Posts Tagged ‘Lion’s Bay’

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Happy Valentine’s Day From Vancouver’s Favorite HVAC Contractors

Tuesday, February 14th, 2012

Everyone at Milani Plumbing Draining & Heating wishes you a very happy Valentine’s Day! We hope you have a day filled with lots of candy, flowers, and Valentines! Today is all about showing your appreciation for those you love, including your friends, your family, or your significant other. Take a moment today to think about everyone who makes a difference in your life and how you can let them know how special they are to you.

While traditional gifts like candy and flowers are wonderful idea, why not think a little out of the box this year? Upgrading your HVAC system can make your whole house more comfortable, which is something that your entire family will appreciate! A new air filtration system can help you breathe easier, and a new heating and cooling system can significantly lower your energy bills. While not the most romantic of gifts, it certainly will let your family know that you care.

For more information about how a few HVAC upgrades can make your house more comfortable, give Milani a call. In addition to making your home cozier, you can also make your friends and family happy by making this delicious recipe for Chocolate Bar Fondue

Ingredients

  • 32 ounces milk chocolate, grated
  • 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon white sugar
  • 1/3 cup hot water

Directions

  1. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the chocolate with the heavy cream. Mix in the instant coffee, vanilla extract, sugar, and hot water. Continue to heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is smooth.

For more details, visit allrecipes.com.

 

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How Much Can I Save with New Equipment? A Question From Whonnock

Monday, October 3rd, 2011

There is certainly something to be said for upgrading your current HVAC equipment to newer, more energy efficient equipment. Doing so can save you a ton of money in heating and cooling costs and it can make your Whonnock home a more comfortable place in general. Of course, upgrading your equipment is a big investment, but ideally you will save enough on your monthly energy bills that it will more than make up for the initial cost of the installation.

But before you can decide whether or not it makes sense for you to upgrade, you need to know exactly how much you stand to save every month by upgrading. And that will vary considerably depending on several particulars of your situation.

For instance, you will have to take the age of your current system into account. No matter how energy efficient your system was when you first bought it, that energy efficiency has almost certainly deteriorated over time. Plus, the older your system is, the less energy efficient it probably was to start with. And the less energy efficient your current system is, the more you will save when you upgrade to a newer, more energy efficient system.

But that is not the only variable you will have to be on top of. The amount you will save monthly and annually will also have to do with how much you use your HVAC system. If you live in a rather temperate climate, you may use your HVAC much less, both in the summer and the winter.

In a case like this, the percentage you will save with an equipment upgrade will be the same as it would for someone who lived in an area with a harsher climate, but the actual dollar value will be much lower. All that really means is that it will take you longer to recoup your investment, but it may still be worth it to invest in a new system now.

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How to Install a Sink Faucet: A Tip From Matsqui

Wednesday, September 28th, 2011

A leaky faucet is generally not hard to fix in your Matsqui home. But if your faucet becomes a source of chronic frustration for you or if you simply feel like it is time for a change, replacing it with a new faucet may be just the right thing to do. The best part is that a new faucet does not even have to cost you that much money. Of course, if you want a top of the line model you will certainly pay the price. But many nice, high quality faucets can be had for a very reasonable sum.

Once you pick out your new faucet fixture, you must get your old one out of the way. This is fairly simple to do. Begin by shutting off the water to the faucet you are going to replace. If you cannot find the water shutoff for that sink alone, you can also shut off the water to your entire house. This could be a bit of an inconvenience, but replacing the faucet should not take you too long so just make sure no one else desperately needs to use the water during that time.

After the water is shut off, turn on the faucet to let any excess water drain out of it and then plug up the drain so that you do not lose any pieces or parts down it while you are working. Next, disconnect the water lines that feed the faucet so that you are free to remove the old one. You will also have to figure out how your faucet is attached to the counter itself.

Your old faucet may be attached on the bottom of the counter or the top. Either way, you can get it off easily enough, but you will have to know which side to approach it from. Once you have unscrewed your old fixture, simply pull it off the sink and put it aside. Make sure that you thoroughly clean the area where the old fixture was attached as well. Remove any grout, putty or other substance that may have collected around the old fixture over the years.

When that is done, you are ready to install your new sink faucet. Simply fit it into place, attach it to the counter and connect the water lines. Be sure all connections are secure and turn the water back on to test your handiwork. If you need help with any of your bathroom plumbing, you can always call your local Matsqui plumber.

