Fire Testing Insulation Materials
In this 50th episode of the ‘On The Job’ web series, Larry Janesky does something a little different. Rather than walking us through a recent project, he takes us to Dr. Energy Saver’s National Energy Conservation Center – a 40,000 sq. ft. training facility at the company’s headquarters in Seymour CT – to demonstrate how different types of insulation materials will behave in case of a house fire.
Fire rating of insulation materials is something often overlooked not only in energy-efficient upgrades, but also in new construction. There are some code-mandated guidelines for using different types of insulation in different areas of the house, but at Dr. Energy Saver, we believe that the fire safety of homes and buildings can be greatly improved with the right choice of materials.
This is not a scientific test. The purpose of this video is to demonstrate the significant differences in the way different insulation materials behave when exposed to fire.
Using a propane torch, Larry put all the most common types of insulation to the test, including fiberglass (faced and unfaced), open-cell foam, closed-cell foam, open-cell foam with FSK paper, polyisocyanurate foam, fire resistant open-cell foam, expanded polystyrene foam, extruded polystyrene foam, fire block foam, denim insulation, AirKrete injection foam, cellulose and Rockwool insulation.
According to this demonstration, the best performing materials by far were AirKrete injection foam, cellulose and Rockwool, but Larry explains that this should not constitute grounds for avoiding the use any of the other materials, because each different material has its specific application. When it comes to green building and remodeling, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Smart energy-efficient retrofitting is about evaluating each home’s features, energy consumption patterns and finding the best materials and techniques to achieve the most energy savings while making homes more comfortable, healthier and safer.
Dr. Energy Saver dealers nationwide have improved the homes and lives of many homeowners across the United States and we’d love to help you too! Call us or visit our website to locate a dealer near you!
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Why Cellulose Insulation is Better than Fiberglass Insulation
On episode 50 of the ‘On The Job’ web series, Larry Janesky, owner and founder of Dr. Energy Saver, demonstrates how different types of insulation materials perform when exposed to fire.
In Episode 51, he continues to compare insulation materials, by showing the differences in performance of two types of materials commonly used in attic and wall cavity insulation: fiberglass and cellulose.
Fiberglass insulation is frequently used in the United States, but as this video will show, cellulose insulation outperforms fiberglass in the vast majority of applications.
Cellulose insulation is entirely made of recycled paper: old newspapers, phone books, and paper stock. To make that shredded paper suitable as an insulation material, the cellulose is treated with environmentally-friendly chemicals. In its original state, cellulose is very attractive to insects and known to support mold growth. Boric acid, a harmless chemical used for decades in many household applications as an antiseptic and insect repellent, is used to deter pests and prevent mold growth.
Also since paper is highly flammable, cellulose insulation is treated with a fire-retardant material, making it outperform most types of insulation materials, including fiberglass, in terms of fire resistance.
Using a little display built to compare cellulose and fiberglass, Larry shows how quickly and easily heat passes through a layer of fiberglass insulation when compared to a layer of cellulose insulation. Cellulose is denser than fiberglass and that gives the material a better R-value and makes it better at preventing heat transfer.
That kind of performance makes all the difference during hot summer months when you are trying to keep the scorching heat from the attic from getting into your living space, or during cold days when you are trying to keep the heat from the conditioned area from being transferred to the freezing cold attic.
Another added benefit of cellulose demonstrated in this video is the material’s ability to muffle sounds from the street and from one room to another, making your home much quieter.
At Dr. Energy Saver, we use cellulose to insulate a variety of spaces. We dense-pack it into wall cavities, cantilevers, floors over the garage, and we blow it over attic floors. Our customers are always satisfied with the results in terms of added comfort and energy savings.
Our dealers work with most types of insulation and we believe that there is no blanket solution to home insulation, since each material has its own application. We also know that when it comes to energy efficiency, insulation is just one part of the puzzle.
When you call your local Dr. Energy Saver dealer for a home energy audit, the experts will evaluate your whole house and offer you the solutions and materials that will always give you the best results for each dollar you invest.
To contact a Dr. Energy Saver dealer in your area, call us or visit our website!
