Posts Tagged ‘cooling’

With “Going Green” being the latest trend in home improvement, many people want to take part but often do not know where to start. Having an ecoEnergy audit preformed on your house can be a great first step and help provide a clear step-by-step plan to upgrading your home in an energy-efficient manner.

An ecoEnergy audit is preformed by an outside organization’s certified energy adviser and the assessment will evaluate the energy efficiency of your home. The focus of the initial audit will be on windows, doors, the heating system and insulation and typically takes around two hours and costs around $150 per visit. A “blower door” test is completed in order to determine if there are any air leaks, a major contributor to heat loss.

Once the assessment is finished the certified energy adviser will present you with a report which will provide you with an analysis of the amount of energy you are using, where and will provide solutions to better allocate your “energy dollars” to improve the energy efficiency of your home. Accompanying the report will also be a rating of you home of how it compares to others with respect to energy efficiency.

By implementing the recommended upgrades it will allow you to reduce cold drafts of your home, identify moisture problems, improve your home’s ventilation, reduce overall energy use and save money on your energy bills.

These audits are done by organizations that are unaffiliated with Homeworks therefore, will give you a completely objective measure of your home. After, you have completed your upgrades you call the certified energy advisers back to assess the improvement of energy efficiency in your home. Having these tests done will typically qualify you for ecoEnergy federal grants and other incentives.

If you are interested in improving the energy efficiency of your home, book a free in-home consultation, visit our showrooms or call 604.697.5700.

As the summer turns to fall and winter, what better way to launch our Homeworks blog than with a discussion around heating equipment.

According to Natural Resources Canada, homes account for 20% of all the energy used in Canada. Of this, this about 67% is used for space heating and cooling.

Given this information and the fact we continue to encounter rising energy costs, one of the most frequent questions our heating technicians receive is: “When is it time to replace my furnace?”

Unfortunately, there is no easy “one size fits all” answer to this question. One of the most direct points to consider regarding your furnace is simply its age. Do you have a heating system that is 10 or more years old? If so, even if it runs dependably, you still might consider replacing the equipment with a new energy-efficient furnace.

Why you ask? Well, the physical life of a furnace, similar to personal computers can be longer than its economic life. If your heating system has been well maintained, the furnace may last 20 years or more, but issues of economics, environment, comfort and health still apply. With that being said, when weighing the costs and benefits of repairing or replacing an older furnace with a high efficiency furnace, please keep the following points in mind.

Reasons why you might repair rather than replace an aging heating system?

* Cash or affordable financing for the new heating system is not available.
* You are planning to move from the home relatively soon.
* Your home’s “envelope” is inefficient (I.e. poorly insulated, drafty, etc.). In this case, it makes to address your building envelope before or during your heating system upgrade.

Reasons why you might replace rather than repair an aging heating system?

* A new furnace is more energy-efficient. A typical older furnace runs at 60% efficiency whereas the latest technology is 90 – 97%. Diverting your monthly spending from higher energy and repair costs to new equipment helps save fossil fuels and reduce CO2 emissions.
* There are lots of grants and incentives available for those making energy efficient upgrades.
* A high-efficiency furnace will run much quieter than your older model..

In closing, there are many variables in any particular home that determine whether its time to repair or replace your heating system. Always remember, it’s important to consult with a professional heating contractor who will review all the options available to you.