The humidifier on my furnace leaked everywhere and did considerable damage. It has always been one thing or another with this unit. Who makes a humidifier that works?!

Dear Dried out Dude,

I don’t need to tell you that humidifiers can be troublesome, but hopefully the advantages of having the proper level of humidity in the home outweigh the misery required to maintain one.  The Achilles heel is the basic fact that water must evaporate to enter the air stream. Since most water has any number of minerals in solution, as soon as evaporation occurs, these stick to key components in the unit.  It doesn’t take too long before the performance of the unit is compromised and maintenance or repair is required.  Obviously providing better water to the unit would solve many of these problems. Unfortunately, most folks don’t invest in a water filtration and purification system because it is often more expensive than the humidifier itself.  For those with a water softener who have invested in better water quality, the introduction of salt (which many softeners use) is counterproductive and will make matters worse. A poly phosphate in-filter should be added to reduce mineral deposits in this instance. Reverse osmosis filter systems are really the best for most humidifiers and ice machines of all types.

As for the humidifier itself, this is also a sizable investment and I suggest doing your homework. The actual GPD (gallons per day) varies with the design of the unit. There are charts and programs available to properly size humidifiers. There are also homes and businesses with special requirements such as log homes and business with a large amount of computers and electronics. Maintaining a consistant 35% relative humidity is better for the homes structure, wood floors, furniture and certainly the people that live in the home. Reducing static electrical charge will benefit all electronic gear that we are surrounded by in our homes and offices.

When choosing a humidifier, the style and the amount of money you dish out will ultimately determine how well the system will perform. If your health is on the line, or very expensive furniture is in jeopardy then you want a steam humidifier. These models outperform any other design but come with a higher price for initial purchase, maintenance, and electrical use. They will maintain a perfect level of humidity no matter the outside conditions. If it would be nice to have a bit more humidity in the home then a bypass style or power humidifier will probably get the job done. These units evaporate water by using the outlet air temperature of the heater. With a gas furnace that’s not too bad, but a heat pump this limits the evaporation rate and thus performance. If you have questions on the proper application of these products give us a call. As always good advice and estimates are free at AirWorks.

With the real estate market very much on the skids our plans to sell our home and move to a larger one are indefinitely on hold. Our home from the 50’s is a gas guzzler and uncomfortable to boot. Money is tight so where to start?

Dear Baby Boomer Bob,

That reminds me of a song from the 60’s “Love the One Your With”. We may not have the perfect home, in the perfect neighborhood, but it is a roof over your head and certainly where we call home. Without the possibility of moving out of a problem property it may be time to meet the challenges head on. I see many modifications to homes over the years that are made with short sighted mindset. A lack of consideration for long term sustainability creates inefficiency and reliability issues with heating and indoor air quality. As far as the structure itself, modifications over the years, especially those done in an attempt to make the house more “in vogue” with the times sometimes creates an interesting mix of old and new.

If you are considering some level of remodel, get back to basics with a keen eye on improving efficiency. Lowering your monthly utility bills will go a long way towards paying for some other more “attractive” improvements. Hopefully your furnace isn’t from the 50’s (many are!) like your home. The heating of most homes is approximately 57% of your utility budget.

“You can put all the curly bulbs in you want, but if you really want to make a dent, look at your heating system.”

With all the amazing technological advances, 95% efficiency, and tax incentives in the thousands, there has never been a better time. The federal incentives are over at the end of December so don’t think for too long. By squeezing as few more years out of the beast in the basement it’s not saving you money, it’s costing!

Whatever you use to keep your home warm, it would be nice to use less of it. I harp on reducing heat losses by detailing the shell of the building. This is labor intensive but well worth it. Caulking, spray foams, rigid board insulation, and elbow grease combine to create a more efficienct shell. I do blower door testing to determine the amount of leaks and where there are. Before and after tests will make sure you did your job. With most small and large remodels, windows are always a part of it. It is amazing what a few new windows, an energy efficienct storm door and a coat of paint will do for the curb appeal of a home. Looks great and saves money! I must forewarn you though that many windows in homes I have tested leak like a sieve. Not the window mind you but all the way around. Proper installation is critical. And a home your age will need to be tested for lead based paint so it is a good idea to work with contractors that are registered EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firms such as mine.

The short answer to your question of “where to start” is to do some research, establish a budget, and keep it realistic. There is a website that I use, Energy and Environmental Building Association (www.eeba.org). It is the library for efficient thinkers. One book in particular is “Builders Guide to Cold Climates”. Remodels, new construction and just tons of great general building information are shown with great detail and explanation. Have fun saving energy! I you have questions give me a call at AirWorks @ 257-1341.

