During our long winters, one of the most common issues we deal with is dryness. Lack of proper humidity levels can lead to dry skin, dry throats and can even cause damage to your home with cracked walls and flooring. The fluctuation in humidity levels from summer to winter creates an ongoing battle for a consistent environment.
Tag: HeatingThe decision to heat your home's water supply by natural gas or electricity is a common one. Though each option has its own pros and cons, decisions are usually driven by the home's specifications like structure, code and energy supply. In North America, on average 60% of homes use natural gas to heat their water while 40% use electricity.
Tag: Hot WaterAccording to national average, 1 in 10 homes include a dog or a cat. A four-legged companion can be a highlight for our families lives - although pet owners have been known to compromise on a few things like ripped furniture, scratched flooring, pet stains and pet dander. For most pet owners, it is a small price to pay for the loyal companionship our pets give back, but for others who suffer with pet allergies, or their visitors who have allergies, it can become an issue.
Tag: Clean AirAs Manitobans, October is a popular month for booting up our furnaces for the first time of the season. In fact, we might bounce and and fourth during sporadic fall temps. When we start up our furnaces after 4 or 5 months off, we usually experience that initial furnace smell - that hint of dust that has settled on your furnace.
Tag: HeatingAfter much thought and hours of research you've just purchased a new external air conditioning unit. It has been installed and working great. Then, you learn that a severe thunderstorm is on the way. Are you concerned, or have you ever wondered if a rain storm can damage your external cooling system?
Tag: CoolingAir conditioners are typically designed to last up to 15 years or so, but after 10 years of supplying your home with cool air, you need to start looking for signs of deterioration that will decrease comfort and efficiency of your home's temperature. In fact, if your cooling system is approaching 10 years of age, it may not be worth the repair expense unless the problem is simple like debris clogging the compressor, a worn fan belt or leaking ducts. Consider the fact that a 10 year old cooling system may be using twice the electricity that a new one would.
Tag: CoolingThe vacation season has arrived in southern Manitoba. Whether you are planning a weekend getaway at the lake, a long weekend road trip across the boarder, or a 2-3 week vacation across the ocean, plans need to be made to ensure everything is looked after while you're gone. Have you considered your air conditioner in those plans? Ideally, you want to create the right environment to protect your home, but not waste money cooling an environment you are not there to experience.
Tag: CoolingThere is no doubt that a new cooling system is a major investment to your home upgrades. With a wide variety of products on the market it can be very tempting to select a model based on price point alone. With cheap models, you will be saving money up front, but if you actually sit down and do the math you may find that over the life of your new AC there could be long-term savings in the more expensive, high efficient models.
Tag: CoolingAs warm weather begins to move in and signs of summer are starting to reveal themselves, homeowners don’t have to rely as much on their furnace for survival. The early spring season is the perfect opportunity to address any issues that your HVAC system may have as a result form the long winter - and an even better time to get some home upgrades done before hot weather forces you to start up your air conditioning system.
Tag: CoolingToday, there are all kinds of high-efficient, low-cost ways to heat or cool your home. As new technology makes itself available, homeowners are receiving better air quality all the time and paying less for it. However, unless your environment is properly insulated that fresh air is probably leaking out of your home and raising your energy costs above what they really need to be.
Tag: Genral HVACIs it time to replace your hot water tank? When selecting a new hot water system for your home, there are several items to consider. Your new unit should be properly sized to supply sufficient amounts of hot water based on your lifestyle, keep your water hot efficiently to give you the best energy cost and fit within your home’s specs and budget.
So you’ve just invested in a new heating or cooling unit for your home. That’s great, congratulations! If you’ve purchased a high-efficient model, you are well on you way to receiving cost effective air quality for years to come. However, even the best units on the market can be limited to the mechanical system (ductwork) it has to work with. If your home is not properly ventilated, you may not be receiving all the potential benefits of your new heating or cooling unit.