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Inside the air conditioning market there are a lot of cool new models and systems to keep everyone at a comfortable level of temperature. While this season is the busiest time for all of us, that shouldn’t stop you from investigating the market (in fact, you may find a system you want to receive when the low season arrives—it happens!). One trend you may notice among the newest models is the label ‘smart’. What exactly does that mean? Simple: it means the system relies on newer technology as opposed to outdated components.

While we all wait for the temperature and cost of air conditioning to go down, we thought it would be worth examining smart air conditioning. Here are four benefits of investing in this cooling solution for your home.

1. Extra convenience

The biggest difference between a smart A/C and a regular air conditioner is that rather than having to be present to manually adjust the thermostat, you can control the temperature with your smartphone or a mobile device. If you’re away from home or the office, you can adjust the temperature to the correct level it needs to be in while you’re gone, and then when you do get home you can readjust accordingly. What this does is it decreases the wear and tear on your air conditioning unit and extends its lifespan a little more, because it won’t be on at full blast when no one is home.

2. Improved energy efficiency

One of the biggest drawbacks of having non-smart HVAC is you absolutely have to be present in order to change the thermostat to a temperature that won’t make your expenses skyrocket. If you’ve left your home only to realize you forgot to change the thermostat beforehand, you’ll end up late to other pressing matters such as work or travel. Unless you can get a neighbour, a family member, or in business cases a staff member to change the thermostat for you, expect to find a very high, very unpleasant energy bill in your mailbox.

This is one of smart A/C’s biggest benefits since it enables you to control the system’s temperature remotely as opposed to manually. You can also program the air conditioner to best accommodate your current schedule and lifestyle too. Anytime there’s a change to your schedule or lifestyle and the settings need to be changed, you can simply adjust them on the thermostat or remotely when you’re not present at home or work. What this all boils down to is you are able to cool off your home or the office with utmost efficiency, and you save energy in the process.

3. Auto-restarting

Most smart air conditioners in the market come complete with an auto-restart function. What this feature does is it allows you to restore the settings of the A/C simply by pushing a button. This function is especially handy if, say, the power goes out during a thunderstorm. Being able to auto-restart after this type of fluctuation not only enhances your office or home’s comfort level, but also it protects the unit from being affected too greatly from power surges.

4. Compatibility

Lots of homes nowadays own voice-activated systems such as Google Home, Alexa, and Siri. If you own and run a smart air conditioner, it can communicate and be compatible to communicate with other smart devices such as these. That’s because unlike manual air conditioners, smart ones are connected via Wi-Fi, enabling you to access all of the aforementioned benefits covered such as remote control of the thermostat and pre-programming. You can opt in to receive e-mails from the system so you are notified of any alerts in the event your temperature is failing or rising outside of the normal range. You can be notified of power outages and disconnection from the network, too.

The 1 Downside: Expense

While smart A/C certainly has its benefits, the one downside to these systems is they are still fairly new on the market, so you’ll be paying quite the price for these listed features. For example, a smart 8,000 BTU air conditioner can cost up to $330 or more, whereas a non-smart, 10,000 BTU model may cost $30 less than that.

If you want to remotely control the air conditioner you already own, there are a few smart home devices that can help you keep around your home or office. Some of these come with built-in thermostats and can send commands to your A/C through infrared signals. Most of these smart home devices can cost around $100, and they’re good options if you’re looking for remote control or if you’re buying a smaller air conditioner.

So, now you know more about smart air conditioning. If this option sounds like the perfect match to your lifestyle and schedule, call our professional team of technicians to get one properly installed. Or, if you want to learn more, you can just ask us! 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!

Anytime you need to replace your home’s HVAC equipment it will cost you. Even on cool days, the expenses can add up over time if you’re not careful! That’s why it makes sense to maintain your current HVAC and get good repairs only when absolutely needed.

Sometimes though, HVAC ought to be replaced purely because the system is no longer as efficient as it used to be when it first came on the market, or it’s too old and showing signs of aging and failure all too often. Once you get a quote from your HVAC technician, your next thought may be as to how you can get a discount when it’s time to get a new system for your home. Here are a few suggestions as to how to do just that.

Only shop in low seasons for each unit

Just because you can find air conditioners in winter does not necessarily mean you will get the best deal on it. The low seasons for shopping for heating and cooling is ideally the same as you would hire a technician—spring for furnaces, fall for air conditioners. You can always ask for an off-season discount while shopping around these times of the year.

