Spring 2019 in Canada – when will it start

Every Canadian is desperate for the cold and persistent heavy snowy weather of winter 2019 to reach an end. Toronto experienced the coldest January with a temperature of -23c and snow accumulation in different provinces of Canada has doubled over a year ago. Snowshoeing and skating outdoor just became the dream since we continued hibernating in order to avoid the wind chill into the -30. In the meantime, the snowy winter also brought an extra strain to the heating system. To keep your Furnace running effectively, scheduled maintenance should be the prime concern. The timely maintenance keeps your heating system up and avoids all the risks that may lead to the emergency furnace breakdown.

Groundhog Day 

According to some legends, the fate of forecasting the coming of spring depends on the shoulders of some furry groundhogs every year on February 2—a day we call as Groundhog Day. The groundhogs of North America are in the agreement that in Feb-2- 2019 they are not observing their shadow. Hence, predicting an early spring. You better not warm your heart with the news as Farmer's Almanac is envisioning differently.

Farmer's Almanac

This time you have to prepare for the long winter than the usual one. As per Farmer’s Almanac prediction, Canada will witness continuing snow and cold temperature. The early march is more likely to bring snow showers to the various part of the country. The winter will linger throughout the April and early May.

How can you avoid the overworking of a Furnace in the long heating season?

You would like to ensure that your heating system runs optimally throughout the course and it can only be done with the regular Furnace maintenance. In the long heating season, you might sense some unusual noises coming out of your furnace. Don’t ignore such signs as they are the indication that something is wrong with the system.  Mind that a non-repaired furnace not only puts your family at a risk but can make water pipes to freeze costing you hundreds of dollars for repairing.

Read on to know how you can keep at arm's length from the furnace overworking.

·         In case you have a drafty home that lets the cold air in and results in furnace overworking while also spikes your electrical bill, make sure to add insulation to the walls so that the warm air can be trapped inside.

·         Don’t close the vents in an unoccupied room. You feel you are saving energy but you are paying for extra heat since closing the vents create more work for the system.

·         Whenever we feel cold, it is natural to turn up a thermostat few degrees high so the furnace can pump out the hot air speedily and we get warm quickly. You need to fight against such instincts, Moreover, changing the old thermostat with a smart or programmable thermostat is also worth considering.

Neglecting to the timely change of air filter should be a big deal to you – especially if you have active allergies. A dirty filter also disturbs the functionality of a furnace as it blocks the proper flow of air through the entire system. 

How To Improve Indoor Air Quality And Reduce Air pollution

We all like to seal in tight by keeping the windows and doors shut against the cold in the chillier winter season. The freezing winters exacerbate health issues related to respiration. We underestimate the importance of indoor air quality, but it is proven deadlier than the outdoor air. Heating systems and stale indoor air can excel in the presence of mould, spores, dust mites, and other allergy-inducing particles. In today’s article, we’ll share the easiest methods to combat air pollution without opening the windows.

Why indoor air is more life-threatening than outdoor air:

A recent journal published in “Science of total environment” has suggested that indoor air quality is twice noxious than the outdoor air. Indoor air quality becomes worse in the winter season because we restrict the flow of fresh air. This causes many problems including asthma, sleepiness, digestive tract issues, and fatigue.

Weekly clean the home:

Cleanliness plays a vital role to kick off the health hazards associated with contaminated air. To keep your place clean and healthier, you must vacuum once a week. A vacuum having a HEPA filter can double the benefit.  Sweeping back curtains and dust mite check also ensure better air quality.

Cleaning the air vents:

The irregular or restricted ventilation makes a place stale and contaminated. The homeowner should manage to schedule a plan to clean the air vents every year. It keeps the ventilation system clean and healthier for the long haul.

Air-purifying plants and purification system:

Plants are one of the excellent anti-pollutants. There are some air purifying plants, which have a tendency to absorb some volatile organic compounds. Plants reduce the toxins and play an integral role to keep a home healthier. This ultimately enables you to breathe in fresh and healthier air.

