Ventilation tips
Ventilation increases the amount of outdoor air that comes indoors. It removes stale indoor air and reduces indoor air pollutants. Ventilation also helps limit the build-up of indoor moisture which can contribute to mould growth.
Open windows and doors;
Turn on kitchen or bathroom exhaust fans. Bathroom and kitchen fans remove pollutants directly from the room where they are created; and
Choose new designs. More and more homes now have mechanical systems that bring outdoor air indoors. Some of these systems are energy-efficient and include heat recovery ventilators, so you should look at all of the available options.
Mechanical Ventilation Systems
Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems perform these important tasks:
They bring fresh air indoors;
They vent stale air outside;
They circulate the air throughout the building; and
They control temperature and humidity levels.
Note: Not all HVAC systems are designed to accomplish all of the functions above. Many homes and buildings, particularly older ones, do not have mechanical ventilation systems.
For more information visit www.jcjmechanicalinc.com or call 647 833-8116
Heating Tips
Here are some low- and no-cost ideas of things you can do to reduce the amount of energy it takes to heat your house.
- Make sure heat vents and return air vents aren’t covered.
- Change your fiber furnace filter twice a year and clean it monthly during the heating season.
- Set the thermostat at a maximum of 68 degrees.
- Set back the thermostat a maximum of 10 degrees at night, unless you have a heat pump or cable heat. Save up to three percent on heating costs for every degree your thermostat is lowered.
- Consider installing an automatic setback thermostat for your furnace.
If you have zonal heating (thermostats in each room) you can turn down the heat to 50 or 55 degrees and close doors. - If you suspect your thermostat is not accurate, place a thermometer nearby and see if they record the same number.
- Don’t use the oven to heat your kitchen.
- Weatherstrip and caulk around all doors and windows.
- Keep dampers closed when fireplace isn’t in use. Unblocked, a good chimney can draw up to 20 percent of the warm air out of the house each hour.
- In cold weather, keep drapes and shades open on sunny days and close them at night.
- Repair broken or cracked glass and putty older windows; check to see that windows close properly and window locks pull sashes together.
- Make sure doors close properly; repair or replace non-working doorknobs, latches and striker plates.
- Caulk foundation cracks and openings. Make sure kitchen and bathroom vent dampers close properly.
- Install automatic setback thermostats that adjust the heat to your schedule.
- Routinely have a professional contractor perform a pre-season check-up. Having your air conditioner inspected and tuned can save you money on costs and prevent premature breakdown.
- Schedule your tune-ups early in the spring. You’ll have more scheduling flexibility, and you will be less likely to experience problems during warmer weather.
- Clean your drain lines: The hoses connected to your furnace can develop “build up” inside them over time. If it gets bad enough, water can back up into the furnace and cause damage.
- Change the batteries in your digital thermostat annually: People forget that their digital thermostat has batteries in it. If you get in the habit of changing the batteries annually, you can eliminate a no-heat situation.
For more Heating Tips visit www.jcjmechanicalinc.com or call 647 833-8116
