Audit Report 737 Rugby Road, Bryn Mawr, PA

109 Saint Pauls Road Ardmore, Pennsylvania 19003 ! February 15, 2011

Mrs. Sandrine Pal 737 Rugby Road Bryn Mawr, PA 19010

Reference: Energy Audit Report 737 Rugby Road, Bryn Mawr, PA

Dear Sandrine and Andrew:

I am pleased to provide the attached report for your consideration. This information was gathered through discussions with you and a detailed energy audit of your house. This energy audit was done in conformance with the Building Performance Institute (BPI) Technical Standards for the Building Analyst Professional.

This attached report includes the following information:

• Summary and Background including information provided by you and data collected during the energy audit;

• Findings and Recommendations - Presentation of the data collected including general observations regarding equipment, insulation, air leakage, moisture issues, blower door testing, and infrared imaging. Recommendations and cost opinions for repairs or upgrades are provided.

• Cost Opinion Summary and Conclusions

• Funding Opportunities

I appreciate the opportunity to audit your house and trust you will find the enclosed information helpful. If you have any questions regarding the information enclosed or finding contractors to perform work, please contact me at (484) 416 0161.

Sincerely,

Eric C. Lowry, P.E.

Attachment www.lowryeco.com (484) 416-0161 [email protected] Fax (484) 840-5263

! Energy Audit Report

Date: February 15, 2011

Subject Property: 737 Rugby Road Bryn Mawr, PA

Prepared for: Mrs. Sandrine Pal

www.lowryeco.com (484) 416-0161 [email protected] Fax (484) 840-5263

! I. Summary

An energy audit was performed of your house on February 10, 2011 and we offer the following major points for your information. A detailed description of the energy audit observations and recommendations regarding possible repairs and upgrades is provided below.

• Blower door testing and infrared imaging indicated that the house is very leaky; • The walls are not insulated and should have insulation installed where possible; • The attic is under insulated and should have additional insulation installed; • The attic and basement should be air sealed to reduce air flow into the living space; • The duct systems are leaky and should be air sealed (both systems) and insulated (in the basement); • All hot water and radiator piping should be insulated; • The basement ceiling should be insulated but coordinated with any plans to finish part or all of the basement.

II. Background

The subject property is a single-family detached house with an unfinished basement and a finished attic.

Audit Date 2/10/11

Building Information Year Built: 1928 (Approximately) Building Area: 2,428 Square Feet Building Volume: 19,555 Cubic Feet Heating Fuel: Gas Water Heating Fuel: Gas Air Conditioning: Central Water: Public Sewer: Public

Weather @ Time of Audit Sunny Temperature, 23 OF @ 0900 hours Light wind

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! III. Findings & Recommendations

A. Recommendations

The recommendations provided in this report are for your consideration in selecting possible repairs, improvements or upgrades for your house. Often times, multiple repairs or upgrades may be performed by the same contractor or at the same time if you do-it-yourself, such as insulation and air sealing. However, it is important that any improvements you select be done in an order that does not cause problems for later improvements, such as installing blown insulation over ductwork that will later need to be repaired.

The recommendations offered above are not listed in order of importance. The Cost Opinion Summary lists the recommendations in order of importance from most important to least important in terms of safety and possible energy savings.

B. Infrared Camera Images

Infrared images were taken using a thermal imaging camera and indicate areas of lower and higher temperature. The darker blue color indicates cooler temperatures while the red/yellow/orange/white colors indicate progressively higher temperatures. Each photograph includes a description of the image. These images are provided throughout this report to better aid explanation of each topic.

C. Annual Energy Usage

Based on your utility bills, your annual energy usage is as follows:

Gas (PECO) 1,282 CCF (hundred cubic feet) Electricity (PECO) 7,979 kilowatt-hours (kWh)

Note that these values are for 10 months as the homeowner has only been in the house that long.

In 2008, the average annual electricity consumption for a U.S. residential utility customer was 11,040 kWh.

In 2010, the average annual natural gas consumption for a U.S. residential customer was 750 CCF.

Sources:

http://www.eia.doe.gov/ask/electricity_faqs.asp

http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/natural_gas/feature_articles/2010/ngtrendsresidcon/ ngtrendsresidcon.pdf

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D. Carbon Monoxide Testing

We tested your house for the presence of carbon monoxide (CO) and found zero (0) parts per million (ppm) during the energy audit. Your house does have combustion appliances including the gas boiler, gas water heater, and gas oven. If these operate inefficiently or malfunction, they could give off CO.

CO is a colorless and odorless gas that results from the incomplete combustion of fuels including natural gas, propane, wood, and oil (any fossil fuel). CO can sicken or kill people.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has two primary standards for exposure to carbon monoxide. The first is a level of 9 ppm averaged over 8 hours and the second is a level of 35 ppm averaged over 1 hour. The recommendation is to not exceed either of these levels more than once a year. http://www.epa.gov/air/criteria.html

Recommendation:

We recommend all clients install at least one CO detector. Preferably, one CO detector should be installed on each floor of the house.

