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Show n 8 i f summer air-condition- By KEN SHEINKOPF The Orlando Sentinel Q. A representative of the lectric company surveyed ur ducts and advised us hat the joints to the regis-- brs should be sealed, ecause this is not usually one by the installer. We were told this would ave us money even though It would cost a couple of undred dollars for tne work. Also, I see ads all the lime for cleaning ducts. hould this be done regular- A. Lots of research is being lone on ductwork, and the esults aren't good. First, let's talk about air teaks. Although the general tightness" of ystems is being addressed in siew houses, there are still a lot f houses that have been built Jvith leaky duct systems. These eaks cause health concerns and vaste money. Though building codes equire that duct systems be in reality mbstantially leak-frehey are rarely tested. The joints it the distribution registers are ilways an area of concern, but anless visible disconnects or doles are found, a test needs to iye performed to see if they actu ally ing With the rising rate of asthma cases and increasing concern about the quality of indoor air in buildings, there is a growing effort to find solutions! In some cases, ductwork has been found to harbor contaminants that have the potential to affect health. If there are any indications that the ducts have become contaminated, duct cleaning can be beneficial. Other considerations include whether there are smokers in the home or pets that shed a lot of hair and dander. Is there any water contamination or damage to the home or heating, ventilation and system? Do any residents have allergies or asthma? If so, your ducts may need cleaning. But cleaning is not usually recommended as a regular practice, because ducts aren't designed for vigorous contact, and a poor cleaning job can damage the air pathways. My big concern is that cleaning the ducts can cause more problems if it is not done carefully and properly, so be sure you choose a reputable company with experience in this area. For more information about duct cleaning or choosing a company, contact the National Air Duct Cleaners Association by or telephone at (202) on the Internet at http:www.nadca.com 737-292- 6 are leaking. If your summer bills are unusually high, leaky ducts might be the culprit. Call a certified energy rater in your area and ask for an test on the ductwork in home. your As for duct cleaning, an indus try has grown in recent years to perform this work. ss Q. Our house is 19 years old, and I wonder if I need to insulate my attic We've had no problems, but the insulation we have now is the kind, and the attic steps have their own insula- fine-blo- ;. hub 1 Wrm Concto mad 2 BYU ban ' . . ff ' ' v tion. What should I do? A. The effectiveness of insulation is not influenced by age. insulaHowever, with blown-ition like you have, it is good to check to make sure it is still evenly distributed and has not been packed down too much by foot traffic over the years. Otherwise, it sounds like the insulation ought to be in pretty good shape. n Good to be used Q. What do you mean by passive solar energy? A. It refers to ways to take Horns 3 ipls S. ii i i ..-- advantage of the sun without using mechanical equipment like a solar collector or a solar cell. A home that uses passive solar energy often has big windows for light and winter heat and wide overhangs to block direct sun. There are many other strategies that can be built into a home to create ways to take for advantage of the sun example, good window orientation. This usually means placing few windows on the east and west walls where the direct sun hits and using big windows on the south side to allow light and heat into the home when you want it. Following strategies like these, you can get a lot of free heat in the winter. The sun's warmth wi". come in through the windows and be distributed through openings between rooms and stored for use at night. By putting in good passive products like a concrete slab floor, a brick interior partition wall or a concrete block exterior wall with insulation, you can ;cit,' like Texas is on a slab and the thermostat is set at 78 to 82 degrees, then the ground is cooler, and it will take heat away from the home. In winter, setting the thermostat at 65 to 70 degrees will draw in heat from the ground. Crawl spaces, on the other hand, lose heat to the cold outdoors in winter and don't give any type of hot weather benefit. You also can work with the thermal mass of a slab floor to keep a house comfortable by using basic passive solar strategies. In the summer, the slab will absorb heat, so nighttime ventilation will help remove the heat from the home. But in the winter, the passive solar heat collected during the day will help keep you comfortable at night. . home. Passive simply means that you don't have to turn on an air conditioner, heater or other product to cool or heat your home. The way the house is built, the Good ofe' IissuSstkHi Good insulation in your home will save energy while maintaining an even temperature materials used and the design all affect energy use and home comfort. throughout the house. It also provides a tighter envelope around your home and reduces noise and pollution. Concrete benefits Q. We've looked at a nice vacation home in Texas that might someday be our retirement house. It sits right on the slab. I always thought that putting a house in a hot climate on a raised foundation would make it more comfortable. Am I wrong about this? A. Research has found that Mzlis that change Replace your conventional home thermostat with a pro- grammable unit that can adjust its settings at different times of the day. You can have the unit adjust your heater or air conditioner to the settings you want, taking into account the time when you are at work and the house is empty, when you are away on weekends and what settings you like for sleeping. You can do all this manually, of course, but an automatic thermostat is always on the job and foundations will lower usually costs by as much as 10 percent. This can vary somewhat depending on the type of soil, the slab-on-gra- amount of rain or shade and other factors, but it is a good estimation to use. If a house in a hot climate C&B1 won't forget. 2Sl ! ' ; : I ' n gjBiHBB mpSKH fgSffiH i IF77 Building1P1 1 j i : ? h-."'-- in) 1 make the house features collect and store this heat before it is distributed through the house. There are a number of other things you can do when designing a home to build in passive strategies. Porches, for example, are excellent in this" regard. You probably think of a porch as a place to sit and relax, but consider its energy benefits as well. A porch on the east or west sides of a home will give you a shady haven during the heat of late summer afternoons and evenings. And in addition to giving you room to sit and relax, a porch helps block direct sun from reaching the walls of the &Ai ENERGY Q k ir j i r PR0VO- - v bills high, consider leaky ducts QUAUTY SERVICE Ljr prat ill!... s it 1 Pige-- 9- j, I PftOVQ-- .1 i. i Friday, April 9, 1999, THE DAIU HERALD. Home Magazine I i'T Prow Mww tptxm iaUMkviMn.iMyiMnai ( i m t m r:.T- -i iiimiwiritorr minu muttm. i jinn i rziinzjitCijBik&i wriMiiWWiiftitliWiirriiiflirt isi ' 1 1 - |