Jesse Smith
@jessetayriver.bsky.social
HVAC, catastrophic/x-risks, EA
While we're probably well on the way to fixing the pre-registration problem in clinical trials, it's worth remembering that the majority of research on supplements is still of the 'heads I win, tails you lose' variety
September 15, 2025 at 10:02 PM
While we're probably well on the way to fixing the pre-registration problem in clinical trials, it's worth remembering that the majority of research on supplements is still of the 'heads I win, tails you lose' variety
Energy audits are a significant obstacle to building improvements and shouldn't be mandated by rebate programs. I'm not aware of any evidence that they improve outcomes, and auditors generally make prescriptive recommendations anyway. Just the dumbest nonsense
August 30, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Energy audits are a significant obstacle to building improvements and shouldn't be mandated by rebate programs. I'm not aware of any evidence that they improve outcomes, and auditors generally make prescriptive recommendations anyway. Just the dumbest nonsense
What's the longest you've milked a joke? My brother went on a road trip with his HS friends 30 years ago and one of them packed banana bread. They all still use "Joel's mom's banana bread" as a reference point for the driest something can possibly be
June 10, 2025 at 12:53 AM
What's the longest you've milked a joke? My brother went on a road trip with his HS friends 30 years ago and one of them packed banana bread. They all still use "Joel's mom's banana bread" as a reference point for the driest something can possibly be
People often make annoying rebound effect claims where they suggest that offsetting energy savings with higher consumption is somehow bad. This feels completely backwards. It feels more likely that energy reducing technologies are critical to improved human living standards
May 12, 2025 at 2:12 AM
People often make annoying rebound effect claims where they suggest that offsetting energy savings with higher consumption is somehow bad. This feels completely backwards. It feels more likely that energy reducing technologies are critical to improved human living standards
People think doors and windows are responsible for a loads of air leakage but they're not. How do I know? Because we've systematically measured leakage in almost every building we improved for the past 15 years
May 10, 2025 at 2:56 AM
People think doors and windows are responsible for a loads of air leakage but they're not. How do I know? Because we've systematically measured leakage in almost every building we improved for the past 15 years
There's no better example of a blue state shooting itself in the foot with petty and excessive administration than NJ municipalities requiring a zoning permit for a replacement AC or heat pump outdoor unit. Here's why!
May 8, 2025 at 12:52 AM
There's no better example of a blue state shooting itself in the foot with petty and excessive administration than NJ municipalities requiring a zoning permit for a replacement AC or heat pump outdoor unit. Here's why!
Testing which terminals on this relay close using 12v DC power from my truck looks like something from bad idea jeans
March 20, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Testing which terminals on this relay close using 12v DC power from my truck looks like something from bad idea jeans
Just trying to get a conversation started
March 17, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Just trying to get a conversation started
I also condemn whoever this is. Also happy to meet with them and kick them out or whatever
Ok apparently there is one young EA involved. I hereby condemn that guy on behalf of EAs everywhere - fuck him.
March 17, 2025 at 12:59 AM
I also condemn whoever this is. Also happy to meet with them and kick them out or whatever
I haven't heard this discussed but the way I graphically show heating a house with an air source heat pump is basically the econ 101 supply and demand graph
February 12, 2025 at 8:06 PM
I haven't heard this discussed but the way I graphically show heating a house with an air source heat pump is basically the econ 101 supply and demand graph
Taken from a Swiss prefab plant. Not sure if this is common but it seems odd that this isn't substantially better tech than a pneumatic stapler that's common to job sites. The main efficiency gain appears to be waist-high tables
February 7, 2025 at 2:46 AM
Taken from a Swiss prefab plant. Not sure if this is common but it seems odd that this isn't substantially better tech than a pneumatic stapler that's common to job sites. The main efficiency gain appears to be waist-high tables
My kids' school had an overnight "fire alarm". It's somewhat more likely to be a CO/smoke detector that's correctly triggering on CO. Things I'd check 1) natural draft boiler or water heater, possibly coming out of thermostatic setback not drafting due to cold flue piping.
February 5, 2025 at 4:56 PM
My kids' school had an overnight "fire alarm". It's somewhat more likely to be a CO/smoke detector that's correctly triggering on CO. Things I'd check 1) natural draft boiler or water heater, possibly coming out of thermostatic setback not drafting due to cold flue piping.
