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How to Choose the Best A/C System for Your Home

Written by admin on April 16, 2018. Posted in General, Uncategorized. 1 Comment on How to Choose the Best A/C System for Your Home

It never hurts to be early when it comes to getting air conditioning for your home! This is especially true if you want to get a head start on staying cool once summer rolls in.

Hold on though! Before you go shopping, did you know that there’s more than just one aspect of A/C units to look for? Does your home even accommodate an A/C system? You may need to read this article if you’re not sure or if you need to shop, but don’t know where to start. Here are some tips.

Before Shopping

Before you go out and buy a new A/C system, take a look at your current one (if you already have it). If it’s not running at its full capacity, check to see if there are repairs needed and if they’re fixable, get the job done (this may or may require a professional, depending on what needs to be fixed and where the problem is located). If the repairs are too costly or the system is too inefficient and expensive, then you should go ahead and shop for a new one.

Types of A/C Systems

First, determine which system you need based on your home. Is your home an actual house with a backyard, or an apartment? What is the climate like where you live? Do you get a lot of sunlight pouring in, or are there heavily shaded areas?

Next, you need to take a look at the systems available, and there are a few types: central, window, portable, and in-the-wall single room air conditioners. The central air conditioner would be the most ideal if you want your entire house to cool down, whereas the latter options may be better suited for apartment suites or condos.

Sizes

Air conditioners are normally measured by their BTUs, or British Thermal Units. This measurement helps determine how effective and fast a room can be cooled down. Picking a system with too few BTUs will result in not enough cooling, whereas too many than necessary will lead to energy waste and decrease in its ability to dehumidify a room. It’s also important to consider the following before determining which BTUs you should aim for:

Ceiling height
Sun exposure
Insulation
Location
Climate

Cooling Capacity

You will need to calculate the required cooling capacity of your air conditioner beforehand, because size does matter (we have an article explaining why!). A room with excessive sunlight should have a unit up to 10% more BTUs than required. If the unit is going into the kitchen, the unit should go up to 4,000 BTUs more than the required room size. Add an additional 600 BTUs per person if there is more than one living in the designated home. The BTU should be reduced by 10% if the room is heavily shaded.

Energy Efficiency

Efficiency, not size, is what matters more when it comes to A/C. Ideally, you want to choose an air conditioning system that will maximize the cooling effect while costing you minimal money. You can try and identify the most energy efficient A/C units by checking out their Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating, or SEER for short. This is one of the most important ratings to check before buying! Basically, the higher the SEER number is, the more efficient the unit is and the less costly it will provide cooling.

A SEER number can be raised if the air conditioning unit possesses the following energy efficient features (note that this applies to central A/C systems only):

A filter indicator light (handy for regular maintenance!)
A fan-only switch (you can turn off the cooling but the fan will still run)
Large coils (makes for more efficient heat transfer)
A higher temperature rating that’s greater than 11.6 (translates to higher efficiency when the weather is its hottest)
An automatic fan delay switch (keeps the fan on long enough to cool the air after the compressor switches off)

For window/portable air conditioners, these features would be especially handy to have:

Digital temperature control (numbers instead of High or Low settings, to help you save on energy)
Easy to access filters (for easy, regular maintenance and to reduce allergens and dust)
A timer (handy if you don’t want it running all the time)
Sleep/energy settings (this will help it run at its lowest setting during the night, making for a more comfortable good night’s sleep!)
A programmable thermostat (so you can program different temperatures for day and night)

Hopefully you’re now ready to shop! If you’re still not sure which A/C unit is the most appropriate for your home, or you need help with installation, leave those steps to the professionals.

At Rep-Air Heating And Cooling we provide our customers with many options that will best suit your needs from heating and cooling to refrigeration. Contact us today for your complimentary quote: 1-778-728-1476 or contact@repairheatingandcooling.com and don’t forget to take a look at our website: https://repairheatingandcooling.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for free giveaways!

Why Having Properly Sized HVAC Equipment is so Important

Written by admin on April 12, 2018. Posted in General, Uncategorized. 2 Comments on Why Having Properly Sized HVAC Equipment is so Important

When it comes to shopping for HVAC equipment, whether it’s for your very first house or you need to upgrade your air conditioning, the last thing anyone tends to think about is the size of it. This is not a safe way to shop! You may not think size matters when it comes to having an HVAC system installed, but you couldn’t be any more wrong. Here is why you need to consider sizing before moving forward with an installation or upgrade.

Efficiency

There is a misconception going around that “bigger is better”. However, that saying applied to 1980s equipment when HVAC units were massive, required a lot more energy to run, and they cooled down or warmed up a building in 15 minutes tops. Back then, electricity was cheaper than it is now, and insulation was minimal if not non-existent.

