Indoor Air Quality Posts

Solving Drafts (and other common problems) with Duct Repairs

July 31st, 2015

Leaky ducts cause drafts, dusty homes and higher utility bills! There are a number of reasons that you might feel drafts or inconsistent temperatures throughout your home. However, there is one culprit that is more common than all others: leaky ducts. When your ducts are leaking into the walls, crawlspace, attic or floors, some of […]

AeroSeal, Allergies, Asthma, Balance, Efficiency, Home Performance, Indoor Air Quality, Respiratory Issues, Safety, Sick House, Understanding Duct Issues

Is Your Home A/C Ready?

May 27th, 2015

Wes Diskin performing a Home Performance Assessment The first step in purchasing an Air Conditioner Before you buy an Air Conditioning Unit, you’ll want to be sure the cool air you’re paying for is not being lost through faulty ducts, home air leakage, and poor insulation. There is a lot a green air conditioning contractor can do to get your home […]

A/C, Air conditioning, Cascade Natural Gas, diagnostics, Ductless Heat Pump, Energy Efficiency, Healthy Home, Home Performance, Indoor Air Quality, Natural Gas

Low-Level CO Monitors Keep Your Family Safe and Healthy

May 4th, 2015

It just makes sense to discuss the major dangers of Carbon Monoxide with your HVAC company. Any malfunctioning combustion appliance, such as a furnace, water heater, room heater, or fireplace can be the culprit (along with generators, motor vehicles, and anything else exhausting post-combustion byproducts). Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a deadly, colorless, odorless, poisonous gas. It is produced […]

Carbon Monoxide, CO Alarm, Healthy Home, Home Performance, Indoor Air Quality, Natural Gas, Propane, Safety

Home Performance Financing 101

February 6th, 2015

Is all this talk about Energy Upgrades and Home Performance getting you down because you’d love to make improvements to your home, but lack the finances to make it happen? Believe it or not, we were in the same boat (even though we both work in the industry). We were aware of the enormous benefits of […]

Clean Home, CNG, Energy Efficiency, Energy Savings, Financing, Green Living, Health, Healthy Home, Home Improvement, Home Performance, Incentives, Indoor Air Quality, PSE Rebate, rebates, Sick House, Weatherization

Annual Furnace Service (Part I of our Annual Maintenance Series!)

December 31st, 2014

Most of us are pinching pennies after the holidays. This means that home maintenance services that aren’t absolutely necessary often get pushed to the back burner. I’ve heard many folks (myself included!) wonder things like “Is annual maintenance really necessary for my furnace,” or “couldn’t I do that myself and save some money?” These are great questions! Let’s demystify annual HVAC […]

Allergies, Annual Maintenance, Clean Home, Comfort, DIY, Dust, Energy Efficiency, Energy Savings, Furnaces, Health, Home Performance, Indoor Air Quality

Dateline Report- Duct Cleaning Scams Revealed!

October 8th, 2014

Our team at MHPE encourages all folks interested in duct cleaning to watch these videos before hiring a contractor. These scammers are the worst kind of morons you could meet. Similar schemes have been found nationwide being used by dozens of seemingly reputable businesses. Chris Hanson Files – Air Duct Cleaning Scams Part 1 Chris […]

Air Duct Cleaning, Duct Cleaning, Duct Problems, Dust, Indoor Air Quality

BPI CEO: Kids Suffering in Our Unhealthy Homes

July 1st, 2014

Our Homes Suck – And That’s Why Our Kids Have Sinus Problems By: Larry Zucker (CEO of the Building Performance Institute) We all know about how stack effect works in homes, but during presentations, I’m always surprised by how many hands are raised in response to the question: “How many of you think you can […]

Air Changes, Air Sealing, Blower Door Testing, CHEE, Filtration, Healthy Homes, Home Performance, IAQ, Indoor Air Quality, Mold

Home Performance: More Than an Energy Audit

May 26th, 2014

Forward thinkers understand Energy Auditing. An energy auditor looks at your energy useage, your house and prescribes behaviors and equipment that will help bring down your total energy consumption. What most people are confused on is what makes Home Performance different. A recent video by Corbett Lunsford of the Chicago Green Dream Group spells it […]

Energy Efficiency, Energy Savings, heat flow, Home Performance, Home Testing, IAQ, Indoor Air Quality, moisture, negative pressure

The Importance of Air Sealing Attic Penetrations

April 30th, 2014

Can light sealing by CAZ Energy Services. Photo: Hunter Hassig Many times when homeowners are looking at home improvement solutions for cold spots or high energy bills they think insulation. While insulating your attic and crawl space sub-floor up to code standards is very important for whole home comfort and energy efficiency it is insufficient […]

Comfort, Energy Efficiency, Energy Savings, Home Performance, IAQ, Indoor Air Quality, Understanding Energy Efficiency