How to Select a Ventilation Fan

When selecting a fan, the purpose -- that is, central or intermittent ventilation -- should be your foremost decision-making criteria:

• Continuous, central ventilation system, such as the Panasonic 2-Speed WhisperCeiling Exhaust Fan FV-11VQD2, are used to to continuously replace stale air with fresh, clean air in the whole house quietly and energy-efficiently. In the summer, in fact, circulating air can keep your house feeling 4 degrees cooler.
  
• Intermittent ventilation fans, such as the Panasonic WhisperFit-Lite Exhaust Fan, are used in certain areas like the bathroom, kitchen, or garage to quickly exhaust moisture and chemicals. In fact, if you live in an “airtight” home, the Panasonic “bathroom” (intermittent) fans are quiet and energy efficient-enough to continuously ventilate your entire home.
  

Sealing Air Ducts with Mastic

Summer’s here. Time to grill out, have some fun in the sun... and crank up the air conditioning. But before you do, you might want to check your ducts for leaks.

Leaky ducts can cause you to spend up to 30% more than you should on cooling and heating your home. Not only that, leaks allow dirt and moisture to infiltrate your ductwork, encouraging mold growth that can make you sick.

Fix those leaks

Don’t automatically reach for the duct tape. It’s a short-term fix. The adhesive on duct tape dries out over time, allowing leaks to re-form.
Instead, do what the experts recommend: seal your leaks with mastic.
Mastic is a fibrous adhesive used to seal those pesky air leaks for good. It comes in a bucket for application with a putty knife or trowel, or in a tube for use with a caulking gun. The best kind of mastic is water-based. It performs at least as well as other types, is easier to use and clean up after, and won’t expose you to dangerous VOC’s.

How to use mastic to seal your ducts

The most likely places to find leaks in your ductwork is where two components meet. Inspect all connections and seams in your ductwork and coat any suspicious areas with mastic. About a ¼” bead (if you are using the tube) should be sufficient. A tube of mastic will cover about 50 linear feet; if you have to do a large amount of air sealing to do it might be more cost-effective to get your mastic in a resealable bucket.

Mastic is an inexpensive and very effective solution to a problem many people don’t even know they have. But once you see the difference in your energy bills, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner!

Why Weatherize your Home?

You hear a lot of buzz around weatherization these days, especially with all the federal stimulus money being spent on weatherization.
Hype aside, why should you weatherize you home? I mean saving energy and doing good for the environment is nice and all but how does it impact you directly?
Four simple reasons you should weatherize your home:

1. Weatherizing your home by insulating and air sealing will help you save to 50% on heating and cooling costs.
   
2. You can get up to $1500 in Federal Tax Credits
   
3. Your home can be comfortable all year around
   
4. Making your home 'green' can increase the value of your home
   

Are the pin based bulb interchangeable from one manufacturer to another

This is a question that is posed to our customer service quite frequently.
Unfortunately there is no short yes or no answer.

For the most part, if you are matching up the pin-base and the wattage, bulbs should be interchangable regardless of manufacturer.

It's straightforward with bulbs like four pin, G24q-3 base. If you match that information up exactly, they should be interchangeable.

It's much harder with 2 C circular bulbs because different manufacturers will align the pins slightly differently.

Some manufacturers don't publish a "base type", which makes matching bulbs nearly impossible. It's very difficult, for example, to match up Lights of America to other brands successfully.

The future of lighting is the GU24 base, which is completely interchangable regardless of manufacturer. A nice thing about this design is that if the fixture takes a 26w bulb, you can use any GU24 bulb with an wattage bulb equal to *or less than* 26w.

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General Tips for Increasing CFL Life

CFLs come with a pretty long rated life, especially if you are buying a good brand. For instance, Sylvania, GE Lighting, TCP often come with an 8000+ hours rated life. That's no guarantee however that the bulbs will last that long. However, you should get pretty close to the rated life if you:

• Use the bulb with the right type of switch. If it’s an on-off bulb, you should only use it in an on-off fixture
  
  
• You don’t flip the bulb on and off rapidly and continuously.
  
  
• You choose a good quality bulb. As mentioned, a with good brand the rated hours will be higher.
  

