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As HVAC specialists in Mississauga, Brampton and Oakville we’ve long said that sleeping in a room with excellent air quality enhances the quality and depth of a good night’s sleep, but a recent study from Harvard confirms the link. Harvard’s School of Public Health’s recent study found that air pollution increases the risk of poor sleep patterns, and as such should be treated as a quality-of-life issue.

Poor air quality can increase the risk and severity of Sleep-Disordered Breathing disorders, including sleep apnea, and allergies due to airway and lung irritation from pollutants. The study from Harvard found that there was an increase in sleep apnea symptoms of 13%, from the increased pollutants during the summer months, an important air-quality fact given that 17% of adults have some form of SDB. The increase in allergy symptoms due to poor air quality and its airborne fungi and bacteria can also contribute to a poor night’s sleep. It is estimated that 1 out of 6 allergy sufferers do so because of the poor air quality inside of their offices and homes.

Having an HVAC specialist in Mississauga, Brampton and Oakville remove air pollutants from your indoor air will allow you and your family to breathe easier and sleep deeper—and is an overall good idea since indoor air is generally 2 to 5 times more polluted than outdoor, but can be up to 100 times more polluted.

How to Improve the Air Quality in your Home

There are a number of contributing factors to poor indoor air quality inside your home that can be easily remedied by the following:

·Using natural, plant-based cleaners (especially in bedrooms) in place of chemical-based cleansers with harsh irritants

·Regularly changing your heating and cooling units’ air filters

·Regular HVAC maintenance

·The installation of an air purifier

·If needed, the addition of a humidifier or dehumidifier

·Ensuring that your bedroom has adequate ventilation and air circulation

If you’re concerned about the air quality in your home, call us at Furnace King, your local HVAC specialists in Mississauga, Brampton and Oakville, and we can perform an air-quality assessment and make recommendations on ways you can enhance the quality of air in your home through proper air flow, air filtering and ventilation.

Statistics reveal Canadians spend 90% of their time indoors. That means the more time we spend inside and the more airtight our homes become, the more exposed we are to indoor allergens and irritants. That’s why improving the air quality of your home is so important and doing so the natural way makes sense. Here are some tips from the experts at our heating & air conditioning Mississauga firm to help make your indoor environment healthier.

· Think Green. Decorate your home with indoor plants that effectively remove chemicals from the air and improve air quality. Use natural cleaning products which contain no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or toxic chemicals that can be released into the air as gases causing problems for people who suffer from allergies, asthma, or other respiratory ailments.

· Use good judgment. Never smoke inside your home. Control pet dander by brushing pets outdoors and cover your mattress and pillows to protect against dust mites. Dust often and vacuum regularly.

· Improve air ventilation. Mississauga air conditioners can keep humidity down and reduce pollen and pollutants in the air. Make your A/C system even more effective by installing a disposable HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter to help purify the air in your home and change filters often.

Even something as simple as removing your shoes at the door can help to prevent dirt, dust and other particles from spreading throughout your home.

Investing in a high-efficiency furnace is a smart energy choice for homeowners. Not only can these furnaces provide superior indoor air quality and significant savings on your energy bill, but these energy efficient systems also avoid unnecessary damage to the environment.

Today’s high-efficiency furnaces have a AFUE rating between 90-97 per cent compared to an AFUE of 60 or lower for many older furnaces. While the efficiency of oil furnaces have improved, gas furnaces are considered the smarter choice. For example, 95% of the energy produced by a new gas furnace with an AFUE rating of 95 is converted into heating your home and only 5% becomes exhaust.

These units operate more quietly than standard furnaces to keep your home at a consistent temperature and help to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions. By some estimates, high-efficiency furnaces can cut your average heating bills by about 35 percent. The latest smart heating systems also include programmable thermostats which allow you automatically control the temperature so you can conserve energy and reduce costs while you sleep or when you’re not at home.

Converting your electric or oil furnace to gas is another option to improve the efficiency of your home heating system and save on heating costs. You may even be eligible for a government rebate when you switch from your existing furnace to a high-efficiency model. Look for friendly service from our & air conditioning Mississauga company that deals in EnergyStar qualified products and can help you with the rebate process.

One of the best things that you can do to protect the investment you’ve made in your home is learn about seasonal maintenance and how that applies to the different appliances and equipment around the house.

Because the quality of the indoor air is so important, it’s critical to know how to prepare the ventilation system for spring. Remember this essential component brings in fresh air and helps to control moisture levels.

