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How much money/energy can be saved by getting an energy audit?When talking about possible energy savings in a facility from energy consulting, it’s impossible to make an accurate estimation without knowing many of the factors at play in the facility. Factors such as facility size, equipment, equipment usage, personnel, lighting, current utility usage, and more can directly effect your energy savings. We have seen savings upwards of 40% on some facilities, with the average savings being around 15-20%. If the facility has already had energy audits in the past, it’s possible that the facility is already efficient, and in that case, there wouldn’t be much we could do in the way of energy savings but confirm the audit. If the facility has been in operation for many years without having had an energy audit, it’s very possible that we can save you lots on your energy bill. Energy Audits will determine which energy efficiency measures will help you reach your target energy reduction goals and meet your capital investment return criteria. Pacific Northwest Energy (Inspections) Group will conduct an on-site field visit to evaluate various building systems and present the following for each energy efficiency measure recommended:
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Here are more details on the city's new efficiency reporting, permitting and code proposals:
"We're going to show where their homes leak energy and where their homes are leaking money," Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels said. "This will be the largest such demonstration project in the United States." Seattle City Light will contribute $1.5 million to the effort through its five-year conservation plan. The program also will loan homeowners $8,000 to $20,000 for efficiency improvements -- such as new lighting, furnaces, water heaters and windows -- using $1.2 million from a federal stimulus package energy efficiency and conservation block grant. Homeowners will be able to use energy savings to pay back the loans, "so there won't be any money out of pocket," Nickels said. The mayor also announced that Seattle would require commercial and multifamily residential buildings to measure and disclose their energy use; expand training for efficiency auditors and technicians; increase energy-efficiency requirements for new buildings by 30 percent; and launch a new process to expedite permitting of projects that meet efficiency standards in innovative ways. Pacific Northwest Energy Group Home energy Audits. http://www.PacificNorthwestEnergyGroup.com
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Members email us to get your FREE book today! Another advantage for clients of Pacific Northwest Inspections Group. Â IAC2's Environmental Concerns book is available free to all members. All other can order this book for $6.95 plus 1.95 shipping. Â The book provides information on mold, moisture, radon, and lead problems found in homes. ![]()
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Lead poses an equally serious health threat. In the 1920's, it was commonly found in many plumbing systems. In fact, the word "plumbing" is derived from the Latin word "plumbum," which means lead. When in use as a component of a waste system, it does not constitute a viable health threat, but as a ![]() component of potable water pipes it would certainly be a health-hazard. Although rarely found in use today, lead pipes could be present in any home built as recently as the 1940s. Although lead-based house paint has long since been taken off the market, children living in older homes are threatened by chipping or peeling lead paint, or excessive amounts of lead-contaminated dust. More than 80 percent of homes built before 1978 contain lead paint. Even at low levels, lead poisoning in children can cause IQ deficiencies, reading and learning disabilities, impaired hearing, reduced attention spans, hyperactivity and other behavior problems. Pregnant women poisoned by lead can transfer lead to a developing baby, resulting in adverse developmental effects. Fortunately, the lead in painted surfaces can be detected by industrial hygienists using sophisticated instruments, but testing for it is expensive. More information can be obtained from the EPA.
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We now offer treatment of Residential Homes and Commercial Spaces; oxidize unwanted odors in your facility. Our systems generates O3, or ozone, which disburses into the space to be treated. The O3 attacks odors at their source and sanitizes the entire treatment area. It is especially effective on... Rid your home of odors HELPS your home SELL !! " FREE with any Pre-Inspection"
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Homeowners, buyers, sellers and builders all benefit by having their homes and multi-family projects certified by our HERS providers which assist them in obtaining Energy Star® compliance, FHA and FNMA Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEM), and the enjoyment of having the most comfortable, healthy and energy efficient home in Seattle area today. Buying a home, or investing in upgrades to an existing home, involves is a series of important decisions. The cost of heating and cooling a home is the highest cost of homeownership outside of the home mortgage loan. Everyone wants a home that is comfortable, affordable and has a low cost of utilities. Knowing the home's energy performance is a critical piece of this information you need when selecting or upgrading a home energy efficiency. A home energy rating will educate you about the condition of your home's energy performance. Call us today and get a Pacific Northwest Inspections Groups professional Energy Auditor out to your home today! 425.608.9553
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Pacific Northwest Inspections Group, LLC moisture detection services include:
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This DVD shows the devastating health effects that can be connected to mold. This dramatic real life video may help parents understand the need for evaluating and cleaning up indoor environments to protect the health of their children. This DVD is $25.95 for nonmembers and $19.95 for members, plus shipping. Contact us to order this DVD.
