Martino HVAC’s Best Practices
Martino HVAC is committed to promoting proven technologies, proper installation practices, and ongoing education to improve home comfort, indoor air quality, energy efficiency, and HVAC system performance. The following best practices guide our approach to residential heating, cooling, ventilation, and indoor air quality.
Proper Equipment Sizing
Martino HVAC promotes the latest knowledge and techniques to ensure heating and cooling equipment is accurately sized for each home.
Oversized HVAC systems waste energy, frequently cycle on and off, and can create comfort and humidity-control problems. Proper sizing also helps homeowners benefit from improvements in building insulation and airtightness.
Standards such as CSA F280-12, Determining the Required Capacity of Residential Space Heating and Cooling Appliances, along with HOT2000 modelling, provide reliable methods for determining appropriate equipment capacity.
Martino HVAC supports the development of training materials, educational opportunities, and industry practices that encourage the timely adoption of proper equipment-sizing standards.
Energy-Efficient ECM Motors
Martino HVAC promotes energy-efficient fan and pump motor technologies in residential HVAC equipment and systems.
Modern electronically commutated motors, commonly known as ECM motors, can reduce electrical consumption while adjusting fan and pump speeds to match changing HVAC demands. They often operate more quietly, produce lower bearing temperatures, and may provide a longer service life.
Where appropriate, Martino HVAC recommends variable-speed technologies, including brushless direct-current motors and comparable high-efficiency alternatives.
Properly Installed and Commissioned Ventilation
Martino HVAC promotes the proper installation and commissioning of ventilation systems to support excellent indoor air quality.
Although continuous mechanical ventilation has been required in new Ontario homes since 1990, minimum requirements may not fully meet the needs of modern, high-performance homes.
Ventilation needs can vary considerably throughout a home. Bathrooms, kitchens, and other moisture-producing areas may require higher intermittent exhaust rates, while bedrooms may need lower but continuous ventilation when occupied.
Because ventilation components may be installed by several different contractors, it is important to consider how the entire system works together.
Martino HVAC supports technologies, installation techniques, training, and commissioning practices that address moisture and odour control while ensuring fresh air is properly distributed throughout the home.
Smart HVAC Controls
Martino HVAC promotes technologies and systems that provide more accurate control, monitoring, and remote management of residential HVAC equipment.
Modern programmable and smart controls can help homeowners manage temperature, humidity, ventilation, and energy use from a mobile device or web-based platform.
Remote monitoring may also allow qualified HVAC professionals to identify maintenance needs, improve operating efficiency, adjust system settings, and assist with diagnosing potential issues.
Martino HVAC supports the proper installation and use of controls that help homeowners manage their HVAC systems more accurately and efficiently.
Indoor Air Filtration
Martino HVAC promotes appropriate filtration technologies and practices to help reduce indoor airborne pollutants.
Although filtration cannot remove every airborne contaminant, properly integrating an effective filter into the HVAC system can contribute to improved indoor air quality.
Martino HVAC recommends selecting filters that provide effective filtration without negatively affecting airflow, pressure, or system efficiency. MERV 11 filtration is recommended as a minimum standard where the HVAC system can properly support it.
Where appropriate, Martino HVAC incorporates the patented Martino Air Guard® with MERV 11 filtration to help homeowners achieve better air filtration without creating unnecessary ongoing costs.
Air-Conditioning Efficiency
Martino HVAC promotes high-efficiency air-conditioning systems that meet or exceed recognized energy-efficiency standards.
Although air conditioners may operate for shorter periods in Canada than in warmer climates, cooling demands are expected to increase as homes experience changing weather conditions, solar heat gain, and fluctuating internal heat loads.
Residential air-conditioning systems also contribute to peak electricity demand during hot summer weather.
Martino HVAC therefore promotes ENERGY STAR®-qualified equipment and recommends air-conditioning systems with an efficiency rating of 14.5 SEER or higher, where appropriate.
Duct Sealing and Air Distribution
Martino HVAC promotes thorough sealing and proper design of residential forced-air duct systems.
Today’s homeowners expect consistent heating, cooling, filtration, ventilation, and humidity control throughout the year. As a result, central forced-air systems and their fan motors operate more frequently, making effective air distribution increasingly important.
Residential duct systems that rely primarily on friction-fit connections may lose a significant amount of conditioned air through leakage. This wastes fan energy and can result in uneven temperatures and reduced comfort.
Martino HVAC supports duct-sealing technologies, testing procedures, training, and industry practices designed to reduce duct leakage and improve system performance. Whenever possible, duct leakage should be limited to less than 10%.