There are some other purification systems that can remove the unwanted airborne particles. Having such a purification system in the home will improve the indoor air quality without opening the windows.  

Keep humidity in-check 

Excessive moisture in the environment can initiate the growth of allergens. Never let the humidity rate to exceed more than 60% particularly if you are using a Humidifier.

Fixing leaks:

Leaks in ductwork are likely to be fixed, but the areas that are less inhabited are often ignored. The slight leaking on such places will leave adverse impacts, pulling bucks of dirts from the ductwork out.

Use Eco-friendly products

Make sure to choose eco-friendly cleaning products. There are certain nasty chemicals incorporated with differed fragrances or detergents that can damage the air quality in many ways. Refrain from using such products, instead opt for products which are non-scented or have the least chemicals.  

Pet cleaning:

Pets dander can be significantly harmful particularly for people with sinus or other respiratory tracts problems. It is, therefore, crucial to comb and bathe the pets regularly. This helps in reducing the filter clogs in addition to making the IAQ better. 

5 ways to get more warmth this Winter

A lot of people think that it takes a lot of investment to make the home energy efficient. The truth is, some simple and affordable choices can give almost the same result that very hefty investments can give. Below are 5 smart ways to make your home efficient with minimal investment.

Insulation Refill 

You, like many other homeowners, can mistakenly consider discomfort in the indoor a result of system declining its efficiency when in actuality, it is the failing insulation that is raising the level of discomfort. Check out the walls and attic and get them refilled before the peak winter begins. In case you have never had your home insulated, at least get the attic insulated. It will keep your indoor warmer and will reduce the bills.

Leaking Windows? 

To your surprise, a whole lot of warmth in winter gets wasted only through the leaks in the windows. Even small leaks let significant warmth out of the indoor. This way, not only the comfort gets compromised but also the heating system runs unusually more resulting in wear and tear and higher energy bills. Sealing windows takes not more than a few dollars. You can get yourself a duct tape and seal the leaks.

Do some alteration to your water heating system 

A lot of people are upgrading to tankless water heaters because they offer instant hot water and are energy efficient. But these two benefits come at a price that not everyone can afford. This makes Tank Water Heaters still the only resort for some people. Using a Tank Water Heater efficiently is an art known to a few. Consider for example these hacks;
Insulate the pipes with foam. Insulated pipes reduce heat loss resulting in retaining the temperature of the water as it passes through the lines. Do it particularly if you have long supply lines. Also, insulation of the tank makes a whole lot of difference. Although tanks are already insulated, adding another layer will help in saving the time for heating water and saving some dollars on energy bills.

Cook and bake efficiently 

The indoor can become warmer in winter with less use of Furnace if you cook efficiently. Instead of using electric ovens, make use of your gas ovens. Also, keep the door of the oven open after cooking so that the warmth spreads in the indoor.

Upgrade to energy efficient appliances 

Upgrading to energy efficient appliances may appear to be a costly investment but the overall expense can reduce to a significant extent by taking advantage of rebate programs. There are several governmental and non-governmental programmes that offer rebates on the purchase of energy efficient appliances.

As said above, there are simple and affordable ways that can help make the home energy efficient. Following the smart practices and making some slight upgrades, you can choose to pay less on energy bills and increase the level of indoor comfort.

So how do you keep your home energy efficient in winters? 

Gas Fireplace Safety - Here's what you need to do

With winter comes the thought of Fireplace. The fireplace is one of the most amazing winter experiences. Sitting in front of it and enjoying coffee with the tantalizing sounds of wood crackles gives a heavenly feel. In Canada, while so many people now prefer Furnace and Heat Pumps to comfort their indoors in winters, there are many whose love for the fireplace is as strong as was in the days when Fireplace was the primary choice. But with the use of gas fireplace comes some real responsibility and care without which Fireplace can turn into a real headache. If you are one such homeowner who loves to use fireplace as the primary heating solution in winters, this blog is for you.
 

