Archives for March 2016

Here’s What You Need to Know about the Honeywell Lyric Thermostat

Those days when you used to argue with the rest of your family about the temperature in the house are over and done with. You don’t even have to get up off the couch or be at home anymore, because Honeywell have introduced their brand new super ‘smart’ line of thermostats, specifically designed for you to control via your smartphone. The Lyric thermostat is so smart that it will actually sense when you come home or when you leave and it will set the temperature in every room according to that. It’s a revolutionary product and here are all the details you need to know about it.

The Honeywell Lyric’s Design

The Lyric thermostat is a round device, with a white interface and chrome trimmings. It has a rather small round touch pad in the center that normally displays the temperature. On top of this brand new smart thermostat you will find a screen shaped like an arc, which is there to tell you if the Lyric is cooling or heating up. You also have a weather icon to the left which, upon touch, will tell you the local weather. On the right you have the ‘Away’ button, which will allow you to set your preferences for when you are not at home.

The way in which you can operate the device, meaning turning the temperature up or down is by gently turning its outer ring. As far as the design goes, the Lyric thermostat also comes equipped with a white plastic shield that you can use or not, if you wish to cover up any holes in the wall.

Installing Honeywell’s Lyric Thermostat

Fortunately for all home users out there, installing this super smart thermostat is actually very easy, thanks to the people over at Honeywell. First of all, you need to download the Lyric app on your smartphone, because you will receive all the instructions there.

Then you need to shut down the system’s power. After you’re done with that, mount the thermostat’s baseplate on to your desired wall, cable in all the required wires and then strap on the top half to the baseplate. This piece will complete the set up and hide all the wiring.

You can then connect to the Lyric thermostat through your phone, as long as you have Wi-Fi. While connected, you need to configure the device to the hot and cold temperatures your desire, tell it the type of system you have and let it know your location. Reviews report that, on average, installing a Honeywell Lyric thermostat takes somewhere between 20 to 25 minutes and it doesn’t require a pro to come in and do it for you. You can do it yourself. Make sure it’s well wired before you turn it on.

In order for the Lyric thermostat to work, it will need one lithium AAA battery, which you will need to change every year. Something that you need to know about the installation process is that, after you have put the battery in, you have to let the heating mode run for 5 minutes, then the cooling mode for another 5 minutes, so that the smart thermostat can determine what are your HVAC system’s power requirements.

The Lyric’s App

Reviews show that the app as well, just like the thermostat in itself, is very easy to use and will become your best friend when it comes to acclimatizing your house. When you open it, a small circle placed at the top of your screen will show you the exact temperature in your house, even if you are away from home. The background will be either blue, for when the thermostat is in cooling mode or amber for when it’s in heating mode.

Below this, your entire interface will show your event settings, which you can configure according to your preferences, like “I’m leaving”, during the day or “I’m going to sleep”, during the evening. You can even set the Lyric thermostat to go into Eco mode, for night time and you will find that this particular feature will save you a lot of money when it comes to your heat and electricity bills.

The app itself allows you to virtually control the device from anywhere you are, as long as you have a smartphone, a tablet, or an Apple watch. It has the Geofencing function that uses your location to control all your settings in an automatic way. For example, if you set it up correctly, the programmable Lyric via the Geofencing function will know to start heating up your home right before you come home so that you don’t walk into a freezing house.

Another great app that comes with the Lyric thermostat is the Fine Tune one, which will make slight changes in the inside temperature according to outside weather conditions. So, you really don’t have to worry about anything, just sit back and let the Lyric take care of everything.

It also has a Smart Cues alert which will notify you when your Lyric requires attention, like replacing one of its filters, its battery, or some service. You can use whatever Apple device you own and link it to the thermostat, even your Apple watch, and you can use Siri as well in order to give it commands. However, Siri requires you to install the Apple HomeKit first.

Apple’s HomeKit works like an intranet, which takes control of all your home products via its apps and enables them to interconnect. Privacy is a given with this Apple add-on, so you needn’t worry, because all your personal data is encrypted at all times. This means that when you program your lights to turn off or your thermostat to turn on, for example, the only people who will be aware of these changes and of your settings are the ones who are actually inside the house at that given moment.

