ML Building Technologies LLC

Dec 2014

Home owner was interested in adding re sale value and fixing issues with indoor air quality as well as energy efficiency. M.L. Building Technologies first looked at the installed HVAC system and found several areas for improvement. The existing flexible duct system was installed with out the correct amount of support and was sagging in several locations. There were multiple "splices" made that were leaking significant amounts of heated and cooled air to the space. The floor joist insulation was falling down and in many locations there was no insulation at all. The crawl space had open vents, no vapor barrier, and many locations showed excessive moisture. M.L. Building Technologies recommended a 3/4 encapsulation. Vents were closed and 1 inch XPS insulated panels were installed sealing the openings. A 10 mil reinforced floor line was installed and an 8 mil wall curtain and column wrap was used to complete the vapor barrier. New floor joist insulation was installed and the rim joists were insulated as well. Small areas of mold were cleaned and treated and a 70 pint per day industrial dehumidifier was installed alond with a condensate removal pump. A wireless temperature/humidity monitor was installed so the homeowner could keep track of the temperature and humidity of the space with out having to enter it. Crawl space access door was insulated and a hinged acrylic cover was installed to help keep water from enter the space through the entry door.

$3k

Lewes, DE

Oct 2014

M.L. Building Technologies was contracted to inspect the condition of duct work that was installed in the crawl space. The chief complaint was that the home owners were experiencing very high propane bills. It was found that a portion of the original duct board main supply duct had deteriorated and broken apart causing the heated and cooled air to condition the crwal space and not the living space. M.L. Building Technologies sized new steel duct work, insulated it as per current IEEC and installed it along with all new flexible R8 insulated supply take offs. A client supplied Honeywell Lyric thermostat was also installed. All duct seams were sealed and take offs sealed as well.

$2k

Rehoboth Beach, DE

Oct 2014

M.L. Building Technologies was contacted by a new home owner who could not understand why the bath room exhaust fans ran at all different times of the day and night. The home was a new one built in 2012 in a neighborhood that had several different builders involved in the community. It was found that the builder made an attempt to partially comply with ASHRAE 62.2 whole house ventilation code. Bathroom exhaust fan controllers had been installed in an effort to help with ventilating a home that was fairly well insulated. An inspection revealed that there was no fresh air supply system included with the exhaust control. This potentially placed the home under a dangerous negative pressure scenario. M.L. Building Technologies also noted that while the crawl space was completely sealed and insulated there was no conditioning of the space and because of a builder installed open sump pump pit the humidity was close to 70 % in the space. There was also some early signs of mold forming on the edges of the floor joists. A remediation company was called for consultation and it was found that the mold was inactive and could be wiped clean and then the areas treated with biocide. M.L. Building Technologies checked air flow of the existing bathroom exhaust fans and it was determined that they would be able to exhaust the correct amount of air to maintain proper ventilation. A Jackson Systems Whole House Ventilation system was selected to provide the correct amount of "make up" air at the right time. The system consisted of a Jackson Systems Micro Processor control, a motorized 6 inch round damper and a 6 inch round exterior vent hood. 6 inch steel duct work was used as was a FanTech FB6 inline filter box, equipped with a MERV13 Carbon Block filter. After the installation all air flow was checked and the system was calibrated so fresh air was drawn into the house via the central system air handler. An outside air temperature sensor would shut the system down if ambient air temperatures were above 95 degrees and below 20 degrees. This would help avoid adding any additional heating or cooling load to the house. An in duct enthalpy sensor was installed in the return duct and calibrated to 60 % so in the event that outside air would add significant humidity to the house the fresh air system would not open the damper. Two 4 inch supply ducts with backdraft dampers were piped to the central HVAC system supply duct to add some conditioning air to the crawl space. A sump pump pit sealing cover was installed and a Mega Dry 70 pint per day 280 CFM Dehumidifier was added to the crawl space to maintain 50-55% space humidity year round.

$2k

Millsboro, DE

Aug 2014

M.L. Building Technologies was contracted to install (2) customer supplied Ecobee Smart SI thermostats. The original mercury switch type thermostats were still in use in the home and the homeowners were looking for a programable WiFi enabled thermostat that could be utilized when the existing 20 year old heat pump systems were replaced in a few years. M.L. Building Technologies is a preferred Ecobee installation/service contractor. The clients enjoy being able to control the HVAC systems from their primary residence out of state. They also like the piece of mind knowing that if something happens to the equipment while they are not at this residence they will receive an email alert from the thermostat!

$150

Lewes, DE

Aug 2014

Client was complaining that the western side of this new home was always very cold during the winter. The home is approximately 3,000 square feet, all on one level with one thermostat, not centrally located. The homeowner wanted access to the HVAC system from their primary residence in MD. M.L. Building Technologies installed a Jackson Systems dual zone control system consisting of a Zone control panel, 2 motorized zone dampers, custom built to fit in the existing duct work. A system supply air temperature sensor was also installed to prevent extremely cold or hot air from being discharged while only having one zone damper open. 2 Ecobee smart SI thermostats were located and installed to help control each zone. These thermostats can be used to control the central HVAC system from any where with an internet connection. This gives the homeowner the ability to adjust the temperature of their beach home before they arrive so it is comfortable. This also allows them to save on heating and air conditioning costs while they are not at the residence. This system also has built in system alerts that will let the homeowner know if there is a problem with the HVAC system while they are not there. Homeowners are extremely please with the results!

