Month: March 2013

When you consider the average Canadian family spends about 90% of their time inside, it’s no wonder they want that environment to be as healthy as possible. Having a good humidification system is a big part of the overall package and following are three of the more obvious advantages.

Dry air isn’t good for your overall health and having the right home humidification system can provide relief from dry winter air and work against the ill effects of dehydration. Low moisture levels can cause a variety of different ailments, all the way from simple dry skin to an actual decrease in the body’s immune system.

Having the right humidification system is important to protect the investment you have in your home as well. Low humidity can actually cause furniture to warp and split under extreme circumstances and paint can even crack in some cases.

Remember too that having proper humidification in your home lessens the amount of static electricity that can create problems with electronic equipment if left unchecked.

Finally, a humidification system can actually reduce heating bills since dry air causes your skin to lose heat. Looking after the indoor air quality in your home involves several different aspects including getting the right humidification system.

There are two things that should get your attention about carbon monoxide. First, it is a colourless and odourless gas and that means you need to have a functioning detector to be aware when there are dangerous levels in your home. The second is the fact that this common byproduct of the burning of fossil fuels can be deadly if your exposure is long enough and there are at least 13,000 parts per million in the atmosphere.

Beyond the obvious need to choose from the variety of detectors available for the one best suited to your inside living space and understanding the things you can do to lessen your risk by using only the detectors that are Canadian Safety Standards (CSA) approved, you should know symptoms of CO exposure.

You might feel like you’ve got a cold or the flu with mild exposure and only have a runny nose or sore throat with a headache. However, these symptoms in an area around fireplaces might mean you need to look at the chimney or flue for obstructions.

Medium exposure is more dangerous and here the symptoms are confusion and even vomiting. Extreme exposure results in brain damage and even death in some situations.

Remember that if your CO detector is sounding, the best response is to get everyone out of the house.

One of the things you need to consider when you own a home in Canada is the climate and how you’ll heat the space you live in. Replacing or remodeling the heating source means you’ll have some choices to make, and looking at the benefits of converting from oil or electric to gas means you’ll need to look at a few different factors.

Keep in mind, gas is the cheaper option so converting over from electric is a good idea. The conversion will be easier if you’ve got a forced air system, although it’s still possible if you’ve been using baseboard heaters. While there’s an initial cash outlay to change the furnace over, there’s generally short payback period involved.

In a word, the conversion from oil to gas is even easier since there is almost always the proper ductwork and HVAC system in place. With the prices of oil skyrocketing, the average homeowner sees the benefits right away in making the switch and like the changeover from electric to gas, the period to recoup the costs of the conversion is extremely short.

One more point to consider. Natural gas provides a domestic supply with air quality that’s often improved over older heating techniques like oil.

Innovation is leading the way in home appliances and everyone is generally familiar with the latest advances in high profile units like modern energy rated washers and dryers and even refrigerators. However, progress has even touched the way we heat the water in our homes with the introduction of tankless water heaters. Following are a few ways the experts consider these tankless models superior to the conventional ones.

· With the tankless water heater, you heat water only when you need it and that translates into energy bill savings. That can reduce hot water heating costs by 30% by some estimates.

· There’s no recovery time with the tankless models. With a direct, endless source of hot water and no tank, you can take showers, run the washing machine and even wash dishes all at the same time.

· These units are both flexible and convenient. Tankless water heaters take up only a fraction of the room of more conventional models and they can even be hung on walls to save space.

Finally, there’s a convenience factor since the temperatures can be set digitally with the touch of a button.

Research has told us that changing furnace filters and keeping any HVAC system in good working order is essential to good home ventilation. However, experts in the field say duct cleaning in another critical aspect that needs to be looked at. That said, here are five reasons why air duct cleaning is essential for good home ventilation.

1. Clear air ducts improve indoor air quality. Mold or excessive debris can affect the quality of the air you breathe in your home and getting the ducts cleaned prevents these irritants from building up.

2. Air duct cleaning improves system performance. Clean ducts means your furnace doesn’t need to work as hard to reach desired temperatures.

3. Air duct cleaning can save you money on your energy bills. With clear passageways, your appliances don’t need to work as hard and that can make a difference to your gas and electricity bills.

4. Clear air ducts don’t attract mold. The dirt and dust that accumulates in these ducts can absorb moisture from the air and attract mold. Keeping them clean is the healthy choice.

5. Air duct cleaning gets rid of pests. Keeping up a good maintenance routine of air duct cleaning means you’ll be getting rid of the nesting materials that pests like insects and small rodents can find and use in dirty ducts.

Being proactive and getting a regular duct cleaning done means you’ll be able to head off problems before they start.