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When it comes to saving home energy it comes down to a question of balance
When considering what is easily upgradeable and what will get you the biggest bang for the buck in home energy department, think about your heating system.
Think about your heating system.
If you are like most people you are heating with natural gas, of course you can re-think the efficiency of the furnace and or the type & cost of fuel, or the possibility of space heating with an alternative fuel. But to really pare down the topics around heating efficiency you have talk about balance of the existing system.
Here are a few important items
- Size of the heating unit
- Location
- House design
- Age of the unit
- Make up air
It is not the intent to write a book on the above topics, but to give a brief overview into reasonable solutions and limitations based upon my years as a builder / energy evaluator.
Keep in mind the best resource in home heating is always the owner or senior furnace installer of a reputable heating company.
Furnace Size
Your furnace may be too large for your home, some of the signs are;
Excessive cycling (the fan comes on and off in short periods of time.)
Check the BTUs on the furnace label ideally it should not be over 110,000
(for average size home) If it is larger consider replacement.
The new school of thinking is to size furnaces smaller to run for longer periods of time and to ramp up on demand with advanced staging. (example; 30,000 / 60,000 two stage)
Furnace Location
In Canada the normal place for a furnace is the center of the basement or similar location, limited by home design. The main reason for a central location is for even air pressure throughout the house or ductwork. If the furnace of your home is located near the end of a long basement you may be experiencing low air pressure in the ducting at the furthest points from the furnace, if so then supplemental heating may be a solution.
Home Design
Normal home designs are straight forward to heat, i.e. your rectangular home. The further your home design strays from normal the more challenging the heating comfort issues can be. If the poor heating contractor had no choice to install ductwork and furnace in the limited space, then the end result is a heating system that performs poorly.
Here are a few design items that can drive heating bills through the roof – so to speak; home size, poor insulation values, excessive air leakage, extra large vaulted ceilings, large quantities of glass, standard sky lights, multi-level / fractured exterior envelope.
Service Life
Most gas forced air heating systems have a service life of about 20 years.
Several factors can greatly reduce the life of the furnace such as; lack maintenance, keep in mind the finer the furnace filter the more often it has to be changed / cleaned.
A plugged air filter can restrict air to the point that the furnace heat exchanger and components overheat causing pre-mature failure. An annual pre-season service is always a good idea especially for older units. If your furnace is over 20 years old it can be the largest energy savings upgrade for your home hands down.
Make Up Air Vent
The make up air vent is often overlooked, typically located on the exterior back or side wall of most homes, it plays a very important role in indoor air quality.
This critical topic and application appears to be all over the map in BC, but I will try to shed some easy to use advise on the situation. Since the sixties the building code requirements have changed several times leaving existing homes with various sized exterior fresh air vents. If you have a forced air heating system it is worth your while to check to see what size your fresh air vent is.
 Ideally by today`s standards it should be 4 inches in diameter. (About the size of a small cup saucer.) The vent should have a clean course screen. (About a ¼ inch grid) Typically these vents are connected to a wax coated cardboard 4 inch tube normally installed in the ceiling / joist area of the level of the house the furnace is on.
The wax coated tube is then installed into the cold air return duct of the heating system.
Also consider that this vent supplies the fresh air to the home and should not be located near an exhaust air / contaminate source, such as a direct vent fireplace, hot water heater or clothes dryer. To test this vent, clean both the exterior screen and the furnace filter then cycle the furnace by turning up the thermostat. The exterior suction at the outside vent or fresh air intake should be enough to hold up a sheet of paper. If there is little or no detectable draw or suction then there could be a blockage or improper configuration of the ducting to create the negative pressure. If your vent is large, say 6 or 8 inches consider having the vent size reduced to the standard 4 inch format.
An oversized or hyperactive vent can draw enough cold air to double your heating bill at extreme temperatures.
If you have high humidity issues or have a lot of people living in the home then extra air maybe needed. The standard upgrade for high occupancy home or building is a guaranteed set air exchange using an HRV or heat recovery ventilator. If you are considering any significant upgrades to balance your heating system, the trusted advice from a seasoned heating expert can be invaluable.
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Get to know your Make up air Vent
The most important vent in your home !
Few people think about indoor air quality and humidity until visible issues are present, such as condensation on windows.
The fact is that your home has an envelope, which traps moisture and indoor air pollutants. Since the 60s, building codes have ensured that new constructed homes have fresh air brought into the heated envelope using forced air heating equipment.
Older homes, with radiant type heating systems will typically not have a makeup air vent.
(See www.cmhc.ca / heat recovery ventilators for more info.)
When your home is closed up tight to conserve heat, the envelope naturally traps moisture and indoor air pollutants. The simplest way to refresh the air in your home and reduce humidity is to ensure your make up air vent is in good working order. This is particularly important for high occupancy homes (more than 4 persons) or homes with a moisture source, such as a moist crawlspace.
As with all heating and building envelope issues it is a matter of balance. It is recommended that you and your heating contractor check to make sure the make air vent is present and is installed in a good location.
A noticeable amount of air movement should be detectable when your hand is placed over the vent with your furnace is running. Contact your heating contractor if corrections appear to be needed.
Most often these vents require cleaning or updating due to neglect. Poor locations include; inaccessible areas such as under a low deck or in a driveway area where vehicle exhaust can be drawn into the home. Moisture from clothes dryers or combustion sources such as the neighbors pellet stove can be drawn into the home greatly reducing air quality. Combustion air should always be present for open combustion appliances, particularly when installed in a confined space. Energy saving and reduced combustion spillage (due to back drafting) can obtained by providing combustion air for the open combustion furnace or hot water tank. Cleaning the exterior make up vent hood screen before each heating season is always required.
With a good quality furnace filter and a properly working make up air vent you and your family will have increased air quality and reduced moisture problems throughout the heating season.
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for the test as older gas appliances are often the source of significant air leakage. It is important to turn off any combustion appliances during the test to prevent possible combustion spillage or back drafting of exhaust gases.
