Frequently Asked Questions

You must do your homework! Some contractors may sell you things you do not need, or may not carry things you want. It is important to select the system that is appropriate for your home and any additional equipment that you may need. Someone at ADSTEK will be available to answer all your questions from choosing the right size of furnace or AC for your house, t adding equipment such as an HRV, humidifier, air cleaners, UV lights and tankless water heaters!

HRV stands for Heat Recovery Ventilation. An HRV adds to your total home comfort by changing the air in our house multiple times per day to ensure that the air in your home stays fresh. Stagnant air may be full of pollutants and odours. Of course, the air outside is not the temperature you would like inside, the HRV has a heat exchanger in order to cool the incoming hot air in the summer and warm the incoming cold air in the winter. Keep your home clean and fresh with an HRV system!

We all know the power of the sun’s harmful ultra violet rays, so why not put them to work for us? Ultraviolet Air Purifiers will destroy biological & chemical contaminants such as mold, bacteria, spores, viruses, allergens, cigarette smoke, cooking & pet odours, diesel fumes, VOCs and thousands of other airborne contaminants, leaving the air in your home clean and fresh!

Most good air conditioning units should last 12-15 years, and furnace systems can last over 20 years, provided that the entire system gets inspected and maintained regularly and is operated under proper conditions as per the owners manual. Many products come with a warranty of 7-10 years for the major components. We are unable to guarantee how long the system will last, but we do have many product specific warranties available to assure your peace of mind.

The cost of the system depends on many factors. The price will vary with size, type and brand of your system. The size of the unit is dependent on the energy efficiency of your home, new windows, better insulation, finished basement, number of windows, direction the windows are facing, proximity to a body of water and of course the overall size of the house will determine the size of the unit. Once the unit size is determined, the efficiency should be determined and finally which brand you prefer. Price increases with size and efficiency. It is impossible to say that a more expensive brand is better than a cheaper one; it realistically comes down to preference.

R-410a is a more environmentally friendly refrigerant used in air Conditioners. In Canada all new ACs must use R410a and R22 ACs are no longer sold. R-410a is an ASTM standard refrigerant or Freon gas that does not have the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which deplete the ozone layer.

SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio and is a measure of an Air conditioner’s efficiency.

Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency, AFUE is a percentage showing how efficient a furnace is.

It is advised that homes in Canada be equipped with a humidifier. Cold air cannot hold much moisture, when this air is heated up by your furnace it now has the capacity to take on more moisture. The now dry warm air will pick up moisture from your body and your house. This dryness can cause dry skin, chapped lips and can lead to nose bleeds. Furthermore moisture from the wood in your house will be removed and it may cause structural damage. A humidifier takes some bypass air and adds moisture to it before resending it through our home. The now warm, moist air is comfortable allowing you to enjoy winter indoors by the fire.

An efficient AC is a good start to help those with asthma. Since those who live with asthma or other respiratory conditions often use the AC for a long period of time and set it very high, saving money on a more efficient system, an AC with a high SEER rating is likely important.
A media filter, electronic air cleaner or other air filter is also a good option. And HRV will change the air in the house multiple times a day and a UV lamp can be used to destroy many household air pollutants

ADSTEK cannot guarantee labour or give warranty on products not purchased by themselves or a registered HVAC technician. As such, we will not sell, service or install used units or units not purchased by themselves. We go direct to the manufacturer to obtain our units, and will not install any products from unregistered third party dealers.