Home Comfort Tactics
Eric Gans -Certified Home Energy Auditor
This podcast will help homeowners understand the places and ways in which their homes are losing energy and it is not as obvious as it may seem.
Have you heard of home performance? It is not new, but it is about to explode on the scene! Listen to recorded discussions about what we find in the Maryland housing stock that leads to nagging comfort problems and high energy usage. Insulation, air sealing, duct leakage, blower door testing, and many other building science topics will be covered, including information about the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® Program and the Inflation Reduction Act rebates and tax incentives. Eric is a certified energy auditor and has his Envelope Professional and Building Analyst Certification through the Building Performance Institute.
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Top 10 Home Comfort Tactics Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Home Comfort Tactics episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Home Comfort Tactics for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Home Comfort Tactics episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Episode 10: 5 Signs (to check yourself) You Need a Home Energy Audit
Home Comfort Tactics
Performing a home energy audit without proper testing equipment or training is not possible, however every homeowner can look for these five signs to decide if getting a comprehensive home energy audit is worth the investment.
In order to decide if you need a comprehensive home energy audit, it is helpful to have a general idea of it's overall function.
According to the EPA Local Residential Energy Efficiency website, existing residential homes typically offer several opportunities for energy efficiency improvement.
Since each home is unique due to additions, personal touches and different levels of upkeep, opportunities may differ from home to home, even within the same neighborhood.
Learn more at homeairleakagetest.com
Watch this stuff on YouTube
Performing a home energy audit without proper testing equipment or training is not possible, however every homeowner can look for these five signs to decide if getting a comprehensive home energy audit is worth the investment.
In order to decide if you need a comprehensive home energy audit, it is helpful to have a general idea of it's overall function.
According to the EPA Local Residential Energy Efficiency website, existing residential homes typically offer several opportunities for energy efficiency improvement.
Since each home is unique due to additions, personal touches and different levels of upkeep, opportunities may differ from home to home, even within the same neighborhood.
Learn more at homeairleakagetest.com
Watch this stuff on YouTube
07/07/23 • 12 min
Episode 9: 5 Reasons To Get An Energy Audit After You Buy A House
Home Comfort Tactics
If you just bought a home - congrats! Chances are very high that you got a home inspection during the process, and it has a list of things you need to do to keep it up to "code". But I am willing to bet that the list lacks many essential items to make your home super cozy and energy efficient.
Here is a link to the podcast file: https://residentialcomforttactics.buzzsprout.com
Thank you for watching!
If you would like to learn more about my home performance company or get in touch, please visit https://www.hometrustremodeling.com or https://ericgans.com.
Unlock Your Home's Full Potential - Hometrust Remodeling, Your Trusted Partner in Maryland Home Performance
Learn more at homeairleakagetest.com
Watch this stuff on YouTube
If you just bought a home - congrats! Chances are very high that you got a home inspection during the process, and it has a list of things you need to do to keep it up to "code". But I am willing to bet that the list lacks many essential items to make your home super cozy and energy efficient.
Here is a link to the podcast file: https://residentialcomforttactics.buzzsprout.com
Thank you for watching!
If you would like to learn more about my home performance company or get in touch, please visit https://www.hometrustremodeling.com or https://ericgans.com.
Unlock Your Home's Full Potential - Hometrust Remodeling, Your Trusted Partner in Maryland Home Performance
Learn more at homeairleakagetest.com
Watch this stuff on YouTube
06/30/23 • 16 min
Episode 8: Choose Your Energy Auditor Wisely
Home Comfort Tactics
This week we discuss the importance of choosing the right energy auditor to maximize your available incentives. We touch on encapsulating your attic compared with not and some of the advantages you get - going either way. Overall, it was a fun episode with several good nuggets of information, including a little bit about roofing.
Learn more at homeairleakagetest.com
Watch this stuff on YouTube
This week we discuss the importance of choosing the right energy auditor to maximize your available incentives. We touch on encapsulating your attic compared with not and some of the advantages you get - going either way. Overall, it was a fun episode with several good nuggets of information, including a little bit about roofing.
Learn more at homeairleakagetest.com
Watch this stuff on YouTube
06/23/23 • 16 min
Episode 6: Retrofitting 101
Home Comfort Tactics
In our fourth week together, Eric and Kyle dive into the show and revisit some of the exciting things that happened to us related to Home Performance in the past week.
Learn more at homeairleakagetest.com
Watch this stuff on YouTube
In our fourth week together, Eric and Kyle dive into the show and revisit some of the exciting things that happened to us related to Home Performance in the past week.
