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Window Film
Improve energy efficiency, reduce solar gain, and block ultraviolet radiation
The increasing usage of glass in today's homes is unmistakable. Besides the benefits, some of the side effects are glare, rapid fading of carpets, furniture and draperies, heat build up and higher energy costs. Manufacturers offer window films that improve energy efficiency, reduce solar gain and block ultraviolet radiation. The films allow a variety of applications, finishes and coatings for all types of glass.
The films are manufactured using a sputtering process, which applies metal alloys to the base film. The finished product is a laminate of polyester and metalized coatings bound by adhesives. Most of the sun's heat is transmitted in form of invisible infrared and ultraviolet radiation. The films are able to isolate and reject heat in these energy bands, while allowing visible light to pass through. The visual effect is soft-glare-corrected and color neutral. By applying the micro-thin film to the inside of glass windows and doors, the product can cut from 9 to 93 percent of the incoming light, eliminate up to 99 percent of harmful ultraviolet radiation to protect fabrics and finishes, and cut up to 76 percent of solar heat gain through the glass.
Installation
A scratch resistant film made by Courtaulds allows installation on both new and retrofit projects. The company claims that while not disrupting normal inside activities (work space: minimum of 3' in front of the windows) the film is applied within minutes with the aid of a surfactant, which activates the Clear Distortion Free adhesive system and then trimmed to size. Maintenance is recommended with mild cleaning solutions whereas ammonia-based cleaners should be avoided.
Benefits/Costs
Compared to conventional indoor solar protection and controlling devices such as shutters, shades or draperies the window films not only maintain the unobstructed window but are an effective and economical method of conserving glass energy loss and increase indoor comfort. Double and triple pane windows can also help reduce energy loss but may not be as effective, despite their higher cost.
Central Air Purification/Ventilation/ Dehumidification Systems
Strategy to promote occupant comfort and good IAQ
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its Science Advisory Board report that indoor air pollution is among the top five environmental risks to public health. EPA studies show that levels of some indoor air pollutants can reach more than 100 times that of outdoor air pollutants. Indoor air pollutants such as dust mites, bacteria, and pollen come from almost everything in our homes including cleaning supplies, smoke, dust, molds, paint, carpets, drapes, upholstery, furnaces, gas burners, wood, and other building materials. Central air purification systems reduce the amounts of these particulates in indoor air.
Several companies now manufacture dehumidifying ventilators that provide fresh air induction that is filtered and dehumidified for residential applications. Typically, the equipment operates to provide fresh (outdoor) air when ventilation is needed through ductwork where it is mixed with indoor air drawn from the house and filtered prior to being delivered to the supply plenum of the central heating and cooling system. When only filtration is desired, dampers can be set to seal off the fresh air duct and some units simply re-circulate and filter indoor air. When dehumidification is needed, units can be set to operate at different humidity levels, treating either outdoor or indoor air, or both.
Dehumidification requires the use of energy, so, dependent on climate, it is sometimes more cost-effective to let the home’s central cooling system handle dehumidification during periods when both outdoor temperature and humidity are high. Dehumidification by ventilation and purification system is most useful when outdoor humidity is high, but temperatures are low enough to preclude cooling.
The dehumidification capability is unique to these systems. Other systems such as energy recovery ventilators transfer moisture between incoming and outgoing airstreams, but do not have a controlled dehumidification function.
Installation
It is recommended that an HVAC contractor or builder install the unit next to the air handler or in the attic. It can be installed on new or existing equipment.
Benefits/Costs
Ventilation systems can help to improve indoor air quality by diluting indoor air pollutants. The Therma-Stor system offers the benefits of tempering, de-humidifying, and filtering the outdoor air before it is delivered to the living space. The de-humidification capability is most advantageous in climates where there are frequent periods of high outdoor humidity, but not necessarily concurrent high temperature.
