BUILDING FEATURES AND APPLIANCES IMAGE GALLERY

Victorian Residential Efficiency Scorecard Program DELWP

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Building Features and Appliances Image Gallery for Residential Efficiency Scorecard

Table of Contents WALL TYPES .......................................................................................................................... 4

1. Brick veneer ..................................................................................................................... 4

2. Timber framed e.g weatherboard ................................................................................. 4 3. Concrete block ................................................................................................................ 4

4. Fibro cement .................................................................................................................... 5

5. Concrete precast panel .................................................................................................. 5

6. Double brick ..................................................................................................................... 6 7. Aerated autoclaved concrete panel ............................................................................. 6 8. Mudbrick ........................................................................................................................... 7

9. Rammed earth ................................................................................................................. 8 10. Straw bale ...................................................................................................................... 9

11. Polystyrene cladding system .................................................................................... 10 12. Metal cladding ............................................................................................................. 11

Floor types .............................................................................................................................. 12 13. Timber enclosed ......................................................................................................... 12

14. Timber open ................................................................................................................ 12

15. Timber elevated .......................................................................................................... 13

16. Slab on ground ............................................................................................................ 14

FLOOR INSULATION ........................................................................................................... 15

17. Foil ................................................................................................................................ 15

18. Board ............................................................................................................................ 15

19. Batt insulation – floor ................................................................................................. 16 INSULATION PRODUCTS .................................................................................................. 17

20. Cellulose fibre ............................................................................................................. 17

21 Glass fibre ..................................................................................................................... 17

22. Polyester ...................................................................................................................... 18 23. Rockwool loose fill ...................................................................................................... 18

24. Rockwool Batt ............................................................................................................. 18 25. Wool Loose Fill............................................................................................................ 19

26. Wool/Polyester Batt .................................................................................................... 19

FLOOR COVERINGS ........................................................................................................... 20

27. Tile/linoleum ................................................................................................................ 20

28. Carpet ........................................................................................................................... 20 29. Cork/floating timber .................................................................................................... 21

30. None ............................................................................................................................. 21 WINDOW GLAZING TYPES ............................................................................................... 22

30. Single clear .................................................................................................................. 22

31. Single toned ................................................................................................................. 23 32. Double glazed ............................................................................................................. 23

33. Secondary double glazing ......................................................................................... 24 WINDOW FRAME TYPES ................................................................................................... 26

34. Aluminium .................................................................................................................... 26 35. Steel frame .................................................................................................................. 26 36. Plastic frame ................................................................................................................ 27

37. Timber .......................................................................................................................... 28 WINDOW COVERINGS AND AIR LEAKAGE .................................................................. 29

38. Venetians ..................................................................................................................... 29

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39. Open weave ................................................................................................................ 29

40. Vertical blinds .............................................................................................................. 30

41. Holland blinds .............................................................................................................. 30

42 Close weave ................................................................................................................. 31

43. Heavy drapes .............................................................................................................. 32 44. Curtains and pelmets ................................................................................................. 32

45. Heavy drapes and pelmets ....................................................................................... 32 46. External blinds ............................................................................................................. 33

47. Chimney with damper ................................................................................................ 33

48. Exhaust fan non-sealing ............................................................................................ 34 49. Exhaust fan sealing .................................................................................................... 34

52. Halogen downlight large air leakage ....................................................................... 36

53. Halogen downlight small air leakage ....................................................................... 36

54. Halogen sealed ........................................................................................................... 37

54. Non-halogen downlight large air leakage ............................................................... 37 55. Wall and ceiling vents ................................................................................................ 38

HEATER TYPES ................................................................................................................... 39 56. Natural Gas Ducted .................................................................................................... 39

57. Natural Gas Space (flued) ......................................................................................... 40

58. Electric Reverse Cycle ............................................................................................... 41

59. Electric Reverse Cycle (ducted) ............................................................................... 42

60. Gas faux fire (flued) .................................................................................................... 42 61. Electric fan or radiator ................................................................................................ 42

62. Gas hydronic wall panels .......................................................................................... 43 63. Electric Panel .............................................................................................................. 44

64. Open fire place ............................................................................................................ 44

65. Pot Belly or slow combustion heater ....................................................................... 45

66. Airconditioner - reverse cycle ................................................................................... 45 67. Ducted Air conditioner ............................................................................................... 46

68. Ducted Evaporative Cooler ....................................................................................... 47

69. Inverter ......................................................................................................................... 48 70. Solar -– evacuated tube ............................................................................................ 48

71 Solar – flat panel collector .......................................................................................... 49 72. Gas storage ................................................................................................................. 49

73. Gas instantaneous ..................................................................................................... 51 74. Off-peak electric .......................................................................................................... 51 75. Heat pump ................................................................................................................... 52

76. Peak Electric................................................................................................................ 52 77. Weather strip – door and/or window ........................................................................ 53

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WALL TYPES

1. Brick veneer • Solid brick on the

outside and plasterboard over wooden frame inside.