Now, we have modern housing, better insulation, and higher priced electricity in addition to knowledge of more efficient ways to use energy sources. So no, bigger is no longer better. Efficiency is now the name of the game, so your unit shouldn’t be bigger if you want to keep your energy bills nice and low and your equipment running for longer than a full year.

Run Time

Going back to the 80s style units, these could certainly cool down or heat up a building in a short amount of time. However, once the air was cool, the unit would automatically shut off, and then switch back on when the heat returned. This action would repeat for the rest of the day. In reality, this is a terrible solution and it will cut down a unit’s run time! Rapid cooling may sound nice at first, but it’s better to cool down or heat up the temperature at a slower, gradual pace rather than a rapid one. All modern units built for heating and cooling work at this pace now. This ensures that the run time of the unit will not be shortened by how much energy it uses.

Another way to cut down on the run time is—you guessed it—improperly sized equipment. If it’s too small, the unit will run all the time to try and reach the desired temperature, but it still won’t reach it, and thus its run time is shortened. If it’s too large, then you’ll get cool fast, but then you’ll have to wait for the unit to switch back on, leaving you completely uncomfortable!

Expense

Like we said, bigger does not equal better in the case of HVAC equipment. The bigger your units, the more expensive they are. That being said, if the equipment is too small, it won’t be nearly as efficient enough at its job, whether that’s chilling or warming up the air in your home. A too-small unit may also require more repairs than necessary if something goes wrong.

Either way, installing the best-sized equipment that’s just right can and will save you money in the long run.

Noise

A constantly running HVAC unit creates a lot of noise, you know! This is especially the case if your units are too small to handle the job. Excessive noise can also be an indicator of an underlying problem going unaddressed or noticed. Whatever the reason, a great deal of noise should not be something you hear once a new system is installed.

Now that you know all of this, it’s time to be a smarter shopper. Do you need help figuring out the measurements beforehand? Let us know!

At Rep-Air Heating And Cooling we provide our customers with many options that will best suit your needs from heating and cooling to refrigeration. Contact us today for your complimentary quote: 1-778-728-1476 or contact@repairheatingandcooling.comand don’t forget to take a look at our website: https://repairheatingandcooling.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for free giveaways!

Pros of Having an HRV System Installed

Written by admin on April 6, 2018. Posted in General. 1 Comment on Pros of Having an HRV System Installed

Take a deep, long breath of air in your home. How does it smell? Does it smell like a fresh spring breeze, or does it smell stale and unclean? Or—even worse—did you have to stop inhaling in order to sneeze or cough? Now, look outside your window. Is the sun glaring into your home and causing the heat to rise? Are there a lot of bugs hanging out you don’t want coming inside?

Fresh air, especially in the spring and summer, always add a certain smell to your home, whether it’s letting in the ocean breeze or you’re trying to air out your bedroom. Did you know that there is a ventilation system that can give you fresh air without opening a window and risking flies or unwanted particles to come inside? It’s called an HRV system, and we’re going to talk more about it.

What is an HRV System?

HRV stands for heat recovery ventilation. It is also known as mechanical ventilation heat recovery (MVHR). An HRV system works similarly to a balanced ventilation system, except what it does is use the heat in outgoing, stale air to warm up fresh air. Typically, a unit includes two fans, one to take out the household air and the other to bring in the fresh air.

What makes this a unique HVAC system is its heat-exchange core. This core will transfer heat from an outgoing stream of air to an incoming stream the way your car’s radiator transfers heat from the engine’s coolant to outside air. This is because it’s made of several narrow passages through which the airstreams flow. Heat is shifted from the warm side of each passage to the cold, but the airstreams never mix.

What are the Benefits of an HRV System?

HRVs are flexible systems in that they can either be built into or added to your existing HVAC systems, or you can leave them be as independent devices. They are small and can provide ventilation for a single room. The only requirements you need are an air supply, either directly from or ducted to an exterior wall, and an energy supply for air circulation such as electricity for fans and an electronic control system, or as wind energy.

HRVs are effective in the summer months in that it will take heat from the incoming fresh air and transfer it to stale, air-conditioned exhaust air, so that you can stay cool without giving up good air quality. An HRV is also effective, even more so, during the winter months as it will keep your air fresh without your opening a window and risking all the rain (and snow!) to come in. Overall, having an HRV active during both seasons will help reduce the need to cool down or heat up the house, thus preventing you from emptying your wallet to pay your energy bills.

