Category Archives: Home Comfort

Your HVAC choices….Take the time to make them wisely.

Air Conditioning and Heating Performance Blog, Building Science, Healthy Home, Home Comfort,

There are many air conditioning companies to choose from.   It is very important you understand and have faith in the company you choose and the products they install.  If you read only the first paragraph of this page remember;

Today’s consumer prices make your Heating Ventilating and Air Conditioning decision among the top expenditures for your household.  Unfortunately, because we don’t pay attention to the HVAC system until it fails, we undervalue what a correctly selected and installed system can give back in energy efficiency, comfort and dollars in our bank account.  Over 80% of homes have issues that installing an up to date air conditioner will not fix.  These new home air conditioners, once installed, operate at only 60% efficiency due to the overlooked issues within the structure.  This can translate to a (hypothetical) summer utility bill of $200 per month and it means $60 to $80 per month is being left on the table for 4 to 5 months of the year or more.  If I put $30 per month in a popular investment portfolio it will yield well over $8000 over the life of the air conditioner.  Average corrections to a duct system are half of the investment yield.  This calculation does not include lower maintenance cost, longer lived equipment and most importantly improved comfort, which is extremely difficult to assess value on.

Due to inappropriately selected equipment, poor design and inadequate air flow on existing systems, corrections will actually pay for the improvements in a relatively short time.

If we think about it why utilities pay rebates for selecting new equipment its a simple calculation.  The utility understands it will get rebate funding back as a general rule, in  7 years.   This return is based entirely on technology.  If we follow trends back thirty years, we find if a consumer replaces the environmental system (HVAC) every 12 to 15 years, the technology along will justify another rounds of investment.

 

 

 

Multi Level Home and Temperatures

Building Science, Healthy Home, Home Comfort, , , ,
Multi Level Homes and Temperatures

Are you uncomfortable in your home?

It’s been a problem for a while.   We are talking about multi-level (half a floor or more difference) home with one comfort system.  With the move to efficiency the thought was if one air conditioner and or heat system was used, lower power consumption would be the result.  The issue of comfort has become a hot topic, literally.   How do we manage the temperature issue?  Hot air rises and cold air sinks.    If the duct system is designed with the same duct and air flow requirements as a single story home, we will have a problem.   In a hot climate, what we fix for summer makes it unbearably hot upstairs during the heating season.  In a cool climate lower levels can become uncomfortably cold during long weather cycles.

[If your home is multi level be cautious at purchasing an air conditioner to solve your problems.   Is a contractor trying to sell you two-speed, two stage or variable capacity A/C or heating system replacing a single speed unit without addressing your duct system?]

Solution; zone the two levels.   It is not that easy. Continue reading Multi Level Home and Temperatures →

Smart Phones and Appliance Management

Air Conditioning and Heating Performance Blog, Home Comfort, , , ,

Lighting, alarm monitoring, air conditioning and heating control, cameras and so much more.

It’s what smart phones are for, right?

We have application via smart phone to set our heating or cooling, to turn off and on lighting, to monitor appliances, to secure the home or office  or to view the site while we are away.

Before you begin downloading apps and purchasing hardware, take a moment to inventory the items you want to control via your phone.  Chances are you will over look items to control if you jump on-line and order quickly.   There are lot choices and you should take the time to map your needs by way of hardware (lighting brand) or by software .  That is to at least group items so all your lighting hardware is compatible with a particular app.  Choose the hardware that will work with in common with a single app.

A common advertising point is to sell the consumer on stand alone systems.  In other words a security system that does not have to interface with a company at all levels avoiding paying a middleman.  If you choose this type of system, make sure the support team is there for you when set up the system, have trouble with the system or when you have a general question.

Overall technology has given us a way to stay in touch around the globe or while we are down the street.   These services have proven to be reliable, comprehensive and simple to operate.