The Lunacy of House Burping
Some years ago in a previous century, I spent the month of January in Germany. It happened to be a winter of extreme cold, with a low temperature of -40 degrees† at one point. And yet, my German companions liked…
![House Burping Means Opening The Windows To Increase Ventilation, But It's Got Problems. [by Catalina Dondiuc, CC BY 2.0]](https://www.energyvanguard.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/open-window-house-burping-luften-ventilation.jpg)
indoor air quality
Source Control Comes First for Good IAQ
There's no mystery about how to achieve good indoor air quality (IAQ). But there's a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding. If you listen to know-nothing influencers, you might think all you need to do is buy whichever magic device they're…
Have You Seen What’s Hiding Behind That…
...drywall, flooring, ceiling, baseboard, et cetera? Children often fear the unknown monsters hiding beneath their bed or in the closet, but it's the adults who should be afraid. The monsters hiding from them are real. I've seen a bunch of…
How Electrification Can Keep You Healthy
It's Thanksgiving week here in the US again. That means a lot of people will be spending a lot of time indoors with ovens and cooktops firing. I'm one of those people. We're having a big get-together at my house,…
![How Many Installation Problems Can You Identify In This Photo Of An Energy Recovery Ventilator In An Unconditioned Crawl Space? [Photo By Robert Jordan Of Achieve Home Energy Advisor]](https://www.energyvanguard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/energy-recovery-ventilator-erv-bad-installation-1.jpg)
11 Ways to Screw Up an ERV Installation
How many ways can one screw up an ERV installation? Surprisingly many, as it turns out. And to look at their work, it seems that some installers think that maximizing those installation errors is the goal. I'll get into the…
Going Deeper With Your IAQ Knowledge
Do you know what two things are required for air to move from one place to another? Do you know why that's important to indoor air quality (IAQ)? Do you know what types of pollutants are best removed by filtration? …
7 Ways Airtightness Improves Your Home
One of the most effective ways to improve your home is to make it more airtight. But airtightness is about much more than reducing your energy bills. I have here a list of 7 ways that airtightness improves your home,…
The 6 Worst Indoor Air Pollutants
Consider the multitude of air pollutants you could inhale. You're probably inhaling some of them right now. Which of them, though, should you worry about the most? Well, IAQ researchers have begun addressing that question. The early work is showing…
Eliminating Filter Bypass for Cleaner Air
When it comes to the air moving through your HVAC system, filter bypass is not a good thing. The lead photo above shows a bad case of bypass. What you're looking at is an old-style high-efficiency pleated filter. I don't…
Fix More Houses!
Which do you think would have the bigger impact: Building better new houses or fixing existing homes? Well, let's do the numbers. In 2024, building departments across the US issued just shy of 1.5 million building permits for new homes…