Choosing an Air Conditioner

Written by: Becky Turgeon

When choosing an air conditioning system for your home, Town & Country offers two main solutions. The first option, and the one most people think of, is a whole home cooling system. This system uses the current duct work to distribute cool air through the whole home.

The second option we offer is a mini split system. These systems have an outdoor unit as well as indoor units. The indoor units are placed where you want the cool air to be dispersed. These units offer the advantage of zoning and they don’t require duct work. That means that if your home uses a boiler and radiators for heat, you can take advantage of a mini split system to offer home cooling. Let’s explore these options a little deeper.

Whole Home Air Conditioning

As the name implies these units work to cool your complete home. This type of system is often referred to as central air conditioning. It consists of an outdoor unit and a coil that is usually installed above your furnace. Because these units use your furnace and your home’s duct work they are able to blow cool air throughout your whole home just like your furnace would blow warm air in the winter.

Advantages:

-Whole home is cooled

-Great cooling capacity

-Most cost effective solution

-Takes advantage of any air purification systems or filters that your home already has

-Good energy efficiency

-Efficiency can be further improved with a smart thermostat

Ductless Air Conditioning

These systems are often referred to as mini split systems because they consist of two main components. There is an outdoor unit and an indoor unit. The indoor unit is mounted on the wall of the room that you want cooled. It is usually controlled by a remote control. Each room that you want cooled has a separate indoor unit that allows you to have different temperatures in different rooms. So for example your children’s bedroom could be set at a different temperature than the primary bedroom. Or at night you could just cool your bedrooms for sleeping while allowing other rooms in the house to linger at warmer temperatures thus reducing the energy requirements.

Advantages:

-Ductwork is not required

-Selected rooms are cooled

-Quiet

-Allows more control over the climate of individual rooms

-Cool bedrooms at night while rest of house is allowed to sit at a warmer temperature.

How to Choose

The primary factor that will weigh pretty heavily in the decision of how to cool your home will be whether or not your home has duct work. However, you could still choose a mini split system if you wanted to create some zoning or if you have an area of your home that doesn’t have duct work like an addition that perhaps has infloor heating. Whatever your needs are, our team will take the time to help you make the decision that bests suits your situation. You can give us a call or use the link below to request a quote. We’re your local experts.

Book a Free Quote!

HVAC Maintenance

HVAC Tune-Ups

Written by: Becky Turgeon

First of all: What does HVAC stand for?

HVAC is an acronym for Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning. It’s a term that is used to describe the complete system that is used to heat or cool your home or business while also ensuring the air you breathe is of high quality.

A typical home in Regina will have several components to the HVAC system. These will most likely include:

Heating Unit: This is typically a furnace but may be a boiler.
Cooling Unit: This is typically an air conditioner but may be a heat pump.
Ventilation Elements:
- Ductwork: Channels that distribute air.
- Air Handler: Houses the blower that drives the air through the ducts.
- Registers and Vents: This is where air flow happens in each room.

4. Thermostat:

The brains of the HVAC system. This is where the temperature is set. Thermostats range from very simple devices to complex smart units that can even learn from your habits or presence.

5. Air Filters:

Filters help keep our indoor air perfect by capturing dust and pollens or other particles like pet hair.

6. Humidifier:

These units act to control our indoor humidity levels. During our dry winters humidity is added. Adjusting humidity in a home can greatly increase the comfort level.

7. HRV Unit:

Heat and Energy Recovery Ventilator These devices, more common in newer homes, make your home healthier and cleaner by continuously replacing stale indoor air with fresh outdoor air.

8. Radiators:

Some homes that use a boiler system for heating will have radiators located along walls in every room. When the radiators heat up they radiate warmth outward to heat the room.

As you can see that’s a pretty big list of equipment keeping your home comfortable and your indoor air perfect. As with any mechanical equipment, your HVAC system does require
Regular Maintenance
to keep it operating smoothly.

