A HOME COMFORT RETROFIT CASE STUDY: THE BOB MARCH RESIDENCE
South Reno, Nevada

3. Performed an efficiency analysis on the furnace and air distribution system.

4. Visually inspected the attic and crawl space.

5. Because the house is located on granitic soils, performed simple charcoal canister, 48-hour Radon test.

WHAT WE FOUND

Random air infiltration through the home was not severe but enough to cause comfort problems. Heated air escaping at the top of the house pulled in cold air from lower level cracks and holes, including from the crawl space. The problem was magnified when the furnace fan was running. Air intruding into batt insulation also reduced its R-value.

A. The Attic Hatch: The unsealed, uninsulated attic hatch allowed heated air to escape into the attic and beyond. Cold air shows up as dark ble or purple in this infrared photo.

B. The Recessed Lights: Cold air in the attic around this recessed light was captured as dark blue or purple in this infrared photo. This light was located in a dropped soffit which was open to the attic and uninsulated.

C. The Fireplace Chimney: This had a large open chase around it at the attic floor.

D. Pipe and Wire Openings: Penetrations under the sink allowed cold, polluted air from the crawl space to enter the living area. Wire penetrations and other pipe openings were unsealed in the attic.

E. Register Ducts: The register ducts indicated duct leakage.

F. Return Ducts: A return duct was disconnected from the grille in the living room.

G. Missing Insulation: There were R-19 fiberglass insulation batts on the attic floor with a smattering of blown-in fiberglass on top. Because of gaps, voids and air intrusion into the insulation, it was functioning well below the nominal R-19, which is half the recommended level of R-38. Following are examples of missing insulation as well as holes between the atttic and living space.