John, President, Home Performance, Weatherization Program Revamping and Training Company
As a home performance expert for 30 years, I have seen every type of constructed or manufactured product for attic openings. Standards really matter for this area of a residence.
Finally, there is a product “out of the box” that meets all the Code and DOE requirements. There is no other pre-fab product that can make that claim. The air seal achieved by its unique design blows away any competitor or site-built measure. The Energy Guardian® Covers typically achieve 50% better air sealing results than any other product. The air seal is crucial for energy saving, comfort and Indoor Air Quality.
The 20-year warranty is unmatched in the industry.
ESS has set the standard for effective, easy to install, simple to use and long-lasting products.
Vic, President, Home Performance Company & National Trainer
“The purpose of this letter is to clarify the results that I have experienced with your products. For over 25 years, I have worked in the residential energy conservation business. I have worked as a builder, HVAC contractor and renovated existing homes. My experience has allowed me to be a frequently requested trainer for other weatherization professionals. As you know, I am often a featured speaker at national conferences and I am intimately involved with the Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program. I have also worked with Oak Ridge Laboratories scientists to test and evaluate numerous measures that conserve energy.
During training sessions, a major component of the time is devoted to implantation of the measures presented in class. We utilize your kits for insulating and sealing both attic push up hatches and pull down ladders. Once the measures are completed, we test the results in accordance with the strict methodology required by the Department of Energy, ENERGY STAR® and the U.S. Weatherization Assistance Program. These independent tests by numerous third party agencies prove that your kits are a national breakthrough in home energy saving.
Specifically, when we measured the results for The Energy Guardian® Kits for both types of attic entrances, they were far greater than any alternative either commercially available or individually constructed. Rarely in my 25 years of work in the weatherization business have I achieved a zero reading for the smoke stick around an attic entrance, but we get it every time with your kits. We have consistently recorded 200-400 CFM50 reductions for the hatches and 600-900 CFM50 reductions for the pull down ladders. Those results are 3-5 times better than any other measure recorded for alternative measures for these attic entrances.
To be sure, I did not believe that these reductions were attainable. The most respected scientists at Oak Ridge Laboratories as well as revered experts in the field consistently posit that no more than a 50 CFM50 reduction for hatches and a 100-200 CFM50 reduction for pull down ladders are achievable with any kit or constructed measure. I have had a number of occasions where I had to demonstrate the effectiveness of your kits in person to other experts who did not believe that I could substantiate what they deemed were wild claims of effectiveness in this area.
The results are a direct result of the unique design of your kits. The lid with its lip that fits into the frame is the key to the solution.
As homes are built and/or upgraded to be tighter, air sealing the attic entrance is even more crucial to the health and safety of homes. If large amounts of air can move through the attic entrance, it creates a breeding ground for mold- a major health concern. These same air leaks also cause internal home fires to spread faster and are also the primary cause for the use of space heaters”.
Joe, State President Association of Licensed Professional Home Inspectors
“I would like to take a moment to thank you for the recent expertly presented and extremely informative accredited training session that ESS provided to our members.
All members want to be aware of any item we need to check for homeowners. Learning about the heat transfer caused by the attic entrance and how to check for it fit the bill perfectly.
This was an ideal dual topic for us. The amount of energy loss, the significant cost to homeowners in summer as well as winter and the big effect on their comfort makes this a high priority item for every home inspector. It was important for us to understand how the attic entrance also can cause ice damming and roof damage. Since the attic entrance is near or in the bedrooms, it is easy to realize how it is a major reason for the use of space heaters. I know from the National Fire Protection Association report that space heaters account for many injuries, deaths and costly damage in home heating fires.
Nearly every home in our area has at least one attic entrance, so it is something that warrants careful review in each home.
While understanding a problem is the crucial first step, the segment on the standards for properly solving this heat transfer problem was very valuable. Homeowners need to be aware that a partial solution may only slightly reduce the energy loss problem. Worse still, it can also create other severe problems such as mold. Mold is a problem that home inspectors are keenly aware of and something that every homeowner needs to avoid.
I have reviewed the information regarding The Energy Guardian® Kits and many members have seen your products in the field. It is clear from the industry experts, recognition by media consumer reporters and client testimonials that the ESS kits meet and exceed all standards. All homeowners should visit your web page or call for information to learn more about how to best solve the problem.”
Elizabeth, Weatherization Director, Community Action Agency
“This agency has now been using your product for a couple of years. I want to share with you how pleased we are with your kits and the difference it has made to our program.