Check out rebate offers

As we mentioned in our previous blog post about saving money, even to this day there are lots of local utility companies that offer rebates and incentives to homeowners in need of new HVAC. Several other resources may be offering good deals or store rebates, even if you aren’t a member. Examples of these resources include:

• BC Hydro
• Energy Star
• Costco
• Angie’s List

Sometimes submitting for multiple utility rebates can actually stack up offers; this is a great way to remove a large chunk of expense from your new HVAC’s cost.

It’s recommended that if you do receive any rebate offers, you go over them and your options with a qualified HVAC technician or company. Some rebates may only be applicable to the most expensive HVAC systems on the market, so you may get a better deal by buying a mid-level unit that’s not eligible for a rebate.

Contests may help (sort of)

This isn’t a 100% reliable way to save on HVAC, but it can be handy if you’re feeling lucky. On occasion, our HVAC company hosts a contest on social media with the prizes being brand new equipment. Past contestants have won portable air conditioners among other prizes! It’s not the best way to get a discount on equipment, but if you’re feeling like luck is on your side, it’s worth a try.

Choose a trustworthy HVAC company

The best HVAC team will actually be licensed and work with you to figure out the best new HVAC system for your home that’s within your budget. While many systems exist on the market, each one is different and not every single one of them is meant for residential purposes. Our HVAC company knows this and we know how important it is for you to stay comfortable while also being able to afford that sense of comfort. That’s why we often suggest SNAP to some of our customers if they’re feeling like they need help with payments and new HVAC (it really can help!).

We hope this is a good start to finding the discounts you need on your new equipment. If you need further assistance, 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.com and don’t forget to take a look at our website: https://repairheatingandcooling.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for free giveaways!

Congratulations on buying a new home! Becoming a homeowner is a very big and exciting milestone. However, it’s also full of hurdles that require you to be constantly learning. If you were renting beforehand, then do you remember the tasks your landlord usually took care of? Well, they’re your responsibilities now. That includes the heating, cooling, and ventilation (HVAC) in the new home.

Knowing about your new home’s HVAC can ensure that you are keeping your property running efficiently, smoothly, and safely. With this in mind, here are three of the most important things you need to know as a new homeowner with your own HVAC.

1. Age and size matter, a lot

You should take a look at the manufacturing date located on your HVAC equipment before using it. If the system is older than, say, the past 10 or 15 years since you bought the house, then not only is it too old to use but also it’s too dangerous to your home and your wallet. The longest an HVAC system can run for is that timeframe of 10 or 15 years, depending on how well taken care of it was beforehand. Any longer and its efficiency and lifespan are both on the brink of running out entirely.

Check out the size of the system too. If you live in a small home but have discovered the equipment being used is massive, or the system is small and portable but the house isn’t, that’s another problem because the sizing is all off. Each room has its own requirements in terms of finding that most comfortable temperature, so the size of the system needs to match those needs. Too big or too small of a system means you won’t get the cooling or heating in your home that you want.

2. There are several different types

It’s easy to assume that the type of HVAC systems in your home are the only types out there, but this is actually not true. In fact, there are several types of HVAC units homeowners can invest in should they discover their current ones are not performing as well as they should.

• Heat pumps.These don’t burn fuel to create heat. Instead, they transfer heat from one place to another, due to the natural tendency of heat to move from warmer places to cold ones. There are different types of heat pumps as well: absorption, air source, and ground source. These all work differently, so it helps to learn how each type operates.
• These use a variety of fuels in order to run such as natural gas inside of a tank or vessel. The chemical reaction that takes place inside produces the heat, which then travel around the house through pipes into steam radiators. Some homeowners prefer boilers given that the heat distributed feels more natural as opposed to dry and artificial.
• Most furnaces use both natural gas and electricity to heat up your home. Each comes with basic components including the burner, ductwork, heat exchanger, and a vent pipe or flue. With proper and regular maintenance, furnaces can last up to 20-25 years, making them ideal heating systems for homeowners who intend to stay in their new home for a very long time.
• Mini splits.This is one of the newest types of systems on the market. Also known as a ductless split system, mini splits use both an indoor and outdoor unit connected by a conductor or conduit. They operate without needing ducts throughout the home, and some can even be operated by a wireless remote.
• Geothermal is another one of the newest technologies that also uses heat pumps and refrigerant like other HVAC systems. Rather than send it back into the atmosphere, however, the geothermal system instead stores the refrigerant and circulates it along long loops, which are installed under the residence. This makes the system a very economical and energy efficient one.

