The Importance of Air Circulation in your Vancouver Home

Cold air return grill

When it comes to a comfortable heating system good air circulation is essential. 

  

Unfortunately most Vancouver homes have been designed with inadequate cold air returns incorporated into their forced air heating systems. 

The cold air return is the plenum that carries air from large return grills in your home back to the furnace for reheating. If a home lacks sufficient cold air returns, air circulation will be decreased while comfort and air quality will be lessened.

A sure sign of poor air circulation is cold air pockets in the winter and hotter areas of the house in summer. As well as being important to your heating, good air circulation can help keep your home cool and comfortable in the summer when you have the furnace blower running.

The difficulty of adding more return air to your Vancouver house greatly depends on the structure of your home. That being said, if there is a will, there is a way and ducting can be added if it is truly needed.

Energy Saving Tips for Your Vancouver Home.

Saving energy can be easy! 
Here are a few quick Vancouver plumbing & heating tips to help you go green and save a bit of money:

Dishwasher: Fill it up before you turn it on. Avoid washing partial loads in the dishwasher. Also always make sure to air dry.  


Plumbing Fixtures: Install low flow fixtures in your home. Low flow shower heads and toilets greatly reduce amounts of wasted water. 


Clothes Washer: Use cold water to wash your cloths. You will save energy because your water heater won't have to heat the wasted water. Wash full loads of laundry and even better use an environmentally friendly front loading washer if possible.

Water Heater: Consider making the switch to a tank-less water heater. Unlike a conventional hot water tank it heats only the water you use. 

Furnace: Get annual maintenance done in the summer to keep your furnace working at peak efficiency all winter. Remember to change your filters during the heating season every couple of months. A blocked filter makes the furnace work harder. If you need a new furnace consider changing to a high efficiency furnace. Many older Vancouver Furnaces are only 60% efficient. A new 2 stage high efficiency furnace with variable speed motor is up to 95% efficient. This will turn into saving on your hydro bill and you may qualify for incentives. 

Tips when buying a new furnace (Vancouver)

Here are a few quick tips if you find yourself needing to replace the furnace in your Vancouver home. 

The heating technician installing your new furnace should do a heat loss calculation in order to properly size your furnace. An over-sized furnace will cycle on and off more and be less efficient. You will also probably end up paying more money than you need to for the larger furnace.

The higher the AFUE rating the more efficient the furnace is. Most new Vancouver furnaces are 92 - 95% efficient. Greater efficiency means bigger long term savings on your hydro bills. A two stage furnace with variable speed motor will also provide greater comfort as well as the best efficiency.

The new furnace should come with a reliable warranty. It should be a brand name with a good reputation that you can research, not some builders special discounted at the local supplier.

Make sure your furnace installer is qualified. They should have a valid gas ticket and the company should be registered with the BC Safety Authority as a licensed gas contractor. Don't hesitate to ask their credentials.

Obtain a few estimates, don't just go with the first one. There are many good Vancouver heating companies, so shop around and find the best price out there!

Vancouver plumbing & heating