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Seal up the small holes in the basement, crawl and house return ductwork. The return ducts will suck air and permit basement and crawl space depressurization. Depressurization permits cold air infiltration, high radon, house odors, and mold. If you have a separate AC unit with ceiling registers, seal them. Hot air rises and will escape into the attic or above ceiling ductwork. Warm air in the attic space may also cause damaging ice dams. This would be considered a thermal bypass. You may need a blower door test. Perform full combustion analysis on all your gas fired systems. If the fossil fuel system is under-fired or over-fired, they are wasting money. It is sad that over ninety percent of HVAC service men that do residential furnace tune-ups are clueless. If a furnace man comes to your home and does not have a combustion analyzer, tell them to leave. For more information please go to Carbon Monoxide on the web. 
Install insulated outlet and switch covers. You can buy these products at most hardware stores.
Pull up carpets and caulk perimeter walls. When caulking is complete call a carpet installer. A carpet installer can re-stretch your carpets for under $200.
Seal your sump pump cover 100%. Moist air is lighter than dry air. Moist air rises. We do not need moist air in our homes. Moist air causes condensation and mold.   
If you have a non-condensing de-humdifier, I recommend turning it off. Some people call this unit a  “fan in the box”. This contraption is simply a metal duct with a soundless fan that sucks conditioned air out of your home. These units are probably manufactured by nine and ten year olds in some third world country for $50. These units suck the heated dry air you paid for right out of your basement. Remember, “For every action there is an opposite and equal reaction”. This means if you suck the paid-for heated air out of your basement, new air must be replaced. Unfortunately, the new air is cold, unconditioned air that will cost you money to heat up again. These units can contribute to depressurization which could cause down drafting of gas fired systems. Carbon monoxide, odors, moisture, and mold can result when you have basement depressurization. Buy a Humidex. You cannot build a better mouse trap.
Seal up the exterior crawl space vents. Insulate the crawl space exterior walls. Partially heat and dehumidify the crawl space. Crawl space venting is old school. In cold weather climates, crawl spaces should be conditioned. (We are from Michigan and our web sites information is primarily for cold weather climate homes.)
Seal up the ceiling joist cavities in all the attic areas. These are thermal bypass areas. Seal up the chimney chase, plumbing stacks, ducts, and other floor penetration in the basement and attic. Make sure you use a fireproof rated material.  Seal up all basement band joist pockets. This is the upper exterior basement wall areas. It looks like a small pocket or shelf. Insulate these band joists areas with non- vapor barrier insulation. Using foil faced insulation may permit condensation. Blower door tests will find all the holes. (Call George at 231-933-MOLD to set up an inspection.)
Ceiling can lights are major heat losers. They cause ice dams too. Replace can lights with new can lights that have less heat loss. Buy low watt or high efficiency light bulbs. Do not leave lights on. Forget about exterior holiday lights.


Adjust the temperature settings on your refrigerator and freezer for winter. Get rid of the freezer and second refrigerator. You do not need them.
Clean the dryer vent with a leaf blower. I have actually never done this. I heard it works. The dryer vent should not be more than twenty five feet long minus 5 feet for each 90 degrees and minus 2.5 feet for each 45 degrees. You may need to install a dryer vent booster.
Set your dishwater to air dry only.
Seal up the third floor if it is not being used. Do not seal up rooms on main house levels. This may permit condensation and mold growth.
Turn down dampers slightly in rooms that are not being used. Be careful when you do this, you may cause condensation. To offset cold room condensation, you need to lower the dew point. Lowering the dew point requires increasing temperature and decreasing humidity. If you are closing dampers, you won’t be increasing the temperature. So turn on a basement condensing de-humidifier. The de-humidifier requires energy to remove water. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The reaction is heat produced by the de-humidifier. This is a good thing not to mention moisture removal. (The “energy people” push humidity as a cost savings method. “Moist air feels warmer” These are the same people who hook up dryer vents in attics, crawl spaces and garages. They do not understand building science and psychometrics. We are building scientists with the building science approach. We do not like condensation within our walls.)
During the winter, shut down the third floor, wing, sun room, Florida room, green house, or other similar type room.
Do not use the AC. On the hottest summer days. Go somewhere. Malls and libraries are very cool on hot days. Read a book in the mall or library.

Call for estimates today, no job too small or large. 231-933-MOLD or 231-313-0440.

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