Knowing the different types of HVAC can help you understand the system better when performing maintenance such as cleaning and maintenance.

3. Regular inspections can prevent underlying problems

It’s easy to assume that a general first inspection of your home’s HVAC automatically covers fixing any problem detected in the unit. However, the reality of it is that if there’s no outright visual problem, then the unit will be marked down as working properly. If you’ve read any of our blog posts however, you know that there is a lot more than meets the eye when it comes to underlying problems in HVAC!

Ideally your HVAC systems need to be checked on twice a year, in the spring and fall (the low seasons). During these visits, your HVAC technicians can inspect and perform a wide variety of services such as replacing and adjusting fan belts, tightening all electrical connections, and inspecting and cleaning the system’s fans and blowers to mention a few.

Do enjoy your new home and the HVAC inside of it! If you’re in need of trustworthy technicians to help you in your time of need, give us a call. 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!

We are now at the beginning of the summer season…even before then the temperature has been soaring to sky-high limits! Summer heat has been arriving earlier than ever these past few years, and for some people they’ve already brought out the A/C.

Just because you have it though doesn’t mean you should keep the A/C cranked on high all summer! Believe it or not, doing that can actually waste a lot of energy than you may even realize. If you don’t want to waste energy, but you don’t want to get too hot and uncomfortable, here are some suggestions on how to save energy this summer.

1: Be smart about the thermostat

We’ve written a previous blog post about this before, but this tip bears repeating. Understanding your home’s thermostat will go a long, long way in terms of saving energy without sacrificing your interest in staying cool and comfortable. While it may feel good to blast up the A/C after coming in from a sweltering hot day, it won’t feel as good to see that your energy bills have skyrocketed as a result!

You need to be aware that for every degree you raise your thermostat above its average, you actually can save up to 3% of your cooling expenses. Try setting your thermostat to 25 degrees Celsius (78 degrees Fahrenheit) or as high as your comfort allows, and when you’re not home, set the temperature higher or, if it’s not terribly hot, turn it off altogether.

2: Keep electronics usage to a minimum

Your computer is a valuable asset that contains a ton of information. Some people even work from home with their computer. Summer is a harsh time of year for electronics generally because these valuable resources can and do overheat if you’re not careful. If you place heat-generating devices such as TVs or lamps near you’re A/C’s thermostat, they will also trick it into thinking the room is hotter than it actually is.

Wherever your electronics are placed, they can heat up your home if you’re not too careful, so always make sure they’re turned off when not in use. Ensuring that cool airflow and ventilation is present can also prevent over-heating from occurring too much.

3: Keep that cool air flowing and the heat out!

Ceiling fans and portable fans are all easy ways to cut down on your cooling costs this summer. Ceiling fans are built to cool down entire rooms, and even if you don’t have one, portable fans are inexpensive and readily available. Fans can be very effective at increasing airflow, so if you don’t mind a light breeze, you can lower the temperature on your air conditioning by a couple of degrees.

Be smart about how you keep the heat out too. Hot air can leak through windows with improperly done seals (it’s harder to detect compared to drafts in fall and winter), and direct sunlight in the home can make it feel very uncomfortable very early in the day. Keep all of the curtains and blinds closed in your home until the sun is not directly shining through them, and plan to upgrade your windows to prevent hot air from seeping in and cool air from getting out.

4: Time your use of big appliances right

Large appliances in your home such as the dishwasher, washing machine and dryer, and stove and oven can all generate large amounts of heat. Evenings and very early mornings (i.e. before sunrise) are the ideal times of the day when the temperature outside lowers enough to be tolerable. Reserve any time spent using your home’s bigger appliances to these timeframes instead of heating up your home in the late morning or all afternoon when the sunlight and heat are the most extreme. By waiting until dark, you’ll be sparing your air conditioner from working non-stop, 24/7.

5: Consider investing in LED

Lights in the home such as incandescent or fluorescent are fine if it’s winter, but in summer the extra lighting can warm up a home way too fast! Now that LED lights are more affordable than ever, there’s no reason to sit around in the dark. LEDs are cool to the touch and use way less energy and power to generate light (about a fraction of what’s needed compared to fluorescent and incandescent). Consider upgrading all of the lighting in your home for the summer, even if you only purchase a few bulbs per month.

