Archive for March, 2012

It’s Never Too Late to Become Teacher’s Pet!

 As a member of our Service Partner Plan, you’ll always be at the head of the class when it comes to first priority service and maximum service discounts.

 Come on, admit it…back in the day, you detested all those teachers’ pets who enjoyed little perks and spotlight attention…the kind that you and your buds weren’t entitled to.  That is, unless you happened to be a darling little teacher’s pet yourself.  J

 Well, nothing really has changed now that we’ve all become grownups.  We still enjoy perks, special attention, and the feeling that we’re getting the best deal going.

 If that describes you, then you’re going to love our Service Partner Plan…one that will automatically entitle you to elite status with Ashton Service Group…forevermore.

 For one small yearly fee, your membership entitles you to:

• No Overtime Fee
• An annual inspection on all covered systems
• Perpetual warranties on all covered fixtures and repairs;
• Top level discounts on all services not covered by your Service Partner Plan;
• Priority scheduling for all regular and emergency service calls…“24/7!”

What’s it all add up to?  A level of peace of mind the likes of which like you’ve never known…especially when it comes to your family’s indoor comfort and security.

 It’s a great plan, all right.  And perhaps the greatest thing about it is that all covered systems will run better and last longer.  Why?  Because with our annual cleaning and inspection service, we can spot small problems before they get worse, and help to keep your equipment in top working order.

 Sign up today at http://www.ashtonservicegroup.com/AVP.html and get peace of mind.

 We hope to see you soon…“Around the House.”

What seems like a minor leak may surprise you in the amount of water and energy lost. Some simple fixes can add up to some major savings. For example:

• Fix a leaky faucet, save 75 litres a day
• Fix a leaky toilet, save 113 litres a day
• Replace an old toilet with a low flush toilet, save 150 litres a day
• Repair an outdoor pipe leak or broken sprinkler head, save 75 litres a day
• Repair a leak around the pool or spa pumps, save litres a day

Obviously, those litres add up over the year. A 1/32 inch size leak wastes 280,000 litres a year. 1/8 inch wastes over a 3.50 million litres.

Leaky faucets are typically caused by worn washers or “O” rings. For something that basic, you may want to pull out the do-it-yourself book and attempt the fix yourself. Or, if you want to save time while you’re confident it’s done right, just call us. You might even combine it with an overall plumbing inspection while we’re there, which may save major costs down the road in preventative maintenance.

Your leaky toilet may be a simple fix too, if you’re mechanically inclined. However, it often indicates you need a new toilet. In fact, if your toilet is ten or fifteen years old, you’re probably better off replacing it with an efficient low-flow toilet. You can save over five gallons per flush, so the savings add up quickly. Also, you’ll get a better flush with a pressurized model. You can conserve even more water with a dual flush toilet. It has two flush settings, one for solids and one for liquids. Incidentally, if you avoid using the toilet as an ashtray or wastebasket, you can save 1,512 to 2,200 litres per month.

Simply replacing your showerhead with a new efficient model drastically cuts water consumption from 1,900 to 3,000 litres per month, while you still enjoy excellent shower power. Placing aerators on three kitchen and bath fixtures saves 52 litres a day, while retaining excellent water pressure.

Is the garden hose leaking? Seal the connection threads with thread tape. If it’s the hose itself that’s leaking, wrap it with sealing tape.

By implementing these simple ideas, you’ll be saving you and your community hundreds, possibly thousands of litres each year. Imagine if everyone else implemented these ideas as well. You might want to share this article with your neighbors.

One more extra bonus when you fix those leaks – you’ll hear no more annoying drip drip drip. Please check Ashton Service Group’s product page for many energy efficient options for your home for peace of comfort or give us a call at 604-283-2383.

Unless you’re reading this in the shower, your traditional water heater is wasting energy, heating water you aren’t using. And while you’re at work or running errands all day, that heater is still consuming energy you aren’t using. That large tank in your basement or utility space takes a lot of energy to keep all that water hot. In fact, heating water accounts for up to 30% of the average home’s energy budget.

As the name implies, tankless water heaters don’t have a large tank to keep a reservoir of standby water ready when you need it. (They’re also called “Demand” or “Instantaneous” water heaters.) So there’s no more heating water for hours on end, whether you’re using it or not. Instead, when you turn the hot water handle, cold water travels through a pipe heated by a gas burner or an electric element that heats the water right on the spot.

Since the water is heated instantly, you also get a continuous supply of hot water. Think of the luxury – no more mornings when if you’re the last to shower, it’s a cold shower. The typical tankless system provides hot water at two to five gallons per minute and gas-fired units produce higher flow rates than electric models. If your household often has several simultaneous hot water needs, like baths plus the dishwasher plus the washing machine, ask our technician if you need two tankless heaters connected in parallel, or ask about a “whole house” system. You’ll still be saving energy because when the hot water’s not being used, the heaters aren’t active.

Tankless water heaters are 20 to 50% more efficient than storage tank models. Homes using 40 gallons or less of hot water each day can conserve 24 to 34% energy consumption. Those savings increase with the amount of the home’s water consumption, particularly if a tankless unit is installed for each hot water outlet.

There are different models and sizes of tankless water heaters to choose from. Manufacturers and the government often offer generous rebates, so be sure to check their websites for offers. The type of tankless water heater you need depends on your home and family’s hot water needs. We’ll help you take a hot water energy audit to calculate your hot water usage. We’ll factor in the number of hot water faucets, your appliances, your usage patterns, even the types of showerheads you use, so you’ll have the perfect model match-up. We’ll also tell you your approximate energy savings with the new tankless water heater.

See our latest tankless water heater in stock.

Call us at Ashton Service Group at 604-283-2383 and a friendly, uniformed, professional technician will visit at your convenience for a brief, courteous consultation.