#ventilation

Paul Cummins

Jan 31, 2019
1 min

Duct Cleaning Results Uncertain

The article linked to photo (click on photo) from the Washington Post says studies show dust in ducts usually stays there and does not noticeably affect HVAC efficiency nor dust levels in the house. After duct cleaning dust levels actually increase temporarily in the home, which makes sense. I recommend duct cleaning when moving into an older home, if for nothing else, to start out with your own filth, and, if there has been a major mold event in the home. The article also

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Paul Cummins

Aug 29, 2018
1 min

Drying without Kinks or Danger

Whenever you move into a new place I recommend you replace the dryer vent pipe. It is supposed to be cleaned every six months but people rarely do. I often find the pipes kinked which increases the risk of fire and dramatically reduces dryer efficiency. Also the shiny Mylar pipes are actually flammable so replace with solid or flex metal and use this elbow to prevent kinks. I just paid $99 for an unnecessary service call. The 10 year old dryer was quitting after a few min

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Don't waste money on expensive disposable air filters for your furnace!

Paul Cummins

Aug 28, 2018
1 min

Don't waste money on expensive disposable air filters for your furnace!

The filters on your furnace are not there for human health--they are there to prevent relatively large particles from clogging your heat exchanger, fan and evaporator coil. In fact, when expensive filters are used to grab pollen, the ability of your forced air system to condition your house is drastically reduced. Further, a good system can make 4 to 7.5 air changes in your house per hour: if the fan is running constantly. However, at least 10 changes per hour are needed to

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Paul Cummins

Jul 24, 2018
1 min

Can save you from a moldy attic!

This switch senses humidity and turns on the bathroom fan automatically! Good for basement and top floor bathrooms. If moisture doesn't make it up to the attic it can't do any damage! I especially recommend this attached to a bathroom fan in moist basements. If you don't have a bathroom fan already, or even a bathroom in the basement you can still install a bathroom-type fan. Just read that dehumidifiers can use more than 1000 kwh/year, so over $200 in VA. They just take o

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Paul Cummins

Jul 20, 2018
1 min

Heat Recovery System for Good Air

Just did my second house with a fuel oil leak. Felt loopy after just about 20 minutes in the utility room. If the leak went through the concrete and or into the soil it may not be possible to clean it up, so this heat recovery system may be the fix. Units start at about $300 and go up to $2000. Just search for heat recovery ventilation system. #ventilation

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Paul Cummins

Jul 7, 2018
2 min

Baffled by Lack of Ventilation

The current solution to preventing mold in attics is very low tech: vents along the soffits and a ridge vent. Here's what soffit vents look like: Images of Soffit Vents. As you can see, there are many different kinds. The current rule of thumb is to have one square foot of vent space for every 150 square feet of attic space. And this means painted over vents probably don't hold muster. FYI: quotes on adding continuous vents on average sized attics run about $1300. Here'

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Paul Cummins

Jul 5, 2018
1 min

A dryer vent to be proud of!

Give up on those ugly, plastic dryer vents, that clog easily and rats can chew through (Yes it happened to me... rats died in bathroom wall and maggots poured under the molding... 100's of them!) Click on image for link. Here's another armored choice for kitchens and fan vents...keep the birds out! Armored Vent Cover #plumbing #HVAC #ventilation #exterior

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Paul Cummins

Nov 2, 2017
1 min

Forced air without tearing down walls!

Click on image for link. Here's a system by Unico. #HVAC #ventilation

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When the bathroom can't be vented outside

Paul Cummins

Sep 9, 2017
1 min

When the bathroom can't be vented outside

Is your condo in DC more than 50 years old? Mold in your bathroom? Many old buildings don't want to start cutting holes in the outside wall for better ventilation. This is an option for at least diluting the moisture to the rest of the unit. Moving moist air is better than still moist air. Click on picture for link. Here is a more temporary option: #ventilation #mold

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Paul Cummins

May 27, 2017
1 min

Grease is the way we are feeling.

I always wondered what those punky little screens could do under your microwave or range hood. Found out yesterday. No grease filter, grease dripping over cabinet above. The filters can be easily cleaned by putting them in the dishwasher. Did anyone else have a crush on Olivia Newton John? #ventilation

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Bathroom air: get it where it needs to go.