Ductless Heat Pumps
In episode #57 of the On the Job video series, Larry Janesky, owner and founder of Dr. Energy Saver, walks us through the installation of a high efficiency ductless heat pump.
A heat pump’s job is to extract heat from the air to either cool or heat a home. During the summer, it will extract heat from the inside, and move it to the outside, to cool the living space. In wintertime, it will extract heat from the outside and move it to the inside.
Heat pumps are very efficient at extracting heat, even when the temperatures are very low outside. They will always be able to extract enough to heat up the home.
The unit being installed in this project is a split system, with an outside unit and three internal heads designed to serve three different zones of the building – each with its own thermostat. In Air Condition mode, it has an 18 SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating). In Heating Mode it has a 9.5 HSPF (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor) rating.
Heat is transferred between the external and external units through refrigerant line sets. The shorter the line sets, the more efficient the system is. A fan in the internal units then distributes hot or cold air throughout each of the three zones.
While it may seem like a disadvantage having the hot or cold air blow from a single wall mounted unit, a high efficiency ductless system is still able to effectively maintain comfortable temperatures because there is no heat loss or gain through the ducts. The ductless heat pump is a great option when there isn’t a lot of space for bulky ductwork.
To learn more about heat pumps and other energy efficient ways to heat and cool your home, watch our other On the Job videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest updates.
Insulating Exterior Walls with AirKrete (Complete Version)
Larry Janesky, owner and founder of Dr. Energy Saver was recently on the job to help the owner of this ranch style home lower his energy bills and make the house more comfortable. This particular property was wasting a lot of energy and they had rooms that were drafty and cold. The attic was under insulated; a huge portion of the air that they were paying to cool and heat was leaking out due to poor air sealing, and the walls themselves were poorly insulated with fiberglass batts.
In this episode of ‘On The Job,’ Larry will show us how AirKrete, a brand new type of injection foam insulation material, was used to both increase the R-value (resistance to heat flow) and eliminate air leakages through the existing fiberglass insulated walls.
Fiberglass batts are a popular insulation material, frequently used to insulate wall cavities, but they have a major problem: they don’t stop air flow. The walls in this ranch were sided with wood clapboard, and there was no tar paper, Tyvek or similar material to act as a wind breaker, so the air was flowing right through the fiberglass.
To solve that problem, Dr. Energy Saver removed a few pieces of clapboard to be able to access the wall cavities from the outside in order to drill holes in the walls. A tube was inserted through these holes to inject AirKrete into the walls.
Dr. Energy Saver offers all types of foam insulation for just about any residential and commercial application. For this particular job they selected AirKrete, because the foam insulation offers many advantages over other types, especially in this particular application.
AirKrete is made with 100% inorganic and environmentally-safe compounds, and is free from volatile chemicals that produce strong and/or harmful fumes during the application. In fact, you can’t smell AirKrete at all, not even during the mixing and application process.
The shaving cream-like consistency allows it to expand and completely fill every wall cavity and any small gaps in the wall, providing added R-value (R- 4 per inch) while air sealing the walls at the same time.
The most impressive feature of AirKrete is perhaps its fire safety rating. Back at the Dr. Energy Saver headquarters, Larry demonstrates just how fire resistant it is compared to fiberglass insulation. He uses a propane torch to burn a piece of fiberglass batt and AirKrete. While the torch burns a hole right through the fiberglass, Larry is able to melt a copper penny on top of AirKrete while the material remains intact and smoke-free.
Larry then demonstrates the material’s great R-Value by melting another penny over a piece of AirKrete, which he was able to hold in his hand without burning his fingers.
Dr. Energy Saver is always researching and incorporating new materials, processes, and technologies, in order to honor our commitment to provide the most efficient energy-saving solutions, lower your energy bills and make your home more comfortable. To learn more about our products and services visit our website or YouTube channel to watch other episodes of the ‘On The Job’ series! Contact us to find an insulation contractor in your area and to schedule a home energy evaluation and estimate!
Solar Power Installation in Port Byron, NY | Customer Testimonial
In this video the couple speaks about the impact of this solar upgrade in their lives and their experience with Halco.