The gas water heater in my crawl space has been nothing but trouble. I have had to relight the pilot many times, had a plumber replace the thermocouple, and eventually replaced the entire water heater. The pilot problems immediately returned with the new water heater! Any suggestions?

Dear Sir,

First of all, the crawl space is a terrible place to install a water heater for any number of reasons. In fact, Montana code no longer allows this application because there are too many issues to contend with, one of them being combustion air. This may be where your problem stems from and while it is not unusual, it certainly needs to be resolved. You did not state if there was also a forced air furnace in the crawl space (electric or gas), but we will discuss both possibilities.

Pilot outages can certainly be from a mechanical failure of one or more of the water heater parts, like the thermocouple that senses the flame, the pilot assembly, or the gas valve. Generally these components are very reliable so any continuing problem with the pilot requires a look at the bigger picture. Any fossil fuel burning appliance consumes air when it operates. The standard natural draft water heater requires a fresh supply of air at the burner and a diverter on the top of the tank (the conical shaped fitting the exhaust pipe attaches to).

As a natural draft appliance, your water heater is relying on the buoyancy of the hot combustion gases to draw the exhaust up the flue. Hot combustion gasses rise in the flue because of temperature and density differences between the flue gasses and the conditions in and surrounding the flue. This is called the “stack effect.” The vent pressure created by these differences is slight and can be easily influenced by external factors. The most common factor is the lack of make-up air, which is simply a supply of fresh outside air to replace the air that has been used during combustion (or that has been pulled out via exhaust fans). A designated outside combustion air duct should be provided for the water heater. This duct, originating with a screened outdoor vent hood, should terminate near the bottom of the water heater. Generally, the pipe terminates in an open top container which reduces cold air spillage (commonly a five gallon bucket). Providing there is a dedicated combustion air duct, a properly operating water heater, and a properly sized vent system through the roof, everything should work well. If you have a forced air furnace in the crawl space, a major variable is introduced to the proper operation of the water heater.

As a result of poor installation, many duct systems leak air into and out of the crawl space. This leakage, especially on the return side of the ducting, will draw air from the crawl space as the furnace blower pushes air through the living spaces of the home. Because both the water heater and the furnace are fighting for air, the natural draft water heater will usually lose the battle. Air will be pulled from the path of least resistance; the water heater flue pipe that goes through the roof. The air drawn down the flue can extinguish the pilot flame, which would explain your frequent pilot outages. If the water heater is running, it can allow potentially deadly flue gas to be dumped into the crawl space (also known as back drafting). This contaminated air can then be drawn into leaks in the return duct and distributed to the living space. This, in turn, will increase the risk for carbon monoxide poisoning. This example is a worst case scenario but I have certainly seen it in many occasions.

Even without a duct system in the crawl space, the water heater should have a dedicated combustion air duct. Depending on how tight the home is, there are numerous exhaust points from the home waging the same battle for outside air; the clothes dryer, bath fans, kitchen exhaust, and wood stoves/fireplaces to name a few.

I would recommend that you call AirWorks to have one of our NATE certified technicians conduct a combustion test and to precisely measure home pressures to properly diagnose venting and infiltration issues within your home. Once these issues have been resolved your water heater pilot will stay lit.

I have heard a lot about these ductless heat pumps from the Co-op and understand that there is a rebate available but apparently there are some strings attached. I see you are preferred installer, can you clarify the requirements?
- Ductless Dan

Dear Dan,

The program you are referring to is called the Northwest Ductless Heat Pump Project. It is administered by the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) and is active In Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and Washington. NEEA administers the program for various funding partners that include the BPA, but each local electric utility manages the program for their customers and could have unique application forms and modified incentives. The pilot program kicked off last year and had an original end date of September 30th, 2009. BPA announced an extension of the program and there has been a few modifications to those “strings” you mentioned. As a contractor we are kept informed of program updates via a monthly newsletter. So requirements and restrictions are subject to change.

The purpose of this project “is to demonstrate the use of inverter-driven ductless heat pumps to displace electric resistance heat in single family homes across the region.” So, a key eligibility requirement is that your home must use permanently installed zonal electric resistance heat as the primary source (electric baseboard, electric radiant, etc.). The house cannot be new construction, have a fossil fuel central forced air system or fossil fuel hydronic system, have a ducted heat pump system, or have a temporary foundation. The home owner must allow their utility to make their billing history available to the Project for up to two years prior to and two years post installation, and agree to participate in the Project evaluation activities.

