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Author Topic: Changes to Energy Generation  (Read 5645 times)

ajaffa1

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Re: Changes to Energy Generation
« Reply #15 on: June 27, 2018, 11:17:47 PM »
The Australian government decided to encourage people to insulate their loft spaces by offering large subsidies. A lot of dodgy insulation companies sprung up overnight. They used untrained/unskilled young people to do the work. Some died from electrocution from the wiring in the lofts others from heat stroke. You wouldn`t want to be in Aussie loft in mid summer!

All very green I am sure but not well thought out, implemented or supervised. Another fine example of a well meaning but stupid government involving themselves in something they know nothing about, at the tax payers expense.

Bob

BruceM

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Re: Changes to Energy Generation
« Reply #16 on: June 28, 2018, 02:09:10 AM »
There are lots of different blown fiber insulation but not much is a bad for human health as good old fashioned phenol-formaldehyde fiberglass bats. Still being used in the US and present in the bulk of US housing. I think we're one of the last industrialized nations to allow phenol-formaldehyde in interior furnishings as well. 

There is no perfect insulation, but the formaldehyde free batts and blown glass fiber (proprietary silicone compounds and mineral oils added to faclitate bagging are lesser than some evils though still require respirators for handling.  For new construction if I had to have forced air duct work in the attic, I would consider air-crete (foamed magnesium oxide cement) or doing sprayed foam envelope type insulation so all the duct work is INSIDE the insulation envelope. Good reports on performance of those homes here; duct losses are much more than people realize.  Leaks in the return duct are common and a serious air quality hazzard; especially with blown cellulose, but in any case not nearly enough attention is given to keeping ducts sealed and clean inside as well.

It's very common here in AZ for contractors to use flex duct for heat pump systems- wire-plastic inside and plastic outside liner and phenol-formaldehyde bonded fiberglass inside.  It installs fast, but the ducts can't be cleaned, the 3/4 inch of fiberglass is inadequate, and the formaldehyde is strongly present in the new home air.  Perfect for creating kids with a lifetime of asthma, allergy, and chronic (autoimmune) illness.






BruceM

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Re: Changes to Energy Generation
« Reply #17 on: June 28, 2018, 06:35:48 AM »
A lot depends on the General Contractor and the caliber of his subcontractors. No amount of regulations mean much when unskilled or careless people are doing the work.  Arizona is notorious for some of the worst construction quality imaginable, and it's worse here in the rural areas. 

Good that your duct work was done well, Glort. Be glad you have some standards.

I'm not a fan of blown cellulose; the borate and chemically treated reprocessed newsprint has caused a lot of illness- usually when return ducts have cracks or leaks and borate/newsprint dust gets in the air.  It hasn't been a product well tolerated by people with chemical injuries.

 Air Crete is an interesting product but our regional licensee botched so many jobs that he's only been used on one disabled housing project I was volunteering on.  I had to go over his head to the licensing company to get him to do the job right; magnesium oxide cement is VERY fussy about temperature.  He'd been sued and lost several times, but yet he still was about to blow aircrete in an unheated home in the winter, at 4000 feet elevation with no front door. If the cement to water to phosphate mix is wrong or the temperature too hot or cold, you get either goopy soup that stays wet and ruins all the drywall, or dusty powder that gets everywhere and doesn't insulate.

 I helped have some specially made pure glass fiber insulation made for homes for people with chemical injuries.   Alas, both companies said never again, as without the silicones and mineral oil, their bagging equipment wouldn't work and it all had to be bagged by hand.  One burp of their equipment made an entire 50 foot semi trailer full.
Two truck loads  of the compressed bales did do a half dozen homes.