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A Bad Idea: Unvented gas fireplace
If you read no further, know this: unvented fireplaces are a bad idea. We’ve had a few responses regarding Carbon Monoxide lately, and for good reasons: it’s a concern we should pay close attention...
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New Year Resolutions in New York
We have a number of GreenHomes America locations in New York State. Recently NYSERDA suggested some New Year resolutions for this coming year. You can read all of the resolutions here, but here are...
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Nostalgic for that Old Edison Bulb? Comfort(of a kind) and Energy Efficiency...
Panasonic has released a dandy looking light bulb for the future. It looks a lot like something from the past. Certainly LED light bulbs have their place in our lighting future as they already do in...
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What’s all the hubbub about the “green button”?
The White House announced that PG&E, and San Diego Gas & Electric have launched the “green button”, an online tool that allows customers to download their own energy data. [Watch California...
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The Sweetness of Home Performance
Coming from New England, I find winter on the West Coast is a different beast. The lack of snow is not really it. I think it’s the fact that there are citrus trees in many back yards. My recent...
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Strengthen the country by investing at home, in your home!
Since the housing market unraveled 5 years ago, home prices have fallen by a third nationwide, which is by the way, more than they did during the Great Depression. Depressing? Maybe, but it has...
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CREE offering a new look for great lighting!
Our favorite LED, recessed down-lighting from CREE, the CR6, has gotten more colorful. Well actually the available trim kits have. Following the footsteps of Henry Ford “you can have any color as...
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Testing: More than Efficiency for Safety’s Sake!
Recently one of our advisors in the San Jose area discovered a potentially deadly situation while doing routine testing in a customer’s home. Robert Urbina, a Home Comfort Advisor with Residential...
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LED Lighting Facts: New Consumer Label for Lighting
Expect to see LED light bulb packaging sport a new label this summer. The intent is to introduce some transparency in the market and guard against exaggerated claims in lighting performance. This...
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Miracle Material and Alchemists Asset: A Modern Day Construction Curse?
Asbestos has captured the attention of human kind for thousands of years. In fact, the Greek physician Dioscorides noted in De Materia Medica that handkerchiefs made of asbestos were reused, cleaned...
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What’s in your attic?
Miracle Material, Modern Curse: Vermiculite Vermiculite insulation can be found in older homes. It was installed in attics often by homeowners, many years ago and sometimes made its way into walls....
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If windows save you 50% on energy costs, install twice as many and stop...
Ok, that’s quite a wild claim and one clearly not possible. But the Washington post last week reported that “Replacement-window firms agree to settlement with Federal Trade Commission”. The problem...
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Spring Ahead and Think Ahead Too: Save Yourself From More than a Headache...
Here is an excellent reminder from the CDC for those who need to adjust to daylight savings this Sunday March 11, 2012: change the batteries in your CO detector. I’ve mentioned the dangers of CO in...
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Undercover Heating Investigation: Some companies make it hard for those...
Recently a news station in Atlanta did an undercover investigation of a few local heating service companies. Their investigation revealed that unfortunately some contractors tried to sell unnecessary...
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Energy Efficient Tax Credits For 2011 and 2012
It’s that time of year again, and although we have written about Energy Efficiency tax credits for 2011 before, if you had work done this past year, it might be time to review. You can also go to our...
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Miracle material, modern curse: Pipe Wrapping Worries?
Boy that’s just ugly. Older homes, especially ones that had steam systems, often had pipe insulation like this; it looks a bit like white corrugated cardboard. I suspect it was as much to protect...
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Leaving the Door Open – I Cry Fowl!
One of our top advisors a few years back had a unique experience on an assessment visit. Leaving the doors open to his vehicle, he unknowingly acquired some unwanted guests. It made me think about...
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Fixes for Hidden Costs Reveal Hidden Benefits!
The offender in many folks’ minds when it comes to pollution is the automobile, not our homes. It seems to be ingrained in our heads that automobiles are the worst offenders; I won’t discourage...
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Cooking up Some Ideas About Air Sealing
This video helps to demonstrate the importance we place on air sealing. Before insulating, we tighten up the attic. Of course we also air seal elsewhere, and it’s part of many of the common household...
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Wave that Geek Flag! It’s not Flowers, Peace and Love Anymore
Many Americans love their TVs, and it must be “love” otherwise why would we spend so much on something that takes up so much real estate on the living room wall! Until recently they used a lot of...
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