Education & Tips

Information about:
Air Conditioners
Furnaces
Gas Fireplaces
Indoor Air Quality

Tips:
Home Comfort Tips

Air Conditioners
Air conditioners are essential equipment in many Canadian homes. The purchase of a new Central Air Conditioner is an investment in your comfort. Ultimately, you want a cooling system that meets your requirements for comfort and efficiency. Technology and industry standards have changed, and your home may have undergone changes as well. When choosing an air conditioner, correct sizing and efficiency are critical. A ClimateCare contractor is fully qualified to help you select equipment that’s properly sized, with a good efficiency rating.

Size
When it comes to air conditioning, bigger doesn't necessarily mean better. Beware of using simple rules-of-thumb for sizing equipment, such as “x tons of air conditioning per sq. ft.” An air conditioner that’s too big will cycle on and off quickly, and won’t run long enough to remove moisture from the air. You’ll end up with cool but clammy air inside your home, and we all know comfort in hot weather is determined by both temperature and humidity. Remember, the smallest unit that's adequate to cool and dehumidify your home is also the most economical.

Efficiency
Central air conditioners use the SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio), as the measurement of efficiency. It’s the ratio of cooling provided in a typical season (in BTU's) over the energy input to the equipment (in watt-hours). The higher the SEER, the greater the efficiency and the greater your energy savings potential. The minimum SEER rating allowed is 10; mid-efficiency units are 12-13 SEER; high-efficiency models are 14 SEER or higher.

Air Conditioner Tips
Air Conditioner FAQ’s

Furnaces
Upgrading your furnace is probably the most effective way to improve your home's energy efficiency and save on heating costs. New natural gas furnaces are technically advanced and up to 98% efficient! That means 98 cents of every dollar you spend on energy is used for heat. The older, standard-efficiency furnaces (pre-1987) were typically 60%-70% efficient.

There are two types of gas furnaces available to you:

Mid-efficiency furnaces
Today’s newer furnaces are middle efficiency rated at 80% AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) or higher. They don’t use pilot lights, but instead feature spark or hot surface ignition and a venter fan or automatic vent damper. Mid-efficiency furnaces must be vented up a metal chimney. If you have an existing masonry chimney, a metal liner is mandatory to protect it from freezing water vapour.

High-efficiency furnaces
If you're building a new home, or it's time to replace your existing furnace, consider high-efficiency models. They have two heat exchangers to recover more heat from flue gases. They’re 90% efficient or greater, use outside air for combustion, and can be vented through an exterior wall - no need for a chimney. With a high-efficiency furnace, the higher your current energy bill, the greater your potential savings.

For the furnace that best suits your home and budget, contact your local ClimateCare contractor. As a member of ClimateCare, he or she will have all the necessary licences, certification and experience to properly assess, install and service your home comfort equipment.

Furnace Tips
Furnace FAQ’s

Gas Fireplaces
A gas fireplace serves two purposes:

It adds an attractive focus to a room
It provides safe, efficient, and convenient heat for a specific area of your home

A gas fireplace is a comfortable answer to the cool mornings and evenings of the spring and fall, when you just need a little bit of extra heat in an area of your home where you spend a lot of time. It is also an excellent solution for a finished basement that no one uses because it’s too dark and chilly. If you don't have natural gas in your area, you can still take advantage of the benefits of a gas fireplace by using propane as the fuel.

Fireplace Tips
Fireplace FAQ’s

Indoor Air Quality
Millions of people across North America suffer from respiratory conditions, bodily irritations, illness and other health problems caused or aggravated by environmental air pollution. Since your home is an enclosed environment, indoor air is on average five times more polluted than the air outside. Sources of indoor air pollution are dust, pollen, cigarette smoke, volatile organic compounds, vapours from household liquids and biological material in the air. These particles and gases can accumulate as a result of energy conservation measures (e.g., sealing cracks around doors and windows), and affect your health.

Improving your indoor air quality has significant benefits for all people, especially those who experience adverse health effects caused by indoor air pollution. Headaches, chronic fatigue, itchy skin, nervous problems, nosebleeds, allergies, asthma, or other respiratory illness could be due to the quality of the air in your home. If your home has special features such as extensive woodwork, antiques, and artwork, they all need to be protected from dirt, molds, and air that is too dry.

Indoor Air Quality FAQ’s