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How to Unclog a Kitchen Sink: A Tip From Chilliwack

Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

There are lots of reasons why the kitchen sink can clog in your Chilliwack home. And in order to unclog the sink, it is important to know why it clogged up in the first place. It is easy to suggest a simple solution but the “one size fits all” philosophy doesn’t always work.

As simple as it sounds, you don’t want to use a grease dissolving agent on a clog caused by a fork that is stuck sideways in a pipe. You also don’t want to mess around with the plumbing if the solution is as simple as using a snake or pouring some dissolver down the drain. If the clog is obvious you can save yourself a lot of time and effort.

If the drain is clogged, the easiest thing to do is to operate the garbage disposal, provided it is tied into the drain. But you don’t want to turn on the disposal until you have checked for obstructions in the drain, namely utensils. Remove any utensils before turning on the garbage disposal. Sometimes even the smallest amount of debris can stop up a drain and a simple flip of the disposal switch clears it away.

If that solution doesn’t work you may want to do the following procedures – in order – to unclog the drain.

  • Run extremely hot water in the sink. This can sometimes dissolve whatever is clogging the drain by breaking down the debris.
  • Use a plunger. A blast of forced air from a plunger can often do the trick. If the clogged drain is connected by pipe to another drain (a sink with two basins), you would need to plug the other drain when plunging. Forced air will find the least path of resistance and may bypass the clog and exit out another opening.
  • Use a liquid or granulated dissolver, poured directly into the clogged drain. There are many products on the market for this task. Make sure you read the instructions carefully before dumping chemicals into your drain.
  • Snake out the pipes. Stubborn clogs that are resistant to the above solutions may require that you use a hand-held or portable snake in the pipes leading to the drain. Again, read the instructions on how to operate the snake in order to avoid damage to the pipes, drain, or yourself!
  • If the clog persists, there may be a bigger problem going on. At this point you have to ask yourself if you feel comfortable taking the plumbing apart to find the cause of the clog. There could be other more serious problems going on further down the plumbing circuit, i.e. roots in the pipes.

The last “resort” may require the help of a plumbing professional. You have to ask yourself if you have the time and the knowledge to disassemble your drain and pipes. It may cost you more in the long run if you damage any parts during the procedure or create other “add-on” problems.

Remember to try the easiest solutions first and if you are still unable to unclog your drain, call a qualified plumber who will safe you time and peace of mind.

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Energy Efficient Home Cooling Tips From Clearbrook

Monday, August 15th, 2011

Having an energy efficient air conditioning system in place is a great way to keep cool in the summer for less in Clearbrook. But that is far from the only thing you can do to help reduce your energy bills throughout the hottest months of the year. In fact, there are several simple steps you can take to start cutting down on your cooling costs right now and lighten the cooling load that your air conditioning system has to bear.

One of the main things to remember when you are trying to keep your house cool is that every door and window is potentially letting in warmer air from outside and letting the cooler indoor air escape. You can cut down on this considerably if you simply take the time to seal up these access points and any others you are able to find.

Putting up plastic over unused doors and windows and checking all areas of the house for drafts and adequate insulation will dramatically reduce the cost of keeping your house cool in the summer. Also, you can keep the sun from warming up your indoor air by drawing the blinds, particularly on those windows that let in the hot afternoon sun.

Putting up light colored siding and reflective roofing will also do a great deal to keep your overall cooling costs down. That is because these materials are able to direct the heat of the sun away from your house rather than letting it be absorbed so that it can heat up the inside. The vast majority of the heat that your air conditioning system has to remove from your house comes in through your roof and walls, so blocking this access point is extremely helpful in keeping your overall cooling costs down.

All of these are steps you can take to reduce the total cooling load that your air conditioning system has to deal with. But if you want your system to continue to function at peak energy efficiency, you will have to take care of it as well.

This typically means having someone come in once a year to provide maintenance to your air conditioning system and to clean out any debris that may have accumulated over time. Having this done will make it possible for your air conditioner to continue to function at the highest possible levels of energy efficiency for years to come.

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Scald Free Showers and Bathtubs: Scald Prevention Methods

Monday, July 25th, 2011

One of the worst things that can happen to you in a shower is when a sudden blast of scalding hot water strikes you unexpectedly. This is a problem for many people and usually happens when someone turns on the cold water at another tap in the house. When that occurs, the cold water that you were using to regulate the temperature in your shower becomes temporarily unavailable and the hot water takes over.

