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I like to use this forum to present occasional topics about home energy. I hope that you find it useful. - Doug Smithman
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A FEW THOUGHTS ABOUT HOME ENERGY…. |
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It’s official! The Philadelphia area has had the most snow this winter of any season on record. Now that I’m done with shoveling the driveway and the sidewalks I can sit back and observe. Snow provides a wonderful opportunity to see things about how homes use and misuse energy. All you need to do is look at the melt patterns around the house.
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Ridge and soffit vents The first example is ridge and soffit vents. Roofers will use these to let the roof ‘breathe’ and keep moisture from building up inside the roof. Unfortunately, the enhance something called stack effect. The air pulls heat out of the house through the ceiling and rises inside the roof cavity as it heats, just like in a chimney stack. As this warm air flows out of the ridge vent it melts the nearby snow. Fiberglass insulation will slow this but not stop it because the air flows AROUND the insulation and is usually right next to the sheet rock where it chills the surface and pulls out the heat. The 2 ‘dents’ are not skylights. They are places where the ceiling insulation is altogether missing. |
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Leaking duct work This house has a gas-fired furnace in the attic to provide heat to some areas. Can you tell where the furnace is? Heat from the furnace itself and from the leaking ductwork is warming the entire attic. The insulation is in the ceiling so there is no insulation in the roof. All of this heat is escaping the house and doing nothing to help warm the occupants. The small section where no snow is melted next to the furnace attic is closed off from the rest of the attic. You can also see ridge vents on this house. |
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A very common thing for energy auditors to look for in snowy conditions is ice damming. This is when ice builds up in the gutters and forces roof run off into places other than the gutter. The icicles are beautiful but they are also telling you to look out for water in the walls. Ice dams often occur when warm air rises I wall cavities and melts snow just above the eaves while on its’ way to the ridge vent or other exit. The melted water then freezes when it hit the cold eave and blocks the water.
Take the time to look over your roof and think about any strange patterns that you see. It may tell you a lot about your house.
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Phone: 215-793-9783 Fax: 215-793-9784 E-mail: dougsmithman@gmail.com |
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Old Chinese proverb: No single raindrop considers itself responsible for the flood. |
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Green living begins at home
215-793-9783
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