Congratulations on purchasing your new Energy Efficient home! Now that you’ve moved in, you may be wondering what makes your home unique. Here are some quick facts:
This is an interactive system between the efficiencies and performance of the following:
Your builder has delivered to you a home with all the essential energy efficiency and healthy living elements. It is the homeowners’ responsibility to ensure that this balanced system continues to operate as it was designed once you have moved in. This on-going maintenance is no different than the energy you would put into maintaining a car. Some should follow a schedule, some are preventative, and some are just common sense. The following pages will attempt to answer some common questions about your home and provide maintenance tips and guidelines for keeping the system well balanced. We sincerely hope you will enjoy your newly purchased home for many years to come! Welcome home from A&J Energy Consultants.
The basement walls may have blanket insulation with a thermal performance rating of R-20. This blanket was installed to just above the basement floor and has a vapour barrier made of polyethylene covering the fibreglass insulation. After moving in, you may see condensation on the inside of the poly, either on the blanket or between the floor joists above. This is a NORMAL occurrence as the foundation dries and responds to changing humidity levels and climatic conditions. This also means the vapour barrier is doing its job. This usually happens during the summer months when air-conditioning is pumped into the basement. It is recommended that you run a portable dehumidifier in the basement at least for the first year of occupancy. Keep furniture and boxes away from the outside walls to ensure good air circulation during this drying process.
The heating system in your home is provided by a high-efficiency gas furnace. This system is meant to run for long periods of time instead of the “old-style” systems that constantly cycled on and off. The fan is equipped with a high-efficiency electronically commutated motor, which is designed to run continuously. There is no need to worry about the costs as this motor consumes approximately 60% less energy than a conventional PSC motor. The advantage: better air distribution through the entire house.
This system will supply your hot water from a high-efficiency gas boiler and provide heat for forced-air heating through an air-handler. Hot water from the boiler is circulated through a heat transfer coil in the air-handler and when air is forced through the coil (like the radiator in your car), it is heated and sent through your house. These can be mid to high-velocity systems and are great for confined spaces and moving air through multi-storey units.
Maintain your furnace and change the filters regularly. Some manufacturers tell you to change your filter every 3 months; we prefer every 6 weeks depending on lifestyle and other factors. Change your filter more often if you:
The best purchase is a MERV 8 – 12 filter (a higher number is better). These will filter out mould spores, pet dander, and most air-borne particles. Although more expensive, the trade-off is cleaner air and improved indoor air quality. Not changing these filters regularly will also cause the furnace blower to work harder, reducing air-flow and using more energy. Make sure the arrow on the side of the filter points towards the furnace.
Your gas fireplace will provide comfort and ambience without the mess and fuss of a wood burning unit. There are; however, other significant differences:
The HRV is considered the “Lungs of the House.” It takes warm stale air from the house and vents it outside as “exhaust” air. At the same time, it takes fresh cold “supply” air from outside, where it passes through a heat exchanger and sends it back to the furnace as clean, pre-heated “supply” air.
This unit is similar to the HRV, except the heat-exchanger core also allows for the transfer of water vapour, resulting in less dehumidification in the house.
The HRV/ERV is interconnected to the furnace blower and provides the following functions:
FACT: Studies have shown that he indoor air-quality of the average home is at least 7 times worse than the outside air. Running your HRV will ensure a high indoor air quality
The fan should be turned on when using bathrooms, especially after showering. We recommend running the fan continuously for at least 20 minutes after showering or bathing. The fans are vented to the outdoors and remove excess humidity from the room. Not running the fan may result in:
The fan cover should be removed and cleaned regularly with mild dish soap. This is a simple process where the cover is pulled straight down and released from the metal clips… Make sure the fan is turned OFF before attempting to remove the cover.
Do not get water into the electrical components!
The water heater in your home could be a storage tank style or an instantaneous (on demand) unit. These have the following features:
Your home may be equipped with a Drain Water Heat Recovery pipe. This pipe is a heat-exchanger where hot water going down the drainpipe preheats the cold water in the outside coil. The pre-heated water goes to the water heater reducing the energy required to heat the water. A few points:
Most of the light bulbs in your house are either Compact Fluorescent Bulbs (CFLs) or Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). These bulbs use a fraction of traditional incandescent bulbs’ energy and although more expensive, they have a quick pay-back period. Here are a few tips on bulb replacement:
The windows in your home are high-quality, energy-efficient and have been chosen with your comfort in mind. They have been professionally installed and sealed to the framed opening with urethane spray-foam. They require very little care except for the occasional cleaning. Windows are made to be opened, so don’t hesitate to let some fresh air in!
Windows are the most susceptible part of the house to heat loss and under the right conditions; condensation may result. Condensation on windows usually means that there is high humidity in proximity of the windows; however, under extreme cold weather conditions, some condensation may be unavoidable.
Ways to reduce condensation:
Remember: High indoor humidity + cold surfaces = condensation
High household humidity and condensation in your home are usually a result of lifestyle choices.
Your home has been built with a tight building envelope to reduce drafts and heat-loss and improve occupant comfort. Your home has been tested with a “Blower Door Test” to ensure your builders’ exacting standards. This is also a requirement for ENERGY STAR® certified homes. A tight building envelope, along with superior window performance, mechanical system efficiencies and insulation levels, all work together to provide a reduction in energy consumption prescribed by the Ontario Building Code. Any changes to the building envelope or mechanical systems will change the designed whole-house performance and may have unintended consequences.
Here are some tips:
Your exterior finishes have been chosen to provide a durable and maintenance-free finish. Please remember; Water is the Enemy! Keep water away from your house with these simple tips:
The ENERGY STAR name and symbol are administered and promoted in Canada by Natural Resources Canada and are trademarks registered in Canada by the United States Environmental Protection Agency