This usually does not last long, and even if it does, you will likely jump out of the way quickly. But for the moment you are underneath that scalding hot water, some serious damage can be done, particularly to older people or young children whose skin is not as thick as that of an average adult. Also, in trying to get out of the way of the hot water in a slippery bathtub, many people have accidentally fallen and injured themselves more seriously.

So what can be done about these sudden and unexpected blasts of hot water? Well, recent developments in shower and bathtub technology have made it possible for scald free shower and bathtub fixtures to reach the market. These products are designed to maintain a consistent temperature in your shower no matter what type of water or how much is being used elsewhere in the house.

These scald free showers can compensate for the dip in cold water pressure that occurs when someone flushes a toilet in another bathroom or turns on the water in the kitchen. This is accomplished by the addition of a diaphragm that can immediately adjust to any variations in either hot or cold water pressure. With this technology in place, you will never need to worry about being scalded in the shower again.

Of course, these scald free shower heads and bathtub fixtures can cost a bit more than their conventional counterparts. But they are well worth it, especially if scalding water is a problem in your shower on a regular basis. You need to be able to keep yourself and your family safe in the shower and scald free showers are the best way to do that.

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Green House Gasses and Air Conditioners

Friday, July 1st, 2011

There’s simply no way around it: the air conditioner you probably depend on all summer is emitting a constant stream of greenhouse gasses contributing to the warming of the Earth. While it’s true that the coolants used today, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), are much less damaging than the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) initially used in air conditioning, they are still harmful to the environment.

Environmentally Friendly Coolants

Recently, research has led to the development of more environmentally friendly coolants. One in particular, HFO-1234yf, is scheduled to be introduced for use in the air conditioning systems of all GM cars beginning with the 2013 models. This is a step in the right direction, but much more needs to be done to address this growing problem before it’s too late.

Electricity and Carbon Dioxide

The use of environmentally friendly coolants will only go so far towards curbing the environmental impact of air conditioning. That’s because air conditioners are universally powered by electricity, and electricity is almost universally produced by the burning of fossil fuels like coal. When coal is burned, it generates a great deal of carbon dioxide, a substantial pollutant on its own.

An Intensifying Cycle

Of course, the more carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses are introduced into the atmosphere, the hotter the planet will become. And as the average temperature rises, air conditioning will be used more and more to combat these effects. This is a cycle that could quickly spiral out of control if something is not done to disrupt it.

What You Can Do

There are several things you can do if you’re concerned about how your air conditioning usage impacts the environment. First of all, make the switch as quickly as possible to HFO-1234yf or a similarly environmentally-friendly coolant when it becomes available. And remember that the air conditioning in your car counts too.

You can also go a long way towards reducing your contribution to greenhouse gas emissions by keeping your overall energy consumption down. Try relying on other, natural methods of cooling your home as much as possible. And when you do turn on your air conditioner, make sure you use all of the energy being consumed as efficiently as possible.

That means keeping your unit in good shape to maintain its energy efficiency and making sure that your home is properly sealed and insulated so your air conditioner doesn’t have to work overtime maintaining a comfortable indoor temperature.

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Types of Drinking Water Filters

Monday, June 13th, 2011

There are not many things more important than making sure that your home drinking water supply is safe and free of contaminants. All kinds of things can appear in your drinking water, and it is helpful to know exactly what types of contaminants are prevalent in your area so that you can make the best decision about what type of water filters to buy.

Some water filters work well at removing certain types of contaminants but not others. However, there are some good water filters that can get rid of almost all contaminants on their own. One such type is a distiller. Water distillers operate by heating the water coming into your home until it turns into steam. When water evaporates like this, it leaves behind anything it was carrying with it when it was in liquid form. The steam rises and moves into another chamber, and when it condenses back into liquid form again, the contaminants are no longer present.

Another type of water filter that removes the majority of contaminants is a reverse osmosis filter. These are excellent for removing things like asbestos, minerals, metals, salts and nitrates. For best results, however, you will want to purchase a system that incorporates some type of carbon filter as well. Carbon filters, placed either before or after the osmosis filtering system, are better at removing things like pesticides and radon. The combination of these two water treatment types into one filter system makes the solution more complete.

