Wednesday, August 09, 2017

By John Voket From the coast of Seattle to the hillsides of New York's Hudson Valley, I have been watching and worrying about the toll repeated heat waves are taking on our historic, or 'classic-era,' housing stock.

Tommy Webber, who owns a New York HVAC company, recently reached out to affirm that many homes in his region were built before central heating and air conditioning was available, leaving homeowners to struggle with cooling their homes during extreme heatwaves.

Webber says historic homeowners looking for relief from the sweltering heat should:

Turn on ceiling fans – Used in conjunction with an air conditioning system or not, Webber says ceiling fans are very effective circulating cooler air. Remember - in the summer, ceiling fan blades should rotate counterclockwise to push cool air down; in the winter hit the reverse button to save heat.

Postpone the use of 'hot' appliances — The oven, dishwasher and dryer should only be used in the evening or overnight. Or grill outside versus using the oven or stove.

Keep inside doors open — Webber says you want air to flow freely - good airflow means a cooler home.  

Check window coverings — Thermal drapes, cellular shades, or blackout curtains will keep the heat outside and the cool inside.

Webber finds many Hudson Valley classic or historic homes have no ductwork - and installation is invasive and expensive. So he often recommends a mini-split ductless system, which permits customized heating and cooling throughout - even room to room.

Webber says several ductless air-handling units can hook up to one outdoor compressor / condenser, and unlike ducted systems, the footprint of a ductless system is minimal.

These systems, he says, are least invasive and the fastest way to heat and cool a new addition or a repurposed room. Ductless systems also use substantially less energy, Webber says, estimating his clients are saving as much as 30 percent on annual utility bills.

Finally, Webber says traditional ducted HVAC systems must be professionally cleaned on a regular basis - but even after cleaning, dust and allergens are left behind. While ductless systems offer multi-stage filtration to drastically reduce dust, bacteria, pollen, allergens and other particles in the air.

Source: https://energy.gov/energysaver/ductless-mini-split-heat-pumps

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