Cost Opinion:

$20 to $60 each depending on the model and features.

E. Radon Testing

Exposure to radon in the home is responsible for an estimated 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year. Radon is a health hazard with a simple solution. Read "A Citizen's Guide to Radon" which may be found at this website along with other information regarding testing and radon reduction systems.

http://www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/citguide.html

Your house does have a radon reduction system.

You should retest your house for the presence of radon every two years. Radon test kits may be purchased online and in many home improvement stores. The short-term test kits are simple to use and generally include a return shipping label and laboratory testing fee. Kits may be purchased at the following website:

http://www.radon.com/

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! F. Lead Paint

Lead is a toxic metal that was used for many years in products found in and around our homes. Lead can also be emitted into the air from industrial sources and leaded aviation gasoline, and lead can enter drinking water from plumbing materials. Lead may cause a range of health effects, from behavioral problems and learning disabilities, to seizures and death. Children six years old and under are most at risk.

Any house built before 1978 may contain lead paint. A contractor performing any renovation, painting or construction work in these houses that disturbs more than 6 square feet or replaces/removes windows MUST be lead certified and MUST provide you with a copy of the EPA brochure “Renovate Right”. The following internet link provides more information.

http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/renovaterightbrochure.pdf! ! Source: http://www.epa.gov/lead/!

G. Knob and Tube Wiring

We observed knob and tube (K&T) wiring in the basement. Based on our simple test, the wiring was live, but this should be confirmed by an electrician. K&T wiring must be air-cooled and covering it with insulation could pose a fire hazard.

If the K&T wiring is in operation, it must be removed or replaced before covering it with insulation.

H. Air Leakage Testing

Air leakage in a house is generally considered a normal fact and is the result of natural and man-made effects. Air leaks both in and out of our houses through intentionally and un-intentionally created openings. This air movement carries moisture, heat, and contaminants both into and out of a house. The Stack Effect created by warm air rising in the house creates positive and negative pressures and causes warm air to exit the house and cool air to enter the house. Figure 1 below indicates the Stack Effect with red arrows indicating warm air movement out of the house and blue arrows indicating cool air movement into the house.

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Figure 1 – Stack Effect and Common Air Leaks

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Additional causes of air leakage in our houses include wind, chimneys and exhaust fans, and leaky air conditioning ducts.

Our goal is to understand the location and relative size of the air leaks in your house and potentially recommend air sealing and/or insulation in order to reduce the amount of air leakage, thereby saving energy and money.

In an effort to promote acceptable indoor air quality, the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) have established a Building Airflow Standard (BAS) for houses. ASHRAE Standard 62-89 recommends that houses have air leakage of 0.35 Air Exchanges per Hour OR 15 Cubic Feet per Minute per occupant (whichever is greater). The air leakage in your house should be between 70% and 100% of the BAS, both of which are noted below.

Blower Door Test

A blower door test was performed on your house resulting in an air leakage rate of 8186 cubic feet per minute @ 50 Pascals. Based on the volume of your house, air leakage should be in the range of 970 to 1386 as indicated by the blue and red areas in Figure 2.

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($()! 70% BAS #"""! 100% BAS

CFM50 %&"! $'()! Your House AIRFLOW @ "!

Figure 2 - Graph of Blower Door Test Results

This indicates that the house is approximately 5.9 times leakier than the ASHRAE Standard recommendation.

Air Sealing

The most significant source of air leakage in your house was via the following pathways:

• Through the attic and basement via the uninsulated and air sealed walls, • Through leaky doors; • Through the leaky duct system, and • Through light switches and electric outlets.

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! The following Figures show examples of these types of air leakage.

Figure 3 – At left, a wall living room. At right is an infrared image showing purple color on the wall indicating cool air leakage from outside. This is indicative of a lack of insulation.

Figure 4 – At left, a wall living room. At right is an infrared image showing purple color on the wall indicating cool air leakage from outside. This is indicative of a lack of insulation. The darker the color, the more significant the air leakage as indicated by the dark purple streak (red arrow).

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Figure 5 – At left, the right French door in the living room. At right is an infrared image showing purple color at the gap around the door (red arrow), at the gap between the threshold and floor (yellow arrow), at the electric outlet (green arrow), and at the baseboard (blue arrow). All indicative of cool air leakage from outside and missing insulation.

Figure 6 – At left, the right French door in the living room. At right is an infrared image showing purple color at the trim at the top of the door indicating cool air leakage.

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Figure 7 – At left, the ceiling of the bump out area in the dining room. At right is an infrared image showing yellow stripes on the ceiling. These are the wood framing joists of the ceiling and the purple areas between the joists are cooler areas with little or no insulation.

