Your Online HERS Rater Training Center

FREE HERS RATER PRACTICE EXAM

PUT YOUR HOME PERFORMANCE BUSINESS ON ROCKET FUEL

ENERGY AUDITOR

Get the only Energy Auditor Marketing Newsletter with monthly strategies and tactics to grow your home performance business.

Buildings and Their Systems

1. 1. 6. Basic Fuel Delivery Systems and Safety Considerations

The basic fuel types are:

1. Electricity
2. Natural gas
3. Propane
4. Photo voltaic and wind

1. Electricity

Electricity is delivered from utility company generating stations powered by coal or hydro-power.  Power comes to our homes through transmission lines at either 240V or 120V to our breaker box.  Safety considerations are exposed wires, loose wire connections and increases changes of electrocution due to perspiration.

2. Natural gas

Natural gas is typically delivered at 3- 7 PSI to household gas meters.

Safety considerations for natural gas fuel delivery systems are leaks particularly around fittings and bends.  A CO leak detector should be used to sniff all gas lines, 360 degrees around the line, per BPI standard.  A leak detector signals a gas leak is present by the frequency of its beeps.  If you find a gas leak present, BPI standard is to use a soap solution to find the location of the leak to see where the solution bubbles up.

Other safety considerations is the backdraft of combustion equipment from gas water heaters and furnaces.  A atmospherically vented appliance should naturally draft CO and combustion gasses out of its flue to the outside.  A failed draft could be from a blocked flue from a birds nest or dead bird blocking the flue stack.

Spillage of combustion gasses out of the diverter is another safety consideration.  Spillage may be caused from a negative pressure within the house from a tight house, a dryer in a the same room as a water heater, or a lot of negative pressure from the AHU and exhaust fans.

High CO levels is another safety consideration from the incomplete combustion of natural gas.  This could be caused from not enough oxygen supplied to the combustion appliance.  To fix the CO level, you should let more oxygen into the appliance by raising the oven higher, or adjusting the oxygen meter within the oven.

3. Propane

Propane is delivered the same way natural gas is delivered as are the safety considerations.

4. Photo voltaic

Solar power converts the suns light into direct current electricity, an inverter then converts DC into AC electricity which is then fed into the circuit breaker of the house.  Lock-out-tag-out protocols should be followed when working with DC and photo voltaic power.

Next Section

2a. Building Components

1. Identify basic duct configurations and components
2. Identify basic hydronic distribution configurations and components
3. Identify basic structural components of residential construction 
4. Thermal boundaries and insulation applications 
5. Basic electrical components and safety considerations 
6. Basic fuel delivery systems and safety considerations
7. Basic bulk water management components (drainage plumbing gutters sumps etc) 
8. Vapor barriers/retarders 
9. Radiant barrier principles and installations 
10. Understand fenestration types and efficiencies 
11. Understand issues involved with basements, crawlspaces, slabs, attics, attached garages, interstitial cavities, and bypasses 
12. Understand issues involved with ventilation equipment 
13. Understand basic heating / cooling equipment components controls and operation 
14. Understand basic DHW equipment components controls and operation 
15. Identify common mechanical safety controls 
16. Identify insulation types and R-Values 
17. Understand various mechanical ventilation equipment and strategies: spot, ERV, HRV 

2b. Conservation Strategies

1. Appropriate insulation applications and installation based on existing conditions 
   
2. Opportunity for ENERGY STAR lighting and appliances 
   
3. Identify duct sealing opportunities and applications 
   
4. Understand importance of air leakage control and remediation procedures 
   
5. Blower door-guided air sealing techniques 
   
6. Water conservation devices and strategies 
   
7. Domestic Hot Water (DHW) conservation strategies 
   
8. Heating & cooling efficiency applications 
   
9. Proper use of modeling to determine heating and cooling equipment sizing and appropriate energy use
   
10. Understand the use of utility history analysis in conservation strategies 
    
11. Appropriate applications for sealed crawlspaces basements and attics 
    
12. Identify/understand high density cellulose 
    
13. Appropriate applications for fenestration upgrades including modification or replacement 
    

2c. Comprehensive Building Assessment Process

1. Determine areas of customer complaints/concerns in interview
   
2. Understand / recognize need for conducting appropriate diagnostic procedures including when to refer to a specialist for further investigation
   
3. Interaction between mechanical systems, envelope systems and occupant behavior
   

2d. Design considerations

1. Appropriate insulation applications based on existing conditions
2. Understand fire codes as necessary to apply home performance in a code-approved manner.
3. Understand/recognize building locations where opportunities for retrofit materials and processes are needed to correct problems and/or enhance performance
   
4. Understand climate specific concerns
   
5. Understand indoor environment considerations for the environmentally sensitive
   
6. Understand impact of building orientation, landscape drainage, and grading
   
7. Opportunity potential renewable energy applications: geothermal , photovoltaic, wind
   
8. Understand impact of shading on heating / cooling loads
   
9. Awareness for solar gain reduction in cooling climate/solar gain opportunities in heating climates
   
10. Understand need for modeling various options for heating, cooling and DHW applications, as well as other efficiency upgrades