One of the reasons I think HVAC is dominated by incompetence vs just greed is because people often can't buy their way into higher performance. So extremely high-end houses end up with some of the worst performance as their systems become increasingly complex
January 24, 2025 at 12:31 AM
One of the reasons I think HVAC is dominated by incompetence vs just greed is because people often can't buy their way into higher performance. So extremely high-end houses end up with some of the worst performance as their systems become increasingly complex
First crepe attempt on the truck kitchen
January 6, 2025 at 8:57 PM
First crepe attempt on the truck kitchen
It's mystifying that in the post WW2 era the US and Canada rapidly embraced radically new building techniques. Apparently there are weaker European versions, (eg German prefab) but these don't appear to rival the NA changes despite portions of Europe being substantially destroyed
January 2, 2025 at 2:07 AM
It's mystifying that in the post WW2 era the US and Canada rapidly embraced radically new building techniques. Apparently there are weaker European versions, (eg German prefab) but these don't appear to rival the NA changes despite portions of Europe being substantially destroyed
Here's a list of things people should generally forego in favor of improving building thermal characteristics. Zoning an HVAC system, humidifiers, dedicated room duct returns, two stage AC (cold climate), ≥18 seer ac (split not minisplit), hydronic distribution
December 24, 2024 at 1:00 AM
Here's a list of things people should generally forego in favor of improving building thermal characteristics. Zoning an HVAC system, humidifiers, dedicated room duct returns, two stage AC (cold climate), ≥18 seer ac (split not minisplit), hydronic distribution
Something that gets a fair amount of attention is people getting stuck in ideological ruts, usually related to politics, that derail them for years or decades. Yet this is also prevalent in engineering and technical domains, often with equally tragic results 1/2
December 21, 2024 at 7:18 PM
Something that gets a fair amount of attention is people getting stuck in ideological ruts, usually related to politics, that derail them for years or decades. Yet this is also prevalent in engineering and technical domains, often with equally tragic results 1/2
If you can use your fossil fuel billing history to size a replacement heating system more accurately than using design software docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Template for HVAC sizing using heating degree days
docs.google.com
December 20, 2024 at 1:20 AM
If you can use your fossil fuel billing history to size a replacement heating system more accurately than using design software docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
People often approach solved technical problems as though they're an expression of personal preference without a correct answer. Very few residential bathrooms have a toilet paper holder in the correct location
December 17, 2024 at 2:55 PM
People often approach solved technical problems as though they're an expression of personal preference without a correct answer. Very few residential bathrooms have a toilet paper holder in the correct location
One of my brothers is in Kona and sent me this. I raced there in 2003. Feels like a lifetime ago
December 11, 2024 at 8:38 PM
One of my brothers is in Kona and sent me this. I raced there in 2003. Feels like a lifetime ago
People often underrate the revolutionary nature of Western platform framing. A carpenter transported from today to 1950 would have little difficulty adapting. But roll back the clock another 15 years and the same carpenter would be almost completely lost
December 10, 2024 at 11:00 PM
People often underrate the revolutionary nature of Western platform framing. A carpenter transported from today to 1950 would have little difficulty adapting. But roll back the clock another 15 years and the same carpenter would be almost completely lost
Something really gratifying about pulling a vacuum <100 microns. Propress fittings are such an improvement, although they won't increase decades of stagnant construction productivity because of land use regulations
December 10, 2024 at 2:43 AM
Something really gratifying about pulling a vacuum <100 microns. Propress fittings are such an improvement, although they won't increase decades of stagnant construction productivity because of land use regulations
Here's a good way to kill someone. My friend is on a job where plumbers cut his furnace vent to use for something else and left it exhausted in the basement. Internal furnace safety controls can't detect this so the last line of defense is a carbon monoxide detector
December 9, 2024 at 2:10 PM
Here's a good way to kill someone. My friend is on a job where plumbers cut his furnace vent to use for something else and left it exhausted in the basement. Internal furnace safety controls can't detect this so the last line of defense is a carbon monoxide detector
Really small amounts of water can cause a lot of damage to heating and cooling equipment, so if you see water around an appliance, shut it off and make repairs right away. It's like the one thing worth being alarmist about
December 8, 2024 at 8:29 PM
Really small amounts of water can cause a lot of damage to heating and cooling equipment, so if you see water around an appliance, shut it off and make repairs right away. It's like the one thing worth being alarmist about
Standby generators are mostly dumb and I don't work on them much but was doing some repairs on one w subpanel transfer switch that has a 240v disconnect outdoors. This seems dangerous because it wouldn't de-energize the generator (right?) but a tech could assume so and get fried
December 7, 2024 at 4:09 AM
Standby generators are mostly dumb and I don't work on them much but was doing some repairs on one w subpanel transfer switch that has a 240v disconnect outdoors. This seems dangerous because it wouldn't de-energize the generator (right?) but a tech could assume so and get fried