Choosing the Best Low Flow Showerhead for Your Needs

Putting in a low-flow showerhead doesn’t mean you have to put up with a thin water stream, low pressure or reduced water temperature due to excessive aeration. Today’s low-flow showerheads are engineered to provide you a satisfying shower experience while still:

• Saving thousands of gallons of water per year (along with savings on your water bill).
  
• Conserving the energy used to heat the water – which means more savings for you and for the environment.
  
• Allowing you to live responsibly without sacrificing your lifestyle.
  

Low-flow showerheads are easy to install and very cost-effective, starting at around $10. When choosing the best low-flow showerhead for your needs, you’ll want to consider price, appearance and comfort features. Here are some things to consider:

• Aerating vs. Non Aerating Shower head. Non-aerating means air is not mixed into the water stream, as it passes through the showerhead; as a result, less temperature is lost between the showerhead and you. The 1.75 gpm Niagara Low Flow Showerhead (N2917CH) does not aerate the water, so you won’t have to crank up the hot water for a comfortable shower temperature. Moreover, it installs without tools and is adjustable to deliver soft relaxing sprays to deep, therapeutic 9-jet massages. Aerating showerheads by contrast mix air into the water stream. So you can get a fuller shower with a steady pressure however it won't be as warm since some of the heat is lost in the process of aerating the water.
  
• Appearance. Showerheads have a come a long way.. you don’t have to stick to the standard white or chrome finish. The Multi-Function Danze Low Flow Showerhead (D462014) is available in three decorator finishes such as brushed nickel, chrome and oil rubbed bronze to complement your bathroom décor. At 1.5 gpm it is a very water efficient showerhead.
  
• Technology. Showerheads have evolved to pack in state of the art technology for conserving water. For instance, the 1.59 gpm Evolve RoadRunner Low Flow Showerhead combines a low-flow head with Evolve’s patented ShowerStart™ “trickle-trigger” technology for the ultimate in shower conservation. This unique showerhead senses when the cold water running through it changes to hot, and reduces flow to a trickle. It saves the hot water you would have left running while waiting for the water to warm up until you’re actually ready to use it. The Roadrunner also features Pressure Compensating Technology for use in low water pressure homes, and a 36-nozzle non-aerating spray for full-coverage comfort and warmth.
  

Installing a low-flow showerhead is one of the simplest and most effective things you can do to help the environment and start saving money immediately. Deciding on the best low flow showerhead will depend upon your budget, aesthetics and any advanced technology options you require. The good news is, there are plenty of options.

Is Your Home Too Tight?

You’re bound and determined to cut down on your energy bill. You’ve caulked, sealed and weatherstripped until your house is tight as a drum. But wait – what about the air you breathe? Could you have gone too far? Is your house too tight?

Well, it could be – especially if you live in a newer home. You need adequate air flow through your house to prevent moisture build-up and maintain a healthy indoor environment. But even if you think you’ve overdone the air sealing, don’t start ripping off the weather stripping just yet.

You see, for proper health the air in your home should be replaced about eight times a day – more in rooms where pollutants tend to collect, like the kitchen and bathroom or any room with a gas appliance. But when your house is full of leaks you may be experiencing a day’s worth of air exchange every hour. All that extra air sucks heating and cooling dollars right out of your house.

For optimal energy efficiency you want to have control over your air flow, so you can maintain air purity standards without wasting costly energy.

Air can come into your home in three ways: natural ventilation (windows and doors), mechanical ventilation (exhaust fans, duct work, etc.) and infiltration - unintended air entry through cracks and gaps. You control the first two. The third – infiltration – controls you. So for best results you will want to seal as many of the cracks and holes in your house as you can find – and then use ventilation methods to achieve ideal air flow.

Natural ventilation works great – when the weather cooperates. But in most climates and for certain rooms where stale air tends to settle, mechanical ventilating systems are the way to go most days of the year. Strategic use of exhaust fans and ventilating devices such as Heat Recovery Ventilators and Energy Recovery Ventilators will allow you to keep your home tight and efficient, and enjoy pure clean indoor air as well.

One last note: your ventilation system is vitally important for a healthy, comfortable home. Even if you’re an avid do-it-yourselfer, this is one area where it pays to consult a professional. Having an energy consultant do a home energy audit with a blower door test is a smart move – and is likely to pay for itself by letting you know exactly what steps you need to take to keep your home comfortable and safe.