Learn more at homeairleakagetest.com
Watch this stuff on YouTube
06/09/23 • 28 min
Episode 5: Whole House Fan Problematic Discussion
Home Comfort Tactics
2023 should be the year you start looking at your home and comfort in three-dimensional ways. You can make intelligent, inexpensive upgrades with the proper guidance.
As a certified home energy auditor, I see the same problems repeatedly. The most important thing to understand is that many of the issues I point out to homeowners are hiding in plain sight.
The physics behind the issues we all experience around the house is relatively simple. Pressure forces air around different places inside your living space. Knowing how to stop that and where to slow it is the name of the game.
Learn more at homeairleakagetest.com
Watch this stuff on YouTube
2023 should be the year you start looking at your home and comfort in three-dimensional ways. You can make intelligent, inexpensive upgrades with the proper guidance.
As a certified home energy auditor, I see the same problems repeatedly. The most important thing to understand is that many of the issues I point out to homeowners are hiding in plain sight.
The physics behind the issues we all experience around the house is relatively simple. Pressure forces air around different places inside your living space. Knowing how to stop that and where to slow it is the name of the game.
Learn more at homeairleakagetest.com
Watch this stuff on YouTube
06/02/23 • 21 min
Episode 4: 6 Reasons for Hot Upper Floors During Summer Months
Home Comfort Tactics
Maryland homeowners turn to their HVAC contractors when the temperature inside heats up. But, it stops there after HVAC people install the machine and controls. They have very little to do with the comfort level in your home. It's a good practice to focus on the shell around your home. A well-sealed and insulated shell can play a big part in adequately controlling the climate inside your living space on a hot summer day.
Learn more at homeairleakagetest.com
Watch this stuff on YouTube
Maryland homeowners turn to their HVAC contractors when the temperature inside heats up. But, it stops there after HVAC people install the machine and controls. They have very little to do with the comfort level in your home. It's a good practice to focus on the shell around your home. A well-sealed and insulated shell can play a big part in adequately controlling the climate inside your living space on a hot summer day.
Learn more at homeairleakagetest.com
Watch this stuff on YouTube
05/26/23 • 15 min
Episode 3: Intro to How Eric & Kyle Got into Home Performance
Home Comfort Tactics
In this third podcast episode, Eric and Kyle team up to discuss how they got into the industry, which leads to healthy conversations about air sealing, blower door testing, HERS Rating, the hospitality industry, and replacement windows. Join us to talk about building science and learn new ways to think about how you improve your home.
Learn more at homeairleakagetest.com
Watch this stuff on YouTube
In this third podcast episode, Eric and Kyle team up to discuss how they got into the industry, which leads to healthy conversations about air sealing, blower door testing, HERS Rating, the hospitality industry, and replacement windows. Join us to talk about building science and learn new ways to think about how you improve your home.
Learn more at homeairleakagetest.com
Watch this stuff on YouTube
05/19/23 • 49 min
Episode 1: 5 Unobvious Things You Can Do for A Cozier Home
Home Comfort Tactics
Fall is the time for not only pumpkin spice and raking leaves, but also to take the opportunity to button up a few key places around your home while the weather is nice.
Learn about 5 things you can do around your house to make for a more comfortable winter and save energy at the same time!
The 5 Things
1. Target Recessed Lights
2. Seal the Attic Floor
3. Seal Ducts
4. Treat the Attic Access
5. Chimney Balloons
Do you have a question for Eric? Contact me directly using this link. I am here to help.
article to read if you want to learn more about how much no insulation can cost you
Thanks for stopping by!
Learn more at homeairleakagetest.com
Watch this stuff on YouTube
Fall is the time for not only pumpkin spice and raking leaves, but also to take the opportunity to button up a few key places around your home while the weather is nice.
Learn about 5 things you can do around your house to make for a more comfortable winter and save energy at the same time!
The 5 Things
1. Target Recessed Lights
2. Seal the Attic Floor
3. Seal Ducts
4. Treat the Attic Access
5. Chimney Balloons
Do you have a question for Eric? Contact me directly using this link. I am here to help.
article to read if you want to learn more about how much no insulation can cost you
Thanks for stopping by!
Learn more at homeairleakagetest.com
Watch this stuff on YouTube
09/02/22 • 17 min
What is Whole-House as a System? THE BASICS
Home Comfort Tactics
This episode of Home Comfort Tactics shares several exciting and interesting ways you can think about your house as a system. Chances are that your house will have at least one of the things on the list that might be neglected. I was once an unsuspecting homeowner (and contractor simultaneously) living in uncomfortable houses and paying for new HVAC to fix the problem. There is much more to comfort and efficiency than new windows and HVAC. Taking a whole-house approach does not mean you need to become an expert. But, if you can learn a few easy-to-understand things around your house, you can get on the right pathway to what is most important to you.
