Category: Heating & cooling

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Heating & cooling

What is ducted air conditioning?

Ducted air conditioning is one the most popular means of maintaining a desirable temperature in a home. The best part about ducted air conditioning is that it can be used for heating and cooling as well.

Characteristics of a Ducted Air Conditioning System

A ducted air conditioner consists of a main compressor to cool the air and a series of ducts that then distributes the cooled air through the house. For total convenience, you can also select a reverse-cycle ducted air conditioner capable of both cooling your home in summer and heating it in winter. The base unit is installed either on the roof, under the floor, or outside on a deck or concrete pad, depending on your home. The air conditioning system can also be fitted with energy efficient inverters that monitor the internal temperature and cycle on and off at the energy level needed to operate.

Ducted air conditioning is a subtle option for keeping your home cool and comfortable / Source: Clear Finish Painting & Decorating

Advantages of a Ducted Air Conditioning System

Ducted air conditioning systems are suited for most buildings and have features that make them superior to other types of air conditioners. Primarily, a ducted system can keep your entire home at the same temperature. However, if energy efficiency is important to you and only need to keep parts of your house cool, you should consider a zoned system that can be programmed to operate in certain rooms at certain times. For example, you can cool the kitchen and living room during the day and the bedrooms at night. 

Another advantage to ducted air conditioning systems is that they are hidden from view. The only part you see inside your house are the vents on the ceiling or the floor.  The units are either outside or on the roof. This means no more losing a closet to an old-fashioned water cooler or having an unsightly window unit spoiling the appearance of your house. 

However, ducted air conditioning system are not an out of the box solution. The compressor, the air handler, the ductwork, and all the wiring must be sized and installed separately. Talk with a professional who can design and install the correct size of system for your home. Too large a system runs inefficiently and too small a system runs up your bills without giving you the cooling you want. This is not a do-it-yourself project. 

Factors to consider before getting ducting air conditioning

  • Understand the energy star rating system – Every air conditioning system is given a star rating based on the balance between energy consumption and the ability to heat or a cool. In technical terms, this rating is known as Coefficient of Performance (COP) for heating systems and Energy Efficient Ratio (ERR) for cooling systems. When you start looking for an air conditioning system, this is the first thing you should take into account.
  • Choose the right capacity – Depending on the area of the room that needs to be cooled or heated, you must decide the capacity of an air conditioning system. The capacity is directly proportional to the amount of energy consumed by a system and is measured in kilowatts(KW). It is crucial that you choose the right capacity according to the size of a room. If you choose a lower capacity system for a large room, the cooling won’t be efficient and the energy consumption will be sky-high. Follow this equation to calculate the ideal capacity – for the living area, choose a system which consumes 125 watts per square metre of space while for the bedroom, 80 watts per square metre is ideal. Also consider the height of the ceiling and the insulation mechanism of a room; a room with a high ceiling and open doors or windows will need a system with higher capacity.

How to increase the energy efficiency ofducted air conditioning?

Even after choosing the perfect air conditioning system, there are a few steps that can you take to maximise energy efficiency. Firstly, insulate the room by using double glazed glass; this will ensure that the cool air doesn’t escape the room. Secondly, set your air conditioning at the right temperature; a difference of a single celsius can reduce energy expenditure by almost 15%.

If you have a particularly large house, you can consider getting a zoned system, i.e. a system with separate motors in different parts of the house. This will lead to quicker and more efficient cooling, but it will also increase cooling expenses. To reduce expenses and save energy, ask your air conditioning experts about inverter technology. This form of technology adjusts a compressor’s speed according to the temperature of a room. This feature is very beneficial for people who live in areas with high temperatures where air conditioners are forced to work round the clock.

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Heating & cooling

5 maintenance tips for home water heater systems

Maintaining your home water heater routinely is a great way to save money. If your water heater already has problems, then it is best to hire a professional plumber, but basic maintenance is something you can do yourself. Basic maintenance is a great way to keep your water heater running for longer and catch potential problems early on.