• Tap on the plasterboard and it should sound like a hollow cavity.

• Plasterboard over double brick sounds more solid.

• The most common wall type.

• Popular from the 1960’s onwards.

Brick veneer.

2. Timber framed e.g weatherboard • Knocking on the wall

should give a hollow sound.

• Lightweight claddings such as weatherboard, tile, shingles, fibre cement or plywood are attached (often via battens) to the timber frame.

• Timber wall frames are usually only 90mm or 70mm deep so window depth will be narrow.

Weatherboard

3. Concrete block • Larger than regular

bricks.

• Light to medium grey, although some blocks contain fly ash or other aggregate which will change their appearance.

• May be rendered or clad.

• If it has been rendered, can be difficult to determine. Things to look for include thicker walls, grout lines through the

Concrete block

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render, wall vents that are larger to fit a concrete block.

• May sound hollow when tapped if the internal wall has been battened out, or solid if the plaster has been fixed directly to the blocks.

Bagged concrete block (thin layer of sand/cement applied, then painted). Grout lines indicate larger blocks than standard bricks.

4. Fibro cement • Made of a

compressed mixture of sand, cement and cellulose fibre.

• Sheets are nailed to a wooden or metal structure with a cover sheet on fixings at joins .

• Asbestos can be found in some fibro cement sheeting pre-dating the 1990s.

Fibro cement home. Image: Lucien Hoare

5. Concrete precast panel • Commonly grey in

colour and can be large panels.

• Can be finished by sandblasting, exposed aggregate, cement-based renders or paint.

• May see cracks along the wall joins if rendered.

• May be thinner than concrete block.

• May sound hollow when tapped if the

Concrete precast panel. Image: Rene de Yong

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internal wall has been battened out, or solid if the plaster has been fixed directly to the panels.

Precast concrete

6. Double brick • Usually two brick

walls separated by a cavity.

• Tap the inside wall –if it sounds solid and is brick on the outside, then it is likely to be double brick.

• Check era of the built - may be a clue but not definitive.

• The depth of the windows and door jams will likely be deeper than brick veneer or timber framed.

Double brick house.

7. Aerated autoclaved concrete panel • Also known as

Hebel.

• Light-coloured and contains many small voids (similar to an aerated chocolate bar) that can be seen close up without a render.

• Often has an acrylic render although cement renders are possible.

• Wall panels are storey height, from 2.4 metres to 3.3 metres, and are

Hebel aerated autoclaved concrete. Image: Hebel

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most commonly 75mm thick.

• Look for this depth on the side of the wall as well as vertical control joins on the wall front.

Hebel aerated autoclaved concrete. Image: Hebel

8. Mudbrick • Mudbricks can be

quite large, up to 375mm long, although smaller sizes are common.

• Walls are laid in the same way as other bricks, with thick mortar beds that are the same mix as the brick but in its ‘muddy’ state.

• The brick walls are often rendered with cement or mud-based renders.

• Walls need footings such as a course of regular fired bricks or concrete footings or slab, although in framed mud brick construction there may be timber or steel columns around which the mud brick walls are built.

• Homeowners will usually know that their house is made of mud bricks.

Mudbrick exterior handmade bricks.

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Mudbrick construction process. Image: Paul Downton

9. Rammed earth • Solid walls made of

earth packed down between formers, which are then removed.

• Often has a clear waterproof coating and the marks from the formers are clearly visible.

• Sometimes rendered, so may need to find an unrendered section (top of wall, under roof) to confirm.

Rammed earth exterior. Image: Olnee Rammed Earth

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Rammed earth external wall. Image: Travis Ridgeway

10. Straw bale • Walls are

constructed of bales of straw stacked on top of each other.

• Wall will be rendered on both sides with a thick render, and the walls will be at least 450mm thick.

