Homeowners
Plain-language cost guides for homeowners: repair versus replace, running costs by state, safety, and how to read an HVAC contractor’s quote.
-
Oil Filled Radiator: How It Works, What It Costs to Run and Its Safety Record
How an oil filled radiator works, why the oil is a heat store and not a fuel, what one costs per hour, night and month at 2026 EIA…
-
Hygrometer: How Accurate Yours Is and How to Check It With the Salt Test
What a hygrometer measures, how accurate each sensor type is according to maker datasheets and the WMO, and how to check yours with the NBS salt test values.
-
Office Temperature: What OSHA, ASHRAE and the Productivity Studies Actually Say
Office temperature, traced to primary sources: OSHA’s 68 to 76°F recommendation, why no US limit exists, the LBNL productivity curve, the gender evidence and what a wider setpoint…
-
Fireplace Insert Guide: Wood, Pellet, Gas and Electric Compared on Federal Data
Open fireplaces lose over 90 percent of their heat; an insert turns one into a real heater. We compare wood, pellet, gas and electric inserts on EPA and…
-
Electric Blanket: Cost per Night, the 2026 Recalls and Who Should Not Use One
What an electric blanket costs per night at EIA’s August 2026 price, how it compares with a space heater and a DOE thermostat setback, the UL 964 standard,…
-
Air Purifier: Do They Work? The Trial Evidence, Room Sizing and Federal Rules
We read EPA’s air cleaner reviews, the trials behind them, AHAM’s sizing rules and the federal efficiency standard, then worked the CADR math for a 12 by 15…
-
Ventless Gas Heater Safety: Code Limits, State Bans and the Moisture Math
We read the IRC and IFGC sections, state statutes, CPSC death estimates and a 30-home field study, then computed how much water and CO2 a ventless gas heater…
-
Why Is My House So Dusty? What Dust Is, the HVAC Causes and How to Test Each
What house dust is made of, where the 60% outdoors claim really comes from, and how to test HVAC causes like return duct leaks, filter bypass and low…
-
What Temperature Do Pipes Freeze? The 20°F Rule, Traced to the Original Research
Every guide repeats the 20°F rule; few say where it came from. We traced it to a 1996 University of Illinois study, republished its field data, and explain…
-
Window Condensation: The Humidity Your Glass Can Hold, and Fixes That Work
Window condensation starts when the glass falls below the room’s dew point. Our calculated table shows the highest indoor humidity each window type can hold from 40°F down…