Taking a Closer Look at Your Energy Bill
It's winter, and it's been cold outside. That's why this week is a good time to stop and take a closer look at your energy bill. It's important to go over your energy expenses regularly, in order to ensure that you are not spending too much money in places where you could be saving, and in order to have better understanding and control over your finances. Taking a Closer Look at Your Energy Bill Now, every home energy bill is different. There are so many factors to take into consideration: the size of the home, the level of consumption, the number of people living there, the available systems and appliances, the hobbies and activities of people in the home - just to name a few of the varying considerations. It is important to factor these things in as well, so keep it in mind when comparing your energy bill to others. According to Energy Star: Nearly half of your energy bill goes to the heating and cooling of your home. This means that a majority of your energy expenditure is being spent on temperature control in your home. This is why a programmable thermostat is a great tool to help cut costs, and an important area to focus on when trying to save money. Since heating is more expensive than cooling in Canada, winter is the time of year when you can really save the most. Also make sure that your vents are cleaned and clear, and that your home is properly insulated. About 1/4 of your energy bill is used by lighting and major appliances. This includes lighting fixtures and lamps, as well as washers, dryers, dishwashers, fridges, microwaves, ovens, as well as other appliances including miscellaneous kitchen appliances. Simply by using them less, and turning them off when not in use, you can help lower costs. About 1/8 of your energy bill is spent on heating water for your home. This is a difficult one to save money on, because hot water is really a necessity. However, by taking shorter showers, and conserving water when reasonable and possible, you can help yourself save. Also, upgrading your old hot water tank will go a long way. About 1/20 of your energy bill is consumed by your electrical devices. This is everything from your television to your computer and other gizmos and gadgets. There's not much savings to be had here, but it never hurts to look for energy efficient options. The remainder is spent on various other devices, including external power, telephones, ceiling fans and ventilation systems, and standby voltage for systems plugged in but not turned on. So now that you have a better understanding of where energy is spent on the average home, it can help you to save money by making small changes that will cut costs across your energy bill for big savings this winter. And don't forget that Pro Ace heating is available for information and to answer questions for free. Call us at 604-293-3770 if you need advice or have a question about HVAC systems.What to do in a Home Heating Emergency
Steps to Take in a Home Heating Emergency Winter is here in full force, as heavy snowfalls have come to Vancouver. And while it is something that no one would ever want to happen, it is important to consider the proper course of action in a home heating emergency during winter. Being able to stay calm and focused, and take the proper and immediate steps to minimize and repair the damage will go a long way to protect your home and your wallet. Now, it should go without saying that prevention is always the best measure. Home heating systems, water boilers, furnaces, or other major heating system, should all be serviced regularly. Service inspections are perfect for identifying potential problems and taking care of them before they get out of hand. With Pro Ace's 40 point tablet checklist, you can get a detailed report about your system, and ensure it is ready to go another year without problems. And a regular service inspection is less expensive than an emergency repair call. But emergencies do happen, and a sudden problem or failure can happen to anyone. When you have a home heating emergency, just take a moment and remember the do's and don'ts to follow: First, don't panic. While a home heating emergency can be a serious inconvenience, it shouldn't be a cause for hysteria. By staying calm and on top of the problem, you will be able to resolve it faster and easier than if you lose your focus or panic. Next, do try to identify the problem - if you can. Not everyone is an expert on home heating systems, but if you have any idea what went wrong, it can help the repair technician get to the source of the problem faster and easier. And don't worry if you have no idea what is broken. If you aren't sure what part of your heating system stopped working, you can call Pro Ace Heating and speak to a professional. By describing your situation he should be able to identify the problem and get moving towards a solution. Do be prepared. It is always a great idea to have extra jackets, boots, flashlights, candles, and blankets around, to help keep warm while you wait for the emergency repairman to arrive and solve the problem. These things will help you stay warm. Don't procrastinate. A heating emergency in winter is something that cannot wait to be fixed. If you try to hold off on repairs for days, there is a serious risk of your pipes freezing, causing permanent damage and requiring expensive repairs. This is the reason you follow the next, most important DO below. DO call Pro Ace Heating. Pro Ace Heating provided 24/7 emergency heating service, a trained and licensed expert can be on hand ready to assist you even in the middle of the night. By calling 604-293-3770, you can be sure that you are getting an true professional sent to your home, who will solve your heating problem and get you back to living warm and comfortably in no time.Fifteen Reasons to Clean Your Air Ducts
