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3398 Washington Road
Atlanta, GA 30344
USA
773.398.5288
corbett@buildingperformanceworkshop.com
Advanced residential construction and home improvement consulting and owner's advocacy in Atlanta, using the latest building performance diagnostic and modeling techniques and tools. Airtightness, insulation, HVAC, ventilation, moisture, and air quality and EMF consulting for homeowners and building professionals alike.
Home performance articles and stories from the field with internationally respected building forensics guru Corbett Lunsford at the Building Performance Workshop. Hear new episodes of the Building Performance Podcast, see new videos from the Home Performance YouTube channel, and learn all about how diagnostic testing (more than an 'Energy Audit') can make home improvement and new home construction a proven process!
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My friends, DO NOT DO THIS. Friends don't let friends put HVAC grilles, especially the central return grille, anywhere a couch might end up backing up against it. Ceilings, great. High wall, fine. Floor, not so great but probably better than this. Learn more about HVAC performance by subscribing to our channel and joining our Patreon membership: https://Patreon.com/HomeDiagnosisTV
One of my HVAC design clients sent me a question about these vent covers he found online, and it cracked open the whole basket of eggs. Here's a brain dump on how to look up the performance data on products like this. Here's a brand of decorative grilles that perform well- I know because I test them: https://stellarairdecorativeventcovers.com/
Learn WAY more about HVAC on our playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsc2-5fAgMq5yJOp-kliEoYVML8dS1G2f
Join our Patreon group for exclusive access to us and our work behind the scenes: https://Patreon.com/HomeDiagnosisTV
This 'Arctic Air' Pure Chill machine is trying to sell itself as an air conditioner, but it's actually a cleverly disguised evaporative humidifier, like you'd use in an old house in wintertime. Ridiculous. Here's a bit of testing and science fundamentals to help you avoid re-branding and other marketing tricks in your home. For the testing, I used the temperature/humidity datalogger HOBO MX1101.
One of the few truly DIY projects that will improve your home's performance- learn why we picked the fans we did, and how to install them. Model shown is the Fanimation Wrap Custom, but you may find similar features and installation tricks for other brands and models.
Check out the specs on this fan: https://fanimation.com/products/fans/damp-rated/wrap-custom-84/
See the full list of ENERGY STAR Most Efficient products: https://www.energystar.gov/products/most_efficient
Now that Corbett has been doing HVAC load calcs for almost a decade, he's ready to make this very long (and also much too short) video tutorial about the what, why, how, when, and who of heat load calcs for sizing your HVAC equipment.
Corbett likes tools that are sexy and scary at the same time. This flow hood is both. Measure CFM, Drybulb, Wetbulb, Dewpoint, Velocity, and more with this very affordable tool that will help revolutionize the HVAC industry.
Dear Homeowners: please read and absorb what the quality contractors come up against with typical clients. This is part of why high quality construction and home improvements are hard to come by...
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Hi Corbett,
Hate to bother you, but you said if I had aquestion to get in touch with you. Sometimes I feel like just throwing my hands up in the air and giving up; why did I read that article about making the heating system airtightback in 1992 when I started my HVAC business? And why six years ago did I bother learning about the whole house approach? There are times I wish I wasn’t disciplined and motivated to do things right.
If a customer just wants a new energy efficient furnace or A/C and is not concerned with all the other issues with the house, should I just give them what they're asking for and take their money? Knowing how easy it would be to do that, I just can’t lower my standards. Even companies that are doing 'whole home performance' now, I’m following behind them fixing some of their mistakes already.
I get people telling me about the problems they are having inside the house. The question I’m always asking the homeowner is, If I see some safety concerns or other issues would you like me to tell you? On a service call, the first thing I have to get right is the problem with the equipment, than I can let them know what I see with the whole house and heating/cooling system generally.
I’m always getting pushback on this: "my heating system is just 7 years old, everything's fine." And here I am, telling them it was not installed correctly, and that we have to start all over again. Always running into oversized furnaces and air conditioners with undersized ductwork.
Not sure if I’m explaining things correctly to the homeowner as to what I’m trying to accomplish inside the house for them. It always seems to come down to the price. Maybe I have to do a better job in showing value to the customer?
Right now, looking at one job, the call was for high end air purifying filters. The homeowner told me the house is 4000 sq ft but might include the garage and it’s 8 years old. Their 5 year old son has allergy problems, $650.00 utility bill a month, a lot dust in the house. They have 181,000 Btu output for heating and 10 tons of cooling! Told the homeowner the first thing we should do is test the house and HVAC systems first before installing the filters. It apparently costs "too much" to fix the problems. Help?
Thanks,
Sal C.
Hey Sal-
Great question, and I feel your pain! Sometimes it can seem like our clients actually prefer to hire mediocre contractors to do cheap home improvements that make things steadily worse in the house. I promise you, though, that it's not true. Yes, I believe it's 100% about education and showing the value, and judiciously using the powerful marketing tools Fear and Sex Appeal to do so.
Keep at it. I'll keep an eye out for your success stories to come.
Looking Forward,
Corbett
See what the hottest place on Earth (Death Valley, with the world record 134ºF temperature) does to the world's highest performance tiny house on wheels. See proof that our airtightness, insulation, cooling, and ventilation works even where it's not designed to go.
Hear from Matt Adelman of Princeton Air Conditioning about the pro workshop portion of the Proof Is Possible Tour. Come study advanced techniques and tools for home performance diagnostics with Corbett Lunsford, the guy who wrote the book on it! http://ProofisPossible.com
Watch building forensics expert Corbett Lunsford demonstrate Total External Static Pressure testing and pressure drop testing for a residential furnace and air conditioner. Learn to diagnose pressure problems in supply and return ductwork, filters, evaporator coils, and duct sections in just a few minutes with a minimum of testing tools!
Today we talk with Kristof "Handsome" Irwin, founder of Positive Energy in Austin Texas, about why your air conditioner is probably an idiot (bless its heart) and HVAC heaven that you might not have heard about.
To download this episode or hear more, subscribe in iTunes or visit BuildingPerformancePodcast.com