Figure 8 – At left, a wall to floor connection next to the oven. At right is an infrared image showing purple color at the baseboard and from under the cabinetry indicating cool air leakage from outside.

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Figure 9 – At left, the rear door. At right is an infrared image showing purple color at the door gaps indicating cool air leakage from outside.

Figure 10 – At left, the first landing of the stair case. At right is an infrared image showing purple color at the gaps between the handrail base and the baseboard. Both indicate cool air leakage from outside.

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Figure 11 – At left, the microwave oven. At right is an infrared image showing purple color at the fan discharge and on the wall below the cabinets. This is due to cool air leakage from outside.

Figure 12 – At left, a family room wall and electric outlet. At right is an infrared image showing dark purple color at the outlet indicating cool air leakage from outside. This is unfortunately quite normal where walls are not insulated. The radiator at the bottom of the image is bright yellow indicating it is hot.

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Figure 13 – At left, the wall and ceiling over the first stairway landing. At right is an infrared image showing purple and red color on the walls and ceiling indicating cool air leakage from outside. This is due to missing insulation and a lack of air sealing at the rim joist between the first and second floors.

Figure 14 – At left, the first floor stairway landing. At right, an infrared image showing purple color at the baseboard gap indicating cool air leakage from outside.

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Figure 15 – At left, a wall in the second floor office. At right, an infrared image showing vertical yellow lines which are the wall studs or furring strips to which the wall plaster is attached. The purple and red color between the studs indicates cool air and missing insulation.

Figure 16 – The same view as shown in Figure 15. Note the faint yellow horizontal lines. These are the wood lath that the plaster is attached to. There are small gaps between the wood lath and this image indicates cool air leakage at each gap.

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Figure 17 – At left is a duct register on the second floor. At right is an infrared image showing purple color at the register indicating cool air leakage through the leaky attic duct system.

Figure 18 – At left is the main return register on the third floor. At right is an infrared image showing purple color at and around the register indicating cool air leakage through the leaky duct system.

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Figure 19 – Two examples of poor ductwork installation. The top photo shows a typical gap in the duct that allows air leakage into the system and reduces the efficiency of both heating and cooling systems. The lower photo shows a flexible duct that was installed and crushed between the radiator pipe and the adjacent wood joist. This reduces or eliminates air flow through this duct.

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Figure 20 – At left is the third floor attic space hatch. At right is an infrared image showing purple color on and around the hatch indicating cool air leakage and a lack of insulation on the hatch door.

Figure 21 – At left is a wall to ceiling connection in the third floor bedroom. At right is an infrared image showing a purple patch on the wall and along the wall to wall joint. This indicates missing insulation and a lack of air sealing of the wall framing.

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Figure 22 – At left is a wall to ceiling joint on the second floor. At right is an infrared image showing purple color on the ceiling and the walls indicating cool air leakage and missing insulation.

Recommendations:

• Duct System

All accessible joints and holes in ductwork should be sealed using mastic, duct sealant, and/or aluminum tape made for ducts. Duct tape, contrary to its name, is not appropriate for sealing joints in ductwork.

Holes or gaps around duct registers into a room should be air sealed. Refer to Figure 23.

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Figure 23 – The red arrow indicates a gap around the duct register in the kitchen floor. These gaps should be sealed and made airtight.

This sealing should be done while the duct system is under pressure by using a duct testing fan, which pressurizes the duct system and quantifies how much air the ducts are leaking. Sealing ducts based on visual observations will likely result in only slight improvement as many points of duct leakage are not obvious. I offer duct pressure testing as a service. Please let me know if you would like to have this service while the ducts are being sealed.

Cost Opinion:

Duct sealing: $250 to $400.

Duct insulation: $400 to $600.

Duct testing: $150 to $250.

• Gaps and Cracks

Any joints, cracks, or holes should be filled with spray foam insulation or caulking. This would also include the gaps at the baseboards, around window and door trim.

Electric outlets, light switches and other utility boxes that are accessible from behind may be sealed with spray foam or caulking where the box meets the sheetrock and at all holes in the box including where wires enter. Work

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! around electrical wiring and equipment should be performed by a professional and the power should be turned off prior to performing this sealing.

Electric outlets and switches that are not accessible from behind may be air sealed by removing the cover plate and caulking where the electric box meets the sheetrock.

The tops of walls should be air sealed so that air does not move from the attic into the living space. This can be accomplished by applying spray foam insulation to the tops of the wall gaps where accessible from the attic space. You may have to temporarily move some existing insulation and flooring in order to access these gaps. Additionally, all holes for wiring or plumbing found during this effort should be sealed in the same manner.

The microwave vent fan may be air sealed by removing the microwave temporarily to determine the exact cause of the leakage. It may be a missing or non-working damper on the fan, or it may be an opening in the wall behind the microwave and cabinets.

