JR3 Home Performance

Well I was enjoying getting many personal and buisness improvement projects done at home..but it was time to get back to work. I’ll have to post everything I did later. Anyway...I tried to talk this client into a #heatpumpwaterheater but they were worried about getting it changed out immediately. We had to go with the #homedepot basic power vent from #Rheem. It’s energy star rated and a solid choice. This unit runs at about 80% effiency but you get some stand by losses and it requires some electric energy to run the fan resulting in about a 70% energy factor. That’s about 25% better than a standard gas fired unit. I’ve always had good luck with Rheem products. The important thing is just proper installation. @ Schenectady, New York

Just some COVID-19 environmental spread info as I understand it: At 40F the virus can survive 28 days on surfaces. 48F is considered the most contagious spreading temperature. Every 2F increase lowers virus replication by 4%. I'll be keeping my house a little warmer than normal. 1% increase in relative humidity decreases replication by 2%. At a minimum keep RH% above 30% ..but 50% is considered ideal for minimizing this virus's spread as currently understood.... A lot of virus particles exist and can float in the air between the 1-2.5 micron size. This is the hardest size particle to capture with a filter. A MERV 11 filter starts to catch them but HEPA is best for capturing particles in that size range. Smaller particles are captured by static and diffusion. Larger particles generally fall out of the air. Wearing a p100 respirator mask is about the same as a HEPA filter Here's reason to maintain social distance and mask up in public if you're experiencing symptoms. Watch the four videos at the bottom of this link: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article Other things I found:

Much was improved on this seemingly innocent #drain system. We added a little slope to the main line because #pooprunsdownhill . Installed a #backflowpreventer to prevent any potential raw sewage from entering the home due to future municipal events. Upsized a restriction from a 3 drain between two 4 sections. Replaced an undersized 1.5 drain with a 2 drain. Installed a high flow #AAV to compensate for a lack of sewer venting near the kitchen sink and new laundry station. Installed a #zoller sump pump system with a nice check valve from @supplyhouse . Upgraded all the support mounts. And eliminated an untrapped drain in the old laundry area that was letting sewer gas right into the basement (yuck!). @ Colonie, New York

Eliminated the #gasleak, got rid of the non-code compliant appliance connector, got rid of excess piping, installed shut-offs, a service union, and drip leg. Everything was tested with an electrochemical gas sniffer after. It’s nice when clients just give me a budget and say fix things up right! @ Colonie, New York