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FAQs
Your question not listed below? Contact us and we’ll be happy to answer any energy questions you might have.
Why are there certain rooms in my home that are always hotter or cooler than the rest of my home?
There are a variety of reasons that could be the underlying cause of uneven temperatures in your home resulting in hot and cold rooms. The following are what areas may be causing your home’s comfort to fail:
• Inadequate amount or improper installation of insulation
• Faulty duct system design
• Duct leakage
• Windows
• Air leakage
At Ideal Energy, we address all of the above issues to make sure we resolve the concern.
Why do my bathrooms feel muggy or stuffy?
Inadequate ventilation is the primary cause for a muggy or stuffy bathroom. This situation can be caused by either an exhaust fan that is malfunctioning or due to improper use of the bathroom fan. Exhaust fans should be turned on when using the bathroom, and should be left on until all moisture is removed. A major problem in Arizona is that homeowners tend to turn their exhaust fans off when they leave the shower. This can also cause moisture to soak into the walls, creating mold and mildew problems.
Why do the walls nearby my duct registers and my actual duct registers have stains on them?
The most common cause for this problem are leaky ducts. If you have holes in your return ducts, more often than not, they will be drawing debris, unconditioned air, and any other harmful particles from the insulation, through your ducts and into your living area. Stains on your registers and walls are a good indication that your ducts are leaky.
At Ideal Energy, we use diagnostic equipment to quantify the exact amount of duct leakage. Not only is this a good practice, but also it is required to quality for some utility rebate programs.
Why do I feel like my allergies and/or asthma is acting up more when I’m at home?
Good indoor air quality is one of the most important elements of your living environment. More often than not, leaky ducts, mold, inadequate ventilation, and a leaky envelope are some of the main contributors to allergies or asthma.
Leaks in your home’s envelope or in your return ducts will be drawing debris, unconditioned air, and any other harmful particles from the insulation, through your ducts and into your living area. The key to good indoor air quality starts with source control, that is, preventing outside contaminants from entering your home in the first place.
What is a blower door?
At Ideal Energy we like to perform a Blower Door Test to help determine a home’s air tightness level, before and after retrofits have been made. This ensures our retrofits have worked and allows us to determine an estimate for how much energy a homeowner will save.
A blower door is a large, powerful fan that attaches to an adjustable frame, which is placed in your exterior doorframe. A digital monometer is attached to the fan, allowing it to measure air pressure. When the blower door is turned on, it essentially pulls air out of the home, depressurizing the envelope, causing the outside (more pressurized air) to force its way through any holes, cracks, or spaces that are open. The digital monometer tells us how much air is flowing out, or into your home per minute.
What is a Thermograph Scan?
Ideal Energy uses thermograph scans to help determine whether a home has any thermal or air leaks, just as long as there is a significant temperature difference from inside and outside of the home. With the thermograph scan, we can determine the temperature of each surface, pinpoint air leaks, and locate missing insulation, to know exactly where to emphasize our work.
What’s the difference between an Energy Improvement Mortgage (EIM) and an Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM)?
Energy Efficient Mortgages and Energy Improvement Mortgages both require a home energy rating to help the lender estimate your monthly energy savings, and to verify that your home is indeed energy efficient. The following table compares the two mortgages types:
| Energy Improvement Mortgage |
Energy Efficient
Mortgage |
• Finances energy improvements through your mortgage loan
• Takes in account how much money you will save by having retrofits done
• Does not increase your down payment |
• Is typically for purchasing new homes that are already energy efficient.
• Can be used for existing energy efficient homes
• Increases your purchasing power (the thought is, if you save money on your utility bills, you will have more money in your pocket to pay your mortgage) |
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