Fifteen Reasons to Clean Your Air Ducts What are the health benefits of cleaning your airducts? Air ducts need to be cleaned out regularly in order to ensure the well being of your home and comfort. Pro Ace is happy to provide the service at a fair and reasonable price. Fifteen reasons why you should have your duct system cleaned by Pro Ace: 1) Remove water and moisture buildup from air conditioner 2) Remove water from leaky pipes and discover source of leak 3) Remove soot and ash from your air circulation (especially if there has been a recent fire nearby) 4) Clean out dirt and dust buildup to help keep air clean 5) Increase air flow through your home, making temperatures more stable and balanced 6) Allows major appliances to operate more efficiently and use less energy 7) Reduce the amount of allergens in your home 8) Remove mold or fungus in duct system - especially in damp climates 9) Clears out any large foreign objects or debris in duct system 10) Removes any pests, animals, or insects from duct system 11) Increases life of HVAC systems by letting them operate more efficiently 12) Ensures that air circulates evenly to every room of your home 13) Inspects duct system for damages or any needed repairs 14) Prevents clogs that block air flow to parts of your home 15) Fast, easy, and affordable Learn more about the benefits of airduct cleaning from our website. To set up your appointment for an air duct cleaning, contact Pro Ace Heating today, at 604-293-3770.Pro Ace Heating CTV review: Vancouver's HVAC Service Leaders
Pro Ace Heating CTV Review: Vancouver's HVAC Service Leaders Pro Ace Heating maintains a strong presence in the Vancouver media; most recently, the Pro Ace Heating CTV Review showcases our industry leading HVAC and mechanical services expertise for Vancouver and the Vancouver Area. You have likely seen Pro Ace advertisements in newspapers and in the mail. We maintain a website and cutting edge YouTube channel to help people with their home heating. And now you can check out the excellent Pro Ace Heating CTV review for the latest scoop on us! This Pro Ace Heating CTV Review illustrates how, in the modern and competitive HVAC field, we've worked hard to become one of the best and most trusted names in the industry. And we know it is important to spread the word, and let people know what makes Pro Ace stand out in the Vancouver HVAC services community. With unique patented tablet technology, Pro Ace offers home inspections that are second to none. The tablet system means our trained HVAC experts never miss a step, and offer a detailed report when they have finished. Combined with the friendly expertise of the Pro Ace staff, and the Pro Ace satisfaction guarantee - it's a winning combination. If you haven't had the chance yet, please do check out the Pro Ace Heating CTV Review. And of course, call Pro Ace Heating at 604-293-3770, or visit us at one of our many Vancouver and lower mainland locations, for your HVAC and Mechanical services.Vancouver HVAC Experts: Licensed with Fortis BC and the BC Safety Authority
Vancouver HVAC Experts: Licensed with Fortis BC and the BC Safety Authority The importance of hiring a qualified company with HVAC experts to service your home cannot be overstated. Having a proven HVAC experts work on your system is crucial, and means the difference between a proper installation or repair, and a disaster. Part of what makes Pro Ace Heating Vancouver's HVAC experts is that we are licensed with Fortis BC and the BC Safety Authority for all of our operations. And every one of our technicians has a class-A or class-B gas fitting license, and years of education and experience to compliment the certificate. Plus our 40-point home inspection program is even more detailed and in depth than the one used by Fortis BC. All of our installations and repairs are done to manufacturer specifications. New installations come with warranty, and our quality of work is guaranteed. Call Pro Ace Heating at 604-293-3770 or visit one of our many Vancouver and lower mainland locations.Going Green with Your Home Heating System | Pro Ace Heating, Vancouver BC
Going Green with Your Home Heating System Going green isn’t only about preserving the planet and our environment, but it is also about saving money. Vancouver's leading HVAC service and repair, Pro Ace, is here to provide you with a plethora of options to ‘Go Green’ with your home heating and cooling. These ideas are great for reducing your energy consumption, which will help the planet and also save you money. Follow all our Money Saving Energy Tips: It’s win-win! Ensure that your home is properly insulated! Whether cold air leaking outside from the air conditioner in the summer, or warm air escaping in the winter – proper insulation in your home means that you use less energy to keep your house at the desired temperature. High efficiency heating appliances! Make sure that your next furnace, boiler, water tank, and other HVAC appliance is high efficiency. High efficiency products are often a little more expensive when you first buy them, but save you money back on energy bills over their lifetime. Programmable thermostat! This one is simple and convenient – a programmable thermostat can automatically turn heat down at certain times, for when you are out of your home. It will keep energy bills down and your home at the desired temperature when you want it. Cleaning your air ducts! Air ducts are dramatically less efficient when they get more and more filled over time, allowing less air to pass through. By cleaning them out, you increase the efficiency of your HVAC system. This goes for dryer ducts as well for your laundry machine. Consider a tankless water heater! Tankless water heater systems heat water directly en route to the faucet, rather than constantly consuming energy to keep a supply of water heated. This is more efficient and saves energy. Tankless systems also last much longer than conventional water tanks, so you don’t need to