$2k

Rehoboth Beach, DE

Jul 2014

This project included sizing and installing 3 separate heat pump systems for a home that was constructed during the late 1700's that never had any central HVAC systems. (2) Ultra High Efficiency, ductless split systems where installed for the lower level. These systems are also able to be upgraded to accept additional inside wall units to heat and cool additional rooms if needed at a later date. The ductless systems are 23 SEER heat pumps that are extremely quiet and can extract heat from ambient air as low as 0 degrees. A high efficiency central heat pump system with electric backup heat was installed for the upper level. This system is a conventional ducted system with all duct work and air handler residing in the attic. The duct work utilizes 2 inch thick "Ultra Black" duct board for the main trunk line with an additional reflective radiant barrier wrap installed because of the extreme temperatures in the unventilated attic. The flexible duct "take off's" are IEEC mandated R8 sized for correct air flow. Flexible duct angle finder brackets were also installed to maximize air flow and to prevent sagging duct work over time. Additional condensate drains were installed to minimize any problems of water damage because of a drain clogging. A condensate overflow alarm system was also installed. Home owners are very happy to not need multiple window units to cool the house during the summer and they really like waking to a warm house in the winter with out having to keep the wood stoves burning through out the night!

$15k

Millsboro, DE

May 2014

M.L. Building Technologies was asked to look into a problem with indoor air quality, specifically relating to excessive dust and outside orders in the home. It was found that the builder failed to comply with all aspects of ASHRAE 62.2 code of whole house ventilation. The builder installed a 6 inch round duct from the exterior of the home, directly connected to a return air plenum. No control damper was installed, nor was there any air filtration included between the the plenum and and the outside air vent. The central system was located in the crawl space while the filters were located in central locations throughout the house. The builder installed fresh air duct was effectively located after all system filtration. Because there was no control damper or control system the installed system amounted to a 6 inch hole in the side of the house open 24 hours a day all the time, directly connected to the central HVAC system duct work. M.L. Building Technologies was contracted to install an April Aire Whole House Ventilation system, consisting of a 6 inch motorized round damper, out side air temperature sensor, and return enthalpy sensor, along with an adjustable micro processor based control. An inline FanTech box filter, with a MERV13 carbon block filter was also installed between the outside air vent and the existing return air plenum. The system was calibrated for proper air flow and the control was set to fully comply with ASHRAE 62.2 fresh air ventilation code. It was found that there was no control for exhausting this fresh ventilation air. An inline duct fan was installed in a central bathroom and a Honeywell, ASHRAE approved fan controller was used to control the inline exhaust fan, in conjunction with fresh air intake. Home owners are extremely pleased with results.

$800

Harbeson, DE

Mar 2014

M.L. Building Technologies was contacted to inspect the central duct system after the new home owner complained of "musty" odors coming from the vents when the heat ran. The Central system was a heat pump with a gas/propane furnace that provided back up or auxiliary heat. The furnace/air handler was located in the garage and supplied air through duct work that was located in the crawl space. Inspection of the system found that at some point in time there was flooding in the crawl space. there was evidence that some portions of the main duct line had been inundated with water. Much of the flexible take off duct work had also been submerged in water and a couple sections still had water sitting in the flexible duct work. There was no real vapor barrier left and a mold remediation company identified mold in much of the duct work. It was determined that nothing short of complete duct work replacement and a full space encapsulation with dehumidification was the only solution. The existing ductwork was fiber glass "duct board" that was still damp in many spots, there was no cleaning or drying out of this type of duct work. M.L. Building Technologies sized and then fabricated new main duct work and installed up against the floor joists in an effort to maintain as much clearance between the the duct work and the new vapor barrier. All flexible "take off's" were replaced with brand new IEEC mandated R8 flexible duct work. The crawl space was then sealed using a reinforced 12mil floor liner and 6 mil wall curtains, with 6 mil column wraps. 1 inch spray foam was used to insulate the walls. All old floor joist insulation was removed and discarded. Floor penetrations were sealed with approved fire block silicone sealant. A 90 pint per day 300 cfm dehumidifier was installed as was a Diversitiech condensate removal pump system. A wirless temperature and humidity monitor was installed so the home owner can keep track of the conditions inside the space with out having to go down in the space. It was also recommended that a perimeter drain system be installed with all rain gutter down spouts tied in to carry water away from the house out to the street and then to the community storm water management system. The crawl space is maintained at a constant 50% humidity rear round, the temperature stays in the mid sixties. The home owner also claims a reduction of about 10% on their heating and cooling bills.

$6k

Lewes, DE

Jan 2016

Replaced 21 year old heat pump with new high efficiency system

$6k

Rehoboth Beach, DE