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HVAC

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning — where that well-known acronym HVAC originates — is an interconnected mechanical network of pipes, wires, ducts and appliances that conditions the air inside a house. The system provides heat in the winter, cool air in the summer, and year-round fresh air for good health. Whether you live in the sultry South, the arid West, or the hot-and-cold Northeast, a well-designed, well-tuned HVAC system is what makes a house both healthy and comfortable.

HVAC systems can include a wide variety of components — air conditioners, attic, fans, whole-house fans, furnaces, boilers, heat pumps, and dehumidifiers. That is, anything that affects the condition of indoor air can be included. As energy-efficiency has become a more pressing issue for both builders and buyers, houses have become better insulated and better sealed. HVAC equipment that was fine in a leaky, under-insulated house from the 1950s doesn’t work very well in today’s airtight building enclosures. In this new building reality, new products have emerged, such as heat-recovery and energy-recovery ventilators and mini-split heat pumps. And as high-performance builders increasingly veer toward all-electric designs and get fossil fuels out of the house, choosing the right components becomes even more important.

Putting it all together is the job of an HVAC contractor. The job requires more than hooking up a gas furnace and calling it a day. Today’s systems have more moving parts and pieces that should be designed into a working whole, installed correctly, and, finally, “commissioned” to make sure everything works the way it’s supposed to.

It’s a brave new world for HVAC contractors, as well as the builders and homeowners who take on some of those jobs themselves. Fine Homebuilding’s library of videos and articles will help you sort it all out.

 

  • Radiant Heating and Cooling

    Radiant floor heating is quiet and unobtrusive, but there are several things to consider when deciding if it's right for your home.

  • Making Sense of Minisplits

    Making Sense of Minisplits

    Find out if this type of energy-efficient electric heating and cooling system is right for your home.

  • Learning to Live in a Passive House

    A commercial architect's self-built Passive House offers lessons for DIY high-performance design.

  • A Mess by Design: Intentionally Restricted Plumbing

    When following the code causes a disruption or a drip, it's helping to avoid bigger problems down the road.

  • Sizing HVAC Equipment

    Most residential heating and cooling equipment is grossly oversize—here are the variables to consider.

  • Easy Flashing for Hoses and Wires

    Quickflash high-density plastic flashing panels integrate into the water-resistive barrier and form a tight seal for water management.

  • Webinar: Heat Pumps and Cold-Climate Applications – Designing for Comfort and Resiliency

    Watch this recording of our recent online seminar and Q&A session to learn the ins and outs of high-performance electric HVAC systems and how to choose the right system for your next energy-efficient home.

  • How to Install CSST Fittings

    Learn how to use 2 common types of compression fittings to connect flexible natural gas and propane pipes.

  • Investigating a Dripping Bath Fan

    HVAC pro Noah Racette confirms one homeowner's assumption that connecting an exhaust-fan duct to a furnace vent is a dangerous idea.

  • Podcast 187: Missing Ductwork, Rooftop Decks, and Waterproof Mechanical Rooms

    Kiley, Matt, and Patrick hear from listeners on insulating brick buildings and being a good apprentice, and then take questions on improving the function of a furnace, keeping the living space under a deck dry, and what to do about attic ductwork.

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Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 297 - Feb/Mar 2021

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  • Issue 296 - Dec 2020/Jan 2021

    • Insulating Glass Keeps Getting Better
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  • Issue 295 - Kitchens & Baths

    • Condo Kitchen Reimagined
    • Row-House Remodel
    • Rise of the IAQ Monitor
  • Issue 294 - Oct/Nov 2020

    • Schoolhouse Reimagined
    • Tool Test: Folding Sawhorses
    • A Better Way to Build Tall Walls
  • Issue 293 - Aug/Sept 2020

    • A Practical Guide to Fall Protection
    • Installing Frameless Cabinets
    • Make Any Tablesaw Safer

Fine Homebuilding

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