Improving Home Comfort with a New Furnace

Many of our customers that buy a new furnace do it to take advantage of energy savings and government rebates.

People are often surprised to discover that their home is more comfortable in both summer and winter.

Some high efficiency furnaces from Daikin and Ruud are multi-stage furnaces with variable speed fans. The fans on new furnaces can move much more air than older furnaces.

During the winter months, the furnace fires at different levels, automatically adjusting to outdoor conditions. On extremely cold nights like we see here in London Ontario, the furnace will fire at a higher level and your fan will run at a higher speed to keep your house warm on frigid nights.

Most of the time in London, during the winter months, the temperature is running between -5C and +5C. During these milder periods, the furnace and the fan will run at a lower setting to maintain your home’s temperature at a constant and comfortable level.

Modern furnaces keep the temperature very close to the thermostat setting, normally not varying more than half of a degree, plus or minus.

During the summer months your furnace fan will allow your air conditioner to do a better job, especially in multi-level homes. Warm air rises and on a hot summer day our homes can become uncomfortably warm on the second floor.

The new high efficiency furnaces will move much more air than older furnaces. That means that your system can deliver more cool air to your upper level in the summer months.

We’ve had customers tell us that "had they known how much better their air conditioner would work, they would have not waited so long to replace their furnace".

Upgrading your furnace is probably a lot less trouble than you think. Just give us a call and we can take a look at your current equipment and give you a pretty good idea what energy savings you could start enjoying immediately. This is all a free service that we offer, with no obligation or pressure tactics.

Many customers are pleased to discover that a new furnace can actually pay for itself. The increased comfort and peace of mind with warranties extending up to twelve years are icing on the cake.

Salmon Plumbing & Heating will assist you with the paperwork for government rebates. We can also help you with financing your new equipment.

Listen to our answers to many common heating questions.

Snow and Furnace Vents

If you have a newer high efficiency furnace, you will likely have 2 pipes coming out at the side or back of your home. One of these pipes is for exhaust. On a cold winter day, you'll see white vapour blowing out of this pipe.

The second pipe is for air intake. The furnace requires a supply of fresh air for combustion.

Furnace Exhaust and Intake Pipes

In London, Ontario we can see snow drifting and piling up quickly in a snow storm.

One common problem we see in the winter months, is that furnace vents get covered with snow. This can happen from drifting, or driveway shoveling. If the intake vent gets blocked by snow, the furnace will automatically shut down.

If your furnace shuts down unexpectedly during a snow storm, check to see that your furnace vents are clear of snow. Once the snow is cleared from the vents, your furnace may start up or you may need to turn the power off and on to reset the control.

If you are shoveling your driveway, or using a snow blower, make sure that you are not piling snow near the furnace vents.

Listen to our answers to many common heating questions.

What to Think About When Buying a New Furnace

There are several reasons you may be in the market for a new furnace:

• A large estimate to repair your current furnace.
• Your existing furnace is not energy efficient and a new furnace will actually save you money.
• Your existing furnace has had a critical failure, like a cracked heat exchanger.
• To improve your home’s comfort.

Daikin Furnace + Air

Whatever the reason, a new furnace is a large investment in a piece of equipment that you will have for 15 to 20 years.

Home owners are likely to look at the price, manufacturer and warranty when making their decision. An equally important consideration is the contractor that will be installing your equipment. Here are a few considerations:

• Will they stand behind the product after it is installed?
• Do they service the product themselves, or do they contract service to somebody else?
• Is there somebody local you can talk to if you have a problem?
• Do they employ licensed tradesmen? A proper installation requires electrical work, a gas fitter and custom sheet metal work.

Modern furnaces are complex pieces of equipment. A furnace needs to sized, for your home. Once it is installed, it needs to be set up properly to ensure your safety and comfort. Finally, a good contractor will show you how to operate your new furnace to give you the best performance.