replace them every six years. Heat Pumps! Heat pumps take outside air and convert it into warm or cool air for your home. They are incredibly efficient, using electricity instead of gas to do the conversion, and work great in moderate climates (like right here in the lower mainland). Heat pumps can dramatically reduce the amount of work that your furnace has to do for most months of the year, while keeping your home comfortable. Keep your HVAC systems properly maintained! This means a regular tune-up from a trained technician, who will diligently ensure that your machine is working properly and effectively. By keeping all your devices in top working order, you will be making sure that everything is as efficient and energy-saving as possible for your system. There’s lots of other ways to go green around your home, but we hope that we gave you some ideas. Efficiency is the name of the game, not only to relieve pressure on the power grid and gas supplies, but also to keep those monthly bills low. And the benefits will be evident in your home as well, with modern efficient systems and the benefits of cutting edge HVAC technology at your disposal. If you need heating or cooling HVAC services anywhere in the Greater Vancouver area you can: Call Pro Ace Heating at 604-293-3770 for 24/7 heater or air-conditioner repairs; Contact us online here ; or Visit one of our many Vancouver lower mainland locations listed here.Why a Ductless HVAC System? | Vancouver's Pro Ace Heating Tips
Why a Ductless System? This is a question that comes up often, whether designing a new space (such as an add-on for your home) or finding a heating or cooling solution for an existing area (such as a commercial office): what are the benefits of a ductless heating system? The long and short of it is this: more often than not, ductless systems generally are not as beneficial as having proper air ducts installed and attaching the space to the existing central heating and cooling system. However, there are a great many reasons why this may be impractical, or simply impossible. There are also some units where a ductless system actually is the more efficient choice, and can provide an effective solution without having to install and maintain air ducts or ventilation. One obvious scenario is for a new home addition, such as a new room built onto your existing house. The cost of extending the air ducts all the way into this room might not be practical or affordable for everyone. What’s more, your furnace might not be designed for the new additional cubic feet of room added to the existing space. The result might be an overworked furnace, which could lead to inefficiencies, higher heating bills, and even costly repair bills if something goes wrong. In these situations, it is simply easier, safer, and less expensive to have a ductless heating or cooling system installed into the new room or add-on. This way, the room can benefit from temperate HVAC control, by having its own separate system. Another likely reason is for situations where air duct systems are impractical, impossible, or unnecessary. There are many situations to which this might apply. Temporary facilities, such as those you might find on a construction site, have no need for a permanent air duct system for heating. There may also be hard to reach or isolated offices or rooms that would require a great length of ductwork to reach, especially in industrial facilities. These make great places for ductless systems, which are easier to install and more affordable. Further, there are situations in which a ductless system might be more convenient, even if only for a shorter term. Smaller spaces can benefit greatly, where ductless systems can be effective. This might include entire floors of a house, or a basement, and are an option when only specific areas need heating or cooling. This is especially true for ductless cooling systems, which can help keep a living room cool in the summer without needing to worry about other rooms of the house. There are numerous other situations where a ductless heating or cooling system might be an option, and even beneficial, but it all depends on the situation. Luckily, you can call the experts at Pro Ace, anytime, to get professional opinions and advice on ductless HVAC systems and whether or not they are right for you. Get in touch with Pro Ace technicians by calling 604-293-3770 or online, and see if a ductless system would suit your needs.Let’s Talk About HVAC Air Filters| Vancouver's Pro Ace Heating Tips
Let’s Talk About HVAC Air Filters Air filters are an important part of many HVAC systems, and there are several different types of air filters that you can use, each with benefits and drawbacks. Air filters are not only about helping keep large particles out of the air, but also, more importantly, about protecting your HVAC equipment from debris that might clog or otherwise harm the system. Depending on the type of filter, you are supposed to check them regularly. This may be anywhere from monthly to quarterly, or other intervals. But it is something to remember to do often. Your technician will also check and clean or replace the air filter when he/she comes around for your annual service inspection – an important part of maintenance. Disposable filters are the least expensive, usually, but are often not very efficient. While they may make a good shorter term solution, the money will start to show as you buy additional replacement filters. As well, with any decrease in efficiency, energy bills will go up, so the cost can be squeezing you on that end as well. However, disposable filters are convenient in that there is very little effort required on your end. Simply toss the dirty filter away at the end of the month, and replace it with a new one. Permanent filters, on the other hand, last for many years, often even for the lifetime of your machine. They are usually quite efficient, often much more