391–400 of 494 posts
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Approximately 70% of the heat loss from your body is as radiated heat. Ceiling insulation is critical for thermal comfort. Have a look at the Efficiency Matrix YouTube channel videos on insulation consistency.
The average temperature sure. But would uneven spots have that much effect on the thermal radiation I get sitting over a meter away?
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I paid real money to have my ducts removed. They cause issues installing comprehensive insulation and caused hot/cold spots on the ceiling.
Honest question: Why would one care about cold or hot spots on the ceiling? I don't spend much time up there.
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If you live in any kind of area with high humidity you just shifted the mold from the AC unit to the rest of your house. Hell even here in the desert I'm not sure I'd want to use that "feature".
It only becomes mold by sitting and growing. If the A/C dries it after use, it doesn't have any time to grow. Yes, over time - any amount of moisture will produce some mold. But it will be negligible.
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I don't know; is it more energy inefficient than having a fresh air intake via a duct? Maybe they are comparable in the absence of a heat recovery ventilation system (mentioned by a sibling comment upthread)?
You don't necessarily need to take in fresh air to freshen air in certain ways. It might suffice to pass it though a good filter.
> owners of drafty homes may need to take on the added cost of insulation when installing a heat pump Installing good insulation is also really important even if you're not using heat pumps! With bad insulation, you're wasting energy no matter what technology you're using.
It’s not always possible. For instance old wood double hung sash windows require a weight box to work. Those boxes can’t really be insulated. And there’s a good chance you don’t want to replace the old windows (or possibly can’t due to historic restrictions) because they are a massive part of the homes character. Also insulating an old home (pre-WW2) could begin to introduce moisture issues in the walls that weren’t…
In Denmark, this was solved by adding a second, modern window on the inside. The outside kept the same look, and it is even more insulating than a single modern window. Is it a bit clunky to have to open two windows ? Sure. But it is better than not having insulated windows, or ruining the appearance of cities.
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Not being snarky but why don't you just open the window for that? I have a CO2 detector that I believe is a reasonable proxy for stale air. When it goes above 1000 I simply open the windows. By the time I remember to close the windows the reading is almost always below 500.
On the west coasts of Canada (BC) we've had insane forest fires the past few years and you 100% want to filter the internal air when it's extremely unhealthy outside. We're talking air quality index in the 300+ range or off the charts at times [1]. Plus, we've had these heat domes were it's in the high 30+ and just gross inside, where you really want to open the windows, but you're letting in tons of pollution. Basic…
That seemed like the easiest thing to do without making much more complicated system. Basically risk 1hour of bad air for 23h of "clean" air.
> owners of drafty homes may need to take on the added cost of insulation when installing a heat pump Installing good insulation is also really important even if you're not using heat pumps! With bad insulation, you're wasting energy no matter what technology you're using.
If you live in a warm climate, I personally think insulation is the worst (excepting roofing). Not because of efficiency, but because you isolate yourself from nature! The traditional Queenslander (look up Bluey if you don’t know what I mean), has so much going for it. It allows airflow through the whole house, a protected outside to sit and be with nature, lizards coming and going, bliss! This hermetically sealed en…
Some might say it's the defining feature and purpose of having shelter is that we don't live at the mercy of the weather.
I can't run a business with indoor temps from 24-31c during business hours. Compounding loss of brain function outside of 18-23c is found by every study I've read.
The less exposure to particulate pollution and extreme temperature, the healthier you are, I can't see any arguments otherwise.
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In Europe, outside of the south, mosquitoes are pretty tame. After spending some years in Italy I developed a partial immunity to mosquito bites. It lasted for about half a year.
> In Europe, outside of the south, mosquitoes are pretty tame. Use to be... native species were mostly a problem during summer and during night time. But since about 15 years ago you had a massive spread of invasive Asian Tiger mosquitos (Aedes albopictus) genomic studies show it was likely introduced via Italy and Albania simultaneously. Those things are nasty, go 24/7, and are just a very different beast in terms o…
They employ an amazing tactic by sometimes walking up to their target.
You can hear mosquitoes flying, but their footsteps are obviously inaudible.
In a house I own in Melbourne, Australia, I just replaced an old gas central heating system with 3 new top of the line Daikin mini split heat pumps. The new units can heat the entire house for the same amount of electrical energy that was used to run the FAN in the old gas unit. They are crazy efficient. Ducts are dead. The Daikin Alira X is the gold-plated option and cost $8k AUD for 2x2.5kw and 1x7.1kw units includ…
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It only becomes mold by sitting and growing. If the A/C dries it after use, it doesn't have any time to grow. Yes, over time - any amount of moisture will produce some mold. But it will be negligible.
Where does mold even get the energy to grow, it really seems to spring up from nothing but water.