HVAC
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Looking for a small home improvement that yields big results? A programmable thermostat, properly installed and confi...
Ceiling fans are a wonderful addition to any room, offering a cool breeze and providing a pleasant decorative accent....
Take a spin through our roundup of ceiling fans to suit every design sensibility.
All air conditioners are designed to cool—that is, to remove heat and humidity from interior spaces. If you are in th...
Warm weather is just around the corner, with its humming air conditioners and skyrocketing electric bills. You may be...
Choosing a ceiling fan is enough to make any homeowner’s head hurt. With so many variables and options, what should y...
If a smokey, wood-burning hearth seems like a hassle, these sleek and clean electric fireplaces will warm you up—with no mess to bring you down.
Cast iron radiators can be beautiful, but an old, peeling one can really bring down the look of a room. Stripping and...
From traditional oil-fired boilers to newfangled hybrid heat pumps, an almost dizzying number of options in heating systems is available to today's homeowner.
Baby, its cold outside—and the last thing you want to do is return home to a frosty house. The smart time to examine ...
A new set of fireplace tools brings both style and utility to your hearth. Here are a few guidelines that will help y...
With temperatures dipping into the single digits here in the Northeast—and below 0° F in many other places—shivering ...
Dust bunnies are multiplying, dog hair is piling up, and bird feathers are flying—oh my, it must be the furnace filte...
Before we built a new home, I’d never heard of mini splits. What could they be, some kind of tiny frozen dessert or s...
Call it the PC-ification of the fireplace. A company called Bio-Blaze is selling a line of portable, vent-free firepl...
New radiators mean that keeping warm the old fashioned way no longer forces you to leave your style sense out in the cold.
We had to make so many decisions when we built our new construction home. I didn’t realize it at the time (having nev...
If your home has cold, drafty spots, this is the time of year you’ll notice them. Rather than cranking up the heat in...
If you heat your house with wood, you know how expensive buying firewood can be. Cutting, splitting, and drying a cor...
Aside from the price of your own renewable energy, the cost of anything used to heat or cool the home is largely non-...
While traditional open-hearth, wood-burning fireplaces are quickly going the way of the dinosaur, if you still want t...
When it's time to replace your furnace, you might have to think faster than you'd like about this major purchase. Her...
Of all the many species available, which types of firewood are the best to use at home?
Fireplace inserts are a great way to update an existing masonry fireplace. A traditional open-front wood-burning fire...
Did you know you can put your ceiling fan to work year-round? Simply by reversing the direction and changing the spee...
Practical and eco-friendly, pellet stoves are the perfect solution to a variety of home heating challenges.
'Tis the season for hot chocolate and snuggles by the fire. Many newer homes have gone to gas fireplaces. They’re che...
As winter approaches, take a closer look at this eco-friendly option for heating your home. The warmth of a wood stov...
We've rounded up the best fireplace accessories to poke, air, and shield flames while keeping your hearth looking great.
As days get shorter and weather gets colder, we retreat indoors to the warmth of our homes and hearths. If you have a...
While it’s hard to argue with the romance of a crackling fire on a chilly night, your fireplace might be costing you ...
Whether you're building a whole house or just adding a new bathroom, one of your first decisions has to be how you're...
Until very recently, homes were built to breathe. Insulation was seldom used, windows were single-pane and drafts wer...
Now that the summer scorchers are over, it’s time to bring in your window air conditioning units. Listen to BOB VILA ...
Ventilation fans in kitchens and bathrooms are required by code in most states, and they’re a good idea everywhere. T...
If you’ve still got an old mercury or mechanical contact thermostat, it’s easy to forget to adjust it when you leave ...
Everyone agrees that you should change your HVAC filter on a regular basis, but not everyone agrees on the type of fi...
Before you crank up the air conditioning this summer, try a little old-fashioned ventilation first. LISTENListen to ...
Insulate your house to keep it warm in the cooler months, cool in the warmer months, and save big money on energy bills.
Save money on energy bills using radiant heating in your new home or remodel.
Reconsider your old fireplace, which could be costing you more money than you know.
An imperative “rite of spring” in our house is checking our two central air conditioning systems to make sure they ar...
Just in time for the heat of summer, browse ten fans that bring style to home cooling.
Love the idea of a stone fireplace mantel but turned off by the high price? Eldorado Stone—one of the leading manufac...
Before you pull your window air conditioner out of storage, consider its age. Efficiencies have improved so much that...
In the market for a gas fireplace? Here's all the info you need to choose the right model for your home.
Ten gas fireplaces to consider for warmth, energy savings, and beauty.
Heat your home sustainably with a geothermal heating system that harnesses the earth’s temperature.
See if the HVAC system in your modern, insulated home is in need of ventilation.
It’s important to make your home energy-efficient by sealing all gaps and insulating thoroughly, but don’t overlook ventilation.
As far as home improvement gear goes, furnace filters are admittedly among the least, um. . . exciting. There's none ...
Thinking about one is virtually impossible without reference to the other.