Learning a new skill always takes a bit of practice. It’s hard to mess up too much with basic water heater maintenance, but not impossible. Before you do anything, make sure you know what you are touching and what will happen if you break it. Messing with machinery with no idea what you are doing is a terrible idea.

Here, we’ll take you a few ideas on how to maintain your own water heater. Before you do your own maintenance, you should watch a video to make sure you are looking at the right parts and fixing the right thing. It is not hard to maintain your water heater once you see what you are supposed to be doing.

Source: South Adelaide Plumbing and Gas

1. Check the TPR valve

Starting by testing the temperature-pressure-release valve is a great jumping-off point. The first thing you want to do is put a bucket underneath the pipe connected to the TPR valve that you will find on the top or side of the tank. This will prevent a possible mess and catch all the water you are about to let out.

Then you are going to need to turn off the cold-water supply valve. That way you know that no new water is running through. Finally, you are going to lift the top off of the TPR valve and let some of the water drain out into the bucket.

If the water continues to flow out after you have let go of the TPR valve, then there is a problem. It is likely that you need to drain the tank about halfway and then install a new TPR valve. Make sure you are looking at the right valve and that you turned off the cold-water before you replace anything.

2. Wash out your water heater’s tank

Depending on how hard your water is and how much calcium and sediment is in your tank, you should be cleaning out your water tank about every six months. It is not a complicated process so much as it is inconvenient. It is much more affordable to clean your own hot water system than it is to hire someone else.

The first thing you’ll need to do is completely drain out your water system. There will be a layer of sediment on the bottom of your heater that you will need to move a bit by letting some more water pour in from the cold-water valve. That will allow you to wash up the sediment with new water that is not already full of leftover calcium.

Drain the new water and repeat until all or most of the sediment, is emptied from your water heater. Once your tank is as clean as you can make it clean the drain cock and refill the tank. Once you are certain everything is back in its proper place, you can turn the power back onto your hot water system.

3. Change the temperature

If your water is running a bit too cold or hot, there is a way to change the temperature yourself. There should be a temperature dial on the side of your tank with a cover that you can unscrew easily. Once the cover is off, you are going to need a flat head screwdriver to adjust the temperature.

Every ten degrees you lower the temperature should save you about five per cent of energy costs. If you plan to leave the house for more than a weekend, you should turn the water heater off completely and turn the thermostat down to save money and energy.

Changing the temperature on your water heater is not something that you need to do often. You probably don’t need to do it at all unless you are very serious about saving energy and money. It does not help enough for most people to consider it worthwhile, but it can be helpful if you are leaving town or running low on funds.

4. Check the anode rod

Find the drain cock on the top of your water heater and stick a hose it in. Allow a few gallons of water to drain out of the hose into a bucket or drain. Then find a socket wrench that will allow you to unscrew the rod.

The rod should have a hexagon shape, and an 11/16 inch socket wrench should fit over it nicely. If the rod you pull out is on the thin side or covered in calcium, then you need to purchase a new anode rod. Your anode rod should be more than half an inch thick and have a minimal amount of calcium on it.

At the very least you should be able to see the metal under the calcium without scraping. If your anode rod is less than half an inch thick or covered in calcium, then you need to buy a new rod for your water heater.

5. Insulate your water heater tank

Newer water heater models will probably have their own insulation. If you have an older tank than you can likely benefit from insulating it yourself. It is a simple project that saves you money the same way insulating your floors or walls would.

All you really need is an insulation blanket. It just looks like silver bubble wrap and is very easy to wrap around your whole water tank. Make sure you also carefully cover all the piped up in insulation too so that none of the heat escapes that way.

Once you have your insulation blanket all tapes to your tank, then you should be ready to go. It is an incredibly easy way to help you save money and energy with only a couple of cheap materials. If you have an older water tank insulation is definitely a project you should look into.

6. Maintain annealed copper pipes 

Regular maintenance ensures the optimal performance of continuous-flow electric hot water systems. One important aspect is the inspection of the annealed copper pipes used in these systems. Annealed copper is known for its durability and resistance to corrosion. Check for any signs of leakage, corrosion, or damage in the copper pipes regularly.

