Smart thermostats have become increasingly popular over the last few years, and it’s not hard to see why. These devices offer a range of benefits to homeowners, including increased comfort, energy savings, and greater control over your home’s heating and cooling systems. In this article, we’ll explore what smart thermostats are, how they work, and the benefits they offer.
What is a Smart Thermostat?
A smart thermostat is a device that can be programmed to control the temperature of your home. Unlike traditional thermostats, which require manual adjustments to set the temperature, smart thermostats can be controlled remotely using a smartphone app or other connected device. They can also learn your preferences over time, making automatic adjustments to your home’s temperature based on your behavior and schedule.
Smart thermostats typically come with a range of features designed to help you save energy and reduce your heating and cooling costs. Some of these features include:
Learning algorithms: Smart thermostats can learn your preferences over time, making automatic adjustments to your home’s temperature based on your behavior and schedule.
Remote access: You can control your smart thermostat from anywhere using a smartphone app, which means you can adjust the temperature of your home even when you’re not there.
Energy reports: Smart thermostats can provide detailed reports on your energy usage, helping you to identify areas where you can save money.
Geofencing: Some smart thermostats can use your phone’s location to automatically adjust your home’s temperature when you’re on your way home.
Compatibility with other smart home devices: Smart thermostats can be integrated with other smart home devices, such as smart speakers or security systems, allowing you to control multiple aspects of your home from a single app.
How do Smart Thermostats Work?
Smart thermostats work by connecting to your home’s heating and cooling system and allowing you to control it remotely. They use sensors to detect the temperature of your home and can adjust the temperature based on your preferences.
Some smart thermostats use machine learning algorithms to learn your preferences over time. They can track your behavior, such as when you’re home or away, and make adjustments to your home’s temperature accordingly. For example, if you usually turn down the heat when you leave for work in the morning, your smart thermostat will learn this behavior and start doing it for you automatically.
Other smart thermostats use geofencing to detect when you’re on your way home. They can use your phone’s location to determine when you’re getting close to home and automatically adjust your home’s temperature to your preferred setting.
Smart thermostats can also be integrated with other smart home devices, such as smart speakers or security systems. This allows you to control multiple aspects of your home from a single app, making it easier to manage your home’s temperature and other features.
Benefits of Smart Thermostats
There are several benefits to using a smart thermostat in your home. Some of the most significant benefits include:
Increased comfort: Smart thermostats allow you to adjust your home’s temperature from anywhere, which means you can ensure that your home is always at a comfortable temperature.
Energy savings: Smart thermostats can help you save money on your heating and cooling costs by automatically adjusting your home’s temperature based on your behavior and schedule. They can also provide energy reports that help you identify areas where you can save money.
Greater control: With a smart thermostat, you have greater control over your home’s heating and cooling systems. You can adjust the temperature of your home from anywhere, and some smart thermostats even allow you to control other aspects of your home, such as lighting or security systems.
Easy to use: Smart thermostats are easy to use and can be controlled using a smartphone app
What to do before turning on your AC in the spring
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During the winter, your air conditioner is dormant. It goes unused for months between the last hot day of autumn and the first warm days of spring. Your indoor unit may gather dust while the outdoor unit may fill with leaves. During this time, moisture and inactivity can cause problems when it comes time to turn your AC back on again.
Before your air conditioner on again, there are a few steps that everyone should take to make sure your AC performs efficiently and does not take damage. Complete Heating and Air Conditioning is here to offer a few helpful tips and any maintenance services your AC may need to be ready for the hot season ahead.
1) Change Your Air Filter
Season changes are always a good time to change your air filter. Your air filter is the key to maintaining your home air quality by taking out dust and allergens before the air is cycled back through your home. However your air filter also protects the inside of your HVAC system by only allowing clean air through. The first and easiest way you can prepare to switch modes from heat to cool (and later from cool to heat) is to change your air filter.
Air filters should be changed every one to three months depending on the conditions in your home and the sensitivity of your residents.
