Energy Tips
Reduce Hydro Costs With A Cleaner HVAC System
Hydro costs have been increasing steadily for more than two years. Energy bills are becoming more and more unbearable. The people of Toronto, and Canada in general, have been seeking alternative, inventive solutions to reduce hydro costs. Even though Toronto’s hydro company has repeatedly urged people to reduce energy consumption, this does not seem to help in the long term. That’s because charges and fees are increasing rapidly.
Everyone would like to see smaller energy bills by the end of the month, with lower delivery charges and adjustment fees. Both homeowners and businesses have expressed frustration with the unpredictable increase in hydro costs. Moreover, more and more small businesses and companies are moving away. Hydro bills are just too costly to maintain business in Toronto and even Canada for that matter. And since the local hydro company doesn’t seem to manage to deliver cost-effective energy, people need to find solutions and seek help elsewhere.
One alternative for reducing hydro costs that more and more Torontonians are trying out is to hire air duct cleaning professionals to clear and clean their venting systems. It’s a known fact that a cleaner HVAC system uses less energy. The more contaminated an air system is, the more energy it will use. The more air-handling components are affected, the bigger the electric bill will be. City Duct Cleaning is one of the Toronto-based companies that offer quality and professional duct and dryer vent cleaning services. They have been in the business for over two decades, forming a proficient team of professionals.
Why Cleaner HVAC Systems Helps Reduce Hydro Costs
Why and how would a cleaner HVAC system reduce hydro costs, you might ask? Energy consumption will increase by 10% if only one inch of soot clogs in the ventilation system. The reason for this is that steel surfaces are insulated by soot. Such steel surfaces are what make up a ventilation system’s components that transfer heat produced by the energy to the air that is blowing past it and into your ducts. Also, if your heater is clogged, then energy consumption will increase, too. Since we are living in Canada, a cold country, vent and heating systems must function almost all year long. So it is crucial to constantly have them checked and clean them if problems occur. Whether you like it or not, the hydro company will charge you even more.
Besides dropping hydro costs, cleaning and clearing your home’s ventilation system also comes with some important benefits. For instance, you will breathe cleaner and fresher air. Yes, unclogging the dusty vents will ensure that the air you receive is better. Now, you will pay less when the energy bill arrives and you will also have a healthier life.
Keeping your ventilation system clean and functional will assure you that the energy cost will decrease in no time. For a well-done work, you need to hire the best professionals in town. Here, at City Duct Cleaning, we offer the best services in Toronto when it comes to making your HVAC system cleaner and more functional. Whether you want to save money on hydro costs for your home or for your business, satisfaction is guaranteed with the help of qualified professional. Reduce hydro costs right now by improving your ventilation system.
How Attic Insulation Is Increasing Your Electricity Bills, and How Attic Insulation Removal in Toronto Will Help
While you might know about insulation, you may not be aware that it is increasing the cost of your electricity bill. This is why using professional attic insulation removal in Toronto is so important. Once the old insulation has been removed, new and better insulation is added.
As part of this process, new installation must be added to the attic. Especially in Canada, where winters are cold and harsh, this will prevent warm air from escaping and keep cold air out. The cost to heat and cool your home accounts for up to 70% of your energy bill. Insulation removal in Toronto followed by new insulation installation will save you a significant amount of money.
Living More Comfortably
With professional attic insulation removal in Toronto, you can start setting your thermostat differently without compromising on comfort. Professionals who handle insulation removal and installation in Toronto cover the areas at greatest risk, including the attic, as well as the garage, basement, and other high-risk spaces.
After the attic insulation removal in your Toronto home is complete and the new insulation is added, warm air will stay inside during the cold months. During the hot summer, cold air will stay within the home. Overall, you and your family will enjoy comfort throughout the year without spending more money on electricity.
After the completion of insulation removal and installation, air movement within your Toronto home will be limited. What happens is that calm air becomes trapped within the insulation, thereby preventing heat or cool air from escaping.