Start with the one of the foundations of the entire system by making sure furnace filters have been properly replaced according to manufacturer’s instructions or replaced as needed. Make sure the access panels are tightly closed and properly latched afterwards.

Remember that you’ll need to check over any exhaust fans like the one in the kitchen or bathroom as well. Most of the grills that you’ll need to remove are held in place by spring clips and keep in mind that you should never use water to clean fans.

Just before spring arrives is a good time to be sure the floor vents in your home are free and unobstructed. A drape or sofa blocking the air flow from one of these can decrease the ability of your furnace fan or air conditioner to do its job and cost you extra money.

The quality of the air we breathe in our homes has become one of the biggest priorities for the average Canadian family and that’s one of the biggest reasons why installing an HVAC system in your home is a beneficial investment.

As the warmer weather approaches, it’s important to know that not only have there been major innovations across the board when it comes to the right HVAC system over the last twenty years, but air conditioner advances have been at the forefront. The scroll compressor used in some of the more modern models is environmentally friendly using a chlorine free refrigerant to replace Freon.

Installing an HVAC system in your home is a beneficial investment for health conscious people as well. When a family adds whole home dehumidification as one of the features they pick, they are reducing the kind of moisture buildup that breeds mold and mildew.

Of course, the mainstay of all the appliances in the home is the furnace and any discussion of why installing an HVAC system in your home is a beneficial investment needs to look at the advances that have been made there.

For example, the modern benchmark for efficiency is the AFUE rating and many modern furnaces have a 95% or higher ranking. That means the home can be more efficient with less combustion and lower energy costs.

As HVAC specialists in Mississauga, Brampton and Oakville we are regularly asked “why is now the ideal time to switch from oil to gas for my HVAC system?” The answer is simple: savings. The explanation however is a little more difficult, as there are two elements to consider in terms of HVAC costs: the cost of fuel and your furnace’s efficiency.

Fuel Costs

The oil furnace was a popular system in years gone by thanks to the low prices of oil and the, relatively, high prices of natural gas. The tables have turned however now that natural gas prices are at an all-time affordable rate when considered in relative comparison to oil. In fact, for the last 5 years natural gas prices have been below their rates from 20 years ago. Time hasn’t been so kind to oil—making natural gas a cost-efficient fuel choice. To make a historical-price comparison use the calculators below:

1. PECO Residential Oil to Gas Heat Conversion Calculator

2. PSE&G Residential Oil to Gas Spreadsheet Calculator

But of course, fuel cost alone can’t determine whether it is a good financial choice to make the switch from oil to gas, so here is another tip from your HVAC specialists in Mississauga, Brampton and Oakville…

Your Furnace’s Efficiency

Very few oil furnaces have been installed in recent years, which means most oil furnaces are rather dated—a solid reason on its own why now is the time to switch from oil to gas. Most are close to—or more than—a decade old, BUT, HVAC has come a long way baby! The gains in energy efficiency have been massive, which means to determine your overall total cost of ownership you will need to compare the cost of each fuel along with the energy efficiency of your current oil unit and your possible natural-gas furnace upgrade.

Generally, new systems are at least 20% more efficient, so add up your bills and multiple them by 20%. You can then take that number (your potential savings) and use it to divide the cost of a new unit and installation. This will give you how long until you break even and begin with monthly savings. If the length of ‘pay me back’ time is too long you may want to consider energy-saving measures that will reduce the overall ‘heat load’ for your house, to offset the costs.

When calculating and deciding that now is the time to switch from oil to gas, be sure to include a local HVAC specialist in Mississauga, Brampton and Oakville in your decision, to ensure that you have properly calculated your installation costs, energy efficiency and total cost of ownership numbers.

Like homes themselves, air conditioning systems differ greatly—with some being better for some homes than others. As specialists for AC systems in Mississauga, Brampton and Oakville we know the importance of making the right AC system choice.

When it comes to choosing the best AC systems for any home there are a number of systems and factors to consider. To help you through this process we’ve put together a list of all the relevant factors to consider…

Choosing the Best AC Systems for any home—Types of AC Systems:

1. Natural Gas and Electrical
2. Electricity-Based
3. Ductless
4. Split-Air
5. Window-Mounted

Choosing the Best AC Systems for any home—Relevant Factors to Consider:

·Energy Efficiency
AC manufacturers are required by law to post the energy-efficiency rating of devices on each unit, which means buying an energy-efficient model has never been easier. Compare the cost of a device with higher energy efficiency with that of less-efficient units (which are often cheaper) and use it to determine which will give you a lower total cost of ownership.

