Barron Heating AC Electrical & Plumbing Blog: Archive for the ‘AeroSeal’ Category

READY FOR THE TEST?

Tuesday, October 1st, 2013

To make the process of having a Home and Duct Performance test as smooth as possible, you can follow the steps below. Many of the steps can be done in the days leading up to your test while ‘for safety reasons’, you might want to wait unit we arrive (or just before) to handle others. Hopefully you’re as excited as we are about learning what your house has to tell us about its Health, Comfort & Efficiency.

Watch the video.

Visit BarronHeating.com/service to see the 6 minute video that explains the whole home and duct performance test process. Doing this will save us valuable testing time when we are at your home and may answer questions you have.

Take the Comfort Check-up Survey.

Also at BarronHeating.com/homeperformancesurvey is a quick 3 minute survey regarding how you experience comfort and air quality at home. The answers you give will allow me to dial in to the opportunities that are most valuable to you as efficiently and effectively as possible.

Locate your electric and natural gas utility account numbers.

Your account number may in some cases give us the ability to pre-approve you for certain utility rebates.

Open up all the interior doors.

This allows for the natural air flow of all zones of your home during testing.

Clear access to all the registers (aka grilles).

In order to measure duct leakage I will need to access all the heat and return registers with a piece of equipment that needs about 2.5 feet of vertical clearance. Any that we can’t get to will be masked off and not used for the test. This will not affect the accuracy of the results.

Check to make sure the filters in your return ducts are relatively clean.

These will be located either at the grills in the home or in a box attached to your furnace.

Make sure all windows are closed.

We don’t want to measure your house leakage with a hole like that in your wall.

Make sure any wood fireplaces are cleaned out and closed as much as possible.

This includes closing the flue.
Do not build a fire in the fireplace in the 24 hours before the test.
When the house is under pressure, it is possible to pull a small amount of ash or chimney debris into the home if we haven’t properly sealed its path.

Turn all gas appliances, such as fireplaces and wall heaters, to “OFF”.

I will take care of the furnace and the water heater if necessary, but you know how to operate the appliances in your home better than I do.

We will be double checking that all these conditions have been met before we begin the testing process, but anything that can be done before we arrive will allow for more time sleuthing and discussing solutions.

Posted in AeroSeal, Blower Door Testing, Duct Analysis, Energy Star, Home Performance, Home Testing, PTCS | Comments Off on READY FOR THE TEST?

Introduction to AeroSeal and Duct Repair

Wednesday, June 12th, 2013

Why are finding Air Duct Leaks important?

You can see a water leak, but an air leak is invisible. Duct leaks can be difficult and costly to find with ductwork hidden between the walls, floors, and ceilings of any residential home or commercial building. The older, traditional use of mastic (a messy caulk-like substance) or taping of leaks not only is less effective than Aeroseal, but also can be very labor-intensive and expensive and can only be applied to ducts with physical access. Other substances break down over time, but the Aeroseal sealant does not and even has a 10 year WARRANTY to back it up.

Do-it-yourselfers might attempt their own fixes, but what about those ducts you or your HVAC specialist can’t see or access? Let Aeroseal handle the entire job and you won’t be tearing up your home or worried about incomplete seals. Aeroseal pinpoints and covers leaks, in roughly an hour, from the inside out with a success rate of up to 98%. Aeroseal is the most effective, affordable, and viable method of sealing air duct leaks on the market.

The measured result of a typical Aeroseal air duct sealing process is shown below:

Aeroseal can reduce duct leakage by up to 97%, reduce your energy use by up to 45%.
Aeroseal has also been shown to dramatically improve comfort and homeowner satisfaction with their heating and cooling systems.
Leaky ducts in a residential home contribute to:
Loss of cool and warm conditioned air to the outside or unconditioned spaces of your home resulting in high energy bills
Even the most energy-efficient heating and cooling systems not performing at its best
Forcing your system to work harder and wear out sooner, costing you yet more money
Excess humidity levels that can lead to costly home repairs
Hard to heat or cool rooms leading to discomfort
Musty odors and other indoor air quality (IAQ) issues

What are the benefits?