Any utility penetrations in the basement should be covered and air sealed. This includes holes for plumbing, wiring, ductwork, and the sewer drain system.

Figure 24 – As seen from the basement, the red arrow indicates a gap around radiator piping. These gaps should be sealed and made airtight.

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! Cost Opinion:

$500 to $750.

• Attic Hatch

The attic hatchways should be insulated and made airtight. The hatches should be considered an outside doorway to your house as the attic is connected to the outside and becomes very hot or cold depending on the season. There are manufactured hatches available or you can make your own (or have it made) using wood, insulation, and weather stripping.

Examples of attic hatches may be seen at these websites:

http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/insulation_airsealing/index.cfm/mytopic=11 400

http://www.batticdoor.com/atticaccessdoor.html

Cost Opinion: $250 to $600 when installed by a contractor. Less expensive options are available if you want to do-it-yourself.

I. Physical Observations

1. Exterior

The house is in good condition. The front of the house has a northwesterly exposure with little to moderate tree shading to the south, whereby solar heat gain increases the need for cooling during the summer.

Recommendations:

Window shades should be adjusted as necessary to provide shade during summer daylight hours and opened to allow solar heat gain during the winter.

2. Bulk water issues

The soil grade is generally sloped to promote bulk water flow away from the house.

3. Doors

The doors in the house are generally in good condition with a need for weather stripping.

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! Recommendations:

Weather stripping on all doors should be checked and replaced as necessary.

Cost Opinion:

Weather stripping:

$25 to $50 each door depending on the type of weather stripping.

4. Windows

The windows are in good condition with functioning locks and weather- stripping.

The gaps between the window trim and the adjacent wall should be checked and any gaps should be sealed with painter’s caulking.

Some windows have shades that should be lowered to reduce solar heat gain during the summer and raised to increase solar heat gain during winter.

5. Basement

The basement was not noticeably damp during the energy audit and there was no noticeable mold. The basement walls are masonry and the walls are not sealed to reduce moisture transmission into the basement. The basement foundation walls and ceiling are not insulated.

The rim joists in the basement are not insulated or air sealed (Figure 25).

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Figure 25 – The red arrow indicates the rim joist area that should be fully insulated and air sealed all around the top of the foundation wall. Note that any holes for wiring or plumbing should also be sealed with caulking or spray foam. The yellow arrow indicates live knob and tube wiring which may not be covered with insulation due to potential overheating problems.

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! There were multiple holes in the basement ceiling that allow airflow from the basement into the first floor.

Figure 26 – The red arrows indicates holes that should be air sealed with foam board and spray foam insulation to stop air movement from the basement to the living space.

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! Recommendations:

• Rim Joist and Basement Holes

The rim joist area should be air sealed and insulated using foam board and spray foam.

Figure 27 – The red arrow indicates the typical gap between the inside plaster walls and the outside brick walls of the house. This photo was taken from the basement looking straight up at the exterior wall of the house. The yellow arrow points at the underside of the first floor wood floor.

Any holes or openings should be covered with pink foam board and sealed with spray foam insulation. You can also use thin plywood.

The following internet link has step by step information on how to insulate and air seal the rim joist.

http://www.familyhandyman.com/DIY-Projects/Saving-Money/Energy- Efficiency/insulate-basement-rim-joists/Step-By-Step

Cost Opinion:

$250 to $500 depending on the contractor.

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! • Basement ceiling insulation

The basement ceiling should be insulated to an R-value of 19. By installing fiberglass batts in the basement ceiling, heat loss from the living space will be reduced. Any air sealing and rim joist insulation/air sealing should be complete before installing insulation in the ceiling. Note that kraft faced insulation should be used and the kraft paper facing should go up toward the living space. This will also help keep the kitchen space warmer.

As an alternative to insulating the basement ceiling, you could insulate the foundation walls using 2-inch foam board insulation. This would provide an R-value of 10 and keep more of the heat generated by the basement heating system in the basement and would also help to warm the first floor.

Cost Opinion:

Basement ceiling insulation: $1800 to $2500.

Basement foundation wall insulation: $1500 to $2200. Note that this does not include any wall framing that might be required to finish the inside of the basement walls with sheetrock or other wall finish.

6. Attic and Walls

Attic – The attic floor has 0 to 5 inches of insulation with an R-value of 0 to approximately 15.

Attic wall – The attic wall has approximately 3 inches of fiberglass batt insulation with an R-value of 13. The insulation is in average to poor condition.

First and second floor walls – Based on visual observations through electric outlets and from the basement along with infrared imaging, there is no insulation in the walls.

Basement – The basement foundation walls and ceiling are not insulated.

Recommendations:

The following website from Energy Star offers a wealth of user-friendly information about insulation and air sealing. The brochure noted on this website was included in the package of information that I provided.

