What Heating System Is Right For My New Custom Home?

Q:

What heating system is right for my new custom home?

A:

This question is asked by every homeowner to their general contractor when they are having a new home built. There are some many options out there and with every option there are pros and cons, every option is a different price and affects the way the home is heated/cooled.

Time should be spent on this decision; this decision should be made with the homeowner, the general contractor and the HVAC sub-contractor that will be installing the system.
HVAC systems have become very complicated and some system work better with certain equipment.

When it comes to the choice of equipment that decision should be left up to the general contractor and the HVAC subcontractor.

There are several main factors that determine or shape the direction in which you will proceed when narrowing down the choices for your HVAC needs, they are;

• Price. Price will dictate whether you can afford high-end systems like geothermal in-ground heat. The lower your budget for HVAC the less choices you will be left with to choose from.

• Availability. If you are in town and have access to natural gas then you have a lot of inexpensive options to choose from when considering your HVAC. If you are in an area that does not have natural gas then your choices narrow and you have to decide on what combination of equipment works for you. You might be building your home on a piece of land that doesn’t work well to have in-ground heating; this would mean you would have to choose other options.

There are so many combinations for HVAC systems like pairing a natural gas furnace to a electric air to air heat pump and so many grades of efficiency that it’s not worth me taking the time to try and list them all. I would be here for hours.

One of the big factors will be what recommendations your HVAC installer wants to use, their knowledge of systems, warranty issues, ease of use and pricing will go a long way in determining what you can install.

With anything if what they are proposing to install doesn’t make sense and cannot be properly explained then ask for other options. This will help ensure that you get not only what you want but what your new home needs.

Rob Abbott
Village Builders Inc.

The Different Ways That You Can Heat You're In-Floor Heating System

The different ways that you can heat you’re in-floor heating system.

In floor heating is one of the most efficient ways to heat your home; the thermal mass allows your floors once they are warm to radiate heat for hours, long after the actual system has turned itself off. Radiant heat also heats an entire space evenly with heat originating from the entire floor instead where ever the ducts appear from the floor wall. Because radiant heat is produced at the floor level it is always rising by you the homeowner towards the ceiling. This means that the room is always the same temperature and that is feels comfortable.

To feed water to this system there are many different ways that you can create the hot water that is needed to run the system, here is a brief list;

• Hot water tanks. The standard hot water tank can be used to create enough hot water for small to medium sized area for heating. It is not very efficient but it will do the job. You can also use more than one tank if you think that you require more capacity. Hot water tanks can be powered by electricity, propane, natural gas, furnace oil or even solar.

• Geothermal. New geothermal heating systems will create hot water by ground source heat. This is a very efficient way to heat your floor especially if you have no access to natural gas. It is a more expensive option but you will see the savings over the long run. Geothermal systems are powered by electricity and require no fossil fuels.

• Flash boilers. Flash boilers are probably the most efficient water heaters out there, especially if they are powered by natural gas. They can also be powered by propane and electricity. A flash boiler does what the name says it does, it boils water to your desired temperature only when you require it. There are no storage tanks to hold warmed water; it is created when the system calls for it.

• Boilers. The traditional boiler is still used for large in-floor areas; it works well as it is able to create large volumes of water in short amounts of time to feed the system. They can be powered by natural gas, propane or electricity.

• Air to air heat pumps. Air to air heat pumps work by removing the heat from the air outside and transforming it into useable heat inside the home. Newer heat pumps can take heat from the air well below zero. This can be used to heat water that will fuel the in-floor heating system.

Whatever way you decide to power you’re in-floor system you are bound to be happy at the lower heating costs you will endure throughout the long winter months.

Rob Abbott
Village Builders Inc.

Heating system trends in your custom home for 2014

Heating system trends 2014

The trends in custom homes and renovations coming in to 2014 are always changing with a lot of the trends that we saw in the 2013 construction year being the same as in previous years. But there were things that became trends in 2013 with more and more home owners opting for them that they become almost the norm in 2014. I am focusing on the heating systems that are being installed in new homes and renovations, not just what’s currently trending but what has become the norm in today’s custom homes.

Since custom homes are a very personal thing so is the selection of your heating system, I create these lists for people so that they have the ability to ask their general contractors about the many options out there when wanting to heat their new home.

Heating Systems

Here is a list of things that have stayed the same over the last couple of years;

• In town where people have access to natural gas high efficiency gas furnaces are still the most installed system.

• Air-to-Air heat pumps are one the most popular choices lately to make your heating system more energy efficient whether you live in town or in the country. This system is becoming so popular because it is basically an add on to your existing furnace without too much interior renovation needed

• New homes that do not have access to natural gas are all by a rule installing geothermal heating, either ground loops (if they have the space) or vertical loops (which are drilled wells).

• Conventional hot water tanks are still the most popular way to heat hot water in town and in the country. This is true especially in properties that have geothermal as the units help give free hot water for parts of the year.

• Flash boilers that run on natural gas are growing in popularity for new homes. There is a rise in people wanting in-floor heat; with in-floor heat you require a flash boiler which also gives you on-demand hot water.

• HRV’s are standard in all homes now built.

• Heating of bathroom tiled floors is done with electric mats that are controlled per room, making for a more enjoyable experience when stepping out of the shower on to warm tiles regardless of what the thermostat on the main home heating unit is set at.