Our agency is dedicated to help as many low-income families as possible so I am always in search of more efficient and high quality alternatives for our program. This gives us the opportunity to upgrade more homes and provide them with increased energy savings. Your kits give us an advantage is both areas.
Before we started using The Energy Guardian® Kits, our agency built our own upgrades for attic entrances. Installing your kits is fast and easy so it is much more efficient for us to use your kits than build an upgrade. Our crews’ time can now be spent on other areas of the house.
The heavy duty air seal is a big step up from the old weather stripping method we used to use. We know that weather stripping can’t match the one created by the lid sliding into the frame of your kits. That also takes away a risk of mold that can easily occur when the glue on weather stripping fails.
It’s also helped our inspectors- they know that the job’s been done right. Since we started using The Energy Guardian® Kits, call backs and re-inspections are a thing of the past for any attic entrance.
The kits are also great for homeowners. They’re much lighter and are exceptionally durable, as proven by your 20-year warranty. This also makes them very cost-effective since we know that the improvement will last and continue to save money year after year.
We’re also very glad to be working with ESS. Your company has always kept in touch with us to know what our needs would be, and you’ve kept us up to date with the latest training and tips to make our job easier.
Your kits solve a difficult problem in homes and are part of our standard solution. At the same time, ESS has been a great partner for our program. I look forward to continuing our relationship for years to come.”
George, Purchasing Manager Home Performance Contractor
“As you know, we are the sub contractor for the Utility low income energy conservation program sponsored by all the utility companies in the state; under the auspices of the state Board of Public Utilities. We provide a number of upgrades and energy saving measures for thousands of their clients every year throughout the state according to guidelines and procedures mandated by all utility companies in the state.
Our products and measures must meet or exceed stringent standards and our work is subject to review and inspection by third parties.
We use The Energy Guardian® Kits as our primary solution for the program because it is clearly the superior product in the market today. It is the best solution for our crews, the utility companies and the homeowners.”
John, President, Home Performance Company
“We have just installed our 1st hatch from The Energy Guardian®. This was the first time I ever installed one of these units and found it was very simple to do. I am one of those people that reads directions as a last resort. This hatch proved to be so easy that I was able to install it without reading the directions. The whole process took me about 15 minutes.
Working in this attic was a little on the warm side at around 140 degrees. I took a number of pictures that have been included in this email. The 2 of most interest to me were the ones with the IR camera before and after. The home was being cooled with the A/C unit and was at around 80 degrees. That puts the temp differential between the attic and the home at a difference of 60 degrees. The before shot shows this very well. After the hatch was installed the finished shot had a small temp difference with the pull down stairs. I thought I would pass this on. Impressive results.”
Fran, Weatherization Director, Community Action Agency
“I want to let you know that we are very pleased with The Energy Guardian® Kits. We use them primarily for push up hatches since that is what the majority of our homes have, but we also use your other kits as well. Overall, they are very effective for our clients and serve as an important efficiency tool for our operations.
Everyone in the weatherization business knows that the attic access is an important part of the thermal barrier of the home. Without a proper mitigating measure, it is a major source of energy loss.
Before we found The Energy Guardian® Kits, we used foam board and weather-stripping to seal up the accesses. While it was an improvement over the existing conditions, it didn’t come close to solving the problem like your kits. We’ve looked at other products over the years, but none of them met our standards. Some didn’t have the high R-Value we were looking for. Others were flimsy. Some didn’t look like they were “homeowner-friendly”.
Like all of our upgrades, we need to cost-justify improvements to the attic access.
It is essential that any measure will produce energy savings for many years. Your products easily meet our thresholds because of four major factors. First, you have a high R-value which is a major improvement over what is already there. Second, the air-sealing qualities of your kits are great. The extended warranty gives us the confidence that the improvement will last and our savings projections will be accurate. My crews really appreciate spending less time in the attic as it takes less time to install the kit than make our own solution.
Finally, it’s lightweight and easy for the customer to use when they enter the attic. In fact, ease of use might be an easily overlooked feature. If the upgrade is too difficult to use, it will not remain in the home for long after we leave. Because the lid of your kits fits right into the frame without any hooks or other devices to secure the air seal, it is practical and straightforward for the homeowner. Your kits solve this problem like no other solution that my organization has built, bought or otherwise seen available in the market.
ESS has also been a great partner. All of our dealings with your company have been positive, and your staff makes sure that we get the proper attention and that our order is processed correctly.
Thanks for a great solution to a major problem. I’d be happy to be a reference for the effectiveness of The Energy Guardian® Kits. I believe that your kits set the standards for any agency or contractor that weatherizes homes.”
