Carpenter Ants

As a homeowner, it’s crucial to be aware of potential threats to your property, and one such threat comes in the form of carpenter ants. These insects possess impressive carpentry skills, but they can also cause significant damage to homes if left unchecked. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at carpenter ants, their habits, and the steps you can take to protect your home from these unwanted guests.

Understanding Carpenter Ant Behavior:

Carpenter ants, scientifically known as Camponotus spp., are a common nuisance for homeowners. Unlike termites, they do not consume wood but excavate tunnels and galleries within wooden structures. These nests serve as their homes, where they create intricate passageways and establish colonies that can number in the thousands. Unfortunately, their nesting behavior can lead to severe structural damage over time.

Carpenter ants are primarily active during the night and prefer moist or decaying wood for nesting. The presence of moisture in the woods aids in the growth of eggs and larvae of carpenter ants. They can be found in various areas of your home, such as attics, crawlspaces, decks, or porches. Understanding their behavior and nesting preferences can help you target your efforts to eliminate them effectively. By identifying their preferred habitats, you can implement preventive measures specific to those areas and reduce the risk of infestation.

Identifying Carpenter Ant Infestations:

To protect your home, it’s crucial to identify carpenter ant infestations early on. Look out for winged ants indoors, particularly during spring when they swarm to establish new colonies. Additionally, keep an eye out for sawdust-like frass, which they discard near their nesting sites. Piles of wood shavings or tiny holes in wooden structures are also telltale signs of their presence. By recognizing these signs, you can take prompt action to address the issue before it escalates.

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Taking Preventive Measures:

Prevention is key when it comes to carpenter ants. Start by eliminating any sources of moisture, as these pests are attracted to damp environments. Repair leaks promptly and ensure proper ventilation in areas prone to excess moisture. Trim tree branches and vegetation that may provide bridges for ants to access your home. Additionally, seal any cracks or gaps in the foundation, walls, or windows to deny them entry. By proactively addressing these vulnerabilities, you can create an inhospitable environment for carpenter ants.

Regular Inspections and Maintenance:

To prevent carpenter ant infestations, regular inspections and maintenance are essential. Routinely check for signs of damage, such as weakened wood or hollow sounds when tapping on wooden surfaces. Keep firewood away from your home’s exterior and trim vegetation regularly. By maintaining a vigilant approach, you can stay one step ahead of these destructive pests. Consistency in inspections and maintenance can help you detect and address any vulnerabilities promptly.

Natural Remedies and Chemical Treatments:

Various natural remedies and chemical treatments are available for controlling carpenter ants. Natural remedies include diatomaceous earth, boric acid, or essential oils like tea tree or peppermint oil. These substances can be applied strategically to deter ants or disrupt their colonies. Chemical treatments, on the other hand, should be handled by professionals to ensure safety and efficacy. It’s essential to weigh the pros and cons of each approach and choose the one that aligns with your preferences and circumstances.

Professional Assistance:

If you suspect a carpenter ant infestation or notice significant damage to your property, it’s advisable to seek professional assistance. Pest control experts can accurately identify the extent of the infestation, locate nests, and employ effective eradication methods. They can also provide guidance on long-term prevention strategies to safeguard your home. Trusting the expertise of professionals can give you peace of mind and ensure the most efficient resolution of the issue.

Protecting Your Home, Preserving Your Peace of Mind:

Understanding the threat posed by carpenter ants and implementing preventive measures can go a long way in protecting your home. By taking proactive steps, seeking professional assistance when needed, and maintaining regular inspections, you can keep these unwanted guests at bay and enjoy a pest-free living environment for years to come. Safeguarding your home not only preserves its structural integrity but also provides you with the peace of mind and comfort you deserve as a homeowner.

Knob & Tube Wiring

Knob and tube wiring is a type of electrical wiring that was commonly used in homes built before the 1940s. While it may still exist in older homes, it is no longer a standard for modern homes. This is due to its many drawbacks, including safety hazards and limitations on modern electrical needs. In this article, we’ll explore the dangers and drawbacks of knob and tube wiring and why it is important to have it replaced.

What is Knob and Tube Wiring?

Knob and tube wiring comes with “neutral,” and “hot” conductors hung from cavities in the walls or ceiling. The conductors are made of copper protected by the insulation of asphalt-filled cloth or natural rubber. The wiring setup used to have porcelain knobs for holding the wires down and keeping them away from combustible wood framing. Also, the wooden framing members were drilled so that these porcelain tubes could be inserted and provide a channel for the conductors going through them.

Safety Hazards of Knob and Tube Wiring

Knob and tube wiring poses several safety hazards that make it a dangerous electrical system to have in your home. First, because the system is not grounded, it increases the risk of electrical shocks and fires. The lack of a grounding wire means that if a short circuit occurs or if there is an electrical fault in the system, there is no safe path for electrical current to flow. Without grounding, the risk of electrical shocks and fires increases significantly.

The insulation used on knob and tube wiring is typically made of cloth or rubber, which can become brittle and crack over time. This can expose the wires and increase the risk of electrical shock or fire. In addition, the insulation used on knob and tube wiring may not be able to withstand the heat generated by modern high-powered appliances. As a result, the insulation may degrade more quickly, making the wiring even more dangerous.

Insulation is also a problem in houses with knob and tube wiring as this kind of setup releases heat into the air. When insulation is placed on top of the wiring this heat can become trapped. Thus, there will be a heat build-up along the wires of the knob and tube wiring system, and the excessive heat can further lead to fire hazards.

Inadequate Capacity

The system was originally designed to handle a limited amount of electrical current such as low voltage electricity for lighting fixtures and small appliances such as radios and fans. As a result, they are inadequate for modern electrical needs. High-powered appliances such as air conditioners, refrigerators, and washing machines draw more electricity than knob and tube wiring systems can safely handle. Retrofitting knob and tube wiring for such applications can cause the wiring to overheat and potentially start a fire.

Furthermore, knob and tube wiring is not compatible with modern electrical systems, such as grounded outlets and circuit breakers. Most modern appliances demand 3-prong outlets which are grounded. However, knob and tube wiring comes with 2 prong systems. Yes, you can use adapters to adjust three-prong outlets with 2-prong system of the knob and tube wiring, but this runs the risk of overloading and short circuit and damaging the appliance.

This configuration can make it difficult to upgrade the electrical system in an older home. It can also make it challenging to meet building code requirements, which can result in fines or other penalties. In addition, some homeowners may find that their electrical needs exceed the capacity of their knob and tube wiring, which can lead to power outages and other issues.

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Home Insurance Issues

Many insurance companies are reluctant to insure homes with knob and tube wiring because of the safety risks. This can make it difficult to get affordable home insurance. Some policies may be more expensive than the actual cost to have the knob and tube wiring removed. Other insurance companies may require homeowners to have the wiring replaced before they will provide coverage, which can be costly. Homeowners should check with their insurance company to determine if their policy covers knob and tube wiring and what the requirements are for coverage.

