A company that developed technology capable of creating water out of thin air nearly anywhere in the world is now under contract to nourish U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq.
The water-harvesting technology was originally the brainchild of the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which sought ways to ensure sustainable water supplies [...]
According to the Department of Energy, 40 to 60 percent of all energy used in homes goes toward heating and cooling. That’s a significant amount of money every month, considering that the average household energy bill in 2007 was $1,900. Whether you’re ready to replace mechanical equipment or just looking to improve the system [...]
Rick Yeager searches a home to find the source of a mysterious scratching behind the walls.
Home inspector Rick Yerger traces the noises in the wall of Steve and Christy Karsten’s home to a gas combustion furnace and the water heater. Something in the flue system is causing a backdraft and allowing deadly [...]
Hygrometers are instruments used for measuring humidity. A simple form of a hygrometer is specifically known as a “psychrometer” and consists of two thermometers, one of which includes a dry bulb and the other of which includes a bulb that is kept wet to measure wet-bulb temperature. Evaporation from the wet bulb lowers the temperature, [...]
As the name implies, window fans are located in window openings. Depending on how they are set, they either pull warm inside air out of the home or blow outside air in. Most people do not like the blast of outside air window fans create when they pull air into the home. So more often, [...]
Urethane insulation is made of plastic polymers and contains 80 to 90 percent closed cells containing refrigerant gas rather than air. It is one of the most effective insulators, but is flammable. When it burns it emits cyanide gas and is therefore banned in some areas of some country.
Source:Home Energy Library
Temperature is a measure of the level of motion or agitation of molecules and atoms in a substance. In other words, it is a measure of the intensity of heat. Thermometers, used to determine the temperature, do so in terms of one of two common scales of degrees: Fahrenheit (F), on which water freezes [...]
Reflective insulation differs from other insulating materials in the manner in which it retards heat transfer. Unlike the others, it works by reflecting incident infrared radiation, thus reducing radiant heat transfer. Reflective insulation is fabricated from aluminum foil with backings applied to provide a series of closed air spaces. Its insulating value is derived from [...]
Air leaks are the largest energy wasters in most newly constructed homes. Efforts to create an air-tight seal around the home’s interior during construction are among the most cost-effective measures that can be made. While leaks are fairly simple and inexpensive to seal during construction, they are almost impossible to seal later. Begin by asking [...]
Whole House Fans are Energy Efficient Cooling For Your Entire Home
As you probably know - the sun beats down on your house all day. On a sunny day the temperature of an attic can reach as high as 140 degrees! And this high temperature in your attic will keep the indoor temperature higher than the [...]
In the temperate region the priority is maximizing exposure of buildings to the sun during the cooler months and maximizing summer shade. Winter wind impacts should be minimized, while allowing for good air circulation during the summer.
Orient the home to face south or southeast. The ideal orientation is 12 degrees south-southeast. Locate living areas [...]
Thermostats are the controls that tell your heating and cooling equipment when to turn on and off. Slight changes to their settings can mean some of the quickest and easiest savings to be found in many homes. As a rule-of-thumb, you can save about 2 or more percent of your heating costs for every degree [...]
Most people don’t think of their refrigerator as being a big contributor to the home’s energy bill, but in fact it is the third largest energy consumer in most homes, right behind space conditioning and water heating. They are usually between 6 and 16 percent of a home’s total energy cost. Like air conditioners, refrigerators [...]
The Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, or SEER, is the total cooling of the heat pump in BTUs divided by the total electrical energy input in watt-hours during the same period. Naturally, the SEER for a unit will vary depending on where in the country it is located. SEERs of 9 or higher are considered good [...]
To understand condensation, one must first understand a couple of other concepts. Humidity refers to the amount of water vapor in the air. Relative humidity is a measure of the amount of water vapor in the air compared to the maximum amount possible at a given temperature. Air with a relative humidity of 50% is [...]
Air Curtains are aerodynamically designed high speed air blowers, generally in a laminar
stream of air with sufficient quantity (cfm) and comfortable speeds(velocity) to offer the
designed environmental protection through open doorways/service hatches. Generally installed
atop the door opening to give a vertical air draft in case of air conditioning (cold air) or
at the bottom below the [...]
Even the best surge protector in the world is useless unless it’s properly installed and maintained. If the product uses a light as the failure indicator, make sure it is installed so the light can easily be seen. With units placed behind an entertainment center or curtain, it is hard to know if they are [...]
A few simple steps can add up to a load of savings.
Set your thermostat at 78°F or higher. Each degree setting below 78°F will increase your energy consumption by approximately 8%.
Use bath and kitchen fans sparingly when the air conditioner is operating.
Inspect and clean both the indoor and outdoor coils. The indoor coil in [...]
Neglecting necessary maintenance ensures a steady decline in air conditioning performance while energy use steadily increases.
Keeping your system properly maintained will lower energy and repair costs, prevent breakdowns and prolong the life of your equipment. Some maintenance jobs should be left to the professionals, but there is much that you, as a [...]
If you are having comfort or air circulation problems in your home, investigate the ductwork to see if it is contributing to or causing the problem. Begin by locating the ductwork, tracing it from the heating or cooling unit to the rooms it serves. Now that you know where each branch duct leads, you are [...]
Portable fans are usually used for circulating inside air, rather than moving air into-or-out of the home. These are some of the most inexpensive fans to purchase and have very low operating costs, since they generally use less than 200 watts of power. At six cents per kWh, a 200-watt portable fan can run for [...]
Some parts of the house are never comfortable, no matter what you do. The rest of the house is fine, but one room is always too hot or too cold. Why is that, and what can you do to fix it?
Your problem is probably caused by bad air ducts and/or poor insulation and windows [...]
To stay comfortable, there must be some moisture in the air, however excess moisture can cause problems. Moisture originates both inside and outside the home. The problems it creates can be controlled by minimizing the amount of moisture produced inside the home, minimizing the amount of moisture entering structural cavities like walls or attics, [...]
If you’re building a new house, this can be a real concern. Your architect should be able to design adequate ventilation as part of the plan. But if you have an older house, there are usually enough ways for air to get into your house that tightening up will save you energy but still leave [...]
The best solution to electrical interference is eliminating its source. Here are some easy steps to try:
1. Turn on the appliance that is experiencing interference. Next, flip the circuit breakers in the Home off, one-by-one. When the interference disappears, you have found the circuit that is causing the interference.
2. [...]
The basic notion is that moving air (from ceiling, whole-house, or portable fans) makes you feel cooler, so you can turn up the air conditioner thermostat or turn it off altogether. Whole-house fans are a potential substitute for air conditioning, since they move large amounts of air through the house and require open windows. Savings [...]
While a blower door test is the best way to locate duct leaks, you can often locate supply duct leaks with your hand because supply leaks blow air out. However, return leaks draw air in, so you won’t be able to feel them easily. Duct repair professionals use a smoke pencil to detect return [...]
Always try to reduce your need and save Energy—— This savings is essential not only for your benefit , but for the benefit of the whole Human Community……For the better and healthy existence of your kids and the generation NEXT.
One way to save Energy and money on cooling is to not [...]
In hot-humid regions, protecting the home from the hot summer sun and assuring good air movement in and through the site are the most important site design considerations. Therefore, site the home to maximize shade and wind flow. Position the home high to allow for air movement.
Orient the home to face south or southeast. The [...]
Site planning in hot-arid regions has three primary objectives: The first is maximizing shade in the late morning and all afternoon. This is especially important for outdoor living areas. The second is to maximize humidity, and the third is maximizing summer air movement.
To accomplish these, the best orientation is generally 25 degrees south-southeast. Position [...]