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=diy.diy_index

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! • Attic Insulation

Attic floor insulation should be at least an R-value of 38 to 50. We recommend installing 8 inches of blown fiberglass or blown cellulose insulation. Both will provide slightly more than an R-value of 38. Due to the nature of the existing insulation and the need to inspect the attic floor for air leaks and knob and tube wiring, we recommend removing all of the existing insulation. This will allow for a more thorough inspection of the attic space and increase the quality of the installed air sealing and new insulation.

We also recommend re-insulating the third floor walls. The insulation is not in good condition and based on infrared imaging, multiple areas of the third floor walls are not insulated. The third floor walls should be insulated with 3.5 inches of fiberglass batts with kraft paper facing. The kraft paper facing should be installed toward the living space. Prior to installing insulation is a great time to air seal electric outlets, bottoms and tops of walls, duct systems and any other holes that might be found.

You should obtain the services of an insulation contractor to inspect the attic space and evaluate insulating and air sealing opportunities. As we are aware of only one access hatch, this may require the installation of a temporary hatch cut into the wall in another part of the third floor. You can decide if you want to make this a permanent access in which case the hatch opening should be treated as an exterior door.

Note that the knob and tube wiring must be addressed. If the wiring is live, it must be removed or replaced with wiring that meets today’s building code. Knob and tube wiring may not be covered with insulation due to potential overheating concerns.

If you wish, as an additional service, we can coordinate this inspection with an insulation contractor.

Cost Opinion:

Attic floor insulation: $1500 to $2500.

Attic wall insulation: $1000 to $1500.

Note that this opinion does not include removal of the knob and tube wiring.

• Wall insulation (first and second floor walls)

Because your house is masonry, the depth of the wall cavity (between

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! the inside wall and the outside masonry) is variable and may be difficult to insulate.

I would recommend at this time to perform insulation of the attic space and air sealing of both attic and basement. This will allow you to live in the house and understand how the comfort level increases based on these improvements. If you would then like to move forward with wall insulation, you could do that at a later date.

I suggest this because the wall insulation work is much more intrusive on daily life than is the attic insulation and air sealing. You will likely want to live out of the house during the day or two needed to insulate the walls and the house will likely need a good cleaning after the wall insulation work is complete. You may decide after the attic is insulated and the house is air sealed, that you are comfortable and don’t want to move forward with the wall insulation.

Cost Opinion: I don’t provide a cost opinion for this effort as the extent of access to the walls and the variability of the space in the walls is unknown.

• Kitchen Radiant Heat System

You might consider installing a radiant floor heating system in the kitchen. A hot water tubing system could be installed on the underside of the kitchen floor and will more effectively heat this space (or any space for that matter). As you already have a hot water radiator system, the installation of a hot water radiant system under your kitchen would be relatively simple. This would allow the removal of the radiator in the kitchen, which would be replaced by heating tubes under the floor. If you choose to go this route, the kitchen floor will definitely need to be insulated as noted in the Basement Section above to make sure heat from the radiant system moves upward into the kitchen rather than down into the basement.

Cost Opinion:

$1200 to $1800.

7. Heating system

The atmospherically vented combustion heating unit is a gas fired hot water system controlled by a programmable thermostat. The heating system is older and in average condition.

The boiler failed the spillage test during startup. Exhaust gasses from the boiler go up the flue pipe and outside rather than “spilling” into the house.

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! If a heating system “spills” exhaust gas into the house, the system will need maintenance, repair, or possibly replacement. We test this as a safety measure to make sure harmful gasses including CO are not coming into the house. This could be the result of a poorly functioning flue.

The boiler is an 80% AFUE system (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency). This is a low to mid-efficiency model. New models may have up to a 96% AFUE.

The radiators do not have heat reflectors installed on the wall behind the radiator. A heat reflector can “reflect” heat from the radiator back into the room reducing heat loss to the wall and outside.

Refer to the following internet link for a simple radiator reflector description:

http://doverprojects.blogspot.com/2009/01/home-radiator-reflector.html

Testing of the heating system revealed the following information:

Model Number Weil McLain CGM6 System size 175,000 BTU/hour input Spillage Test FAILED Flue Draft (worst case depress.) -7.2 Flue Draft (steady state) -8.2 Carbon monoxide (steady state) 21 parts per million (air free) Efficiency (steady state) 81.6% Stack temperature (steady state) 408.7 OF

Flue Draft measures the pressure in the flue pipe leading from the heating system to the outside. In order for flue gas to exit the house through the flue, the pressure in the flue must be negative (under a slight vacuum). This is an additional test to make sure that the exhaust gasses are going outside and not entering the house.

Carbon monoxide is tested for in the flue pipe and is an indicator of how efficiently the heating system is operating. CO is a byproduct of inefficient combustion and may indicate a malfunction of the system.

Efficiency is a test of how well a heating system burns the fuel. The higher the efficiency, the better.

