Energy Vanguard https://www.energyvanguard.com/ Building science knowledge, HVAC design, & fun Thu, 31 Oct 2024 14:50:22 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 Soundproofing a Wall – The Basics https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/soundproofing-a-wall-the-basics/ https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/soundproofing-a-wall-the-basics/#view_comments Thu, 31 Oct 2024 14:50:22 +0000 https://www.energyvanguard.com/?p=9257 You know how the sound from that TV in your den comes right through the wall and you can hear every word?  Or the annoyance of your neighbors when their lawn maintenance crew comes every Saturday afternoon right when you…

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]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/soundproofing-a-wall-the-basics/feed/ 4 An Improved System for Even Faster Hot Water https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/an-improved-system-for-even-faster-hot-water/ https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/an-improved-system-for-even-faster-hot-water/#view_comments Thu, 10 Oct 2024 22:04:56 +0000 https://www.energyvanguard.com/?p=9235 I missed an opportunity.  You may recall the retrofit I did in 2022 to get faster hot water at three of my fixtures.  It made a huge improvement, but it could have been even better.  But before I go there,…

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]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/an-improved-system-for-even-faster-hot-water/feed/ 22 A Plumbing Feature Every Home Should Have https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/a-plumbing-feature-every-home-should-have/ https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/a-plumbing-feature-every-home-should-have/#view_comments Thu, 03 Oct 2024 18:09:41 +0000 https://www.energyvanguard.com/?p=9226 As we know from the most recent natural disaster to hit the US (Hurricane Helene), it’s good to do some emergency planning before an emergency strikes.  But let’s take a more common example:  plumbing leaks in your home.  If it…

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]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/a-plumbing-feature-every-home-should-have/feed/ 20 Easy Window Flashing at the Corners https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/easy-window-flashing-at-the-corners/ https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/easy-window-flashing-at-the-corners/#view_comments Tue, 17 Sep 2024 16:36:52 +0000 https://www.energyvanguard.com/?p=9205 There’s a new type of flashing for window sills on the market now.  It’s the Rissan 430 grey corner from Siga, which is a piece of pre-formed flashing tape that fits perfectly into the corners of door and window rough…

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]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/easy-window-flashing-at-the-corners/feed/ 4 InSoFast Makes Basement Insulation Easy https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/insofast-makes-basement-insulation-easy/ https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/insofast-makes-basement-insulation-easy/#view_comments Tue, 10 Sep 2024 11:29:49 +0000 https://www.energyvanguard.com/?p=9198 If you’ve seen any of the articles or videos about my basement renovation, you probably know I’m using a product called InSoFast to insulate the floors and walls.  You can see it on part of the basement in the photo…

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]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/insofast-makes-basement-insulation-easy/feed/ 6 Ductless Mini-Splits Can Get Nasty Inside https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/ductless-mini-splits-can-get-nasty-inside/ https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/ductless-mini-splits-can-get-nasty-inside/#view_comments Tue, 03 Sep 2024 22:16:21 +0000 https://www.energyvanguard.com/?p=9184 Have you ever used a flashlight to look up into the part of a ductless mini-split where the air blows out?  I should have done that a lot sooner than I did.  It turns out these heat pumps can get…

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]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/ductless-mini-splits-can-get-nasty-inside/feed/ 26 A Fistful of New Building Science Videos https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/a-fistful-of-new-building-science-videos/ https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/a-fistful-of-new-building-science-videos/#view_comments Mon, 26 Aug 2024 20:00:40 +0000 https://www.energyvanguard.com/?p=9175 We’re doing some new things here at Energy Vanguard.  We’ve had a YouTube channel since 2010 but haven’t done much with it.  So one of the new things is working on putting out new videos every week.  Here are the…

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]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/a-fistful-of-new-building-science-videos/feed/ 1 Do You Really Need to Run the Bath Fan in Summer? https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/do-you-really-need-to-run-the-bath-fan-in-summer/ https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/do-you-really-need-to-run-the-bath-fan-in-summer/#view_comments Tue, 20 Aug 2024 16:39:18 +0000 https://www.energyvanguard.com/?p=9159 In the comments of my last article, RoyC made an interesting point.  “I don’t usually run my bathroom exhaust fan during a shower when it is hot and humid out,” he wrote.  I’m sure that statement shocks a lot of…

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]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/do-you-really-need-to-run-the-bath-fan-in-summer/feed/ 25 10 Ways to Reduce Your Indoor Humidity https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/10-ways-to-reduce-your-indoor-humidity/ https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/10-ways-to-reduce-your-indoor-humidity/#view_comments Tue, 30 Jul 2024 00:21:10 +0000 https://www.energyvanguard.com/?p=9137 With our changing climate, more people are having to deal with higher humidity for longer periods of time this summer.  I’d say this has been probably the worst summer for humidity since I moved to Georgia in the summer of…

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]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/10-ways-to-reduce-your-indoor-humidity/feed/ 22 A Burnt Grilled Cheese and the Collapse of Indoor Air Quality https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/a-burnt-grilled-cheese-and-the-collapse-of-indoor-air-quality/ https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/a-burnt-grilled-cheese-and-the-collapse-of-indoor-air-quality/#view_comments Tue, 16 Jul 2024 17:06:50 +0000 https://www.energyvanguard.com/?p=9122 I burned a grilled cheese sandwich recently.  I tried to bury the evidence by throwing it in the trash and forgetting about it, but my dear, sweet wife fished it out.  “You need to tell the world about this,” she…

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