The Flathead Electric Cooperative (FEC) has done a fantastic job implementing this program locally and will happily answer any of your questions. As an approved installer for the program, we have a responsibility to verify that your home qualifies for the program, install the equipment properly and to quality standards, complete paperwork accurately, and to educate you on system operations. It is our experience that the paperwork has been processed in a very timely manner.

Each qualifying home is eligible for a single $1,350 rebate, even if the home needs more than one unit. An indoor unit must be installed in the main living area of the home in order to qualify. These also qualify for a $500.00 Montana tax credit per tax payer ($1,000.00 per couple). The federal tax credit of 30% of installed cost up to $1,500.00 is also available on many models, although some multi-unit models do not qualify. Adding up these incentives makes your out-of-pocket investment quite small for the benefits you receive. While these incentives are nice, they could be temporary but the substantial long-term energy savings should be the main motivating factor for your decision. These ductless systems are at least twice as efficient as electric resistant heat. The fact that they cool wonderfully and have built in air cleaners may come in handy during a smoky fire season. Folks with allergies can also benefit. I offer free quotes and have many years of experience installing and servicing these systems.

However, this is not to say you shouldn’t pop the relief on your water heater or boiler; on the contrary, it is a requirement. The manufacturer’s tag states the valve MUST be opened once a year by the water heater owner. The relief valve should be inspected at least every three years by a qualified service technician. Only a small percentage of safety minded people actually have this done.

Before you go down to pop your relief valve, make sure it is piped properly. If it isn’t, it can make a big mess. The valve discharge pipe (the one coming off the side) must terminate within 6’’ of the floor and hopefully near a suitable drain. The pipe cannot get smaller in size, be longer than 30 feet, or have more than four elbows. It also cannot be threaded at the end. If you have ever experienced a relief valve opening under pressure (as I have many times) you would want to avoid that at all costs. The possibility of scalding and serious property damage is a reality. It is so easy to pipe these to the floor, but it gets forgotten many times.

If your relief valve is leaking it needs to be replaced. If it drains water occasionally, then it may be doing its job and relieving pressure. However, there is usually a reason for this and that reason should be diagnosed. There are any number of problems that will cause this and it is our job to determine the solution.

Give us a call at AirWorks if you need help, 24 hours a day, at 257-1341.

Your technicians have been servicing my mother’s heating system for years now. On this last visit your company left an information sheet on a USDA loan/grant program that might help pay for a new furnace. We are helping her with the application process now. Please spread the word about this program because I think many seniors are not aware of it and it could really help them out.

Watchdog Daughter

Dear Watchdog,

The USDA program referred to is the Home Improvement Loans and Grants 504 program. Our local Rural Development office handles this federally funded program. It is not limited to senior citizens; other low income families could qualify for the loan portion. Seniors (62 years or older) could qualify for a grant to cover home improvements. Depending on the amount needed for improvements a combination loan and grant could apply. This is an income eligible program so I strongly urge folks to give the RD office a call to get an application and for eligibility details (see phone number and address at the end of this article).

Here are some other general details about the program. The home must be structurally sound and if it is a mobile home it must be located on a permanent foundation. The interest rate for the loan is 1% with a maximum term of 20 years and a $20,000 loan cap. Grant funds cannot exceed $7,500. Grant recipients must agree to not sell the home for three years.

We obviously see a need for mechanical and energy improvements in our line of work, but this program can fund any number of home improvements and repairs. In addition to energy conservation measures, like installation of insulation, storm windows, and repair or replacement of heating systems, funds can be used for electrical upgrades, plumbing, roofs, siding, and other structural improvements.

We see so many older inefficient heating systems sending oodles of money up the flue every month. That is money better kept in pocket, but so many seniors on fixed incomes don’t have the capital to replace those older systems and programs like this make those improvements possible. In addition to saving energy and increasing safety around the home, this program helps to strengthen our existing housing stock. When folks can’t afford improvements, the house can fall into disrepair lowering its value and diminishing values for surrounding properties.

It is wonderful that you are assisting your mother through this process. Seniors can be skeptical and intimidated by the necessary paperwork, but the staff at our Rural Development office really do want to help and see these funds put to use helping citizens in our area. Alerting our customers about programs like this is just one more component of delivering outstanding service. Collaboration among agencies and organizations strengthens the community we care so much about. The RD offices are located at 450 Corporate Drive, Suite 111 and the phone number is (406) 756-2005.

My wife says she’s done cookin’ in a hot kitchen so if I want dinner this summer I better make a sandwich or get her air conditioning. Do you really sell much central air in these parts?

