| If you have noticed
several of the symptoms of an inefficient
home, you are not alone. Most homes, especially those built
before the late 1980s, were not built with carefully balanced and
constructed systems in place. Cost cutting is only partly to
blame. The main issue is that without recent advances in building
science and testing technology, even the most careful builders would
only be guessing at how well they were constructing a house. Subtle,
almost undetectable construction imperfections can add up to major
problems in a house's overall performance. Thus, even a house
with EnergyStar components may suffer from seriously underperforming
systems. Common imperfections and defects include:
-
Air leaking into and out of multiple gaps and crevices in the
house's shell.
-
As much as 30% of heating and cooling air leaking from the
ducts before it ever reaches the rooms of a house.
-
Inadequate or improperly installed insulation. Improperly
installed insulation typically looses more than half of its
potential temperature trapping ability.
-
Furnaces and air conditioners that are oversized by 200% to
300% working hard and frequently cycling on and off in response
to rapid losses of conditioned air. This causes excess
noise and increases equipment wear and tear.
-
Inadequate or contaminated ventilation air that contributes
to stuffy or musty air and possible carbon monoxide poisoning
issues.
-
Unbalanced airflow systems that pull smoke, fumes, or flames
from sources throughout the house and could contribute to fire
or toxicity hazards.
-
Sources of moisture entering the house and contributing to
mold, mildew and dry rot problems.
-
Dank or rodent infested crawl spaces leading to poor air quality,
lowered energy efficiency, and a variety of damage to the
house.
-
Built-in lights and fans that are inefficient and leak significant
quantities of conditioned air into the attic.
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