An HRV also contains filters that will keep particles, such as pollen and dust, from entering the house, so that your air is kept clean, pure, and allergen-free.

Is My Home Suitable for an HRV System?

It depends. While we recommend installing them if air quality is important (especially if allergies are an issue), it’s also more beneficial to have one installed if your home is prone to moisture. This is because the HRV will replace humid air with dry fresh air. That means the climate inside of your home with stay at a constant level and retain two-thirds of the heat that would normally be lost through ventilation, so not only does it keep the air fresh, it also saves you valuable energy.

Basically, if your home is older and tends to be drafty, or it’s modern and airtight but the air feels stuffy and unventilated, an HRV system is definitely necessary.

So, ready to have your HRV system installed?

Why You Need to Maintain Your Self-Contained Refrigeration

Written by admin on March 28, 2018. Posted in General. 1 Comment on Why You Need to Maintain Your Self-Contained Refrigeration

Here’s a grocery store owner’s nightmare: the customer is minding their own business and wants to grab some frozen fruit for breakfast tomorrow. As they reach into one of your fridges, however, not only do the frozen berries feel softer than they should, the inside of the fridge they’re reaching into feels hot instead of cold!

Owning refrigeration that lasts for years is a must if you run a grocery business, whether it’s small or massive. One of the most commonly used units we see in our stores is in fact self-contained refrigeration. This is the easiest form of refrigeration to service and maintain as it uses a simple “plug and go” setup and installation. However, if maintenance goes unattended to for long enough, the results of such negligence will be disastrous. Self-contained refrigerators are considered to be HVAC equipment as well, so like any asset in your business, it needs proper maintenance to keep running. These are the most important pieces of your self-contained refrigeration where maintenance is crucial.

The Condenser

The condenser in your self-contained refrigeration is one of the most important parts to maintain. It can be located anywhere within the unit, but it absolutely must connect to the evaporator. These two components are connected via tubes, which then carry coolant throughout the cooling system, ensuring that heat is exchanged for a cold temperature which keeps perishable foods chilled and at their proper temperature.

If the condenser is dirty, however, it will work harder than it should to keep the air cool, thus shortening its lifespan. A dirty condenser will also retain its heat rather than dispersing it throughout the unit, and if it gets too hot the entire unit will shut down. By the time the condenser cools, your food will have warmed up. Not only that, it can also lead to a huge spike in your energy bill!

To avoid such a financial predicament, it’s best to make sure to clean the area where the condenser is located. Once a year should suffice as far as how often to clean it, however it may need to be cleaned more frequently if cobwebs or other debris builds up faster.

The Compressor

You want your compressor to last as long as possible. Next to the condenser, this is the most important piece of your self-contained refrigerator’s system that needs regular maintenance since it keeps the fridge interior cool.

If the compressor goes unmaintained, it will not run properly—and you need it to be running, otherwise the same problem of your food warming up will occur! Typically, you should clean any dirt, grease, dust, and more from your compressor every 3 months.

The Evaporator

The evaporator coils in self-contained refrigeration work similarly to A/C units in that they evaporate the coolant connected from the condenser. Unlike the condenser, which can be installed in different areas of the self-contained fridge, the evaporator is always situated on top where the actual cooling process takes place. This is where the coolant coming from the condenser changes from liquid to gas.

Much like the A/C units, evaporator coils in the fridge can get iced up and dirty if they’re not attended to. It’s important to defrost the fridge once a month and ensure it is properly cleaned afterwards. This will help those evaporator coils stay defrosted. You should also double-check the temperature; sometimes setting the temperature too low can cause the evaporator to ice up.

When to Call for Help

It’s important to call a professional for help if you notice the following signs with your self-contained refrigeration:

An unusually noisy compressor
Iced-up evaporator coils not being defrosted
No cool air flowing through the cabinets
A compressor switching off and on
A compressor that is constantly running (it shouldn’t be!)

The Importance of Keeping Your HVAC Equipment Maintained

Written by admin on March 19, 2018. Posted in General. 2 Comments on The Importance of Keeping Your HVAC Equipment Maintained

Here’s a question for you: when was the last time you checked on your HVAC equipment? We’re talking about your furnace, A/C, walk-in cooler or freezer, and gas burners. If your answer is “I don’t remember,” that’s a bad sign! Maintaining your HVAC equipment is a must no matter where you live or what season of the year it is. Here is why regular HVAC maintenance is so important.

It Keeps You Comfortable

No homeowner wants to wake up hot and sweaty in the summer only to switch on their A/C and have it break! This is why it’s so important to check on your A/C. You should always examine this system before summer rolls around every year.

