Town house in Smyrna, DE
This home had a lot of issues but is about to get a major comfort/energy efficiency makeover
Leaky Ductwork
This is one of the most common problems with HVAC systems - the joints are not sealed and come apart, allowing air the homeowner has paid to heat and cool, escaping the ductwork before the conditioned air even reaches its destination. Its no different than a leaky water pipe.
Attic Hatch
Attic hatches like these are rarely insulated, nor air sealed. As a result two types of energy loss occurs, the first one where heat transfers easily through the thin cover, and the second one, conditioned air being pushed right around the edges and escaping into the attic, which also causes outside air to be pulled into the lower parts of the home due to "Stack Effect"
5 1/4" Fiberglass batt insulation in the attic
Attics were insulated like this for many decades, but not only is is not s thick enough blanket, the backside of the blanket is totally open and allowing air to travel right through it...carrying along with it the homeowners' investment in comfort energy.
Blown Fiberglass Insulation
10' of blown fiberglass only brings the R Value up to about 18-20. Modern homes are being insulated with cellulose to a depth of 17" which provides an R Value protection of 60.
Typical Open Drywall Top
Until only recently, drywall seems that terminate in the attic were never sealed. But science showed one of the biggest energy losses comes from conditioned air in the living space enters the wall cavities and escapes into the attic through these open seams. The insulation must be removed so the workers can properly seal these.
Dead Mouse
This poor little creature crawled up next to this HVAC ductwork where it could be as comfortable as possible until ...... Another good reason to remove old attic insulation
Blower Door
This device is called a Blower Door. It serves to show the total effect of all the air leaks in the home. Air leaks cause a loss of valuable energy, make homes difficult to heat and cool, and drive up utility bills.
Infrared Camera
This wonderful piece of modern technology is a camera that can see heat and cold. Purple and blue show colder surfaces, orange and yellow show hotter. You can actually see the heat trying to blast its way through the wall. Imagine what that does to you air conditioning bill.
High Radon Level
On top of all the other problems in this house it has an issue with excessive amounts of deadly radon. gas building up inside. The home owner certainly will want to address this, since not doing so would result in the building occupants constantly breathing radioactive radon particles, which creates a risk for the development of lung cancer.
Uninsulated Attic Hatch
Attic hatches have not one but two energy wasting problems. The first is the lack of insulation. This infrared camera displays blue on the colder areas and yellow on the hotter. This bad boy would act like a giant heating panel in the summer time, transmitting the 130-150 degree temperatures inside the attic into the living space - seriously competing with the air conditioner and wasting a ton of money
Unsealed Plumbing Penetrations
Homes built before contractors were concerned with making homes as energy efficient as possible, typically never bother to seal penetrations of the attic floor by electrical wires and plumbing pipes. As a result they provide a path way for the loss of energy, directly into the attic, from the rooms below.
Major Air Leak
By now you probably realize how bad it is for air to leak into the attic from the rooms below. The web content creator did not exactly know what this was, most likely a bathroom fan, or a lighting fixture, but one thing we can see clearly - its a big leak that needs to be fixed.
Dirty Ductwork
HVAC ductwork accumulated a lot of dust, dirt, and allergens, and distributes them all through the house, affect the air the occupants breathe. You don't want to be breathing this nasty stuff. It has to be cleaned. See the next picture.
Attic Wall re insulated
This is how Lawson Home Services handles the backside of a wall in an interior room, The reflective SilverGlo material serves three energy saving purposes. 1. It air seals the wall cavity 2. It adds significant insulation value to the wall cavity 3. it reflects heat away from the wall surface.
Foamed HVAC Ductwork
This is the best solution for existing ductwork in the attic. It performs two functions in one. 1. Adds insulation to keep the conditioned air traveling through it at a constant temperature as it travels from the source all the way to the destination.
Blower Door
Final Reading. Its complicated. But it shows how much the building shell leaks. If you want a good explanation ask your energy auditor.
HVAC Ductwork running through attic
This is one of the biggest no-no's in construction - running the ductwork through an unconditioned attic. You know what happens when hot water runs through a pipe in a cold basement - the water gets cold as it travels through the pipe. Even worse, ductwork is typically leaky. When it is routed through an unconditioned (heated or cooled) attic, conditioned air inside it leaks away into the attic where the only ones to find comfort from it are the mice and birds that might be in the attic.
Clean Air Duct
This is how the ducts look after Lawson Home Services' techs get done with them. Look brand new don't they?