Things to Keep in Mind If You Have Knob & Tube Wiring at Home

Homeowners abide by certain things if knob and tube wiring is present in their property. The things to follow are:

  • Confirmation of safe installation and modification of the system by an electrician
  • Use of fewer appliances in the home to reduce electrical requirements
  • Replacement of brittle or cracked wiring
  • Grounded wiring
  • Your bathroom, kitchen, laundry room, or outdoors must not have knob and tube wiring
  • Removal of insulation in the surrounding area of the knob and tube setup
  • Rewiring a house if the knob and tube wiring is deemed unsafe by the electrical contractor

Along with these, a homeowner should also consider whether rewiring is absolutely needed or not. If you are about to buy a house with knob and tube wiring, you should get a proper estimation of the charges for replacing the existing setup. You can then negotiate with the purchase price and seal the deal at a lower price.

Upgrading to Modern Electrical Systems

Replacing knob and tube wiring can be expensive. It often involves rewiring the entire house, which can be time-consuming and costly. The cost of replacing knob and tube wiring can vary depending on the size of the house, the extent of the wiring, and the type of electrical system that is installed. However, homeowners should consider the cost of replacing knob and tube wiring as an investment in their safety and the value of their home.

Knob and tube wiring can also be difficult to evaluate because the wires are often hidden behind walls and ceilings. This can make it difficult to identify potential safety hazards. In some cases, the wiring may have been modified or improperly installed, which can increase the risk of electrical problems. Homeowners should hire a licensed electrician to inspect their knob and tube wiring and recommend a course of action.

Nevertheless, the safest and most cost-effective solution for homes with knob and tube wiring is to upgrade to a modern electrical system. This involves rewiring the entire house and replacing outdated systems with modern ones. While the cost of upgrading can be significant, homeowners should consider it as an investment in their safety and the value of their home. Upgrading to a modern electrical system can also increase the home’s energy efficiency and reduce utility costs over time.

Attic Insulation

Providing your attic a little more care means you are going to experience several benefits in the near future. No matter whether you are building a new home or renovating the existing one, insulating your attic can greatly reduce your cooling and heating bills. In fact, most energy-efficient HVAC systems can’t even function at their maximum efficiency without proper attic insulation.

Nowadays, most homeowners like you are concerned about maintaining a comfortable home environment all year round. But if the temperature varies from room to room or from location to location, it will surely affect the comfort level of your home.  If you are currently experiencing the same, you should consider insulating your attic as soon as possible. No doubt, this will ensure that the indoor temperature of your home remains stable all over the year without being affected by extreme outdoor weather.

Although attic insulation is not an extensive renovation project, it requires great knowledge and expertise. So, it’s important to have sound knowledge so that you can make informed decisions while purchasing attic insulation or maintaining that. In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about attic insulation.

Importance of Attic Insulation

It is hard to ignore the importance of attic insulation when it comes to making your home more energy-efficient. Your attic insulation serves the purpose of preventing heat transfer between your house’s indoor and outdoor spaces. So, it is capable of protecting your house from extreme temperatures in colder and warmer months.

In fact, most of the cold and hot air entering and leaving the homes travels through the attic. That is why you need to ensure that your attic is properly insulated. No doubt, the attic bears the burden of the heat of the sun throughout the year. But if your home is missing proper attic insulation, you may lose up to 85% of its heat through the attic in winter.

As per the EPA, insulating your attic can save you 15% on energy bills on average. So, you can easily get an idea of how much additional energy your appliances will consume if you don’t insulate them. Apart from that, attic insulation greatly reduces the downside of weather fluctuations in your home. As a result, the burden on your HVAC is minimized as attic insulation can minimize all the impacts of weather fluctuations on your home.

In addition, a well-insulated attic helps to prevent pollution from entering your home, which helps maintain your home’s air quality. So if you have a poorly-insulated attic, it can allow outdoor pollutants to enter, which affects your whole house’s air quality. Furthermore, a properly insulated attic is capable of preventing moisture accumulation in your home.

Benefits of Attic Insulation

A properly insulated attic can help every homeowner in a number of ways. No doubt, the most significant benefit is offering them a huge difference in your energy bill, whatever the season may be. But apart from that, there are many benefits of insulating an attic space. Let’s explore how insulating your attic space can help you when it comes to the comfort of your home.

  • Saves on Your Energy Bill

Homeowners, who are concerned about their increasing energy bill for heating/cooling needs, can be hugely benefited from adding insulation to their attic. The reason behind it is pretty simple. Heats flow into your house during summer days and move out of your house in the winter. When you properly insulate your attic space, it can restrict this heat transfer.  As a result, you can control your electricity consumption as you need less energy to meet all your heating and cooling needs. And it will reflect in your energy bills.

  • Controls Air Leakage

Insulating your attic space means limiting the air leakage in your home. Frankly speaking, when you insulate your attic space, you can restrict most the air leakage from the roofs, ceilings, and walls. This results in reducing electricity consumption and cost. In fact, it is estimated that you can reduce almost 40% of home heating and cooling costs by installing proper attic insulation.

  • Offering Better Air Quality

Insulating your attic space with proper insulation can help you to prevent the harmful effects of outdoor air pollutants. Air pollutants like radon, dirt, smoke, or mold exist in outdoor spaces and enter your home through attic vents. And some of these pollutants lead to respiratory problems, headaches, and fatigue.

  • Keeps Your Indoor Temperature Stable

It is common for homeowners to experience temperature fluctuation in different indoor spaces of their homes if they have old and damaged insulation. They might experience that rooms upstairs may be hotter than the rooms downstairs. Insulating your attic space can be the best bet to tackle this problem and keep your home’s temperature comfortable throughout the year.

  • Increase Your Home’s Value

Upgrading the old attic or installing a new one can increase the overall value of your home. Insulating your attic space gives home buyers the assurance of reduced energy costs, a comfortable home environment, and advanced roof protection. So, it can be considered a strong selling point.

Factors to be Considered While Buying Attic Insulation for Your Home

When it comes to insulating your attic space, there are many factors to consider. But the most important factor is the maximum thermal performance or R-value of the material you have chosen for attic insulation. The term R-value refers to the maximum ability of a material to resist heat transfer, and it is measured in the per-inch unit. Therefore, the higher the value is, it is much better in performance.

Nowadays, different types of attic insulations are available in the marketplace depending on factors like R-value, eco-friendliness, accessibility, durability, and many more things. These include:

  • Blow-in Insulation
  • Spray Foam Insulation
  • Batt Insulation
  • Structural Insulated Panels
  • Loose-Fill Insulation
  • Reflective Insulation

However, the most common types of materials used for attic insulation are fiberglass, foam board, and mineral wool.