Indoor Moisture Control
Martino HVAC promotes technologies and systems that provide more accurate control of indoor humidity.
Homeowners increasingly expect consistent comfort throughout the year, creating a greater need for effective humidification and dehumidification.
Moisture control is particularly important in basements and around cold surfaces, where condensation may contribute to mould growth or deterioration of building materials.
While winter humidification has traditionally received considerable attention, humidity control during the spring, summer, and fall is equally important.
Martino HVAC supports the proper design, installation, commissioning, and control of comprehensive moisture-management systems. Depending on the home, these systems may include whole-home humidifiers, dehumidifiers, enthalpy controls, and energy-recovery ventilation.
System Commissioning and Start-Up Testing
Martino HVAC promotes accurate and thorough commissioning of residential HVAC systems.
Proper equipment sizing is only one part of achieving efficient performance. The quality of the installation, system setup, airflow adjustment, and operating controls also directly affect comfort and efficiency.
After installation, HVAC equipment should be tested and commissioned to confirm that the original design objectives have been achieved. Homeowners should also receive clear instructions about system operation, maintenance, and seasonal adjustments.
Martino HVAC supports the use of practical commissioning guidelines and reports following the installation of new HVAC equipment.
Refrigerant Charge Testing
Martino HVAC promotes refrigerant charge testing for all new and replacement air-conditioning installations.
The efficiency and cooling performance of an air-conditioning system depend on having an accurate refrigerant charge. An incorrect charge can reduce energy efficiency, limit moisture removal, and affect overall system performance.
Responsible refrigerant management is also important for reducing the environmental impact associated with refrigerant leaks or improper handling.
Martino HVAC supports proper testing procedures, technician training, and installation guidelines to ensure air-conditioning systems are accurately charged for the home’s sensible and latent cooling loads, geographic location, and expected operating conditions.
Maintenance and Homeowner Education
Martino HVAC creates tools, training, and educational resources that help homeowners properly operate, adjust, and maintain their HVAC systems.
Homeowners have access to a large amount of HVAC information, but it can be difficult to determine whether that information is accurate, reliable, or appropriate for a particular home.
Martino HVAC is committed to providing practical, unbiased, and non-judgmental guidance about HVAC maintenance and the technologies best suited to each household.
Educational resources may be provided through printed materials, online information, mobile platforms, maintenance programs, and direct guidance from qualified HVAC professionals.
Combination Heating and Domestic Hot-Water Systems
Martino HVAC promotes the proper design, installation, and commissioning of combination heating and domestic hot-water systems.
As heating requirements in energy-efficient homes decrease and domestic hot-water demand remains significant, there is growing interest in systems that provide both space heating and water heating.
Because efficiency standards differ among water heaters, boilers, and forced-air heating systems, individual equipment ratings may not accurately represent the performance of a combined system.
The sizing, design, installation, and commissioning of combination systems can significantly affect their overall performance.
CSA P.9-11, Test Method for Determining the Performance of Combined Space and Water Heating Systems, provides a method for evaluating these systems. Testing has shown that the interaction between the water-heating source and the heat-distribution system, such as an air handler, can have a major effect on energy performance.
Martino HVAC supports independently tested and properly qualified combination systems, along with recognized industry standards for their design, installation, and commissioning.
Hydronic Heating Systems
Martino HVAC promotes the proper design, installation, and commissioning of hydronic heating systems where they are appropriate for the home.
High-performance homes may be well suited to heating systems that distribute heat through hot water. Hydronic systems can be particularly effective for basement floor heating, slab-on-grade applications, radiant floor warming, and other targeted heating needs.
Heat can also be distributed through small-diameter water lines using efficient circulation pumps, which may require less energy than some forced-air distribution systems.
Martino HVAC supports technologies, training, and installation practices that allow hydronic heating systems to be properly integrated into homes while meeting comfort and energy-efficiency objectives.
Renewable Energy Integration
Martino HVAC promotes awareness of renewable-energy technologies that can be integrated with residential HVAC systems.
Air-source heat pumps, ground-source heat pumps, solar thermal systems, and other renewable technologies are becoming increasingly accessible and cost-effective.
These technologies may directly affect HVAC operation or may need to communicate and operate with existing heating, cooling, ventilation, and control systems.
Martino HVAC encourages homeowners and builders to prepare for future renewable-energy upgrades by considering electrical connections, plumbing, wiring, equipment space, control compatibility, and other installation requirements.
We also support training and installation practices that help ensure renewable-energy technologies are properly designed, installed, and integrated with the home’s complete HVAC system.