2) Uncover or Clear Your Outer Unit
Next, check on your exterior unit. Your AC works in two pieces, the interior AC unit and the exterior compressor unit. From late autumn to early Spring your compressor may have filled with leaves, sticks, dirt, or grown through with plants. Before you turn on your AC, you'll want to clear it you. If you covered your compressor to keep this from happening, uncover the unit and inspect it for dirt or damage. If not, you'll want to sweep out the grating and possibly use a hose to clean
If your compressor unit is more clogged than you are comfortable or able to clear out, you can rely on an HVAC technician to safely perform maintenance. They will be able to remove the outer grate and safely clear out all the leaves, twigs, or growing plants that have invaded your external unit without bending the fins. If there are bent fins, often they can be bent back into place.
3) Schedule a Maintenance for a Tune-Up and Cleaning
The next step is to call your HVAC technician for a round of maintenance. Before turning on your AC, your technician will clean the coils completely, and check all the internal components. This tune-up will make sure that everything will work correctly when your air conditioner is switched back on after months of dormancy. Tune-ups are essential to prevent damage when your AC when you turn it back on, and then to keep your heater safe when you turn it off.
Your technician will also take the necessary steps to prepare your heater to be turned off. They will clean the heating elements, whether this is electric, gas, or boiler, and cleaned so that your heater will go into dormancy.
4) Open All Your Vents
In the winter, often unused rooms have the rooms closed and draft stoppers put under the doors to save heat. If there are any closed vents in your home, now is the time to open them. Your vents are actually balanced for efficiency, or should be. If your home is air balanced, there are registers inside the vents that will provide the most efficient cooling when all the vents are open.
Unlike in the winter, creating rooms that remain hot is less efficient than conserving heat by closing off rooms. If any of your vents are closed, it's time to open them to allow free-flowing air through the house and whole-home cooling.
5) Have Your Attic Ventilation Inspected
The efficiency of your attic can also contribute to your AC efficiency as the hot season begins. The right insulation of your attic can reflect heat instead of trap it, and prevent attic heat from transferring down into the rest of your house. The right ventilation in your attic also allows heat to leave your attic rather than becoming trapped.
Many HVAC technicians can help you check on your attic vents and make sure that your air circulation is funcitoning properly to help keep your attic, and therefore the rest of your house, cool through the summer.
6) Check Your Ducts
Your ducts only need to be cleaned every three to five years, but it's a good idea to check them for damage or leaks. If your ducts have gaps, you can lose a significant amount of cooling efficiency over time. A quick inspection can determine if your ducts need repairs before the summer and efficient cooling becomes important.
7) Set Your Fans to Spin Counter-Clockwise
The last check to make sure your home is ready for the hot season is to set your ceiling fans spinning the right way. Due to the universal design of ceiling fans, the blades are tilted such that when the fan spins clockwise, warm air is pushed upward and then circulated around the room which is beneficial in the winter. In the summer, however, you want your fans spinning counter-clockwise.
This creates a cooling down-draft that helps to keep each room cool. Clockwise ceiling fans can help you to use less AC by making rooms feel cooler and encouraging evaporation of summer humidity. Every fan has a switch on the base
Getting Ready for Summer with Complete Heating and Air Conditioning
Complete Heating and Air Conditioning can help you get your entire home ready for hot weather. Before you turn on your air conditioning, let us clean your compressor and internal AC unit and tune up the components to make sure everything comes online with no damage and maximum efficiency. We can also help you put your heating unit to bed, whether you have a furnace, gas or electric heater.
In addition, we can help you make your home ready for cooling by checking your ventilation, your air balancing, and the condition of your ducts. Contact us today to get your home ready for summer with a maintenance tune-up before turning on your AC for the first time.
Closing Off Vents May Not Result in Energy Savings
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If you’re looking for some easy solutions that can help you with energy savings on your home cooling costs, you’ve probably heard and tried them all. Programmable thermostats (a good way to save), the right amount of insulation (that works, too) and even ensuring your air filters are clean. But one method that is tried by many homeowners may not actually save you money on energy costs. In fact, it can actually do the opposite.
Closing off the vents in your rooms is one method people try to implement when looking for ways to save money. Many homeowners think that by shutting off part of the flow of the cooled or heated air from their HVAC system, it means they’ll use less energy. However, this is not necessarily the case and damage can be done to your air conditioner or heat pump when you do this.
