Water-Saving Tips Around the Home

Posted by: Sound Marketing on behalf of House Smart Home Improvements.

Our Fresh Water is a Precious Resource that Needs to be Reserved

Canada has 20% of the world’s fresh water, a huge global endowment and an abundance that has led to a false sense of security.
That is because globally, freshwater species populations have fallen by at least 35% in the past 40 years. Nature needs fresh water to flourish and communities need healthy rivers and watersheds to prosper.
Every action we take to reduce our water footprint, both big and small, helps to improve the overall well being of our rivers and lakes, and the waters that sustain all life on earth.

With fresh water sustainability in mind, along with saving money on our water consumption; what can we do to preserve it around the home? Here are two important things to consider:

Buy a Low-Flow Showerhead

A ten minute shower can use up to 190 litlres of hot water with a conventional showerhead. But a low-flow showerhead can cut this by half and still maintain water pressure - conventional ones use 15 - 19 litres per minute while low-flow ones use about 8 - 9 litres.

Other water saving tips would include taking short showers in place of baths, and avoiding running the water in the bathroom while you're shaving or brushing your teeth.

 

Save Water as You Care for Your Lawn

• Can you stand the thought of not having as green a grass as your neighbours? Then why not let your lawn go brown during the summer months. A sprinkler uses up to 1,300 litres of drinking water per hour. If you must water, make sure not to over water your lawn. This wastes water and damages the grass. Mature lawns only need about 2.5 cm of water per week to survive. Place an empty tuna can where you are sprinkling. When it fills up, stop watering. In B.C., relying on natural rainfall is often all you need to maintain your lawn during most seasons.
• Let your grass grow a little longer. This allows the roots to be more shaded so that they hold water better. Set your mower blades to 5-8 cm.
• Leave lawn clippings on the lawn to reduce moisture loss.
• Use compost. Spreading compost on the lawn will provide natural nutrients and increase its moisture retention ability.
• Reduce the amount of lawn you have, opting instead for patios and vegetable gardens.
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  House Smart Home Improvements are experienced professionals with an  A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau. When it’s time to replace your windows, doors or furnaces and heat pumps, or to install  insulation, and other energy-efficient home upgrades,  give us a call. 604-585-2020

Ground Source / Air Source Heat Pump Rebate or Loan

Posted by: Sound Marketing on behalf of House Smart Home Improvements. 

This pilot program is currently only available to South Okanagan customers who receive their electricity bills directly from FortisBC. Contact FortisBC PowerSense to apply. View terms and conditions.

Ground source heat pump rebate or loan

A ground source heat pump can save you up to 65% on your home’s heating and cooling costs, and provide you with heat in the winter and cooling in the summer.
Solar energy stored in the ground is captured in a solution circulating through underground pipes and carried back to a heat pump installed inside your home.
The heat pump distributes heat indoors during cold weather, displacing conventional heating systems and collects it during hot weather, acting as an air conditioner.

Rebate & loan details

Rebate is calculated at $0.05 per kWh in savings, with an average rebate on a 4000 sq. ft. home being approximately $900. You can also apply for a loan of up to $5000 OAC financed over 10 years at 4.9%.
Apply for the rebate and loan through the Home Improvement Program.
Call for details at House Smart Home Improvements! 604-585-2020. We offer Free In-Home Consultations.

Air source heat pump rebate or loan

Living in BC has its advantages. But did you know that our climate in the Southern Interior is ideally suited to using a heat pump and could save you up to 40 per cent on your home’s heating and cooling costs?
Air source heat pumps absorb heat from the outdoor air in winter and removes heat from inside during the summer to create a comfortable space all year round resulting in comfortable, evenly distributed heat in the winter and cooler air circulating in the summer. Heat pumps are an efficient and renewable way to heat and cool your home.

Rebate & loan details

Take advantage of one of a number of incentives to help save money on the installation of an air source heat pump from FortisBC.

FortisBC Rebates

• Air source heat pump: $200 per ton (or per 12,000 BTU’s) about $600 for an average home
• Ductless heat pump: $300 per ton (or per 12,000 BTU’s) about $450 for an average home

To qualify for rebates or loans, the back-up heating system must be electric.

