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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!
We're back again with my HVAC design calculations trainer Alex Meaney (https://MeanHVAC.com), to talk about duct design calculations, the Manual D and ASHRAE ways. Thanks to Southwark Metal (https://www.southwarkmetal.com/) for the sweet training posters.
This slide rule has helped me hundreds of times in my work designing ventilation systems and tuning the science of homes. Hope it works for you too- just print the two letter-sized panels (heavier paper is better), laminate if desired, and pop a center pin through to make it spin. Happy testing.
Corbett
Why do people ask for specific HVAC stuff, and do they really need what they're asking for? Let's dive deep into the design and installation of non-mainstream HVAC requests, like different target room temperatures in a home, or outdoor design temperatures that are higher than the 99% hottest we normally use.
See Dustin Cole's interview at: https://youtu.be/1Iiho2cm2LY
Find Dustin at his family business Cole Air: https://www.airconditioninglakecharles.com/
Alex Meaney has made several videos with me so far:
Manual J Deep Dive https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEKEMI05dJE
Manual S Deep Dive https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGhE4XwbDDE
Duct Design and Existing Home System Replacements https://youtu.be/h5629tWpR9c
Find Alex at: https://MeanHVAC.com
See how HVAC pressures can affect rooms when the doors are closed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orp-sXTjTPw
We almost never recommend that our clients go with Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs) for efficiency reasons- it always comes down to the air tightness of the home. At a certain point, bath fans all over the home stop being helpful and actually become a serious liability for indoor pollution, humidity control, and predictions of performance overall. Let's dive into the free online calculator (https://www.redcalc.com/depressurization-analysis/) that I use in most of my consultations, and how to evaluate the numbers it generates.
Take my Ventilation Training and learn all that I know about this complex topic: https://buildingperformanceworkshop.com/ventilation
Get trained and certified by me to run blower door and duct testing: https://buildingperformanceworkshop.com/det-verifier
We're back again with my HVAC design calculations trainer Alex Meaney (https://MeanHVAC.com), to talk about ductwork and connections and filters and how to get all this right when replacing an old system in existing homes.
Watch my first two videos with Alex: Manual J Load Calculation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEKEMI05dJE
Manual S Equipment Selection https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGhE4XwbDDE
Some people can get really freaky about 'thermal bridging', and while I do think much of the discussion about it is way out of proportion, there is a reasoned approach when it comes to continuous insulation. Here's my take on the #1 reason to consider exterior continuous insulation on any project. See how we used Rockwool to turn our home into one of the most comfortable homes in the country: https://homediagnosis.tv/episode-206-windbreakers-air-sealing-and-insulation
Learn more about exterior insulation approaches: https://www.rockwool.com/north-america/products-and-applications/external-wall-insulation/
Get 1-on-1 help with any home: https://buildingperformanceworkshop.com/video-consulting
Scott True has been building spec and custom homes outside Austin TX, and he impressed me from the first time we worked together. To see some of the experiments he's running to make performance homes more affordable, watch Matt Risinger's 40 minute follow along at one of his builds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjwjeoLi6X0
IT IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE. IT IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE. Say it back, everybody, and spread the word. Find Dimora Homes at: https://dimorahomes.com/
Level 15 nerds get their diagnostic tools at: https://TrutechTools.com
In short, stay away from things like this. Here's our understanding of why they're so experimental. The ACTUAL solution to making your home's air healthier is the goal of ALL of our videos on this channel, so subscribe, but FILTRATION is the only proven solution that produces no side effects for indoor chemistry. Here's how to choose filters for your home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HykPt4MO2SY
To learn TONS more about indoor chemistry, watch our HOMEChem playlist all about it: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsc2-5fAgMq7fRE6q0uWx-2F_EqBd4S_n
Dustin Cole is a 23-year HVAC veteran (and a proud Patreon member of ours- join him at https://Patreon.com/HomeDiagnosisTV ), and he has successfully transformed his heating and cooling company from a regular old family business into a leader in delivering performance-based HVAC systems, using diagnostics and computer analysis. IT IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE. IT IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE. Say it back, everybody, and spread the word.
Find Cole Air at: https://www.airconditioninglakecharles.com/
Ventilation! Filters! Blue Lights! Dehumidifiers and humidifiers! Tankless heat pump water heaters!?! Lots to see this year, here are my thoughts on applications of some of these products and systems.
0:20 Renewaire EV series ERV: https://www.renewaire.com/our-ervs/single-multi-family/ev-single-multi-family/
2:27 Bath fans
3:13 Broan AI series ERV: https://www.broan-nutone.com/en-us/broan-ai-series-fresh-air-systems
5:08 Spinning enthalpy wheels
7:57 Side effects of active air cleaners
9:52 Electric fireplaces: equally romantic?
10:14 Passive house multifamily research on long-term ERV performance with Jason LaFleur
11:58 Make Up Air dehumidification option
12:50 Humidification for homes with SteamOVap Modulating Humidifier
14:27 Atmox crawlspace ventilation control system
16:31 Parmesan cheese
16:36 Sealed combustion or power-vented?
16:55 Party load mobile air conditioners
18:31 Mitsubishi Hyper Heat Sumo Heat Pumps: https://www.mitsubishicomfort.com/residential/products/wall-mounted-heating-and-cooling?modelID=MSZ-FS
19:49 Lennox's biggest customers are production builders (why does that sound so fishy?)
19:56 Mr. Cool DIY Ductless Mini Splits
21:59 Underground duct thought experiment
23:02 Reflectix duct insulation system
25:16 Problems with spray foam insulation for ducts
25:49 Flex duct configurations
27:55 Duct cleaning equipment
28:44 Tankless heat pump water heater?
32:54 Directional vents and Manual T
34:22 The only ceiling fans I saw at the whole show?!?
34:25 The most beautiful woman in the world
A very cool client of ours named Niko came to us with a wildly different home issue- a finished basement. In Florida. That's vented to the outdoors. Watch us tour the home being renovated with Tony Gomes, my Tampa go-to-guy for advanced diagnostics on existing homes. We explore how it's possible that mold was held at bay for 20 years, until Niko did a 'good' thing and replaced an old HVAC system with a VRF (variable capacity) heat pump.
Find the brilliant Tony Gomes and Faraday Energy in Tampa Bay at: https://faradayenergy.com/
Test your home for airborne mold with this easy kit: https://GotMold.com
This is mathy, but it’s not anything too difficult for anyone to understand I think. There are lots of nuances and caveats, which I think make the whole thing more interesting! Ideal absolute humidity range is ~35-65 grains per pound.
∆Gr/lb = Inside gr/lb - Outside gr/lb
Gr/hr = ∆Gr/lb x CFM x 4.5
Lb/hr = Gr/hr / 7000
Lb/day = Lb/hr x 24
Gal/day = Lb/day x 0.12
Pints/day = Gal/day x 8