Home owners can do many things themselves to keep their system running smoothly including:

• Changing furnace filters
• Adjusting your humidifier for summer and winter
• Keeping fresh batteries in your thermostat
• Making sure that heating vents and cold air returns are not obstructed
• Keeping air intakes and exhaust vents clear of snow and debris

Changing Furnace Filters

A good contractor will show you how to do all of this after installation. All new furnaces require an annual maintenance check-up. Annual maintenance is important to:

• Keep your manufacturer’s warranty in place.
• Extend the life of your equipment
• Keep your equipment operating safely and efficiently

It only makes sense to have an installation contractor that’s familiar with your equipment and can help you resolve any warranty issues. A good contractor will call to remind you to get your equipment maintained every year.

There are many ways to make sure you are dealing with a reputable contractor, including:

• The Better Business Bureau
• The manufacturer’s website
• The HRAI (Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada) website

If you are thinking of a new furnace, Salmon Plumbing & Heating provides a free no-obligation visit to your home. We’ll take a look at your old furnace and recommend a brand and model that will best meet your needs. If you would like to finance your furnace, we can also help you set up an affordable payment plan.

Just call (519) 451-8910.

Rebates from the government on new energy efficient equipment are designed to help homeowners move into new equipment. We’ll explain all the programs that are currently available and help you with the paperwork.

Humidity and Humidifier Tips

An important part of keeping your home comfortable in the winter is humidity. Either too much or too little humidity comes with a set of problems that can have minor and even major implications.

Relative humidity is a measure of how much moisture is in the air. It is expressed as a percentage. The ideal range for home comfort is normally anywhere from 40% to 50% relative humidity.

During the winter we heat air which then expands. Imagine that it is 0°C outside and the relative humidity outside is 40%. Your furnace heats the air to 20°C. The air expands when heated, but the amount of moisture in the air is unchanged. Your heated indoor air will now have a relative humidity quite a bit lower than 40%.

Air that is too dry can lead to drier skin. When you sleep you’ll likely wake up with a dry throat and nose. Dry air also leads to more static electricity. Wooden floors can crack or spread open at the gaps. Furniture can also crack or loosen at the joints.

Recommended humidity levels can also save you money on your heating bill. If your home is 20°C with 40% relative humidity, you’ll likely be quite comfortable. If the air is drier, you’ll feel cooler and will be reaching for the thermostat to increase the temperature.

A properly operating humidifier installed on your furnace will correct these problems. In the fall when you shut down your air conditioner, turn your humidifier on. Set the humidistat at 40%. The humidifier will automatically work to add moisture to the air in your home as required. Be sure the water to the humidifier is turned on and the bypass damper is open. Depending on the type of humidifier you should install a new pad or panel. For the old drum style humidifier clean the water tray.

Humidistat

Household activities also can add moisture to the air. Taking a shower or cooking can add quite a bit of humidity. Even plants and fish tanks will add humidity to your home.

Newer homes that are quite air tight may require dehumidification in parts of the heating season. This is accomplished with an HRV (Heat Recovery Ventilator). During the coldest winter days almost every home in London, Ontario will require humidification.

Older homes tend to be leakier. More outside air infiltrates into the house and the furnace tends to run more. A properly operating humidifier is very important for your comfort in an older home.

Salmon Plumbing & Heating checks your humidifier when we do your annual furnace maintenance. There are pads on your humidifier that may have to be changed. If your humidifier is not working, we can normally repair it. Like any piece of equipment, it may have to be eventually replaced. There are several types of new replacement humidifiers and you’ll want an HVAC professional to help you select the one that’s right for your home and lifestyle. You’ll also want a professional to install your new humidifier.

GeneralAire By-Pass Humidifier

Our licensed professionals are happy to show you how to properly operate your humidifier or any of your home comfort equipment when performing a maintenance service or even when completing a service repair.