FortisBC  financing program

For more information visit: http://www.fortisbc.com/Electricity/PowerSense/Pages/default.aspx

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House Smart Home Improvements are experienced professionals with an  A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau. When it’s time to replace your windows, doors or furnaces and heat pumps, or to install  insulation, and other energy-efficient home upgrades,  give us a call. 604-585-2020

7 Ways to Keep Your Home Cooler in Summer!

Posted by: Sound Marketing on behalf of House Smart Home Improvements.

"We're havin' a heat wave" in the lower mainland of BC presently, and this can make our homes uncomfortably hot especially at night when we are trying to sleep. Of course installing central air conditioning is one way to fix the problem, but what about considering more environmentally friendly and economical ways to keep the temperature lower in your home? In this article we will provide you with a seven simple ideas you may want to consider:

1. If the sun shines right into your windows, keep the coverings drawn during the day. Your furniture and carpets actually absorb the sun when it shines through non-coated clear windows during the day.  Heat cannot escape and gets trapped in the room. This is why a room can get really warm, even on a cold, sunny day. You may even want to consider dark, light blocking curtains if you have west facing windows that let a lot of sun in during the day.

2. Install a heat pump to your furnace. According to the Canadian Office of Energy Efficiency, adding a heat pump to your existing heating system can save you between 25 and 65 percent on your heating and cooling costs, depending on what type of heat pump you select. In the summer, heat pumps move hot air from inside your home to the outdoors. In the winter, the process is reversed, using earth-heated air to help heat your home.

FortisBC offers two rebate or loan programs to help with the cost of a heat pump:

Ground source heat pump rebate: Rebate is calculated at $0.05 per kWh in savings, with an average rebate on a 4000 sq. ft. home being approximately $900. You can also apply for a loan of up to $5000 OAC financed over 10 years at 4.9%.

Air source heat pump rebate or loan: Air source heat pump: $200 per ton (or per 12,000 BTU’s) about $600 for an average home; ductless heat pump: $300 per ton (or per 12,000 BTU’s) about $450 for an average home.

3. Add a summer switch to your furnace. The air in a closed up house during the summer can get pretty stale. Adding a summer switch to the circulating fan on your furnace will keep the air moving throughout the house, and will filter the air without heating it to improve the quality of your indoor air.  Basements are typically cooler than the rest of the home, so circulating the air in your home will “mix” the warmer upstairs air with the cooler air from below.  

4. Insulate and air seal the attic, home, and crawlspace. Adding insulation to your attic can keep the hot air that collects up there in the summer from entering your living space. Conversely, during the winter months, attic insulation will keep the warm air in your living space where it belongs.  Insulation in the walls and crawlspace will also help keep the heat out in the summer months, and keep the cold out during winter.  Be sure to air seal the home to reap the greatest benefit from the new insulation.  Heat always “fights” to move toward cold, so any open air pathways or lack of thermal resistance (insulation), will allow the outside air to move inside more quickly.  If you have central air conditioning, air sealing and adding insulation will reduce the amount of electricity required to cool the home, because they will keep the cooled air inside the home longer than if you had poor air-sealing and inadequate insulation.

Check out the rebates available through the Live Smart BC program to help cover the cost of insulation
 and air sealing.  



5. Have Whirlybirds installed. Whirlybirds will remove the hot air from your ceiling making your home cooler and more comfortable.
For the best result, at least two Whirlybirds should be installed in a high up position on your roof. This should be combined with the installation of eave vents on either side of your home to allow cool air intake. Installing one on its own will not make enough difference, as two work best together to bring in cool air while expelling hot air.
They will save you money by helping to reduce your air conditioning costs and at the same time making them very environmentally friendly. In Winter, Whirlybirds help to remove moist, damp air that can accumulate in your ceiling during the cold and wet months, keeping it drier and lessening the chance of mold occurring in your home.

6. Close your windows during the day, and open them at night. An open window does not always mean a cool breeze! Heat actually moves toward cold, so if it is hotter outside than it is inside your home, opening windows will actually have a reverse effect and draw the outdoor heat into your home.  Conversely, opening windows at night will allow your home to ‘lose’ heat to the outdoors because the outside air is cooler than the inside air.  Leaving your windows open at night means that when you wake up in the morning and close all your windows, your home will be naturally cooler – without the use of an air conditioner.

7.  Keep ventilation fans running all night.  Every bit of air your fans exhausts from your home must be replaced by incoming air.  At night, the outdoor air is cooler than the air inside your home, so the air that is drawn in to replace the exhausted air is cooler.  Sometimes a lack of wind outside will mean that air is not being exchanged between your home and the outdoors.  Using ventilation fans (the one in your bathroom and the one over your stove) that are exhausted directly to the outdoors will create air exchange regardless of environmental factors.