The Radiant Panel Association illustrates six ways to install radiant floor heating in your home.
Radiant floor heating, popular in new construction, has become a viable retrofit option.
Read our guide to learn ventilation know-how that can go a long way towards keeping you cool and saving money on energy bills.
Keep warm and comfortable this winter and lower your utility bills with some energy-efficient home improvements.
The Nest Learning Thermostat is, I'm betting, the first HVAC device to excite so much chatter in the blogosphere. An ...
Nothing celebrates the colder weather like the distinct scent and sound of a crackling log in the fireplace. A steady...
Make your measurements and energy calculations before you buy.
It's now easier to retrofit older homes with increasingly compact air conditioning systems.
Helping you choose what type of ventilation, temperature and climate you most want for inside your home.
Advice on how to deal with and what to expect when hiring those who use Mechanical Systems in your home.
Last week, the New York Times featured a Home Section article on fans and/or air conditioning--depending on where you...
The walls in the new addition are just about ready for paint. The new fireplace, trimmed with fieldstone, will make this new in-law suite very cozy. Interior door...
Bob talks with Robert Rainey of PJ Overhead Door as the new and improved garage door panels and tracks are installed on the Norwell home.
As the upper-story walls are poured, Bob talks with the builder and contractor about the significant savings in time, energy, and cost that come with concrete and...
The home's concrete-slab floor is constructed with foam decking and connected to PEX tubing that will heat the home. The ReddiForm foam blocks enable a single con...
A big farmer's porch will run the whole width of the house. Bob discusses the boiler, which will heat the domestic hot water, radiant floor heating, and hydro-air...
The new windows in the baby’s nursery are highly insulated for cold and sound and have health and safety features for young children. They can be installed by do-...
Bob meets with HVAC and plumbing contractor Frank Iadarola to review the HVAC and plumbing systems and discuss how to begin the remodeling process.
Bob meets with Ed and Lisa Zywusko, a husband-and-wife masonry team, and sees how they are going to refurbish the old brick chimney.
Bob and plumbing and heating contractor Frank Iadarola review the air handler and bathroom in-floor radiant heat.
Bob reviews the heating and air conditioning equipment that will bring the Shingle Style house into its second century.
Bob talks with landscape architect Rick Lamb about revisions to the plan. Bob points out the redesigned parking area and the plan for magically melting the snow.
Bob meets with architect Gregory Rochlin and expert carpenter Danny Ruffini to restore old double-hung windows and replace lead sash weights with new spring-loade...
A double window is installed in the kitchen, which will let in a lot of sunlight and give a view of the back yard.
The oil tank is moved into the new basement utility room to make room for the basement playroom.
Bob meets with the installer of the new HVAC system to discuss how it filters air and reduces energy costs.
The house's two chimneys are repaired, allowing the installation of a gas fireplace insert, and basement family-room cabinets are completed.
Bob discusses the installation of a basement half-bathroom, including wiring, plumbing, and radiant heating.
Bob and Jeff Akers of The Air Authority review the water-cooled HVAC system, granting focus to its ingenious mechanical design and up-to-code energy efficiency.
Jack Murdock from RMI and Craig Ryans from Vermont Castings demonstrate how simple it is to have gas appliances and heat in a rural location.
Bob meets with Mark Gallivan from Sears HVAC, and Brent Morin from Morin Mechanical Services, to review the heating system installation in the modular home.
Bob meets with Peter Merianos and the crew from Coastal Heating and Air Conditioning, who are fabricating the AC ductwork on site.
To add a new line off the main trunk, the crew cuts a hole into the the trunk with a special tool. A starting collar from which the new line will extend is then i...
The crew from The Ironhouse hooks up with Dan DeMagistris of Heat-N-Glo to install the fireplace.
Kevin Callahan from Sears joins Bob to talk about the new Kenmore air conditioning condensers that will be installed.
Bob returns to Winterthur, the historic du Pont estate, to tour the Tappahannock Room.
Bob tours one of Winterthur's most ornate rooms, the Blackwell Parlor.
Bob and Chris Vila join Andy Grover of Hallsted Welles Associates for the installation of a new, flexible, stainless-steel chimney liner.
Bob meets with Meredith Schelp from Mitsubishi Electric HVAC to learn about the City-Multi HVAC system that will heat and cool the Manhattan Brownstone floor-thro...
Bob talks with general contractor Ted Riley about the fireplace construction.
Bob visits with Mark Lundquist of Burnham Hydronics to check out the boiler for the hot-water heating system being installed in the Mashpee, Massachusetts, afford...
Bob discusses the SpacePak HVAC system that's being installed to provide heating and cooling in the house and barn. The SpacePak system is well-suited to projects...
Bob talks with Mike Donaghey (from American Standard) to learn more about the barn's air conditioning system. Also, Bob and general contractor Charlie Tomaszewski...
Bob tours the master bathroom, noticing the finishing touches and pointing out the features. Also, Bob checks out the Finlandia sauna, before reviewing te Crysta...