6: Say hello to your new cooking buddies

Summer is the season of the grill! To prevent using the larger heat-generating appliances such as the stove and oven, start using the barbecue, microwave, and toaster oven more frequently. Barbecues will help keep the heat from coming inside, while microwaves and toaster ovens can help cook easy meals without having to turn on the heat in the larger oven. If you absolutely need to bake something, halve the recipe you’re using so it’ll fit in the toaster oven instead.

7: Get a tune-up on your air conditioning

Ideally you should always get an HVAC technician to tune-up your A/C unit once a year in early spring. Your technician will perform routine maintenance and cleaning, ensure there’s proper fluids to use for cooling, and take other steps to both ensure that your energy usage is not wasted this summer and that your unit won’t break down during the season. Make sure the technician you hired is one you can trust.

Stay cool this summer! If you need more help with cooling options, 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.com and don’t forget to take a look at our website: https://repairheatingandcooling.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for free giveaways!

Whether you’re opening up your own bar, café, or restaurant, you have lots of decisions to make about the long-term assets and equipment you need. After all, choosing the right equipment for its needs will make the difference between an unsuccessful business versus a successful one. It also means though that you may be feeling under pressure to make the right choices. Some are fortunately obvious, but other you probably haven’t even considered.

This is where commercial ice machines apply. While we do service them at Rep-Air and are more than happy to, you may be wondering if getting one for your business is even worth the trouble. To help you out, here are the pros and cons of owning a commercial ice machine for your new business.

Pro: You’ll always have ice

Everyone knows that ice has its real benefits, no matter what kind of establishment you run. At times it’s a necessary ingredient in mixed drinks and cocktails, as well as smoothies and iced versions of coffee and tea. Icy beverages are definitely a hit in the summer since it’s one of the busiest seasons of the year for most restaurants and bars (we all need to stay cool and hydrated, after all). Ice even has its use if someone gets hurt such as hurting their head by accident, making for good, immediate ice packs to alleviate the pain and headache.

Con: You may always have too much or too large ice

Having large ice can be a pro and a con, because large ice cubes than normal is a sign that something is wrong. Having too much ice, in addition, can also be a hindrance if it’s not ordered often enough by your customers (some people do ask for no ice in their water or other drinks). If your restaurant serves more hot drinks than icy ones, having an ice machine on hand may not be the best choice because then you’re guaranteed to have way too much ice.

Pro: Ice is fresh and appetizing

Ice can add a sense of flair and freshness to the food and beverage products your restaurant serves. It can help people cool off when it’s too uncomfortably hot out and ensure that thirst is quenched. Commercial ice makers can give you and your customers ice that is clear, pure, and always refreshing.

Con: Ice is also a steep expense

Buying a commercial ice machine is an investment. Sure, they may save you money in the long run and make you money if you use it all the time, but the initial cost is also huge. In addition to spending several thousand dollars just to purchase, if you fail to take care of the ice machine then it can cost you big time!

If you want to get the quantity and quality of ice you need day in and day out, it’s worth making such an investment. If you don’t think you’ll use the machine that often, then it’s not worth the expense.

Pro: It’s convenient

If you need ice, you’ll have ice. Convenience really is one of the biggest selling points of a commercial ice machine. Some businesses such as gas stations offer bagged ice for recreational purposes. Other times it can be useful to bag and store extra ice for the busiest times of the day.

Con: All machines requires strict care and cleaning

The last thing you will want your customers to find out is you’ve served them a cocktail containing dirty ice. This slight may seem small, but the consequences are steep. Dirty ice can spread diseases rapidly and in being so it tarnishes even the newest business’s reputation. Commercial ice machines require not only stringent and strict cleaning to be performed, but also it requires that daily.

If you don’t have the time for that…or staff…then don’t bother buying an ice machine. Ice machines require the best care in order to serve clean ice, because no one ever wants the dirty kind.

If a commercial ice machine breaks down, it’s always a bad time too. Specific care and repairs are required to be performed by experts. If you don’t have the funding for even that, then getting a commercial ice machine isn’t worth it.

Like we said, we do service ice machines, so let us know if expert service and maintenance is what you need, or if you need a new commercial ice machine properly installed. 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!