• Often a ‘truth window’ (a small section of wall covered in glass or clear plastic to show the underlying strawbales) is included.

Strawbale – internal. Image: Jacqui Campbell

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Strawbale - external window. Image: Keith Maxwell

11. Polystyrene cladding system • Made from

expanded polystyrene (EPS).

• Rendered finish, often cement.

• Panels are around 100mm thick.

• Very lightweight, comprises around 98% air.

Polystyrene cladding

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Polystyrene cladding system install. Image: Empower Construction

12. Metal cladding • Similar in structure

to other timber framed structures.

• Sheet steel cladding instead of weatherboards or other cladding attached directly to studs or on battens.

Metal cladding

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Floor types

13. Timber enclosed • Subfloor will be

enclosed with bricks, timber or other material with just a few subfloor vents.

• The floor can be up to 1.2 metres off the ground.

Timber enclosed floor.

Vent in timber enclosed subfloor.

14. Timber open • Subfloor is usually

enclosed with timber slats, with gaps between the slats for ventilation to control humidity.

• Evident in most weatherboard houses.

• It may also be above a space that is greater than 1.2m high that is enclosed on all sides, like an enclosed garage.

Timber open subfloor.

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Timber open subfloor.

15. Timber elevated • 1.2 metres or higher and

has no sub-floor walls or has large gaps in the walls e.g. timber battens.

• A common example is a beach house built on stilts, however it can also be a floor over a car parking area in an apartment building or house.

Elevated timber floor

Timber elevated.

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16. Slab on ground • Concrete slab will be laid

directly on compacted soil, sand or gravel with no airspace below.

• Look for evidence of the concrete slab edge.

• A lack of vents can also indicate slab on ground.

• Concrete floors are common in more modern houses (1980’s onwards) and apartment buildings or flats.

Concrete slab external.

Concrete slab on ground.

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FLOOR INSULATION

17. Foil • Foil floor insulation

comes in large rolls and is often stapled to the underfloor.

• Foil insulation used to be common but other floor insulation types are commonly used now.

• All floor insulation can be seen from the subfloor access hatch.

Foil floor insulation. Image: Bunnings

18. Board • A rigid bulk insulation

product such as polystyrene that comes in large boards.

• The boards will usually be wedged between the floor joists and can be seen from the subfloor access hatch.

• If there is no insulation you will see an exposed timber floor.

Schematic of board underfloor insulation. Image: Your Home: Australia's guide to environmentally sustainable homes http://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/insulation-installation

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19. Batt insulation – floor • There are four main

types of under-floor batt insulation - glass wool, rockwool, natural wool or polyester (pictured).

• Batts are fixed between floor joists and may have support strapping to stop sagging.

• Batts may be seen from the subfloor access hatch.

Polyester floor insulation. Image: Trivess Moore

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INSULATION PRODUCTS

20. Cellulose fibre • Made from wood or

paper.

• Thick, dense, and clumpy.

• Insulation can be blown into enclosed areas and fits around obstructions such as lights or ducts.

• It looks grey when new but will look compressed and brown when aged, unless it was sealed with a cap, which is usually sprayed over the top.

• The most common blow in insulation.

Cellulose blow-in ceiling insulation. Image: Shutterstock.com - 529795321

Cellulose loose fill insulation.

21 Glass fibre • Often referred to as

fibreglass insulation.

• Comes in batts, blankets or can be blown in.

• Usually yellow, pink, green or brown in colour.

• Thick, fluffy and has a form like wool.

• Made from tiny glass fibres so can irritate the skin or eyes on contact, although some forms are far less irritating than others.

Glass fibre batts.

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Glass fibre - earth wool product. Image: Knauf Insulation

22. Polyester • A synthetic material,

often white in colour although some products are green.

• Soft to touch.

• Comes in batts, blankets or rolls which are available in widths that fit ceiling joists.

Polyester ceiling insulation. Image: Ecomaster

23. Rockwool loose fill • Also known as mineral

wool.

• Composed of tiny fibres made from rock (such as basalt), or sometimes from furnace slag which is spun into a material.

• Loose-fill rockwool will have the look and consistency of sheep’s wool and is usually a yellow-brown colour.

• Mineral wools can cause irritation of the skin, eyes and throat.

Rockwool loose ceiling granulated mineral wool (Qmulus). Image: Insultech

24. Rockwool Batt • Thick and dense mats

usually a yellow-brown colour. May be semi-rigid.

