Air infiltration (air that comes in) and air leakage (air that goes out) negatively impact energy usage and costs in conditioned spaces – for homes and businesses alike. We’ve talked about what infiltration and leakage are and how to combat them at a basic level, but to really fix the problem for...
In this blog, we will discuss air infiltration and leakage, what they are, how they can impact energy costs and simple steps that home and business owners can take to reduce excess costs brought on by air infiltration and leakage.
An EDT Case Study regarding issues pertaining to drywall within a residence under construction during a stormy and cold fall season. Was it due to the storm or power outage? Or was it just inadequate surface preparation of the drywall by the contractors? And what are the industry-wide recommended...
Hurricanes are somewhat unique in that they generate multiple types of forces that can affect coastal properties. This blog discusses how EDT determines the cause of damage based on hurricane wind and water forces.
Pumped storage is the process of pumping water uphill from one body of water to another which allows power companies to store the energy generated during the low demand periods of the day so that it can be used to meet later peak demands.
Have you ever wondered how beer is created? Water, barley malt, yeast, and hops are mixed together in a Mash Tun (steel vessel) during the brewing process. In this case study, EDT was called to a local craft brewery to investigate why one of their mash tuns had failed.
Concrete exposed to the elevated temperatures of a fire can experience both mechanical changes and chemical changes. Both can provide pathways for direct heating of exposed Reinforcing Steel (rebar).
After a fire involving a building or industrial structure, there are often multiple types of damage to the building materials. Knowing how heat affects various building materials can be helpful in determining the level of damage to building components.
In Part II we discuss how using our Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM/EDS) helps answer important questions as to how a steel part harvested from the tongue of a failed trailer hitch broke, and what was the cause?
Geothermal power pulls hot water from deep within the earth to heat and vaporize a fluid that is then used to drive a turbine-generator. In this post, we discuss a case study and solution related to a vaporizer tube leakage at a geothermal energy plant.
As you may recall, in parts one and two of the blog series we discussed several preventative steps you can take to extend the life of your HVAC system. But, there is one last and very important area to be checked on your HVAC system:::- the refrigerant charge.
There are admittedly times when HVAC service calls are unavoidable. However, in today’s discussion, we hope to reveal some practical ways to try and avoid unnecessary service calls, whenever possible.
For most of us, seasonal maintenance on our home’s HVAC system is not a priority. The majority of homeowners use their HVAC system until a component fails. Understanding the basics of how our home’s HVAC system functions can help us to prioritize our HVAC maintenance.
In our first post (part 1) we discussed equipment ratings and location definitions (what is a dry or wet location). In our last post (part 2) we discussed equipment that is not made to get wet, yet for some reason it does and what do you do. So, what happens when the Authority Having Jurisdiction...
In our last post we discussed equipment ratings and location definitions (what is a dry or wet location). In this post let's discuss equipment that is not made to get wet, yet for some reason it does. Does this mean it needs to be thrown away and a new one purchased? No, of course not.
