HEALTH-R Study has Closed to New Applications HEALTH-R Study Application Deadline Extended Study expanded to include the District of ColumbiaThe Strong, Silent Type: Today’s Best Ventilation Fans Today’s ventilation fans are more sophisticated than ever before. Manufacturers have added DC motors and variable-speed controls to help your everyday ventilation fan to run more efficiently and clear the room better where odors and moisture dwell. Anyone who has wanted to clear up a foggy bathroom mirror after taking a shower knows the value of a ventilation fan. What you might not know, however, is that today’s models use humidity sensors and motion sensors to clear the air better. Ventilation fans now move more air at a higher speed (measured in cubic feet per minute, or cfm) and are quieter than ever before. They also are marketed as using less energy than older models required. Lately, ventilation fans also are marketed toward use in more rooms than just your bathroom.

The attic is the latest space for which products are being promoted, but it’s a venture that’s borne out of marketing. Broan made a ventilation fan that’s geared specifically toward use in the attic when it introduced a solar-powered model in February 2012. (At press time, we learned that Broan plans to replace that ventilation fan with a new version sometime in 2013, but it wouldn’t disclose further details. Broan says attic ventilation delivers untapped energy savings. In the summer, an attic can reach 150 degrees Fahrenheit, and heat can find its way into the home and increase the load on the air conditioner, which adds to the energy bill. Broan says a ventilation fan will relieve the attic of that heat and also will protect the roof and housing structure from degrading that’s due to moisture buildup. However, two independent experts with whom we spoke disagree on both counts. First, a ventilation fan that’s in the attic starts to work only when the thermostat detects a rise in temperature during the daytime, so it does little to contribute to heating the moist air that’s left at night.

Second, these experts tell us that, because a ventilation fan that’s in the attic turns on during the daylight hours, it has to run faster and run all day long, which means that it consumes more electricity. In fact, its mere operation is counterproductive, according to the experts. “Attic ventilation fans move huge amounts of air and create a negative pressure ‘bubble’ right over the conditioned space of the home,” says Brett Dillon, who owns IBS Advisors, which is an energy-efficiency and building-sustainability consulting company. “This sucks conditioned air into the attic, typically when outside conditions are really hot, through all the holes in the ceiling and wall top plates. Although this cools the attic down, it also causes outside air to get sucked into the house, which then makes the air conditioner run even more.” Broan didn’t respond to questions about negative air pressure that an attic ventilation fan creates.If you haven’t shopped for a ventilation fan in the past 3 years, you’ll notice that some models deliver far more power than older models did.

Today, the maximum speed of a bathroom ventilation fan goes as high as 380 cfm, compared with the former maximum of 100 cfm. Beyond the Bathroom: Spot Ventilation Moves to Other Spaces Read Now However, you should know that size matters only in terms of how it affects your wallet. The two experts whom we interviewed say you shouldn’t pay a lot for a ventilation fan that delivers more power, because a model that moves air at, say, only 70–100 cfm is adequate to clear the moisture from a typical bathroom of 100–200 square feet.walmart air purifier and humidifier A formula that’s recommended by Home Ventilating Institute (HVI) to calculate the speed of a ventilation fan results in speed specifications that are greater than what our experts and others believe to be necessary. air purifier homedics review

HVI’s formula reads like this: If a bathroom is, say, 10 feet wide and 10 feet long and has an 8-foot ceiling, you multiply 10 x 10 x 8, which will equal 800 cubic feet. If you divide 800 cubic feet by 60 minutes (1 hour of use), this will equal 13.3. HVI would then have you multiply that number (13.3) by eight air changes per hour. You will get an estimate of 106.7 cfm to ventilate your bathroom properly.rainbow air purifier price singaporeWhen your furnace is working properly, it automatically cycles on when it senses that the air is too cold. When the temperature in your Arlington, VA home or business is comfortable, the heating system shuts itself off in response. The process is so automatic that you probably don’t give it much thought. However, it could indicate a serious problem when your furnace keeps turning on and off randomly throughout the day. Fortunately, there are some troubleshooting tips you can try on your own before placing a call to Brennan’s Heating & Air Conditioning for repairs.

When a furnace keeps turning on and off, it is usually due to short cycling. This is the term used to describe problems originating from within the heating system. If short cycling is not promptly diagnosed and corrected, it could cause permanent damage to your heating unit and higher utility bills. The average heating system cycles on and off three to six times every hour. To diagnose a problem with short cycling, our technicians run a test cycle of your heating unit and count how many times it stops and restarts over 60 minutes. Pay Attention to Your Air Filters One of the most common causes of short cycling is also the easiest to fix. If you don’t make a habit to regularly clean or change your heating system’s air filter, it could have a major impact on its efficiency. Warm air can’t pass through the filter and it backs up within the unit. This sends the incorrect message to the heating system that your home is already warm enough. The unit subsequently shuts itself off and your home becomes cold, signaling the system to start up again.

To avoid this problem, make sure that you change the air filter at the start of each new season and check it monthly. Sometimes the problem of short cycling is caused by a faulty thermostat and not by the unit itself. You should ensure that your thermostat is turned on and set to the accurate settings before assuming that your heating unit needs to be repaired. The placement of your thermostat also makes a difference. If it is too close to another heat source, such as direct sunlight or a heat register, it could sense that the temperature in your home is too warm. Your heating system will turn off when this happens. Other Possible Causes of Short Cycling If you’ve ruled out a dirty air filter or a malfunctioning thermostat, the problem may be caused by one of the following: Improperly sized heating system Foreign objects lodged in the chimney or air vents If you suspect any one of these issues, schedule an appointment with an experienced HVAC professional at Brennan’s Heating & Air Conditioning.