Recommendations:

• Boiler Replacement: The boiler should be considered for replacement. By replacing the existing 80% AFUE boiler with a 95%+

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! AFUE boiler, you could save as much as 10 to 20% on your heating bills. Another major benefit of high efficiency systems is that they must be vented directly to the outdoors so there is minimal risk of any combustion gases entering the building.

The following internet link offers information about new heating systems and the benefits of installing a high efficiency system.

http://www.aceee.org/consumer/heating

You should also consider installing an “indirect” water heater in conjunction with the new boiler. This indirect water heater will provide all of your hot water needs, but does not have its own heating system. It relies on the gas boiler to heat the water for both the radiator system and for domestic use as well.

• Install radiator reflectors behind radiators.

• All hot water radiator piping should be insulated.

Cost Opinion:

Replacement boiler: $6000 to $8000 depending on the brand and contractor. An indirect water heater will likely add $2000 to $3000 to this cost.

Radiator reflectors:

$25 to $50 for materials and installation is a good do-it-yourself project.

Radiator pipe insulation:

$250 to $400 depending on the contractor.

8. Water heating system

One gas fired hot water storage tank heater provides domestic hot water. The 75-gallon tank was in good condition. Visible hot water piping was not insulated.

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! Testing of the water heater revealed the following information:

Model Number Bradford White MI75S6BN System size 76,000 BTU/hour input Spillage Test Passed Flue Draft (worst case depress.) -7.5 Flue Draft (steady state) -8.0 Carbon monoxide (steady state) 0 part per million (air free) Efficiency (steady state) 79.7 % Stack temperature (steady state) 596 OF

Water temperature at the basement sink was 119.3 OF.

Recommendations:

The water heating system should be set to a temperature of 120 OF to avoid scalding problems, so your water heater is set appropriately.

All visible hot water piping and the first six (6) feet of cold water pipe leading to the hot water heater should be insulated.

If you choose to install a new water heater, you should consider installing a smaller model. A 75-gallon water heater is quite large and your family could likely be served well by a 40 or 50-gallon model. A smaller water heater uses less fuel.

Cost Opinion:

Water pipe insulation:

$150 to $300 when installed by a contractor. Less expensive options are available to do-it-yourself. Access to hot water piping may be limited due to the basement finishing.

9. Cooling system

The central air conditioning system consists of one 2.5-ton (30,000 BTU/hour) York (heat pump) model and a second 2-ton (24,000 BTU/hour) Payne model. The units are in average condition and have a SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) of 10. These are low efficiency models. The minimum SEER for new models is 13 and high efficiency models range up to SEER of 21.

Recommendations:

If you plan on being in this house for up to 10 years, you might consider

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! installing new air conditioning units, which would save significant amounts of electricity.

Cost Opinion:

Replacement cooling system: $3500 to $5000 each depending on the contractor and unit features.

10. Lights and Appliances

Incandescent light bulbs give off 90% of the energy they use in the form of heat rather than light. Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) generally use 10% of the energy of a similar incandescent light bulb.

Appliances are in average condition. The kitchen refrigerator is an older model.

Recommendations:

• Lights

Replace all incandescent light bulbs with CFLs. Dimmable models are available if desired. People often times dislike the color of light given off by CFLs. CFL bulbs have a “color temperature” on the packaging or the bulb itself. This will be shown as “3000K” or “3000 Kelvins” which refers to the “whiteness” of the light. The lower the Kelvin value, the more yellow the light that more closely matches the traditional light given off by incandescent bulbs.

Home Depot is currently cooperating with PECO and is selling CFLs at a very low price. They are available in different wattages.

• Appliances

The purchase of the new more energy efficient refrigerator could be paid for in as little as one year, which is a good return on investment. PECO is currently offering rebates toward the purchase of a new refrigerator ($75) as well as a rebate for recycling your old refrigerator ($35).

http://www.pecosmartideas.com/programsandrebates/residential/index.h tml

Home improvement stores often times have sales and 6 to 18 month financing plans on the purchase of an Energy Star appliance. In many cases, the energy savings gained by the new energy efficient appliance more than offsets the monthly cost of financing the purchase.

Mrs. Sandrine Pal 2/15/11 Page 32

! IV. Cost Opinion Summary

The following table summarizes the cost opinions provided above. Please note that the cost opinions provided here are based on my experience and knowledge and are not estimates to perform any work. Proposals provided by a contractor may be outside the range indicated in this report.

These work items are listed in order of importance from most important to least important in terms of safety and possible energy savings and an increase in comfort for you.