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• Density makes them easy to cut to size so that they ‘friction fit’ between joists with no staples.

• Mineral wools can cause irritation of the skin, eyes and throat.

25. Wool Loose Fill • Made from 100%

sheep’s wool so should be an off-white colour.

• Not prone to shrinking and sinking and should expand in the space over time.

Wool loose fill. Image: Green Sheep

26. Wool/Polyester Batt • Made from sheeps wool

that is either mechanically held together or bonded using up to 20% recycled polyester.

• Colour of the batts will vary from off-white to grey depending on the manufacturing process.

• Wool/polyester batts are dense and not prone to sagging.

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FLOOR COVERINGS

27. Tile/linoleum • Tiles and linoleum

placed over floorboards can minimise airflow from gaps in the floor.

• Linoleum comes in sheets or square tiles, and other floor tile types include ceramic and stone.

• Backerboard will be placed between most timber floors and tiles to provide a stable surface.

Linoleum.

Floor tiles.

28. Carpet • Can minimise

airflow from gaps in the floor.

• A textile floor covering with an upper layer of pile attached to a backing.

• Pile used to be commonly made from wool, but synthetic fibres are frequently used now.

Carpet.

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29. Cork/floating timber • For floating timber,

individual planks or boards are attached to one another on battens instead of being part of the subfloor beneath.

• If the subfloor is a concrete slab, then a timber floor is likely to be floating timber, unless there is evidence otherwise.

• Floating timber more likely in modern houses.

• Cork is usually in tiles or sheets, with a backing, which may be rigid or flexible. The rigid tiles click together like other floating floors.

• Some cork flooring is tiles with no backing that is glued down.

Floating timber floor. Image: Dion Zappacosta

Cork floor. Image: Premium Flooring

30. None • Can be difficult to

determine if flooring is floating timber, or floor boards.

• Likely to be floor boards if the house is old.

• Will be fixed to the base floor or floor joists. This can be seen from the subfloor hatch.

Timber floorboards as seen from the subfloor.

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WINDOW GLAZING TYPES

30. Single clear • Only one piece of glass

within the frame.

• Thermal efficiency of a single pane of glass is R0.15, compared to double glazed at around R0.55.

Single clear glazing.

Single clear glazing in aluminium frame.

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31. Single toned • Toned glass can be

either colored (lead light style) or obscured/frosted (acid etched or patterned).

• Only one piece of glass within the frame.

Single-toned glazing.

32. Double glazed • Two separate pieces of

glass with a gap between them which creates an insulating barrier.

• There is an obvious gap between the two panes at the edge of the window which is usually black.

• Gap may be air or gas filled (argon is typical).

• If you are unsure what is in the gap, then assume air filled.

• You may be able to see double reflections in the glass.

Double glazed window with a black spacer between the panes.

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Double glazing cross section. Can see two panes of glass with a spacer between them. Image: Miglas

33. Secondary double glazing • Acrylic, polycarbonate or

glass pane secured to window frame.

• Creates an air gap between the secondary glazing and original glass.

• Should be able to tell by touching the glazing that there is a secondary layer.

• Usually less expensive than double glazing.

• Can form an effective noise barrier as well as thermal barrier.

Secondary glazing. Image: Magnetite

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Secondary glazing. Image: Magnetite

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WINDOW FRAME TYPES

34. Aluminium • Frames are commonly a

light silver but can be anodised or painted various colours.

• Cold to touch and are hollow so might sound light.

• Conduct heat so are not thermally efficient, unless a thermal break has been installed in the frame which minimises the flow of heat through the frame.

Aluminium window frame

35. Steel frame • A magnet can be used

to identify them, as steel is magnetic.

• Usually thinner than an aluminium frame and shaped as a single piece.

Steel frame window

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Steel framed window.

36. Plastic frame • Made from PVC and

sounds light like plastic when tapped.

• Frames are often white and thick.

• More thermally efficient than aluminium and steel frames because they do not conduct heat well.

PVC window frame.

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37. Timber • Frames can be various

thicknesses and do not conduct heat well.

• Frames might have a wood grain pattern but are often painted.

Timber framed window.

Timber frame window install.

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WINDOW COVERINGS AND AIR LEAKAGE

38. Venetians • Aluminium, plastic or

timber horizontal slats.

