Home Moisture Problems – Sources, Issues and Solutions Even in California’s dry climate there are many homes with high humidity and moisture problems. This moisture could be coming from any number of sources and causing issues ranging from slight discomfort to musty smells to mold/mildew to indoor air quality concerns. This article will explain where [...]
What are the top 10 Contractor mistakes common in the Home Energy industry? Everyone knows the HVAC industry’s reputation. HVAC service people have been known to suggest a replacement for a part that is working fine. They’ve even been known to tell a homeowner they need a new part that doesn’t even exist! They are [...]
When should I replace my air conditioner? It really depends on how much you use it. If you only turn it on a few days out of a year, then it’s not going to be worth it. If you live in a hot area and use it at least a couple days a week in [...]
Top 10 Summer Energy Saving Tips: Questions to ask yourself 1) How can I save energy in the summer? The temperature is rising and so are your energy bills. Seeing a spike in your electricity usage in the summer is [...]
Here at EPB we don’t like duct leakage, in fact we hate it. To check to see how much duct leakage there is on a system we hook up a Duct Blaster. A duct blaster puts a small amount of pressure (25 pascals) on the duct system after we tape up all of the grilles [...]
Efficient Air Conditioning – What you need to know Electricity can be pricey these days. If you want to install or upgrade your air conditioning system, you should be aware that there is a wide range of quality out there. This is one of those things that pays for itself if you have it done [...]
Do It Yourself – Home Energy Audit What is a Residential Energy Audit? (often more positively termed: Energy Assessment) An Energy Audit is a way to use Building Science and Home Performance concepts to perform a comprehensive in-depth testing of a home in order to find out where the energy concerns are, how to [...]
Indoor Air Quality: Test it and Improve it Considering the amount of time we spend in our homes, and that we are generally breathing the whole time, it’s a good idea to ensure that our air is clean and healthy. There are a number of factors that can affect indoor air quality, some of [...]
When people hear “energy upgrade,” one of their first thoughts might be of double pane window upgrades. This is probably because windows are much more immediately noticeable to a resident than, say, leaky ducts. You may walk by a closed window and feel a slight draft, and this is certainly relevant to energy efficiency and [...]
Loans for Energy Efficiency Upgrades Geosmart Loan (Loan option #1) California has been hit hard by the mortgage and credit crisis, and energy prices are reaching record highs, making it difficult for homeowners to invest in energy efficiency upgrades. However, qualifying for a loan for energy efficiency upgrades is easy. EGIA (Electric & Gas [...]
Energy Upgrade California Rebates Explained (as of 2013) Upgrading your home is an investment, and it’s a difficult one to predict or quantify. However with the right upgrade package, you can greatly increase and speed up the return on your investment, by qualifying for energyupgrade rebates through the EUC [...]
What is Home Performance? Home performance is a comprehensive, whole-house approach to identifying and fixing comfort, energy efficiency, air quality and durability problems in a home. The goal is to identify and prioritize these issues with a home energy audit then find a home performance contractor to address the energy concerns. An energy audit technician [...]
Goals When Installing an Efficient Proper Duct System: Properly engineered ducts should achieve the following: 1. Minimal leakage 2. Good insulation (ideally R-8) 3. Sized to provide ideal air flow to each room 4. Minimal air flow resistance 5. Designed to work efficiently with a correctly sized furnace Unfortunately, the vast majority of homes fail [...]
Bay Area Home Performance – Renovation Success Story In August of 2012, Eco Performance Builders successfully renovated a house (1239 College Avenue, Alameda) and turned it into one of the most Energy Efficient homes in the Bay Area. Using the highest standards of Home Performance and Green Building, the project was a major success and [...]
Why is my energy bill so high? Why is my furnace so loud? Why does my furnace go off and on repeatedly? Why is there stale, foul-smelling air coming from my vents? Why are some rooms hot and some rooms cold with the furnace on? First of all, if you hear a loud bang when [...]
