jr3hp-blog

[jr3hp-blog]

Well it’s a pretty safe bet to say this new #merv13filter system is better suited to provide better #airquality to this client. Of course the #furnace will work better too. #greenfieldcenter (at Saratoga Springs, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4mGcG0AQ9q/?igshid=a8yj9unpki1t

[jr3hp-blog]

Did a little redneck engineering on this municipal auction truck. The important thing is that it gets jobs done easier than a honda civic (at Amsterdam, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4l_vy_A8h6/?igshid=19dlzhankgc2a

[jr3hp-blog]

Technology changes fast. For less than $100 you can get a combination front and rear dash cam system. This one can display the rear cameras image (mirrored) to simulate an actual rear view mirror. It’s great for work truck that don’t actually have a rear window to look out (at Amsterdam, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4l-wSfAVGW/?igshid=1lw7hdeo3uvhz

[jr3hp-blog]

This old #sumppump pit was only about 10” deep and the basement had standing water before the sump would turn on. Now it’s down about 20” deep and has a transparent check valve for inspection. We also put a cover on the new pit to reduce radon infiltration.. but that’ll be another project. Just need some rain to see if this worked! (at Amsterdam, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4l-QLwgxHt/?igshid=12260kk4co5bq

[jr3hp-blog]

“Attending” an #indoorairquality conference with #homeperformance presenting right now. Pretty nifty way to get better educated and ultimately improve all of my clients lives. People obsess over the health effects of vaccines and food quality but nearly completely ignore air quality. Yet we take in more air by mass/weight into out bodies than food or water. We also spend 90% of our lives not being outside. That means 90% of the time we are subjected to air with on average 5x the contamination levels as compared to outside... (at Amsterdam, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4SMehbA2G0/?igshid=8h5nfrcxkyx3

[jr3hp-blog]

Received and installed a new toy today. The #moenflo. Figured I better test it since I’ve offered it for sale. Allows you to turn on/off water to a home remotely, see current and historical water usage, detect leaks, and most importantly mitigate or prevent #plumbing related flood disasters that can be devastating, costly, and time consuming to recover from. (at Amsterdam, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4BFY69AXmO/?igshid=3sk1tz8l5fkx

[jr3hp-blog]

Not too shabby for my first time professionally installing some hardwood flooring. Look how well it blends in with the old pre-existing wood floors. Sometimes I wonder if I take on new types of work just to buy more #powertools #powernail #hardwoodfloors (at 12010) https://www.instagram.com/p/B38P1jHAmUh/?igshid=144qsjse82t6c

[jr3hp-blog]

Had the pleasure of energy auditing a historic estate today. #kittyhusted #misskitty It had the largest #steamboiler that I’ve seen in a residence down in a pit with a guardrail!#hydronicheating #deadmensteamschool #broadalbin (at Broadalbin, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/B35JAddgp1v/?igshid=1bzuns6o1f1u

[jr3hp-blog]

We insulated this upstairs area using a combination of 2” recycled commercial foam-board between framing and new fire rated 1” foam-board over the framing for a thermal break. A lot of labor on this one. The final result wasn’t perfectly level but so it goes for a less than ideally framed home. The important thing here is the performance. This client will have a huge reduction in heating and cooling bills. And if they don’t decide to use it for storage or finish it over fir living space...it’d make for a sweet #growroom (at Mayfield, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3LgjAtgutQ/?igshid=1hygyylti4ys0

[jr3hp-blog]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by James Meehan (@jr3_home_performance)

Had a job hinderer today. Kept pawing around. (at Great Sacandaga Lake) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3LfTUxggQM/?igshid=1tbwq7xjrmlyx

[jr3hp-blog]

Here’s a ductwork modification I’ve made on a few furnaces. On most energy audits with forced air heating systems (furnaces) we test the ductwork. From those tests we can very accurately specify adjustments that should be made to get a furnace operating exactly as it should be. The black insulated flex duct runs from the air return drop over to the return trunk directly below the return air grille in the living room floor above. In this case it dropped the air temperature change created by the furnace by 50 degrees F. This now allows the furnace to operate within manufacturer specifications which is very important for getting the full lifetime out of a furnace. A couple other gains made include being able to heat the home much more quickly, reduced airflow noise during operation, and no longer will the furnace literally suck the air filter out of place. (at Sharon, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/B05A_xzA7qE/?igshid=uu2et214k6fc

[jr3hp-blog]