Geothermal Heating Upgrade in Port Byron, NY | Customer Testimonial
The original furnace in Honey and Steven G.’s home in Port Byron, NY was running non-stop during the winter. It would often overheat the house way above the set temperature. As a result, not only they had an uncomfortable home but their energy bills were also extremely high.
The couple then decided to call Halco to replace their outdated oil furnace with a brand new geothermal heating system.
In this video the couple talks about the results. Their home is much more comfortable and their energy bill is much lower each month.
The air in their home is also much cleaner. According to the couple, there is less dust and since the new geothermal system was installed the chronic night time headaches Steven used to have vanished completely.
‘We both couldn’t be any happier’, says Steven. ‘It is worth every penny and… just incredible!’
Insulating Basement Walls with FOAMAX
Welcome to the 80th episode of Dr. Energy Saver’s On the Job Video Series!
This episode is all about the importance of basement wall insulation in home comfort and energy savings.
Basements are a subject that Larry Janesky, owner and founder of Dr. Energy Saver, knows very well. After all, he’s been in the basement waterproofing business for over 20 years as the owner and founder of Basement Systems — the world’s leading basement waterproofing network.
In this video he explains why basements are so damp and cold, and how much impact an uninsulated basement can have on the comfort of your home and your energy bills.
The concrete walls in the basement are very dense and cold year-round. The ground is cold and during the winter, the outside air is equally cold. According to the laws of thermodynamics, heat tends to travel from more to less.
That means that a significant portion of heat produced by your boiler or furnace will tend to escape to the outside through the basement walls — a problem that Larry demonstrates using thermal imaging.
Watch the results in the thermal imaging camera as the basement walls are insulated with FOAMAX.
FOAMAX is a special type of polyisocyanurate rigid foam insulation board that is especially suited for basement walls. It has a high R-Value per inch, and — unlike other types of rigid foam — it can be left exposed in a basement.
FOAMAX is also waterproof and acts as a vapor barrier, directing any wall seepage to the perimeter drain system installed down below.
Visit our website for more information about FOAMAX and other basement wall insulation options, and don’t forget to subscribe to our channel for the latest videos!
Around Town with Henry Dormann
As seen on TV! Halco home energy advisor, Brian Borchert, talks with Henry Dormann about the numerous benefits of having an energy assessment performed on your home.
Soundproofing with Spray Foam
Welcome to episode 60 of the On The Job video series! In this video Larry Janesky, owner and founder of Dr. Energy Saver, shows us a project in which open cell spray foam was used, not as an insulation, but as a soundproofing solution.
The building shown in this episode is a garage with a finished room above. Both areas were heated with a radiant heating system, which was showcased on episode 59, and insulated with spray foam. The floor above the garage was lined with a radiant barrier to reflect heat from the radiant heating lines.
After the room upstairs was finished with hardwood floors, the homeowners were worried about the noise caused by people walking on the floor, which could become annoying when in the garage.
To prevent noise transfer between the two floors, Larry and his team at Dr. Energy Saver applied open cell spray foam to the ceiling above the garage. With a density of only ½ lb per cubic foot, open cell foam is very soft and has excellent sound proofing capabilities.
The test the end of the video, compares sound between a treated portion of the floor and one that hadn’t received the application and there is a dramatic difference between the two sections.
At Dr. Energy Saver, we are always researching and working on solutions to make your home more comfortable, enjoyable and affordable to own. Visit our website to locate a dealer near you.
To learn more about ways to save energy and live more comfortably, watch our other On the Job episodes and subscribe to our channel for the latest videos and updates. .
Radiant Heating in Floors
In episode #59 of the On the Job video series, Larry Janesky, owner and founder of Dr. Energy Saver, walk us through a project where radiant heating was used to make a two-level building more comfortable and energy efficient.
A high efficiency boiler was installed to heat up the water for the system. A network of pipes designed to conduct the heated water was then installed under the concrete slab at the ground level, and under the wood subfloor of the above level.