·Strength/Power
When it comes to making a wise decision about choosing the best AC systems for any home you need to buy one with the strength and power necessary to cool your entire home (or the entire room it is installed in if it is a ductless or window unit). Buying an AC that is sufficient to cool your own home will mean you won’t be hot-and-sticky and the unit won’t be overexerting itself, which will lead to excessive wear and tear of your unit. While you want to choose one that can sufficiently chill your home you don’t want to purchase too big of a unit as it will likely end up using too much energy and driving up your energy bills.

·Affordability
When deciding on the system you can afford be sure to calculate not only the unit purchase price but also related costs, including: installation, maintenance and power-consumption costs. For example, a ductless system may be a little more expensive to purchase than duct-using ones, but it will save you money if you would need extensive duct work done.

·Warranty
Purchasing a unit with a lengthy and all-encompassing warranty can save you money—and headaches—over the long term.

While shopping around for systems, and choosing the best AC system for any home, be sure to consult with a qualified specialist in AC systems in Mississauga, Brampton and Oakville about the best system for your home, which systems are the most reliable (after all, they know better than anyone!) and additional installation and maintenance costs.)

Just like cars (think Mazda and Maseratti), not all heating and cooling specialists in Mississauga, Brampton and Oakville are created equal. Choosing the right one can be a science in itself, although thankfully not as hard as learning to fix your heating and cooling units yourself.

To help you through this complicated process we’ve put together a handy list of 5 tip when hiring a heating and cooling specialist in Mississauga, Brampton and Oakville…

1. Ask for Referrals

The best way to find a responsible contractor is to ask your friends and family who has taken good care of their units before. Ask them how the experience was from start to finish, including any additional costs, the contractor’s professionalism and service timeline.

2.Ask for References

Once you’ve created a shortlist of possible contractors, ask for a list of references, recommendations and/or verifiable reviews. Also, check online with reputable review companies, including the Better Business Bureau, to see if they have a good track record and/or have many complaints launched against them.

3. Ask for Certifications

HVAC service and repair can be a science and an art form, and not all HVAC ‘artists’ are created—and trained—equal. Be sure to ask for their professional certificates, trainings, license(s) and designations. Then cross your T’s and dot your I’s by ensuring they are in fact professionally registered. Ensure this by asking for copies of their certificates.

4. Find Out if they are Insured

Errors and injuries in HVAC can be extremely costly, so look for a contractor with worker’s compensation and/or other forms of insurance. This can ensure that you are covered in worst-case-scenario situations. This should cover cases of worker accidents and home damage.

5. Get an Estimate—In Writing

You will want to get an in-writing estimate before any contractor begins work. This will help ensure they stay on budget. When giving you an estimate the contractor should inspect the unit before they quote you a repair/service/maintenance cost; if they don’t be wary (very wary). You will likely want to get at least 2 or 3 estimates to ensure you are getting a good price, but don’t select your contractor based on price alone as a solid reputation will likely save you more money than a cheap estimate.

If you follow the above 5 steps/tips when selecting a heating and cooling specialist in Mississauga, Brampton and Oakville you should survive the process relatively unscathed.

Tips on how to get the most out of your air conditioning system

When the weather gets warm, your air conditioning system uses energy to remove heat and moisture from the air so you can maintain the proper level of indoor comfort throughout your home. When it comes to getting the most out of your air conditioning system this summer, the experts at our heating & air conditioning Mississauga companyhave some sound advice:

· Keeping the thermostat set at 78 degrees will help to reduce your energy consumption and utility costs, while maintaining a comfortable indoor temperature. Keep in mind, you’ll be saving about 2 percent on your energy bill for every degree above 75 degrees you raise your thermostat. A programmable thermostat can automatically adjust the thermostat to an even higher setting when you’re away from home or while you sleep, reducing both energy consumption and costs.

· Use oscillating or ceiling fans to keep cool air moving without lowering the thermostat. These alternate cooling devices use approximately the same amount of energy as a light bulb, saving you money on your energy bill while increasing your comfort level.

· Clean or replace filters monthly. A dirty air filter causes your Mississauga air conditioners to work harder.

· For optimum performance, keep the outside condensing unit clear of grass and other debris.

Having your air conditioning system serviced annually by professionals is one of the best ways to maintain maximum energy efficiency and extend the life of your equipment.