Choosing an Air Conditioner
Written by: Becky Turgeon
When choosing an air conditioning system for your home, Town & Country offers two main solutions. The first option, and the one most people think of, is a whole home cooling system. This system uses the current duct work to distribute cool air through the whole home.
The second option we offer is a mini split system. These systems have an outdoor unit as well as indoor units. The indoor units are placed where you want the cool air to be dispersed. These units offer the advantage of zoning and they don’t require duct work. That means that if your home uses a boiler and radiators for heat, you can take advantage of a mini split system to offer home cooling. Let’s explore these options a little deeper.
Whole Home Air Conditioning
As the name implies these units work to cool your complete home. This type of system is often referred to as central air conditioning. It consists of an outdoor unit and a coil that is usually installed above your furnace. Because these units use your furnace and your home’s duct work they are able to blow cool air throughout your whole home just like your furnace would blow warm air in the winter.
Advantages:
-Whole home is cooled
-Great cooling capacity
-Most cost effective solution
-Takes advantage of any air purification systems or filters that your home already has
-Good energy efficiency
-Efficiency can be further improved with a smart thermostat
Ductless Air Conditioning
These systems are often referred to as mini split systems because they consist of two main components. There is an outdoor unit and an indoor unit. The indoor unit is mounted on the wall of the room that you want cooled. It is usually controlled by a remote control. Each room that you want cooled has a separate indoor unit that allows you to have different temperatures in different rooms. So for example your children’s bedroom could be set at a different temperature than the primary bedroom. Or at night you could just cool your bedrooms for sleeping while allowing other rooms in the house to linger at warmer temperatures thus reducing the energy requirements.
Advantages:
-Ductwork is not required
-Selected rooms are cooled
-Quiet
-Allows more control over the climate of individual rooms
-Cool bedrooms at night while rest of house is allowed to sit at a warmer temperature.
How to Choose
The primary factor that will weigh pretty heavily in the decision of how to cool your home will be whether or not your home has duct work. However, you could still choose a mini split system if you wanted to create some zoning or if you have an area of your home that doesn’t have duct work like an addition that perhaps has infloor heating. Whatever your needs are, our team will take the time to help you make the decision that bests suits your situation. You can give us a call or use the link below to request a quote. We’re your local experts.
HVAC Maintenance
HVAC Tune-Ups
Written by: Becky Turgeon
First of all: What does HVAC stand for?
HVAC is an acronym for Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning. It’s a term that is used to describe the complete system that is used to heat or cool your home or business while also ensuring the air you breathe is of high quality.
A typical home in Regina will have several components to the HVAC system. These will most likely include:
- Heating Unit: This is typically a furnace but may be a boiler.
- Cooling Unit: This is typically an air conditioner but may be a heat pump.
- Ventilation Elements:
- Ductwork: Channels that distribute air.
- Air Handler: Houses the blower that drives the air through the ducts.
- Registers and Vents: This is where air flow happens in each room.
4. Thermostat:
The brains of the HVAC system. This is where the temperature is set. Thermostats range from very simple devices to complex smart units that can even learn from your habits or presence.
5. Air Filters:
Filters help keep our indoor air perfect by capturing dust and pollens or other particles like pet hair.
6. Humidifier:
These units act to control our indoor humidity levels. During our dry winters humidity is added. Adjusting humidity in a home can greatly increase the comfort level.
7. HRV Unit:
Heat and Energy Recovery Ventilator These devices, more common in newer homes, make your home healthier and cleaner by continuously replacing stale indoor air with fresh outdoor air.
8. Radiators:
Some homes that use a boiler system for heating will have radiators located along walls in every room. When the radiators heat up they radiate warmth outward to heat the room.
As you can see that’s a pretty big list of equipment keeping your home comfortable and your indoor air perfect. As with any mechanical equipment, your HVAC system does require
Regular Maintenance
to keep it operating smoothly.
Benefits of HVAC Tune-Ups:
- Enhanced Efficiency: Cleaning, replacing filters, lubricating moving parts and ensuring proper airflow all add up to a more efficient machine which helps you save money on your energy bills
- Extended Lifespan: Your HVAC system is a big investment. Improve the lifespan of that equipment with regular maintenance.
- Better Air: Air quality is best when your HVAC system is running properly.
- Reduced Repairs: Preventative maintenance goes a long way in catching repairs early and preventing escalating costs.
- Improved Comfort: A well maintained system will provide you with the most comfort.
- Safety: Checking on electrical connections and gas lines regularly can reduce the risk of hazards like gas leaks, electrical fires, and carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Warranty: HVAC maintenance is typically a requirement for warranty. Failure to maintain a system properly can void warranty.
- Reducing your environmental impact. A well tuned HVAC system uses less energy.
T&C Air Conditioner Precision Tune-Up
- Check operation of thermostat, including calibration
- Test for refrigerant shortage
- Wash outdoor condensing unit
- Balance air flow for air conditioning
- Perform temperature drop at indoor coil
- Clean condensate lines and test operation
- Inspect compressor contacts
- Clean or replace standard filters
- Lubricate all moving parts
- Monitor start capacitor and potential relay operation
- Close down humidifier operation
- Measure and record amperage draw on compressor
T&C Furnace Precision Tune-Up
- Check operation of thermostat including calibration
- Perform carbon monoxide test and record readings
- Inspect venting for rust and leakage
- Test all safety controls
- Check combustion and ventilation air
- Clean burners and pilot, Adjust for proper combustion
- Clean flame sensor and record flame signal
- Check all gas fittings on valve train for leaks
- Clean and flush condensate lines, including pump
- Clean heat exchangers
- Remove and clean blower
- Perform temperature rise on heat exchanger
- Clean or replace standard air filters
- Lubricate motors as required
T&C Boiler Precision Tune-Up
- Check operation of thermostat including calibration
- Test all safety controls
- Inspect venting for rust and leakage
- Clear burners and pilot, adjust for proper combustion
- Clean flame sensors and record reading
- Perform carbon monoxide testing on ambient air in the boiler room
- Inspect fire bricks and insulation
- Check all gas fittings on valve train for leaks
- Examine heat exchanger and combustion chamber
- Lubricate pump and motors
- Check condition and operation of expansion tank
Back Up Generators
Why would you even consider a Back Up Generator?
In the event of a big power outage in the middle of winter, things can get a little sketchy. Your furnace will stop working and the temperature in your home will gradually drop. Depending on how cold it is outside the temperature could drop quickly. In the summer, power outages are also an inconvenience with the primary problem being food refrigeration. Problems with flooding can also occur as sump pumps are not being powered up. If you don’t have a BBQ or a gas range you may also find yourself without a method to cook your food.
3 Reasons for a Back Up Generator
- Peace of Mind
- Business continuity
- Safety and Security: Keeps your critical systems running.
Modern back up generators offer customized solutions allowing you to choose the right size to meet your requirements and budget. They are fully automatic so that when the power grid goes down they kick in, using natural gas to safely keep your home powered up to the level that you feel you need.
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