Punk Rock

Back in the day I was kind of a “punk” girl. Well, in the strictest sense (of the day) I was a new-wave girl, then a punk girl (for about a minute, in the grand-scheme), then a goth girl. In a social sense, this kind of association is all about aesthetics: what kind of clothes you wear, what music you listen to, how you cut/dye your hair, tats+piercings, etc. Because I grew up relatively poor (like the “original punks”…though not homeless on the street) I think I embraced the genre because of its DIY nature and ethic of resourcefulness. I also really gravitated toward the anti-establishment nature of it: WHY can’t I dress this way, listen to this “noise”, create my own path? Why SHOULD I follow the rules, go along to get along, follow the path that “the man” has created, subscribe to “the establishment”, be a “sheep”? In retrospect this was, of course, all the stuff of adolescent angst. Exercises in stretching my own boundaries and testing the limits of others.

This M.O., incidentally, DID carry through to post-adolescence (the college years) where I managed to manifest it in a way substantial enough to take part in creating an entirely new curriculum/tract of study at University of Illinois UC. When I graduated from U of I there was no “environmental studies” department per se. There was the Department of Ecology, Ethology and Evolution and there was the Institute for Environmental Studies - mostly a research facility (I know because I worked there part-time). I chose the university, in part, because it had an Independent Plans of Study (IPS) program: create a “major” by assembling my own curriculum based on offered courses, write a rationale as to why my chosen tract of study cannot be met by existing majors, and describe what I plan to do with the course of study upon graduation. Then I had to sit in front of the IPS Board (who by then had read my written submission) and verbally justify my plan.

The university was practically founded on the Agriculture Department (duh…it’s the Midwest), so it’s not like the connection wasn’t inevitable. I guess by virtue of sheer timing I was able to, in small part (a few others in the IPS program had created similar, environment-related tracts), make an impact by assembling my DIY studies because, shortly after I graduated (with a B.S. in Environmental Studies…yes, they let me make that up), a department of Environmental Studies was established. This experience solidified one of the “punk rock” tenets I took from my misspent youth:

Question everything.

This has simply become part of my being. But just because I question everything doesn’t mean I KNOW everything…quite the contrary. Part of this M.O. is questioning myself…probably to a fault. I want “it” – whatever “it” is - explained to me. I want to understand so I can make the best-informed decision for me (or my family or a client or anyone else that relies on or has entrusted me with something). “That’s just how it’s done” NEVER flies with me. Explain it to me. I’m not an idiot.

So when I was recently offered nothing but an “in the box” solution for my house’s HVAC needs from FIVE HVAC contractors, I seriously started to think that perhaps I was wrong about what I *thought* I knew would be the right (and conservative – as per the previous post) strategy for our HVAC needs in this house. THANK GODDESS I listened to my instincts (and my contractor) and contacted our energy auditor. Here’s what he had to say:

“Hi Christie-
I'm sorry this has been challenging for you, thanks for getting in touch. As a matter of fact, our calculations did touch on HVAC sizing. The report called 'Equipment Sizing Report' which would be the last page in your package, and is also attached to this message, shows that after all improvements are made, your home should only require 154 kBtu per hour, and you have 180 kBtu available with the equipment you possess. The unit sizes are fine. What we did is not a Manual J calculation in the strictest sense, but it is based on all the same elements (air leakage, insulation, house volume, etc) that a Manual J uses. The Manual J would come in close to our number IF it was performed to the features of the house as it'll perform AFTER all retrofits are complete.
Incidentally, a Manual J is a great way to not oversize the equipment, which is usually how things happen. We find most equipment is oversized, unless it's been run with a Manual J. But if professionals are terse and don't have good client relations, you shouldn't have to work with them in any case.”

(Incidentally, what I DID learn through all these exchanges with HVAC dudes was that Manual J is the “Bible” for HVAC guys. They study it in school – or via Union training - and, apparently, live and die by it. And that’s fine as Manual J does serve an important function in properly sizing a new unit. But we’ve had NO intention, all along, of replacing these 4 y.o. units. We want to work AROUND them so they won’t NEED to be replaced).

Our home should only require 154 kBTu per hour, and we have 180kBTu available with the equipment we possess. PLUS, beyond the energy efficiency improvements we are having done per the energy auditor’s suggestion, we are installing an air exchanger across all four floors and radiant heating in the basement - systems that will further reduce load on the units.

If we had listened to these five HVAC contractors that INSISTED we needed bigger, all new units we’d have no $$$ in the budget for the bad-ass, DIY rainwater management and collection system Steve (contractor) and Nathan (landscape designer) conjured-up at today’s meeting - which I am TOTALLY GEEKED about! – and promise to share details of in a future post.

About 10 years ago I boldly admitted to an old college friend that I always loved Olivia Newton-John and thought she was kinda bad-ass. At first he looked at me funny, as in a "that's SO NOT COOL" kinda way, then he said to me "That's gotta be the most punk-rock thing I've ever heard". He understood that I honestly didn't give a shit what anyone thought about the fact that I dig Olivia Newton-John. I like what I like and couldn't care less whether it fits into your little box of "cool".

With my house, I want what I want and I couldn't care less how it fits into your pro-establishment, tryin' to sell me some shit I don't really need, union-trained, industry-accepted box. You can bend YOUR numbers to suit your agenda all you want. MY numbers tell me what's right for us.

THAT'S punk rock.

And if, in the future, I find I was wrong? I will concede and make the changes then. But I will NOT be using someone unwilling to work with me now.

THAT'S being a responsible, self-asserting adult. Maybe my youth wasn't so misspent after all.