No matter how classy or rustic the restaurant is, the summer season can make things a little too warm for both staff and customers. Commercial kitchens in particular are notorious for being heat traps when it’s summertime. Temperatures in front of the grill alone can rise up to 40 and 45 degrees Celsius (101 to 105 Fahrenheit)!

The only way to combat the sweltering heat in the kitchen is to use a combination of hydration, ventilation, and circulation. Here are some other effective cooling solutions for commercial kitchens.

HVAC

Efficient HVAC can provide the foundation needed for proper cooling methods. The best unit will offer the necessary temperatures to keep the back of the restaurant cool and to control the air quality and dust in the kitchen and customer areas. Having proper HVAC installed can also enable chefs or cooks to hold food at safe food-handling temperatures longer, ensuring that the quality of the food does not lessen any.

Ventilation

There are two types of vents that must be present in a commercial kitchen for cooling purposes: necessary and general. The most necessary vents are exhaust hoods, which capture and filter out heat, smoke, fumes, and undesired particles, allowing air conditioning to perform at its most optimum level. General ventilation is usually a mix of air flow from several sources including a rooftop intake unit or properly screened open doors and windows to ensure insects and other pests don’t invade the food preparation areas.

To keep heat to a minimum via ventilation, you can do the following:

• Get professional advice on whether to get a new exhaust hood installed or retrofitted. These are subject to health department inspections, so an upgrade will pay off.
• Shade or shutter any windows in the kitchen that are fully exposed to sunlight.
• Open the windows in the cool morning or later in the evening to allow fresh, cool air to come in. Make sure these windows are screened to prevent insects from entering (if there are none, leave them closed).

Fans

Using a combination of fans can help you discover the best spots for optimal circulation in the commercial kitchen. Try placing one fan on the floor with another placed on a steady surface overhead—the top of a refrigerator, for example. Always aim your fans away from food pick-up and prep areas as blowing away air can also scatter and blow away lighter foods such as greens and garnishes. For window fans, facing out can clear out hot air; facing in, they can stream in a cool breeze. You must always keep these fans’ blades, guards, and boxes free of dust though, otherwise you’ll have a health problem on your hands.

Other cooling solutions

If your commercial kitchen already has the aforementioned cooling solutions in place and things still get a little too warm, these other cooling solutions may help.

• Thermometers around the kitchen can tell you when things are getting too hot to handle. Monitor them in food preparation and pick-up areas.
• Educate your kitchen staff about heat-related illnesses and the signs to watch out for, including nausea, dizziness, and headaches, plus how to prevent overheating.
• Encourage your staff to drink lots of water while on shift as opposed to dehydrating caffeinated drinks, and to take their breaks in shaded and cool areas.
• Allow your staff to pop in and out of the walk-in cooler for a few minutes; this can refresh even the most exhausted staff member.
• Schedule deliveries to your restaurant in the morning, before the heat of the day soars up.

Having these solutions in place will keep your staff productive and your inventory up to par with health inspector standards. If you need new HVAC solutions installed for your commercial kitchen, or you need assistance with getting your old equipment replaced, give us a call. 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

Nobody wants to endure sweltering heat in their very home. Air conditioning was invented for that very reason! What’s also not as fun is to discover a ‘surprise’ energy bill in your mailbox. If you tend to watch every dime and nickel, it can be a real drag seeing it all be spent on simply trying to stay cool.

The good news is, you can use your thermostat to stay cool and save money this summer season! Knowing how to keep the temperature at a good level in your home requires some fine-tuning and understanding that it’s a delicate balance, however. Here are a few other thermostat-based tips you can consider to help maximize the temperature in your home without maximising your costs at the same time.

The Best Temperature at Home in Summer

If you want to save money and stay cool this summer, then the recommended temperature is actually at 26 degrees Celsius (78 degrees Fahrenheit) when you are at home. The human body is actually its own thermostat, naturally adjusting to temperature even when we’re trying to cool down. The lower you set the thermostat, the higher your energy bills will be and the more difficulty your body will have to adjust to the colder temperature.

If you still have difficulty cooling down despite this adjustment, you can consider investing in a dehumidifier and follow the tips we’ll outline to trap cool air in your home.

