5 Tons Is Never the Right Answer
We do a lot of HVAC design (third party, all over the US) at Energy Vanguard. I've also written a lot about it here in this blog and in my book. And if you've been reading any of those pieces,…
heat pump
A Year of Home Electricity Monitoring Data
A little over a year ago, I wrote about the Emporia Vue home electricity monitoring system I installed at my house. I've posted data on LinkedIn and in some other articles since then. Now, though, I've got a whole year's…
3 Types of Heat Pumps and Air Conditioners
One way of categorizing heat pumps and air conditioners is by how much heating and cooling they can provide. By how much, I’m not referring to, say, a 2-ton versus a 3-ton air conditioner. What I’m talking about is whether…
5 Tips for Sizing an Air Conditioner
So you're getting a new air conditioner! Well, what size should you get? Unfortunately, too many contractors use only one input for sizing an air conditioner. Yup. To them, it's just a matter of floor area. Forget the windows, the…
Can a Water Heater Last More Than 15 Years?
We've been trained to believe something that's just not true. Go out and ask a hundred people how long a water heater can last, and the majority probably will say it's in the range of 10 to 15 years. Where…
![Nine Individual One-to-one Mini-split Heat Pump Outdoor Units [Photo Courtesy Of Jonah Richard]](jpg/mini-split-heat-pump-outdoor-unit-one-to-one-1000.jpg)
6 Reasons to Do Single-Head Mini-Split Heat Pumps
When it comes to mini-split heat pumps, you get to play by different rules. With a traditional split system heat pump (or air conditioner), there's one outdoor unit and one indoor unit. But with mini-splits, you have the option of…
Will a Heat Pump Work in an Old House?
The question of heat pumps in old houses is coming up a lot lately. With the great electrification upon us, heat pumps are quickly becoming the number one choice for space heating. In fact, data from the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and…
![Preparing An Old House For Electrification [Photo By Scottbb, Flickr.com, CC License]](jpg/electrical-panel-neat-wiring-electrification-old-house-cropped.jpg)
Preparing an Old House for Electrification, Part 1
With the Inflation Reduction Act providing lots of incentives to improve your home and go all-electric, let's look at how you can prepare for the conversion. As with any home improvement job, it's best to do your homework. In this…
My Undersized Heat Pump in an Arctic Blast
Are you afraid of heat pumps? Some people are, and it's usually related to experiences or stories of uncomfortably cold homes. I won't deny that there have been some horror stories about people suffering in brutally low indoor temperatures during…
The Top 10 Articles in the Energy Vanguard Blog in 2022
It's been a good year in the Energy Vanguard Blog. Counting this one, I've published 46 articles during the year. Of the previous 45 articles, I think the following might be ten most important ones. This is just my own…