Finally, in the spring when you are getting your air conditioner ready for the warm weather, don’t forget to turn your humidifier off. There is normally an air flow damper that you close or switch over to the summer setting. In London’s climate, your air conditioner will dehumidify the air in the summer months.

Read more about humidifiers on our website

Change Your Thermostat Batteries

You should change the batteries on your programmable thermostat once a year. Most smart thermostats take alkaline batteries (AA or AAA) or 3 volt lithium batteries, all of which are commonly available.

Your thermostat has batteries to keep your programming saved when the power goes out. Even though your thermostat is wired directly to the furnace, a thermostat with a dead battery can lead to no heat.

Some thermostats have a low battery indicator, that will give you a warning a few weeks ahead. It’s good practice to change the batteries once a year, just like you would with your smoke detectors.

You don’t want to pay for an emergency no heat service call, just to find out your thermostat battery is dead.

Air Conditioner Covers

We recommend that you do not cover your outside air conditioner unit in the winter. Moisture can build up underneath the cover, which can be harmful to the electrical components inside.

Clear the area and unit of twigs, leaves and debris. If you are concerned about leaves and debris falling in the unit, we recommend that you put a board on top of the unit, weighed down with a brick. We would also recommend that you turn off the power to the air conditioner at the panel. This will ensure that the unit is not inadvertently turned on in cold weather. Be sure to remember to take the cover back off in the spring.

If you buy a cover, select one that does not go all the way to the ground. This allows air circulation and prevents moisture damage.

Simply use a board weighed down by some bricks

At the Salmon Plumbing shop we have 3 air conditioning units. We do not cover any of them during the winter.

Air conditioners should be serviced annually to extend their life, maintain warranties and improve performance and energy efficiency.

Call (519)451-8910 to schedule your air conditioner service call.

Tips for Shutting Down Outside Taps

With freezing temperatures arriving it is important to shut down the outside taps. Failure to do so can cause serious water damage to your home.

Once you are done using water outside the house, it is time to shut down the water to the outside taps and drain the lines. This is a simple job that most homeowners can do themselves.

For each outside tap, you will find a shutoff tap in your basement, **unless it's the frost free type explained below. Turn the basement tap to the right to shut it down. You will find a small bleed valve at the base of the tap. It's a little cap that you unscrew. You may need pliers to loosen it. Have a pail and rag ready, the water between the bleed valve and the outside tap will drain out.

Red Pen pointing at Bleed Valve

Leave the bleed valve cap off and go outside and open the faucet. If you have a newer outside faucet it will have a vacuum breaker. You'll find a little button inside the outlet of the faucet. Push it in a few times with your finger to allow air into the line. More water may run out through the bleed valve in your basement.

Vacuum breakers were mandated over 15 years ago. They prevent stale water that is in the hose or chemical sprays applied with your hose from backing up into your home’s water supply.

Once you are satisfied that all the water is out of the line, you can close the outside valve and put the bleed valve cover back on in the basement. In the spring, all you will have to do is open the tap in the basement.

If you have a second outdoor faucet, repeat the process. Some houses will have a faucet in the garage. You need to repeat the process for this one as well. These often freeze and split if you leave the garage door open for an extended period of time when shoveling the driveway.

**If you have frost free taps, we would recommend the same process. In London, Ontario, winter temperatures can get low enough that you may even freeze the line on a frost free tap.

If you are leaving your home for a winter vacation, shut off your main water supply. You can't do this if you have a hot water heating system. If you can, open up the cupboards below any sink (kitchen or bathroom), so warm air can still reach the piping hidden behind the wall. This is especially important if the sink is on an outside wall or over an unheated space (crawl space or garage). You can lower your thermostat setting slightly but if temperature is expected to be below -10° Celsius the risk of a pipe freezing and splitting increases significantly.

The cost of a frozen pipe goes well beyond the cost of replacing the pipe. Water damage in finished basements can be extensive if a line starts leaking when you are not at home.