Dear Starvin’ Marvin,

Yes, we actually sell quite a bit of air conditioning in these parts and for a variety of reasons. We live in a beautiful valley but you would be amazed with how much airborne particulate (dust) is floating around. The multitude of dirt roads, ongoing agriculture, and construction projects introduce many tons of particulate into the air. Opening your home up and letting the breezes blow through feels great, but you are creating indoor air quality issues. Asthma, allergies, and sensitivity to any number of respiratory irritants can be alleviated by reducing air changes in the home, filtering the air, or conditioning it with heating and cooling.

The winters here can be overcast and gloomy, but the summers are generally sunny. Solar gain issues in a home or business is the primary driving force for cooling. Our western setting sun takes many hours to set and in the mean time it is packing your home with thousands of BTU’s of unwanted energy. We love it in the wintertime, but it can be unbearable in the summer. Many parts of the country have humidity to add to the misery and then cooling becomes an absolute must.

Trying to sleep in a hot bedroom will drive people over the edge as quickly as anything. We get calls in the summer that the customer wants to know when we can put the cooling in and then, how much it costs. In the winter you can always put on more clothes, but the neighbors may not appreciate what you may be wearing (or not wearing) to stay comfortable in the summer. Bad summer fire seasons always make cooling more popular. The usual procedure of opening the house up at night to cool it off just makes it smell like an ashtray by the morning.

We can install a number of different types of cooling equipment depending on the application. Homes with a duct system can usually have a system installed utilizing the current distribution. Homes without ducting can use any number of ductless options, many which have rebates and incentives into the thousands. These ductless systems also heat extremely well. There are high velocity distribution systems that can put comfort where you never thought possible. Many folks have gas furnaces and if you are considering adding cooling to one of these, a better bet is to install a heat pump that heats and cools. This is called a “dual-fuel” system that runs the heat pump for all your cooling needs and most of your heating needs; the furnace only runs in the single digits and below.

Give me call to schedule a free estimate and start getting comfortable. As much as you may be able to live without one, I don’t know anybody who has regretted having cooling.

My brother lives in Pennsylvania and got a low interest, unsecured loan to replace his furnace and make other energy improvements. I would love to replace my furnace but am skittish about raiding my savings for the upfront cost given the economy. A loan like his would really help. Is anything like that available here in Montana?

Dear Need a Loan Lucy,

I would guess he is talking about Keystone HELP, an innovative one stop energy efficiency program that involves many partners and is headed by the PA DEQ, PA Treasury Dept, and PA Housing Finance Agency. Check out the website at www.keystonehelp.com. It would be wonderful if Montana could implement a similar model here. Ask your representative headed to Helena to check it out. I have mentioned various efficiency finance programs before but they are pretty specific and figuring out which one you might qualify for is not easy. One is specific to seniors and low income families. The other is administered by DEQ and is for renewable energy models only (Geothermal heat pumps are included) and is funded by air quality penalties.

Just last week, the House in Washington passed HR 4785: Rural Energy Savings Program Act. This bill would create a new federal re-lending program that allows the Dept. of Agriculture to provide zero-interest loans to rural cooperative that in return create low-interest loans to their customers for energy efficiency projects. The loan is repaid in the consumer’s electric bill. In many cases, the savings pay for the loan. This is helpful if your heating source is powered by electricity, not so helpful if you use natural gas or propane. However the bill also features a Home Star Energy Efficiency Loan Program under which DOE would provide loans to states and territories to create similar loan programs. These state programs could offer loans for other energy sources.

Passing the House is a good start but the legislation still has other hurdles, passing the Senate, being one of them. And many utilities around the nation set up loan programs on their own, but the federal funding would surely help especially for smaller cooperatives. So help like your brother is getting could be coming down the pike but not available at the moment. There are additional bills in Washington that address energy efficiency and conservation so it might be time for Montana to implement a structure like Keystone HELP so we can better leverage these needed dollars and quickly get them out to consumers like you.

In the mean time, your bank might offer a home equity loan or line of credit that would allow you to repay over time without that raid on savings. Interest rates are low and it doesn’t hurt to make that call. This kind of investment in energy efficiency can significantly reduce you heating costs and improve comfort levels. Energy efficiency does not mean doing without or wearing your ski gear indoors. It is all about doing more with less. We see firsthand, and can quantify the amount of wasted energy that escapes up flue pipes and through lots of little cracks and leaks in a building envelop. To quantify how much you might save and how much that might cost, give me call at AirWorks.

Do Air-to-Air Heat Pumps really work in cold climates like Montana, and what do the terms SEER and HSPF mean?

