Archive for February, 2012

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Newcastle Heating Contractor Tip: Simple Steps to Prevent Heat Loss

Wednesday, February 29th, 2012

There are two fundamental ways to make your Newcastle house warmer. One is to generate heat, which is the job of your furnace or boiler. The second is to keep the warm air in — and thereby keep cold air out — which is the job of your system of insulation.

The idea that the physical structure of a home can be a component of the HVAC system is one that is often overlooked, but when you think about it, it makes sense. The insulation, windows, doors and building materials that comprise your home are designed to keep the place warm against the cold and vice versa.

So, when bolstering your HVAC system to promote efficient heating, it is important to also consider heat loss and how to prevent it. This is a process that can get out of hand if you go overboard, so it is important to prioritize. Let’s look at the top 3 places to start when trying to prevent heat loss.

  1. Doors and Windows:  If you have older doors and windows, they could be a source of heat loss in your house, even if they are always closed. Replacing your windows and door with Energy Star rated ones will make sure that you are not losing heat to the outside AND still getting all the heat energy from the sun. Installing storm windows or putting up heavy curtains in winter can also help cut down on your heat loss.
  1. Seal off drafts. If any opening to your house, such as windows and doors, is improperly sealed, improperly installed or if the surrounding construction is deteriorating, you can lose a lot of heat. Check any drafts that you notice that might indicate a problem, and also if your vents and air ducts are leaky.
  1. Start at the top. If you want to go farther in sealing your house up against the cold, it is time to work on the insulation. When installing new insulation, remember that heat rises, so you get the most bang for your buck by starting at the top. If you only have the budget or time to insulate one space, make it the attic. You can work down from there.

These areas should be your top three priorities on your mission to prevent heat loss in your Newcastle home. If you start here, you will get the best gains with the least effort. If you have any questions about how to keep you house warm this winter, give Advantage Airtech Ltd. a call today!

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Newcastle Heating Repair Question: Can Your Heating System Warn You of a CO Leak?

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

As everyone in Newcastle knows, carbon monoxide is a serious health risk. It is an odorless gas that is produced as a natural byproduct of combustion. So, any time something burns, carbon monoxide (CO) is released into the air.

As long as the area is properly ventilated, the carbon monoxide cannot build up in the air to a dangerous level of concentration. For example, if you are around a campfire or charcoal that is burning outside, you are generally safe.

In the home, the danger arises when combustion is not properly ventilated and this toxic gas is allowed to seep into our living spaces. If you use any gas, fuel or wood burning appliances in your home, you are at risk for exposure to carbon monoxide. To help mitigate that risk, it is important to know some warning signs. Your heating system gives off some warnings that can tip you off to danger, so be on the lookout for these three signals:

  1. Carbon monoxide detector goes off. Some heating systems these days have built-in carbon monoxide detectors, which can provide an extra measure of safety. Whether you have one of these systems or not, your home should still be equipped with a CO detector. If it begins sounding the alarm, get everyone out of the house immediately.
  1. A fume vent is leaking. Fuel-burning furnaces have vents to move combustion gases out of the house safely. If you notice this vent is leaking on your heating system, CO may be seeping into your house. Shut down the furnace, open windows for ventilation and have the fume vent repaired immediately.
  1. Smoke backing up from the fireplace. If you have a fireplace and you notice smoke in the room while using it, stop using it immediately. Your chimney may be blocked or leaking, preventing the smoke from rising and venting properly, which means CO can e getting into your house. Do not use the fireplace again until you have had the chimney inspected.

Please take care and note this is just a simple guide. There are other risks and warnings of carbon monoxide. If you have any suspicion that there is CO in your Newcastle home, immediately call Advantage Airtech Ltd. to look into the situation.

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Happy Family Day from Your Greater Toronto Area Heating and Air Conditioning Contractor!

Monday, February 20th, 2012

Everyone at Advantage Airtech wishes you a very happy family day! Family is important to us all, and today we get to celebrate all the special people in our lives. There are tons of great activities you can do as a family today, everything from going to a museum to ice skating. We compiled a list of some fun events going on in the area; we hope that you and your can check them out!

