Safety and Health Concerns (Loose-fill insulation)

Part 7 of Loose-Fill Insulation. Safety Guidelines Insulation blown into your ceiling cavities should cover the top plate of the wall, but be sure the eave vents are not covered. These vents provide necessary ventilation to your attic, and covering them could result in severe moisture problems. Electrical devices and recessed lights (except “IC-rated” fixtures) […]


Attic Insulation Techniques

Loose-fill or batt insulation is typically installed in an attic. Although installation costs may vary, blowing loose-fill attic insulation—fiberglass, rock wool, or cellulose—is usually less expensive than installing batts and provides better coverage. STEPS FOR INSTALLING LOOSE–FILL AND BATT INSULATION Seal all attic-to-home air leaks, especially chases, dropped ceilings, wiring and plumbing penetrations, light fixtures, […]


Installation and Location of Air Conditioners

Part 5 of Energy-Efficient Air Conditioning. If your air conditioner is installed correctly, or if major installation problems are found and fixed, it will perform efficiently for years with only minor routine maintenance. However, many air conditioners are not installed correctly. As an unfortunate result, modern energy-efficient air conditioners can perform almost as poorly as […]


Sealing and Insulating Air Ducts

Air from hot attics can leak into the home around registers of the duct system. Air in the ducts can leak out through holes and seams. An enormous waste of energy occurs when cooled air escapes from supply ducts or when hot attic air leaks into return ducts. Recent studies indicate that 10% to 30% […]


Types of Air Conditioners

The basic types of air conditioners are room air conditioners, central air conditioners split-system, central air conditioners and packaged. Room air conditioners are installed directly in the windows or walls, which means they have no pipeline. The fan spray faces inside, while the condenser fan is facing outside. Room Air Conditioners Room fresh air conditioners rooms […]


Types of Air-Source Heat Pumps

Part 2 of Air-Source Heat Pumps. A split-system heat pump heating cycle You can use a central heat pump to heat and cool a whole house. Most central heat pumps are split-systems—that is, they each have one coil indoors and one outdoors (see Fig. 1 below). Supply and return ducts connect to a central fan, […]