The covers for your room vents usually have sliders that move the louvers behind the grill. This helps you direct air flow into the room. Closing the louvers all the way won’t stop the air flow completely, and it will have a detrimental effect on the rest of your ventilation system by increasing the pressure in it.
If your heating or cooling system uses a variable-speed blower, closing off too many vents can force the furnace blower motor to speed up and start using more energy due to the increase in pressure inside the ductwork. This is certainly not a way to save energy. A standard single-speed fan doesn’t make the situation any better because less air is moved with an increase in pressure, so the rooms with open vents won’t experience proper comfort. This also lowers the efficiency of the air conditioner itself.
Other posible consequences include leaks in your duct system, frozen evaporator coils and possibly a damaged compressor.
If you're looking for a way to save money and energy not only with the upcoming summer season, but year round, contact us today.
Determining the Right Furnace Size for your Home
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If you are replacing an existing furnace or adding square footage to your home, either by renovating previously unused space or by building an addition, it’s a good idea to think about what size furnace will be best for your home. There are several factors that need to be considerd when choosing the correct size; purchasing the wrong size will negatively affect the efficiency and effectiveness of your heating system. Here are some important furnace factors to keep in mind for a new furnace installation:
Capacity
A furnace’s capacity describes the amount of space it can heat while maintaining optimum comfort and energy efficiency. When it comes to furnaces, bigger is not better; an over-sized furnace will be just as inefficient as one that is too small. A heating and cooling professional can assist by helping calculate the heat loss, or the amount of BTUs needed for the whole house.
Efficiency
An efficiency rating for a furnace indicates it ability to convert fuel into heat. The higher the rating, the less fuel is wasted out the furnace exhaust venting. Energy.gov indicates that high efficiency systems can have an efficiency rate of 90% - 98.5%.
Zoning Systems
Installing a zoning system with a new furnace is a smart way to get the most from the new unit. These systems divide your home into groups called zones that are each controlled by separate thermostats. Creating zones helps normalize temperatures by eliminating hot and cold spots throughout the home. And even better – zoning systems save money by using just the right amount of energy to maintain the comfort of your home.
Purchasing the right heating system is an important decision because it affects every room of your home. In British Columbia, an HVAC professional certified by TECA (Thermal Environmental Comfort Association) can help you determine exactly what size unit you will need to best suit your needs.
Smart Thermostats
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We live in an increasingly connected world, so it’s no surprise that internet,or smart, thermostat is a popular upgrade for many homeowners. A smart thermostat can help provide optimum comfort at home while controlling monthly utility expenses. Here are some additional advantages of having a smart thermostat installed in your home:
Remote Monitoring
Perhaps the most beneficial feature of a smart thermostat is the ability to access the heating and cooling system remotely. This allows a homeowner to monitor temperatures and make adjustments accordingly. This feature is especially useful during vacations or other periods of time where the home is left unattended.
Programmable
Like traditional thermostats, smart thermostats have the ability to follow pre-determined temperature changes. For example, some homeowners prefer to drop the temperature a few degrees during the night since everyone is tucked under blankets anyway. A smart thermostat expands on this by having the ability to follow multiple schedules based on the day. Temperatures can be set on an hourly basis if necessary and can be adjusted on the control panel or remotely using an accompanying smartphone app or web-based interface.
Monitoring and Notifications
Smart thermostats make it easy to monitor your system and keep it working well. Smart units often come with a complementing smartphone app that will notify you of regular maintenance of if there is a problem with your heating and cooling system. This makes the unit more dependable.
Not all heating and cooling systems are compatible with smart thermostats. Consult an HVAC professional to learn about what model best suits your needs and will work well with your existing system.
3 Tips for Energy Savings
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One of the most common reasons people install new heating and air conditioning systems in their homes is because the old models were just getting too expensive to maintain. Newer, sleeker models use less energy, are more efficient, and will keep your home at the temperature you want. However, if you're looking for some tricks that will give you energy savings in addition to cost savings, this list is a good place to start shaving down your energy bills.