Pickering Recreation Complex: 

Family Day from 10:00am -4:00pm

Family friendly activities for the whole family. Purchase your family passport to access activities including art, crafts, skating, swimming, yoga, squash, tennis and family fit games.

http://www.cityofpickering.com/standard/lifestyle/events/main.htm

Toronto Zoo:

Family Day Weekend from 9:30am- 4:30pm, Feb 18th-20th

Celebrate family day weekend by visiting some the Zoo’s featured families such as the Western lowland gorillas, orangutans, Komodo dragons and green tree pythons to name a few. There’s no better way to spend quality time with the family than a visit to the Zoo!

http://www.torontozoo.com/Events/?pg=familyda

Oshawa Museum:

Family Day from 12:00pm – 3:30 pm

Join the staff at the Oshawa Community Museum this Family Day, Monday, February 20, for guided tours and Curio, the Museum’s newest, engaging program!

http://www.oshawamuseum.org/pdfs/Webpage_Events.pdf

NFB:

Family Day Staycation all weekend long

Take a staycation at the NFB Mediatheque! Take part in a family hands-on animation workshop and tell your own story. Just dropping by? Try out our pixilation activity and create your own animated family portrait! Looking for more Family Day fun? All weekend long, our cinema will be offering favorite NFB films suitable for all ages. Registration is strongly recommended.

http://www.onf-nfb.gc.ca/medias/download/documents/pdf/Winter2011.pdf

Cedarena Ice Rink

Family Skating from 1:00-4:00pm

http://www.cedarena.ca/special-events/special-skating-days/

 

We hope you have an amazingly fun holiday, we certainly plan to!

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Durham Region Heating Installation Guide: Why You Should Consider an HVAC Upgrade

Friday, February 17th, 2012

It’s an eternal question that plagues all Durham Region homeowners — or anyone who owns a valuable piece of machinery — from time to time.

Is it time to get a new one?

From cars to TVs, the most valuable devices we own have finite lives and eventually need to be replaced. Often it can be hard to know when the time has come to get a new one. Do you fix it one more time? Make due with its limitations? Or finally bite the bullet and upgrade?

The same is true of HVAC systems, sometimes on a larger scale because of the expense and importance. So how do you know when that old HVAC system is ready to be retired and replaced by something new? Take a look at some of these indicators:

  •  Repairs are becoming very frequent or costly. This can be hard to gauge, as all HVAC systems need service from time to time. But if you are having a repairman out to your house every month, or if you have spent more in the last year on repairs than a new system would have cost, it’s time to stop repairing and replace instead.
  • Some of your rooms are either to hot or too cold. This means your system is having trouble distributing heat evenly, which is a sign that it is on its last legs.
  • Your home is unusually humid or dusty. This can be difficult to detect, as the change is usually gradual. Humidity and dust can aggravate respiratory problems like allergies or asthma, so a new system may be in the best interest of your family’s health.
  • Your current system is over a decade old. This is about the lifespan of a system. Even if it seems to be running fine, trouble may be on the horizon, and the advances in technology mean that newer systems are more efficient and effective.

If any of these sound familiar to you, it is probably time to upgrade your HVAC system. If for any reason you are on the fence, a consultation with a Advantage Airtech Heating & Air Conditioning can help you decide on the best course of action.

 

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Happy Valentine’s Day from Your Greater Toronto Area Heating and Cooling Contractor!

Tuesday, February 14th, 2012

Everyone at Advantage Airtech Heating & Air Conditioning wishes you a Happy Valentine’s Day! Valentine’s Day is all about showing your appreciation for your loved ones. Whether it is your significant other, your family, or your friends, it is a great time to let them know how special they are to you. A handmade card, a bouquet of flowers, or even a simple phone call can make someone’s whole day.

If you are thinking about a big gift for your family, an upgrade to your HVAC system might not be the most romantic gift, but it is a gift that keeps on giving! An air filter will keep you indoor air clean, and a new furnace or heat pump will make your home more comfortable and lower your utility bills. Making your home cozier is something your whole family will appreciate!

Call Advantage Airtech Heating & Air Conditioning  to learn more about how some HVAC system upgrades can improve the comfort level in your home. And to make your Valentine’s Day a little sweeter, here is a recipe for White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake:

“Raspberry sauce is swirled into the batter of a creamy white chocolate cheesecake. Garnish with white chocolate curls if desired.”

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs

3 tablespoons white sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 (10 ounce) package frozen raspberries

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/2 cup water

2 cups white chocolate chips

1/2 cup half-and-half cream

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese,

softened

1/2 cup white sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1.            In a medium bowl, mix together cookie crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar, and melted butter. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.

2.            In a saucepan, combine raspberries, 2 tablespoons sugar, cornstarch, and water. Bring to boil, and continue boiling 5 minutes, or until sauce is thick. Strain sauce through a mesh strainer to remove seeds.

3.            Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). In a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt white chocolate chips with half-and-half, stirring occasionally until smooth.