  

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House Smart Home Improvements are experienced professionals with an  A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau. When it’s time to replace your windows, doors or furnaces and heat pumps, or to install  insulation, and other energy-efficient home upgrades,  give us a call. 604-585-2020

Summer Home Mainenance Schedule

Posted by: Sound Marketing on behalf of House Smart Home Improvements.

We know you are (or would like to be) a responsible home owner and do whatever you can to protect your precious investment! That is why we want to share this useful home maintenance check list to help you keep your home in great shape throughout every season. The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation has a great check list routine that you can follow which we will borrow for this article. Going through these steps is really quite easy and it takes the mystery of out of wondering if you left anything out. Establish a routine for yourself.
 A regular schedule of seasonal maintenance can keep your home in great shape, and help you become aware of any smaller issues that need tending to now,  in order to avoid more costly problems later on. Do a little at a time, or pick a day to go through the entire check list.

While most maintenance is seasonal, the following 5 steps are things you should do on a frequent basis year-round:

	Make sure air vents indoors and outdoors (intake, exhaust and forced air) are not blocked by snow or debris.
	Check and clean range hood filters on a monthly basis.
	Test ground fault circuit interrupter(s) on electrical outlets monthly by pushing the test button, which should then cause the reset button to pop up.
	If there are young children in the house, make sure electrical outlets are equipped with safety plugs.
	Regularly check the house for safety hazards, such as a loose handrail, lifting or buckling flooring, inoperative smoke detectors, and so on.

Summer Home Maintenance Check List

In this blog we will share the schedule for Summer. 

Quickly Like our page on Facebook to be notified of your upcoming Fall Checklist and other great home improvement tips!

 

 

 

 Here We Go....

	Monitor basement humidity and avoid relative humidity levels above 60 per cent. Use a dehumidifier to maintain relative humidity below 60 per cent.
	Clean or replace air-conditioning filter, and clean or replace ventilation system filters if necessary.
	Check basement pipes for condensation or dripping and, if necessary, take corrective action; for example, reduce humidity and/or insulate cold water pipes.
	Check the basement floor drain to ensure the trap contains water; refill with water if necessary.
	If you have a plumbing fixture that is not used frequently, for example, a laundry tub or spare bathroom sink, tub or shower stall, run some water briefly to keep water in the trap.
	Deep clean carpets and rugs.
	Vacuum bathroom fan grille.
	Disconnect the duct connected to your clothes dryer, and vacuum lint from duct, the areas surrounding your dryer and your dryer’s vent hood outside.
	Check security of all guardrails and handrails.
	Check smooth functioning of all windows, and lubricate as required.
	Inspect window putty on outside of glass panes of older houses, and replace if needed.
	Sand and touch up paint on windows and doors.
	Lubricate door hinges, and tighten screws as needed.
	Check for and replace damaged caulking and weatherstripping around mechanical and electrical services, windows and doorways, including the doorway between the garage and the house. See the About Your House fact sheet Attached Garages and Indoor Air Quality for more information on preventing garage-to-house air transfer.
	Lubricate garage door hardware, and ensure it is operating properly.
	Lubricate automatic garage door opener motor, chain and other moving parts, and ensure that the auto-reverse mechanism is properly adjusted.
	Inspect electrical service lines for secure attachment where they enter your house, and make sure there is no water leakage into the house along the electrical conduit. Check for overhanging tree branches that may need to be removed.
	Check exterior wood siding and trim for signs of deterioration; clean, replace or refinish as needed.
	Remove any plants that contact — and roots that penetrate — the siding or brick.
	From the ground, check the general condition of the roof and note any sagging that could indicate structural problems requiring further investigation from inside the attic. Note the condition of shingles for possible repair or replacement, and examine roof flashings, such as at chimney and roof joints, for any signs of cracking or leakage.
	Check the chimney cap and the caulking between the cap and the chimney.
	Repair driveway and walkways as needed.
	Repair any damaged steps.

After this, pour a cold drink and relax in the sun!

Visit House Smart Home Improvements or call 604-585-2020 to set up your Free Consultation Today.
When it’s time to replace your windows, doors or furnaces and heat pumps, or to install  insulation, and other energy-efficient home upgrades, give us a call. We do the job right. 604-585-2020