Work Item Cost Opinion Cost Opinion (low) (high)

Carbon monoxide detectors (each) $20 $80 Attic insulation (floor) $1,500 $2,500 Attic insulation (walls) $1,000 $1,500 Basement ceiling insulation $1,800 $2,500 Gap and crack sealing $500 $750 Rim joist air sealing/insulation $250 $500 Radiator pipe insulation $250 $400 Duct air sealing $250 $400 Duct insulation $400 $600 Attic hatch $250 $600 Door weather stripping (per door) $25 $50 Water pipe insulation $150 $300 Radiator reflectors $25 $50 Kitchen radiant heat floor $1,200 $1,800 Replace boiler $6,000 $8,000 Replace water heater w/ indirect unit $2,000 $3,000 Replace air conditioner units (2) $7,000 $10,000

Total $22,620 $33,030

Mrs. Sandrine Pal 2/15/11 Page 33

! V. Conclusions

Based on my observations and testing results, your house is generally in good condition but does require some improvements as follows:

If implemented, the recommended improvements will save you energy and money. These improvements will also increase the value of the property, as the cost to operate the house will be reduced.

As always, please contact me if you have any questions or need additional information.

I offer the following contractors for your consideration if you want to implement any of the above recommendations.

Mark Group (insulation, air sealing) Dave Hopkins www.markgroup.com 215 334 5273

Orange Energy Solutions Scott Sidlow http://orangeenergysolutions.com/ 610 449 2444

SPS Insulation Brian Snedeker http://www.spsinsulation.com/ 610 623 5421

Esposto Electric Company Bob Esposto 610 642-8250

Mrs. Sandrine Pal 2/15/11 Page 34

! VI. Funding Opportunities

Energy Works

Energy Works is a new program to help homeowners in Philadelphia, Montgomery, Bucks, Delaware, and Chester counties save money by saving energy in their homes. Homeowners who complete a Building Performance Institute (BPI) certified energy audit of their home and invest $1,000 or more on energy efficiency improvements will qualify for a $300 rebate on the audit.

Electricity Deregulation

Please note that due to electricity deregulation in Pennsylvania, your electricity rates will increase significantly as of the beginning of 2011. You can switch electric generation suppliers to save money on your electric bill. You may find information at this website: http://www.papowerswitch.com/!

Stream Energy is an approved generator in PA. I am a Director with Ignite, which is the marketing arm of Stream Energy. I would appreciate you signing up for Stream Energy through my website: http://www.lowryeco.net*!!!You pay the same rate for electricity whether you sign up for Stream Energy through the PUC website or through my website.

Whether you choose Stream Energy or not, please make a choice as soon as possible. It’s your money. Keep it.

Tax Credits

Tax credits until the end of 2011 and utility rebate programs are available to assist you in making energy efficient improvements to your house. Tax credits may be used to help pay for many energy efficiency improvements including insulation, air sealing, heating/cooling systems, and windows, among other things. You can find more information at this website: (http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax_credits.tx_index)

Keystone Help

A program known as Keystone Help is available and offers low interest loans to homeowners in Pennsylvania to make energy efficiency improvements. You can find information about this program at this website: (http://www.keystonehelp.com/index.php).

Mrs. Sandrine Pal 2/15/11 Page 35

! VII. Sustainability Begins at Home

Sustainability is generally defined as the ability "to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." (United Nations Brundtland Commission, Our Common Future, 1987)

• Buy products locally and with minimal packaging. Tell your government and the manufacturers to do the same. • Use reusable products. A reusable shopping bag. A reusable water bottle. • Reduce or eliminate paper product use. Paper towels and napkins can be easily replaced with cloth towels and napkins. A weekly trip through the washing machine and you're good to go. • For those paper products you do use like facial tissues and toilet paper, consider buying a product with recycled paper content. • Take your own mug with you to your favorite coffee shop. They may even discount your drink if you do so. • Don't drink bottled water. The plastic bottles are only minimally recycled (approx. 30%), the water quality is often times unregulated, and the cost of bottled water is 100s of times higher than tap water. Tap water is wonderful in our area and if you don't like the taste, get a tap mounted or fridge water filter. • Use compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) and turn all lights off when not using them. Did you know that incandescent bulbs will essentially be banned as of January 2012? • Turn off and unplug appliances, computers, etc. when not using them. The energy vampire effect is significant. • Reduce your junk mail by contacting the businesses that send the catalogs and the Direct Marketing Association. It will likely take at least 3 months to see an impact, but your mail carrier will thank you. • Recycle everything you can including: o Cardboard (put out with your recycling in Lower Merion) o Dry cleaner hangers (return to the dry cleaner) o Plastic bags (return to the grocery store or put in your recycling) • Consider buying alternative forms of electricity including wind (through PECO) and solar photovoltaic systems. The State and Federal government have new programs to make solar systems for electricity and hot water more economically reasonable. Up to 65% rebate/refund toward the installation of these systems. • Walk, ride your bike, or use public transit when possible. • Compost your food scraps. Of the landfilled/incinerated waste in the US, 20% is food waste and another 15% is yard waste.

Mrs. Sandrine Pal 2/15/11 Page 36

! This information is typed in an eco-friendly font, which reduces toner use by 20%. Look closely and you will see small dots within the text where toner is not printed.