Solar-Powered Attic Fan
Ventilating is a breeze with solar-powered fans
Many manufacturers now offer solar powered attic fans to ventilate attics and help keep attics cooler. Solar powered fans rely on a small (typically 10- or 20-watt) solar panel to power a DC motor when the sun is shining. The fans, which exhaust air at a rate of 800 to 1200 cfm, are installed with intake vents (such as soffit and gable vents) to provide high-capacity powered ventilation without electric operating costs. Most vents are mounted high on the roof, near the ridge, and combined with soffit or gable vents for balanced intake and exhaust air streams. Solar powered gable ventilators are also available.
Installation
Units typically come fully assembled and are self-flashing. Installation is straightforward and most manufacturers offer clear installation instructions, often with diagrams and pictures. Powered attic vents are designed to be used in conjunction with sufficient intake air vents, such as soffit or gable vents. Units can typically be supplied and installed by a roofing trade contractor.
Benefits/Costs
Compared to powered vent fans, there is no need for electrical wiring, and a solar ventilator uses no electricity (hence avoiding operating cost). Although equipment costs are greater for solar powered attic fans than conventional powered fans (about $200 more), the cost to bring electrical wiring to the attic to supply a conventional ventilator closes the gap on installed cost.
Ventilation is only provided when there is ample sunshine to power the fan motor. The highest solar insolation (and, hence, fan speed) typically coincides with the time of greatest need for attic ventilation.
If there is inadequate attic intake air and poor sealing between the conditioned space of the home and the attic, powered attic fans can potentially draw air from the house into the attic. Not only can this compromise energy efficiency, it can increase the risk of attic moisture problems as well as increase the risk of drawing the byproducts of combustion into the house (a process called backdrafting).
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NOISE REDUCTION
Furnace, ductwork, and the other elements of the heating and cooling system sometimes make many different kinds of noises. If you ask your Builder or a Heating Contractor for help to eliminate them in most cases, the answer will be that it is very natural noises and you must live with them to the rest of your life. It is not true! Do not trust them! Their goal is to sell a house and after a year forget about your even existence!
If you are correctly spotted the source of the noise most of the noises you can eliminate by yourself.
For some noises you can find help online, but for some of them not. Visit “Noise Reduction Search Results” page where you can see what kind of “help” you can find online!
I have great experience in resolving the following maintenance issues related to the elimination of the different kinds of noises such as:
- Ticking noise
- Pinging noise
- Banging or Oil Canninig noise
The problem with the ticking noise exists almost in every house where the furnace and ductwork installed in the basement or ductwork is reaching out from the attic to the first floor. Most of the people do not pay too much attention to this kind of noise because during the daytime there are many other noises in a house. Such as: people watching TV or listening radio, children running and screaming and so on. However, at night, everyone goes upstairs to sleep and they could be bothered by the ticking noise only if it is coming from the floor registers.
However, a real problem can occur if you are living in a ranch house or finishing your basement off. Then, you are going to be exposed to this issue for entire 100%!
I am working in the field of ductwork installation already for 27+ years. After a year of resolving ticking noise problems, I have discovered a very simple way of the complete ticking noise elimination!
This method works very well not only for the ductwork, but also for the plastic and copper pipes! I have tested it already many times and when, actually, any of you who will pay for that solution and will find out what should be done will understand right away that this method is working!
During three last heating seasons, many visitors of my website already used my method and so far, I did not get any bad feedbacks.
This heating season I see a huge increase in searches for this and other types of noises! About 60% of the visitors to my website have these problems in their houses! So, do not hesitate! I have a page where I have combined all possible cases of the ticking noise elimination, and you can find a solution to your issue there immediately. (See the "Instant Acess" page below).
Pinging noise is not such a mysterious one as a ticking noise, and almost every heating contractor knows how to deal with it. However, if you live in older house it's just ridiculous to hire a heating contractor to eliminate this noise when almost any of you can fix it by yourself.
Banging or Oil-caning noise is also very easy to eliminate, but what is more important it has to find why your ductwork is making noise like that in the first place! (See the "Instant Acess" page below).