• Smart thermostats are more popular in custom homes than anything else, it is now basically the norm; with the growing smart phone/tablet market people want to be able to control the climate in their home from anywhere in the world, smart thermostats do that with a phone or internet connection.

• Fume hoods in kitchens have become so large that mechanical contractors are being forced to install “make up air” systems in the furnace. This system helps stop the depressurization of the home when all the air is being sucked out by the fume hood by adding more air then normal into the duct system to make up for it.

• Multi stage furnaces are more readily available and the bigger the home the more it’s being demanded. The multi-stage allows for better energy efficiency and that is one of the biggest trends in today’s homeowners when talk about heating systems.

• Fireplaces have been one of the longest running trends in custom homes. Wood burning fireplaces are so common as they add cheap heat to the most lived in part of the home and also are used to set the mood. Gas fireplaces are used the same way as they are used to heat a room or an area of the home without having to engage the heating system to do so.

• Electric space heaters are commonly installed in the kick of bathroom vanities when renovating to allow more heat into a generally cold bathroom. The added bonus of it in the kick is that it is always warming your feet and legs.

Here is a list of the trends that are gaining momentum this year;

• Ductless heat pumps are becoming by far the most popular way to heat or cool area’s of a home that have been renovated or added too. This works well when you do not have an easy way to tie the newer part of the home into the existing heating system.

• There is a new air to air heat pump that is on the market that is taking the industry by storm. It’s called the Zuba and it is made by Mitsubishi, it is the most energy efficient heating unit on the market today. It is so energy efficient that people that live in the country are opting to install a Zuba instead of geothermal because of the initial cost savings on the system.

• There is a growing demand for on demand hot water in the country. With more people making the choice for air to air heat pumps over geothermal there is a demand for more efficient water heating. Propane water heating is very efficient; it is also a wonderful way to heat the basement of your floor with in-floor piping that can run off the same flash boiler system.

• Multiple thermostats are a rapidly growing trend; this allows the home to be better regulated with heating and cooling. You can set the temperature of the different zones of the home to whatever you require. The only deterrent for it becoming the norm is the cost of the extra thermostats and dampers. The dampers are low voltage so that they require very little in the way of power to operate.

• Steam humidifiers are becoming more popular; people are trying to avoid the overly dry air they end with through the heating season. This is especially evident when installing geothermal heating units as they give a dry heat.

• In chalets that are unable to have a ducted central air furnace the trend to install ERV’s to still allow the circulation of air throughout the home, this helps stave off mold and mildew in the home.

These are the main trends in the Heating systems of new and renovated custom homes for 2014.

Rob Abbott
Village Builders Inc.

The most effective energy-saving products when building a new home

Q:

What are the most effective energy-saving products when building a new home?

A:

There are many different ways to save energy in a new home, especially when you are having a custom home built. When you are having a custom home built you will be given the option of upgrading or selecting the energy efficient level of all the mechanical devises that go into your home. There is an added cost to these items but in the long run they will save you money in energy costs.

The largest energy user in your home is the heating units, whether they are gas or electric you will spend more money heating and cooling your home than anything else you do in it. Here is a brief list of products that will save you energy when heating and cooling your new custom home;

• Air to air heat pumps. They run off electricity, but the efficiency rating of air to air heat pumps when you purchase the highest rated ones are better than high efficiency natural gas furnaces. The cost to buy them is also higher the more efficient they are.

• Geothermal heating. Geothermal heating is by far the most efficient heating and cooling system that you could install in a home. It is also the most costly system as well. The return is longer to recoup the costs you pay on installation but the value of your home is worth more as well for resale.

• High efficiency natural gas furnaces. These furnaces use less energy than conventional furnaces but are not nearly as efficient as geothermal or air heat pumps. They also do not produce air conditioning. The cost of them is by far cheaper than anything else so the recoupment of your installation costs over an average gas furnace is fairly quick.

Because heating and cooling is so much of your energy costs in your home you should consider upgrading the insulation in your home, this will go a long way to lowering your heating and cooling costs in the future.

Other ways to save money is to make sure that you buy energy star rated appliances. The higher the rating the higher the costs, but the less energy they will use. The clothes dryer is a big one when it comes to appliance energy use, it and your oven will have the largest electricity use in your new home (for appliances).

Lighting. Your lighting is not that large of an energy user, but the more lights that you have in your home the more energy they will use. A standard halogen pot light uses 50 to 80 watts. Changing that bulb to an LED will take the power consumption down to 5 to 10 watts. The cost of the bulbs is more expensive but the longevity of them compared to a halogen pays for itself without even considering the cost savings in energy.

One of the most expensive energy saving items that go into your new home is your windows. Windows are one of the most costly items to upgrade to make more energy efficient. Taking your windows from the standard double pane glass up to triple pane glass will greatly reduce the heat loss through the windows, the down side is that the cost of the windows jump considerably. My advice is to only upgrade the largest windows in your home to triple pane and any window that is facing the water or the direction where you receive the majority of the strong winds in the winter. This will help prevent the wind chill in the winter from costing you money on heating and will not be as big a hit on the budget.

When building a custom home you will have to think long and hard about how much money you want to spend in upgrading your home to save energy. There is a limit to what you should spend; you should way the energy savings that will come to you in the future compared to the cost upfront. If you do plan to sell the house within 5 to 10 years of building it then you have to take into consideration that the resale value of your home will be higher as more and more people are looking for energy efficiency in their next home.

Rob Abbott
Village Builders Inc.