Blue is best
We are half way through the heating season, and it’s been a busy one. We are hoping to catch our breath soon and get ready for the spring servicing season.
Sometimes we get questions at this time about how the flame should look in your equipment. If you are adventurous enough to take a peek inside your furnace, hot water tank or (an easier one) your gas fire place….look for blue! A blue flame is what you want to see, it will burn the cleanest and produce the most heat. If you see a lot of orange in the flame (more than 10-15%) the equipment should be checked (by a qualified tech) to ensure everything is clean and functioning well.
Stay warm out there!
Caledonia Integrated Services is an Energy Management, HVAC and Electrical company, serving Vancouver and BC area. We actively encourage feedback, comments and questions. You can leave a message here, or look us up on Facebook and Twitter. Of course, you can always e- mail us too!
Is your furnace getting old, if so maybe time to think about replacing it.
Here is a presentation we recently did about this, enjoy.
Caledonia Integrated Services is an Energy Management, HVAC and Electrical company, serving Vancouver and BC area. We actively encourage feedback, comments and questions. You can leave a message here, or look us up on Facebook and Twitter. Of course, you can always e- mail us too!
Have you made your resolutions yet? Loose the weight, start exercising, stop smoking, cut back on caffeine, etc….all the things that are good for you. Well, here’s one for you to add to the list that’s good for your pocket. Resolve to have all your equipment serviced at some point this year; it could end up saving you thousands!
A complete solution to all your ENERGY MANAGEMENT, HVAC and ELECTRICAL needs, Caledonia is making energy management simple and affordable for everyone. We actively encourage feedback, comments and questions. You can leave a message here, or look us up on Facebook and Twitter. Of course, you can always e- mail us too!
No tips for you this month – just a wish for you all to have a very happy festive season. Stay safe, stay warm and we’ll see you all in the New Year.
Happy Holidays!
Caledonia Integrated Services is an Energy Management, HVAC and Electrical company, serving Vancouver and BC area.
We actively encourage feedback, comments and questions. You can leave a message here, or look us up on Facebook and Twitter. Of course, you can always e- mail us too!
Did you know that most times a new high efficiency furnace can pay for its self in three to five years in gas savings over the old equipment.
Here is a presentation we recently did about this, enjoy.
Caledonia Integrated Services is an Energy Management, HVAC and Electrical company, serving Vancouver and BC area. We actively encourage feedback, comments and questions. You can leave a message here, or look us up on Facebook and Twitter. Of course, you can always e- mail us too!
It’s that time of year again when nothing beats watching TV with the fire on and a big mug of hot chocolate. It’s all about staying warm and cosy, but energy costs can sneak up on you and you would be amazed at the savings that can be made by simply putting on a sweater (or cuddling up to your special someone under a blanket) and turning the heating down just a few degrees. Cool at night is naturally better for the human body. We sleep better when the room is cooler….your sleep will be deeper and the kids will get up less.
The best way to do all of this is a programmable thermostat, which will automatically warm your house just before you wake, and then turn the temperature down when everyone is out during the day. It can then be programmed to ensure you always come home to a warm house, and cool again for sleep time! Programmable thermostats are reasonably inexpensive and will pay for themselves very quickly in the middle of winter.
Caledonia Integrated Services is an Energy Management, HVAC and Electrical company, serving Vancouver and BC area. We actively encourage feedback, comments and questions. You can leave a message here, or look us up on Facebook and Twitter. Of course, you can always e- mail us too!
With the colder weather now upon us, we thought we would do some quick heating tips to get you through the chill. This is a presentation we recently shared, we hope you enjoy it.
http://youtu.be/j4qBXqcVLiw
Caledonia Integrated Services is an Energy Management, HVAC and Electrical company, serving Vancouver and BC area. We actively encourage feedback, comments and questions. You can leave a message here, or look us up on Facebook and Twitter. Of course, you can always e- mail us too!
Some of the most popular questions at this time of year is ‘how long should my furnace last?’ and ‘when should I change it?’
First off – if your heat exchanger is cracked it’s usually cheaper and better just to replace the furnace. If your HVAC provider tells you it’s cracked (get them to show you if you have doubt in your mind), it’s time to start shopping for a new one.
A furnace should last you 15 to 20 years, at that point start budgeting for a new unit. Any furnace over 30 years old is on borrowed time! Although in the past they WERE made to last longer, it’s because the heat exchangers are thicker, making them very inefficient (costing more in fuel bills). The biggest worry with a very old furnace is that some insurance companies will not cover you if you still have equipment of this age. Can you afford NOT to change your furnace?
Caledonia Integrated Services is an Energy Management, HVAC and Electrical company, serving Vancouver and BC area. We actively encourage feedback, comments and questions. You can leave a message here, or look us up on Facebook and Twitter. Of course, you can always e- mail us too!
It’s that time of year again when thoughts turn to heating and keeping warm! Here are some tips to help you get everything up and running to keep you cosy through the winter…
First and most important. If you turn your equipment on for the first time, after it has been off all summer, it sometimes doesn’t go as smoothly as you’d like! If you smell gas, get out of your building as quickly as possible. The gas smell could be caused by many things…but you need to call an expert as it is always dangerous. DON’T take chances with gas.
If you have electric there may be a smell of burning when you first switch on your equipment. This will just be dust on the coil, which should disappear fairly quickly. Don’t worry about this, unless the smell persists.
For those who are lucky enough to have a heat pump, you have enjoyed a/c all summer and now the unit will switch to heating. There should be no problems with this switch over, just check that the outside coil is clean and free of leaves.
For all your equipment, check your filters and have them cleaned or replaced as needed, and enjoy the wonderful Fall colours from your warm and toasty office or home!
Caledonia Integrated Services is an Energy Management, HVAC and Electrical company, serving Vancouver and BC area. We actively encourage feedback, comments and questions. You can leave a message here, or look us up on Facebook and Twitter. Of course, you can always e- mail us too!
An Unfortunate Choice
A friend of ours has a very successful pizza business and was looking to open a third location. They looked around for a while and eventually found a good location that suited them, signed a lease, and set a move in date. Everything went without a hitch….which is generally when you should start to worry!
As with most small businesses the owner’s time was spread thin and he was not always at the new premises. His wife was at the new location one day to help out, when the landlord walks in with a question….
“Do you want three phase power or a new roof top unit?” A confused look crossed her face. “I need an answer now, they are going to do the work right away”
Unable to get her husband on the phone she picked the three phase power, crossing her fingers it was the right choice. Of course, it wasn’t! As they had a gas oven they didn’t need three phase, but the small space had no heating or cooling so a roof top unit would have been perfect for them. Instead they go in early in the winter to switch on the ovens for heat, and in the summer they use four large fans to make it bearable.
Don’t get caught with impossible questions. Once you find a space to lease it’s worth bringing in your HVAC or maintenance company for a quick look as soon as possible. That way you’re in the know before you have to make any unfortunate choices!
Caledonia Integrated Services is an Energy Management, HVAC and Electrical company, serving Vancouver and BC area.
We actively encourage feedback, comments and questions. You can leave a message here, or look us up on Facebook and Twitter. Of course, you can always e- mail us too!
