Archive for May, 2012

Today’s well informed home owners decide on a tankless water heater for 3 good reasons. First, they know that tankless water heaters are used throughout the World where energy costs are high. Canada’s energy costs are rising. Secondly, they recognize that a 92-97% thermal efficient gas tankless water heater compared to a 50 – 60% standard gas tank type water heater will save money and help reduce their carbon footprint. Thirdly, the tankless water heater doesn’t store hot water but produces it on demand.

Tankless water heaters are capable of providing an instant, endless supply of hot water. Because these systems function on an on-demand basis, they do not require a holding tank to store pre-warmed water. No storage or holding reserve means that tankless water heaters have a life span that is twice as long as traditional systems because of the risk of rust and corrosion is significantly lowered.

They are hung from the wall saving floor space. They can be installed almost anywhere. Most have warranties up to 15 years with all parts being replaceable and 100% recyclable. They do cost more initially but looking at all the benefits including the re-sale value of your home, they are well worth the expense.

Tankless heaters are not new to the market. They have a proven record dating back to 1950 in Canada. They come in many sizes to suit your needs. Experienced contractors can help you select the right unit.

A tankless hot water heater will save you money, save space and you will never run out of hot water again. Best of all your home and family will be environmentally friendly.

Electric tankless hot water heaters
Electric units heat the water as it passes over an electrical element. To run an electric tankless water heater, you will need to have it hardwired to your circuit breaker/electrical panel. Although, electric tankless water heaters are less expensive to purchase and operate, they typically have less capacity, which makes them less practical for large families or households that consume large amounts of hot water at one time.

Gas tankless hot water heaters
In a gas unit, a gas burner is utilized to heat the water. Gas-powered systems are fuelled by propane or natural gas. To operate one of these units, you will need a gas line running through your home to where the water heater will be installed. It can easily provide endless hot water for one major application at a time. This unit is a great replacement for the traditional 40-gallon storage tank water heater.

There are also provincial grants available under the LiveSmart BC Efficiency Incentive program for replacing your domestic hot water heater with a qualified instantaneous gas water heater which you may want check into as well. For an estimate and potential savings, please call Ashton Service Group at 604-283-2383 and ask for Bob, our residential heating manager.

I am sure many of you have heard of a heat pump, some of you may even have one, but has anyone ever taken the time to explain what they are and how they work?

Heat pumps are often misunderstood or not understood at all. Because of this, you may not realize that there may be a better heating and cooling option than a furnace or air conditioner. A heat pump is an efficient method of cooling your home in the summer and warming it in the winter.

Although heat pumps are new to many people, they have been around for over three decades. Its name is a little misleading, a heat pump is an efficient method of heating a home during the cold winter months and also cooling it during the blistering summer months. A heat pump looks like an air conditioner, but that’s only the outside appearance. It actually has two functions based on the same principles for both. In warm weather situations, the heat pump works as a normal air conditioner. It extracts heat from inside the home and transfers it to the outdoor air through a condensing process.

In colder weather, however, the process reverses, collecting heat from the outdoor air and transferring it inside your home. Even when the air outside feels extremely cold, the air still contains some heat. The heat pump pulls the heat from this cold outdoor air and sends it inside to warm your home, using a similar process that a refrigerator would. When there is not enough heat in the outside air to meet the demand of the thermostat setting, an electric heater supplements the outdoor air to warm the home. While many people find the winter operation of a heat pump the most difficult to understand, it is during the heating cycle that the heat pump produces the most savings. Unlike a furnace that turns fossil fuel or electricity into heat, the heat pump collects heat that already exists in the outdoor air by means of its refrigeration cycle.

Consequently, a heat pump will produce two to three times more heat than the energy it uses.

In addition, a heat pump can be an effective add-on option to use in conjunction with an existing gas furnace. With a dual-fuel system, the two systems share the heating load but never function at the same time. Each system operates when it is most cost effective. The heat pump will be the primary heating and cooling system. However, when the temperature drops below the heat pump’s ability to operate as efficiently as the gas furnace, the gas furnace will take over until the temperature rises enough for the heat pump to operate more efficiently.

Remember to take into consideration the noise that may be generated by your heat pump related to where the equipment is installed, and how this may affect your neighbour – be a good neighbour!

 If you have any doubts or require an expert analysis, please contact Ashton Service Group at 604-283-2383.

2012-04-30 15:10:13

The two service personnel from Ashton came to install our new hot water heater and despite less than ideal location did so very expertly and efficiently. They were extremely friendly & professional even going so far as to “MacGyver” a special tool to shut the water off outside & then replacing that plug with a more user friendly one. Also when my husband was having a very bad asthma attack they stopped what they were doing to make sure he was okay. I would not hesitate to recommend Ashton Service Group to anyone who is looking for a good, professional and efficient plumbing company.

To check out the over 40 reviews follow the link:

http://www.n49.ca/biz/ashton-service-group/bc/richmond/140-4631-shell-road/reviews/id/43300/