If you are living in a home with a finished attic, it means your attic space is already partially insulated. However, it is always better to increase the R-value in case your home is having an older attic. If you’re like most homeowners, you’re probably focused on insulating your walls and ceilings to improve energy efficiency and lower your utility bills. But there’s one area of your home that you might be overlooking: your attic hatch. Your attic hatch is the access point to your attic, and it’s often a significant source of energy loss in many homes.

Installing new attic insulation or upgrading the existing insulation is never a walk in the park. Without proper experience, it may result in faulty attic insulation. So, while choosing the DIY approach, you might be unable to properly insulate every corner of your attic spaces. Sometimes you might use the right type of insulation materials but follow the wrong method. So, it is always better to contact a professional contractor to insulate your attic space for complete peace of mind.

The Problem with Insulating Against Rafters

When it comes to insulating your home, one common approach is to install insulation against the rafters of your attic. While this may seem like a good idea, there are some potential problems that homeowners should be aware of. Here’s a guide to the problems with insulating against rafters:

  1. Condensation: One of the biggest problems with insulating against rafters is the potential for condensation to occur. If warm, moist air from your home gets trapped between the insulation and the roof sheathing, it can cause condensation to form. This can lead to moisture damage, mold growth, and other moisture-related problems.
  2. Poor ventilation: Insulating against rafters can also impede proper ventilation in your attic. Good ventilation is important for preventing moisture buildup and maintaining good indoor air quality. When insulation is installed against the rafters, it can block the flow of air and prevent proper ventilation.
  3. Reduced effectiveness: Insulating against rafters may also reduce the effectiveness of your insulation. When insulation is installed in the attic floor, it helps to keep the warm air inside your home from escaping into the attic. But when insulation is installed against the rafters, it can allow warm air to escape through the roof. This can reduce the effectiveness of your insulation and lead to higher energy bills.

To encourage proper air circulation and ventilation in the attic, components called attic baffles or rafter vents are installed. They are usually made of rigid foam, plastic, or cardboard and placed between roof rafters to form a gap that enables air to flow between the soffit vents and the roof vents.

Attic baffles serve to prevent insulation from obstructing air movement and prevent moisture accumulation that can cause mold and decay. By facilitating air circulation and ventilation, they help to regulate temperature and increase energy efficiency, ultimately prolonging the roof’s lifespan.

Final Thoughts

Proper insulation of your attic hatch is an important step in improving the energy efficiency and comfort of your home. By preventing heat loss, reducing energy consumption, and improving indoor air quality, insulation can provide a number of benefits for homeowners. Whether you’re looking to save money on your energy bills, improve the value of your home, or simply increase your comfort, insulating your attic hatch is a simple and effective solution.

What Is Thermal Imaging?

Thermal imaging inspections, also known as infrared inspections, use specialized cameras to capture images of heat signatures. These images allow inspectors to see temperature differences in the equipment and building structures they are inspecting. By analyzing these temperature differences, inspectors can identify potential problems before they escalate into major issues.

Why are Thermal Imaging Inspections Important?

Thermal imaging inspections can detect a wide range of problems, including electrical faults, insulation defects, moisture intrusion, and HVAC problems. Thermal imaging inspections can help identify problems before they become critical, which can save you  time and money. For example, if an electrical panel has a hotspot, it could lead to a complete system failure if left unaddressed. With thermal imaging inspections, the hotspot can be identified and corrected before it becomes a major issue. By identifying issues early, homeowners can avoid costly repairs, downtime, and even safety hazards.

How Are Thermal Imaging Inspections Performed?

Thermal imaging inspections are typically performed by certified inspectors who use specialized cameras to capture heat signatures. These cameras are often handheld which allows inspectors to capture images from various angles. Once the images are captured, they are analyzed by inspectors who can identify any potential problems. After thermal imaging inspections are completed, inspectors will provide a report outlining any potential issues. This report will include recommendations for corrective action, which may include repairs, replacements, or maintenance procedures. You can then use this information to address any issues before they escalate into major problems.

What Are the Limitations of Thermal Imaging Inspections?

While thermal imaging inspections can provide valuable information, they do have limitations. For example, they cannot detect problems that do not generate heat signatures. Additionally, they may not be able to identify issues that are located in hard-to-reach areas. While thermal imaging inspections cannot detect all types of issues, they can provide a valuable tool for identifying many types of problems. Additionally, they can be used in conjunction with other diagnostic tools to provide a comprehensive picture of the health of equipment and buildings.

Where Can Thermal Imaging Inspections be Used?

Thermal imaging inspections can be used in a variety of settings, including commercial buildings, manufacturing facilities, data centers, and power plants. Anywhere that equipment or building structures could be at risk of failure, thermal imaging inspections can provide valuable insights to prevent potential problems.

Final Thoughts

Thermal imaging inspections are a game-changer in preventative maintenance. They provide valuable information that can help companies identify potential problems before they escalate into major issues. By using thermal imaging inspections, companies can increase equipment lifespan, improve safety, and reduce costs. While thermal imaging inspections do have limitations, they are a valuable tool for any company that wants to ensure their equipment and building structures are operating at peak performance.

What Devices Consume the Most Energy in Your Home

What Devices Consume the Most Energy in Your Home

The heating and air conditioning systems are responsible for over half the electricity and energy consumption in a house. Nevertheless, it goes without saying that with higher overall energy consumption, the cost of the monthly energy bill tends to increase. So, it is important that we talk about energy consuming home appliances.

Here, we will also tell you about the vampire appliances that continue to suck in electricity even when turned off. In addition, we will try to figure out how to save your electricity costs.

  1. Heaters

Your home heating system is the answer if you want to know about the biggest users of electricity in your home. In various reports of the U.S. Energy Information Administration and the United States Environmental Protection Agency or EPA, it is said that the highest percentage of energy consumption in the US households results from space heating. The percentage of energy consumption in residential buildings can further go up if there are unfixed insulation issues.

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  1. Water Heating Appliances

A distant second, water heating appliances are responsible for huge energy consumption in your house. According to Energy Saver, around 20% of any residential home’s energy consumption is done by water heaters. Many homeowners use water heaters for showering, dishwashing, laundry, and other purposes. However, to reduce the energy consumption of water heaters, you can opt for tankless and/or heat pump variations. Tankless water heaters make water heated only when there is a requirement instead of heating water all through the day. Heat pump water heaters can capture heat from the surrounding environment and use this to warm the water and thus consume less energy.

  1. Appliances for Cooling

Cooling appliances secure the third spot if you want to know what home devices use the most electricity. In the Annual Energy Outlook 2022 report of the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the use of electricity by cooling appliances in homes was around 16% of the whole residential electrical energy consumption in the US during 2021. However, depending on the climate of your locality and the temperature of your outdoor air, the use of energy consumption by cooling appliances can vary.

  1. Lighting

EIA says that 5 to 7% of energy consumption in a household happens due to lighting setups. However, you can easily cut down the energy consumption by lighting amenities by consulting an electrical contractor near you. They can help you by replacing the existing setup with LED and smart bulbs.