#nofilter These softwood #douglasfir floors came out great using #waterlox These photos are after the initial drying of layers 4-7 but that’s going with thin layers. Next time I may use a new applicator for each layer and go thicker to possibly reduce the number of layers needed down to 4-5. I’ll have to get better before photos on the the next room I finish. These floors were really bad starting off. This tung oil varnish is less scratch resistant than the typical floor poly used but it makes up for it in repair-ability. Spot repairs are possible unlike typical water or oil based poly. All it takes to renew the overall finish is cleaning the surface and applying more varnish. Typically poly has to be completely sanded off and completely reapplied. This waterlox costs a lot more initially and takes longer to both apply and cure/dry but once completed should cost less in the long run. Another benefit is that other than the initial evaporation of the solvents it’s a very #sustainable #green natural product compared to a poly finish that is a layer of basically plastic. It also looks amazing compared to what a poly finish would. I don’t think I’d have much luck offering this floor refinishing technique through the buisness. It would be over $10/sqft rehabbing a similar floor to the same level of detail used here. (at Amsterdam, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0cfCQaAD11/?igshid=1ir0en7ok62j2

[jr3hp-blog]

Job complete. We took this old upstate NY home and gave it $12k of home performance upgrades. Now featuring an extra 1,700 lbs of insulation in the walls and attics, a tuned up oil heating system, an indoor air quality improvement from reduced basement humidity, and a couple other minor improvements. Expected energy savings over $1,500/year mean a quick payback along with the vast performance increase to the indoor environment. #homeperformance #upstatenewyork #empowerny #insulation #insulationcontractors (at Amsterdam, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzOj8p-gn3j/?igshid=1w9j78nqtdp1t

[jr3hp-blog]

Here was and really still is a poorly performing radon mitigation system. Basically whomever installed it just stuck a pipe in the ground and hooked it up to a radon fan. We just installed that nice looking 6 mil vapor barrier which may help reduce the radon levels. It should have been done that way (or better) back when the radon fan was installed. We installed the plastic specifically to reduce moisture loading into the home for air quality reasons but there’s a chance of reducing soil gasses now as well. We’d like to see the client have some spray foam installed to finish the encapsulation and the radon system revised but sometimes things have to be done in stages and you do the best you can with an eye towards the future. #airquality #radon #radonmitigation #indoorairquality #indoorairpollution (at Middleburgh, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzOimeWgPRn/?igshid=d0xufo4n4ghv

[jr3hp-blog]

We’ve entered the air conditioning and heat pump market. The tools weren’t cheap! Our first service was pretty rough. The system hadn’t been serviced in a long time or installed right to begin with. We still have some issues to address but figured we should limit the repairs to a few at a time for such an old AC. We’re all about high effiency but that’s not everything in home performance. Having durability and proper operation of an hvac system is important even if it’s an older low effiency unit. In this case we did a really good cleaning, fixed a non-draining issue that dates back to when the system was first installed, then we commissioned the system using advanced tools. We couldn’t dial it in perfectly due to undersized ductwork and mechanical damage of the outdoor condenser. I’d say we did pretty swell considering all that. The most important thing is the system will now properly dehumidify the home instead of creating an indoor air quality hazard. This particular home has been difficult but the homeowners have been gracious considering the condition of the mechanicals. We’ll be looking forward to being their favorite hvac contractor and fixing the other issues with the system if it lasts until next season..but if not we’ll offer a much better performing system as a replacement. #hvac #hvacschool #measurequick #trutechtools #testosmartprobes #navaccordless #trublu #bluvac #accutools (at Scotia, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzOhLVXgk0p/?igshid=ce6ot9sb6g5u

[jr3hp-blog]

Here’s some shots I took of an oil boiler that we serviced. It hadn’t been serviced in about 8 years. Look how dirty the filters and nozzle are. We go above in beyond in our heating system service work. In this case we removed about 15lbs of scale and debris along with fixing broken parts and replacing wear items. The steady state effiency increased by 4%. We also installed a vent damper (not shown) that will reduce cycling losses to the tune of 8% or better seasonal effiency gain. All in for a few hundred dollars this client now has a more reliable and tuned heating system that will also reduce their fuel bills. I don’t like heating with fossil fuels but we at least make it as efficient and reliable as possible. #oilheat #homeperformance #empowerny #fieldcontrols #cleanandtune (at Middleburgh, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzOeNRxAV9e/?igshid=1oefwarj8o9r3

[jr3hp-blog]

Another #Nest security and convenience device installed. An internet connected doorbell. This should keep the neighbor kids from dumping soda on the porch! #smarthome (at Amsterdam, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/ByoHtW4ALDZ/?igshid=1kla2lhwvmadj