Benefits of HVAC Tune-Ups:

Enhanced Efficiency: Cleaning, replacing filters, lubricating moving parts and ensuring proper airflow all add up to a more efficient machine which helps you save money on your energy bills
Extended Lifespan: Your HVAC system is a big investment. Improve the lifespan of that equipment with regular maintenance.
Better Air: Air quality is best when your HVAC system is running properly.
Reduced Repairs: Preventative maintenance goes a long way in catching repairs early and preventing escalating costs.
Improved Comfort: A well maintained system will provide you with the most comfort.
Safety: Checking on electrical connections and gas lines regularly can reduce the risk of hazards like gas leaks, electrical fires, and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Warranty: HVAC maintenance is typically a requirement for warranty. Failure to maintain a system properly can void warranty.
Reducing your environmental impact. A well tuned HVAC system uses less energy.

T&C Air Conditioner Precision Tune-Up

Check operation of thermostat, including calibration
Test for refrigerant shortage
Wash outdoor condensing unit
Balance air flow for air conditioning
Perform temperature drop at indoor coil
Clean condensate lines and test operation
Inspect compressor contacts
Clean or replace standard filters
Lubricate all moving parts
Monitor start capacitor and potential relay operation
Close down humidifier operation
Measure and record amperage draw on compressor

T&C Furnace Precision Tune-Up

Check operation of thermostat including calibration
Perform carbon monoxide test and record readings
Inspect venting for rust and leakage
Test all safety controls
Check combustion and ventilation air
Clean burners and pilot, Adjust for proper combustion
Clean flame sensor and record flame signal
Check all gas fittings on valve train for leaks
Clean and flush condensate lines, including pump
Clean heat exchangers
Remove and clean blower
Perform temperature rise on heat exchanger
Clean or replace standard air filters
Lubricate motors as required

T&C Boiler Precision Tune-Up

Check operation of thermostat including calibration
Test all safety controls
Inspect venting for rust and leakage
Clear burners and pilot, adjust for proper combustion
Clean flame sensors and record reading
Perform carbon monoxide testing on ambient air in the boiler room
Inspect fire bricks and insulation
Check all gas fittings on valve train for leaks
Examine heat exchanger and combustion chamber
Lubricate pump and motors
Check condition and operation of expansion tank

Aging in Place

Making your Home Safe and Comfortable as you Age

Author: Becky Turgeon

As we age we think about where we are going to live and what that space will look like. We think about whether we will be able to continue to live in our home. Will moving to a condo be a better fit? So, what can you do to make your current home or a new condo home more comfortable as you age? What can you add to make your daily life activities more manageable? What safety features can you introduce? What can you do to make life just a little bit easier and more comfortable and what does your local plumbing, heating and electrical shop have to do with that?

Let’s look at some of the activities of daily life:

Showering
Bathing
Using the toilet
Enjoying Indoor time
Enjoying outdoor time

So what can we do to make these areas of your daily life a little bit more comfortable. Let’s tackle the bathroom first.

Showering / Bathing

Have you considered converting your current tub shower to a walk in shower. Walk in showers can feature no step access, non slip flooring, and moulded, folding, or portable seats, as well as multiple spray options. We’ve got some great options from Hytec . The addition of safety grab bars can create an added sense of security. The grab bars are mounted to withstand a proper amount of force and provide much more support than simply bracing yourself against a wall or using one of those suction mounted grab bars.

Walk In Shower with Grab Bars and Moulded Seat (Images 1)
Alternate configuration with fold down seat (Image 2)
Tiled Shower with fold down seat and grab bars. (Image 3)

This walk in shower install replaced a previous tub/shower combination. This particular install used a shower curtain. Glass door options are also available.

And what about faucet handles? There are lots of great options for handles in your shower or on your sink that will make turning them on/off easier. Check out some options from Riobel Pro and Moen

Lever style faucets make turning them on and off a little easier. No more twisting on a tap.

