Sealing and Insulation in New Construction
Larry Janesky from Dr. Energy Saver walks us through the process of air sealing and insulating two newly constructed condominium units.
In new construction, you have many choices of insulation material to chose from: spray foam, rigid foam board, fiberglass, cellulose or a combination of these.
Here a combination of fiberglass bats with blown and spray cellulose to insulate different areas in these units.
Because fiberglass insulation doesn’t stop air flow, the structure needs to be completely air sealed before the bats are installed. Special attention should be paid to windows, doors, and gaps around plumbing, wiring, lighting fixtures, and ducts. The ducts also need to be sealed before the insulation and the drywall are installed.
The walls between the conditioned area and any unheated, un-insulated area of the house like the garage and the attic space upstairs also receive air sealing and insulation.
Insulating the Attic and Cool Roof Technology
The sun tends to heat conventional roof shingles up to temperatures as high as 140 or 150 degrees F during the summer. That heat is then radiated to the attic, which reaches scorching temperatures, usually 40 to 50 degrees hotter than the outside air.
The heat in the attic then radiates through the ceiling into the living areas making your whole house uncomfortable. To make matters worse, some homes have air conditioner ducts running through the attic. Picture this: you pay for the electricity to run your air conditioner to cool the air down to 50 degrees, and then run the cold air through metallic ducts in the attic, that are baking at 150 degrees. Your air conditioner will have to work much harder to keep up, and your cooling bills will be extremely high, especially if you live in warmer areas of the U.S.
There are many things you can do to cool down your roof and your attic while relieving the burden on your air conditioner. Proper attic insulation and air sealing, will keep the heat from radiating into the living areas. A radiant heat barrier will reflect the sun’s heat away from the home, and help cool down the attic.
To significantly improve conditions in the roof and attic, there is also the cool roof technology. Cool roof shingles are built with materials that reflect the sun’s heat, rather than absorbing it like conventional shingles. They also come in various colors so you can have the roof color you want, without the heat absorption.
If you are building a home, or planning to replace your roof, consider cool roof technology. Contact your local Dr. Energy Saver for more information about cool roof technology, attic insulation, radiant barriers and many other options to make your home more comfortable and energy efficient.
Geothermal Heating and Cooling in the Finger Lakes Region
Geothermal heating and cooling systems harvest the power of the earth to heat and cool your home.
Geothermal energy is a clean, permanent and renewable source, that can lower your propane or oil-based energy bills by up to 2/3, especially if your existing system is propane or oil based. In other words, a geothermal system pays for itself in a very short amount of time.
Unlike typical geothermal systems that require extensive excavation of the yard, systems installed by Halco are very retrofit-friendly, using a only small piece of real estate. In many cases, a 12 foot circle is all that is needed.
Here’s how it works. Earth taps are inserted into holes drilled down 100 ft. into the earth. These taps are used to send a liquid refrigerant into the ground. The chemical absorbs the earth’s warmth which turns it into a hot vapor that rises back into the system. After passing through compressors that increase the vapor temperature, it is then sent though coils on top of an air handler to produce enough heat to keep your entire home warm. In the summer, the process is reversed and the ground absorbs heat from your home like a sponge, to keep it cool and comfortable.
If having a more comfortable home while lowering your heating and cooling bills sounds like a good investment to you, or if you want to learn about other options to save energy and money give as a call for a free estimate!
Installing Jumper Ducts to Make Bedrooms More Comfortable
Climate control and comfort in a home depends on much more than the size, power and efficiency of the heating and cooling system. It depends on proper insulation, air sealing and, above all, it depends on the air duct’s distribution and adequate balance between return and supply ducts.
Larry Janesky, founder of Dr. Energy Saver, was recently in Central Florida helping a homeowner with a high cooling bills, and uneven temperatures around the house.
The bedrooms in his house had only supply ducts. The only return ducts were located in the common areas. Using state-of-the-art equipment, Larry demonstrates how the lack of return ducts in this home’s bedrooms was increasing the positive pressure in the rooms above acceptable levels, consistently pushing air out of the house, and causing unconditioned, hot and humid air from the outside to be sucked into the common areas of the house. The differences in pressure made the air conditioner work harder, without ever making the whole house comfortable.
When homeowners experience similar problems, they tend to mistakenly believe that they need a bigger, and more powerful heating and cooling system. This is why it is a good idea to call in an energy conservation specialist, before you commit to buying an HVAC upgrade.
In this case, for example, just by adding a return duct to each bedroom, Dr. Energy Saver experts brought the pressure levels in the rooms down to normal. The temperatures are now even around the house, comfort has improved and the old air conditioner now works more efficiently.
If you want to save money, energy and make your home more comfortable, call a Dr. Energy Saver dealer in your area!
