News Room : Archives : January 2010

Lower Energy Bills by Covering Whole House Attic Fans with New Shuttercover

Sunday, January 10th, 2010

 

Jan. 6, 2010 – Most people would agree that leaving a window open in the winter would not be a good idea.  However, homes with uncovered whole house fans are essentially doing just that – increasing energy usage and costs for the homeowner.  Now, Shuttercover™ Trim to Fit, a trim-to-fit fan cover from RH Manufacturing, offers homeowners an easy and affordable way to cover their fans and lower energy bills.

“While whole house fans use far less energy than air conditioners when in use, the systems provide little to no insulating value.  In the winter, when you’re heating the home, they let hot air out and cold air in.  In the summer, when the air conditioning is running, they let hot air in and cold air out,” says Rick Hedgpeth at RH Manufacturing, the largest manufacturer of insulation products for whole house fans in the United States.   A perfect solution for all of us living in 50’s to 70’s homes in Atlanta Georgia, that are in need of a weatherization renovation.  “Homeowners can save a tremendous amount of energy – and money – by covering and insulating the opening.  Our Shuttercover Trim to Fit makes it easy to do just that, without ever having to enter the attic.”

Shuttercover Trim to Fit covers are made of ¼-inch thick, Low-E reflective foil insulation.  This type of insulation can stop up to 97% of radiant heat transfer, adding significant energy savings. One side has a white coating to blend in with the surrounding ceiling.  The square can be trimmed to fit any shutter size up to 48 inches by 48 inches.

The Shuttercover Trim to Fit attaches to the ceiling with a self-adhesive Velcro^Ò-like connector.  This means no more duct tape, plastic or trips to the attic.  Simply stick the cover in place on the ceiling.  Remove the cover to use the fan, and replace it when finished.

In addition to preventing air infiltration, Shuttercover Trim to Fit also helps lower bills by decreasing hot and cold spots that make the furnace or air conditioner turn on unnecessarily.    Most whole house fan shutters are in hallways, near thermostats.  Air coming in through the un-insulated shutters creates a hot or cold spot, which the thermostat detects, causing the furnace or air conditioner to come on when it might not actually be needed.  Shuttercover Trim to Fit can help prevent this.

“Shuttercover Trim to Fit is a wonderful product.  I installed one…right before it turned cold,” says one happy customer in Jefferson City, Missouri.

Available for less than $30 at retailers including Lowes, Westlake, Ace Hardware, WW Grainger, Sutherlands, Meeks and Herrman Lumber, Shuttercover Trim to Fit is an easy and affordable solution for homeowners.  Homeowners and contractors may also purchase products online at www.lowes.com and www.grainger.com.

For additional information, including a full list of retailers, visit http://shuttercover.com or email customerservice@shuttercover.com.

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Lower Energy Bills by Covering Whole House Attic Fans with New Shuttercover

ASHRAE Handbook Becomes More Accessible in Online Format

Saturday, November 7th, 2009

ATLANTA—What was once the turn of a page will now be the click of a mouse. The ASHRAE Handbook is now available online to allow for quick and easy access to a vast amount of HVAC&R information.

“The advantages of the ASHRAE Handbook Online are numerous,” Dennis O’Neal, 2009-10 chair of the ASHRAE Handbook Committee, said. “For one, the text is fully searchable and includes live links to figures, tables, footnotes, equations and other Web references. Going online also allows for fast navigation among all four current Handbook volumes, with live cross-reference links.”

Unlike the ASHRAE HandbookCD+ 2006-2009, an ASHRAE Handbook Online subscription provides immediate access to Handbook content, in contrast to the two weeks required for the shipping of the CD; requires no software installation; eliminates dependency on one computer by allowing for quick and easy access from any computer with an Internet connection; and costs considerably less than the price of purchasing each volume separately, offering a $331 savings for non-members.

The benefits of the ASHRAE Handbook Online don’t stop there. Taking the Handbook online will provide an opportunity for the Society to fulfill its mission of advancing the HVAC&R industry through publishing by making the Handbook more accessible.

 “This helps ASHRAE position its publishing program for customer expectations in the digital age,” O’Neal said. “Additionally, having the Handbook online opens it to members globally and makes ASHRAE information more readily available.”

The ASHRAE Handbook is the most widely cited reference source for HVAC&R technology in the world. The hardback version of the Handbook is published in a series of four volumes, one of which is revised each year, ensuring that no volume is older than four years. The ASHRAE Handbook Online, however, allows access to all of the four most recent volumes at once. To subscribe to the ASHRAE Handbook Online, visit https://handbook.ashrae.org for immediate access to vast and valuable HVAC&R technology and resources. Additional information may be found at www.ashrae.org/handbookonline.