Tip #1: Make Sure Your Cieling Fan is Turning The Right Way
Modern cieling fans can turn both clockwise and counterclockwise. The forward direction (counterclockwise) is the one you want in the summer, because it pushes air onto you to cool you off. The reverse direction (clockwise) pulls cooler air up, and forces the warmer air down against the walls and floor, helping you maintain a warming interior as long as the fan is kept on a low setting.
Tip #2: Unplug Devices You're Not Using
You might feel comfortable that if the TV is off, or if your cell phone isn't plugged into the charger, that you aren't wasting energy. However, if you notice there's a glowing light, then the machine in question is still drawing power. Unplug your chargers and devices when you aren't using them, or use a multi-strip to cut off several devices at once. You'll be surprised at how much less power you use at the end of the month.
Tip #3: Get A Programmable Thermostat
While they might seem like more trouble than they're worth, a programmable thermostat makes you a lot less likely to waste energy with your heating and air conditioning. For example, you might tell your furnace to go down ten or twenty degrees throughout the day while you're at work, and then to come on half an hour or so before you get home. That way your home is the temperature you like, but you haven't spent 8 hours or more keeping it warm for no one to enjoy.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Tankless Water Heaters
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As energy costs continue to increase, homeowners are constantly looking for greater energy efficiency without having to sacrifice performance. Since water heating is one the most expensive energy costs, it’s no surprise that tankless water heaters are regarded as a suitable alternative. Before making the switch, it’s important to recognize the advantages and disadvantages to an on-demand water heating system. Here’s what to consider:
Advantages
Tankless units operate only where there is a demand for hot water. This reduces energy costs because it does not need to continuously heat and maintain the temperature of stored water. Tankless water heaters reduce energy costs by up to 50%.
Go ahead and take that extra long shower! Because hot water is on demand, it is heated as soon as there is a need. Tankless units never run out of hot water.
Tankless units can come with enhanced safety features that monitor water pressure, temperature, and flow.
Disadvantages
A tankless water heater costs about twice as much as a standard tank heater. The tankless unit comes with long-term savings, but the initial cost may be too much for some homeowners to pay up front.
Tankless systems may require higher installation costs, especially if existing water lines and piping need to be retrofitted. This can be difficult and costly, depending on the size of the home, number of bathrooms, etc.
Because tankless units have high-powered burners, they require special venting. This further adds to the cost of installation.
Installing a tankless water heater is not a do-it-yourself home improvement job. If you are interested in learning more about water heater replacement options, connect with us. We have the experience and the skills necessary to recommend and install whatever water heating solution you choose.
A Lack of Air Flow
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What's wrong with this Kenmore air conditioner installation? It's installed far too close to the wall beside it.
Starting to load up yet another truckload of furnaces and air conditioners at the Lennox warehouse. It's been a busy year for us in Abbotsford - with no signs of slowing down.
New Lennox and Aire-Flo high-efficiency furnaces
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This year's lineup of new Lennox and Aire-Flo high-efficiency furnaces is now on display at the Lennox distribution facility. Due to increased technology, all of the Lennox / Aire-Flo furnaces are now only 33" tall.
Air Conditioner Considerations
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Central Air Conditioning is such a normal part of day-to-day life sometimes we give it little thought. We simply expect comfort in our homes and offices regardless of the temperature outdoors. HVAC contractors are as diverse as the equipment they install. They must know how to properly choose and install a system that will take care of your needs efficiently and maintain your standard of living.
Consider the many HVAC systems designed for the home. They include:
Split Systems
Heat Pump Splits
Package Units
Gas Packs
Packaged Terminal Air Conditioners
Ductless Splits
Room Air Units
How do they know which units to install for your particular needs? These HVAC professionals take many things into consideration. Here are a few of the things they factor in:
How large is the building?
How high are the ceilings?
How much insulation is in the building?
How many people are in the building at the maximum?
How is the building positioned?
Is there shade or are there other buildings that shelter the building from the weather?
How much glass does the building contain?
Once they have this data, they can decide the size and type of system the building needs.