  1. Refrigerators

As per the EIA, energy consumption by refrigerators constitutes 3-5% of energy consumption in average US households. Experts say that despite the relatively energy consumption of refrigerators per hour, these are one of the most energy consuming home appliances because they run for constantly.

  1. Washer and Dryer

As a homeowner, you can probably guess that washers and dryers do around 3.2% of the monthly electricity consumption of your house. However, the amount of consumption can differ from one house to another depending on how often these laundry appliances are used. In addition, if you are using hot water for washers and dryers, the amount of energy consumption need to be factored in.

  1. Electric Oven

Electric ovens will surely be on the list if you want to know what appliances use the most electricity in your home. These appliances consume around 3% of the total energy used by an average US household every month.

Other appliances consuming the most amount of energy in a household are home entertainment equipment, various kitchen appliances, computers, boiler circulation pumps, furnace fans, etc.

 

Knowing About Vampire Appliances

If you want to know about energy consuming home appliances, you need to have an understanding vampire appliances. Vampire appliances continue to consume electricity even when they are not performing their functions or switched off. Some of the most commonly used vampire appliances in residential buildings are microwaves, televisions, computers, printers, set-top boxes, central heating furnaces, DVD/VCR, furnaces for central heating, gaming consoles, routers & modem, and phones.

However, with a little awareness, you can reduce energy consumption by these vampire appliances. You can pull the plug from the socket when the appliances are not being used. Also, you can connect some of these devices to a power strip which can be turned off when you are not using it. Further, you can purchase Energy Star appliances that use very less power in standby mode. Moreover, you can get an energy audit done in your home to learn about old and inefficient appliances.

 

How to Save Your Electricity Costs

  • Go for Smart Appliances

Using smart appliances will help you to get rid of excessive energy consumption because these appliances come with the provision for monitoring the use of electricity. Further, they get turned off when you are not using them. Installing smart outlets and appliances will also help you eliminate the hassle of constantly switching on and switching off the plugs. So, if you have old and inefficient home appliances, replace them with smart appliances.

  • Purchase Energy Star Appliances

The Energy Star Program was started by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the year 1992. This program has been helping homeowners reduce the amount of energy used by each appliance. So, even if these appliances are a little costlier upfront, its important to keep in mind that appliances with an Energy Star rating are energy efficient and use less energy than other appliances.

  • Make Use of the Timers and Inbuilt Energy Saving Capacity of Appliances

Many appliances like heaters, air conditioners, and televisions come with integrated energy-saving features. For example, you can set the timer in your air conditioning system or use the standby mode on your computer to lessen the use of electricity.

  • Get a Home Energy Audit

If the insulation of your house is perfect, the energy consumption of your house will go down. But how does a homeowner know whether your house’s insulation is working properly? You can easily find the efficiency of your home insulation system by getting an energy audit conducted. Many states in the US offer free energy audits in homes.

 

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, now you have fair ideas about what home devices use the most electricity. We have also discussed vampire appliances and how you can reduce energy consumption with some smart practices. So, it’s time to keep a check on the duration for which you use the most energy-intensive appliances and get the inefficient or more energy-consuming appliances with smart and energy-efficient appliances.

Basement Insulation and Air Sealing

The Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy has discussed the scope of basement insulation and house sealing and mentions that these measures help boost a building’s thermal performance. In addition, the basement insulation and house sealing are essential to transform the basement into a usable and dryer space for the inhabitants and improving the performance of HVAC equipment.

Further, basement insulation and house sealing are helpful if you do not want to pay high energy bills every season. For example, with proper insulation and sealing, your house’s basement will retain cooler and warmer air in summer and winter, respectively. Thus, the demand on the HVAC setup will be reduced.

However, these two measures often addressed simultaneously for improving the energy efficiency and thermal comfort of a building are actually different. We will discuss how these processes differ, how many differences they make, and their benefits and costs.

Is Air Sealing the Same as Insulation?

Not quite. As the name suggests, air sealing is the process of sealing leaks in various areas of your house, including the basement. Air sealing becomes necessary when there is no control over the outside air entering your house and conditioned inside air escaping the building.

The common areas of a basement needing air sealing are rim joists, foundation walls, ceilings, floors, etc. A blower door test conducted by an expert air sealing and insulation contractor will tell you if the basement of your building needs air sealing.

How does Air Sealing Work?

The blower test helps in detecting the location of cracks and holes in your house. On finding the unwanted presence of crevices, cracks, or holes and assessing the house as drafty, the professional seals the air gaps. There are many sealing agents available, and based on the size and location of air gaps, the sealing agent is selected.

The professional selects the sealant suitable for air sealing in the basement. The application process of the sealing agents differs based on the property of the sealing agent used. With air sealing in required places in the basement, the air from outside cannot enter. This aspect comes in handy, especially in the cold or rainy season.

Also, the sealing prevents the to and fro movement of air during summer, making the job of cooling the house with fans and AC easier.

How does Insulation Work?

The professional hired assesses the condition of the space that requires insulation. Based on the location and insulating agent selected, the professional plans the procedure of adding insulation.

Before understanding how insulation works, it’s wise to explore the movement of warm air or heat inside the house. Heat travels from warmer areas to cooler ones. So, as you switch on the heater during winter, the heat goes from the warmer part of the house to the colder sides.

But, as the summer comes, you use the cooler or air-conditioner to keep your house cooler compared to the outside. Then, the exterior heat aims to invade your comparatively cooler house. And that’s when insulation comes into play. The insulation prevents or slows the entry of unwanted heat by providing an envelope or protective barrier.

Furthermore, as the job of keeping your house cooler becomes easy, you can use the AC less. And during the winter, the heat inside the house will take longer to leave the house, thus helping you keep a somewhat higher temperature in the interiors.

Cost of Basement Insulation

Considering the insulation types available for the basement, the cost of insulation materials can reach anywhere between $0.2 and $3 per board foot. Getting foam insulation can require you to spend anywhere between $0.2 and $15 per square foot.

The overall bill for basement insulation can reach somewhere between $1000 and $6500. The price variation occurs due to the variation in installation costs of professionals hired for basement insulation, regional cost difference, and the type and amount of insulation you need.

Types of Insulation in the Basement

The variety of insulation in the basement comes from the location of insulation and types of insulation used. You can insulate the walls, floors, and ceiling of the basement, and that is how we have three types of basement insulation based on location.

But, mainly, the basement insulation rises from the varieties of ingredients used in insulation. Sprayed foam insulation involves the use of a sprayer for insulating the ceilings and walls in the basement. The insulation takes a hard form after its application. Thus, this variety serves well for closing gaps in the basement walls or ceilings and, therefore, acts as giving good barrier for protecting you from unpleasant weather.

