Does it Pay to use a Programmable Thermostat?

Most people are familiar with thermostats that can be programmed to adjust the temperature of your home at night when you are asleep, or during the day when you are at work. In the heating season, you can program down the temperature when you are asleep or away from home. In the summer time, you can program the temperature higher when you are away.

Many homes still have simple thermostats that people adjust manually. Many other homes have programmable thermostats that the home owner does not know how to use. Most of these are set at the same temperature level all day long.

People often do not believe there is any savings from adjusting the thermostat for a few hours. They believe that it takes more energy to heat up the house when they get home (or cool down the house in the summer). According to this theory, it’s better to just maintain the home at a constant temperature.

In 2005, the Canadian Centre for Housing Technology did a study to find out if there were any savings using programmable thermostats. This Federal Government department has a research facility in Ottawa with two identical homes built in 1998. The homes are typical of many subdivision houses. They have two floors, with a two car garage and basement. They are built to the R-2000 standard, typical in most newer homes in Canada, with natural gas furnaces.

In one of the homes, for the winter test, the thermostat was set back to 18°C (64.4°F) from 11:00PM until 6:00AM. The temperature was also set back from 9:00AM to 4:00PM. The morning and evening normal temperature was set at 22°C (71.6°F).

The second home was set at a constant 22°C (71.6°F). The home with the programmable thermostat used 10% less gas and 1.9% less hydro. The hydro savings result from the furnace fan not running as much.

For the summer test, the home with the programmable thermostat had the temperature set higher to 25°C (77°F) from 9:00AM to 4:00PM every day. This produced a hydro saving of 10.7%.

This study dispelled the myth and made it quite clear that a programmable thermostat can pay for itself very quickly.

Today’s WiFi thermostats offer home owners even more reasons to upgrade. They are far easier to program than the earlier generation of thermostats. You can adjust your thermostat using your smart phone.

If you are away on vacation and forgot to turn down the heat, you can do it remotely. They also offer peace of mind. You can set them up to notify you if your furnace stops working when you are away.

The Hayter Group features WiFi thermostats by Ecobee and Honeywell. Furnaces, air conditioners, heat pumps and humidifiers can all be controlled by a modern thermostat. It’s more important than ever to have a professional installation to insure that your equipment is compatible with your thermostat.

You can enjoy a new thermostat controlled from your smart phone. If you are not currently automatically setting your thermostat when you are away, the new stat will pay for itself.

Chad Hayter

The Hayter Group

What are VOC’s? What is IAQ?

You’ve probably come across the acronym VOC if you’ve purchased paint lately. Volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) are a group of chemicals that contain carbon and hydrogen.

VOC’s are a very important factor in IAQ (Indoor Air Quality). VOC’s leak into your home’s air from a variety of sources including:

• cigarette smoke
• air fresheners
• particle board in furniture and cabinets
• paint and varnishes
• glue
• gasoline and other fuels
• household cleaning products
• carpets and under pads
• foam cushions and mattresses

Many of these sources are commonly found in all homes. Indoor Air Quality is also impacted by biological pollutants like mould, bacteria and dust mites.

Health Canada estimates that Canadians spend 90% of their time indoors. This includes home, work and recreational facilities. Obviously, the largest portion of this time is spent in your own home.

Newer homes can actually present more problems than older homes. Newer homes are built to be as air tight as possible for energy efficiency. New homes are more comfortable and less drafty year round. Newer homes also contain more VOC’s, coming from new furniture, fresh paints, new carpets, etc. These pollutants stay trapped within the home.

Indoor Air Quality has a major influence on your health. Exposure to indoor pollutants can result in eye and skin irritation, nose and throat discomfort, headaches, nausea and fatigue. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) in the United States uses the name Sick Building Syndrome to describe illness caused by poor Indoor Air Quality.

There are several steps homeowners can take to improve IAQ:

• Do not allow smoking in your home
• Make sure kitchens and bathrooms are properly ventilated
• Control humidity levels, make sure your home does not have areas that are always damp
• Maintain appliances such as furnaces, gas stoves, water heaters
• Check your furnace filters regularly
• Install CO (Carbon Monoxide) Detectors
• Use low VOC paints and cleaners
• In Newer homes, consider installing an HRV (Heat Recovery Ventilator) or an ERV (Energy Recover Ventilator)
• Consider an Air Purifier mounted in your heating ducts

Air Purification Equipment

New technology originally developed by the Space Program has been adopted by an American company called Air Oasis. They manufacture a device which mounts into your ducting system. After installation, you can be breathing cleaner air within an hour. 99% of allergens, viruses and mold are removed from the air. Within an hour, 85% of VOC’s are also removed from your home’s air.

HRV’s & ERV’s

A Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV) keeps your home supplied with a steady flow of fresh outdoor air. As stale, warm air is expelled, the heat recovery core warms the incoming fresh, colder air before it is distributed within your home. This constant supply of fresh air eliminates drafts and provides increased home comfort. By providing proper ventilation, an HRV controls excess humidity in your home. Improved ventilation will also improve indoor air quality.

Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERV) are suited to climates with hot humid summers, like we have in Southern Ontario. Similar to an HRV, the ERV recovers the heat in cold season, however, it also captures the energy trapped in moisture, which greatly improves the overall recovery efficiency. The ERV works as follows: In air conditioned homes, when it is more humid outside than inside, the ERV limits the amount of moisture coming into your home. In winter, when the humidity level is reversed, the ERV limits the amount of moisture expelled from your home.

 

Chad Hayter

The Hayter Group

Propane, Now an Expensive Way to Heat Your Home

There is now a propane crisis in rural Ontario that has become so serious that the Federal Government has called for an investigation.

Propane has been in short supply this year and selling at premium prices. Customers without fixed price contracts have been paying $1.18 per litre this January 2014, up from $.70 per litre in the Fall of 2013.

If you are using propane, approximately 65% of it is being used for heating your home. 22% goes for hot water and about 13% for cooking. These numbers will vary with the size and age of your home. The size of your family may also change these numbers.

As recently as five years ago, Propane was amongst the most economical ways to heat. Equipment costs were also very reasonable, because propane furnaces are almost identical to natural gas furnaces, which are manufactured in large numbers. As a result, many rural properties in Ontario rely on propane.

Propane has now passed both Electric and Oil and is now the most expensive way to heat your home or business.

The answer to this growing problem is right in the ground on your property. A geothermal system can reduce your bills for heating, cooling and hot water by up to 70%. With a geothermal heat pump, you are protected by swings in market prices for commodities like propane, oil or natural gas.

The additional costs of installing geothermal are easily justified by the long-term savings. Many property owners will see savings that are large enough, so that the system will pay for itself. There are several financing options available, so that you can start enjoying the benefits of a geothermal system today.

Chad Hayter

The Hayter Group