4.            In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Blend in vanilla and melted white chocolate. Pour half of batter over crust. Spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry sauce over batter. Pour remaining cheesecake batter into pan, and again spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry sauce over the top. Swirl batter with the tip of a knife to create a marbled effect.

5.            Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until filling is set. Cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 8 hours before removing from pan. Serve with remaining raspberry sauce.

For more details, visit allrecipes.com.

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Newcastle Geothermal Installation Question: How Effective Is Geothermal Heating?

Monday, February 13th, 2012

Geothermal heating is an efficient way to use the Earth’s natural resources to heat a Newcastle building’s interior. But is it an effective way?

Consider the cost of geothermal heating. Once you get past the initial installation costs of a geothermal heating system, which are higher than other conventional heating systems, its operating costs are much lower because of its use of a natural, renewable heat source – the Earth. If you plan to stay in your home for many years, a geothermal heating system will likely pay for itself because according to International Ground Source Heat Pump Association, geothermal operating efficiencies are 50-70% higher than other heating systems, which represents a substantial lowering of energy costs.

And according to a leading electric utility company, the cost of electricity for operating a geothermal heat pump is lower than any other heating system which includes natural gas, propane, and oil.

Beyond lower energy costs, geothermal heating leaves a smaller carbon footprint than other heating systems. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the average U.S. home is 17%, most of which comes from burning fossil fuels for electricity. Geothermal uses natural heat from the ground and therefore uses 30-60% less energy than more conventional heating and cooling systems. Using less energy equals less carbon dioxide production.

A geothermal heating system is only as effective as the equipment used to deliver it throughout the building. The most common delivery method is through a ground source heat pump. This pump pulls the heat from the earth and distributes it.

The components of a geothermal system also include a compressor, air handling unit, and duct system. When all are installed and maintained correctly, a geothermal heating system will be just as effective in heating a building’s interior as any other heating system. Just be sure you hire your qualified Newcastle heating contractor, Advantage Airtech, to install and service your geothermal heating system.

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Uxbridge Heating Repair Tip: Is Your Furnace Not Blowing Enough Air?

Friday, February 10th, 2012

Have you ever been in your Uxbridge house in the winter, listening to the furnace churn away trying to heat the house, but noticed that the whole place is still cold? If you checked the heating vents in this situation, you would probably find that there is not much air flow coming out of them, which is why you are still freezing.

It is entirely possible for the furnace to be burning away, producing hot air, without enough of that warm air ever actually being distributed through your Uxbridge home. So it continues to run and run, resulting in excess wear and tear on the heating system that will probably shorten its productive life, as well as keeping your whole home too chilly.

Why does that happen? There are a several common culprits for insufficient air flow from a furnace. Below is a list of the most frequent offenders, along with solutions for each:

  • Cause: Dirty or broken air filter. An air filter that has accumulated too much build up or is damaged will slow down air flow in a hurry.
    Solution: Clean or replace the air filter as necessary. This should be part of routine furnace maintenance in order to ensure efficient operation. Refer to the manufacturer’s recommendations to see how often you should check your air filter(s).
  • Cause: Damaged, corroded, broken or collapsed ductwork. Your ducts are like the road that warm air travels on. If the road is out, then no one can get through. Simple as that.
    Solution: Have a professional inspect and repair your ductwork. A routine ductwork check is also part of a professional’s annual maintenance inspection.
  • Cause: Blower fan not blowing enough. This can be caused by a loose fan belt, or a dirty motor.
    Solution: First, clean the blower fan and the area around it. It has to deal with a lot of air, so it naturally becomes dirty over time. If that doesn’t fix it, the fan belt probably needs to be replaced.

There are some other causes of improper furnace air flow, but those are the most common and easiest to detect and repair. If your heat registers are not returning any warm air at all, that is likely a different problem and you should call a technician at Advantage Airtech Ltd. to look at the system right away.

 

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Durham Region Heating Replacement Guide: Signs of an Undersized Furnace

Wednesday, February 8th, 2012

If you’re purchasing a new furnace for your Durham Region home, you want to avoid buying one that is undersized for your particular space. To do that, here are some common signs that the furnace isn’t powerful enough for the heating needs of your home. These signs might appear for an older furnace as well, especially as it ages and loses its ability to provide adequate heat for your home.

 Maintaining Temperature

The most common (and in many cases only) sign that your furnace is undersized is that the device simply doesn’t maintain the temperature in your home properly. This means that when turned on to full and left for a few hours, your furnace doesn’t heat your home to the thermostat setting.

