and ruin your water heater? Well, at the risk of ruining my new miniature water heater, I purposely piped it the way 99% of the plumbers and HVAC technicians do to prove a point. Yes, it’s like volunteering yourself for medical research, but sometimes...
Dam ice Dams →
Want to learn the “building science” of ice dams? Building Science corp has an amazing set of notes on building problems and precautions. I consider them the source for building information relating to tricky issues that tend to foil most contractors.
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High Electric Bills, Wasted Energy & Central...
It’s winter, and for many people, that means dry skin, cracked lips and nosebleeds, so I’m often asked about whole-house humidifiers - humidification systems that connect to your central heating system to distribute moisture throughout the house.
As noted in another post, I’m not a big fan of these units. Any time you concentrate humidity, you run the risk of growing mold. A...
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Don't let your heating system kill you!
In light of the recent tragedy in Allentown Pennsylvania (more or less just down the street from my house), I thought it important to remind my readers of the importance of maintaining their heating systems.
Tragic accidents like this don’t have to happen. But every year, people die in explosions caused by gas or propane leaks or are poisoned by carbon monoxide due to improperly...
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Why are my pipes rotting out?
You’re probably wondering why a blog on energy efficiency is writing about rotten pipes. I’ll cover pretty much anything related to things going wrong in a home, so feel free to ask questions!
Pipe corrosion is a real issue. Even long time plumbers can’t seem to get it right. The reason pipes like this corrode is simple - when you connect two different types of metals...
tedstips asked: Ted - I don't know what to do! My electric bill doubled last month and I don't think anything changed about my house. Help!
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Are your heating dollars disappearing?
If you’ve got something like this in your attic, then a good portion of your utility bill is being wasted. Unfortunately, sights such as this are more common than you might think. Studies have shown that a typical house may lose around 30% of its energy because of leaky ductwork and my analysis have shown that this may be an underestimate.
A typical heating/air conditioning system...
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How Can Your Bath Fan Cost You $20,000?
An improperly vented bath fan can lead to tens of thousands of dollars of damage to your home and even create a health risk. How? *Moisture!*
The main purpose of a bath fan is to remove moisture from the bathroom after you take a shower. The reason you want to do that is that all that excess moisture can lead to mold and potentially cause your paint to peel and may even rot out your walls. So why...
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Why's the air so dry in the winter?
Do you ever wonder why your skin cracks and dries out in the winter? Why you get nosebleeds and sore throats? Why you can see your breath when it’s cold out? It all comes down to physics!
The air can only hold a certain amount of water and the colder the air, the less water it can hold before the water condenses. When you exhale, your breath is warm and contains lots of moisture. As your...
Find insulation problems this winter
The winter snow can be your best friend - at least when it comes to finding where your home is losing energy.
Take a look at this house. Half the roof is covered with snow, while on the other half, the snow is all melted. What’s going on here?
There’s a serious problem with heat leaking out of the living space and into the attic. It takes a lot of energy to melt snow, so...