- Safety screen is a must 

Some people think that safety screens are supposed to be used when there are kids at home. Not really so. Safety screens have to be used even when there are no kids at home. These screen help keep the homeowners safe by creating a barrier. The skin does not come in direct contact with the heat. Also, sometimes, when wooden logs are used, the burning pieces fall out of the fireplace and this can result in serious consequences.

- CO Detectors ensure your safety 

Fireplaces, when not kept, maintained create a serious scenario of CO poisoning. The dirty vents push the burning gases back into the home. Also, the gas leaks from pipelines can also result in a fire. All of these consequences can be avoided by installing a CO detector. CO detector is a small device which alarms the homeowners when any unusual presence of gas is felt.

- Annual Inspection 

It is good if you perform maintenance of your appliances on your own. But no matter how good you are at maintenance, you'll never be as good as a professional. While you perform DIY maintenance on your own throughout the season, make sure to call a professional technician for annual maintenance. Professionals thoroughly clean the fireplace, tune up the parts and diagnose any issues well in time so that you could be saved from any serious accidents.

- Upgrade to direct vents 

If you have been using an old fireplace since long, it is recommended to upgrade to a direct vent model now. Direct vents expel 100% of the combustion gases out of the home. Also, the sealed combustion mechanism keeps the indoor safe and the IAQ does not get affected.

Winter is on its way. The time to start preparing your heating appliances is right here and right now. If you are looking forward to upgrading your fireplace, replace a part, get it inspected by professionals, want a reliable repair or anything else related to the fireplace, we have the professionals who could help you out with all the fireplace related things. It had been over 15 years that we are helping homeowners in resolving their HVAC concerns. Let us serve you as well with our world-class fireplace installation, maintenance, diagnosis, repair and replacement services.

DIY HVAC Repair? A big NO!

Planning to perform a DIY repair? Beware beware! No matter how careful you try to act, there still remains high risks that you may, in an attempt to save some dollars, would end up inviting danger and damage to yourself and your home. There are several accidents that took place in GTA areas as a result of homeowner's attempt at DIY HVAC repair. HVAC technicians undergo training and certification tests to finally get the authorization to touch and tackle HVAC appliances. All this procedure is followed in order to provide homeowners with safe and secure HVAC services. Therefore, there remains no need to still try on DIY HVAC repairs when one is neither proficient nor certified to do so. If you wonder what worst and what least can happen if you make one such attempt, read on to explore;

- Fixing what doesn't need any fix 

O yeah! This is what you did the last time when you tried an AC DIY repair; fixed what did not require any fix. Know that HVAC repair is not simply an open, fix, close procedure. The first thing is a proper diagnosis of what actually went wrong. For example, an AC outdoor unit may be making noise and a homeowner, assuming it a consequence of loose grills may tighten them, not realizing that the sound was coming from inside of the unit. Fixing what doesn't require any fix not only keeps that problem there where it is, it also adds to the problem when another component is put into a repair need. O gosh!

- High voltage, Danger! 

HVAC appliances use high voltage electricity. The professional technicians are not only equipped with special tools to perform repairs, they also know when and when not to keep the electric supply during the repair procedure. A common homeowner does not know these details. So yes, performing DIY repairs can give you some real ''shocks''. Bad ones.

- Exposure to chemicals and gases

Did you know that HVAC chemicals and gases are sometimes are a real danger to your safety? CO leaks, for example, can cause CO poisoning leaving the homeowners dead (at the worst) or fainted (at the least). Similarly, the cooling refrigerants used in Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps can cause environmental pollution and therefore, need to be tackled carefully. Performing a DIY, you are most expected to expose yourself and the environment to hazardous chemicals and gases leaving not only yourself and your home in danger but also the people living nearby.

- Cancellation of warranties

Hey! Did you know that almost all brands void the offered warranties if their product is repaired by an unprofessional? By performing DIY repair, you actually void your own HVAC warranty which is a quite bad deal. Isn't it?