Toileting

Let’s face it, sitting down onto the toilet and getting up from the toilet absolutely gets more difficult as we age. Did you know there are toilets that are specifically designed to make them easier to use. The technical terminology is an ADA Toilet. ADA stands for Americans with Disability Act. ( I know, we’re in Canada but that’s the standard manufacturers typically use. The Accessible Canada Act or ACA, or Bill C-81 is the Canadian equivalent. As a Canadian contractor we follow B651-18 National Standard of Canada Accessible Design for the Buillt Environment.) Regardless of terminology the type of toilet we are talking about here has a minimum seat height of 17 inches (~43 cm) and a maximum of 19 inches (~48 cm). Standard height toilets are typically 14-15 inches in height. Elongated seats vs rounded seats can also be found to be more comfortable. Check out this link to an ADA toilet option from Contrac

Something that is also becoming more common in homes is a toilet with a bidet seat. We offer a number of choices. This link is for our Kohler options.

Enjoying Indoor Time

As we age we may find that we spend a little more time indoors, especially during winter. In order to make your indoor space more comfortable and safer consider some of the following options that we can assist you with.

Lighting

We’re an electrical shop. We can absolutely help you with lighting your home to not only increase comfort but also increase safety. Things to consider for safety might be night lighting, stairway lighting, or outdoor lighting. Things to consider for comfort might be the type of lighting you use. For example you might want to upgrade to LED pot lights, you might want to wire in better bedside lighting for reading, or maybe your garage needs better lighting because you have converted it to a hobby workshop.

Home Automation

Home automation can definitely add a lot of ease to your home as you age. Really we could have a whole blog on all the different types of comforts that home automation can bring to your home. Some options include:

Ecobee Smart Thermostats, Smart Doorbells, and Security sensors
Caseta Smart Dimmers and Switches
RadioRA 3 by Lutron: Whole Home Lighting Control Systems

Heating / Cooling

As we age we spend more time in our homes. Let’s make your home air more comfortable. That might include looking at zoning your home. Want your bedroom cooler than or warmer than a secondary bedroom? Tired of cooling your whole home when really what you want is just a cooler kitchen for cooking in the summer and cooler bedrooms for sleeping in? You may want to consider a ductless cooling system. ( Daikin Multi Zone Ductless) Or maybe you want your energy bills to be lower. Ask us about high efficiency furnace and air conditioner options. Want better humidity, cleaner air, and an overall better heating and cooling system? We’re experts at that!

Our lineup of products to perfect your air includes:

Enjoying Outdoor Time

Lighting

Adding walkway lighting and accent lighting to your home can not only make it safer, it can make it more enjoyable. Need some new wiring for your backyard lighting or some new lighting options for walkways, entryways or alley garages, we’ve got a team of professional electricians who can get that done. Town & Country is also an authorized dealer for Gemstone Lights . This permanent, professionally installed lighting system will light up your home in ways you never thought possible. Lights are completely customizable using an app on your phone. You can change the colour and patterns in so many ways that you will always have your home lit up just right no matter the holiday or occasion. Christmas themes, sports themes, or simply elegant architectural themes, your home will be the prettiest on the block and you can change the lighting colour and theme from any where you have cell phone service or a connection to wifi.

Heating

Outdoor heating? Yeah it sounds sort of ridiculous but maybe you have a 3 season sunroom or a screened room or even a sheltered patio or deck that you would like to be able to enjoy for a little longer through the year. As we age we often have more time for things like sitting on our patios enjoying a good book or visiting with family or friends. We have natural gas as well as electrical options for heating these spaces. Check out Schwank . And of course we also have options for your garage, because getting into a cold car just isn’t that much fun in the winter no matter what your age is. We commonly use Reznor or Lennox units for garage heat. Heating your garage can also make it a lot more useful as an all season workshop or hobby area for whatever retirement project you have in mind.