What were they thinking!?

Crawling around in attics for the APS energy audit program and the SRP energy audit program has given me a pretty good idea where I can expect to find hidden “inefficiency jewels”. I feel like a kid at Christmas discovering open wall chases, uninsulated soffit drops, misaligned insulation and unconnected ductwork. It’s like finishing a marathon, reaching the river at the Grand Canyon or reaching the Seven Falls in Tucson… well, add a little sweat, being in a 140 degree box, and a chiropractor, and welcome to my world of home energy audits. Once I do find these things I often say to myself, “what were these contractors thinking!?” 

Now a home performing as a system is a relatively new concept; as are the APS and SRP rebates available for helping homeowners reduce their bills, but some of the insulation contractors, framers and developers just left their common sense at home. When insulating a home, wouldn't you want all the interior walls insulated? Or why would insulation be installed with the paper facing inside on some kneewalls and have it facing the other way of kneewalls right next to it?  I would like to share some horror stories through pictures of common and not-so-common defects in homes. I think all energy auditors in Phoenix will have photos and stories similar to mine, so cheers!

Part of the enthusiasm in finding these inefficiencies is the potential to save money on energy bills and dramatically increase the homeowner’s comfort. Another good thing about these construction defects is that APS and SRP offer $1,000 in rebates to fix these deficiencies.