In the a/c industry, a ton of air conditioning is 12,000 BTU. This means a one-ton unit removes 12,000 BTU of heat from the indoor air per hour. The (very loose) general formula is, you need one ton of air conditioning for every 1,000 square foot of space. Of course, the above-mentioned factors can change that figure.
People make the mistake of thinking a larger the HVAC system is always better. That is not true. While a unit that is too small will not cool the area, a unit that is too large will short cycle continually and shorten the life and the efficiency of the unit. You need the correct size; not a bigger system and not a smaller system.
Lack of maintenance causes more system failures than any other issue. Many people do not sign-up for the service plans when buying their HVAC system. HVAC systems require service and maintenance at a minimum of once a year. Most HVAC dealers will offer a maintenance service agreement when they install or repair a system. No matter how new or how old a system is, it requires maintenance. The cost of service is much less than replacing the system due to neglect.
With these basic facts about air conditioning service, you can choose a qualified and knowledgeable HVAC company for installation and future service needs. Building a relationship with a qualified HVAC dealer just makes sense.
Questions? Please contact Complete Heating and Air Conditioning Service today.
Hot Water Heaters and Hard Water Do Not Go Together
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If you have hard water, usually only present in well water here in BC, you probably don't want to hear that hot water heaters and hard water are not usually the best of friends. Unfortunately, however, the one thing that lowers the efficiency of water heaters and increases its operating costs is hard water. We'll explain.
Gas Water Heater
If you have a gas water heater, the lime settles to the bottom of the tank and creates a layer that heat must pass through to heat the water. The layer of lime accumulates over time, eventually reducing the overall efficiency of the heater. It'll also increase costs through longer heating cycles, and eventually, the capacity of the water heater tank is reduced.
Electric water heaters find lime building up on the heating elements in addition to settling to the bottom of the tank. This also means a reduction in efficiency, an increase in operating costs and a reduction in capacity. On-demand, or tankless, water heaters can also have scale formation inside of the heat exchanger.
Flushing the Water Heater
If you have lime build-up in your water heater won't do much to remove the lime that has built-up in the tank. If you flush the water heater, the force of the water helps to remove some of the lime built-up on the bottom of the tank.
To flush a water heater, connect a garden hose to the drain valve that's on the bottom of the water heater, and then open the valve. In order for this to be effective, you'll want to do this about every three months, or depending on how hard the water is. Tankless water heaters often have a flushing kit installed to facilitate cleaning of the internal components.
Even though you might use your thermostat on a daily basis to control the temperature of your home, it might not be a component of your HVAC system that you think about very often. After all, as long as it does its job of controlling your heating and air conditioning system, you might not think that there is a need to buy a new one. However, there are a few reasons why you might want to upgrade to a new thermostat for your home.
1. Get a More Modern Look
First of all, if your thermostat is outdated, it can serve as quite an eyesore on your wall. By installing a new, modern thermostat, you can freshen up the look of the wall that your thermostat is displayed on.
2. Save on Your Heating and Cooling Bills
Did you know that a new thermostat can actually help you save money on your heating and cooling bills? With a programmable thermostat, you can make sure that you aren't heating and cooling your home when nobody is home but can ensure that your home will be at a comfortable temperature during the hours that the home is occupied. It's a great way to cut costs while ensuring that your family is comfortable when it's most important.
3. Make Taking Care of Your HVAC Unit a Breeze
Many new thermostats are designed to make HVAC use and maintenance easier. For example, some include reminders when your unit needs to be serviced or when you need to replace your filter. Installing a new thermostat that has these types of reminders can make HVAC care easy and stress-free while encouraging you to take better care of your unit.
As you can see, installing a new, modern thermostat in your home can be a great idea. Luckily, if you contact us at Complete Heating and Air Conditioning Services, we can tell you more about your options.
Can You Void Your Air Conditioning Manufacturers Warranty?
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Smart customers choose high-quality HVAC equipment, installed by trained professionals for the comfort of their homes. With top of the line equipment, comes top of the line warranty coverage. Manufacturers know that their equipment will stand the test of time and they stand behind it. As with any machinery, proper care of the equipment is necessary. Neglect or abuse of any name brand HVAC system will cause damage and could void the manufacturers warranty. It is important that the customer follows the warranty guidelines in order to keep their system warranty intact. Consider the following:
Manufacturers have varying amounts of control over who installs their equipment; most higher-end brands only sell their equipment to licensed, qualified, dealers. Allowing non-qualified dealers to work on the system can void the warranty.
