The Home Health Check Up Mission

•Conserve Energy•Increase Efficiency•Protect the Environment•Increase Comfort•Enhance Safety•Increase Awareness

Task and Priorities

•Interview Homeowner•Inspect•Test•Educate•Safety•Comfort•Action Plan

The 3 B’s : Resource for Energy Savings

•Bills-understanding BTU’s and Kwh•Buildings•Envelope•Mechanicals

•Behaviors•How we use energy is closely tied to the bill we get each moth

BASIC FACTS ABOUT AIR LEAKAGE

Most air leakage occurs at the joints between materials and at openings, rather than through the materials themselves. For air leakage to occur through the building envelope, two things are necessary: a hole and a pressure difference.

Building EnvelopeThe residential building envelope. The orange band indicates the preferred placement of the insulation barrier.

Building heat loss

Uncontrolled air leakage through the building envelope is typically responsible for up to 33 per cent of the total heat loss of smaller buildings, such as detached houses.Air leakage out of the building is called exfiltration and air leakage into the building is called infiltration. The common term to describe both is simply infiltration.Air leakage can affect moisture accumulation in the walls and ceiling, building temperature control and energy consumption.

Air TransferAir moves through even very small voids in the wall coverings and through the gaps that may be left around window and doors. Heat and cold moves with the air.

Draft Stop Details Common air infiltration points in homes are cracks, gaps, pipe, wiring holes and poor workmanship in the building envelope, causing air-stack effect thought-out the home.

Energy-Independence

This includes proper air sealing1. Improve insulation2. Sealing ducts3. Water conservation fixtures4. Old appliances5. New energy saving bulbs

•Heating and cooling bills are high. •Rooms in the home feel drafty, •Snow melts quickly off the roof •The furnace or air conditioner runs constantly•Outside noise is audible inside the house•Icicles and ice damming occur

Any one of the following conditions can be an indicator of inadequate insulation:

Checklist: Air sealing

A leaky home will decrease the R-value of your insulation, create unwanted drafts and comfort issues, and bring moisture and pollutants into the home.

Reducing air infiltration and duct leakage are some of the most important items a home owner can do.

If your house has high humidity levels and no obviousmoisture sources, it is essential to check any fuel-burning

equipment – furnaces, hot water heaters, boilers,fireplaces and wood stoves – to ensure that they areventing properly. A blocked chimney could mean that

combustion products, including large amounts of watervapor, are spilling into your house.

Knee wall air sealing and insulation work 1 ½ sty

Steps to insulating After sealed

Knee wallSmall air leaks into uninsulated attic space are a major source of heat loss in many homes.

Insulation typesInsulation is assigned a resistance value, most commonly known as an R-value. An R-value is a measure of resistance to heat flow. The higher the R-value, the greater the resistance. R-values are established based on a type of material, its thickness and its density.

Insulations typesA. Cotton Batts

B. Loose-Fill Fiberglass

C. Extruded Polystyrene (XPS)

D. Cellulose

E. Fiberglass Batts

F. High-Density Polyurethane Spray Foam

G. Mineral Wool

H. Low-Density Polyurethane Spray Foam

I. Foil-Faced Polyisocyanurate

Trivia question

Preventing Roof Ice Dams

Evaluate the insulation and ventilation in your attic. Most experts agree the R-value of attic insulation should be at least R-30

Apart from age, the major cause of roof damage is improper insulation and ventilation causing ice dams. Ice dams can be a nightmare, potentially causing extensive water damage to not only the exterior of your home but also the interior.

Natural Gas Furnaces

Two important considerations in choosing a natural gas furnace are size and efficiency. The size of furnace you need is determined by the heat loss of your house.

Furnace filtersMore expensive (electrostatic) furnace filters capture smaller particles and need less changing than cheaper (pleated) and the cheapest (woven fiberglass) filters. If you have allergies, consider electrostatic filters.

ACCentral air conditioners are made up of two separate components: the condenser unit, located outside the house on a concrete slab, and the evaporator coil above the furnace.

ACCentral air conditioners are made up of two separate components: the condenser unit, located outside the house on a concrete slab, and the evaporator coil above the furnace.

Conventional Water Heater vs. Power vents less safe/less savings Safety /energy savings

Water heater sizing water heating represents up to 15.5 percent of national residential energy consumption, which amounts to the second largest energy end use in homes behind heating and cooling.

Combustion spillage caused by exhaust devices overpowering the furnace1. Natural draft furnace spills combustion products into house 2. Fireplace draws excessive air, causing other equipment to backdraft, and can spill at the end of a burn 3. Dryer 4. Range hood 5. Exhaust fans depressurize interior of house **install a carbon monoxide detector if you have fuel-burning equipment.**

Back DraftingThis hot water heater has exhaust rollout. If your water heater has these stains please have it checked out.furnace and hot water heater shared the same closet. The furnaces cold air return was broken, and sucking air out of the small space pulling the exhaust out of the burner chamber under this hot water heater.

Radon enters HomeRadon is a radioactive gas that has been found in MN homes. It comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and gets into the air you breathe.

Asbestos RisksCommon Locations in the Home: Asbestos use was so widespread that virtually any material used in home construction may contain this substance prior to the 1980s .

How they stack up

Seal sills

Caulking the sill plate and the rim joist stops air leaks along the foundation.

Attic hatchGood gasket or weatherstripping on the stop will stop air from leaking past the cover. The key to getting a good seal is making sure the cover presses tightly against the gasket. A latch could work

Crawl Space Great to prevent cold floors Good R Value added No nesting support for insects and rodents Prevents ground moisture from causing dry rot

Seal electrical outlets and switch plates

1. Gasket 2. Child-proof plug

The finer points of air sealingSeal around windows and exterior doors with backer rod, caulk or non-expanding spray foam.

Rim JoistRidged foam and spray foam

Home Health Check Up

Mission Save Money Save energy

The End