Sunset Air Blog: Archive for February, 2015

Tank vs. Tankless: Which Water Heater Should I Choose?

Friday, February 27th, 2015

If it’s time for a new water heater, you have the option of choosing a tank or tankless water heater. Which is for you? You are probably pretty familiar with how a tank water heater works, but do you know how a tankless water heater works? Understanding the differences between each system can go a long way toward helping you decide which type of unit will be best for your home. The experts at Sunset Air are happy to sit down and help explain how each type of hot water heater works – all you have to do is call and schedule an appointment for water heater services in Olympia, WA.

How a Tankless Water Heater Works

The key to a tankless water heater is a component called a heat exchanger; this is how a tankless system provides hot water on demand. It works like this: when you open a hot water tap anywhere in your home, the heat exchanger in the tankless device turns on and cold water from the intake valve flows into the heat exchanger. Within a matter of seconds the cold water is heated, then flows to the open hot water tap. Some benefits of a tankless system are:

  • Very good energy efficiency – there is no standby heat loss with a tankless system and it uses significantly less energy to heat water
  • Endless hot water – with a tankless system, you never have to worry about running out of hot water
  • Space-savers – tankless heaters are much smaller than tank water heaters

However, the installation of a tankless water heater is more complex than a tank unit, particularly with a gas tankless device, and initial costs are more expensive.

How a Tank Water Heater Works

Tank water heaters use either gas or electricity to heat. The heating elements are at the bottom of the tank and once the water at the bottom is heated, it rises to the top for use. The storage tanks are double-lined and insulated, but they’ll still suffer from standby heat loss. When a hot water tap is opened, the hot water flows from the top of the tank. Once the water in the tank reduces to a certain level, it is replenished with water from the cold water valve. The cold water travels through a component called a dip tube that forces the cold water to the bottom of the tank. Some benefits of a tank water heater are:

  • Easy installation – installation is not as complex as it is with a tankless system
  • Low initial costs – storage tank water heaters are typically less expensive to purchase and install than tankless water heaters

So which option is best for you? This is where working with a professional is critical.

The experts at Sunset Air can help you determine which type of hot water heater is best for your home and install, repair and maintain it for you – it’s all part of our water heater services in Olympia, WA.

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What Are Some of the Differences Between Commercial and Residential Electrical Installation?

Friday, February 20th, 2015

The flow of electricity is a bit like a Class 5 river: it is powerful and strong, it tumbles around, and if not channeled correctly into your property, it can cause a great deal of damage. How is this stream of power controlled when it comes into your property? By your electrical panel. Your electrical panel doesn’t just distribute electricity to your property; it controls the flow of the electricity to ensure that your electrical system is neither overloaded nor under-powered. Different building types require different electrical loads to operate as needed, so when it comes to commercial electrical installation, there are some key differences between residential and commercial buildings of which to take note.

Types of Wiring Used

One of the first differences between residential and commercial electrical installation has to do with the type of wiring used for each type of building. In residential homes, the main type of wiring used has a plastic sheathing around the thin, narrow wires. This sheathing is necessary to protect the wiring and any surround materials because residential wiring is often placed in locations like attic space and crawl space. In commercial buildings, the electrical wiring is run in open spaces to allow access, but the wiring is contained in a tube-like conduits for protection.

Phases of Power

As you can imagine, commercial buildings draw much more power than residential buildings. To help ensure that all types of buildings get the power they need without overloading a property, the utility companies categorize the electrical load by phase: residential properties use single-phase power and commercial buildings use three-phase power.

Single-phase power consists of a total of 240 volts; the power is delivered in two “legs” of 120 volts each. Three-phase power delivers a total of 448 volts: two legs of 120 volts and a third “wild leg” that carries 208 volts.

A lot of other factors go into designing and installing any kind of electrical system, which is why it’s important to work with an expert trained for your property type.

If you need commercial electrical installation in the Puget Sound area, call the specialists with the training and experience you need: Sunset Air.