Allowing repairs with sub-standard parts will void most warranties. HVAC equipment works together as a system. Replacing part of that system with low-quality components puts a strain on the other components.
Proper maintenance keeps a system in good operating order. This includes regular checks, cleaning, and service. helping to ensure that minor problems remain minor problems. Keep your receipts to show that you have properly cared for the system. Lack of maintenance will often void your warranty.
It is very easy to register your equipment with the manufacturer. Online registration is common and the information you need is on your receipt. Neglecting to register your system may cause loss of warranty.
Always check with your HVAC Professional regarding the warranty of your system. They will protect your system, and provide you with the most affordable and effective repairs.
Can You Void Your Air Conditioning Manufacturers Warranty?
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Smart customers choose high-quality HVAC equipment, installed by trained professionals for the comfort of their homes. With top of the line equipment, comes top of the line warranty coverage. Manufacturers know that their equipment will stand the test of time and they stand behind it. As with any machinery, proper care of the equipment is necessary. Neglect or abuse of any name brand HVAC system will cause damage and could void the manufacturers warranty. It is important that the customer follows the warranty guidelines in order to keep their system warranty intact. Consider the following:
Manufacturers have varying amounts of control over who installs their equipment; most higher-end brands only sell their equipment to licensed, qualified, dealers. Allowing non-qualified dealers to work on the system can void the warranty.
Allowing repairs with sub-standard parts will void most warranties. HVAC equipment works together as a system. Replacing part of that system with low-quality components puts a strain on the other components.
Proper maintenance keeps a system in good operating order. This includes regular checks, cleaning, and service. helping to ensure that minor problems remain minor problems. Keep your receipts to show that you have properly cared for the system. Lack of maintenance will often void your warranty.
It is very easy to register your equipment with the manufacturer. Online registration is common and the information you need is on your receipt. Neglecting to register your system may cause loss of warranty.
Always check with your HVAC Professional regarding the warranty of your system. They will protect your system, and provide you with the most affordable and effective repairs.
Ductless Air Conditioning Systems: What Are They and Why Do I Want One?
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As the summer weather is appearing again, there are days when the heat and humidity will be uncomfortable. While we are lucky to live in a climate that is comfortable a good deal of the time, there are weeks when it would be nice to have air conditioning in your home or business.
Many people think high-capacity air conditioning isn't an option for them because they don't have ductwork. In buildings with hot water baseboards, radiant floor heat, or other non-forced-air systems, putting in air conditioning seems cost prohibitive. But with newer ductless systems, it is not only possible, but a really great choice.
Ductless air conditioners, often called mini-splits, have two different parts. An outdoor compressor/condenser and the inside air handler, which is mounted to a wall or ceiling. They are connected by a conduit which houses the electrical wiring, refrigerant piping and a condensate drain.
Since the compressor is outdoors, the unit is very quiet. Many people assume these are only glorified window units, but you won't hear the motor at all, only the faint sound of blowing air.
Another benefit is the efficiency of these systems. When installed with multiple indoor air handlers, they automatically create cooling zones because each indoor unit has its own thermostat, so you can have different areas at their own unique temperatures. If certain rooms don't need to be cooled at certain times, you don't have to run that indoor unit. Depending on the system, you can hook up to 4 indoor air handlers to one outdoor compressor.
If you would like to have the option of air conditioning in the warm summer months, but don't have air ducts, you still have the option of installing a ductless system. They are efficient, quiet, and will keep you comfortable even on the hottest summer day. For more information about these systems, contact us.
Starting to load up yet another truckload of furnaces and air conditioners at the Lennox warehouse. It's been a busy year for us in Abbotsford - with no signs of slowing down.
This year's lineup of new Lennox and Aire-Flo high-efficiency furnaces is now on display at the Lennox distribution facility. Due to increased technology, all of the Lennox / Aire-Flo furnaces are now only 33" tall.