As far as the app and programming goes, it will also send you signals or notifications when a person enters or leaves your house, but some users reported that it actually took a few weeks before this feature kicked-in properly and started notifying them about human transit through their house.

On the cons list, users also added one problem that Honeywell seems to be aware of and working on as we speak. The thermostat is not compatible, unfortunately, with every kind of wireless router. So, make sure that you check what kind of router you have before purchasing and installing the Lyric, at least until the mother company takes care of this issue.

Users have also found the Lyric to be a major update in the thermostat world from Honeywell’s older digital models, such as the DT90E, the DT92E, the Honeywell Electric TL8230a1003, the TH8110u1003, FocusPRO® 5000 Honeywell digital thermostat or the VisionPRO 8000. Therefore, when it comes to replacement, the Lyric is the way to go.

Key Elements to Be Aware of Before Installing

Here are some technical facts you need to know about the digital Lyric thermostat, so that you can make sure it’s completely compatible with your house.

As far as third party products go, the Lyric works with Apple devices, Samsung SmartThings, and the Apple HomeKit. Apart from that, even if you do have Apple products, you need to set them properly in order for them to work with the Lyric. You can find the instructions on Honeywell’s website.
The Lyric app works with Android as well, versions 4.2 and above, which means starting with Jelly Bean, but Apple is preferable. It’s not supported, however, by Blackberry or the Microsoft technology.

There are a number of third party apps that can hook into the Lyric and which you can use in order to make it work even better, but you need to check their website to see exactly what those apps are, what they do and how you can install them.
The Lyric Honeywell thermostat can also control your dehumidifier. If you don’t have one, it’s capable of dehumidifying your home via your air conditioner.
In order for all the Lyric’s apps to work you need to have Wi-Fi in your home at all times. If you don’t, the apps won’t work, but you can still use it as a basic thermostat and make the changes manually. Be aware that, in this case, the thermostat will be non-programmable remotely.
The Lyric comes equipped, right out of the box, with a wallplate, a trim ring which is optional, two screws that you will need for mounting, its wall anchors, and a Quick Start Guide that is basically a manual and which will show you how to install and use the thermostat.
If you have troubleshooting problems, you can visit Honeywell’s website, where you will find all the help you need.

The Honeywell Lyric thermostat retails for $279 and it’s one of the best smart thermostats out there. It offers a variety of apps that will truly make your life easier and definitely more comfortable.

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Everything You Need to Know About Pellet Stoves

A very beneficial trend has taken rise in the past years and it regards ‘green homes’. With the polar ice caps melting and the weather changing significantly, it has become clear we need to take far better care of the surrounding environment than we have done so far. What better or easier way to start than with our very own homes? Turning our houses into energy efficient units requires some changes, but they are not difficult to make. One of them is changing the heating facilities and, in this regards, pellet stoves have found their way into environment loving people’s hearts quicker than any other solution. Here is a guide of everything you need to know in case you want to aid the planet and install a pellet stove in your home.

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What Is a Pellet Stove?

A pellet stove is a specific kind of stove that uses wood or biomass pellets in order to create heat. It’s mostly used in residential spaces, but it can be used in industrial ones as well. If the burner is constantly fed with fuel, the stove will produce a continuous flame, which needs little to no adjustment at all. The fact that they use the pellets is what makes these stoves achieve an energy efficiency factor of more than 90%.

The miniaturized pellet stove appeared for the first time in the 80s, in Washington. It was derived from the idea of using pine sawdust, in the shape of the Presto-Log, back in the 1930s, at the pine mills in Lewiston, Idaho. Pellet stoves can be either free standing units or pellet stove inserts into already existing stone fireplaces. In modern days, they are being constructed from steel or cast-iron pieces. Stainless steel is used to encase the circuitry and exhaust areas. Some pellet stoves are listed for some other types of fuel, rather than pellets, such as sunflower seeds, wheat, corn, or cherry pits. However, most pellet stove manufacturers recommend you use the special corn and pellet mixture designed for this.

A variation of the pellet stove is the corn stove, which uses whole corn kernels as combustions means, rather than pellets. Another difference between the two is that the corn stove has an added metal stirring rod in the burn pot. It can also come with an ash removal system. As far as energy efficiency goes, they are both great.