This can be due to an improper load calculation or a load calculation that wasn’t taken at all. The perfectly sized furnace will heat your home evenly on the coldest day your area is likely to have. So, undersizing should be pretty evident – if it doesn’t heat your home evenly and it’s not exceptionally cold outside, you might not have enough BTUs under the hood.

 How to Fix the Problem

The problem is one that varies depending on the severity of the undersizing. Modern furnaces are often available with two stages, meaning they can operate at both a low BTU rating (often around 40K or so) and a higher BTU rating (70K or higher). This is the perfect solution for Durham Region homeowners worried about undersizing because it ensures that your home always has enough heat in reserve should the weather get exceptionally cold.

For example, most furnaces are sized for extremely low temperatures, but if the temperature jumps up to 50 degrees F outside, your furnace is now oversized for that weather. A two stage furnace offers solutions for both common conditions and extreme conditions and will resolve most of the concern you have about undersizing and not having enough heat to offset outdoor temperatures.

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Reasons Your Newcastle Furnace Is Producing No Heat

Monday, February 6th, 2012

The last occasion on which you want to worry about your Newcastle home’s furnace not producing any heat is the dead of winter, when the outside is chilly you just want to seek refuge in your own toasty home…only to discover that it’s not much warmer than the outdoors.

This may seem like a total emergency, and the combination of chill and frustration may cause panic to set in. Don’t start fretting too much just yet, though. There are some potentially simple causes and solutions for this problem, such as:

  • The thermostat may be set too low or on the wrong setting. Yes, it seems obvious, but sometimes the solution is staring you right in the face. Check that your thermostat is set high enough to call for heat and that it is on HEAT mode.
  • A circuit breaker may be tripped or a fuse may be blown. It could be the one dedicated to the thermostat, glow coil igniter or furnace itself. Check the breaker or fuse box in your home and either flip the breaker or replace the fuse. If it continues to trip or blow, get it looked at professionally—there may be a bigger problem going on.
  • The thermostat may not be working, so it is either improperly detecting the temperature or improperly reporting it to the furnace, so the heat does not kick on. Either way, it probably needs to be replaced.
  • The furnace is not igniting properly. This could mean the pilot light is out on furnaces without electric ignition, the gas valve is closed and can’t ignite or some other ignition malfunction. Check the pilot and gas valves to make sure they are on and working.

If you have checked all these things and the thermostat still is not working, or if you don’t feel comfortable looking into these causes on your own, you are best served by calling a professional repairman at Advantage Airtech to diagnose and fix the furnace.

Often, these big failures are just the symptom of a smaller problem, so in all likelihood you won’t have to replace your Newcastle home’s furnace or do any major repairs, especially if it has been well-maintained throughout its life.

 

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Durham Region Water Heater Tips: Energy Savings

Friday, February 3rd, 2012

If you want to lower the energy costs for your Durham Region home, the water heater might not be the first place you’d think to save energy. However, when you add up the savings from a few easy steps that can improve your water heater’s efficiency, it can make a significant difference in your utility bills.

Here are some of the ways you can reduce the use of hot water in the home and increase your energy savings.

Saving Energy by Using Less Hot Water

Even if you own an energy-efficient, tankless water heater, and you try to conserve water as much as possible, hot water usage can always be reduced in other areas. Installing low flow faucets and fixtures can provide up to 60% in water savings because they reduce the flow rate (gallons per minute) for each fixture. Tankless water heaters are also more efficient when they are used with any application with a lower flow rate.

Replacing older appliances that require a lot of hot water with more energy-efficient models is worth the money and effort because of the energy savings you will get in the end. Make sure you fix any leaks on older hot water faucet or fixtures. A leak that costs a dollar or two extra per month doesn’t seem like much, but it will add up over time.

Lower the Temperature on Your Hot Water Heater

For every 10°F that you lower the water temperature on your hot water heater, you save between 3% to 5% in energy costs. The manufactured setting for most water heaters is 140°F, but most homes only require a maximum temperature of 120°F. Check your owner’s manual before you lower the temperature on your water heater to find out what the recommended settings are and how to change them.

Insulate Your Water Heater Tank and Water Pipes

Whether you have a gas or electric hot water heater, you can find fairly inexpensive and easy-to-install insulators or “jackets” for your water heater tank. Every tank has an R-value that determines how much heat it loses, so unless it is a high value, your water heater tank needs insulation. Call a professional or check your owner’s manual for the R-value of your hot water heater, but the general rule is that if the tank is warm when you touch it, you need more insulation.

You can reduce emissions and your energy costs simply by paying more attention to how much hot water you are using in your Durham Region home. For more tips and expert advice, call Advantage Airtech Ltd. to speak with one of our technicians.

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