Posts Tagged ‘Greenbank’

« Older Entries

Pickering Commercial HVAC Tip: Common High Rise Condo HVAC Repairs

Monday, January 28th, 2013

Do you need a high rise condo HVAC repair? If you are looking for a Pickering commercial HVAC contractor you can trust, call Advantage Airtech. We can go over all your options for repairs, and our technicians will give you an honest assessment of your system. We care about customer satisfaction, so you can be sure that we’ll give you comprehensive service. Here are a few signs or red flags that let you know you may need a repair.

Keep in mind that there are times when a replacement is more cost-effective than a repair if you are continuously calling for repair services. Also, repairs may involve several components, but make sure your technician explains what is happening with your HVAC system.

Here are some of the more common high rise condo HVAC repair needs.

Issues with Building Controls

If you own a high rise condo, most likely the building will be run by a central control system. Sometimes, there can be a small electrical problem or other issue causing a larger problem. Faulty wiring, inaccurate thermostat readings, and other problems can be red flags that the systems control board needs to be checked out. If you are having any temperature control problems or other potential electrical issues, call a repair technician right away.

Refrigerant Leaks

Even with a maintenance plan and regular tune-ups, your commercial HVAC system can develop refrigerant leaks over time. If your HVAC system has a refrigerant leak, the line should be cleaned out and replaced. The refrigerant will also need to be charged correctly and the old refrigerant disposed of properly. If your HVAC system isn’t producing enough hot or cool air, the refrigerant could be low, and if technician has to charge the refrigerant during every service, there could be a leak.

Call the Pickering heating and air conditioning company you can trust. Call Advantage Airtech for all your local commercial HVAC needs!

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Heating | Comments Off

Save on Heating Costs in Your High-Rise Condo in Pickering

Monday, November 5th, 2012

Increasing energy efficiency for a condo owner can be a challenging task. When you own a home you have free reign over what you do to improve it. When you own a condo in Pickering, though, you cannot simply decide what to change about the entire building just because it seems like your individual condominium is not as energy efficient as it should be. There are some more small scale steps that you can take in your condo, though, that can make a big impact on raising your energy efficiency and lowering your heating bills. Follow these tips from Advantage Airtech to heat your condo more efficiently.

One of the simplest ways in which you can improve heating efficiency is to make use of solar energy in your condo this winter. No, you may not be able to install solar panels on your roof. However, you can open your blinds and drapes. Let the sunlight spill into your condo, enjoy the light and make use of the solar heat gain that can cut down on your heating bills.

Another of the easiest steps you can take is simply lower the thermostat a little bit. No one is going to suggest you live in an icebox, but it is tempting to come home and jack the heat up, only to turn it back down after a while because you realize that you are overheating. Maintaining a consistent, comfortable temperature on the lower end of the scale uses much less energy and does so more efficiently than cranking the heat up at random intervals.

Shrink wrapping your windows is a great, cheap way to improve energy efficiency as well. Don’t let the heat that you pay for slip through the gaps in your window frames. A little bit of time and effort on your part to shrink wrap your windows can make a big difference in heating efficiency. Plus, it’s really easy.

Using the programmable settings on your thermostat can also help boost energy efficiency. If you know that you are going to be out of the condo for a while, set the temperature lower than you would if you were home, and shortly before you return have it come back up to a comfortable level. This allows you to reduce how much you heat an empty condo while preventing the need to heat it up again quickly when you get home.

Follow these simple tips to improve the energy efficiency in your Pickering condo. If you have any other heating concerns, call the pros at Advantage Airtech. We  offer complete HVAC services to high-rise condos in Pickering and the surrounding area!

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Heating | Comments Off

Uxbridge Furnace Guide: Comparing High-Efficiency and Mid-Efficiency Furnaces

Monday, September 10th, 2012

Whenever you are in the market for a new furnace for your Uxbridge home, there are many models to choose from.  Many of the furnaces manufactured within the last few years are high-efficiency furnaces with a high AFUE rating (AFUE measures the amount of fuel the furnace converts into heat). When people refer to a mid-efficiency furnace, they are usually talking about older furnaces.

Single-stage furnaces were considered to be an efficient heating system when they were manufactured, but compared to newer furnaces, they use up a lot more energy than they need to. Single-speed furnaces are designed to run at full capacity until the temperature inside the home reaches the thermostat setting. After they shut off, the home not only loses heat, but the furnace will also take longer and burn more fuel when it cycles on again.

Newer, two-speed and multispeed models run consistently at lower speeds, and the ones with variable-speed blowers are even more efficient because they can operate at various levels. These models will also automatically adjust to the thermostat to maintain a constant temperature, which saves energy by keeping the home at a consistent temperature so that there’s little heat loss.