• Not thermally efficient as air moves between the small gaps and metal conducts heat.

Venetian blinds.

39. Open weave • Sheer to allow light

through the fabric.

• Often made from cotton, polyester or lace.

• Are not thermally efficient due to heat transfer through the fabric.

Open weave curtains.

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40. Vertical blinds • Vertical louvres or slats

clip on to a sliding track at the top and are joined together by weights and stabilising chains at the foot of the blind.

• The slats are often polyester fabric.

• Not thermally efficient as air moves between the small gaps.

Vertical blinds.

41. Holland blinds • Also known as roller

blinds.

• Sit on a roll at the top of the window and are manually rolled down via a cord.

• Holland blinds offer some thermal efficiency by reducing the amount of heat entering a room if they overlap or abut the window frame. If well fitted, this will minimise air movement.

• Roman blinds are entered as holland blinds, unless they are thick material or lined, in which case enter as close weave curtains.

Holland blind

Holland blind

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Roman blinds.

42 Close weave • Thick and tightly woven

fabric.

• Varying degrees of drapeability and strength depending on the specific weaves and fibres used.

• Good for heat and cold insulation around windows if close-fitting to window and used with pelmets.

• Honeycomb blinds entered as close weave.

Close weave curtain. Image: More Than Curtains

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Honeycomb blinds.

43. Heavy drapes • Made from thick, heavy

fabric, usually a colour/pattern outer layer and a heavier lining layer that goes against the glass.

• Usually longer than a set of curtains.

• Can help insulate windows but not as effective without pelmets.

Heavy drapes Image: Renew

44. Curtains and pelmets • Includes an enclosed

cover above a window.

• Pelmet conceals the curtain rod and helps insulate the window by reducing circulatory airflows between the curtain and the window.

• Lighter fabric and less window coverage than heavy drapes.

Curtain with pelmet. Image: Ewan Regazzo

45. Heavy drapes and pelmets • Curtain type with the

most thermal benefit.

• Must be topped by an enclosed pelmet or similar.

• Pelmet conceals the curtain rod and helps insulate the window by reducing circulatory airflows between the curtain and the window.

• Drapes extend beyond the sides of windows and reach down to the floor.

• A heavy, thick fabric or a fabric with lining.

Heavy drapes and pelmets.

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46. External blinds • Usually made of canvas

or metal.

• Blocks direct sunlight from entering windows and therefore reduces heat ingress.

External canvas blinds.

External roller shutter.

47. Chimney with damper • A damper can be a small

flap inside the flue or at top of chimney.

• Can be opened and closed as needed.

• Blocks airflow in and out of the room when closed.

• Look for pull-chain or lever within chimney or a metal door at top of chimney.

Chimney Damper: Image: Sustainability Victoria https://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/You-and-Your-Home/Save-energy/Draught-proofing/Block-chimney-draughts

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48. Exhaust fan non-sealing • Draughts can come

through open vents on exhaust fans.

• Shine light in exhaust fan for signs of damper to stop air flow or check in ceiling space.

• If you cannot determine if an exhaust fan is sealed or unsealed, then enter it as unsealed.

Unsealed exhaust fan in the kitchen

Unsealed exhaust fan from above.

49. Exhaust fan sealing • A number of sealing

mechanisms are possible.

• Image 1: Face opens when in operation, but is closed when not in operation to stop draughts.

• Image 2: Can include exhaust damper such as ‘draftstoppa’, which automatically seals when fan switched off.

• Image 3: External vent in wall or eave. Flaps drop shut when not in use.

• Can shine light in exhaust fan for signs of damper.

• Rangehoods are assumed to be sealed.

Image 1. Self-closing fan. Image: Mistral.

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Image 2. Self-closing damper installed above fan. Image: https://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/You-and-your-home/Save-energy/Draught-proofing/Seal-exhaust-fans

Image 3. External damper for exhaust fan.

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Range hood.

52. Halogen downlight large air leakage • Gimballed, so can be

moved to a wide angle which enables draughts.

• Look for a large gap between the fitting and the ring which allows air leakage.

Gimballed halogen downlight. Image: Lighting-store.com.au

53. Halogen downlight small air leakage • Can’t be moved like a

gimbled downlight.

• A thin ringed gap will be visible around the downlight.

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Halogen downlight – small air leakage.

Halogen downlight – small air leakage. Image: Emergency Electrician

54. Halogen sealed

• Allows no air leakage between the room and the roof space.

