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BS4D: Breathing & Drying Out- two most overused terms

On the good news front it appears that the “but my house needs to breathe” argument is finally dead for most… Unfortunately though, a new “the wall assembly needs to breathe” &/or “dry out” are now becoming vogue. Shoot I am even guilty of using the term in the DER (Deep Energy Retrofit) Conversation piece I […]

FAQ: How quickly will my water heater…

I just drained my tank, how long will it take to heat up? How much hot water can I expect with my shower running? Will I have enough hot water with three teenage girls… These are just a few questions that revolve around just how well a water heater will actually perform based on your needs. In order […]

Droughts, Lawns, & Reducing Use

For four years most of California has been in drought status and yet they never instituted any reduction strategies until now. This has left many scrambling to not only see how much they are using now but also how to reduce. One of the quickest methods for most is to stop watering altogether or changing […]

Did Passive House US (PHIUS) just jump the shark?

For those that may not know, jumping the shark is a term to describe a pivotal moment when a television show begins to decline in quality. This term was originally coined when the Fonz jumped a shark in a Happy Days episode. While the US version of Passive House is not a TV show (hereby to be called PHIUS), it sure has had it’s share of drama […]

FAQ: Does my freezer really need to be kept at 0º?

What is the ideal temperature I should keep my freezer & refrigerator at; is it really 0º & 40º? Doesn’t “freezing” always mean things are frozen? I turn my thermostat up during the summer & down during the winter to save electricity, hmm can I raise the temperature of my freezer likewise to save? Recently I ran across this tidbit […]

Quick Maintenance Tip – Faucet Aerators

An aerator is most commonly attached to a faucet to not only catch particulates in the water (no one likes sand in their water glass) but more importantly creating a non-splashing stream of water which is generally done by mixing water and air. If you are like most people you don’t think twice about them until the […]

Illinois; The ERI, the IECAC, & RESNET – The Final Push

UPDATE: By a margin of 4 to 1, the ERI is being recommended to stay in the codes, basement’s only need the top 4′ & the 62.2.10 spec still stands. Monday April 6th (10 AM to noon) will decide whether the ERI aka as the HERS option will be part of Illinois new Energy Code or […]

Getting ready for Spring: Your deck & grill

Hopefully, this last snow storm was it for spring (really?) meaning most of us can start getting ready to grill and get back to enjoying the great outdoors. Needless to say for the last few months our decks / patios have been left to the mercy of mother nature, while our grills not only had […]

The Fight over the ERI & … Return to Sender

Yesterday the full IECAC committee met to hear the commercial and residential sub-committees recommendations. Many items were approved with 4 items being referred back to the appropriate sub-committees. Here is a recap of that 2 1/2 hour meeting, what passed, what is still being debated, a few new objections, & a big you have to be kidding me (can you […]