The complete source for building, designing, and remodeling green homes
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Heat Pump Balance Point and the Building Enclosure
So we've looked at a simple way to estimate the heat pump balance point. Then I showed how the capacity of the heat pump affects the balance point. (A larger…
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How (Older) Homes Work
Opportunities for builders to obtain building science education may seem scant, but opportunities for people who own and operate buildings -- particularly homeowners -- are even rarer. About two years…
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A Simple Way to Calculate Heat Pump Balance Point
As the outdoor temperature drops on a cold day, there's less heat in the air for the heat pump to pump indoors. And at one special temperature, the balance point,…
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Three Types of Heat Pump Heat
Since more people are using heat pumps these days, even in cold climates, let's spell out the three different types of heat that conventional heat pumps provide. Why not? We've…
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Controlling the Humidity in Your Home During Winter
I'm going to go out on a limb and make what you may think is an outrageous statement: Water is the most interesting substance in the world. Some of you…
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Wingnut Testing: Soffit-to-Ridge Roof Venting
So far, I have performed wingnut testing on PSA tapes and on basement waterproofing products. Very recently, I started working on wingnut testing of roof venting, using an easel made…
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Three Sources of Home Heating (Times Two)
It's wintertime in the Northern hemisphere, and that means we're heating our homes. The new year started off a bit on the warm side here in the Atlanta area, with…
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Defogging the Windshield with Psychrometrics
A lot of people don't understand the best way to defog their car windshield in wet, cool weather. About 30 years ago, I was on a group trip on a…
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Pete’s Puzzle: Not Your Run-of-the-Mill Moisture Problem
Taking a look at only the first three images in the photo gallery for this blog, can you guess what the contraption is (was) in the middle of the basement…
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Does Fiberglass Attic Insulation Really Lose R-Value?
When you get into the world of building science, it's inevitable that you'll hear about the Oak Ridge study proving that fiberglass insulation loses about half its R-value. Maybe, though,…