Sealed halogen downlight. Image: Sustainability Victoria.

54. Non-halogen downlight large air leakage • ‘Tin can’ style into an

attic roof.

• Installed into a hollow opening in ceiling that’s 100mm or more in diameter.

• Light will be recessed.

• Often older-style incandescent globes or compact fluorescent globes are used.

Compact fluorescent downlight.

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55. Wall and ceiling vents • Used to be mandatory in

older homes.

• Evident in upper parts of wall or in ceiling.

• Some wall vents have direct openings between the internal and external walls. Others open into the wall space which is connected to the attic space, or subfloor.

• A source of air leakage within the home.

• Ceiling vents are generally round.

• Ceiling vents can also be present behind a ceiling rose. Use a bright light to see if there is backing board behind the ceiling rose.

Wall vent.

Wall vent. Daylight can be seen through it, which means it vents out of the external wall directly behind the vent. This will lead to large air leakage.

Ceiling vent. Does not contain a fan.

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HEATER TYPES

56. Natural Gas Ducted • Home is heated via

sub-floor or ceiling cavity ducting and room outlets

• External box-type furnace outside at ground-level or in the roof space

• Vents or air-grilles throughout the home, including a large air intake grille, often in a hallway.

gas ducted ducting Image: DELWP

55b gas ducted furnace

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55d & e gas ducted vent air intakes

Gas Ducted Heater in roof space Image: DELWP

57. Natural Gas Space (flued) • Unit inside, attached to

or inset into wall

• Fan to blow heat into space

• Has flue or chimney to vent gas and vapour outside

• Energy rating found at AGA Directory.

56a space heater Image: DELWP

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56b space heater flue. Images: DELWP

58. Electric Reverse Cycle • Most energy efficient

electric space heater

• Unit usually mounted high on inside wall. Sometimes other types of indoor units include floor level or ceiling cassette.

• Compressor unit outside uses heat pump technology and can be mounted under eave, on roof or at ground level.

• Can get multi-head units that have a single or double compressor unit outside feeding up to 8 heads in the house.

• Provides heat and cool.

57a reverse cycle unit. Image DELWP

57b compressor unit. Image: DELWP

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59. Electric Reverse Cycle (ducted) • Hot air is circulated

through roof or underfloor ducts

• Unit normally outside at ground level

• Usually larger than split system compressor units

• Uses heat pump technology

• Provides heat and cool

58a ducted heat pump - compressor unit

60. Gas faux fire (flued) • Has a ‘fire place’ look

or can sometimes be in a steel box

• Chimney vents air pollution and water vapour outside

• May not have a fan feature

59a gas faux fire. Image: DELWP

61. Electric fan or radiator • Is a permanent fixture

that would not be removed

• Can work by radiant heat and also heating the air

• Uses peak electricity and is expensive to run, like portable electric heaters

• Also includes bathroom bar heaters

• Includes panel heaters with fan (image 60b).

60b radiator

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Check panel heaters to see if there is a fan function.

60a radiator

62. Gas hydronic wall panels

• Circulate hot water or coolant through radiator panels in rooms

• Can see piping running from panel unit into wall

• Panels are made from metal and are often painted, powder coated or ceramic coated

• Exterior walls behind panels should be insulated to prevent heat loss to the outside

• Usually gas-fired but can be heated by a wood fired heater, solar system or heat pump.

61a gas hydronic heating wall panel. Image: Calan Stanley

61b gas hydronic heating wall panel. Image: Calan Stanley

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Outdoor gas fired hydronic heater unit. Image: DELWP

63. Electric Panel • Panel attached to a

wall

• Electricity heats a large steel or aluminium surface which is painted, powder coated or ceramic coated

• No fan within the unit.

62a electric panel. IMAGE: http://www.discount-electrical.com/heating-c30/wall-heaters-c95/panel-heaters-c208/econo-heat-eheater-energy-saving-wall-panel-heater-p224

64. Open fire place • Open space within wall

which can be a source of airflow

• Might have chimney damper installed to stop airflow

• Can include style with cast iron grate to burn wood.

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63a open fire. Image: DELWP

65. Pot Belly or slow combustion heater • Cast iron or plate steel

• A pot belly stove is generally a cylindrical shape with a bulge in the middle. Will have a small door on the front.

