Research & Writing Assignment:
I enjoyed the article on carpeted bathroom floors it is amazing that people like to have their bathrooms carpeted with not understanding the health mold fungi mildew that could potential he be there because of the carpet dropping water it amazes me thank you for these articles
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Many houses have insulation issues. Insulation over time can settle and slide down the wall. If that the case your house is wasting valuable heating & cooling energy. By adding wall insulation you can save hundreds of dollars in heating & cooling cost.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Blower door test help determine a home’s air-tightness. Some of the benefits of getting one done can 1)reduce energy consumption due to air leakage. 2) avoid moisture condensation problems. 3)avoiding uncomfortable drafts. 4)determining how much mechanical ventilation might be needed to provide acceptable indoor air quality.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
A blower door is a great tool to diagnose where air leaks can be found in the structure. Making sure that the setup of the tool is crucial so that your resulting report is as accurate as possible. Each step of the setup and testing should be done with extreme care to account for all possible variables that may affect the results. Duct registers should be sealed, points of entry closed, and fireplace dampers closed. Hang your car keys on the water heater pilot light so that you remember to turn the appliance back on before leaving.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Educating our clients on where their home can be improved to save energy is the goal. Simple fixes will almost always outweigh the cost of the repair through the energy savings, but with the added benefit of your comfort and health. Knowing where your money is best spent should be easily identified in the reporting.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This picture is of a gas furnace and central air conditioner. The furnace closet ceiling had voids around the plenum, vents, and drywall ceiling. Voids around the plenum and ceiling need to be sealed to prevent air leakage into the furnace closet. The hot/humid attic air when pulled down when the AC is running can also cause the unit to condensate/sweat and be a conducive source for bio like growth on the plenum and unit itself. These voids have been sealed with spray foam and in addition weather stripping added around the door to prevent air leakage around the door frame. All these improvements help make the closet air tight and stop air leakage and provide a better environment for the furnace and AC system.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Illustration of air leakage locations. The image shows and describes the susceptible locations of air leakage in a building envelope. These areas should be found and evaluated to determine if leakage is occurring. Once all areas are discovered they should be caulk/sealed to stop air flow/leakage. Common locations for air leakage are attic penetrations at flue vents and hatches, wall to roof joints, walls and floors, around windows, and wall - foundation to name a few.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
I chose this picture I took of my friends attic because as you can see, there is dust on it. This tells me that there is an air leak somewhere near, attempting to get passed this batt of insulation and that proper steps to seal this area should be taken.
Research & Writing Assignment:
I chose the “Blower Door testing” article from the “Library of Inspection Articles.” I learned that there are many outside factors that can effect the operation of the machine and askew readings. Temperature and wind can change the pressures inside and must be accounted for. Also how it is important that you shut off any potential fire hazards such as gas water heaters or stoves and other equipment.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This crawl space needs some help. The insulation is missing from between the joist. The small breakfast nook above is very cold in the winter. Al though the duct pictured is only a return, it is recommenced to add insulation board to help seal out drafts along this section as well.
Research & Writing Assignment:
While taking this course and reviewing an article about 10 ways to save energy in your home, I received a call from a perspective client about a drafty kitchen. They sent me pictures of the insulation board the contractor used. Items that stood out were although the joint were sealed none of the perimeter openings were. So outlets, windows, the ceiling and floor were all leak points. Sometimes its all about the timing.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
I chose an IR picture of a recessed light fixture. You can see in the image that there is a significant amount of temperature difference at the fixture. Of course further investigation is necessary for the proper interpretation of the IR pic but it shows the effectiveness of utilizing IR imagery in conjunction with a blower door test.
Research & Writing Assignment:
I studied a picture from the Illustration Gallery in the HVAC album. The picture is titled Indoor Pressure of a Home. To me, it makes one think of how important the air sealing of a house is for the comfort and utility costs to a homeowner. The reduction of air leaks and stack effect is a vital part of the house envelop.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
I was riding along with a fellow inspector while he was preforming and energy audit. This switch is leaking when he use the smoke stick it blew the smoke. The switch was located on an exterior wall. So this switch needs to be pulled of and sealed.
Research & Writing Assignment:
I choose that article Blower Door Testing. And I found out something major that I didnt pick up on during this course. That was that 4000 CFM was considered leaky. The course didnt have this information. Which is important as a beginner. This article gave me a idea of whats bad when it comes to blower door testing.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
When performing a blower door test it is important that you ensure that all combustion appliances are turned off. The negative pressure can create back draft of exhaust gases and fuel into the building structure. Fireplace ashes should also be cleaned up so they do not create a mess when they are sucked back into the homer.
Research & Writing Assignment:
When conducting a blower door test on a two unit apartment or townhome it may be necessary to put a blower door each unit. The reason for this is because the common walls may leak into the other unit and we could use need to be accounted for.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Owens Corning makes a product call Energy Complete that is a sprayable caulking. It is used to seal penetrations in a building (preferably before insulation is installed) to help achieve a tight building envelope. It can also be used during an energy retrofit in places like an attic where air leakage points are easier to observe and get to.
Research & Writing Assignment:
House fires caused by dryer vents are more prevalent than you might think. According to the National Fire Protection Agency, In 2005 there were 13,775 house fires, 15 deaths, 418 injuries, and $169 million in property damage. All of these statistics can be attributed to improper lint clearing of the dryer vent.
Research & Writing Assignment:
A blower door contains a powerful fan that is contained in a frame and fitted into an exterior door on a house. The fan creates a pressure difference between the inside air of the house and the outside air, which causes air to flow through any holes or leak points in the house. By locating and sealing these leaks, the house can be made much more energy efficient.
