If you would like to save money on your utility bill, then having properly installed insulation can keep your costs down by keeping in the cool air in the summer as well as the hot air out. During the winter, it can help keep the warm air inside and the cold air out.

 

Having an air barrier that does both of these functions is essential if you want to maximize the effectiveness of your heating and air conditioning. Many people overlook the air barrier in keeping the inside air inside your home, and prefer to look at how it can keep outside air out.

 

 

Does Your Air Barrier Work in Both Directions?

Steam cleaning can be a powerful tool that can clean everything from homes, which by the way can replace fumigation, to vehicles and greasy boats and other machinery.

 

In addition to being a very effective method of cleaning things, steam cleaning is experiencing an increased popularity as of late because it is a green form of cleaning. There are minimal chemicals used in steam cleaning compared to other methods. Steam does not overly wet surfaces in which it comes in contact because it is not made up of a high percentage of water.

 

This article recommends a particular brand of steam cleaner to use. That brand is the Goodway dry vapor steam cleaning product.

 

 

Green Cleaning: The History of Steam Cleaners

Properly installed ducts are very important in regards to the proper flow of air through your home. Even if you live in an expensive home, you should not take it for granted that the ducts have been installed properly.

 

 

 

Routine check-ups and maintenance are required to ensure that your duct system is working properly at all times. It can be frustrating to deal with all of the ‘snakes’ which compose the duct tubing in your attic or crawl space, however it is a necessary and important part of good home maintenance.

 

 

 

This article relates a short story of a time in an expensive house where duct installation when horribly wrong. This can cost the homeowner time, in terms of finding a contractor to fix or fixing it themselves, as well as money on their utility bill.

 

 

 

 

 

Snakes in an Attic — The Ductopus’s Cousin Strangles Bath Fans

 

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is currently researching Net Zero Energy (NZE) homes, using their newly constructed Net Zero Energy Residential Test Facility.

 

In addition, NIST is collaborating with energy experts to analyze and prioritize the steps needed to achieve NZE homes. Their most recent report details a set of guidelines to help in the process of constructing and designing these homes.

 

This report organizes its guidelines into three main focal areas, then breaks down the priorities of each area so the information is easily accessible. It also calls for a scoring system that will help consumers understand where their home fits in terms of gaining NZE status.

 

The author of this article presents RESNET‘s Home Energy Rating System as a starting place for creating a more detailed solution to the scale. NZE homes should be an area of focus for our future. The recent NIST research, while not yet perfected, provides many valuable ideas for moving toward this goal.

 

 

NIST Takes on the Net Zero Energy Home Challenge

Maintaining your duct system in your home is very important to keeping the air clean inside your home. Sometimes, dead animals and other nasty things can get inside the duct system in your home and cause the air that is being pumped into your house to become infested with bacteria.

 

The crawl space inside your home can also contribute to this problem. Inside the crawl space, animals can die next to air ducts and then, even though they are not actually inside your ducts, they can ooze their vapors into your home, which can actually cause disease. You should regularly inspect your duct system.

 
Are You Breathing Dead Possum? — Crawl Spaces, HVAC, & IAQ