Foam boards, another type of basement insulation that can be used on floors, ceilings, and walls in the basement, involve a rigid type of insulation. This aims to cut down the heat flow into and out of the basement through structures or crevices. This type involves integrating insulation materials that are easy to handle and vary in thickness, thus giving you both ease and convenience.

Apart from these types, we have commonly used insulation using fiberglass. In this type, fiberglass combines with other components to give excellent insulation when applied to basement ceilings and walls. The resulting insulation product can be found in the form of rolls and sheets.

Types of Air Sealing Products

There are wide varieties of air sealing products based on the size of gaps and types of structures that need sealing. You can use caulks to close the small gaps like openings or cracks in non-movable parts like window frames and door frames. But you can get a wide variety of caulks owing to their different properties and qualities.

For sealing comparatively wider openings, you can make use of foams. These polyurethane-based sealants vary in properties. Foams can attach well to approximately every surrounding object and expand to cover surfaces with rough textures and irregular cracks. Among foams, there are subtypes based on application suitability for different sizes of openings.

You may consider affordable one-part foams for filling cracks. For sealing large openings and surfaces, you can use two-part foams.  However, you’ll need specific sealing materials for closing the gaps in movable objects like windows and doors. And for that purpose, we have got weatherstripping materials. But, weatherstripping may not be as suitable as rigid materials for air sealing larger surfaces and penetrations in the basement. Rigid materials include plywood, polyethylene, drywall, and plastic-based housewraps.

Is Air Sealing More Important than Insulation?

Both air sealing and insulation in parts of the house, including the basement, provide protective layers to keep the insides of your house comfortable. But the two processes differ in the aspects they focus on and how they operate.

Insulation aims to control the house temperature and thus prevents or lowers the heat transfer between your house interiors and exteriors. On the other hand, air sealing covers any gaps or holes in your residence, minimizing air passing from inside to the outside and vice versa.

Both processes are valuable for keeping your house temperature apt for living. But what if you have a tight budget and want to choose one of the two? In other words, which one should receive more priority from you as a homeowner among air sealing and insulation in the basement?

Many experts consider both sealing and insulation important, and when working together, these procedures are great for improving your living conditions. But there’s no point in getting good insulation in the basement if it’s filled with small gaps promoting unwanted air movements.

Unattended problems associated with air tightness always bring down the efficacy of the insulation. Moreover, air sealing is thought to be more effective alone compared to insulation. Despite both processes being involved with energy efficiency, air sealing scores higher on the scale of making your house comfy and increasing the effectiveness of the house air-conditioning system.

How Much of a Difference Does Air Sealing Make?

The presence of air leaks contributes to 20% of 40% of energy loss in your residence. And that can be prevented by having good sealing in your house locations, including the basement. Even proper air control aided by air sealing extends to controlling vapor passage.

Along with unwanted air entry, excess water vapor or moisture can enter your house through cracks or gaps. But with air sealing, you can control the passage of excess moisture entry that causes structural damage in your interiors.

Further, you can save approximately 10% on costs for heating and cooling the inside of your house.

Benefits of Air Sealing and Insulation in the Basement

There are several benefits of installing or applying sealing and insulation in your basement.

  • Preventing the entry of pollens, or substances carrying the potential to cause allergy
  • Better temperature control during cold weather, and thus becoming effective, especially in cold regions
  • Improved regulation of interior humidity
  • Cutting out noise from the exteriors of the house
  • Preventing freezing of water pipes in colder regions or during winters

Final Thoughts

We hope you have gained a sound idea of how air sealing and insulation in the basement differ. Both processes make the interiors of your house more suitable for living. But, if faced with the need to pick any single procedure, you can go for air sealing since it is more energy efficient.

How Much Snow Can Your Roof Hold?

Snowfall may be magical, but a roof covered in a large amount of snow can cause costly and dangerous damage to the roof and even result in collapse. Luckily, the majority of roofs are capable of sustaining the load of a bit of snow. Frankly speaking, most residential and commercial roofs are designed with the aim of holding up under the weight of a substantial amount of snow. An average roof will hold up to 20 pounds of snow per square foot. This is roughly equivalent to two feet of wet snow or up to four feet of light, fluffy snow.

The problem arises when the snow load becomes heavier. No doubt, several factors decide how much snow a roof can hold. These may be the shape and composition of your roof or the types of snow. Folks with steep-pitch roofs won’t experience this problem, but those with flat roofs may need to get their roofs cleared regularly to prevent collapse. If you are still unaware of how much snow your roof can hold, as well as want to know about the warning signs of too much snow on the roof and tips for removing them, don’t worry. In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know in case your roof is overloaded with snow.

 

Benefits of a Snow Covered Roof

Many homeowners become worried at the sight of snow piled up on their roof—but this is actually a good sign! If the snow is quickly melting, this could be an indicator that heat from your home is escaping through the attic floors and then transferring from your roof to the exterior.

Snow that hasn’t yet begun to melt may act as an insulative blanket on your roof. A light, fluffy snow is made up of ice crystals suspended in pockets of air—that’s the same composition of fiberglass insulation, except glass instead of ice. With this make up, it is likely that snow does help retain some of the heat within your home—but of course, you should really rely on your home’s insulation for this!

Normally we wouldn’t expect heat transfer to be such an issue, but the problem is that the heat doesn’t exactly transfer evenly through the roof. The heat rises to the peak of the roof while the edges down near your gutters are much colder. This difference in temperatures can result in snow melting at the higher areas and freezing into ice at the lower edges of the roof. This creates a condition known as ice damming . These dams of ice can lead to leaks and significant roof damage.

RELATED ARTICLE: What Is Ice Damming?

 

Factors Deciding a Roof’s Capacity to Hold Snow

The local building codes dictate the maximum snow load on a roof required for any residential building. So, it is important for you to contact the local building department to know the snow load requirements for your locality. Fortunately, most roofs are capable of withstanding 20 lbs per square foot of snow before becoming stressed.  However, there are several factors at play when deciding the maximum snow load on a roof. Let’s take a look at the factors deciding a roof’s capacity to hold snow.

  • Your Roof’s Shape

The shape of your roof plays an important role in shedding snow. Angular roofs are much more efficient in shedding a load of snow than flat roofs because of the gravitational forces. So, homeowners with steeper roofs do not need to pay as much attention to the snow accumulation.

  • Your Roof’s Shingles

If your roof shingles are in poor condition, they might have a tough time withstanding the weight of the accumulated snow. For this reason, it is always important for you to examine your roof before the first snowfall of the season. In case you find any defective roof shingles, contact a professional roofing contractor to replace them with a new ones. The amount of layers of shingles on your roof will also impact the amount of snow the roof can hold. A roof with 2 or more layers of shingles will undergo a greater strain.

  • Type of Snow

There is no doubt that snow can vary in weight. Wet and packed snow always weighs more than light and powdery fresh snow. As mentioned earlier, most residential roofing can hold 20-30 lbs of snow per square foot. However, the situation can worsen when a snowstorm drops more than 24 inches of snow followed by rainfall.

