80 Million Homes, Who Can Help?

Good program James. It is important to educate the homeowner.

James,

I can help, help chase you down so you quit bashing me.

Nutsy

The only one who can, the howe owner.

First find the POB.  Very good advice I received long ago and I still feel it holds true in every situation.  Identify the condition of the systems of the home to see if it is balanced before investing time and money in a specialty service.  How many times do we have to see where a house was designed for make-up combustion air to be supplied by infiltration.  The infiltration path gets clogged or altered in the name of "green" or energy efficiency and then they wonder why there is backdrafting, excessive moisture, health problems, and several other issues in the house.

A healthy home is a balanced home.  I glanced through the reports and I did not see where they address the air exchange requirements for a healthy building.  

From a common person view point.  As adults we tell children not to put plastic bags over their head.  Make sure the building envelope of your house does not become the plastic bag. 

As James points out, finding the right energy professional is important.  Make sure you have one that is concerned about a balanced house for your safety and not just trying to sell some home improvement gadgets.

Hi James.  It sounds like you know what needs to be done.  However, I hear about more CO detectors going off this heating season than any other previous heating season.  Over simplified?   My comments were not intended to be read as simple.  The analogy is simple.  The balance between energy efficiency and air exchange is not something to be taken as simple.

It sounds like you may be well aware of all the systems that need to work to have a comfortable and healthy energy efficient home.  Do those reports you mention account for air exchange?   I didn't see it, yet I only glanced through them.  I feel it is important to have an energy professional that is aware of the air exchange needs in the home.  Even a house with electric heat has air exchange requirements.

I'm pretty sure you know what you are talking about with a direct vent system.  Yet many people may get the impression that direct vent is the same as sealed combustion.   The sealed combustion not only has a power assisted device to push the exhaust gas to the exterior, it also uses a power assist to aquire its make-up air from the exterior.  A direct vent system is only required to have the power assist for the exhaust gas, the appliance may still aquire its make-up air from the interior.  Depending upon the design and operation of the home, there may be competition between occupant air and make-up combustion air.

Infiltration air passages appear to be targets for energy efficiency.  The home owner needs to understand the pros and cons of any and all home improvement projects.   As always its consumer beware.  Energy professionals may or may not be well versed in building air exchange and air quality.  Be sure your energy professional either has this knowledge and experience or requires that you engage an air quality professional before you make changes to your home.

You should really stop changing my words in your response.  Based upon what I see in your writings, I will wait to hear or read directly from other CT Inspectors before I believe they automatically agree with you.

As I wrote earlier, I believe that you probably have the knowlegdge and experience for the topics you write about, I just disagree with the manner in which you write about them.

Should I take your "wrong" comment as a challenge?  What you wrote about my brief differences between direct vent and sealed combustion is not even close to what I wrote.  You better be sure you know the difference between air exchange requirements in a building and indoor air quality.  They are not the same thing. 

I also like how you avoid the question on infiltration air.  Or maybe you did answer it, yet I can't find it due to our differences in writing style.

"CO detectors may go off for any number of reasons" - Should I read this literally?  How about this... CO detectors only go off when the CO detection threshold has been triggered.   Like I wrote earlier, I believe I know what you are trying to write about.  I just disagree with the way you write it.

An outside observer.... now that is funny!!!   Let me know when you need help with the errors & omissions in your home inspection reports.

Best home inspector comment of 2009 ... "CO detectors may go off for any number of reasons"

CO detectors only go off when the CO detection threshold has been triggered.  

Ideally that is true however, I know because I had to take two of them back to the store, I had two in a row, the second replaced the first, that were brand new that would go off for no reason always at the most inconvenient times. These were at my daughter's house and I was alarmedwhen the first one went off. I have a sophisticated CO meter, not one of these dummy light style wall warts -- and the house is clean. HVAC pro found the same a week later when he serviced the furnace. I switched to another brand even though the first two were a major brand. When you get into consumer electronics that is cheap, there can be any number of glitches. They are made to affordably do a job and they are a great safety device but it is better for them to err on the side of safety and sometimes they do that. A false alarm is better than for the unit to go quiet when a CO crisis is brewing.

James.  Something must be wrong with your cut and paste.  The words that I wrote, do not appear exactly in your comment.   You have no idea of what I do, and you should only write about things you know.  Knowing only 1 attribute does not mean you know all attributes.  Do you believe I can't play an instrument, ski, or ride a bike, since you don't see it on my active rain profile?  Why would you assume I don't inspect houses or any building ?

You maybe right about me not being able to help you.  I am always up for a challenge, yet if you believe after eight years of inspecting that CO detectors go off for any number of reasons, then you may be too far gone for me to help.

If you read what I wrote, I may be able to help you from omitting a required inspection item in your report.  I may be able to help you from inserting an error in your report.   This has nothing to do with insurance.

The energy audit is not part of CT regulations, you can sell whatever you want. 

I had anticipated the discussion to focus around the energy audit and the effects of the recommendations.  Sealing air gaps has an effect on infiltration air.  Infiltration air is part of the building design.  Infiltration air may or may not be part of the intended make-up combustion air.  Infiltration air may or may not be part of the intended air exchange.   Sealing air gaps has an effect on the building pressure plane.  

Why don't you write about the items or attributes of an energy audit you feel are pertinent?  Certainly I am less interesting than an energy audit.

Just as a note, due to the extreme cold this year, I have heard of many more situations than is usual where parties, often immigrants who know no better, are doing desperate things like heating homes with a hibachi. That can make a properly functioning CO alarm go ballistic. That factor may have quite a bit to do with any reports of excess activity by CO alarms. During cold spells here, all media reports are warning people against doing dumb things in desperation. It is rampant in some low-income circles. They do not understand the physics and do not want to freeze the family either.

James,

Carson Dunlop, at their main page, has an article on the reliability, or lack of, consumer CO detectors. I do not know just how current it is, but it is still at their main page and they are a leader in the inspection field. link here

James. Once again you defer from your blog to view my website, and still you believe this website is my only activity in life.  I really don't believe I am more interesting than an energy audit, yet it appears you do.  Surely your potential clients won't find me as interesting as an energy audit.

Thank you for the headline attention.