(the font used in this section is Spranq Eco Sans and is available at the link noted below) Sustainability Links

Energy Audits http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/energy_audits/index.cfm/mytopic=111 60

Energy Saver Tips http://www.energysavers.gov/

Stop Global Warming http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/sgw_actionitems.asp

Buy Local http://brynmawrfarmersmarket.blogspot.com/ http://www.buylocalpa.org/ http://www.lancasterfarmfresh.com/

The Consumers Handbook for Reducing Solid Waste http://www.epa.gov/osw/wycd/catbook/index.htm

Light bulbs http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=cfls.pr_cfls

Bottled water http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/faq/pdfs/fs_healthseries_bottledwater.pdf http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/materials/plastics.htm#facts https://www.aquaamerica.com/pages/AdvancedWaterQualityReportSearch.as px

Energy Vampires http://blog.epa.gov/blog/2008/10/27/qotw-what-are-your-energy-vampires/

Water Saving Fixtures http://www.epa.gov/watersense/water/simple.htm

Mrs. Sandrine Pal 2/15/11 Page 37

! Programmable Thermostat http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=thermostats.pr_thermostats http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/space_heating_cooling/in dex.cfm/mytopic=12720

Rain Barrel http://www.phillywatersheds.org/rainbarrel/

Reusable Shopping Bags http://www.reusablebags.com/

Junk Mail http://www.reduce.org/ http://www.donotmail.org

The Story of Stuff http://www.thestoryofstuff.com

Earth 911 (recycling and other good information) http://www.earth911.com/

Recycled paper tissues & toilet paper http://www.nrdc.org/land/forests/gtissue.asp! ! ecofont http://www.ecofont.com/en/products/green/font/download-the-ink-saving- font.html

Mrs. Sandrine Pal 2/15/11 Page 38

! Working with Contractors

Working with contractors is often times necessary if you want improvements or repairs done to your house. As with anything else, there are good ones and not-so-good ones out there. We offer some tips to make your time working with a contractor far more enjoyable and less frustrating:

1. Check with family and friends to see if they had good experiences with contractors performing the type of work you need.

2. Contractors must be registered with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and must have a contractor’s license number. Ask for it if they don’t offer it. You can check the PA Attorney General’s website to see if your potential contractor is registered. (http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/hiccon.aspx?id=4502)

3. Contractors must carry general liability insurance. You can ask them to add you as an “additional insured” so that should their insurance be canceled, you will be notified.

4. A contractor may not ask for more than 1/3 of the total contract value as a down- payment (for contracts over $1,000 in value). Exceptions to this are the cost of special order items such as custom windows or cabinets.

5. Always have work performed using a written contract. Its not only the law, it will save you from problems in the future. The contract must define what will be done, how much it will cost, when work will start, when it will end, and when payments are due.

6. Check references and the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Any legitimate contractor will have references available for you to contact and will be in good standing at the local BBB.

7. Get at least three proposals or “bids”. These should be “free”. Of course there is nothing truly free, but a contractor should come talk with you and see what you want done in order to provide you a proposal.

8. All “extra work” must be approved before it is done. If a contractor comes to you after completing your project and says that certain things are extra, tell them to fully document the extra work and you will consider paying them for it. Extra work often times becomes necessary. A good contractor will communicate with you if they find something they think is extra work and thus cost you more money. If something extra is necessary, you can have anyone you want do the work not just the contractor currently on the job.

Lowry EcoSolutions offers home contracting consulting as an additional service to assist you in completing improvements to your house.

Mrs. Sandrine Pal 2/15/11 Page 39

! Company Information

Lowry EcoSolutions (LE) is owned by Eric C. Lowry, P.E. Services offered by LE include home energy and efficiency audits, rain barrel and rain garden design and installation, waste audits and civil and environmental engineering.

Eric Lowry is a Building Performance Institute (BPI) Certified Building Analyst and a Certified Home Energy Rater by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET).

LE is a licensed contractor in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (license no. PA063233).

Eric Lowry is a licensed professional engineer in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia and has practiced as a professional engineer for twenty-two years. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from The Penn State University (1988) and a Master of Science degree in Water Resources and Environmental Engineering from Villanova University (2005).

LE is an independent service provider and we do not have any alliances with contractors. We take compensation only from our clients and our allegiance is to you. We offer recommendations regarding contractors based on the energy audit results. You are always free to take our recommendations or use a contractor of your own choosing. Either way, we receive compensation only from you, our client.

LE is an accredited company by the Better Business Bureau.

Mr. Lowry holds memberships in the following professional associations: • Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) • American Society of Civil Engineers • Association of Energy Engineers • Delaware Valley Green Building Council • Northeast Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Alliance • Sustainable Business Network

Mrs. Sandrine Pal 2/15/11 Page 40