The Best Temperature When You are Away

Want to save even more money this summer? Turn the thermostat upwhen everyone is away and not present at home. About 2 or 3 degrees up in Celsius (7 to 10 in Fahrenheit) can actually save as much as 10% on your cooling costs. A higher interior temperature will stop the flow of heat from traveling throughout your home, so it won’t take as much energy to cool the rooms back down when you return to your home.

Maximize Your Thermostat and Cooling Efforts

26 Celsius may sound uncomfortable to those who aren’t fond of heat. While your thermostat is set at that temperature while you’re at home, there are a few methods to stay cool without having to turn your air conditioner on all the time (remember, the longer it runs, the more it’ll cost you).

• Ceiling and floor fans can help circulate the air and keep it flowing.
• Keep blinds and drapes low in the morning to keep cool air inside.
• Block direct sunlight using shades and awnings.
• Try to keep lights switched off so that heat-burning lights don’t produce hot air.
• Do your best to do your most heat-inducing tasks, such as cooking, during the cooler hours of the day.

Keep Humidity to a Minimum

Humidity can affect your urge to turn down the thermostat. It’s not uncommon for humidity levels to climb in summer, but this dangerous because as we’ve already discussed, the lower your thermostat goes the more you will have to pay for it. It doesn’t help that every room in the home has a different humidity level, with the bathroom, laundry rooms, and kitchen being the most consistently humid.

If you want to leave that thermostat alone, you may have to tackle the issue of humidity first. A few ideas include:

• Leaving the windows and doors closed and checking the weather stripping and seals
• Using room-sized exhaust vents and/or dehumidifiers
• Adding a heat recovery ventilator (HRV); you can learn more about these neat systems in our blog post
• Getting a whole home-sized central dehumidifier system installed, especially if the entire house has humidity problems

Iron out your schedules

One of the most expensive ways to cool a home down is to have the A/C on at full blast, even though nobody is home. Summer comes hand in hand with unpredictable schedules, particularly if you have kids (they’re out of school and may be involved in a lot of summer activities), vacations, longer hours of the day, and several other variations. So why bother fiddling with the thermostat to cool your home down if no one is around to appreciate it?

The best approach to ensuring everyone stays cool at home and the thermostat is left alone is to iron out everyone’s schedules. If that already sounds like a Herculean task, try starting with these basics:

• Block out times when you know everyone is at home and sleeping
• Figure out your work schedule, or your partner’s, or both
• If you have teenagers with summer jobs, note their work schedules too
• If you have a summer vacation planned, write down the dates
• Write down everyone’s reoccurring summer activities, and those hours

When you’re done, examine your calendar from a bigger picture perspective and make estimates on when no one is home. Set your thermostat at the recommended higher level during the hours when no one is home.

If you have followed all of these tips and are still struggling to stay cool, check out our blog on how to stay even cooler this summerwithout relying heavily on the A/C.

Lastly, regular maintenance to your air conditioner can always go a long way. If you need any more advice on how to maximize your thermostat or any questions about heating and cooling, why not give us a call? 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!

If you run a business or work within a certain industry, you already know that working in a room where the temperature is controlled regularly has its perks. A cool temperature allows everyone to work at their best, including the boss or manager in charge of keeping everything and everyone performing to their fullest potential. Commercial air conditioning, in this case and many more, really can improve the quality of your life (if you’re the boss) and the lives of your staff members and customers. It can even preserve your most valuable inventory such as chilled food and beverages from getting too hot.

However, if you don’t understand HVAC in general or about the types of air conditioners a business can use, then you could potentially be running up your bills without realizing. If you want to install a new air conditioner before summer kicks in, it’s crunch time because us technicians are going to be very busy with other customers’ air conditioners! Here’s how to choose to the best A/C for your business if you need a new system in place.

Identify Your Business’s Needs

Depending on what type of business you run, there are going to be a lot of needs for air conditioning that go beyond simply cooling off your staff.

• Do you run a restaurant or a store? Commercial refrigerators count as HVAC too. So do ice machines. The air conditioning you select should ensure these important units stay cool as well.
• How many rooms and story levels in your building need to be cooled down? It matters if there needs to be one specific room alone or multiple rooms. More on that below.
• Do you work at or help run a school or educational building? If so you may already be aware of other elements that involve these types of buildings and HVAC, which you can read about here in our article.
• Does your business consist of valuable equipment such as computers? If so, air conditioning and ventilation is a must. You can read more about the reasons why we insist on that in our other article here.