 

Warning Signs of Too Much Snow on Your Roof

  • Sagging Roof

It is common to witness a sagging roof when it is overloaded with snow. This can often be seen on the ceilings or rafters of your home, either from the inside or outside of your home. For this reason its important to head up to your attic to evaluate the roof structure and ensure no snow has entered. Sometimes, snow from your roof can get sucked in by the roof’s ventilation. A dusting of snow inside your attic is normal, but if you find drifts of snow, it could collapse the drywall ceilings below when it melts.

  • Cracks in New Drywall or Plaster

If you see any new cracks in walls around interior door frames, this could be a sign that your roof is overloaded with snow.  No doubt, snow on the roof can cause structural problems and framing issues with your house, such as difficulty closing doors normally.

  • Leaks in Ceilings

Any leaks in the ceilings after a blizzard or heavy snowfall can indicate having too much snow on your roof, escalating the risk of collapsing the roof. So, It is always important to spend some time inspecting your home’s ceiling after a heavy snowfall to ensure that there aren’t overloads of snow.

 

Tips for Removing Snow from Your Roof

You will need to judge when is an appropriate time to remove accumulated snow from your roof. Still, you can’t exactly get on top of your roof with a snow shovel. If you have an asphalt roof, you run the risk of doing serious damage to your shingles, which can cause your roof to leak afterwards—and all kinds of havoc as a consequence.

Instead, hire a roofing contractor to safely handle the removal for you. It generally only costs about $100 to $500, and it will save your roof a lot of wear and tear. If the roofers in your area are all booked up, you can do some of the work yourself using a special tool called a roof rake. This long-armed instrument looks sort of like a window squeegee you’d find at a carwash, except it has an aluminum blade with a set of rolling wheels on each end to keep it from damaging your roof. The following tips will help you remove snow and ice from your roof.

  • Always use a telescopic rake to clean the snow off the roof
  • Remove snow and icicles from the edges of the roof
  • Don’t try to remove all the snow, as it can damage your roof’s shingles
  • Make sure there is no snow on your attic space

 

Final Thoughts

We hope now you have a sound knowledge of how much snow a roof can hold, warning signs of too much snow on the roof, and tips for removing them. One thing you should always remember is while cleaning the snow from your roof on your own, do not damage the roofing material. There is no need to manually remove all the snow.

What Is A Radon Mitigation System?

Radon, a radioactive gas, is formed from uranium’s breakdown. This colorless gas with no smell or taste is the second largest cause of lung cancer. The EPA, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, has raised a major concern about the impact of excessive radon in the air, estimating more than 20000 lung cancer deaths facilitated by radon. Further, the American Lung Association’s State of Lung Cancer Report published on 14th January 2022 indicates that Connecticut residents may also find themselves in the presence elevated concentrations of radon in the air. The report says that 25.8% of Connecticut’s radon test results are equal to or more than the Action level of 4 pCi/L as per EPA guidelines. These facts make it necessary to know how to get rid of radon in the air.

The Department of Public Health in Connecticut has responded to this with a Radon Program, recommending that residents get radon testing done at their homes. The testing is usually done with short-term and long-term devices. The Connecticut Department of Health has its list of Nationally Certified (by AARST-NRPP or NRSB) Measurement Professionals who conduct this testing. These professionals are further registered at the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. The state also helps find qualified professionals to help mitigate or reduce radon levels in your home.

But as a homeowner, you also need to be aware of radon mitigation and how it is done. So, here we are to discuss radon mitigation and radon mitigation systems.

What is Radon Mitigation?

The process of reducing the levels of radon gas concentration in a home’s or occupied building’s breathing zone is called radon mitigation. Radon mitigation starts if the level of radon in the air is found to be equal to or more than the EPA Action level of 4.0 pCi/L. You need to contact a qualified and certified professional for mitigating radon from air and water.

The contractor will decide the best radon reduction method for your home. Further, s/he will install a system for radon mitigation in your home. S/he will also guide you on the proper maintenance of the system.

RELATED ARTICLE: Radon In Water

 

What is a Radon Mitigation System?

A radon mitigation system is used to decrease the level of radon in the air. A radon mitigation system is usually constituted of a radon fan, U-tube manometer, radon system tag, active notification monitor, suction pit, and radon pipe.

The radon fan is placed in a garage, attic, unconditioned space, or outside the house to stop radon from leaking back into the home. Further, the fan will never be placed in a livable place or anywhere near the livable space. The fan will be connected to a PVC radon pipe, and the pipe will pull the radon found in the foundation or basement of a house when inserted through a suction pit and expel radon outside into the air.

The U-tube manometer in the mitigating system will help track whether the fan is working properly. The active notification monitor functions as an alarm in case the fan fails to function properly. Finally, the radon system tag has the name, phone number, and license number of the installer, along with the installation date. The professional installer of a system will put the tag on it once the installation work is complete.

What is the Most Common Method of Radon Mitigation?

An Active Subslab Suction, also known as Subslab Depressurization, is the most reliable and common method of radon mitigation. In this method, the professional will insert one or multiple suction pipes through the floor slab (indoor) or a concrete slab (outdoor). The suction pipes will reach the soil or crushed rock under the slab to suck out radon. Further, the suction pipes will be connected to a vent fan that will release the sucked radon gas to the outdoors. The fan will also create a negative pressure or vacuum under the floor or concrete slab for radon mitigation.

Other common methods of radon mitigation are:

  • Passive Subslab Suction
  • Drain-Tile Suction
  • Block-Wall Suction
  • Sump-Hole Suction
  • Crawlspace Ventilation
  • Sealing
  • Heat Recovery Ventilation
  • Natural Ventilation
  • Home or Room Pressurization

How to Install Radon Mitigation System?

The installation procedure of a radon mitigation system is divided into three steps, before mitigation, during mitigation, and after mitigation. Before mitigation, a professional radon test is conducted to know the level of radon in the air. Then, the hired professional contractor assesses your home to understand how the mitigation system can be built.

RELATED ARTICLE: What Is Radon Testing?

During mitigation, the contractor will decide the right fan size for your home and ensure the installation has been done properly. S/he will also get the cracks and openings in the basement sealed so that no radon leakage happens. Finally, s/he installs the mitigating system following a step-by-step process mentioned below.

  • Drilling a hole into the basement slab suitable for inserting a 3-inch PVC pipe
  • Digging the suction pit from where the pipe will collect radon
  • Running a pipe from cellar to the exterior, ensuring the pipe is at least 10 ft above the ground level, placed away from windows, doors, openings of that specific building and adjacent buildings by at least 10 ft if the pipe does not expel the sucked radon gas at least 2ft above these building openings and roof edge
  • Placing and sealing the pipe
  • Running the pipe to the vent fan
  • Manometer installation
  • Testing the mitigation system

At the after-mitigation stage, the professional will explain the operations of the mitigation system to the homeowners. S\he will conduct a radon test to ensure the radon level has decreased post the mitigation process.