• A slow combustion stove is more of a firebox style, and often has a tempered glass door

• Flue generally sits out the top on both, although sometimes it will be at the rear of the appliance.

64a pot belly. Image: DELWP

66. Airconditioner - reverse cycle • Head unit inside, and

cooler unit usually outside

• Model plate on both units.

65a airconditioner reverse cycle outside unit

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65b airconditioner reverse cycle indoor unit

67. Ducted Air conditioner • Compressor unit at

ground level outside

• Internal fancoil unit installed in the roof space. A horizontal grill might be visible near ceiling or a duct box.

• A series of ceiling ducts run from fancoil unit into rooms

• The compressor compresses the refrigerant and sends it to the fancoil unit, where the heat is extracted from indoor air then returned to the room

• Cool air delivered via vents, usually in ceiling

• Check the thermostat, if it doesn’t have a heating mode then it is cooling only.

66a ducted aircon outdoor unit. Image: Cool Hand Luke

66d ducted fan coil unit vent. Image Current Force Aircon

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68. Ducted Evaporative Cooler • Look for box unit on

roof

• Hot air enters the box unit and cools as it passes through the water pads

• Box unit on roof is connected to outlets into different rooms.

67a ducted evaporative outside unit

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69. Inverter • Usually a metal or

plastic box mounted on the wall

• Often has a small LCD or similar display

• Probably located near the switchboard but can be inside or outside, or in the garage

• Changes the voltage of PV generated electricity to 240V for use by household appliances.

68a inverter. Image: DELWP

70. Solar -– evacuated tube • Look for an array of

borosilicate glass tubes in a support frame, usually mounted on the roof.

• The system’s tank will either be on the roof (close-coupled) or placed elsewhere at ground level (split)

• Insulated tubes heat water.

69a evacuated tube hws.

69c evacuated tube solar hot water. Image: DELWP

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71 Solar – flat panel collector • A metal collector plate

on the roof

• The plate is usually copper or aluminium and is coated with special treatments to increase absorption of the solar heat energy

• The system’s tank will either be on the roof (close-coupled) or placed elsewhere at ground level (split).

70a flat plate hws w tank on roof. Image: John Liu

70b flat plate collector

72. Gas storage • Features a tank in

various sizes

• Usually enamel lined mild steel or stainless steel

• Gas burner located underneath the tank to heat the water

• Water is heated and stored in an insulated tank until used.

71b gas hws side

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71e gas hws

71f gas storage HWS Image DELWP

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73. Gas instantaneous • Efficient because it only

heats the water as it is used so there’s no tank for storage and so no standing heat losses.

• Features a box on wall with gas connection plumbing and water piping at base.

72a gas instantaneous

74. Off-peak electric • There’s no difference

physically between an on-peak and off-peak storage water heater

• There will be a separate meter (often) in the meter box, and a separate circuit breaker that will be labelled as off-peak or similar

• The circuit may be on a timer so it only runs in off-peak hours. Might need an electrician or knowledgeable person to confirm.

73a off peak electric HWS

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75. Heat pump • Extracts heat from the

environment (air) to heat water

• Tank located outside with compressor unit alongside or sometimes integrated into the tank (on top)

• Costs more to purchase that other hot water systems but uses much less energy and reduces bills.

74a heat pump hws split unit. Image: Tim Forcey

74b sanden heat pump hws split unit

76. Peak Electric • Often small hot water

systems located in cupboards

• The system size is a good indicator of whether it uses peak electricity or not – these small units are too small to qualify for off-peak tariffs.

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75 under cupboard electric

77. Weather strip – door and/or window • Weatherstrips seal doors

and windows from unwanted airflow

• Weatherstrips include door sweeps which are flat pieces of aluminium or plastic (with a seal attached to the strip) attached to the door bottom

• Door and window seals are taped around window and door frames to seal gaps

• A door is considered weather-sealed if it has a weather-strip to the bottom and there are no gaps around the frame that can create air leakage

• This can be achieved if the door or window is sealed by the nature of its construction and condition.

76b weather seal windows.

Commonwealth of Australia http://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/sealing-your-home Department of Environmenta and Energy (2019) Your Home: Australia's guide to environmentally sustainable homes. Your Home is CCBY licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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All images owned by DELWP unless specified beneath the image.

76d weather strip bottom of door. Image: DELWP

76f pvc window weatherstripped. Image: DELWP

76g doorway weatherstripped Image: DELWP