- The danger of ''Tutorials''

The DIY fever of online tutorials is creating some real dangers. There are for sure certain things that can be performed by homeowners on their own but as it comes to HVAC stuff, most of the repairs are strictly ''professionals only''. Conversely, homeowners are into a delusion that following the instructor of an online tutorial they can fix all HVAC stuff safely. The truth is; not all video instructors are authorised. And when they are authorised, they are not equally expert at explaining the stuff so you are most likely to misunderstand the instructions. Other times, you might be following a video different than the problem you are facing. The list goes on and the conclusion is; No! Following online tutorials doesn't authorise you to perform DIY repairs.

Keeping all the above-mentioned prospect dangers and damages in mind, it can thus be said that professionals are professionals and homeowners should, therefore, avoid HVAC DIY repairs. Rely on professionals! It's safe and hey! Economic too. 

Residential Furnace - What and what not to purchase?

Once upon a time, when Winters came, all that man could arrange for his warmth was a fire set up made with wood and grass. But times don't remain the same. They change and so do the ways and means. Overtime man had learned to explore better resources in order to bring for himself more ease and comfort. With respect to the heating resources, the fireplace idea improved soon after the realisation of man that he can do better. After years and years, he was able to engineer what we know today as modern-day Residential Furnace. And it had taken a long way. Romans are said to have engineer Furnaces for the first time for residential and industrial use. The technology, evidently, was not as modern as it is today but nonetheless, in these days and nights of the second millennium, the man who had once relied on a direct contact with fire for the purpose of heating is now enjoying the miracles of the latest technology making use of the same fire differently in the form of Furnaces.

When you are on your hunt to purchase a Furnace for the first time or replace the one you had, you have to go through a vexing situation of not being able to decide what would work best for your home. Of course, you try to explore models that come in your budget range but fortunately as well as unfortunately, even the ones coming in that range of budget are of several different types. With no contact to an HVAC professional, decision making becomes even more difficult when you are grabbed by every single store owner and company pamphlets to purchase their product. So let us help you explore the different types of Furnaces and an overview of what can be the absolute choice for your home.    

• Natural Gas Furnace - Why purchase and why not?

Natural Gas Furnaces are one of the most energy-efficient heating systems available in the market. Using the ductwork system, the Furnace unit blows hot air towards different sections of the home. These Furnaces could be the best investment you would make if you have a ductwork installed and the area you belong to has proper access to natural gas. One of the reasons why Canadians love Natural Gas Furnaces is that they are quiet in operation, deliver heat evenly and are easy to maintain.

But hold on! Here's a suggestion for you. If you're residing at a place for only a limited time span and there's no ductwork installed, it is better that you go for some other heating methods and not a Furnace. That is because you'll need to install a whole ductwork by spending several hundred dollars additional and of course, won't take ductwork with you when you'll leave. Not economical at all! Also, before you make the Gas Furnace your choice, get yourself aware of the Natural Gas prices in your area. By choosing to run your appliance on a costly fuel, you'll choose to spend your hard earned money on fatty energy bills every month.

• Oil Furnace - Why purchase and why not?

Oil Furnace has been quite popular in America in the late 20th century. And that was because the prices of oil weren't' meeting the skies back then. The rise in the oil prices break the fall of the rising Oil Furnace usage and people turned to Gas and Electric Furnaces. But even today, Oil Furnaces are sold, however, they are among the costliest models in the market.

Although the fuel prices for this type of Furnaces are still high, these Furnaces are nonetheless the best solution for those living in areas of Natural Gas unavailability or areas where Natural Gas rates are relatively higher.

Go for Oil Furnaces if that's the fuel you'll be getting at cheaper rates and go for it if your budget flexibly allows you to purchase it.

• Electric Furnace - Why purchase and why not?

Just like the Gas Furnaces make use of Natural Gas as fuel, the Electric Furnaces utilise Electricity as fuel. The convincing reason to go for Electric is that the Electric Furnaces are the cheapest of types to purchase and install. However, the not so convincing reason for Electric Furnaces is that they bring home fatty energy bills particularly when Electricity rates are high. This type of Furnaces best suit people that have unavailability of Gas lines or Oil supply but have access to cheap electricity and those that live in moderate climates and make only a limited use of the Furnace.