Look at all of the Different Types before Settling

Knowing fully which types of air conditioners are available in the market before you settle on one can make the difference between A/C that only does part of its job versus a system that gets the job done entirely. The air conditioners below are an example of some of the highest quality units available for commercial purposes.

• Single-Splits/Multi-Splits. The single-split system is the most modestly priced in terms of commercial HVAC budgets, ideal for cafés, small offices, server rooms, and similarly shaped spaces. The single-split comes with one exterior unit for every individual indoor unit. Multi-split systems are better suited for large office spaces, doctors’ offices, retail shops, diners, and several other interior spaces where the many walls and floors will often best benefit from multiple cooling units that connect to a single large outdoor one.
• VRF/VRV. This system consists of a heat pump that uses refrigerant in the heating and cooling process, with more than one evaporator connecting to a single condenser. With this system there is a choice between choosing a variable refrigerant flow (VRF) or the variable refrigerant volume (VRV).
• CAV/VAV. Constant air volume (CAV) or varying volume (VAV) have their differences despite how similar they sound. These air conditioning systems rely on a single-duct supply and return setup and use either constant or varying airflow to keep the temperature at the set points needed. The air in a CAV system consists of a constant speed at all times, with the flow always staying the same. Varying airflow means the system’s speed and airflow varies depending on your preferences.

Duct vs. Ductless

Above all the different choices, as a business owner the ultimate decision lies between choosing two very different things: a duct-based or ductless A/C system. The difference between the two is vast. A ductless system is exactly as its name implies: the system comes with no ducts. Instead, it only uses air handlers to blow air separately into each room. Ducted A/C systems are exactly what they sound like; they use ducts of sheet metal to allow warm or cool air to travel throughout the building.

When it comes to choosing between the two, it’s best you choose a ducted system if your building already has ducts; you need that improved air flow and control over humidity levels. Only go with ductless systems if you are adding a new room to your commercial property and space, if you want multiple, separate cooling zones, or if there’s no room left for ducts in the building.

Does Your Business Include Warehouses?

The warehouse requires its own specific ventilation in order to cool down the giant space adequately. In fact, depending on the size of it, you may have to combine several different systems in order to achieve the best cooling results:

• Large ceiling fans.We’re talking about high volume, low speed (HVLS) ceiling fans with 24-foot blades. These will help cut down the temperatures in warehouses by 20 degrees or more.
• Evaporative coolers.These combine a box fan with a well-refined misting system to provide cool, economical comfort levels.
• Industrial box fans.These can move large volumes of air through large spaces (in this case, your warehouse) all while retaining its portability factor.

Whichever commercial air conditioning you choose, you’re guaranteed to save yourself some trouble and money by hiring only the best to install it. Call our trustworthy HVAC technicians if your company needs help! 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!

Summer is not quite here yet, but it is definitely crunch time if you need new air conditioning! If you have already read our previous post about whether it’s time to replace your HVAC or not, and you’ve made the call to get new A/C installed, then we need to follow up with a very important question: where do you want us to put this new unit?

If the answer is where the last unit was, then stop right there. We’re afraid we need to advise you on A/C placement mistakes you ought to avoid making before you ask us to install anything. Trust us, it’ll be to your benefit!

Why it Matters Knowing Where NOT to Put it

It may seem very tempting to just stick your heat pump condenser or air conditioner where it’s inconspicuous, or at least to say just put the new unit where the old unit was before. However, this way of thinking leads to several operational drawbacks within certain locations.

For example, if it’s placed in the same area where water can fall from the roof onto the unit, water will mess up the system’s outer and inner functions. If it’s placed where there is lots of direct sunlight, then it won’t be able to cool the air down as well as you need it to. Not to mention, if your old unit was originally an improper installation made before, then there’s no way the new unit may cool your home down efficiently either.

So, you need to take some time to consider where you have your air conditioner installed for long-term efficient performance and system life.

Basic Guidelines for ALL A/C Units

No matter what kind of air conditioner you need to have installed, there are basic guidelines that apply to all types of the system, regardless of the model:

• There must be enough space surrounding the unit when placed outdoors, about 2-3 feet all around.
• No obstructions should be near or on the unit; they’ll interfere with the cooling process.
• The unit should not block passageways.
• The unit should also not be placed behind doors or furniture.
• All ducts connected to the unit should be replaced or at least inspected beforehand, so that cool air and energy are not wasted (or your money).
• The condenser part of your air conditioner needs to be elevated away from rainwater pools, so there needs to be a concrete pad or a patio stone place installed too.
• Be aware of the noise it can make on behalf of yourself and your neighbours; you don’t want your outdoor unit going where it can disturb both of your houses (i.e. too close to the bedroom, for either party).