Pellet Fuel

You will find this material typically sold in bags weighing 40 pounds, at the price of $3 on average per pound. Many wood pellet stove users recommend beginners to buy it by the ton, because it can be hard to find sometimes and you don’t want to be caught in the middle of the winter without any fuel to burn. An average sized house typically requires 2 or three tons of pellets a year. At the cost of approximately $200 a ton, you will find it really is energy efficient. You should also know that most pellet fuels have some moisture content, which is somewhere between 5% and 10%. Apart from that, certain types have petroleum or non-petroleum lignin in them, because it was used to lubricate the pellets while they were being manufactured. Most of them, however, are additive-free.

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Some recommendations from experienced users state that one should always check the quality of the pellets before buying them. In order to do this, you can check the bag they come in for dust and dirt, because these two types of debris form clinkers when in the stove. Reviews show that, if the pellets are high quality ones, the bag they come in should hold less than half a cup of dust at the bottom. That is for a standard, 40 pound bag. You can find pellets at specialized suppliers, local tree nurseries, or stores that sell home and garden products.

Pros and Cons of Pellet Stoves

Even though they have been highly praised, some debate still remains around whether they are the best heating solution out there. So, in order to help you decide if this really is the best solution for you and your family, here are some pros and cons.

Pros

They are usually small and so are the pellet bags, therefore storing them will not be a problem and the stove will not disrupt your home’s design or tear away from your limited space.
They are very easy to use, as they simply require you to load the pellets and light the flame. Actually, the smaller they are, the simpler it gets, because with the small models, you might even have to feed them just once a day.
Because of the pellets, the stoves create very little smoke and very little ash, which makes them extremely convenient.
Pellets, as show, are very cheap, which means your heating bills are going to reduce drastically.

Cons

If the pellets are not pricy, the stove itself is. It usually costs somewhere between $1,700 and $3,000 and it needs to be installed, which is an added cost.
They are usually made in the colder regions, such as the Pacific Northwest, which means you might have to drive up there to get it or have it shipped, which, again, adds to the costs.
If you live in a small house or in an apartment, if you don’t have a barn, a garage, or any storage space, you will be required to go to the store for pellets very often.
Pellets aren’t always available, at least not everywhere. In low plains regions, for example, that don’t see many trees, they have to be brought in and that might not always happen.
They run on electricity, which means that if there’s a power outage, it will go out. You can buy a generator so that you’re prepared, but this is, yet again, an additional cost.

Pellet Stoves vs. Wood Stoves

Although, in essence they might seem like the same thing, pellet stoves and wood stoves are actually different in many ways.

Pellet stoves are more efficient than wood stoves. It takes far less pellets to get the stove going than wood.
Wood is much more expensive than pellets.
Wood stoves give out some 75 to 80% less BTUs than pellet stoves.
Unlike pellets, you need to buy wood in bulk and you might not have a place to store it all.
Wood stoves produce a lot more smoke and ash than pellet ones, which are almost zero maintenance.
Unlike wood stoves, pellet stoves run on electricity and they might fail you if the power goes out.

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What Are the Best Pellet Stove Brands?

According to online reviews, here are the best pellet stoves you can buy:

Harman Pellet Stoves is one of the leading brands on the market today. They offer stand-alone units, which can be personalized according to your wishes.
Whitfield Pellet Stoves and Parts cover all your heating needs and more, offering chimneys, Quadrafire stove parts, solar products, and hearth accessories and pipes as well.
Breckwell has been an industry leader since 1987, they have dealerships in many places, and they offer great support should you run into any troubles.
Englander stoves offer Timber Ridge models for the US and Canada, and they also come with Summers Heat stoves, a very trusted brand all over the world.
Lopi stoves – have a great selection of both wood and pellet stoves.
St. Croix Stoves, Maine Stoves, WoodMaster, with the Forced Air pellet furnace 20 and 30 series, Avalon Fire Styles, Lowes, Enviro, Napoleon Fireplaces, and Accentra pellet stoves are some other brands, but less known on the market. You can also buy your stove at your local Home Depot or on eBay.