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Backflows seem to be one of the most controversial components of a home. Many customers think that a backflow device is a needless expense, hassle, or way to generate revenue for the city and the backflow inspectors. Truth be known, the backflow is most likely one of the most important components in the water system especially on any sprinkler system that uses a well or a municipal water supply. ![]() There are three main types of backflows used. The first and most common found on residential and commercial sprinkler systems is the Pressure Vacuum Breaker or (PVB) backflow. The PVB is a very reliable backflow that usually requires very little service or maintenance besides its annual inspections. The PVB is a high hazard device that only protects against back siphonage and not back pressure and it must be installed 12" above the highest outlet of water on the sprinkler system to perform properly. The next type of backflow is a (RP) or Reduced Pressure backflow. The RP backflow is also a high hazard device that is usually used when a property has extreme elevation changes or building code requires this type of backflow. The RP backflow protects against back siphonage and back pressure. The main downfall to this device is maintenance and the fact that the water pressure loss can exceed 19-20 (psi). This device can be mounted at any height so is often the choice when there is extreme elevation changes on a property. The backflow when properly installed acts as a one way valve allowing water to enter the sprinkler system but contaminated water cannot return to the water supply under a back siphonage or back pressure situation. These conditions can be caused by water main breaks, water main temporary shut downs during repairs and water service line overload which usually go unnoticed by a resident and are more common than most people think. Our Home Maintenance Members can get a Certified Backflow inspection completed for only $30.00year and non members $345.00 - $485.00 per certification. Call our office or email us for more information on backflow testing. Protect your family and have a backflow device installed.
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If ozone is inhaled, it can react with compounds that are found in the body and can cause harm to the lungs. If a person inhales a small amount of ozone, it can cause side effects such as coughing, shortness of breath, chest pains and irritation of the throat. If a person already suffers from some sort of respiratory disease, the exposure to ozone can make that disease worsen and cause the symptoms of it to become more severe. When even the healthiest people breathe in ozone, it can cause respiratory problems such as shortness of breath. If someone is performing a physical activity or exercising and ozone is breathed in, it is even more likely to cause harm to his or her respiratory system. When a small exposure to ozone is experienced, it is easy to recover from these effects but if there is a longer and stronger exposure to ozone, it is more likely to cause damage to the respiratory system that cannot be repaired. Sometimes the manufacturers of ozone generators try to downplay its adverse effects on people. Manufacturers of these home air purifiers may use words to suggest that ozone is a healthy type of oxygen that is safe to breathe. However, ozone is proven by the EPA's research to be a toxic gas that has properties that are vastly different from oxygen. There are many federal agencies that take the side effects of ozone seriously and have recommendations and health standards in order to limit the exposure that people may have to it. Contact us for Ozone testing@ 425.608.9553.
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Everyone says that spring is the perfect time to improve your home’s energy efficiency.
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As of 2/11/09, customers of Puget Sound Energy who currently have an electric water heater may receive $950 in rebates from PSE if they convert their electric water heater to gas. In addition, for those converting to a tankless water heater, you may be eligible for an additional $150 credit from PSE. Or, if you are converting to an energy star storage type gas water heater you are eligible for another $50 in savings. Call for a Home Energy Audit Today! 425.608.9553
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Proper ventilation is important to protect your home from moisture damage during the winter and to reduce heat buildup during the summer. Even if your home is very tight, some moisture will travel to the attic, where it can cause a lot of damage if it’s not vented outdoors; you’ll see problems such as wet insulation (which is ineffective), water stains on your ceilings and ice dams on the roof during the winter. Your home needs at least two ventilation sources for circulating air though the attic. Vents high—at or near the top of the roof—and low—at the lower edge of the roof—let air circulate naturally. At the top of the roof, you can use continuous ridge vents, static roof vents, gable end vents or wind-driven turbines. At the lower edge of the roof, install continuous soffit vents or several single vents in the roof overhang; make sure these vents aren’t blocked by attic insulation and allow air to circulate naturally. Attics with a ceiling vapor retarder should have a minimum of one square foot of vent area for every 300 square feet of ceiling area. If your ceiling doesn’t have a vapor retarder, your attic needs twice the amount of vent area, or one square foot for every 150 square feet of ceiling area. Good natural ventilation makes a power ventilator unnecessary for most homes. However, if you can’t get enough air flowing through your attic on its own, a power attic ventilator is an effective, but expensive, solution to solve moisture problems and cool an attic. The best place for a power attic ventilator is near the top of the roof on the side facing away from the prevailing winds. During the winter, a humidistat automatically starts the fan to remove moisture from the attic; during the summer, a thermostat starts the fan when the attic gets too hot. Here are a few more home ventilating tips While keeping the air moving through your attic is the most significant ventilation issue in your home, there are some other things you can do to promote proper ventilation there.