Big No-nos for A/C Placement

• Direct sunlight can mess with the way your new A/C unit thinks. It may assume it’s cooling down a hot room when in fact it’s not. However, simply shading the A/C unit won’t always work to lessen the effect of hot outdoor air because of how much air it needs to pull in to cool down.
• You might think placing the new A/C unit in the hotter side of your house may also be of benefit, but that’s not true either. It should actually be placed on a cooler side of your house so that there is less strain put on the unit to cool down the air. If the air is too hot, the unit must work harder to cool the air down, and this in turn leads to longer run times, and eventually it will lead to costlier bills and more repairs needed for your unit.
• Simply adding shade overtop of the unit won’t help either—it won’t always deter the effects of hot outdoor air in the summer because of how much air your unit needs to pull in.

Wherever you decide to have your air conditioner placed, you must always remember to make sure it never has to work harder to cool than necessary. The harder your A/C works, the more energy it uses and the more money it will cost you. That’s why when it comes to placement, you hire an HVAC technician who knows how to avoid making such costly mistakes.

Do you need help moving your A/C unit, or getting a new one properly installed and placed? 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.com and don’t forget to take a look at our website: https://repairheatingandcooling.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for free giveaways!

We know that we talk a lot (i.e. almost all of the time) about how replacing an HVAC system outright can cost you less than it would to repair it—it’s a true fact that we stand by. One thing we haven’t really talked about though are what you ought to really ask about and research before you decide it’s really time to replace a unit. So, let’s do just that! Here are the top five questions you have to ask yourself before you really decide it’s time to get HVAC replacement.

1: How long am I going to stay here?

Do you currently live in a home you are determined to stay in forever and you want it to look and feel nice? Or do you plan to move or are forced to move in the next year? Basically, how long are you planning to live in your home?

If you are only renting, then HVAC isn’t really much of a concern—that’s up to your landlord. If, however, you are planning to sell your home, then replacing the HVAC units can actually be a big selling point in your favour.

2: How old is my equipment?

If you take a look at your home’s HVAC and realize the unit is older than 10 years, it’s not nearly as energy efficient as the latest models on the market. Maybe it was when it was new, but age shows—maybe yours is showing that old age. You will be saving yourself a lot more money down the road by installing a newer, modern unit. You should keep in mind, however, that the average lifespan greatly depends from one home’s environment to the next.

3: Have I asked for lots of repairs in the past year?

If you’ve been faced with one repair job after the other, then it is definitely a better idea to upgrade the entire system. Naturally, a few minor repairs performed only every so often (i.e. you can count on one hand the jobs done in the past several years) doesn’t mean you should give up your money outright on a new unit. However, if there have been frequent problems forcing you to replace or repair multiple parts throughout the entire year, replacing the system will be far less costly to you in the long-term. Speak with your professional technician for more info about this for sure!

4: Are my energy bills getting more expensive?

This one’s an easier question to answer. If it is no, then it means your system is running efficiently enough. Proper maintenance can ensure those energy bills stay low and keep your system working at its best for several years to come. That being said, all of the parts in a unit can and will eventually wear out to the point where it just can’t heat up or cool down efficiently anymore, even if you change the filters often enough or schedule maintenance once or twice per year. So, if the answer is yes, even though you’ve made no major changes in how often you use the system, it’s probably time to replace it.

5: Should I renovate before replacing my current system?

This question is a little trickier to answer. That’s because it entirely depends on the type of system you want to replace, the size system you may need versus the room you want it to go into, and whether the ductwork in your home is compatible with your new system. There are many other things to consider as well, such as the quality of the other components including the thermostat.

All of this you can talk over with your technician. They’ll know the state of your current HVAC the best, and whether or not it’s a good idea to renovate before they install your replacement system. After all, you don’t want to end up with an improperly sized system or encounter problems with your brand new one because of the room it’s going into.

So, now that you’ve thought harder about your answers to these questions, is it truly time to replace your home’s HVAC? If you’ve determined the answer is yes, give us a call. 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!