Missouri Long Guide Homeowners

8/6/2019 Missouri Long Guide Homeowners

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/missouri-long-guide-homeowners 1/6

Energy Provisions o the

Residential Building Code2009 IECC: Guide or Homeowners





Missouri Energy Code Guide

FOR HOMEOWNERS

Ductwork Ductwork should be insulated and sealed. Leaky ducts can beresponsible or 10-30% o energy loss in a home.

Unless the attic ceiling (underside o the roo) and walls are

insulated, when ducts run through attic space, the 2009 IECCrequires that they be insulated to a minimum o R-8. Are theducts in the attic insulated? Look at the label on the ductwork insulation – what R-level is it?

Is ductwork sealed properly? All ducts and air handlersshould be sealed with mastic (a special type o caulk that

is easily visible); duct tape isn’t sucient. Either oil tape ormastic is preerable as they will stand the test o time andhelp reduce energy waste. Without proper sealing, yoursystem will simply be heating (or cooling) the attic or crawlspace – wasting considerable energy. In existing homes,leakage should be assumed and mastic should be appliedalong every seam and connection.

Attic Access Hatch/Door InsulationAttic access can be a major source o air leakage in homes,causing utility bills to be high and creating uncomortabledrats. According to national minimum standards, hatches/doors to the attic must be weather-stripped and insulated. Theyshould be well-made so that they are airtight when you closethem. (Test by closing door or hatch on a piece o paper. Can

the paper be easily pulled out when the hatch/door is closed?I yes, the door/hatch is not airtight.) The insulation should bethe same value as the surrounding areas and attached so thatit isn’t damaged or become loose when the hatch or door isopened and closed.

This duct has been sealed but not insulated

Insulated attic hatch and insulated ducts 1

2

Page 3

Energy Certicate The 2009 IECC requires builders to attach permanent

certicates on or in the circuit breaker box (i.e. electrical panelbox) listing the materials and equipment values and ratingsthat demonstrate that a new home meets code requirements.

The certicate is an important means by which the consumer

can veriy that the home complies with the code. Is there acerticate attached to your electrical panel?

2009 IECC Certicate Example

2009 IECC Energy Cerfcate



Air Leakage

Look or sources o air leaks into and out o the home. Air leakage is responsibleor 30% or more o the energy loss in homes. All joints, seams, and penetrationsbetween the inside and outside o the home should be sealed. Typically, caulk,spray oam or weather stripping is used to seal air leaks.

Check to see whether leaks have been sealed in a home by looking at where phone lines, electrical linesplumbing and other services enter the house. Are the holes plugged with caulk or other sealants?

Check the holes in the attic foor where pipes and ducts lead to the rooms below. Are they sealed with

oam, caulk, or other materials to prevent airfow?

Open the cabinets under the kitchen sink, under the kitchen island, under bathroom sinks, etc., andlook at pipes leading to the foor below or out through walls. Are the spaces around the pipes lled with

caulk, oam, or other materials to prevent airfow?In the basement, look at exterior walls where pipes and wires leadto the outside. Are there airspaces around the pipes/wires or havethey been sealed?

Check where pipes and ducts pass up through the basemenceiling to the foor above. Are there gaps and spaces that createdrats and waste energy or are they sealed tightly?


FOR HOMEOWNERS

Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) SystemsImproper installation o heating and air conditioning systems can waste signicant energy and result incostly utility bills. I you are getting a system installed or replaced, ensure the quality o your new systemby asking the contractor to apply or a permit and have the system proessionally inspected ater theinstallation is complete. To determine whether a contractor is licensed, get the name o the person who

did the installation and contact your local government to nd out i it registers local contractors.

Energy Efcient LightingLighting has an enormous impact (approximately 12%) on the energy use in homes. Thenational minimum energy conservation code requires that builders put high eciencylight bulbs in at least 50 percent o hardwired lighting xtures. High eciency bulbscan include compact fuorescents, high-eciency halogens, LEDs, etc.

A compact forescent (CFL) bulb

Why Do Air Leaks Matter? I a home is not properly sealed, dirt, dust,

and moisture enters the home and canlead to a variety o respiratory problemsincluding asthma and allergies. Did you

know that up to 40 percent o the air webreathe on the rst foor o our home

comes rom the crawlspace?

Page4

Programmable ThermostatProgrammable thermostats can generate annual energy savings o 10%.

According to the national code, homes with orced-air urnaces must haveprogrammable thermostats installed. Regardless o the heating and coolingsystem in a home, programmable thermostats can save money. The averagecost o a programmable thermostat ranges rom $30 to $50.

A programmable thermostat




FOR HOMEOWNERS

Crawl SpaceGet under the house and get to know the crawl space. Either the foor over the crawl space should beinsulated or (preerred) the crawl space walls should be insulated and the crawl space should not bevented. Insulation should be attached securely without gaps.

WindowsWindows and doors account or 18-20% o energy loss in homes. There

are a number o actors that should be considered in evaluating olderwindows, as energy perormance varies signicantly based on thematerial that windows are made rom and the condition they are in.

Can you see daylight around the sides o the window rame or sash?

Are windows loose in their tracks; can you slip a piece o paperbetween the sash and rame when they are closed and locked?

What are the windows made o? Aluminum is typically known as apoor insulator. Fiberglass, wood, and vinyl do a better job, but much

depends on the construction o the windows.

Are windows single, double,or triple-paned? Note: stormwindows installed over single-paned windows can perorm about as well as conventional double-paned windows, but do not match the perormance o high-perormance windows with low-E glass and gas lls.

The ability o double or triple-paned windows to block heat transer

depends greatly on whether they are “low-E coated”. Low-E coatingsare invisible, but can be detected by specialists.

To learn more about window technology and benets, please visit the

Ecient Windows Collaborative web site: http://www.ecientwindows.org/code_overview.cm

Proper installation (no vent)

Double-paned window with aninsulated berglass rame

Improper installationCrawl space vent 5 6 7

3

Page 5

A sample window certicate 4



June 2011. Missouri Homeowner Guide

Additional inormation can be ound at the MissouriDepartment o Natural Resources’ Division o Energy web site:http://www.dnr.mo.gov/energy/index.html

Funds are made possible through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the Transorm Missouri initiative and administered by the Missouri Department o NaturalResources. This material is based upon work supported by the Department o Energy underContract Number 136115. This report was prepared as an account o work sponsored byan agency o the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor

any agency thereo, nor any o their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, orassumes any legal liability or responsibility or the accuracy, completeness, or useulness o any inormation, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use wouldnot inringe privately owned rights. Reerence herein to any specic commercial product,process, or service by trade name, trademark, manuacturer, or otherwise does not necessarilyconstitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or avoring by the United StatesGovernment or any agency thereo. The views and opinions o authors expressed herein donot necessarily state or refect those o the United States Government or any agency thereo.

Photo Credits

Courtesy o the Ecient Windows Collaborative

Courtesy o energycodes.gov

Courtesy o homeconstructionimprovement.com

Courtesy o the Ecient Windows Collaborative

Courtesy o Tim Carter

Courtesy o Owens Corning

Flickr Creative Commons, user jcestnik

1

4

2

5

6

7

3

Documents

Missouri Long Guide Homeowners