Here are two picture of a home that I inspected the thermal envelope. Of course the wall looks fine in the regular picture, but with the thermal camera, you can see that it appears that insulation is missing in the upper area of the wall. After further investigation, it was found that the hot wall in the attic were not enclosed in the attic. This caused the existing insulation to fall away from the wall and allow hot air to get behind it.
So I read the aritcle on 10 easy ways to save money and energy on your home. Many of the items I had recently done to my home especially sealing and adding insulation. My home had two hidden attics that I had to cut a hole through the sheetrock to get into. What I saw was what I expected for a home built in 1985. Hot walls that had no backing in the attic. I installed blue board (R-5) in all the hot walls of the home. Sealed all the ductwork. Put gaskets behind every outlet and light switch. Sprayed radiant barrier paint on the attic (I live in Houston, TX so I’m trying to keep heat out.) and then added blown fiberglass insulation. I never lived in the home before doing this work, but my neighbor 3 houses down had the exact same floor plan as me. So we compared bills in August after completing my work. His bill was $400 and mine was $179. Do the items listed in this article work? Yes they do. He actually has me helping to make his home more energy efficient now. Total cost of all my work was about $3000.
I just read Central Air-Conditioning System Inspection. What I like about this article and how it relates to green building is that it talks a lot about maintenance on the air conditioning unit. It’s amazing how much you can save by keeping air filters replaced regularly, keeping the coils clean and repairing any damaged coils. It has to be said that dirt insulates the coils and restricts air flow. This will cause the system to work longer to cool your home. This in turn causes a rise in your electric bill and shortens the life of your unit. So just by maintaining your system you get a unit that last longer and lower electric bill. Both of course, good for the environment.
I’m ready to take this course…
Nick Gromicko discusses in his article “Green Roof Inspection” some particularities of Green roof as a special areas of roofs of residential, commercial and industrial buildings that are utilized as space for growing vegetation. Since green roofs are becoming increasingly popular in North America, this type of roof can range in complexity from a basic layer of soil to intricate, irrigated landscaped gardens frequented by the public for pleasure. There are two basic types of green roofs: intensive and extensive. The term “intensive” is used because these types of systems generally require a great deal of care and maintenance. Intensive green roofs integrate a large variety of different types of plants, such as vegetables, flowers, trees and shrubs. They require deeper soil and are heavier than extensive designs, and are intended for use by the public. Extensive rooftop gardens are less elaborate, featuring fewer plant species and requiring less maintenance.
In a brand new house (actually it was built just 4 to 5 years ago), I use my infrared camera to find out 6 spots missing insulation on the ceiling of second floor. When I got into the attic, they are not only missing insulation but also missing vapour barrier. I recommend a qualified contractor to have them properly installed to avoid any further damage and heat loss.
Article 1: 10 Easy Ways to Save Money & Energy in Your Home
Using LED and CFL lights can save more electric energy than traditional incandescent lights. Tankless water heater delivery hot water directly when it is needed without use of a storage tank. Low-flow showerheads and toilets installed in home can reduce water consumption. High efficiency appliances and electronics will not only save your energy bill but also reduce the carbon emission. Install skylight, light tube, light shelves and clerestory window as an alternative electrical lighting.
Article 2: Backdrafting
Unusual indoor air depressurization can cause backdrafting which the combustion gases can be sucked into the living space especially for the fuel-fired water heater, boilers and furnaces with nature draft configuration. During a test of backdrafting, it will be helpful to turn on all the devices to vent air into outdoor such as kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans, dryer.
WINDOW FILMS
Tinted window films are an easy step to take towards creating an energy efficient home at a relatively low cost. Films come in various shades and material configurations, but all serve the purpose of saving energy. Films can reflect sunlight/solar heat radiation which will result in lower cooling costs during the summer time. Films can be cut to any shape and applied on the window according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Tinted window films also serve to increase the privacy of a home due to its tint and reflective properties as it reduces the visibility of the interior from the outside.
