Monday, December 17, 2012

Bringing It Up a Notch with Heating from Burnaby



Some areas in the British Columbia could experience uncharacteristically frigid winters for this part of Canada. Burnaby, in particular, receives about 30 cm of snow from December into January, with sub-zero temperatures not uncommon. When the conditions outside get too frigid, residents remain indoors, and try to keep themselves warm and alive.

Traditionally, keeping warm meant building a fire and huddling close to it. But times have changed; and technology has provided alternate means of generating comfortable and controllable warmth. With modern solutions for heating in Burnaby, residents of Greater Vancouver no longer need to stoke logs in their fireplaces to get through the winter.

A contemporary heating system is typically one of two types. The first type consists of a furnace that warms air and then circulates it around the home via a series of air ducts. The second kind is a water boiler that pumps the water to radiators that are strategically located around the home; this type is handy in that it also provides hot water for personal use.

Like any mechanical contraption, these heating systems are only as effective as their present condition allows them to be. The equipment needs to be serviced every once in a while to ensure optimum performance. Such fixtures are usually delicate devices that shouldn’t be tinkered with by inexperienced hands. Thus, homeowners who find their heating system malfunctioning should call upon a professional HVAC handyman, like those from Milani Heating and Plumbing.

However qualified HVAC personnel are not only necessary to repair things. They should also be called in for regular cleaning and maintenance. The local HVAC specialist can accomplish air duct cleaning in Vancouver or in any other part of British Columbia to ensure that the warm air flows properly without posing any health risk from substances harbored by the air and ducting system. The service can also check a boiler’s pipes for any leaks, and should be able to attend to such issues quickly.

British Columbia’s winters may not be as harsh as the ones further up north, but they can still be uncomfortable without ample home heating. Suffering from hypothermia while indoors due to the absence of heating isn’t something to be proud of. Every home in the area should be well-equipped for the winter months with ample and properly maintained home heating systems.

Friday, December 14, 2012

Marvel of Modern Home Technology: Get to Know the Energy-Efficient Heat Pumps in Vancouver Homes

In the past few years, home heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems have significantly evolved into more energy-efficient, less bulky and practical versions of their antiquated predecessors. Now, if you’re looking for an effective piece of HVAC technology that can both warm and cool your home without breaking the bank or hurting the environment, it’s time that you turn your attention to heat pumps in Vancouver.

 

How Heat Pumps Work

When trying to analyze how a heat pump functions, it’s best to imagine your refrigerator, which takes the warm air from its interior and transfers this to the coils at the back. The heating system of heat pumps is like the coils at the back of your fridge. This process of heating your home can be reversed during hot weather to give you a cool ambient temperature.

 

Common Types

The most popular heat pumps are the air-source, ground-source, and water-source types. Air-source heat pumps basically extract heat from surrounding air and transfer it to your home, which is contrary to how air conditioners cool a building. In similar fashion, ground and water-source heat pumps absorb heat from the ground or a body of water, and utilize refrigerants in its pipes to alter the source’s temperature to comfortable levels.

 

 Pros and Cons

Since heat pumps generate heat without burning fuel, they are generally considered “greener” than other types of furnaces or heaters. So, if you wish to heat up or cool your home efficiently and enjoy energy savings, heat pumps are your best bet. However, one of the primary limitations of heat pumps is the fact that they are a bit ineffective if you live in an area where temperatures often fall below freezing.

 

What to Look For in a Heat Pump

Shopping for a heat pump means that you have to know about seasonal energy efficiency rating (SEER) and heating seasonal performance factor (HSFP). Opt for heat pumps with higher SEER and HSFP ratings as well as those with dual-mode or scroll compressors, which last longer and work better.

If you wish to know more about heat pumps and maybe even have one installed in your home, consult professionals from established companies like Milani Plumbing, Drainage & Heating. Indeed, they don’t just offer services for drain cleaning in Vancouver, they also carry a wide selection of heat pumps for you to choose from.