00:00 Introduction
00:50 House as a System Analogy: The Baby Car Seat
03:08 Identifying Where the Bubble Needs to Be in YOUR House
05:04 20% of Your Living Space is DEAD SPACE
07:17 A Commonly Overlooked Home Exterior Problem
08:55 The Thermal & Pressure Boundary of a House
11:06 Ventilation Performance and Where is it Most Important?
13:35 Air Leakage Test (Blower Door Test) for the House
14:57 Ranking Your Home's Appliance Consumption
Learn more at homeairleakagetest.com
Watch this stuff on YouTube
This episode of Home Comfort Tactics shares several exciting and interesting ways you can think about your house as a system. Chances are that your house will have at least one of the things on the list that might be neglected. I was once an unsuspecting homeowner (and contractor simultaneously) living in uncomfortable houses and paying for new HVAC to fix the problem. There is much more to comfort and efficiency than new windows and HVAC. Taking a whole-house approach does not mean you need to become an expert. But, if you can learn a few easy-to-understand things around your house, you can get on the right pathway to what is most important to you.
00:00 Introduction
00:50 House as a System Analogy: The Baby Car Seat
03:08 Identifying Where the Bubble Needs to Be in YOUR House
05:04 20% of Your Living Space is DEAD SPACE
07:17 A Commonly Overlooked Home Exterior Problem
08:55 The Thermal & Pressure Boundary of a House
11:06 Ventilation Performance and Where is it Most Important?
13:35 Air Leakage Test (Blower Door Test) for the House
14:57 Ranking Your Home's Appliance Consumption
Learn more at homeairleakagetest.com
Watch this stuff on YouTube
08/19/23 • 18 min
Fix Drafty Windows or Replace Them? Maybe Neither!
Home Comfort Tactics
Are your windows getting the blame? Physics is the name of the game!
Before you rush to replace them, watch this eye-opening episode of Home Comfort Tactics. Join Eric Gans, certified energy auditor, as he unravels the surprising truth about windows and home energy efficiency with Teresa, a homeowner questioning everything she thought she knew.
Learn why windows account for only 10% of air leakage and why focusing on attics, basements, and crawl spaces is the key to stopping drafts. Dive into the science of the stack effect, which turns your house into a giant chimney, and discover how a blower door test can pinpoint hidden air leaks.
This conversation will change your thoughts about your home and its energy efficiency. Don't miss out on expert tips to improve comfort, save energy, and cut costs—often without replacing your windows! 💡
➡️ Listen now to uncover the hidden sources of drafts in your home and take control of your comfort!
Learn more at homeairleakagetest.com
Watch this stuff on YouTube
Are your windows getting the blame? Physics is the name of the game!
Before you rush to replace them, watch this eye-opening episode of Home Comfort Tactics. Join Eric Gans, certified energy auditor, as he unravels the surprising truth about windows and home energy efficiency with Teresa, a homeowner questioning everything she thought she knew.
Learn why windows account for only 10% of air leakage and why focusing on attics, basements, and crawl spaces is the key to stopping drafts. Dive into the science of the stack effect, which turns your house into a giant chimney, and discover how a blower door test can pinpoint hidden air leaks.
This conversation will change your thoughts about your home and its energy efficiency. Don't miss out on expert tips to improve comfort, save energy, and cut costs—often without replacing your windows! 💡
➡️ Listen now to uncover the hidden sources of drafts in your home and take control of your comfort!
Learn more at homeairleakagetest.com
Watch this stuff on YouTube
12/30/24 • 10 min
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FAQ
How many episodes does Home Comfort Tactics have?
Home Comfort Tactics currently has 28 episodes available.
What topics does Home Comfort Tactics cover?
The podcast is about Leisure, Home & Garden and Podcasts.
What is the most popular episode on Home Comfort Tactics?
The episode title 'Episode 10: 5 Signs (to check yourself) You Need a Home Energy Audit' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Home Comfort Tactics?
The average episode length on Home Comfort Tactics is 14 minutes.
How often are episodes of Home Comfort Tactics released?
Episodes of Home Comfort Tactics are typically released every 8 days, 2 hours.
When was the first episode of Home Comfort Tactics?
The first episode of Home Comfort Tactics was released on Sep 2, 2022.
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