Check to see if the condenser needs to be cleaned; this is one of the most important parts of your A/C unit because it is what exchanges heat for cool air. If the cooling is reduced, it’s a sign the condenser is failing and it will require your attention.

You will also need to clean the A/C’s evaporator coil. If the evaporator coil is soiled, its efficiency will decrease. Failing to check on your A/C system will guarantee that it will have a shorter lifespan in its usability. By checking on the coil, it will also deter the issue of refrigerant leaks—another thing to look for whenever it’s time to check the A/C.

It Prevents Fire Hazards

The furnace in your home is another one of the most important HVAC units to maintain. If you don’t remember the last time you checked the furnace filter, you may want to do that right now. Not only can an unchanged filter change the air quality in your home, but also an unchanged one could cause the furnace to overwork to the point where it overheats up and even causes a fire!

For best results, you will need to change the filter on your furnace every 3 months. If you or any family members have allergies or sensitivities to dust and pollen, you should change the filter more frequently i.e. every 45 to 60 days.

It Can Lower Utility Costs

Did you know there is a way you can both conserve energy and save money at the same time? You can accomplish this by checking on and cleaning your HVAC equipment. Doing so will help you save money on heating, cooling, and energy costs, all while staying comfortable in your home without worrying about emergency repairs.

It Prevents Food from Going to Waste

Walk-in coolers and freezers count as HVAC equipment too! If these units stop performing at their peak capacity, that can affect your monthly energy bills and the food you’re trying to keep cold or cool. The last thing you want to stumble across is food that is slowly defrosting when it shouldn’t be due to the fan motor not working or no air flow inside—it spells bad news all around! An iced-up evaporator coil is also a bad sign that the equipment has gone unchecked for too long, and should be cleaned ASAP.

You Can Save Money

It costs more to replace your HVAC equipment than it would to repair or clean it! The more the equipment is looked after, the longer the units will last. Considering how much it will cost to install a brand new system in the first place, should anything go wrong, it makes more sense financially to let it run as well as it can for as long as it can.

If any of the equipment we mentioned is not running to its full capacity, get help to service it and soon!

At Rep-Air Heating And Cooling we provide our customers with many options that will best suit your needs from heating and cooling to refrigeration. Contact us today for your complimentary quote: 1-778-728-1476 or contact@repairheatingandcooling.com and don’t forget to take a look at our website: https://repairheatingandcooling.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for free giveaways!

Pros and Cons of Hot Water on Demand

Written by admin on February 19, 2018. Posted in General. No Comments on Pros and Cons of Hot Water on Demand

There has been a time in every homeowners life where you get home from a long day at work, and you’re looking forward to a nice hot shower… you turn the taps on, jump in and 30 seconds later you run out of hot water!! What if there was a way to avoid running out of hot water in your home ever again!! Well your in luck! Here is some information to help you decide what system will best fit your needs.

1. TANKLESS HOT WATER ON DEMAND

Tankless hot water systems have been around for years and starting to become more popular with the rise in energy costs. There are many great reasons for having a tankless water heater installed in your home. Here are just some of the pros and cons for this system.

Pros

Space saving in mechanical room
Limitless hot water
Life span is 20-25 years!!
Only heats water when taps are turned on
Savings up to 30% on gas bill
Good for residences occupied only part time

Cons

Initial installation price is more compared to hot water tank
Possibly having to run a bigger gas line
Not instant hot water (will require a recirculation pump if you want instant)
Maintenance is required depending on water hardness

2. CONDENSING

0.9% EF rating (90% will be converted into hot water)
Condensate lines will have to be run
Good for new construction homes
Most efficient model
Will need to be cautious on input water temp (city water temperature)

3. NON CONDENSING

0.8 EF rating ( 80% will be converted to hot water)
Less to breakdown
Requires stainless steel vent pipe
No condensate will be required
Perfect for a retrofit
Will not have hot water during power outage

4. HOT WATER TANKS ELECTRIC/NATURAL GAS

Pros

Cheap initial cost of installation
Direct replacement from old hot water tank
Will not require a new gas line to be run

Cons

Water is heated in the tank to maintain a constant temperature even when hot water is not being used.
Can take up a lot of space in a mechanical room
Life span can be from 6 to 10 years
Can flood your basement

Some Average pricing

Hot water tank replacement: $900 to $1400
Tankless hot water system: $2500 to $3500

At Rep-Air Heating And Cooling we provide our customers with many options that will best suit your needs. From heating, cooling and refrigeration. Contact us today for your complimentary quote. contact@repairheatingandcooling.com and don’t forget to take a look at our website https://repairheatingandcooling.com follow us on facebook and instagram for free giveaways!