The new ‘VISION House’ exhibit in collaboration with Green Builder features innovative products that allow families to live more sustainably and comfortably than ever before. Nexia Home Intelligence is prominently featured in the VISION House and mentioned throughout the visitor tour Among other green innovations, several of Trane and Schlage products are featured including:

• Trane XL20i and XL15i heat pumps
• Hyperion Air Handler
• CleanEffects and ComfortLink II Control
• Schlage locks and handlesets
• Indoor Camera
• Dimmer Module and Appliance Module

To learn more about the project click here.

Trane’s  new TV campaign takes a dramatic approach to showing extreme testing scenarios that most likely nothing could survive, or could it? Only Trane goes this far to search out any weaknesses and make our products even stronger and more reliable.

Stand in your building’s lobby and take a deep breath. You followed all the building codes. Your ventilation system is bringing in and exhausting the right amount of outdoor air. But is the air really as clean as you want it to be?

Air inside buildings becomes contaminated from a number of different sources. Outdoor air that’s brought inside can contain a variety particles and gases. People carry in and continually release viral and bacteriological germs. And many furnishings release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can cause odors and irritation. Even though most HVAC systems include some element of air filtration, it is generally inadequate to capture the size and type of particles and gases that cause problems for occupants.

That’s no longer the case: The Trane Catalytic Air Cleaning System (TCACS) holistically captures or destroys a broader range of air contaminants than previously possible. It provides a one-of-a-kind blend of three proven air cleaning technologies, engineered into a small yet effective package that is suitable for use with light commercial packaged rooftop systems.

The Trane Catalytic Air Cleaner is a perfect fit for any space with high occupancy rates. A perfect example for this would be Schools. This type of application is served extremely well with this industry leading indoor air quality solution.

Oversized furnaces occur when the installer over compensates for the calculated heat loss of a home or simply guesses at the required size (BTU heat output) of a furnace.

A furnace which produces more heat than what is required to heat the structure at a certain outdoor temperature will quickly heat the home and cycle off.  A furnace that cycles often does not evenly distribute heated air throughout the home and therefore the walls and home décor do not increase in temperature with the air temperature.

The interior walls and home décor provide the “mass” to maintain home temperatures. Air temperature alone cannot maintain the home comfort level. An oversized furnace causes this phenomenon as the air temperature quickly rises and cools during each cycle of the thermostat which causes the home to feel “drafty” and uncomfortable often giving the effect of the space overheating and then feeling quite chilly soon after.

When a homeowner is considering upgrading or changing out an older or failed furnace it is important to request the HVAC contractor provide a Heat Loss Calculation of the home and a corresponding furnace selection calculation which closes matches the home heat loss to the manufacturers rated heat output (BTU)of the new furnace.

Zoning is the function of flow dampers or flow valves that are installed within the ductwork system of a home to reduce air flow in multiple rooms once a desired temperature setting of the [zone] thermostat is achieved. Hence the home is termed as zoned.

An example would be a zone control would be installed to control the basement, main floor and upper floor of a home at different temperatures or specific control of these zones would be selected to provide increased air flow at different times each day when the homeowner would most commonly occupy that level of the home.

For example increasing air flow to the main floor the zone control system while reducing air flow to the basement zone which the family was not occupying during the evening meal while maintaining a different temperature on the upper floor prior to the family preparing for bedtime.

Once the selected bedtime occurred each day, the upper floor zone would then increase air flow to the bedrooms to heat or cool the now occupied portion of the home. Air flow for the main floor would then be reduced since this part of the home is now not occupied during night time.

An electric fan (blower wheel) distributes the warm air a furnace produces throughout your home often referred to as airflow. The efficiency of the fan ”motor” is determined by its ability to power the blower wheel while consuming the lowest possible kilowatt (KW) of power.

Air flow is distributed throughout the home by metal ductwork. As air travels within the ductwork the blower wheel must endure and overcome a pressure that develops due to the resistance of the metal duct, floor registers and return air grilles and air filters. The combined pressure of the ductwork components is referred to as Static Pressure (SP).

The air filter must be kept clean in order to maintain the SP the ductwork system of a home was designed to operate at in order to achieve the lowest possible power consumption (KW) of the fan motor.

A dirty or plugged air filter will cause a furnace to overheat and increase motor KW and may contribute to premature failure of furnace components and often increase gas consumption therefore reducing the overall efficiency of the furnace.

Many homeowners select furnace air filters that are advertised as providing high efficient dust collection. Considerable attention must be taken by an HVAC contractor to ensure the filter they sell the homeowner or a filter the homeowner purchases at a local hardware store does not cause an increase in the ductwork static pressure.

