Homeowners
Plain-language cost guides for homeowners: repair versus replace, running costs by state, safety, and how to read an HVAC contractor’s quote.
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Best Temperature for Sleeping: What Sleep Studies Show, by Age and Humidity
Sleep studies put the best bedroom temperature near 66 to 70°F for adults and 68 to 77°F for people over 65. Heat costs more sleep than cool air,…
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Sick Building Syndrome: Symptoms, Causes, Ventilation Evidence and How to Fix It
Sick building syndrome explained from EPA, NIOSH and peer-reviewed ventilation studies: the symptoms, what causes it, how investigators find the source, and the HVAC fixes that work.
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Corsi-Rosenthal Box: Measured CADR, Safety Tests and a Step-by-Step Build
We read the EPA, UC Davis and EPA ORD test reports on the box fan and MERV 13 air cleaner, set their CADR, power and noise side by…
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Cool Mist vs Warm Mist Humidifier: Burns, White Dust, Germs and Watts Compared
Cool mist humidifiers avoid burns but ultrasonic models spray tap water minerals; warm mist units use about ten times the power. EPA, CPSC, lab and maker data compared.
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AC Cage: Theft Data, Maker Clearances and the Code Rules a Cage Must Meet
An AC cage slows copper thieves only if it keeps the clearances in your condenser’s manual. We pair NICB theft claim data with Goodman, Carrier, Lennox and Trane…
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Mercury Thermostat: How to Spot One, State Disposal Laws and Where to Recycle It
How to tell if a thermostat has mercury, what federal universal waste rules and seven verified state laws require, where to recycle one for free, and what EPA…
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Fireplace Damper: Open or Closed, Heat Loss, Gas Log Clamps and the Code
A fireplace damper stays open while wood, embers or gas logs burn and tightly closed otherwise. Here is DOE’s heat loss data, the gas log clamp rule, the…
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Indoor Air Quality Monitor Accuracy: What Independent Tests and EPA Show
Independent AQ-SPEC field tests and LBNL chamber studies show which indoor air quality monitor readings you can trust (PM2.5, NDIR CO2) and which you cannot (TVOC, eCO2).
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Volatile Organic Compounds: Indoor Levels, Health Limits and What Actually Works
VOCs run 2 to 5 times higher indoors, EPA found, yet no federal limit covers home air. The sources, the ATSDR and OSHA numbers, why TVOC sensors mislead,…
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Air Conditioner Fire Statistics (2026): 1,500 Home Fires a Year, by Source
Air conditioning started about 1,500 unintentional US home fires a year in 2021 to 2023, per CPSC. Here is why other totals differ, which units were recalled, and…