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General |
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What is HVAC |
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Heating Ventilation, Air Conditioning |
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All you need to know about a comfortable home. |
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Does the temperature in your house vary noticeably up and down? |
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A single-stage furnace and a two-stage variable-speed furnace may look identical, but there is a very important difference. A single-stage furnace is sized to heat your home on the coldest days of the year. That means it delivers its full heating capacity, even on mild days. As a result, it produces uncomfortable temperature swings.
A two-stage variable-speed furnace reduces temperature swings because it is two furnaces in one: low fire for mild days or high fire for only the coldest days. A two-stage variable-speed furnace typically operates in low fire 80% of the time which produces much more even heating.
SOURCE:
GE Industrial Systems |
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Do you feel uncomfortable even after your air conditioner has run? |
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Like a single-stage furnace, a single-stage air conditioner only runs at full capacity. On mild days, the AC runs less often allowing humidity to build up to an uncomfortable level. A two-stage variable-speed AC runs for longer cycles which removes up to six times more moisture than a conventional unit. Plus with a GE ECM variable-speed blower motor, the air conditioner is able to extract even more moisture from the air. With less moisture, you can set the thermostat higher (e.g. thermostat settings: 70° for single stage; 72° for two stage) and save on electricity while being more comfortable.
SOURCE:
GE Industrial Systems |
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Is your heating and cooling system noisy? |
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A conventional motor produces a high level of noise because it runs at full speed continuously. A two-stage variable-speed heating and cooling system uses a GE ECM variable-speed motor which automatically runs slower in low stage producing much less noise. In fact, it is practically silent in most installations. In addition, the ECM variable-speed motor is designed to ramp up to speed slowly which eliminates the sudden blast of air found in conventional systems.
SOURCE:
GE Industrial Systems |
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Is your upstairs always warmer than your downstairs? |
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Because heat rises, a house is typically warmer upstairs. Zone controls can alleviate the problem by dividing the house into zones, each with its own thermostat. For example, when the upstairs zone calls for cooling, the system sends cooling to that zone independent of the rest of the house. When the thermostat is satisfied, the damper closes. This method delivers just the right amount of heating or cooling to each zone.
A two-stage variable-speed heating and cooling system with an ECM motor is best for the varying demands of zone controls. It can provide just the right amount of airflow to maintain comfort in every zone in the house. In addition, because the system runs for longer cycles, the air is filtered more often. Temperature stratification (the effect of warm air rising and cool air sinking) is also lessened because the air is circulated more often.
SOURCE:
GE Industrial Systems |
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Is the south side of your house always warmer than the north side? |
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Sunshine can raise the temperature in a room 10 degrees or more. To compensate for this added heating, a zone-control system will automatically deliver more cooling in summer and less heating in winter so you can enjoy perfect temperatures year-round anywhere in the house.
A two-stage variable-speed heating and cooling system with an ECM motor is best for the varying demands of zone controls. It can provide just the right amount of airflow to maintain comfort in every zone in the house.
SOURCE:
GE Industrial Systems |
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Is the air in your house stale? |
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Most homes built within the last 15 years are so tightly insulated that very little fresh air can enter and little stale air can exit. This means that VOCs (volatile organic compounds given off by carpet, plywood, etc.), household chemicals, smoke, radon, odours have no way to escape, resulting in indoor air that can be 10 times worse than the smoggiest city. (Source: EPA)
An Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) provides a complete change of air every 3 hours. It also recovers up to 90% of the energy spent to heat or cool your house by taking it from the outgoing air and transferring it to the incoming air.
The ECM is the most efficient motor available in an ERV. It will save you $75 annually (based on $.08/KWHr) compared to a conventional motor and is practically silent when it runs.
SOURCE:
GE Industrial Systems |
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Does someone in your family suffer from allergies or asthma? |
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Only a HEPA filter can remove up to 99% of air-borne contaminants associated with allergies and asthma. It is three filters in one: the first level filters out larger, visible particles; the charcoal filter removes smoke and odours; while the HEPA filter removes up to 99.97% of respirable particles from the air passing through it. The HEPA may also be set up to bring in outside air through an ERV or by a direct feed from the outside. The HEPA filter is powered by a GE ECM motor which means you can clean the air continuously for pennies a day.
SOURCE:
GE Industrial Systems |
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Is your house too dry in the winter? |
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In winter the air in your house can be drier than most deserts. That dry air irritates sinuses, causes static electricity and can damage furniture and woodwork. A whole house humidifier attached to your ductwork can elevate winter humidity to a comfortable level.
The humidifier is controlled with a humidistat. It works like a thermostat and allows you to set a comfortable level of humidity. In summer the humidistat works with your air conditioner to pull more moisture from the air when humidity is excessive.
SOURCE:
GE Industrial Systems |
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Do you have high utility bills? |
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An Ultimate Comfort System saves money* in five ways:
1. If your furnace is equipped with a GE ECM motor, you can save approximately $150 a year in electricity cost (at 8¢/kwh).
2. If you run your fan continuously to circulate the air, an ECM motor will save you another $240 annually.
3. If your energy recovery ventilator is powered by a GE ECM motor, you can save approximately $75 a year in electricity cost (at 8¢/kwh).
4. If your HEPA air filter is powered by a GE ECM motor, you can save approximately $160 a year in electricity cost (at 8¢/kwh).
5. If you have a two-stage heating and cooling system with a humidistat, you can save additional energy costs because you can set your thermostat up in summer (e.g. change setting from 70° to 72°) and down in winter (e.g. change setting from 72° to 70°) and still feel comfortable.
SOURCE:
GE Industrial Systems |
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About Us |
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Do you use sub-contractors for your installations? |
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No! We do not use subcontractors. An Ottawa Home Services employee performs all services and installations. Our employees are also paid by the hour and not by the job so that the correct amount of time is dedicated to complete every job well. |
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Are you a TSSA certified contractor? |
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Yes! We have been a T.S.S.A. certified contractor since 2004. Our Ontario registration number is 000076637598. Please see their web site at www.tssa.org for additional information. |
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Are you a member of H.R.A.C. ? |
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Yes! We are members of the Heating, Refrigeration and. Air conditioning Contractors of Canada. Please see their web site at www.hrac.ca for additional information. |
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Do you have liability insurance? |
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Yes! We are insured for any damage accidentally performed to your home, which was a direct result of any of our services for a total up to 2 million dollars coverage. Proof of insurance is strongly recommended and readily available to you upon your request. |
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Do you have referrals? |
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Yes! Of course we will provide you with referrals upon request. These referrals will be selected from a geographical area within your residence and which have had similar work performed to what you are considering. |
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Are you a member of the Better Business Bureau? |
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Yes! We have been a member in good standings with the BBB since June 2004. Please see their web site at www.easternontario.bbb.org for additional information. |
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What is your hourly labour rate? |
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We do not offer an hourly rate. Our service is provided using a flat rate pricing system. How this works is upon a request for service, we will come out to your home to diagnose what the problem is with your system. Once determined, we will then provide you with an estimate on repair from our flat rate price book. This scope of work would be subject to the $85.00 diagnostic charge. The benefit to this system is that regardless how long it takes for a technician to determine the problem or regardless how long it took for him to drive to your residence, you only pay the fixed diagnostic charge. Also the repair estimate provided is a fixed cost, which eliminates the possibility for price inflation during the busier periods. |
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How long does a typical installation take? |
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The typical installation of a furnace or A\C is approximately 4 hours. An oil to gas installation would take approximately 8 to 12 hours. |
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