15 years ago when I started AirWorks, I would have gently guided my customers away from Air-to-Air Heat Pumps (also called Air Source Heat pumps). They just could not keep up with our coldest weather and running the supplemental heat could get very expensive. But over the years the technology has evolved significantly and we can get much higher energy performance from air source heat pumps at colder temperatures. This is primarily due to advancements in refrigerants, variable speed blowers, improved coil design and surface area, and two-speed/variable compressor designs.

The heat pump works by absorbing heat outside and transferring it inside during the heating season. This process is reversed during the cooling season. The amount of heat the system can supply indoors is dependent on the outdoor temperature. As the outdoor temperature drops, so does the capacity of the heat pump to absorb enough heat to maintain indoor comfort. The outdoor temperature at which the heat pump capacity equals the heat loss of the house is called the outdoor ambient balance point temperature. When the outdoor temperature falls below this point, supplemental heat is needed to keep the indoors comfortable. This supplemental heat is typically electric resistance heat but can be a gas furnace as well (this is called a Dual Fuel system).

SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio and represents the efficiency of the heat pump (or air conditioner) operating in the cooling mode. HSPF stands for Heating Seasonal Performance Factor and rates the operating efficiency in the heating mode. A higher number, in both cases, means greater efficiency. The minimum SEER value allowed in new systems is 13. AirWorks has ductless heat pumps that rate as high as SEER 26. In our climate the HSPF is more important, as our cooling load is rather low, and heating is where it is at. The HSPF can range from 7.7 – 10. Energy Star tax credits and utility rebates require an HSPF of at least 8.2-8.5 to qualify (depending on the type of system installed: ductless, split, or packaged).

So, the short answer is, yes, today’s high efficiency air source heat pumps work great in our climate. And while we do experience days of extreme cold, the majority of our heating hours, fall well within the effective range of air source heat pumps.

Due to the rather dismal real estate market, I have decided to stay in my home instead of trying to sell it. My winter utility bills on my older home have been so high I have been using budget billing. Where to start?

Dear Dismal Dale,

At least you are not alone in your predicament, either in the real estate woes or the budget billing. With the real estate market, just give it some time, with the high energy usage, get moving now. The best way to get started is to get an assessment of how your home performs. There are several “must knows” to chart a direction and use your money and time wisely.

Knowing how much your home leaks air is very important in discovering where your energy dollars go. The tool that makes this possible is called a “blower door test”. A metal frame is expanded in place of the front door and this frame is covered with an airtight fabric. A very powerful calibrated blower is set in the frame and the home is depressurized by exhausting air out of the home. The amount of negative pressure is like having a 25mph wind against the entire exterior of the home. This pressure allows us to see and feel where the air leaks are. It is pretty amazing to feel the force of the drafts coming through all the various cracks and holes in the shell of the home. Once you know where they are you can get moving with caulk, spray foam, weather-stripping, and lots of elbow grease. In addition to finding air leaks, the blower door also measures the rate of infiltration in ACH (air changes per hour). This number is plugged into a heat loss calculation to determine what that leakage is costing you in energy dollars.

A heat loss calculation is used to determine how much energy is needed to keep your home warm. It requires accurately measuring the home including square footage of floors, walls, windows, and ceilings. All these factors, depending on how well insulated they are, have a HTM (heat transfer multiplier). These numbers are all added up to come up with a BTU requirement for your home. I use a specific computer program to crunch these numbers and to create graphs to depict where your energy dollars are going and to create alternative scenarios to demonstrate how much energy can be saved by sealing all those air leaks, adding a little insulation, changing out those single pane windows, or switching to a more efficient heating system.

The last bit of knowledge is knowing how efficient your heating source is. Whatever your mechanical system, most manufactures suggest annual maintenance. Checking efficiency at that time is fairly easy. With gas equipment, an exhaust gas analyzer will quickly and accurately determine combustion efficiency. Checking heat output vs. current draw will determine efficiency of most heat pump systems. Electric heat is by design 100% efficient, but cleanliness, proper airflow, and leaks in the duct systems can really impede actual efficiency.

With a blower door test to determine building leakage, a heat loss calculation to determine correct equipment sizing, and an efficiency check on your current equipment, in a few short hours you will know how do best spend your energy dollars. As a “performance based contractor” AirWorks provides these services for those who are ready to find solutions to increasing energy costs. Since you are on budget billing a careful review of your past utility bills will make clear how much extra energy you go through during the heating season. Conservation by reducing energy waste is, and has always been the best solution to addressing these problems. Please give me a call with questions and comments.