Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Whole House Fan Basics

On a sunny day the temperature of an attic can reach as high as 140 degrees! And this high temperature in your attic will keep the indoor temperature higher than the outdoor temperature for several (or more) hours after the sun goes down.

By pulling heat out of your home with the a Whole House Fan, cooler outside air is drawn into the home. The heated air is then pushed out of your home through the attic vents. WHF's can make you more comfortable and could reduce your air conditioning bills.

When you choose a fan, divide that fans cfm by 750 (1 square foot of opening for each 750 cfm (cubic feet per minute) of airflow). This number determines the amount of square footage of net free air required to properly vent. To allow for any restrictions created by screening and louvers multiply that number by 2. This number is the minimum square footage of venting required for the fan to exhaust properly. One can choose a combination of ridge, soffit and/or gable venting to make up the square footage.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

The benefits of a PEX Radiant Heat System:

Comfort - It may be freezing outside, but your pex radiant heat system will keep you warm from head to toe. Nothing compares to the comfort and surrounding warmth of a pex underfloor radiant heat system in your home using our PEX Tubing. We have PEX-A, PEX-C and Alum PEX Tubing.


Efficiency - Radiant Heat with PEX is the most efficient heating system available. Radiant underfloor heat costs less to heat your home than any other type of heating system by being able to lower the thermostat temperture while still staying toasty warm. Generally, you can save 15 to 20% as compared to forced-air or hydronic baseboard heating systems.


Zoning - With pex radiant heat, you can zone different areas of your home to different temperatures to fit your lifestyle, unlike central heating and air.


Flexibility - A radiant floor heating system can be installed under practically any type of flooring, such as carpeting, tile, linoleum, wood floors, etc. Easily add underfloor heat to small areas such as bathrooms or kitchens.


Improves Air Quality - PEX Radiant Heat reduces dust mites and air borne allergens by 60%-90%. No other heating system reduces allergies as effectively as radiant heat.


Interior Decorating Freedom - PEX Radiant heat systems are installed with PEX Tubing and is within the structure of your home, which means you will not have to consider vents, hydronic baseboards, hydronic radiators, or drafty areas when decorating and furnishing your home.


Adds Value to Your Home - There are many other potential implementations of pex radiant heat in your home such as heating your garage or melting snow from your driveway in winter. A radiant heating system will increase the value of your home more than it costs to install.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Surge Suppressor and Power Conditioning Systems

On residential units we emphasize the PowerGUARD’s ability to protect the whole house. In fact, the PowerGUARD is ETL listed for spike and surge suppression. A common misconception is that the PG is capacitor driven. It is a magnetic choke based system that improves Power Factor inductively. Along with the energy savings, the power quality is improved (better balanced voltage, reduced amperage and spike / surge protection)which is far more than a capacitor can offer.

With all the heat pump and HVAC applications in the southern part of the country, there is ample opportunity for energy savings for the average homeowner. Some solar installers include a PowerGUARD unit in each application as it protects the Photo Voltaic system from spikes, surges and helps the system last longer as well as reducing total usage for the homeowner.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Did You Know

The earth has a much more constant temperature than the air. It might be 100 degrees in summer and -40 degrees in winter where you live. But a few feet down, the earth will always be a steady temperature.

For every 100 feet you go down into the earth, the temperature rises 1.5 degrees. So if you were to dig down to a depth of 600 feet, assuming the temperature a few feet below ground is 60 degrees, the deeper rock would have a temperature of
69 degrees.