AIR insulating window

One of the common objections I have received about the Air Insulation Resource (AIR) system is that unless the plastic on the windows is sealed properly the cold air will leak in, minimizing the effect of the air pockets in the clear plastic covering. I knew this was not correct, that the surface covered with the air pocket would have the same effect with or without a tight seal, but could not explain why. My friend from Madison, who is the science person behind the AIR system, explained today why leaks in the seal do not affect the air insulation factor of the rest of the surface. Air in the pockets is not like water. Water inside pockets would find the leak and rush out. Air in the air pockets does not work like that. The air in the pockets is not pressurized like air in a tire, and unlike water does not seek to escape through the leak. So if you have a down jacket with air pockets in the feathers keeping you warm, one hole in the jacket will not affect the rest of the jacket’s insulation.

My friend also checked on the science of the children’s story I intend to write about the “Hare, Hair and Air”. The story will attempt to explain in a childlike way, using barn animals, the simple concept of using air as an insulation factor. Actually the science is quite old and simple but many adults seem to have a hard time grasping it. I think children will understand it more easily, and perhaps the story will speak louder than science and facts to adults. There will be a Sustainable Living fair at the Urban Ecology Center Sept. 27th and Sept. 28th. I plan to display the Air system there and ways to use this simple idea to save money on energy bills this summer. If I have the story in time, maybe like the Uncle Bob’s Growing Power Magic Show with the idea of vermiculture, the story can explain this basic and simple idea to adults as well as children.

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