Tankless Water Heaters : Hot Water on Demand and Big Energy Savings
Imagine being able to enjoy as much hot water as you need, whenever you need it. Never running out of hot water or being able to take a shower right after another family member does, all while running the dishwasher is no longer a dream. Now, imagine doing all that for a fraction of what you spend now to run your current tank-based water heater.
Tank based water heaters — even the newer, more efficient models — are still wasting a lot of energy. The temperature of the water in the tank drops and in order for you to have hot water again, it needs to be re-heated. This happens constantly, several times a day, whether you are using it or not, whether you are at home or away.
Tankless water heaters don’t store water. The water is heated on-demand, when you need it. Top of the line models operate at a 98% efficiency rate. That means that nearly every dollar spent to run the unit is being turned into hot water. Old tank based models work at about 50% efficiency.
Tankless water heaters are also self-modulating. That means they produce as much or as little hot water as needed. They are also designed to be compact, using less space than the bulky, tank-based units.
Halco is Central New York’s most reputable heating, cooling and renewable energy company, serving the Syracuse, Rochester and Binghamton, NY area since 1984.
Visit our website of gives us a call to learn more about energy efficient water heaters, and many other services we provide to help you save money and energy!
NSI 3000 Carbon Monoxide Detector
The NSI 3000 CO Detector Offers Real Protection:
• Provides protection for all age groups and conditions, especially infants, children, the elderly, and highly sensitive or ill people. Other detectors barely provide minimal protection for healthy adults.
• Lets you know there’s a problem before reaching dangerous, even deadly CO levels,long before the other detectors even begin to work.
• NSI’s Model 3000 Monitors employ the same electrochemical sensor technology found in professional CO Analyzers that cost thousands of dollars. These monitors are calibrated using CO, not electronic guesswork.
OTHER MONITORS BARELY PROVIDE MINIMAL PROTECTION FOR HEALTHY ADULTS!
Problems With Ducts in The Attic
Larry Janesky, founder of Dr. Energy Saver, was recently in Florida helping a homeowner solve a problem many other homeowners in the southeast have and don’t even know about: ducts in the attic. While these ducts are sometimes used for heating during the winter, most of the year they are used for cooling in the warmer areas of the country. They distribute cool air throughout the house.
The problem with having ducts in the attic in these areas is that, as the sun shines relentlessly over the roof during the hot days of summer, regular roof shingles absorb a lot of heat from the sun and that heat is transferred to the attic. On hot days, the temperatures in the attic can be as high as 140 or 150 degrees.
When typical ducts, used to distribute cool air throughout the house are located in the attic, and are improperly insulated and air sealed, the air that you paid to cool down to 50 degrees, is running through metal ducts that are baking at 140 degrees in the attic! The air will be heated again, before it reaches the rooms in the house.
As a result, your air conditioner system will work harder, more often, and your home will still be uncomfortable. Ducts that run through the attic need to be thoroughly air sealed and insulated.
For this particular job, Larry opted for using spray foam to insulate and air seal the ducts, and the connections between ducts and drywall ceiling. While newer homes, built with energy efficiency in mind, will have ducts running through conditioned areas to prevent heat gain and loss, older homes can be made energy efficient with proper duct air sealing and insulation.
For more information about how to save energy through sealing and insulating air ducts, or for more energy saving tips, visit our website or call Dr. Energy Saver for a comprehensive home energy audit!
The Difference Between Low and High Efficiency Water Heaters
What makes a tankless water heater so much more efficient than a conventional tank water heater?
Larry Janesky, president of Dr. Energy Saver, was recently On the Job in Florida, answering that very question.
A tank based water heater loses heat in many ways. First there is what we call the ‘standby heat loss’. The water in the tank, when not in use, cools down and when it gets too cold, the unit has to re-heat the water so that you always have hot water when you need it. This process is repeated over and over again, 24/7, 365 days a year, whether you are asleep or awake, at home or on vacation.
To prevent some energy loss, this homeowner wrapped the tank as an attempt to insulated it, and installed a timer that would turn the water heater off while the house was empty, and turn it back on close to the time when the family came back home.
In this case, the tank cover wasn’t providing proper insulation. A lot of heat was being lost through the top of the unit and through the uninsulated pipes. The timer caused the water to cool down completely and then make the unit work at full blast at the end of the day, to reheat all that water in the tank.
Tankless water heaters, as the name suggests, do not have a tank. They heat water on demand, as much as you need and when you need. Unlike tank units that run out of hot water, tankless units provide an endless flow of water, shower after shower. High efficiency units also modulate. They operate at full blast when the hot water demand is bigger, and at lower settings when you only need a little bit of water to wash a dish or your hands. There is virtually no waste in newer models, operating at 90% of efficiency. That means that 90% of the energy you pay for to run the heater is actually converted into hot water. Tank based water heaters, specifically older models, operate at an efficiency at or less than 65%.