Wrap up

Our water tank is an incredibly important machine that you have in your home. It is important you keep up on some of the basic maintenance it requires so that you can save money and catch any forming problems. Luckily, there are a few basic bits of maintenance anyone can do.

Washing out the tank once every year or less is so important to make your tank last. It would be best if you got all the extra sediment and calcium out of there, so it does not build up and damage the tank. Changing the temperature on your tank and insulating it are both ways to help you save money and energy.

All of these are simple ways to maintain your own water tank. Not everything can be DIY, but small projects like these can absolutely be done without hiring anyone. Make sure you talk to a professional before you do anything more complicated.

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Heating & cooling

What is hydronic heating?

Hydronic heating is one a popular method of heating a household by circulating boiling water through closed pipes. It works by heating water in a boiler until it becomes pressurised in specially designed pipes that then radiate heat where you need it. The warmth from hydronic heating all relates to how warm the water is. The water needs to be heated to make the room warm, which is done before it reaches the pipes.

The radiators will last indefinitely if properly maintained, and homeowners can also get heated towel rails for their bathrooms that use hydronic heating.

Here, we’ll give you the complete run down on hydronic heating, so you can decide if it’s the right heating solution for your home.

Source: Shutterstock

Benefits of hydronic heating

1. Versatile & efficient energy sources

A lot of heaters are surprisingly wasteful, but hydronic heaters use gas boilers, which can be as much as 95% efficient. The water that is circulated through the home is first heated inside the boiler – which can be powered with an electric, geothermal, natural gas, solar, or most commonly a gas-powered pump. With the ability to operate on several different power sources, the versatile nature of a hydronic system can be the perfect solution for even the most frugal or environmentally conscious of consumers. Safety: The fact that the external panels that radiates the heat doesn’t get hot enough to burn means small kids and innocent pets are safe being around a hydronic heating system.

Plus, being one of the more economical forms of heating, owners are able to set the temperature slightly lower than they normally would and still maintain the desired level of comfort.

Pro tip: Using radiators with low water content will save even more energy.

2. Reliability

With anything you install in your home, you need it to be reliable. But, it is a bonus when you find a reliable unit that is also low maintenance. Hydronic heating offers that solution.

Aside from the power options, the reliability and effiiciency of a hydronic heating unit become apparent when you have the ability to set temperatures based on the area of the home you want to be heated. Hydronic heating works by using zoning, heating only the areas of the house that are most used, rather than warming areas where no one is. You control the thermostats that maintain the temperature, so you’re always comfortable. Hydronic means water, but none is wasted in the cycling system that recirculates well enough so that you only add a bit of water once a year.

3. Safe for the whole household

Unlike other heating units, the hydronic heating system does not use fans to blow the heated air. Without these fans circulating things like allergens, dust, bugs, and pollen that can irritate allergies or asthma conditions, your home’s air will be cleaner. Hydronic heating gently warms the water, which circulates to radiators for a calm and healthy environment that’s neither humid nor dry.

In addition to being allergen-friendly, hydronic heating also poses very little by way of a fire hazard, is safe to touch and there are no electrical connections to worry about.

4. Comfort

The gentle, spreading and even heat of hydronic heating makes it especially comfortable. No more bursts of oppressively hot air. Instead, the warmth radiates up through the floor to strategically located radiators for a constant and consistent temperature. If the air starts to go cool or get too warm, the specialty thermostats recognise the change and immediately adjust the temperature. You can leave the heater running all through the cold season without feeling uncomfortable about the air or the bills.

5. It looks good

Most people expect their heating systems to be a bit of an eyesore, but the radiators that are used with hydronic heating systems are available in a wide variety of colours, designs and styles to compliment your decor. If you’re not into the decorative radiators, you can opt for the floor heating, which is completely hidden from view and located within the piping beneath the floorboards. Stylish and practical, hydronic heating is poised to completely overtake other systems.

Modern bathroom with black heated towel rack
Hydronic heated radiators come in a variety of designs and colours / Source: Shutterstock

Different types of hydronic heating

There are a number of options when it comes to hydronic heating. Aside from what energy source you’ll use, the other main choice is between hydronic floor heating and hydronic wall heaating.

