Archive for October, 2009

We see this ENERGY STAR label everywhere, but does anyone really know the meaning behind it? And the question begs, how does it help us as consumers?

So lets figure out what it means together; it is defined as the international symbol that differentiates products with premium energy efficiency compared to others in its category. Products that show the ENERGY STAR symbol have been examined with respect to prearranged regulations and have met or surpassed higher energy efficiency levels without compromising functionality. The products included by ENERGY STAR range from office equipment to windows and doors.

The ENERGY STAR symbol was first introduced in the US and was initially used for computers and monitors and currently can be located on almost 40 product types including residential heating and cooling equipment. ENERGY STAR has grown to be recognized internationally including countries from Europe to Taiwan and many in between including Canada.

So now that you know a little bit about it, you might be wandering how do different products qualify for this label? Well don’t worry you don’t have to go far, its going to all be explained right here! Products must meet technical specifications designed to ensure that they are among the top energy performers on the market. The general guidelines of how products are selected are:

* There must be significant energy savings and greenhouse gas emission reductions that can be realized throughout the country
* Product performance must be maintained or enhanced with energy efficiency
* Many energy efficiency models are also high quality with a wide range of desired features and they must ensure overall performance is maintained
* You must recover your investment in a reasonable period of time with the purchase of a product
* Specifications are set so that energy efficiency criteria can be met through the use of several technology options and can not favour one manufacturer
* Labeling would substantially differentiate energy efficient products from others
* Energy consumption of a product is able to be measured

So now that your are armed with the information, the next time you are shopping for a product and see the ENERGY STAR symbol you will have a better idea of what you would be purchasing. The majority of products sold at Homeworks are ENERGY STAR rated including all of our heat pumps, furnaces, windows and doors.

For more information and where to find qualified products visit the Natural Resources Canada’s Office of Energy Efficiency. Or visit our showrooms or call 604.697.5700 and we can help guide and inform you throughout your purchase decisions.

Heat Pumps are appliances that when paired with a gas/electric furnace will heat, cool and dehumidify and continuously filter the air of dust and impurities. It can also circulate the air to avoid stuffiness without heating or cooling the air. In summer, heat pumps will transfer heat from inside the house to outside air for cooling; conversely, in winter they will transfer heat from outside air into the home for heating. The life of a heat pump depends on what kind you choose to invest in. The two types are; air source heat pumps which will typically last 15-25 years and ground source heat pumps which will last about 20-30 years.

The efficiency of a heat pump tends to be approximately 200 to 400% because of its solar energy use; much greater than any electrical or gas system. Heat pump heating is roughly a third of the cost of electric heating and about half the cost of gas heating. They are also fairly simple to maintain as professional service and inspection can be done as little as once a year and filters should be changed every once or twice a year depending on your environment.

Some of the advantages of heat pumps are:

• They will reduce your energy bills as they are more economical to run than electric or gas heating systems
• They provide functionality throughout the year, rather than exclusively in the winter
• In BC, they use renewable hydropower green energy, heat pumps use environmentally sound refrigerant and do not harm the ozone layer
• They are usually quieter then their counterpart heating systems

Some of the disadvantages of heat pumps are:

• If you live in an area that is frequently below freezing in winter, the back up system will be required
• The initial price of a heat pump can be a deterrent when purchasing a heating unit, but the savings on energy bills will eventually offset this

All things considered, heat pumps offer the best investment in home heating and comfort. Homeworks offers two brands of heat pumps, known as Bryant and Payne. If you are interested in installing a heat pump, book a free in-home consultation, visit our showrooms or call 604.697.5700.

Many of you will be looking to get those fireplaces cleaned for the upcoming winter season. Over the course of a year, the glass of your fireplace will develop a film or buildup. Cleaning the glass will make it more aesthetically pleasing and it will also ensure that your glass is not damaged for future use, by preventing the buildup from etching into the glass. Check out this simple and easy video on how to clean the glass of your fireplace:

HOW TO CLEAN THE GLASS OF YOUR FIREPLACE

Wondering where you can get the correct glass cleaner? We sell the proper ceramic glass cleaner out of our showrooms. Not comfortable doing it yourself? We offer service contracts, where you will get a thorough cleaning of your fireplace, in addition a full inspection, which will prevent major problems from occurring in the future. These regular service visits will ensure the longevity of your fireplace, and are recommended by the manufacturers’ to be done at least every 1-3 years.

If you’re interested in learning more about our maintenance service, and the service contracts we offer, visit our showrooms or call 604.697.5700.