Are you shopping for a new water heater? Let Dr. Energy Saver show you many more ways to save energy and money in water heating, HVAC, lighting,
High Efficiency Heating and Cooling Systems
A lot of energy is wasted with older-model heating and cooling equipment found in many homes. Today with high energy prices, the cost of running standard HVAC equipment is- no pun intended- through the roof.
These days, you need to make sure that every dollar you spend on running your HVAC equipment will be used to heat and cool your home and not be wasted up the chimney. Old models working at 50%, 60% and even the 80% efficient systems sold in the 1980s do not work well at all. Modern high efficiency equipment works at 95% efficiency or higher.
For example; the standard chimney. Old chimneys- which leak an enormous amount of hot air that you pay to heat — are no longer necessary. Modern high efficiency units are vented to the outside through small PVC pipes running through the side wall. The bulk of the air you paid to heat stays where it belongs: in the living areas of your home.
At Halco, we pride ourselves in choosing and installing only the best high efficiency systems to fit each individual home’s needs, as well as the homeowner’s expectations and budget. We thoroughly inspect and evaluate each home to design a solution that will give you the best performance per dollar invested.
To learn more about high efficiency systems and many other ways to save money and energy at home, visit our website or contact us for a free estimate.
Solar Energy | Installing Solar PV Systems in the Finger Lakes, NY Region
Halco is the leading Solar Photo-Voltaic system installation company in Central New York’s Finger Lakes region.
Solar PV Panels produce all, or part of the energy your home needs to power heating, cooling, lighting, appliances, utilities and electronics. Local homeowners tend to mistakenly believe that New York is not a good area for Solar powered systems. That couldn’t be any further from the truth. There is plenty of sun in New England to power most homes.
Solar PV Panel installation typically requires a lot of southern exposure and some roof space. If the home does lack the roof space or doesn’t get a lot of southern exposure, Halco can build pole-mounted systems or install the panels that act as the roof of other structures, such as outdoor kitchens, decks, gazebos, etc.
When combined with geothermal heating and cooling systems, and heat pump water heaters, Solar PV panel systems can generate enough power to allow the home to be completely self-sufficient and function completely off-grid. In other words, it becomes a Net Zero home, where homeowners will never have to pay an energy bill again. Isn’t that a beautiful thing?
If you are ready to make adopt a Net Zero, off-grid lifestyle, no other company in Syracuse, Rochester and nearby towns can offer you the experience, expertise and quality service you get from Halco. We’ve been serving the Finger Lakes area since 1984. Call or e-mail us today!
Solar, Geothermal Heating & Cooling Services in Finger Lakes, NY
Founded in 1984, Halco Heating has been improving the comfort and energy efficiency of households like yours for almost 3 decades, providing solar and geothermal heating and cooling systems and services in Syracuse, Rochester, Binghamton and all throughout the Finger Lakes, NY area.
Hal Smith, owner and founder of the company, is proud to have earned the trust of his community through quality workmanship, outstanding business ethics, and a focus on customer service.
‘Our offices are open seven days a week, up to 9:00 p.m.,’ says Hal. It is a great comfort for their customers to know that someone at Halco will always be there to help them when they are in need. A customer will never speak to a machine when calling Halco.
Hal adds, ‘We answer our phones live, 24 hours a day!’
In addition, Halco has a ‘holistic’ approach to energy efficiency and heating and cooling system upgrades. When Halco is called to install a geothermal or solar heating and cooling system, they begin by making a thorough evaluation of the home, to understand how it consumes, conserves or wastes energy.
Halco believes that making the switch to a renewable energy source based HVAC system is only part of what makes a home energy efficient. If the home is not properly insulated or has a high rate of air leakage, energy is still being wasted, the system’s resources are not being maximized and the home is not as comfortable as it could be– as homeowners might still experience uneven temperatures around the house.
Through this ‘whole-house’ approach to energy efficiency, Halco has been successfully retrofitting existing homes into Net Zero homes. Meaning, comfortable homes whose homeowners pay virtually no energy bills at all!
If you live in the Finger Lakes area and want to make your home more comfortable and save money in energy bills, call Halco today for a complete evaluation and estimate.
Renewable Energy in the Finger Lakes Region, NY
Halco is a company with a vision; a more sustainable future with comfortable and affordable to own homes, powered by clean, inexpensive and renewable energy. This is why several years ago Halco opened a Renewable Energy division, specializing in wind power, solar power, and geothermal energy systems.
The Finger Lakes region in NY provides plenty of all these resources, and Halco crews have been installing at least one of these systems every single day. The Renewable Energy Division has been rapidly growing, making it the leading provider of renewable energy systems in Central New York.
Halco also helped retrofit a number of existing homes into Net-Zero homes, using different combinations of these renewable energy systems.
Imagine living comfortably in your existing home, without having to pay energy bills. A dream? No. A vision that is now a reality for many homeowners in the Finger Lakes, NY area.
Are you ready to make the switch? Call Halco and let’s see how we can make your energy efficiency dreams come true.