LOW-E WINDOWS
Low-emissivity, Low-E, glass has a microscopic metal oxide layer incorporated in the glazing surface which reduces the heat transfer through the windows. The heat within the building is insulated and kept confined to the interior by the Low-E coating, and this can result in reducing the energy loss by 30% - 50%. In the summer, cooling costs can also be reduced as the Low-E coating reflects off the incoming ultraviolet and heat radiation away from the building while only permitting the visible light to enter the building.
It is possible to find differently configured Low-E windows with varying Solar-Gain. These would mainly be categorized as Low-E with high solar gain and Low-E with low solar gain. The high solar gain Low-E windows would perform better for the winter as it permits the solar heat radiation to enter the building. Where as the low solar gain Low-E windows would perform better in the summer as it blocks the solar heat radiation from entering the building which results in less energy spent on cooling the building.
Eco-Friendly Relocation: Most of us will move several times in our lives. Down sizing or a geographical move rarely do we take the ecological effect of are moving in consideration. Being aware of item you are discarding is a way of eco-friendliness. Dispose of chemicals properly. Recycle metal, paper and plastics when you can. And give away, donate, or even sell still useful stuff rather than throwing it away for convenience sake. All of this adds up.:roll:
As part of the water audit checking the meter for water leaks is necessary. If no fixtures are turned on and the water meter is running, there is a leak somewhere.
It is also a good idea to report the GPF on the existing toilets so the client knows if there are savings on utilities or not! Toilets consume 30-40% of water usage in the home.
Elements of an Energy-Efficient House
Anyone building a new home today should be following as many of these guidelines as possible. Many of these ideas do not add a lot to the cost of the building but will pay back fairly quickly in energy savings. Some gov’t. agencies have programs to get rebates back if new high efficient furnaces and upgraded insulation are installed in older homes.
10 Easy Ways to Save Money & Energy in Your Home
This is a appropriate hand-out for clients so they better understand simple ways to save energy. It is basically an explanation of ways everybody can do minor things and save energy & money. Appropriate light bulbs, low flow shower heads and taps are inexpensive ways to start to save.
Inspection and Writing Assignment
Here is an older toilet that is a 3.5 GPF making this toilet a huge water user in the home. The flapper valve also leaks making it waste more water. Toilets tend to consume 30%-40% of the water used in a home, it should be considered to be replaced with a low flow toilet which could help reduce the amount of water used.
Reading and Writing Assignment
The two articles I read are ladder safety and kick out flashing. These are two very important aspects for this industry. Ladder safety is often over looked mostly due to people who should not be operating or climbing a ladder but feel they are capable of doing so, or have inadequate training, or it would be from the person who is extremely comfortable with ladders and heights and gets complacent. In regards to kick out flashing, no matter what siding or roofing material these areas must be properly sealed and flashed! It is very common for these areas to be installed improperly and it is something that you do not want to miss on your inspection report.
Missing insulation in the attic space is noted. Missing insulation can cause heat loss or gain which can cause the HVAC to run for longer periods of time then needed. Replace or reinstall insulation to increase efficiency of the HVAC system.
I read “Insulation R-Value” and “Installing Attic Insulation.” I have seen many homes with insulation missing, deteriorated, compacted etc. This is such an easy situation to discover in the attic which the client is happy to hear about. Having an infrared camera makes it that much easier to spot and you can even impress the client by showing them the what you are seeing live!
This is a Energy Guide label on a hot water baseboard oil fired home heating unit. The label is showing the manufacture claims this unit installed and maintained correctly is 83.6% efficient. Many factors can lower this number such as but not limited to , improper ventilating of combustion fumes , clogged fuel filter , wrong fuel burning nozzle installed at burner etc.
Article " Central Humidifiers "
Humidifiers in a home have pros and cons.Humidifing the air is adding moisture to it. This can help with dry skin or irritated dry throats.This can damage products of the home or even produce the growth of mold if levels are to high. Keeping humidifiers clean and maintaining proper humidity levels are essential.