So? What do you think would best suit your home? Gas, Oil or Electric Furnace?

Have any Furnace related questions? Connect with us today or anytime and get your confusions resolved and questions answered: 905 201-1293

How to choose the right Furnace Filter?

We've caught you grinning, we caught you! So you found it a bit hilarious why did we find the need to talk about Furnace filters when they're just one of the cheapest accessory out there? Little things matter dude! And we'll prove it to you. Keep on reading.

No matter which brand's Furnace you've at your home, how did it cost you or how does it look like. It does need Filters, doesn't it? And Filters need to be changed for the appropriate functioning of the systems don't they? If somebody has never told you that choosing the right Furnace filters does affect the heating efficiency, we will! So, man! No need to laugh!

We're helping you explore the different types of Furnace filters, their pros and the cons so that you could decide easily which one will work best for you. Let's begin the filter journey;

1. Disposable Fibreglass Filters

These are the filters that most homeowners use. This was the filter that came to your mind when we initially talked about Furnace Filters. Made up of thick Fibreglass of around 1 inch this type of Filters have a MERV rating of 2-3 which means they can help trap

Carpet Fibers

Textile Fibers

Dust Mites

Spray Paint Dust etc

Good of it:

The good aspect of these Furnace filters is that they're extremely cheap. Just $1 - $2 .

Bad of it:

The bad side of these Furnace filters is that they do not help clean the air much. Their MERV rating as mentioned above is very low. So these filters are surely not suitable for those having allergies and asthma etc. They better go for Filters that efficiently trap pollutants.

2. Disposable Pleated

Looking for a better MERV rating Filter? Check this one out. The disposable pleated filters are made up of polyester or cotton paper. Their MERV rating is 6 which is far better than the MERV rating of Disposable glass filters. The price of Disposable pleated filters is usually $4- $5. Affordable!

Good of it:

The good side of these Filters like the Disposable Fibreglass filters is that they're inexpensive and are good at trapping small particles.

Bad of it:

While these Filters are made up of cotton paper or polyester, they're thick and can cause hindrance for the air flow, consequently taking more energy from the system

3. Disposable Electrostatic Filters

These filters are self-charging and have a very high MERV rating of 10. They are also good at trapping small particles, pet dander, milled flour, welding fumes etc. The cost of these Filters is $10

Good of it:

The good of Disposable Electrostatic Filters is their affordability plus efficiency which makes them ideal for homes with children and pets.

Bad of it:

Disposable Electrostatic Filters become expensive when it comes to purchasing them in custom sizes. If your affordability is low, better not choose them since they cost much on the replacement.

4. Permanent Electrostatic Filters

These filters also contain self-charging cotton fibres that pull particles and trap them. There's a machine washable filter that has a lifetime of 6-8 years. The MERV rating of these filters is 8 while the cost is $15-$20. For you, if your pocket allows.

Good of it:

These filters being permanent can be used for a long term so there's a relief from spending on Filters every now and then. With a good MERV rating of 8, they trap enough particles so as to do air cleaning too.

Bad of it:

The bad side of these Filters is that they're not as efficient as the Disposable Electrostatic Filters since their MERV rating is 8 while the MERV rating of Disposable electrostatic is 10. The custom sizes are very expensive which makes them unsuitable for those looking for low rate but high-efficiency Filters.

5. High-Efficiency Pleated Filters

Ready to spend extravagantly? Want to have highly efficient Filters? Then here you go! High-Efficiency Pleated Filters are for you if you can spend $100 for purchasing a Filter that will give you clean air with a MERV rating of 14-16 which means they'll also trap bacterias. These filters are ideal for those having allergies and bacterial infections.

Good of it:

The good is their high MERV rating, This is why they're also used in hospitals in order to trap the smallest of particles.

Bad of it:

Their heavy cost is their only bad side. Only a single filter will cost $100 a year which doesn't sound much cool.

So, we're just done with some quick information on the types, efficiency and rates of Furnace Filters in order to help you decide which one might work best for you. Your turn now. Any questions? Help? Or anything else? Get in touch. Give us a call!