It is important that you hire a reputable company for attic insulation removal in Toronto, as well as for installing your new installation. The professionals will use an R-value system based on the level of resistance to heat flow to determine the right installation to install. The way this works is that the higher the R-value of the insulation being used, the more efficient it is in preventing hot air from moving around.
How To Build Your Own Air Conditioner Using Just Plastic Bottles
Air conditioning that uses zero electricity? Sounds like it might be an interesting concept, but isn’t there always a catch? Here’s an innovative idea, especially when you consider that you would never need air duct cleaning, and you’d never need to worry about changing air filters or doing any maintenance either.
But would you really want something like this stuck in your window? It certainly wouldn’t do much for your curb appeal, and security would definitely be another factor that you’d need to consider.
Otherwise, its an amazing concept if it really works, and I’d be quite interested to see if the inventor has come up with anything else related to the HVAC field or anything that can save in energy costs.
Plastic bottles are usually destined for the recycle bin. But there are some very interesting upcycling things you can do with plastic bottles. Such as creating a zero electricity air conditioning unit!
Bangledeshi inventor Ashis Paul came up with the plastic bottle air conditioner, and it is already being used in over 25,000 homes in his country! Ad agency Grey Dhaka and Grameen Intel Social Business have contributed to these incredible efforts.
Really all you need to make your own Eco-Cooler is a board and a few plastic bottles.
First you cut the bottles in half. Then mount them into a grid through holes which are also bottleneck size. Now place the grid right over the window. The narrower top end should be facing inwards to the house.
Wind will blow through the bottles, and the result is cool air being funneled in.
It can reduce temps to up to 41F (or 5C). Not bad at all considering it doesn’t cost anything to actually make!
The hope is that this project reaches as many people as possible. Hence the project will be put online for free.
Check out the informative video and the incredible initiative happening with this project:
10 Things To Do On A Rainy Day
Stuck in the house on a rainy day and have nothing to do? Why not take this opportunity to work on some of those simple household maintenance items that you rarely seem to have time for?
We really know how to have fun! These are all energy-saving items and need doing anyway.
- Vacuum out your floor registers. And if you really want to go to town then check the dampers inside and maybe even wash some of those vents too.
- Take your return vents off the wall and vacuum them out too. Wash the vents if they need it.
- Change your furnace filter. And if you really want to go to town again, get the vacuum cleaner and clean the bottom of the furnace fan compartment. Check the side of the furnace fan motor too. It probably has dust on it. Just make sure to turn off the furnace switch before you do this.
- Check your furnace humidifier and change the pad. Turn up the humidistat and make sure it comes on. Make sure water flows through when its supposed to, and make sure it drains out properly.
- Make sure your ceiling fans are turning the right way for the season (in the summer, air should blow down. In the winter, the air should be pulled up). And clean the fan blades too.
- Remove and clean your washroom exhaust grills. Wash them off in the shower then use a spray bottle and wipe dry. If you’re really adventurous then maybe you can remove and clean the exhaust fans too. Use a dry paint brush or compressed air to do this.
- Check the condition of the flex pipe on your dryer. Make sure the flex is not brittle and is free of cracks or holes. Maybe take it off completely and clean it out if needed? While you’re there, why not vacuum behind and under the dryer and also check the condition of the water hoses going to your washing machine? It is good practice to do these items at least once every six months.
- Clean behind your fridge. Pull it out and make sure you clean the coil.
- Check your computers and clean that little fan that every one has. These things can really build up alot of dust over time. And those clogged fans can suck the life out of your computer pretty quick sometimes. If your computer has ever died because of this then you’ll really appreciate this one!
- Clean the grease filter in the kitchen exhaust above your stove.
If you’re looking for a bonus item and still haven’t had enough yet then maybe you could also clean out your central vac!
This is the dirtiest job. Definitely save it for last!