My dad pointed out one day that there are two sidelights by my front door with single pane glass and thin wood below. This had to change. On further analysis, I also discovered that the three basement windows had single…
Category: Energy
My Primary Sensor Modules
I found some modules made by Olimex that hit the sweet spot for me. They haveboth motion and temperature sensors on them, use both PIC microcontrollers, and use a Zigbee network for wireless communication. My plan is to add a…
My High level Home Automation Plans
Once all my stabalization projects are complete, I plan on moving to automation. Below is the basic plan Phase 1 – Establishment Get some basic X-10 Energy savings executing Learn about how to control and interface selected Digital Modules (Olimex…
The Energy Saving Economics of DIY vs. Contractors
If you have even decent skills, there is no comparison of the economics. Energy Saving projects are generally a marginal effort and the returns are over long periods of time. For example, I estimate that sealing, improving soffit ventilation, sealing my Air…
My Energy Saving Campaign
I bought a new house in July 2012. Nice house. The energy conservation situation was pretty deficient. This blog will chronicle my various DIY projects, repairs and improvements on the house in regards to energy conservation.
Sealing the Attic Part 2
So, to get to the nitty gritty, I began sealing. The recommended way is to use “Great Stuff”. This is an expandable foam in a can with a spray tube. It’s a messy, glue-like substance that works well and is…
Sealing the air leaks in the basement
First the warning: If you seal too well, the exhaust from the furnace or hot water heater will not naturally go up the chimney, but instead stay around. The by product of burning Natural Gas and Other fuels is Carbon…
Sealing the attic
Although the air conditioner was at a minimum level of insulation and leakiness, I then moved to sealing the aire leaks in the attic. Basicaly, there are various holes and gaps in the attic floor where, air can come from…
Insulating the Basement – The Campaign
My Second Major project is improving the energy efficiency of the basement. Specifically, I’m improving the cubbie holes above the sill plate (basically the top of the basement walls between the floor joists), and adding storm windows to the…
Stabilizing my Air Handler – Part 3
Once the main leaks were all handled, I then took to insulating the air handler on the outside and the supply ducts. I chose to use 1 inch Polyiso board insulation. I chose 1 inch because I needed some flexibility.…