Dom, President, Builder
“I have been in the construction business for over 20 years with specific interest in conservation for the residential market servicing the New York Metro Region. During those years, I have assessed and provided upgrades to thousands of homes to make them more energy efficient. A virtual certainty in every home is an un-insulated and unsealed attic entrance.
For a long time there were no commercially available products that could solve this problem. I came across some products that looked like pup tents or inverted tubs or boxes. The only words that I can use to describe them are “ineffective” and “junk.” Each has at least one fatal flaw i.e. durability. I had no choice but to build units on our own, but this took a lot of my time and my customers’ money to do the job right.
Then I came across your product. After reading your website and checking your references, I came to the conclusion that The Energy Guardian® Kits have it all! There is a model for any attic entrance. Each one has a high R-Value; they’re durable, and lightweight. Most importantly, my clients can feel the difference as soon as I install your products. It is also easy for them to take off and put the unit back in the proper position, meaning that they will really use it after I leave their home.
Most people do not realize that the attic entrance is more important for energy loss than the front door of their home. To do the job right for the homeowner, the solutions must have a tight air seal, high R-Value, be lightweight, easy to use and very durable. Durability is the key. If the solution cannot last and withstand wear and tear, several problems will follow. First, the energy loss will begin immediately, and the comfort of the home will deteriorate. Since the rest of the attic will be tighter and better insulated as a result if standard energy saving measures, the heat transfer will be more concentrated through the attic entrance. It can create condensation which is a cause of roof damage and provides a fertile ground for mold.
This is an essential product for any company that provides energy improvements to homeowners. It is an effective and long term solution for the homeowner and a great efficiency tool for contractors. I make more money installing your kits than by making a substitute and my customers get a better solution. Finally, your firm makes it easy for a busy contractor like me. It is great to know that I will get full support at any time from people who are experts and really care about helping.”
Art, President County Home Builders Association and Builder
“As a builder for nearly 30 years, and past President for our County Home Builders Association, I am confident that I have come across almost every problem imaginable in a home and all types of solutions to those problems.
In all these years, I have never seen a more practical or effective solution than The Energy Guardian® Attic Access Covers. These products solve a big problem that exists in virtually all homes today. I can speak from experience as I have one installed in my own home.
Having a product in an area of the home where there is likely traffic is always a tricky matter. First, it has to serve its intended use while being durable. Second, it must be very easy for the homeowner to use it properly and keep it effective. In the case of attic accesses, it is obviously very important to establish both a thermal insulating barrier as well as a tight air seal to stop the energy loss in both hot and cold weather. It must also be sturdy enough to withstand ongoing use. The Energy Guardian® Attic Access Covers certainly fit the bill in those essential areas.
However, in order to be effective long term, the thermal barrier and air seal must be re-established easily after a homeowner returns from the attic. If it isn’t easy to do correctly, the homeowner is very likely to get it wrong. As a result, it is almost assured that such a solution will not be effective over time.
This is where your product design is even more innovative and practical. When I close the lid into the frame, I can hear and feel the air seal established as the extension of the lid fits into the frame. It is unmistakable. Without that extension or lip, the lid could easily be returned to the wrong position and the air seal would be compromised. With your product, it is almost a certainty that it is always returned properly in place. You have made the solution virtually “homeowner proof”.
You have achieved exceedingly high practicality and effectiveness which is a rare combination- congratulations.”
Rocco, President HVAC Company
“As we conclude our first year of doing business with your firm, I want to give you some feedback on our experience.
As both the President of this firm as well as the Vice President of the County Chapter of the Air Conditioning Contractors of America, I am always on the lookout for innovative solutions that can save energy or improve the comfort for homeowners.
The Energy Guardian® Attic Access Covers are a home run as they do both. The product design is truly unique and innovative. They save energy in both the summer and winter months and make homes more comfortable. I am very pleased that we can provide this solution to our clients. I have been in the heating and air conditioning business for 27 years and there is nothing in the market to compare with your products. They work just as represented and are very cost effective for homeowners.
Your turnkey sales program makes it very easy for any HVAC firm to quickly start up with ESS. We are very pleased with the program and more importantly with our clients’ satisfaction with The Energy Guardian® Access Covers.
I highly recommend your program and products to any HVAC firm.”
Tracy, Weatherization Coordinator County Agency
“Dennis wanted me to fax my blower door readings to you after I installed your product. The readings speak for themselves.
The Energy Guardian® system is a great product for any homeowner…
I was amazed at how much of a difference my blower door reading was after the system was installed. The air seal is unequaled in the industry whether a pre-fab product or site constructed”