Airtight savings: The money formerly leaking out of your ducts will stay in your pocket longer
Airtight comfort: Your hard to heat or cool rooms will have more even temperatures and be more comfortable
Improved air quality: You will see a reduction in dust and humidity, along with fumes and other odors
Reaches everywhere: Seals leaks nearly impossible to reach using other methods
You’ll be a small part of a bigger solution: A reduction of the amount of air pollution created from generating less energySolve your building air flow and ventilation problems

Posted by Wes Diskin

Posted in AeroSeal, Clean Home, Energy Savings, Healthy Homes, Less Dust, rebates, Weatherization | Comments Off on Introduction to AeroSeal and Duct Repair

Asthma Triggers and Information

Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013

Asthma is a serious lung disease.

* During an asthma attack, the airways get narrow, making it difficult to breathe.
* Symptoms of asthma include wheezing, shortness of breath, and coughing.
* Asthma can even cause death.

If you have asthma or a child with asthma, you are not alone.

* About 17 million Americans have asthma.
* Asthma is the leading cause of long-term illness in children.

The air that children breathe can make a difference.
* Asthma may be triggered by allergens and irritants that are common in homes.
* Help your child breathe easier: consult a doctor and reduce asthma triggers in your home.

Clear Your Home Of Asthma Trigger

Below are five common asthma triggers found in homes and what you can do to reduce you and your child’s exposure to them.

Not all of the asthma triggers listed here affect every person with asthma.
Not all asthma triggers are listed here.
See your doctor or health care provider for more information.

Secondhand Smoke

Asthma can be triggered by the smoke from the burning end of a cigarette, pipe, or cigar and the smoke breathed out by a smoker.

Choose not to smoke in your home or car and do not allow others to do so either.

Dust Mites

Dust mites are too small to be seen but are found in every home.

Dust mites live in mattresses, pillows, carpets, fabric-covered furniture, bedcovers, clothes, and stuffed toys.

Wash sheets and blankets once a week in hot water.
Choose washable stuffed toys, wash them often in hot water, and dry thoroughly. Keep stuffed toys off beds.
Cover mattresses and pillows in dust-proof (allergen-impermeable) zippered covers.

Pets

Your pet’s skin flakes, urine, and saliva can be asthma triggers.

Consider keeping pets outdoors or even finding a new home for your pets, if necessary.
Keep pets out of the bedroom and other sleeping areas at all times, and keep the door closed.
Keep pets away from fabric-covered furniture, carpets, and stuffed toys.

Molds

Molds grow on damp materials. The key to mold control is moisture control.

If mold is a problem in your home, clean up the mold and get rid of excess water or moisture.

Lowering the moisture also helps reduce other triggers, such as dust mites and cockroaches.

Wash mold off hard surfaces and dry completely. Absorbent materials, such as ceiling tiles and carpet, with mold may need to be replaced.
Fix leaky plumbing or other sources of water.
Keep drip pans in your air conditioner, refrigerator, and dehumidifier clean and dry.
Use exhaust fans or open windows in kitchens and bathrooms when showering, cooking, or using the dishwasher.
Vent clothes dryers to the outside.
Maintain low indoor humidity, ideally between 30-50% relative humidity. Humidity levels can be measured by hygrometers which are available at local hardware stores.

Pests

Droppings or body parts of pests such as cockroaches or rodents can be asthma triggers.

Do not leave food or garbage out.
Store food in airtight containers.
Clean all food crumbs or spilled liquids right away.

Try using poison baits, boric acid (for cockroaches), or traps first before using pesticidal sprays.
If sprays are used:

Limit the spray to infested area.
Carefully follow instructions on the label.
Make sure there is plenty of fresh air when you spray, and keep the person with asthma out of the room.

Also… House dust may contain asthma triggers. Remove dust often with a damp cloth, and vacuum carpet and fabric-covered furniture to reduce dust build-up. Allergic people should leave the area being vacuumed. Using vacuums with high efficiency filters or central vacuums may be helpful.

When your local weather forecast announces an ozone action day, stay indoors as much as possible.