Can your home be too tight?Tightening up your home with caulk and weather stripping, installing insulation and sealing ducts to reduce energy costs will have a significant effect on the way your home operates, as well as your comfort. However, it is possible to get your home too tight, causing it to trap stale air and moisture inside. One sign that you do not have enough ventilation in your home is the appearance of condensation on walls, attics or crawl spaces. In extreme cases, a gas furnace, gas water heater and other fuel-burning appliances can use more than their fair share of the air in your home for combustion, creating a negative air pressure inside and causing the appliances to back-draft. This can lead to a number of problems—including carbon monoxide poisoning and even death. The same thing can happen if you have a wood-burning stove, a fireplace or an attached garage where you let your car idle to “warm up.” The smart thing to do is to have a blower test performed after you’ve completed all your energy-saving improvements to check the amount of fresh air coming into your home. If it’s not sufficient for healthy living, you can add an air-to-air heat exchanger to your heating and cooling system to bring in fresh air. In addition, hire a technician to check your furnace and water heater flues to make sure they’re drawing properly and sending combustion byproducts up their flues and out of your home. If they’re not working properly, you may need to have the technician add a fresh-air intake to these devices. In the future—when you’re replacing the heating system in your home—choose a direct-vent sealed combustion furnace or install an energy-saving ground-source heat pump. Buy a carbon monoxide detectorTo protect your family from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, have all fuel-burning heating appliances checked by a qualified heating contractor every year. And be on the alert for these signs of carbon monoxide poisoning:
Because carbon monoxide can’t be detected in any other way, buy at least one battery-powered CO alarm or an AC-powered unit with a battery backup for each level of your home and near sleeping areas. Other beneficial features include a digital display, which allows you to see both the level of CO as soon as it’s present and the memory of the peak level. This information lets emergency personnel know how high the level was—and how to treat victims of CO poisoning. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for placement and installation. After you install your CO alarms, make sure you test them regularly. And when they’re ten years old, replace them. When a CO alarm sounds in your home, never ignore it. Get your family out of the house immediately, and open the windows to allow the CO to dissipate. Call emergency personnel from a neighbor’s home or a cell phone once you’re out of the house. The material in this article was adapted from a new book, Home Tightening, Insulation and Ventilation. Besides offering much more detail on the topics discussed here, this book also covers how insulation can pay for itself in just a few years, talks about why ventilation is one of the keys to year-round energy savings and lists many sources of more information on energy efficiency and renewable energy topics. Members get your free copy of this book:
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Flood remediation & cleanup typically includes sanitizing homes and businesses for molds and mildews that formed after the floods receded. These same surfaces are often covered with other micro-organisms that must be eliminated.Molds and other microbes start growing on water damaged materials within 48 hours after flood waters have receded. Mold contamination in buildings can cause significant health problems. These problems can include simple allergic responses such as eye, nose and throat irritation, excessive colds and flu, lowered immune systems, acute mycotoxicosis - a severe reaction to mold produced toxic chemicals, mold induced asthma, mold lung infections like aspergillosis, and chronic debilitating lung diseases such hypersensitivity pneumonitis. If properly remediated right after the waters recede these health risks can be avoided along with the cost of future remediation and material replaceement. A consultation with a our Remediation Expert is best. Serving Seattle, Bellevue, Auburn, Bothell, Redmond, Issaquah and all of King county.
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Top Spots for Bacteria  Researchers visited 35 U.S. homes, swabbing for bacteria in 32 locations in each home.  Here's how those spots ranked, in terms of the average number of bacteria per square inch. Spots with the same average number of bacteria have the same rank.
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Mold destroys materials it grows and feeds on, but the central problem with mold is how it impacts our health. Allergic reactions to mold include head aches, itchy eyes, nasal and sinus congestion, a cough, a sore throat, or sinus infections. People with chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma may also experience difficulty breathing. Those with suppressed immune systems or underlying lung disease will be susceptible to fungal infections when exposed to mold.
Cleanup Must Be Complete After Our Inspection Anything that has absorbed moisture probably has mold growing on it. That may include wallboard, insulation , plaster, carpet and pad. To protect the rest of the family and home from contamination while cleaning up, separate the work area from the rest of the home with plastic sheeting sealing off area. Put all moldy materials into plastic bags before they are carried outside and disposed of.
 Inspecting Residential and Commercial Buildings for Mold issues in all of the Seattle,Wa area. Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Kent, Bothell, Tacoma, Olympia, Woodingville, Renton, Bellingham, Maple Valley, Capitol Hill, Queen Anne, Federal Way and all of King County. Call us if your not listed! Controlling Moisture
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Pacific Northwest Inspections Group, LLC offers independent housing code inspections for the city of Seattle. Prepare yourself for current code compliance. Chapter 22.206 HABITABLE BUILDINGS inspection will completely outline your buildings violations and address all safety concerns. These inspections are also available for Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Woodinville and other areas near Seattle. For additional information please email us or contact our office.
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Our Whatcom County inspectors are familiar with the problems and issues that afflict homes in our damp climate and will deliver the best report avaiable in the State of Washington. Our inspection software is designed by us and is not the simple text box check list most of the other inspection companies are using. Contact us for a professional independent building inspection today.Call us to learn more or visit our FAQ section.
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Our home inspection services cover the Olympia and Tacoma areas in the State of Washington. Our full line of services now expand Olympia and Tacoma. From our commercial and residential inspections as well as our home maintenance program. We have added additional certified inspectors to ensure fast coverage of these areas.Â
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