Paul Cummins

May 10, 2017
1 min

Bathroom air: get it where it needs to go.

Good air, good light: really makes a difference. These are vent ducts leading up from the two bathroom fans in the upper floor bathrooms. One of the fans actually blows backwards into the bathroom. That is because the terminus of the vent is the hard surface of the ridge vent, so air blows up, has nowhere to go and it returns. This wears out the fan and obviously doesn't get the stinky, moist air out of the bathroom. In some cases it does cause mold in the attic. Warm, m

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New ways to provide soffit venting even if you don't have a soffit!

Paul Cummins

Mar 24, 2017
1 min

New ways to provide soffit venting even if you don't have a soffit!

Here is the under fascia solution found in site below. 11 Best Types Of Roof Vents + Understanding Attic Ventilation - Roof Hub (myroofhub.com) #roof #ventilation

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Paul Cummins

Feb 25, 2017
1 min

Great Under-Cabinet Hood!

Just inspected a new condo in DC. Really modern and bright. However, they had installed a draft hood that fit between the cabinet framing. This meant that greasy air would coat the end grain and between gaps in adjoining cabinets. YUCK! Found this model in the next house I did. Couldn't figure out how to turn it on until I pulled on the retracted glass canopy. Brilliant! Exactly what slick condo needs. Click on image for link. #ventilation #remodel

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Paul Cummins

Feb 12, 2017
1 min

Good air needed in attic!

Ideally there should be continuous soffit vents and a continuous ridge vent in your attic to allow for a passive air flow over the inside of your roof deck which prevents mold from forming in the winter. The old roofs just had a gable vent or two. Some have soffit vents but nothing at the ridge. Any of the the four types below the ridge on the image above would be fine. This static vent below is most common. Each roof is different but ideally these should be placed every

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Paul Cummins

Feb 12, 2017
1 min

When your damper isn't there...

Some of those old one-piece dampers just can't be opened and closed easily and sometimes they have fallen out and just aren't there anymore. This is a good choice for replacement because it prevents water, cold air and chimney stink from coming down your flue. Click on image for link. #ventilation #HVAC

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Paul Cummins

Jan 1, 2017
2 min

What not to put over what!

Ha! That title reminds me of the new grammar I learned while I was a peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines. Interestingly the dialect had an inclusive and exclusive "we". So you could talk to a group of people and make it clear whether everyone was going fishing or only some of we are going fishing. They also had a modifier than could change nouns into verbs. It was mag. The word for thing was "kwan". The word "ba" adds emphasis. So the common phrase "Magkwan ba kwan

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Paul Cummins

Sep 18, 2016
1 min

Great air cleaner!

So, elsewhere on these blogs I suggest using washable filters in your HVAC system to save money on filters and improve airflow. To effectively remove allergens from the air, put one of these in your bedroom. We run ours on high during the day and low at night. This model is known for being quiet. No point breathing well and being kept awake by the noise! Filters only have to be replaced annually. Keep the bedroom door shut. Also, lose the carpet and put allergen covers

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Gas Furnaces and Water Heaters Need Air!

Paul Cummins

Jun 28, 2016
1 min

Gas Furnaces and Water Heaters Need Air!

Actually for the same reasons we do. We breathe, or respire, so our cells can get oxygen to break down glucose, a complex hydrocarbon, through cellular respiration, just like natural gas breaks apart in the presence of oxygen in the process of combustion. Even produces the same by-products! Here are the rules for venting furnace rooms or water heater closets. #HVAC #ventilation

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Electronic Air Cleaners Need Help to Do Their Job

Paul Cummins

May 14, 2016
1 min

Electronic Air Cleaners Need Help to Do Their Job

There are several important layers of function in these things: the cells, prefilter and charcoal filters, for example. Also they require the fan to be running constantly to effectively clean the air. Most of them I see are a shambles. The above video gives you the instructions for proper maintenance. The filters below are a fallback solution: low tech replaces high tech if all should not go well...click on image for link. #HVAC #ventilation

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Paul Cummins

Nov 12, 2015
1 min

Crawlspace Vent Closes Automatically

It responds to temperature based on different expansion rates of two metals fused together and opens automatically in the summer and closes in the winter without motors or electricity! The general rule is to have one square foot of venting for every 150 square feet of floor space. Click on image for link! #crawlspace #ventilation

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