Mobile homes embody the fastest-growing housing type in the United States, and air conditioning the fastest-growing residential energy load. This amalgamation of trends should capture the attention of utilities trying to contain peak loads, especially in the South, where the majority of mobile homes are located. It's cooling season, and if figures are any indication, utilities, energy technicians, and HVAC contractors will be spending more time than usual dealing with mobile homes this summer. Add to these figures the fact that mobile home households have lower-than-average incomes and include one-quarter of the families, who qualify under the Weatherization Assistance Program, and we can see why housing organizations and government agencies have been stepping up efforts to cut the cooling overheads for mobile home occupants.

Technicians view:

Technicians familiarized to working on site-built homes will find mobile homes a new challenge to audit, weatherize, and retrofit. Designed for transport over highways, a mobile home has a extended narrow frame bolted to a steel chassis; a low ceiling; and a shallow truss roof cavity. The floor, exterior walls, and roof are factory-built as apparatus and then assembled on the chassis. Roofs and siding are generally metal. The inside wall panels make available added structural support, and steel strapping reinforces joints between the floor, walls, and roof. In older mobile homes, insulation in all of these components is minimal. Windows and doors are made with frivolous metal frames that screw into the wood frame from the exterior. The water heater is positioned in a closet that is vented, and is usually accessed from the outside.

A comprehensive approach:

To evaluate energy use in any home, it's always helpful to look at the occupants' utility bills first, to find out how much they have been spending in each season of the year. There should be some clear correlation between the bills and the type of mechanical equipment, or lack of it. In warm climates it is chiefly important to distinguish between dry and humid regions and to note whether the home has a heating load in winter. With this information it's easier to prioritize appropriate, cost-effective measures in the context of the occupants' comfort needs. A comprehensive move toward involves addressing all of the following elements: solar heat gains, conduction, infiltration, internal heat gains, and mechanical system efficiency. For the reason that mobile homes are small and have little thermal mass, heat can build up quickly inside. The first stratagem for cooling should be to prevent heat from getting in; then mechanical equipment can be sized properly to run more efficiently-and less frequently.

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Can tiles be installed in a mobile home:
Mobile homes embody the fastest-growing housing type in the United States, and air conditioning the fastest-growing residential energy load. This amalgamation of trends should capture the attention of utilities trying to contain peak loads,...

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