Hydronic wall heating

In this type of hydronic heating the hot water runs through pipes to these radiators or panels on the walls throughout the home. This is the most economical version because installation won’t require removing and replacing flooring.

Hydronic floor heating

Hydronic floor heating warms the floor of your home by heating the pipes beneath the surface. The pipes heat will warm the floor, making the whole room warmer as the heat rises. Whether your floor is made of slabs, screed or timber, it will work well with hydronic floor heating. There are a few different types of hydronic floor heating:

Slab hydronic floor heating: In this system, the heating system is laid directly into the concrete slab of the floor. Rugged plastic pipes joined with leak-proof fittings distribute the heated water throughout the house. The temperature of the system is controlled with specially-designed air-sensing thermostats. A slab hydronic system may take as long as a day or two to sufficiently warm the slab flooring, but once it has begun, the system will continuously radiate heat throughout the room during the entire winter.

Screed hydronic floor heating: This system works in a similar way to slab hydronic floor heating, except that the plastic pipes are placed on the topping screed of the concrete flooring, rather than embedded inside it. This system mitigates construction delays and is much quicker to install, because the pipes arent installed directly within the poured concrete. In addition, a screed hydronic system heats up and cools down much more quickly because of the pipes being on top.

You can also choose to have hydronic floor heating installed underneath battened timber floors. This type of system uses plastic pipes that are installed over insulation panels directly below the floorboards. The pipes run securely through the battens, and the water temperature is controlled by a floor thermostat. The difference, however, is that this type of thermostat is typically set at a maximum 27 degrees Celsius so as not to damage the timber floors.

In addition to timber and concrete slab flooring, hydronic floor heating can be used under tiles, linoleum, rugs and carpeting.

Which hydronic heating system is right for you?

So what do you need to consider when choosing a hydronic heating system? It depends on a few things, the most important of which is how you power your boiler. Youll need to check the advantages and disadvantages of each. An example of this is that although solar power is the cheapest option, a backup may be needed for when it doesnt provide your home with as much energy as it needs. Gas is also fairly cheap and comes with a number of choices, such as LPG or natural gas. On the other hand, the price of gas can vary over time and may become more expensive in the following years.

Finally, it is worth considering the aesthetics of your boiler. The great thing about hydronic floor heating is that it is invisible – you wont see any evidence of it after installation is complete. With radiators, panels will be visible around the room, but you can choose what style you like. In some ways, this can really enhance a rooms appearance.

When considering installing this heating technology, it is important to work in conjunction with an architect or designer to ensure it will fit with your new home design. If planning to instal it in an existing home, work closely with a hydronic heating company. The company can help you decide the location for the instal, the type of system, the number of heating zones, the location of thermostats and the ideal temperatures achieved from the heating.

Installing hydronic heating

Since hydronic heating is a special type of system, it must be installed by a registered expert. The supplier should be able to provide an installer to construct the boiler (needed for heating the water), pipe work (floor or walls), radiator, temperature sensors, and thermostats.

Installation costs will depend on a variety of factors so you should therefore assess your personal requirements and budget, and have a specialist design a system that will meet your needs. He or she can also choose the ideal method of powering the system, which will reduce running costs. Always ask for a quote before work begins.

While it’s best to install hydronic heating during a new home build, it can also be retrofitted if required.

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Heating & cooling

Can you retrofit hydronic heating?

Many homeowners are eager to know if they can retrofit hydronic heating to their existing home. While you’ll often hear that it’s recommended to install a hydronic system during the building stage, it’s still possible to retrofit a system and reap the benefits of hydronic heating at any point. Here, we’ll take you through the process of how to retrofit hydronic heating in your home.

What is hydronic heating?

Hydronic heating is a system that uses an isolated boiler to heat water. The water is then distributed throughout the walls and floors of a home through a closed pipe system.

Checking for access to pipework

When building a new home, hydronic heating installers can place the pipework in the best positions to achieve maximum convenience and efficiency. However, with existing homes, installers need to work around your pipework as it currently stands and find the best ways to reach it given the structure and foundations of your home. Because this is a more involved and lengthy process, it can end up being an expensive process.