Does Radon Mitigation Improve Air Quality?

Yes, radon mitigation improves air quality in a space. Especially those mitigation systems with fan vents can ensure powerful moisture suction from the area in the basement or under the foundation slab. Thus, the humidity in your home air will be reduced, and you will enjoy fresher and cleaner air with less chances of musty odors.

Further, an EPA report suggests that mold exposure and excessive dampness are the reason for 21% of asthma cases in the United States. So, by reducing mold growth, a radon mitigation system will also combat the spread of disease in your house.

The reduced humidity in the air prevents the rapid infestations of viruses, bacteria, mold, dust, and other elements that spread asthma, allergy, and many respiratory problems.

What is the Cost of a Radon Mitigation System?

The cost of a radon mitigation system depends on many factors like the type of foundation (basement, crawl space, on-grade slabs) your house has, the design and size of your house, system type used, climate and location, labor and permit charges in your locality, type of equipment used, etc. Further, whether you are using a DIY kit or seeking professional assistance for radon testing will determine the cost of a radon mitigation system. DIY kits are cheaper but do not always produce comprehensive results. You should always seek professional help for radon testing and system installation.

Nevertheless, installing a radon mitigation system in your home will cost between $1500 and $4000. However, the cost can increase if you have a large property with multiple foundations.

Final Words

Hopefully, now you have a clear idea about how radon reduction systems work and why they are essential to eliminate cancer-causing radon in the air of your indoor space. Besides installing a mitigation system, you can also make some changes in the overall ventilation system in your house (along with natural ventilation) so that an increased airflow reduces the radon level in the air.

Oil Tanks

Oil tanks are mainly used for commercial and industrial settings. But, they find their places even in domestic settings. People do use oil heat, especially in cold regions, for which they need an oil storage tank.

These tanks may sound simple, but they have versatile designs and components. And thus, oil tanks are never limited to a single context.

Read on to learn about oil tanks and their important aspects.

What are Oil Tanks?

To put it simply, oil tanks provide spaces for oil storage. The tanks act as a reservoir or a container, storing the oil during different stages of processing or making different oil-based products. Moreover, they can store oil prior to its use or consumption.

They are mainly composed of steel, fiberglass, or plastic. Steel tanks can be used for storing oils above or under the ground. Another alternative to these materials is building tanks made of concrete.

Among plastic and steel varieties, the former provides advantages like suitability for processing and low weight, which makes installation or replacement comparatively easy. But, steel components offer overall better services as materials for oil tanks due to greater resistance to harsh weather and durability against accidental harm.

However, combination materials can offer better service based on reliability and sturdiness. In combination tanks, polyethylene composes the inner tank. And galvanized steel builds up the outer tank.

The size of oil tanks have a broader range. Some tanks can be small and hold 250 gallons while large tanks can store fuel in excess of 30,000 gallons.

Here it’s worth noting that the capacity of home tanks differs from that of industrial tanks. The average holding capacity for domestic oil tanks is 275 gallons.

How Do Oil Tanks Work?

How the tank works depends on its context of use. It is used for storing or processing oils in an industrial or commercial setting. And thus, tanks in those settings come with different accessories and helping equipment. And hence these tanks may have varied mechanisms compared to the ones installed for residential use.

Here we shed light on the working of the home oil tank, which is involved in generating oil heat. And the tank functions as a part of a heater or heat-generating system, which can be either furnace or a boiler.

The thermostat senses the drop in temperature. And it gives a signal to the heater installed in your home. The oil travels from the tank through pump lines to feed the flame produced by the heating appliance burner. Sufficient oil must be present in the tank to maintain proper operations. The tank fails to transfer thermal energy if the oil level falls below the minimum level.

What Happens if You Let Your Oil Tank Run Empty?

First of all, letting your oil tank run empty means that enough fuel is not getting supplied to the furnace or boiler. Naturally, the heating system will not be able to produce the required heating for your home. So, you may have problems fetching hot water when needed on an emergency basis.

Secondly, an empty oil tank can be the reason behind a clogged filter, causing disruption or complete breakdown in the functions of the furnace or any other heating system. Also, when the oil tank is empty, impurities and air can gather in the feed line due to clogging in the filter. This blockage can prevent the heating system from functioning even after the oil tank has been filled.

Finally, unwanted water accumulation can happen in an empty oil tank from humid air. This water collection can cause rust formation inside the tank and ultimately weaken the tank.

How Does the Oil Gauge Help in Ensuring that the Oil Tank is Never Empty?

The primary function of an oil gauge is to let you know how much oil is remaining in the tank. As a result, you get to know at the right time when the tank needs to be refilled. Smart oil gauging systems today can even keep you informed by sending notifications to your smart devices.

An oil gauge will help detect any problem in the tank. For example, if your gauge shows that the oil levels have fallen unnecessarily, it may be an indication of leakages and damage to the tank or your heating equipment. In such cases, you can arrange an oil inspection for proper diagnosis and solution.

In addition, an oil gauge helps to know how much heating oil is being used in your house throughout the year or for specific seasons. This will let you know in which months the most amount of heating oil is required in your house and anticipate how much the energy bill may hike during that time. In such cases, the HVAC contractor near you may suggest insulating your home to keep the electricity bill in check.

Types of Oil Tanks

The varieties mentioned below differ on the location of installation, and structural aspects.

Single Wall Tank

This refers to one of the most commonly used types and has a single layer for protection against oil leaks. These types are less costly but come with shorter life spans.

Double Wall Tank

As the name implies, these tanks have a dual layer for leakage protection, providing more durable storage than single walled tanks.

Integrally-bunded Tank

This is one of the safest types among oil tank varieties. The attached bund serves as a secondary catch for the fuel storage and base of the tank in the event of a leak.

Oil Tanks Components

Oil tanks have many components and during an inspection, the inspector will assess each part. These components are the vent-pipe, vent whistle, oil gauge, oil tank, shutoff valve, tank legs, fuel line, fill pipe, and tank filter.

Vent-Pipe

The vent pipe will perform ventilation as the oil travels from the oil tank to your house. Vent-pipes are usually one to two inches in their width.

Vent Whistle

A vent whistle ensures safety while refilling the oil tank. It makes a sound so that the delivery person knows when the tank is full.

Oil Gauge

The oil gauge reads and tells you how much oil is there in the tank. Usually, the gauge will indicate an E or 0 mark to show the tank is empty.

Oil Tank

This is, of course, the space where the oil will remain stored in the tank.

Shutoff Valve

This component is extremely helpful to automatically cut off the oil supply to an appliance in the event of a fire.

Tank Legs

Tank legs ensure that the entire set up in its place and the tank level is maintained. That is why it is important that tank legs are properly maintained and do not gather rust.

Fuel Line

Fuel lines help the fuel in the oil tank to move to the heating appliance.