so than disposable filters, giving you the long term benefit of reduced energy bills and a better functioning HVAC system. There are a variety of different types and makes and models, such as electrostatic filters and fiberglass filters all of which require regular cleaning. Cleaning is not a difficult or time consuming process, but it is important to stay on top of it and remember to get it done regularly. Check the filter manual or manufacturer details for the exact amount of time you should allow between cleaning the filter, and for the proper method to clean your filter. The filter is usually located in an easy-to-find, easy-to-reach part of the system, near the fan and the duct. If you cannot remember how long it has been since you last cleaned the filter, you can pull it out and check. You should be able to tell whether it is clean or not simply by looking at it. Filters are often an under-appreciated part of your HVAC system that helps keep them running properly. Even high grade air filters are not very expensive, and can have a very positive effect on your machines performance. If you are curious about information regarding air filters, you can always contact an expert from Pro Ace to get more information. Learn how different types of filters work, and how they can benefit your home heating or cooling units. Sometimes the most expensive filter isn’t even the best option for you, so simply understanding the benefits that different filters provide can give you comfort and confidence in your HVAC system.New Construction Project HVAC Checklist | Vancouver's Pro Ace Heating Tips
New Construction Project HVAC Checklist Whether you are new to Vancouver, simply building your first home, moving to a new location, or reconstructing – there are a number of HVAC considerations to keep in mind for any new construction project. HVAC systems are an important part of any building, so it is important to understand some of the decisions that will be presented to you for HVAC details. Of course, the very best way to do this is to contact a Pro Ace Heating professional for a free consultation (604-293-3770), who would be happy to walk you through everything. With a free cost estimate and a detailed breakdown of your options, a Pro Ace expert can help you build the home of your dreams. However, we’re happy to discuss some of the basics right here on this blog so that you have an idea of what can be done and the considerations for you when building your home. One important decision is what type, model, and design of central heating unit you want for your home. High efficiency furnaces are a great choice, but you might also prefer a mid-efficiency or high-efficiency boiler, depending on the location and design of your home. It’s also important to plan for a good location to place the furnace or boiler system, where it is in an effective location to distribute warm air across the house, but also out of the way of central living areas so as not to be intrusive. You can also have a heat loss calculation done to check for how efficient a system will ultimately be in your new home. The next consideration is the hot water tank. Again, usually located near the furnace, and available in a variety of designs and models. However, one option to consider is a tankless water heater system. Very common in Europe; this design in catching on in North America as well. Having a longer life expectancy than a normal hot water tank, and being more energy efficient by heating the water en route to the faucet, they make a great choice to modernize a new home with the latest technology. You also want to consider other HVAC systems as well, such as air conditioning units, heat pumps, and even ductless systems for isolated areas or specific designs. These systems, while not required, can help provide additional comfort benefits by keeping you in total control of the temperature and climate inside your home, whether hot, cold, or somewhere in between. Lastly, you also may want to consider Pro Ace in Vancouver for the ductwork, piping, and plumbing. This is best left to the experts, but it should be something to keep in mind for the basic design of your home. Having too long a duct system, or one with too many twists and turns can be problematic, and dramatically reduce the efficiency of your HVAC systems, so it helps to plan ahead. We hope this has been a helpful overview for some of the things to keep in mind for all new HVAC systems in a new construction project. Make your next home a comfortable one! Please don't hesitate to contact Pro Ace Heating for a free consultation!Vancouver Carpet Cleaners: Spring Cleaning with Pro Ace Home Cleaning
Vancouver Carpet Cleaners: Spring Cleaning with Pro Ace Home Cleaning Spring is here, which means one thing for most of us: spring cleaning. But have no fear, Ace Carpet Cleaning is here to help you take care of your spring cleaning this year. Ace Carpet Cleaning has fantastic Vancouver special offers going on now that you wont want to miss. Get your carpets cleaned with Pro Ace Home Cleaning and our patented Apple Enzyme solution - which will leave your carpets cleaner and fresher than ever. Eliminate those dust mites that have been building up over the winter, and eliminate even difficult stains with our powerful steam cleaning. But that's not all. You will want to get your air ducts cleaned with Pro Ace! This is an affordable process, and a simple way to dramatically boost the effectiveness of your air conditioner and HVAC systems. Not only that, but it will help to keep your indoor air clean and healthy. Pro Ace is the name that you trust for quality home cleaning done right, at a reasonable price. We value customer satisfaction, and have great special offers that you wont want to miss this spring! Call Pro Ace Home Cleaning today, and let us get spring carpet cleaning started early for you!
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