Chris Hoff (from Buderus) demonstrates the features of the boiler and hot water heater installed in the basement, while Bob takes a tour of the Buderus factory in...
Janet MacIlvaine and George James (from the Department of Energy) show Bob how they conduct a blower door test.
Masons are building the Rumford fireplace, as Bob talks over the herringbone construction process being used.
Masons install the throat and flue for the Rumford fireplace in the Lifespan House.
Bob explores the practice of custom lamp making and learns more about the outdoor fireplace.
Carpenter Bob Ryley and Greg Cowan (from Tidewater Restoration) discuss the process of restoring the antique mantelpiece.
Bob returns to the Virginia governor's mansion to see the restored mantelpiece reinstalled in the ballroom.
Bob inspects the remote device, controlling the PA system, HVAC, lighting, and entertainment systems. In the basement, Bob Ryley is exploring the wires and cables...
The developer and the plumber guide Bob through the equipment-laden boiler room.
A restaurant-quality oven hood vent is installed, in addition to Metrowire shelves.
The first Elmwood project concerns remodeling a Gothic Carpenter-style home, built in 1871.
Joe Murphy installs a direct vent gas-driven fireplace, and Howard Brickman refinishes the hardwood floor.
Pat and Roger Simons, the owners of the second house in the Elmwood project, review the goals of their bathroom remodel.
The air conditioning system for the third floor exercise area, with its unique features and ductwork, is installed.
A granite tub surround is installed, as well as an in-floor heating system and unique fiber optic lighting.
Bob tours of The Barnacle, one of the first homes built in Dade County, FL, to see how early settlers built in order to deal with the heat.
Bob meets with Mark, a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning mechanic, who is installing an HVAC system to moderate the temperature in the addition.
Bob works with the homeowners, who are stripping old paint off an antique cabinet. On top of the chemicals used to loosen the paint, they discuss the several safe...
Bob meets with the architects, Mark and Geoffrey, who visit the project site every two weeks in order to check on progress, and to make sure their plans are being...
Bob joins carpenter Bob Ryley, who is installing a two-section window seat with a built-in reveal for baseboard heating. With a few measurements and a bit of scri...
Bob meets Jack O'Leary, the plumbing and heating contractor for the Newton, MA project. Since the house has doubled in size with the neaddition, the old heating u...
Bob watches as the mason lays a new hearth in the old fireplace using salvaged Charleston brick.
Bob joins restoration contractor Richard Marks in the library of the Federal-Style home to review the restoration of the mantel.
Bob meets with HVAC contractor Dave Talbot to discuss the heating and cooling of the greenhouse. A system of thermostats, blowers, vented windows, and boiler has ...
Contractor Bob Ryley shows off the greenhouse's motorized windows. At the touch of a button, or via a thermostat, the windows open and close. Bob helps Ryley asse...
As the mason builds a Count Rumford fireplace, he describes the foundation built to support the hearth and the variety of bricks used throughout the fireplace.
Bob meets with Alex Alexander to check out the new gas furnace, before taking a trip to Alex's shop to see how a computerized plasma cutter is used to cut out the...
Bob meets with mechanical contractor Frank Iadarola to watch the installation of the Heatway hydronic radiant heating system in the slab on the automotive side of...
John Marran (from Energy Kinetics) and heating expert Frank Iadarola review the energy efficient boiler system that will supply heat to the hydronic floors and to...
The search for Bob's next project house ends, when he finds a small 19th-century home on a large plot of land in East Chop, a laid-back, picturesque part of the i...
Bob and contractor John Clancy discuss creating the new concrete chimney at the Victorian-style project house in Martha's Vineyard.
Bob tours the Vermont Castings factory in Randolph, VT in order to learn about the manufacturing process for the type of wood-burning stove being used in the Mart...
Bob joins siding contractor Brian Quinn, who is constructing a beautiful gable-end sunburst fan from clapboard siding. Quinn explains how to lay out the center mo...
Bob observes as electrician Steve Bradley snakes a thermostat wire along a wall in service of the new air conditioning system.
Carpenter-contractor Bob Ryley dresses up the fireplace to give it a Colonial look.
Bob and the HVAC installer review plans to install air conditioning in the Naples project house.
If air conditioning is out of reach, the next best way to beat the Florida heat is by putting a ceiling fan in the attic of the house.
Bob reviews the plans to create a new screen porch with a ceiling fan at the Naples project house.
Bob discusses heating systems for the rental units with HVAC contractor Kirk Rustman.
Bob goes over the ducting process with carpentry contractor Bob Ryley at the Cape Cod project house.
Fireplace dealer Kris Renier installs a new zero-clearance fireplace and explains how it operates.
Bob tours the completed living room and dining room of the coach house, then heads down into the basement to see the work that's been done on the heating system.
John Martin (from WarmZone) is on-hand to show Bob how the medium density fiberboard (MDF) faced with reflective aluminum shielding, and precut channels for the h...
General contractor Tim Berky installs the white oak, tongue-and-groove floor. Since the flooring will be nailed over the hyrdronic heat system, it is critical to ...
