- Turn off and drain your garden hose (yes, the one in the garage too!) and any sprinkler systems. That means also blowing out any leftover water in the underground lines. This if left can do damage to the sensitive components that make up your system, and hey, nobody wants to pay to fix that. If you need help with this contact us at Copper Mechanical, a small fee is better than a large one. If you are unsure where your shut off is for your sprinkler or hose? Give us a call and we can talk you through it.
- Clean your gutters with those last fallen leaves and take a peak at your sump pump and drains (if you have one; if your foundation lies high enough above the water table you may not have one). Make sure there are no blockages and that its functioning properly. Trust me you do not want to deal with the aftermath of a snow melt with a non functioning sump pump or after a heavy rainfall as a homeowner.
- If you have a well, give it a good inspection, looking for any cracks or damage. You do not want to be stuck without water if it turns out your well is frozen.
- Make sure your waterlines are properly insulated to avoid freezing or bursting. If you have a crawl space, close up the vents and stuff insulation over the openings, make sure that any pipes that run alongside outer walls are well insulated. Fill in any cracks to avoid even an ounce of cold air entering.
- Inspect and clean your humidifier, water heater, and fireplaces to ensure each unit is working properly. If you are not sure what to look for contact us today and we can help you out.
- Consider upgrading to a programmable thermostat. If you are planning on travelling someplace warm during the winter, a programmable thermostat can help keep your home at the correct temperature during the day and night to save on energy costs and keep your home comfortable.
- Change batteries in smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms. You never know when you might need them, so make sure they are all in good working order!
- Fix any waterline leaks you are aware of. You can usually spot these from water marks on your ceiling. It is also a good idea to inspect your water pump, water softener, iron filter, water heater and pressure tank to ensure nothing is leaking around these units either. If you are not sure where to start, contact us today and we can help you out!
Start your fall maintenance checklist today before you forget! Sometimes winter can strike early and you’ll be unexpectedly caught in the cold. The last thing you want is for a burst pipe or falling gutters to ruin an otherwise cozy winter day.
Don’t have time to complete your checklist? Call us at Copper Mechanical Ltd for help!
See our checklist below to save to your phone or computer.
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Recent regulations for furnaces are making them more energy efficient than ever. Furnaces are rated by annual fuel-utilization efficiency (AFUE). This is the minimum percentage of fuel that is consumed in the process of heating your home. The rest escapes through the flue. Gas furnaces made in the early 1970s may have AFUE ratings as low as 56 percent; modern furnaces have minimum ratings of 78 percent (for oil), and as high as 99 percent for gas. That means replacing an older furnace can make a significant dent in your fuel bill.
How a Furnace Works
Inside a gas- or oil-fired furnace, the fuel is mixed with air and burned. The flames heat a metal heat exchanger where the heat is transferred to air. Air is pushed through the heat exchanger by the “air handler’s” furnace fan and then forced through the ductwork downstream of the heat exchanger.
At the furnace, combustion products are vented out of the building through a flue pipe. Older “atmospheric” furnaces vented directly to the atmosphere, and wasted about 30% of the fuel energy just to keep the exhaust hot enough to safely rise through the chimney.
Current minimum-efficiency furnaces reduce this waste substantially by using an “inducer” fan to pull the exhaust gases through the heat exchanger and induce draft in the chimney. “Condensing” furnaces are designed to reclaim much of this escaping heat by cooling exhaust gases well below 60°C, where water vapor in the exhaust condenses into water. This is the primary feature of a high-efficiency furnace (or boiler). These typically vent through a sidewall with a plastic pipe.
Heating system controls regulate when the various components of the heating system turn on and off. The most important control from your standpoint is the thermostat, which turns the system — or at least the distribution system — on and off to keep you comfortable. A typical forced air system will have a single thermostat. But, there are other internal controls in a heating system, such as “high limit” switches that are part of an invisible but critical set of safety controls.
Furnace Buying Guide: We Help You!
What the best furnace has:
- The proper AFUE rating
- Two stage valves
- A programmable thermostat
- Sealed combustion
- A long warranty
What you should know know before you go:
- Should I repair or replace?
- Is my home energy efficient?
- Are you prepared to maintain your new furnace?
Most Fuel Efficient Furnaces
The best gas furnaces and boilers today have efficiencies over 90%
The efficiency of a fossil-fuel furnace or boiler is a measure of the amount of useful heat produced per unit of input energy (fuel). Combustion efficiency is the simplest measure; it is just the system’s efficiency while it is running.
Currently there are no Energy Star Rated Furnaces available in Canada.
For assistance, install, or ordering, contact us.
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