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All these brands offer an enormous range of pellet stoves, which means it will be virtually impossible for you not to find the perfect one. Here are a few things to be on the look-out for when going shopping:

Decide in advance which type of pellet stove you want, stand-alone or an insert, a modern or a regency one.
Do some research and find out how the particular model you have in mind is rated.
Ask from the beginning about the price and be aware of the installation cost, which is usually not mentioned. Also, ask who exactly will be installing your stove.
Ask your seller about troubleshooting and if they will be able to provide the necessary support.
Look for all the things you don’t understand in the stove’s manual and ask about them. Remember safety is your first concern when it comes to stoves.
Try to get a top deal if you can, because, as mentioned before, pellet stove are not cheap. See if you can find them on sale or on clearance day.
Keep in mind that used pellet stoves need to be checked properly before purchase. They might have problems in how they vent, how they direction the hot air or even with the burning of the pellets.
Consider buying a window stove, if you have a small home, as they are safer as far as venting and furnace go.

There are many models and designs when it comes to pellet stoves, so it might prove daunting to find one for you. However, once you understand how they work and take into consideration a few basic things, such as the square footage of your home, your budget, and the pellet availability in your area, you’re good to go green for the planet.

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A Guide to Copeland Compressors

Air compressors have been an integrating part of our lives for many years now. They owe their popularity partially to the fact that, in order to run, they use air as a primary resource, which is clean, convenient, found in abundance, and very safe. This is why compressors have become quite a vital piece of machinery in many devices and applications. Copeland compressors are one of the best models you will find on the market today and, if you have your heart set on buying one, here is everything you need to know about them.

What Is a Compressor and How Does It Work?

Any compressor is basically a refrigerant gas pump in which the evaporator part changes the refrigerant gas from a low pressure one to a great pressure one, via compression, which has this effect on gasses. Compressors are made of two parts: the source of power and the mechanism that compresses the air, which can be either a piston or a vane.

In laymen’s terms, here is how a compressor works: the air comes into the machine via the piston or the vane, its pressure is increased while its volume is decreased, and these two simultaneous actions compress it. When the pressure has reached the maximum point, which is usually set by the manufacturer or by the operator, a switch will happen in the mechanism’s workings that will prevent any further air from coming into the compressor. The already compressed air will be used by the device until it’s all gone and the pressure reaches its low again. When that happens, the reverse switch will allow for more air to come in and all the procedure will begin again. The process repeats itself in this way as long as the compressor is in functioning state.

This is the typical way in which air compressors work and the Copeland compressors are no different. They were designed specifically for air conditioning units and are an integral part of the system. Air conditioners and refrigerators actually work in the same way, as far as compressors go. The only difference is that, unlike fridges, which just cool off a small, closed space, an air conditioner cools off a room, a house or a building.

An air conditioner is made of three parts: the compressor, the condenser, and the evaporator. The first two are normally placed on the outside of the machine, while the evaporator can usually be found inside the house, as part of a furnace, with some models. This is also the bit that heats up your house.

Compressor Performance Factors

There are some performance factors you need to be aware of when you’re buying a compressor, such as:

rotation speed;
suction pressure;
discharge pressure;
type of refrigerant that the compressor uses.

While all compressors basically work in the same way, they do operate at different capacities, because they have different sizes, purposes, types of refrigerants, and horsepower input. This is why, when out shopping for a new compressor, you should always check the machine’s characteristics and configuration, its operation type, price and operation cost.

If you cannot decide on your own what type of compressor to buy after checking these specifications, you should ask with the manufacturer for support, who will be more than happy to aid you in purchasing a compressor that will suit your needs and budget. Emerson Climate Technologies, the company that produces the Copeland compressors offers great support to customers in this exact same situation and helps them buy the Copeland compressor perfect for them.

