EP180 Home Monitoring Madness: Tracking Energy, Air, and More with Bill and ELK (July 2024)

Building HVAC Science

In this episode of the Building HVAC Science Podcast, hosts Bill Spohn and Eric Kaiser engage in a lively "duo cast" discussing the various measurements they take in their homes and the reasons behind them. They start the conversation by reflecting on their recent episode with Gary Klein, which inspired Eric to set up a data logging system to monitor hot water temperatures in his home. This leads to a broader discussion about the different tools and devices they use to track energy consumption and efficiency, such as the Emporia Vue energy monitor, which helped Bill identify a faulty installation in his heat pump system.

The hosts delve into their personal experiences with various smart home devices, including air quality monitors from Airthings, radon monitors, and even an innovative weather station called Tempest. They share insights on how these devices have provided valuable data, helping them make informed decisions about their home's energy use and indoor air quality. Bill highlights his use of an ERV system that runs based on CO2 levels. At the same time, Eric discusses his plans to upgrade his home's ventilation and dehumidification systems using the Haven air quality monitor.

Toward the end of the episode, Bill and Eric discuss their use of fitness trackers, discussing the metrics they monitor for personal health. Bill also mentions his latest acquisition, a Bluetooth meat probe, which he plans to use to perfect his grilling techniques. The episode wraps up with the hosts emphasizing the importance of integrating monitoring tools into everyday life to enhance comfort, efficiency, and well-being and inviting listeners to reach out for more information on the products discussed.

Contact us at

[e-mail] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billspohn/

[e-mail] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-kaiser-323a1563/

Take a look at what ROCIS (https://rocis.org/low-cost-monitoring-project/) is doing, especially concerning RADON: https://rocis.org/radon-resources/ EPA Radon map: https://www.epa.gov/radon/epa-map-radon-zones

The spray foam attic ping pong effect: https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/high-humidity-in-a-spray-foam-attic-part-2/

Products we mention in this podcast:

HAVEN IAQ monitors: https://trutechtools.com/haven

Airthings Radon CO2 and more: https://trutechtools.com/Airthings

Emporia Circuit Power Monitors and EV Chargers: https://www.emporiaenergy.com/

CERV2: Bill’s Conditioning ERV that uses a CO2 sensor to decide when to run: https://buildequinox.com/

Home weather station: https://shop.tempest.earth/products/tempest

Security cameras: Eric’s: https://www.eufy.com/eufycam#navimenu_4_copy

Bill’s: https://www.wyze.com/products/wyze-cam

EcoQube Radon: https://ecosense.io/products/ecoqube

Aranet COs monitor: https://aranet.com/products/aranet4-home

Meater Bluetooth cooking thermometer: https://store-us.meater.com/products/meater-plus

Kardia portable 6 lead EKG: https://store.kardia.com/products/kardiamobile

Apple watch for fitness: https://www.apple.com/watch/

Home Automation: https://www.home-assistant.io/

This episode was recorded in July 2024.