Building
Envelope
Insulation (9)
Windows and Doors (9)
Basement (3)
Infiltration (3)
Ventilation (5)
Vapor Barrier (3)
Space
Heating and Cooling
Furnaces (11)
Air
Conditioning (17)
Other Types of Heating (4)
Lighting
and Appliances
Lighting (6)
Water Heating (7)
Fans (3)
Other
Appliances (4)
Building
Envelope (Top of Page)
Insulation
- What are the suggested R-values for the various components of a home?
- Which areas in a home would benefit the most from insulation?
- How does one achieve an R-38 in the attic near the edge of the roof?
- Which is better for insulating attics, fiberglass or cellulose?
- Should I use a radiant barrier in the attic instead of conventional insulation?
- How can I insulate my floored attic?
- How do I seal my attic access panel?
- How should I insulate a slab-on-grade floor?
- How can I seal and insulate the opening for a whole-house fan?
- What are some common window types and their characteristics?
- How can I choose a replacement window that will give good performance at a reasonable price?
- What are low-emissivity windows, and what are their advantages?
- What is the advantage, and expected life, of purchasing gas-filled double-pane windows?
- Does condensate on a double-pane window mean the seal has failed?
- What is movable insulation?
- What is the best way to shade a window to keep out summer sun?
- What types of doors are the most energy efficient?
- What plants are best for shading west windows?
- Which is the better method for insulating basement walls: exterior or interior insulation?
- How deep should foundation insulation extend below grade?
- What is the R-value of soil?
- Where are the most critical air leaks in a home?
- What is an air barrier, or house wrap?
- How effective is covering windows with plastic at sealing a window?
- Can I close some of my attic vents during the winter?
- How important is crawl space venting?
- Is there a simple rule for sizing a kitchen or bathroom exhaust fan?
- How do I select a quiet exhaust fan?
- Can I vent my bathroom and kitchen exhausts into the attic?
- Will a wall with a five-eighths-inch thick, foil-faced sheathing on the outside and a 6-mil plastic vapor barrier on the inside have moisture problems?
- What is a vapor barrier?
- Will installing a vapor barrier make the walls sweat?
Space
Heating (Top of Page)
Furnaces
- How much will I save on my heating costs if I replace my furnace with a new, high-efficiency furnace?
- What does it mean if a furnace has sealed combustion?
- Several new furnaces I've looked at have power venting. What is this, and why is it needed?
- How do modern, high-efficiency furnaces vent without a chimney?
- Is the condensate from a high-efficiency furnace harmful to a septic system?
- Will a programmable, setback thermostat save enough energy to pay for itself? If so, what features should I look for?
- What services should be included in a furnace tune up?
- I can feel air blowing out of the ductwork joints when the furnace is running. Is there something I should do about this?
- Is it a good idea to turn off the pilot light on my furnace during the summer?
- If I close heating registers in some unused rooms, can I close too many?
- In extremely cold weather my furnace seems to run all the time, even though I have the setting on automatic. Will this continuous operation hurt my furnace?
- What does a SEER rating on air conditioners mean, and how do I compare ratings between units?
- Is it cost-effective to buy high-efficiency, air-conditioning units?
- When buying a new central air conditioner, what should I look for to ensure a high-efficiency unit that will last?
- Why is it important to properly size an air conditioner?
- What is the status of the refrigerant used in my home air conditioner? Is it being phased out like the refrigerant in my car?
- When adding central air conditioning to an older home, what do I need to watch out for?
- What can I do to reduce summer air-conditioning costs? (Part I)
- What can I do to reduce summer air-conditioning costs? (Part II)
- My home has a whole-house fan and central air conditioner. How can I use them both for the most economical cooling?
- Can ceiling fans effectively reduce air-conditioning costs?
- How can I keep my home cooler in the summer without air conditioning?
- Is it better to leave the fan running continuously with the air conditioner or to place it in the automatic position?
- Will I save energy by turning off my air conditioner when I leave home, or am I better off just letting it run?
- Can I plant bushes to hide the outside of my air conditioner?
- Are there any simple checks I can perform to see if my air conditioner is operating properly?
- Would I be better off using several window air conditioners?
- What is a ton of air conditioning?
- Will a heat pump cost less than a gas furnace to provide the same amount of heat?
- Are heat pumps, when operating as an air conditioner, more efficient than conventional air conditioners?
- What is a ground-source heat pump?
- What would cause the radiators on the first floor to get hot while the second floor radiators stay cool on my hydronic (hot water) heating system?
Lighting
and Appliances (Top of Page)
Lighting
- Are $10 compact fluorescent lamps cost-effective?
- What is the best exterior lighting source?
- Are mercury yard lights efficient?
- Can a photocell be installed on my outside lamp?
- Does it cost more to turn a light on and off rather than just leaving it on?
- What are the advantages of halogen lamps compared to regular incandescent lamps?
- What should I look for when buying a new water heater?
- How do you select the proper size for a water heater?
- How can I reduce my water heating costs?
- What can you tell me about tankless water heaters?
- What should I do to keep my water heater operating at maximum efficiency?
- Should I use a water heater insulation blanket with my new water heater?
- Can you vent a water heater to an old masonry chimney?