Guides A-Z

Guide describing a complete window replacement in existing homes.

Guide describing condensing boilers and hot water heat distribution systems used for home heating.

Guide describing how to install a corrosion-resistant drain pan in condensate-producing HVAC equipment.

Guide describing how ice dams form and how roofs can be constructed to prevent them.

Guide describing how to install continuous air barriers in exterior walls.

Guide describing how to provide a strong continuous load path from the roof through the wall to the foundation to ensure a structurally sound building and increase racking resistance in hurricanes, high winds, tornados, and earthquakes.

This guide describes installation procedures for continuous rigid insulation to help provide thermal protection and reduce thermal bridging; depending on the product it may also serve as structural sheathing, or the moisture control layer.

Guide describing how to select low-sone supply and exhaust fans for quiet, continuous operation.

Guide describing how to install continuously operating exhaust fans.

Guide describing effective ways to distribute hot water using either a core (compact) plumbing layout or a central homerun manifold piping system.

Guide describing the use of recirculation pumps to speed the flow of hot water to faucets for reduced wait times and savings in energy and water usage.

Guide describing categories of direct-vent combustion space- and water-heating equipment and combustion safety testing.

Guide describing how to install dishwashers in new and existing homes.

Guide describing how to install ENERGY STAR rated dishwasher and clothes washers.

This guide describes air barrier and insulation installation, along with air sealing for double walls - half or full walls included in a home design as an architectural feature that provides a more dimensional appearance.

This measure guide describes basic steps for designing a drainback solar hot water system.

Guide describing installation of sump pumps in the basement or crawlspace of a home.

Guide describing how to insulate and air seal dropped ceilings and soffits to prevent air leakage.

Guide describing how to conduct duct leakage tests on all components of the HVAC system (including the air handler, ductwork, register boxes/boots, and all air devices such as diffusers, registers, or grilles).

Guide describing how to install ducted returns in bedroom walls to balance air pressures between rooms and to enable stale air to return to a central heating system's air handler for reconditioning even when room doors are closed.

Guide describing ductless heat pump systems used for single-room or whole-house heating and cooling.

This guides describes buried ducts in loose-fill attic insulation, a method that can only be used in dry climates.

This guide describes approaches to buryng and encapsulating ducts in unconditioned attics to increase the overall R-value of duct insulation.

Guide describing method for installing ducts in a duct chase above a dropped ceiling.

Guide for designing and installing interior ducts in an interstitial floor cavity in new and existing homes.

Guide describing method for designing and installing ducts in a raised ceiling chase.

Home owners who use an HVAC system with a central air handler fan can realize significant energy savings by using a fan with an electronically commutated (ECM) motor (see Figure 1). Savings will be even larger for homeowners who run the HVAC fan continuously or frequently to filter the air or to...

Guide that illustrates how and when to encapsulate ductwork in unconditioned attics, increases the R-value of duct insulation, mitigating condensation issues and reducing air leakage.

Guide describing how to use a blower door test to determine building envelope air leakage.

Guide describing methods for short-term control of erosion during construction and long-term measures for controlling erosion on sloped sites or sites with river banks or shore lines.

This guide describes evaporative cooling technologies which can be used to cool homes in dry climates.

Guide describing how to provide combustion air for fireplaces and how to test fireplaces for combustion safety.

Guide describing how to apply flashing to the bottom of exterior walls to create a continuous drainage plane.

Guide describing how to create an air barrier between the garage and the conditioned space above it to prohibit pollutants from entering a home's interior.

Guide describing how to air seal and insulate the floor above an unconditioned basement or crawl space.

Guide describing the air sealing of rim joists on walls connecting homes and attached garages.

Guide describing gas-fired boilers and hot water heat distribution systems used for home heating.

Guide describing how to install a tankless hot water heater in a new or existing home to provide domestic hot water that is heated on demand without the standby losses associated with tank storage water heaters

Guide providing information about ground-source (geothermal) heat pumps including an overview of technology and guidance on compliance and installation.

This guide provides information about heat pump water heaters.

Guide describing lighting choices and installation procedures in new and existing homes.

This guide describes the uses, selection process, and specification of high-MERV filters.

Guide providing information about high-performance and high-efficiency windows including ENERGY STAR-certified windows.

Guide describing different options for providing seismic and thermal resistance for homes with basement foundations, crawlspace foundations, or crawlspace foundations with a "cripple" wall.

Guide describing how to correctly air seal a wall with missing top plates or open wall cavities.

Guide describing insulation of piping in exterior walls.

Guide describing how to install insulation below attic platforms

This guide describes RESNET Grade 1 level installation of insulation in walls, attics, and floors.

This measure guide describes basic steps for designing an integrated collector storage (ICS) or thermosyphon hot water system.

Guide describing installation procedures for combined space and water heating systems.