When shopping for a new furnace in Uxbridge, keep in mind that the AFUE ratings for multispeed and variable-speed furnaces only determine the efficiency of the actual furnace. If you are upgrading your old, mid-efficiency furnace to a high-efficiency furnace, you should make sure that your home is properly insulated and sealed.  You could also consider upgrading any older doors and windows to more efficient double-paned ones, or you can also install storm doors and windows. For more information about installing a new furnace in your home, give Advantage Airtech Heating & Air Conditioning a call today!

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Heating | Comments Off

Quick Tips to Save Money on Air Conditioning in Ajax

Monday, May 7th, 2012

You’ve probably heard once or twice that the cost of running your Ajax air conditioner is more than that of any other single electrical device in your house. It’s well worth the investment, but there must be ways to cut the costs, right? With careful attention to how your AC operates and when you use, there are some things you can do to slash those costs. Here are a few of the easiest:

  • SEER Matters – What is this magical acronym you hear so much? SEER refers to how many BTUs your air conditioner can produce with a single watt of electricity. A low SEER device therefore uses a LOT more electricity to produce the same volume of cooling as a high SEER device. Since current devices offer SEER of 13 or higher (some are up to 20+), just about any upgrade will save you money relatively quickly if your current air conditioner has a rating of 8 or lower.
  • Program Your AC – If you have a single point analog thermostat, you’re wasting a LOT of electricity. You’re either paying to cool your house while it’s empty or you’re coming home to a roasting hot living space. Purchase a programmable unit and set the system to 85 degrees when you’re not home. With timers in most digital units, you can tell it when you’ll be home so that you walk into a cool, comfortable space without having to keep it cool all day long.
  • Use the Landscape to Your Advantage – Instead of relying solely on your air conditioner to keep the house cool in the summer, plant some trees and shrubs around the house to block the sunlight. Simply adding some shade to your property can directly reduce how much heat your home absorbs throughout the day and reduce how much your AC unit needs to work to keep you cool.
  • Ventilate Your Roof – A good third of the heat in your home is absorbed directly through the roof. To keep this heat from affecting the rest of your home, install a roof fan that ventilates the excess energy and keeps the attic at a steady temperature. Less heat up top means less cooling needed down low.

A good air conditioning system is effective no matter what the temperature does, so it’s easy to forget how big your bill will soon be. To avoid an overblown bill, keep an eye on your cooling and follow these simple tips to cut back on use. For more information about how to best utilize your AC in Ajax, call Advantage Airtech!

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Air Conditioning | Comments Off

Uxbridge Geothermal Guide: Problems Caused by Poor Water Quality in Open Loop Systems

Wednesday, March 21st, 2012

As Uxbridge geothermal heating systems go, an open loop configuration can be an excellent choice, provided the environment supports it. Open loop systems work very effectively and efficiently because the deep water is held at an almost constant temperature year round. This property makes it a very good source of heat for the geothermal system.

However, an important factor to consider before choosing an open loop system is the quality of the water coming from the source. Although you won’t drink the water, the quality still matters a great deal, as poor water quality can cause serious problems in your geothermal system.

Let’s take a look at some common water quality problems and the damage they can potentially do to an open loop geothermal system.

 Mineral Deposits

If the water is filled with minerals — frequently called “hard water” — those minerals can be deposited within the geothermal coils. As they build up on the walls over time, they can slow the flow of the water or even clog it completely.

Hard water does not necessarily preclude the use of an open loop system. It just may call for extra maintenance, such as periodically flushing the system with a mild acid solution to remove mineral build-up.

 Impurities

Impurities in water, especially metals like iron, can also cause clogs. Most frequently this occurs in the return well of the geothermal system. Again, these impurities do not necessarily mean an open loop system can’t work for you, but you should consult with your Uxbridge contractor prior to installation for solutions to this problem.

 Particulate and Organic Matter

If you plan to use surface water such as a pond or spring as the source for your open loop system, make sure to test the water composition thoroughly. An excess of sediment or organic matter can clog up your geothermal system very quickly.

Ideally, these are all situations that your contractor will anticipate and discuss with you ahead of time, so that your open loop system can be installed in such a way as to preempt any problems with water quality. If you have any questions about installing a geothermal system in your home, give Advantage Airtech a call today!

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Geothermal | Comments Off

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.

 

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Heating | Comments Off

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.

 

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Heating | Comments Off

Furnace vs. Heat Pump: A Tip from a Markham Heating Contractor

Friday, December 16th, 2011

If you’re preparing to replace your existing heating system, you may very well be struggling with the question of whether to go with a furnace or a heat pump for all of your Markham home’s heating needs. Each of these systems have their own advantages and drawbacks, and once you’ve narrowed it down to one type or the other, you’ll still have a pretty wide variety of products to choose from.

Furnaces are still the most popular type of home heating equipment on the market. You can get furnaces that run on gas, oil or electricity, although gas furnaces are by far the most common type of furnace around these days. The latest models are extremely energy efficient, with AFUE ratings reaching into the high 90%s.