There are many advantages to using this type of heating system in a two-level building. In conventional heating systems, hot air is blown through the vents but does not heat up the concrete slab. This causes the concrete slab to still be very cold and the room would still feel very cold close to the ground.
The thick concrete slab used in a radiant heating system provides enough thermal mass to conserve the heat provided by the radiant heating system for a long time, so when the big garage doors in this particular structure are open, there isn’t a lot of heat loss to the outside, and once the doors are closed the rate of heat recovery is higher and the entire place will warm back up very quickly.
A similar network of hot water lines was attached beneath the subfloor on the upper level, attached to aluminum plates that help distribute heat through the surface, making the upstairs room just as comfortable as the ground level room.
The owner of this building is now very happy with the results in terms of comfort and energy savings. Would you like to learn more about other great ways to make your home more comfortable and save a lot of money on your heating and cooling bills?
Watch some of our other On the Job videos, and subscribe to this channel for all the latest updates!
Sealing and Insulating the Rim Joist
The rim joist, for those who are not familiar with building terms, is the edge of the wood floor framing system. It sits on top of the foundation walls, secured to the sill plate.
In a typical home, the rim joist area is a huge source of energy loss. It often lacks proper air sealing, so outside air is consistently leaking in through the wood joints, corner, gaps and openings drilled in the rim joist for electric wires, plumbing and ducts.
When the rim joists are insulated, it is often with pieces of fiberglass batt, which is not the best choice for this type of application. Fiberglass doesn’t stop air flow, so the air still leaks in. Also, fiberglass loses R-value when it is damp. Basements tend to be naturally-damp environments due to ground water evaporating into the space and condensation issues.
The results of poor rim joist air sealing and insulation can be felt throughout the house in the form of cold floors, drafty rooms and high energy bills.
The best materials for rim joist insulation are those impervious to water. When the rim joists are easily accessible, pieces of rigid foam board can be cut to snuggly fit on top of the rim joist, between the floor joists and then air sealed with spray foam.
In this particular job, however, Dr. Energy Saver chose another great option to insulate rim joists on top of stone basement walls: two-part polyurethane spray foam.
Two-part polyurethane spray foam not only provides superior R-value (R-7 per inch), but is also expands to fill gaps and holes in the rim joist, stopping air leakages in one simple step.
In most homes, even new constructions, there is always an area that can use some improvement in terms of energy efficiency. It can be the rim joist, or your attic that need better insulation. It can be doors and windows that are leaky or air ducts that need to be cleaned, sealed, balanced or insulated. There is often an opportunity to save money and energy. Your local Dr. Energy Saver dealer can help you discover ways to improve your home’s energy efficiency, while making your home more comfortable and affordable to own.
For more tips on how to save energy at home, watch our ‘On The Job’ video series and subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest updates.
Sealing Doors and Windows To Stop Drafts
In the 58th episode of On the Job, Larry Janesky, owner and founder of Dr. Energy Saver helps us understand the importance of sealing the “shim space” around door and windows in order to eliminate drafts that make our homes uncomfortable and our heating and cooling bills higher.
When houses are built, the spaces for the windows and doors aren’t cut to fit snuggly around the window or door frame, there is usually a ¼ of an inch clearance left around the frame, for shimming and adjustments. That gap is what we call the shim space, which is often overlooked in terms of insulation or simply filled with chunks of the same material used to insulate the wall cavities – which is often fiberglass.
Fiberglass doesn’t stop air flow, and when applied to the shim gap, it merely acts as an air filter.
Many homeowners try to improve comfort and energy efficiency by installing or replacing their windows with energy efficient models, but when so much air is leaking through the shim space due to lack of proper air sealing, the investment in new windows doesn’t bring the expected results.
In this video, Larry installs one part expanding foam using a thin nozzle attachment to the gun. The thin nozzle attachment is ideal for applying the material and can reach all the small spaces around the window frame and around the door frame.
The foam will expand and close all the gaps.
A Dr. Energy Saver technician can also perform this energy saving process in existing homes and during window replacement projects.
To learn about more ways to save energy and make your home more comfortable, watch other videos of the On the Job Series and subscribe to our YouTube Channel for the latest updates.