Often people having problem with the whistling noise coming from their cold air return registers. This kind of noise also any of you are able to eliminate by yourself.
Ask you questions about Pinging and Whistling noises for the very low price of only $1.34 on the Question Page. Please use Buy Now button below.
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Ticking Noise Elimination Page
It has been more then seven years since I have discovered the way how to fight the ticking noise issue including four years since I have started helping people on the web. So now, it was time when I put all my experience together on the one webpage. On this page you can find the following:
- How to find a source of the ticking noise in your basement, wall, B-vent pipes chase or in the attic and how to quiet it down once and for all
- How to cut the drywall if the source of the noise is behind it and how to fix drywall when it is done
- What to do if the ticking noise is coming from the wall and how to eliminate it without cutting the drywall
- What to do if your ductwork is making ticking noise in the attic
- How to eliminate the ticking noise if it is coming from the PVC or copper pipes inside, and PVC concentric outside of your house
If after you have read the page and you are still having a question or your case is not present on the page, you can type your question in the Feedback module on the page and send it to me free of charge.
Price for the instant access to the page is only $8.50! Just use the “Buy Now” button below.
Recently I’ve noticed that people stop purchase “Ticking Noise Elimination” page.
This of course is a seasonal decline in sales and in the fall sales will resume again. It is happened last year and year before and before that.
However, if some of you can wait for another six months I can’t. I’m running this website as a small business and I have to sell my products regardless if outside flowers in bloom or falling snow!
It is why starting today, April 9, 2010 and though October 1 this page is going to be for sale! Starting today you can purchase this page just for $5.00!
However, why should you do it now when the noise is gone and why you cannot wait until the ticking (pinging, clicking) noise comes back? Of course you can wait and most of you will do just that, but:
- If you’re planning to finish your basement off – you cannot wait
- If you’re unemployed and have a lot of time on your hands – you cannot wait
- If you‘re doing a new construction ductwork installation – you cannot wait
- If you want to save some money – you shouldn’t wait
However, you may have a question: how will I know if I fixed all sources of this terrible noise or not?
This one is actually an easy question, which should not stop you from buying “Ticking Noise Elimination” page, because on this page you can learn not only how to fix the noise, but what is more important how to find its sources!
However, time is passing by and I again have noticed that some people still looking for the ticking noise elimination solution! So, here is my advice to them, do not afraid to purchase this page! Take advantage of the lower price. The reason why you are experiencing this inconvenience is still the same and I can help you to resolve this issue once and for all! (06/05/10).
Instant Access:
After you have purchased a paid page; PayPal is going to bring you back to my website. In order to see the paid page you have to click on the “Register” button, fill out the form, choose your own Username and Password and click on the “Register” button at the bottom of the form – congratulation, you are on the page you are paid for!
Important: After you have purchased any Paid page or Download page and PayPal brought you back to my website, the first thing that you should do is to save that page in your Favorites. Then if something went wrong you always can come back to reregister yourself on my website again.
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Banging or Oil Canning Noise Elimination Page
This page is dedicated to the banging noise elimination issues. On this page, you can find the following:
- How to find a source of the banging noise in your basement and how to quiet it down once and for all
- What to do if your ductwork was wrongly designed or installed and this is a part of the banging noise issues
Price for the instant access to the page is only $4.50! Just use the “Buy Now” button below.
Instant Access:
After you have purchased a paid page, PayPal is going to bring you back to my website. In order to see the paid page you have to click on the “Register” button, fill out the form, choose your own "Username" and "Password", and click on the “Register” button at the bottom of the form – congratulation, you are on the page you are paid for!
Important: After you have purchased any Paid page or Download page and PayPal brought you back to my website, the first thing that you should do is to save that page in your Favorites. Then if something went wrong you always can come back to reregister yourself on my website again.
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Purchase an instant access to the Ticking Noise Elimination and Banging or Oil Canning Noise Elimination pages and save!
Price for the instant access to the pages is only $10.62! Just use the “Buy Now” button below. |
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