An HVAC contractor (while servicing a furnace) must measure the static pressure the filter produces when clean to ensure it is within acceptable operating limits (pressure loss) so that it will not overcome the furnace fan motor / fan wheel ability to produce the manufacturers design air flow of the furnace. Air flow will only further decrease as the air filter becomes dirty.

When high air filter pressure loss is detected it must be replaced by a filter that is capable of allowing air to more easily pass through the filter media and therefore reduce the overall resistance of the air flow thru the furnace.

A heat pump should be placed within the yard space of a home in an area that provides unimpeded air flow to the heat pump cooling coil. When selecting location one must also contemplate the nearness of windows and bedroom exterior walls to ensure minimal or no sound can enter the home and disturb the home occupants.

Consideration must also be given to neighboring homes, for example side yard locations that allow sound waves to bounce between the opposing home exterior walls and generate unacceptable noise transmission levels.

A responsible HVAC contractor will always advise a home owner if a location (for example) the homeowner prefers has probable cause to generate unacceptable noise levels. Unfortunately an HVAC contractor will often react to pressure from a homeowner that is concerned about the aesthetics of a certain location for the heat pump only to experience noise problems / complaints after the fact.

A responsible HVAC contractor is also self-aware they he/she is contractually obliged to the homeowner since after all it is the contractors experience and professionalism the homeowner has purchased much more so than the actual equipment itself.

A homeowner must always think through the investment of the new heat pump and give careful consideration to where he/she may want to locate the new outdoor unit. The exterior aesthetics of the home are very important but equally important are the efficiency and long term serviceability of the new and costly heat pump.

A homeowner should always discuss this situation in detail with an HVAC contractor and both parties should agree upon the location before the installation begins.

Noise and efficiency complaints after the fact may leave the homeowner unhappy or confused about the original contractual plan and discussions. Arguments and accusations after the installation is complete serve no purpose to either party. Bad feelings will exist long after a perceived “low cost” installation or improperly chosen outdoor unit location that causes performance or noise complaints.

The HVAC contractor is a professional who is selling his services to the homeowner. The contractor is therefore obliged to discuss location in detail with a homeowner and ensure the location suits both the new heat pump operating requirements and yet meets the homeowner’s acceptance of the location.

The Trane EarthWise Geothermal Systems are the newest addition to Trane’s product line.

They come with a limited 10-year labor and with an optional extended parts and labor warranty for additional peace of mind. EarthWise Geothermal Systems are also compatible with Trane’s top-of-the-line controls, including the award-winning ComfortLink™ II Thermostat.

Trane EarthWise Geothermal Systems offer homeowners many advantages and benefits, including:

• Efficiency: Trane EarthWise Geothermal Systems can return up to $4 of heat for every $1 of electricity used.
• Environmental friendliness: Trane EarthWise Geothermal Systems use renewable heat from deep inside the earth, a virtually unlimited supply of energy.
• Comfort: Trane EarthWise Geothermal Systems provide consistent, even temperatures every day of the year.
• Reliability: Trane EarthWise Geothermal Systems are built with quality materials and true craftsmanship, and backed with robust warranties.
• Flexibility: Three different configurations allow Trane Geothermal Systems to adapt to any region, in any house.

The Globe and Mail (BC Edition)
25 Feb 2012

© Copyright 2011 CTVglobemedia Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Considering the rumored  7% Hydro increase in BC in 2012 some homeowners may consider operating their heat pump more economically. One consideration would be to ask your HVAC contractor for an accurate heat loss calculation and cross reference the heat loss of your home to the heat output capability of your heat pump.

In trade terms – you would request your contractor calculate and input an accurate “Economic Balance Point” (EBP) reference into your thermostat.

Once the outdoor temperature dips below the EBP reference point of your thermostat the heat pump will be turned off and your alternate heat source (gas furnace or electric air handler heat element) will provide the increased heat output required to warm your home during cooler nights or cold winter days.

A typical EBP for many homes will often calculate a “switchover” temperature (turn off your heat pump) at an outdoor temperature between +1.5’C to +4.5’C. However many homeowner / HVAC contractors prefer lower temperatures of -8’C and below in the belief that any heat a heat pump can produce is useful.

In theory a heat pump can and will produce heat at any outdoor temperature however the cost to operate the heat pump will increase as outdoor temperatures drop and therefore a homeowner / HVAC contractor may need to consider a warmer EBP to reduce power consumption.

Watch this video filmed at Trane’s state-of-the-art facility in Tyler, Texas and see how Trane quality is built into our products.