If you do not think you have a serious contamination problem but just want to get rid of bad tastes or smells in your water, activated carbon filters are a good and economical choice. However, you will want to make sure that you know exactly what contaminants the filter you purchase is designed to remove, as not all carbon filters are equally as effective against certain types of contaminants.

The most important thing to do before you go out and purchase a water filtration system, however, is to determine what exactly you are trying to remove from your water. The types of contaminants found in your water will vary a great deal depending on where you live and what types of pipes you have in your home, and that will directly affect the type of water filter that is right for you.

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Understanding House Ventilation Options

Wednesday, May 25th, 2011

All the fancy air quality control tools in the world are useless if you don’t have a good ventilation system to circulate air through your home each day. An air filter removes larger particles like dust, dander and pollen, and an electronic air filter removes smaller particles like bacteria, mold, and gases. However, your indoor air will still be poor without a fresh supply of air constantly circulating in from outdoors.

Types of Ventilators

There are a few options here, depending both on the number of contaminants your home has and the amount of heated or cooled air you are willing to lose each day through vents.

The simplest method is an exhaust fan. Fans blow air from your home, creating a negative pressure zone inside. Air inlets then allow new air to enter your home and equalize that pressure. There are also balanced exhaust fans – one fan blowing indoor air out and another fan pulling fresh air in. If you have open flames or gas burning appliances, a balanced exhaust fan is necessary to keep the flames from going out due to the negative pressure caused by a single outlet exhaust fan.

Traditional ventilation, while simple, is also inefficient. In the middle of winter it blows all of your heated air outside and in the summer, it does the same to your cooled air. Your home comfort system likely can keep up with the loss of heat or cooling, so you won’t be less comfortable, but you will certainly pay more on your energy bill.

That’s why heat and energy recovery ventilators are popular in many homes. Especially if you went to the trouble of having your home sealed up tightly to minimize energy loss, these ventilators will save you money.

When air is ventilated through a recovery unit, the energy and heat is transferred between indoor and outdoor air as it passes. In the winter, this means the energy in your indoor air is retained and during the summer, the energy in outdoor air is removed before it enters your home.

Which Method is Best?

The method you choose will depend largely on your current cost of heating and cooling and what types of contaminants you face. Energy recovery ventilators have the added benefit of patching directly into your indoor air quality units, so you won’t need to worry about new contaminants coming in either.

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The Facts about Indoor Air Quality

Friday, April 15th, 2011

One of the least understood aspects of your home’s comfort system is the indoor air quality. Most people assume that once they have a good furnace and air conditioner installed, there’s nothing left to worry about. However, with the push in the last 20 years to reduce energy loss through poor insulation, most homes are sealed up tighter than ever before. This doesn’t just cause stuffy indoor air – it can actually lead to illness.

How Bad Can Indoor Air Quality Get?

Homes built in the 1980s were recommended to have one third of the ventilation of those built before. Today, the standards have returned to their original levels, but for many years, homes were built with poor ventilation and excessive insulation. The result is a space that holds the air in too well. Everyday contaminants and allergens like dust, pollen, pet dander, mold, or smoke cannot get out of your home and as a result, you can get sick.

In fact, some people even suffer from Sick Building Syndrome (SBS). This is when they feel ill constantly, with respiratory symptoms that have no root cause and are hard to diagnose. Often, it is because they simply breathe too many contaminants and too much stale air.

Fixing Air Quality Is Simple

The first thing needed to fix air quality is a good filtration system. Despite what many people think, simple filtration is not that expensive. There are big, powerful purification systems with advanced ionization units and UV lighting to kill bacteria and viruses, but most families are served well with a simple HEPA filter to remove things like dust, pollen and dander.

It’s a good idea to have your indoor air quality tested, however, just to make sure other contaminants are not present. High humidity can lead to mold growth, and poor ventilation can lead to exhaust or gas fumes in your home. A good carbon monoxide detector is recommended for the latter, but testing should be done to make sure nothing else is floating around.

Finally, make sure your home is properly ventilated. Standard ventilation tends to leak heated or cooled air outside, so many homeowners now opt for energy recovery ventilators. These systems have heat exchangers that transfer warm air between indoor and outdoor air.

However you want to fix your indoor air quality issues, know that there are plenty of things you can do with the help of a good filtration device and regular cleanings of your ductwork and vents.

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