Posts Tagged ‘high efficiency furnace’

Recently we had a customer contact us, expressing their satisfaction for a job well done. Homeworks would like to share this story with you to help give some insight as to what you can expect in your next Homeworks experience.

Garry and Angela Lester were looking for someone who could look after their heating/cooling requirements in the new home they were building and realized that Homeworks’ house-as-a-system approach was a perfect fit. They decided to go with our organization after meeting with our knowledgeable and personable sales staff. In addition, Homeworks “is better quality of service for the price I was paying comparing to other companies” says Garry.

Chris Breadner was the Sales Consultant that guided Garry through his new build installation experience. Chris gave expert ideas as to how all of the products the Lester’s were interested in could best interact and function in their new home. The Lester’s purchased a Bryant 95s multi-stage variable speed 95% efficient furnace to provide back up heat for the Bryant two stage heat pump. Garry and Angela Lester went with ISO board foundation walls that gave them an R-50 rating in the basement walls. This combined with the R-20 in the upper floor walls and R-50 in the attic meant the heat loss/gain was very low. Given these properties, Chris recommended an Eneready HRV system that was much smaller than most equipment for a house this size for continuous ventilation and high efficiency heat filter.

Bryant Two-Stage Heat Pump

HRV in Crawl Space

HVAC System

HRV Ventilation Ducts

Attic Insulation (R-50 Rating)

All in all, this was a successful experience for the Lester’s and even though there were some unexpected issues the Lester’s experienced as there is with any job; Chris’s “level of knowledge reassured me and I was not worried” says Garry Lester.

Garry exclaimed that “Chris’ level of knowledge was superior to most people I have come across and he did an excellent job of coordinating the whole process. He had an understanding of how things fit together and his product knowledge was superb. Chris Breadner truly understood the house as a system approach. He would answer my many phone calls and questions and was extremely good about dealing with other people working on our new build home. The staff at Homeworks are excellent and truly provide a consultative approach. It is definitely an advantage to have a company that deals with all aspects of a home when it comes to planning and implementation.”

We are happy that the Lester’s had such a positive experience with Homeworks and the next time you are looking to complete home upgrades or build a new home you will have an idea of the level of service you can expect from the Homeworks team!

If you are interested in Homeworks house-as-a-system approach, 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.