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Lupercalia: The Origin of St. Valentine’s Day

Saturday, February 14th, 2015

Many people may think of Valentine’s Day as a holiday essentially created by card and gift companies, but the truth is that the holiday has long-standing roots going back to the Roman Empire. The name “Lupercalia” has its origins in the word “lupus”, which means wolf, and the reason for this is that according to Roman pagan religion, the she-wolf Lupa nursed the two orphaned infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome.

 

The Festival

The Festival of Lupercalia spanned two days each February, from February 13th to 15th. The festival was about fertility and was led by Luperci priests, known as “brothers of the wolf”. The festival was serious with intention (fertility) but was executed as quite a romp for both the priests and citizens of Rome. The process was this: two male goats and a dog were sacrificed at the beginning of the festival by the priests; two young Luperci were then anointed with the blood from the animals, and the hides of the animals were cut into straps. As food and drink flowed, the male priests would run around the city wearing nothing but thongs made from the animal skins, and they also carried a strap made from one of the sacrificed animals’ skins. The strap was used to strike the palms of Roman women waiting for the priests in the city, as it was believed that being hit with the strap could help with infertility issues and a safe, healthy labor for women who were pregnant.

 

The Transition to St. Valentine’s Day

The Christian influence of the holiday came around the 5th century. The Roman Empire was still strong, but Christianity was rapidly taking hold throughout the world. It is believed that to try and remove the paganism from the holiday, the deaths of two men, supposedly both named Valentine, were added into the mix. During the 3rd and 4th centuries, a law created by Claudius II forbade young men eligible for military service to marry, because Rome wanted a strong army. The two men named Valentine were priests, and married young couples in secret. Both were found out and executed on February 14th, although in separate years. The Church made Valentine a saint (they chose one), and Lupercalia became St. Valentine’s Day.

 

Here’s wishing you and your loved one a Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Spring Rebate: Windows and Doors

Friday, February 13th, 2015

 

milgard

Get up to $3,000 Rebate on Milgard Windows and Doors.

Sunset Air and Milgard Windows and Doors is offering a $50.00 rebate on each Milgard window and door you buy for your single-family home, February 14th – April 15th. Maximum rebate is $3,000. Minimum order of 5 windows and/or doors to qualify.

 

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What Are My Choices for Fireplace Inserts?

Thursday, February 5th, 2015

If you’ve been looking to maximize the heat your fireplace can provide your home, you may want to consider the installation of a fireplace insert in your Tacoma home. There are several fuel choices for fireplace inserts, enabling just about any homeowner to install a fireplace insert. Why consider one? Here are some reasons:

  • Less stress on your heating system – supplementing your home’s heat with a fireplace insert can help reduce the amount of heat your heating system needs to generate, which puts less stress on the system.
  • Reduce fuel usage – when your heating system operates less, it uses less fuel, which can save you money.
  • Increase comfort – you can increase your comfort level without increasing the temperature on your thermostat.

Insert Choices

Here are the fireplace insert choices available from Sunset Air:

Wood Pellets

Wood pellets stoves have become very popular over the last few years and for good reasons. First, if you are looking to move away from heating with a fossil fuel, wood pellets allow you to do this. Second, wood pellets are renewable energy, so using a pellet stove is very environmentally-friendly. Lastly, the ash level with a wood pellet stove is considerably less than that of a wood-burning stove, which can be helpful for your chimney. The energy efficiency of pellet stoves ranges from 78-85%.

Wood Burning

It can be hard to replace the ambience of a true wood-burning stove, and if you have access to a lot of wood, a wood-burning insert may be the best choice for you. Wood-burning stoves can help reduce your heating system usage by supplying your home with extra heat, and they are about 77% energy efficient.

Fireplace inserts can keep the ambience of a fireplace while helping to add heat to your home. If you are interested to see what a fireplace insert can do for your Tacoma home, call the experts at Sunset Air.

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