Fill Pipe

The tank is filled with oil with this pipe. It also makes sure that water accumulation does not occur inside the tank.

Tank Filter

The tank filter eliminates dirt and different particles from the oil. This filtering is necessary to stop debris from clogging the oil line and internal components of the heating appliance.

Underground Oil Tanks

The time spanning from the 1930s to the 1980s experienced a high prevalence of underground oil tanks. However, during the 1960s and 1970s, concerns about the corrosion of these tanks emerged. Starting from 1970 to 1990, technological interventions brought initiatives to safely store oils underground.

Underground tanks hold special importance for homeowners, buyers, and sellers. Older homes may have unused oil tanks abandoned underground, which often go undetected. And that can become a liability for new buyers.

Moreover, the associated pipes and networks increase the risk of leakage. The surrounding water bodies and soils can become contaminated and impact the health of those residing in the affected area.

Further, having an oil tank underground may bring down the value of your property. Potential buyers can associate the presence of a tank in your home with contamination if you fail to provide proper documents.

Cost to Remove an Underground Oil Tank

The cost of removing an underground oil tank is higher than that of removing an above-ground one. An examination of a tank placed underground generates a bill of approximately $500. The average price for its removal can range from $2000 to $5000. However, the pricing may vary depending on the capacity of the tank.

Alternatively, you can choose to keep the tank underground, ensuring its proper processing, instead of removing it from the site. And this, known as oil tank abandonment, involves cutting open the tank and washing and draining it. The abandonment process also involves filling the tank with dirt or foam. The whole procedure can typically range somewhere between $1000 and $3000.

Things to Consider During Installing Oil Tanks at Home

  • Your requirement for thermal energy is based on the number of rooms and size of your building.
  • Understanding of your household consumption
  • Size and the maximum capacity of the oil tank
  • The area on your property where you want to install the tank
  • Guidelines and terms and conditions of the service agency you are hiring for installing or replacing these tanks
  • Gathering testimonials of the agency you are hiring, if possible, from several sources

Final Thoughts

Oil tanks have various uses. They store oil for processing or other purposes. But for residential uses, they are utilized to generate heat or warm up the house’s interior. You can categorize these tanks based on installation area and design. The varieties include above-ground, underground, outdoor, and indoor types.

Also, tanks can be categorized based on the layer of protection. Examples include double-skinned and single-skinned types, and you get better protection from oil leaks from double-skinned varieties.

Home tanks function as a part of the house heating system. The oil gets heated, and the resulting warm oil transfers the heat to a heat-distributing agent, either water or air.

The cost of oil heating tanks varies based on installation and company services.

Miswired Electrical Outlets

Before delving into what constitutes an incorrectly wired outlet, we need to understand the components of the electrical outlet and its functions. An outlet commonly available in houses provides a pathway through which electrical devices receive an electrical supply to operate. And any electrical outlet will contain a neutral wire and a hot wire.

Further, the presence of the grounding wire depends on the type of electrical outlet. Grounded outlets contain ground wire, while ungrounded types don’t have this third conductor. Each of these three wires serves a different function. The hot wire brings electricity from the current source (your home’s electrical panel) and transfers current to the device connected to the outlet.

The neutral wire provides a pathway for the return of the electricity to the source. And thus, this wire aids in completing the circuit.

The ground wire, present only in grounded outlets, transfers excess current to the ground and helps in absorbing overload. Thus the ground wire helps in preventing electrical overheating and fires. Moreover, if you have ungrounded or two-prong outlets, you should consider updating your system to grounded conductors or outlets that provide ground fault protection.

Now, speaking of improperly wired electrical outlets, we need to focus on the connection between the wiring components of the outlets. Each of these wires have their designated connection terminals within the outlet itself, setting the required polarity. Faulty connections and incorrectly placed wires will result in a miswired electrical outlet. Here we will discuss a few common scenarios:

Loose wiring:

Loose connections can give electrical supply but carry the potential for fire and shock hazards. A loose connection can result in electrical arcing and overheating of the outlet. Notably, this can happen in both two-prong and three-prong outlets.

Open faults in the neutral and hot segments:

When the neutral or hot wire is not connected to the terminal within the outlet, you get an “open neutral” or “open hot” fault, respectively. With an “open hot” issue, your connected device will not function.

Most notably, if the hot wire gets an electrical current but has no connection with the given path in the outlet, the current cannot flow through the connection of the hot wire to the device. And the current accumulates and flows through unplanned paths, producing arc faults and fire accidents.

In the case of an “open neutral” fault, the current gets no return path to get back into the electrical source. And that causes a high current to flow through the device connected to the outlet, and the resulting surge causes the breakdown of the connected device.

Reverse connection:

Reverse faults can occur between hot and neutral wires. This miswiring involves the connection of the hot to the neutral terminal of the outlet and the neutral to the hot terminal. Hot-neutral reversed miswiring can expose you to current even when the connection is switched off.

When the hot and ground wires are reversed, the pattern is similar to hot-neutral reversed. And this reversal fails to make the connected device function.

 

Signs of Improper Electrical Wiring

Electrical wiring mistakes exhibit signs which are given below.

  • Electrical sparks or burning smell from the outlet
  • Overeating felt from the exterior of the outlet or plugged in device
  • Plugs no longer fit into the outlet
  • Melted or discolored plastic of the plug
  • Experiencing shock from the device connected to the outlet
  • Dark and sooty color of the outlet area, which gets connected to the device plug
  • Sizzling sound on connecting the device to the outlet
  • Connected device fails to function

What Happens If You Have A Miswired Wired Outlet?

Wrong installation of your electrical wiring system can lead to miswiring. And this comes with harmful consequences. Miswired electrical outlets carry reverse connections and thus alter the supposed path for electrical circulation. In some cases, you may encounter a spark or abrupt malfunction of connected electrical devices. But when your device requires or draws a high current to function, there is a higher chance of major electrical accidents including electrocution and house fires.

 

Safety Measures to Avoid Miswired Electrical Outlets

With easy yet effective ways, you can surely address miswired electrical outlets. When buying a house, you need to check the presence of faulty electrical wiring. Always seek the service of licensed and experienced home inspectors to thoroughly check the electrical system, including the electrical outlets.

Further, you should not perform electrical work as a DIY project to address faulty installations and improperly wired electrical outlets. Always consult a licensed electrician to perform electrical repairs.

 

Final Thoughts

Miswired electrical outlets can cause obvious damage to your home and put the lives of residents at risk. The miswiring can arise from faults in the connection of hot, neutral, and ground wires in the outlet.

Precisely, the causes of improperly wired connections include loose wiring, reverse polarity, and open faults. With a miswired outlet, your devices can be adversely affected or may not function at all.

Further, miswiring can lead to sparks and fire hazards. But with several safety measures, you can avoid faulty outlets. And you need to seek the service of experts for correcting improperly wired outlets.