Types of Compressors

Here are the most common types of compressors you can find on the market today:

Rotary – these ones are usually used in refrigeration machines, not necessarily in air conditioning. They are pieces of equipment with low capacity that are made of one vane, placed inside its body and sealed against the rotor. They can also be made of a multivane rotary, but in this case the vanes will be located in the rotor.
Centrifugal – These are the ones that revolve at high speed and which compress the air through the centrifugal force. Usually, they need very high and very specific volumes of air to work, which will need low compression ratios. If one is in the need of greater than normal discharge pressures, multi-stage units can be utilized for this purpose. The number of stage units will be given by the gas’ discharge temperature when it makes its way out of the rotor. These are the most used types of compressors in air conditioning for water chilling and in refrigeration for freezing things at very low temperatures.
Reciprocating – these compressors move in cylinders and have pistons and there are several types out there:

Open compressors, in which one outer part of the crankshaft is pulled out of the crankcase. That, in turn, allows for multiple drives to be used alongside this compressor. They usually have a mechanic seal, which is utilized to check if the oil or the refrigerant might have leaked out or if any of the air might have escaped inside. This type of compressor runs on an electric motor or an internal combustion engine. It also has belt drive, which allows for changes in speed, by altering the pulleys’ dimensions. Apart from belt drive, it comes with direct drive units as well and through them, an open type compressor can be set to work at the motor speed.
Hermetic compressors, which are hermetically serviceable. They have the motor and the compressor placed together in the same housing. There is also the welded hermetic compressor, a variation of the hermetic one, in which the motor and the compressor are usually placed in a welded steel shell.

Copeland Scroll Compressors

As far as Copeland compressors go, they come in three different types:

Scroll – the Copeland Scroll compressor has a reputation of being one of the best in the world, especially the ZR and UltraTech Next Generation series. It has reached the 100 million installation mark world-wide, as it provides home owners and general end-users with a very reliable, compliant and cost efficient piece of machinery. The 1-60 HP scroll compressor fits every need and application, such as: air conditioning, for both commercial and home use, refrigeration, commercial and industrial and refrigerated transport. The scroll compressor can also be digital and it is enhanced with vapor injection technology. If you desire, you can install a capacitor in it as well, because the scroll compressor allows it.

Semi-hermetic – these are ¼-60 HP DWM Copeland compressors, which provide a top notch alternative for systems that require a full performance as far as temperature goes, including conditions of evaporating at very low temperatures, as much as -40° F. The most famous of the semi-hermetic Copeland compressors is the Copelametic line.
Hermetic – These one have been designed to respond to evaporating capability needs. They provide very cost-efficient solutions to the systems that require such needs and they come at 1/8-5 HP. A great thing about this type of Copeland compressor is the fact that it comes in more than 300 models, which means you have every chance of finding the specific one for your needs.
Discus – this is the most energy efficient compressor from the Copeland line and it’s usually used for refrigeration purposes.
Screw – the screw compressors are the rotary, positive displacement type, which comes with a main screw and two gaterotors.

Emerson Climate Technologies

The producer company of the Copeland compressors, Emerson Climate Technologies, is one of the world’s leading compressor producers. Although US based, the Copeland compressor is available worldwide, from the UK to Canada, Australia, Singapore, and India.

All the compressors come equipped with a highly informative manual, which will help you install and use the device. They also come with a cross reference and troubleshooting guide, where you will find the compressor type, serial number, model, nomenclature chart, technical specifications, and data on various parts and quality.

As far as technical support goes, Emerson Technologies has a Customer Service which you can turn to in case you need a replacement, your compressor has suffered a failure and have tech problems with your ac, freezer, or heater. They can also help you with the wiring part, which can be tricky, even though they do provide a special diagram for it, especially for first time users.

They provide help with the controller as well, which many people ask for help with, especially when they have installed a digital compressor. Warranty is offered and you can use the customer service to ask for the terms and conditions specs, which you can also lookup on their website.

On their official site, you can also find a complete catalogue and brochures that present their entire offer and which will make it a lot easier for you to find the compressor you need. In order to find local dealers or distributors for your area, use the distributor locator app they have kindly provided and it will be a lot easier to shop for your desired items. This is one way of buying the device, via their distributors, but you can also try resellers, such as Ebay or Amazon, that might offer them for sale.

The Copeland compressors have all been specifically designed with the purpose of increasing energy efficiency, lowering noise levels, increasing their durability and reliability. They are environmentally friendly and pride themselves on their high performance levels.