Depending on how your home has been built, an installer may need to access the pipework via the ceiling and walls, or under the house. If there is sufficient crawl space under your home, you may be able to install underfloor heating pipes to the floor’s underside, in between the floor’s joists.

Cosy winter living room
Source: Shutterstock

However, when there isn’t sufficient crawl space, all floor coverings will need to be removed to uncover the joists and lay new pipes from above.

When retrofitting hydronic panel radiators, it’s crucial you have underfloor access, as this is where the pipework needs to run. While fitting off of the new panels is easy, it’s possible the installer will need to rip up some of your flooring to gain complete access, so you will need to take into consideration the cost of re-laying and patching up parts of your flooring.

Assessing suitability of floor coverings 

But beware – even if you can easily access all necessary pipework, your existing floor coverings may not be the most suitable for underfloor hydronic heating.

An underfloor heating system’s pipework needs to be able to effectively transfer heat to the floor surface. If the floor covering is not an efficient conductor of heat (i.e. it doesn’t store the heat well), then you won’t be able to feel the warmth coming through. Furthermore, unsuitable floor coverings like solid timber, can warp, bend or even crack due to the moisture and temperature changes in the system. Many installers will recommend ceramic and stone tiles, as they’re excellent conductors of heat. Make sure you consult with a flooring expert in your area before making this major decision.

It’s extremely important to discuss flooring options with your installer before you proceed with a retrofit of an underfloor system, as the wrong floor coverings could result in an inefficient system, or even damaged floors. In fact, selecting suitable flooring is the key to successfully retrofitting an underfloor system.

Investing in proper insulation

The importance of proper insulation throughout the home cannot be overstated. No matter how advanced or expensive your system is, it simply won’t work if all the heat escapes through the floors and walls. As such, it’s vital you invest in insulation battens to minimise heat loss. What’s more, hydronic heating works at much lower temperatures than other conventional heating systems, so even the smallest bit of heat loss can make a big difference to your household’s comfort.

Accommodating for the increase in floor height 

In some cases, you might be able to install a special underfloor heating panel directly on top of your existing flooring, without the need of ripping it all up. While these underfloor panels are extremely convenient, they do add approximately 15mm to your floor height, and that’s before your new flooring has been applied on top. While this may sound like a minimal change, even just a slight increase in floor height can affect the placement of skirtings and the height of doors around the home. As such, you may need to do a bit of readjusting and planning to accommodate for this change, such as adding a step to adjoining rooms, or planning down wooden doors.

Finding the right time to install

Due to the expense of installing a new system, it’s important you give yourself time to do your research on which system is best for you, and to find a trustworthy installer. If you leave it too close to wintertime, you may find yourself making quick decisions without having done any proper research, which could have disastrous consequences. Plus, installation of some systems can be a lengthy process, and you don’t want to be shivering through the colder months without any form of heating at all.

For this reason, spring may be the most sensible time to begin your research and install a new system – be it a hydronic system or otherwise. Planning your installation ahead of the cooler months may also mean you can find cheaper deals and more competitively priced systems. Installers are also less likely to be booked out at this time of year, so you won’t have to wait as long to get going.

Wrap up

If you’ve missed the opportunity to install hydronic heating while building your home, retrofitting a system is nevertheless a viable option. But keep in mind that it isn’t as simple as laying down some pipework and switching it on. There’s extensive preparation involved, and it’s likely to be a costly exercise, given you’ll be ripping up floors and installing new ones. And if you’re retrofitting panel radiators, you’ll also have to factor in their purchase cost, which can be significant given most homes have several radiators.

With that in mind, many homeowners find that the initial cost of retrofitting a system is worth the comfort it delivers. Plus, hydronic heating is extremely energy efficient, and could help you make significant savings in household energy bills in the long term.

Remember, retrofitting hydronic heating is certainly a complex task, and should only be entrusted to the expertise of licensed professionals who have the right tools and experience to conduct a proper installation.