HVAC and Insulation From a Working Tech
Last July, I got a call from a homeowner in Saint George, Utah — a guy named Mark who was convinced his HVAC system was undersized. His second-floor bedrooms were hitting 82°F even with the AC running full tilt. He’d already replaced his thermostat, added a return air duct, and was ready to spend $6,000 … Read more
Last August, I got a call from a homeowner in a four-bedroom colonial — two stories, built in 2004, single HVAC system serving the whole house. She’d already had two other contractors out that summer. Her complaint was the same one I hear constantly: upstairs is an oven, downstairs is a freezer, and my thermostat … Read more
Last October, I got a call from a homeowner in a panic. Her furnace had stopped working the night before, temperatures were dropping into the 30s, and she’d already paid a local HVAC company $189 for a “tune-up” just six weeks earlier. When I got there, I pulled the furnace panel and found a flame … Read more
If you’re trying to figure out vapor barrier insulation when to use it and when to leave it out, you’re asking exactly the right question — and the fact that you’re asking it probably means you’ve already heard conflicting advice. You’re not alone. This is one of the most misunderstood topics in all of home … Read more
Last summer, I got a call from a homeowner in Gilbert, Arizona — let’s call him Ray — who was furious. He’d just paid a contractor $1,200 to install a radiant barrier in his attic, and his July electric bill was nearly identical to the year before. “The guy told me I’d cut my cooling … Read more
Last month, I got a call from a homeowner in Edina who was frustrated. His electric bill had climbed 18% in the winter, his bedroom upstairs never got warm anymore, and his HVAC system was running constantly. When I arrived to diagnose the problem, I found exactly what I suspected: a brand-new MERV 13 filter … Read more