Like heat pumps, furnaces use ducts to transfer heated air throughout your home. They typically require regular maintenance once every year or two depending on the type of furnace you have, and they can be expected to last anywhere from 15 to 25 years when properly maintained. Most modern furnaces are also made to be compatible with a central air conditioning or cooling system as well.

Heat pumps, on the other hand, don’t generate the heat that they circulate throughout your house. Instead they are able to extract the heat from the air outside and pump it inside. This means that they use much less energy than even the most energy efficient furnaces.

However, heat pumps are only capable of heating your house comfortably when the outside temperature is above freezing. If you live in an area with particularly long and frigid winters, you’ll probably find that you need to supplement your heat pump with another heat source. Because of this, it actually makes little sense to use a heat pump in more extreme climates.

On the other hand, if you live in an area with relatively mild winters, heat pumps can be a great option. They provide a constant flow of warm air to all parts of your home and can also keep you house cool during hot summer months. To cool your home, heat pumps simply reverse the process they use to warm it. They take the heat out of your indoor air and pump it outside. This is a very effective home cooling method and makes heat pumps a great solution for year round comfort.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Heat Pumps | Comments Off

What to Do if Your Heating System Breaks: A Guide from Oshawa

Friday, November 25th, 2011

What if the heart of your Oshawa home’s heating system – the furnace – stops working? The warm air that used to flow from your vents has been replaced by a chilly draft. It isn’t time to panic, but it is time to take action. Before you do anything, determine why the furnace stopped working. It may be something as simple as a tripped circuit breaker in your electrical panel. Check the circuit breakers first.

The pilot light in your furnace may have blown out. It can be re-lit if you follow the directions in your furnace owner’s manual. You can find answers on how to re-light a pilot light on the Internet, too.

If the shutdown has not been caused by an electrical or pilot light failure, there is still no need to panic. But another obvious question is: did you pay your last gas bill? Maybe you had a shutoff notice and either ignored it or forgot about it.

Now that you are convinced that the furnace has pooped out, here are some things you should do. First, find the name of a qualified heating and cooling professional. If you already use a heating contractor, contact them and schedule a service call.

While you are waiting for help to arrive, ensure that everyone is safe and accounted for. Make sure pets are nearby and protected from the cold, too. What you don’t want to do is use any appliance to keep you warm that is not designed to keep you warm, like a stove. If you have electric space heaters or propane heaters, carefully locate them in a well vented room (windows open a bit or portable fans circulating air). You don’t want any build-up of gases from fossil burning appliances, gases which could contain deadly carbon monoxide.

Huddle up everyone into a room and break out lots of blankets. You may even want to make an “adventure” of this – find a movie to watch and pop up a bunch of popcorn.  If your waiting time is more than 24 hours, you might want to call up a friend or relative and make arrangements to spend the night with them.

The main thing to remember is not to panic. Most qualified heating contractors, knowing the circumstances, will send out a repair person in a matter of minutes or within one or two hours. Just remember to avoid keeping warm by using unvented heating devices.

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Heating | Comments Off

How Do I Check for a Dirty Evaporator Coil? A Question From Uxbridge

Friday, September 9th, 2011

The evaporator coil is an essential piece of your Uxbridge home’s air conditioning system. It absorbs heat from air that passes over it, and that air then travels into your home to cool it. So if your coil is dirty or isn’t functioning properly, the cooling power of your air conditioning system is diminished. Fortunately, this problem is fixed easily by cleaning the evaporator coil. You can do this on your own or have a professional come in to take care of it.

Signs of a Dirty Evaporator Coil

The most obvious sign of a dirty evaporator coil is an overall drop in system pressure. As long as you know what constitutes a normal pressure for your system, you should be able to tell if the current pressure is below that level. If it is, a dirty evaporator coil is probably your culprit. You can also check the static pressure in your system to see if that is low, but this requires specialized equipment.

Even if you don’t notice any particular signs that your air conditioning system isn’t working properly, it’s a good idea to clean your evaporator coils once a year or so. This can help prevent any larger problems from developing in the future.

Finding Your Coil

Probably the hardest part of cleaning an evaporator coil is reaching it. Unlike your condenser coil, which is located in your outdoor condenser unit, the evaporator coil is found inside near the air handler or furnace. If you have the owner’s manual, there should be detailed instructions telling you where the coil is and how to safely access it.

Alternately, you can have an HVAC technician show you what to do the next time they come out to work on your system. Whatever you do, though, make sure that power to your AC unit is completely shut off before you start working on it. Once you’ve gained access to the coil, use a brush or vacuum attachment to remove any debris or sediment you find there.

The Importance of Maintenance

Cleaning your evaporator coil is only one part of the regular maintenance required to keep your air conditioning system in good working order for the foreseeable future. There are plenty of things you can do on your own, but it pays to have a professional come out once a year or so to check out the entire system and make any necessary repairs.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Air Conditioning | Comments Off

« Older Entries