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COVID 19 - FOOD FOR THOUGHT We have always encouraged people to have their maintenance on their heating system in the spring for the simple reason of being “proactive”. However, this year, we have another reason… Covid 19 is expected to have a “second wave” this fall, right around the time most people like to have their maintenance done. Should we have this second wave (and, it is most likely) there is a possibility of businesses shutting down once again and the ability of getting appointments can be that much harder. We would just like to take a moment to remind you that this may be something you would want to consider proactively now, rather than end up in an emergency situation mid heating season. Of course, we do not know for sure…we don’t have a crystal ball where covid19 is concerned. However, we do feel this is likely the best approach for taking care of our customers. Please give us a call to book your appointment 902-852-3380 Why have your maintenance done in the spring/summer months? “over the course of the winter months your furnace will build up soot inside. It’s a natural occurrence when burning fuel. However, once heating season is over and our humid summer is upon us another reaction takes place. The humidity (moisture) mixed with that build up of soot becomes a mild acid called sulfur dioxide. This is the “evil” that causes your furnace to rust and corrode. Ridding your system of this build up of soot at the end of heating season helps to prolong the life of your system. Whereas, if you leave it through the summer months the soot eventually hardens into a “cement” like substance and is much harder to remove then eventually causes other problems throughout your system costing you more money in the long run”.
It boggles my mind that people think they are actually getting a quality deal when they are given something for “free” . Think about it…. Any service company that is promising you a ‘Free Cleaning’ with the purchase of their fuel is not saving you money. You need to keep in mind that, you really do “get what you pay for”. “Free” means, you are guaranteed to be locked in to buying their fuel for at least a year. Their inflated fuel prices guarantee that they are getting their money back from that “free” cleaning. “Free” means, when you sign their contract promising free parts coverage, you are receiving a “promise” to receive “free parts” that rarely break down. 30 years of experience and having been contracted to 3 of the large fuel suppliers in HRM has proved exactly that. “Free” means, you get exactly what you pay for. Nothing! So many people fall for the “free furnace cleaning” when you purchase *their* home heating oil. The thing is….There is no obligation for them to do a good job when you are getting their service for free. They show up, change the nozzle, change the filter and are in and out in a short amount of time because their intent is to complete as many as possible in one day verses doing a quality job at every household. I have been called to many homes over the last year or so, where the homeowner swears they had their maintenance done. “It was free from my fuel supplier”. Well, that furnace/boiler is now plugged with soot. Why?? Because this is the service you receive for free. Now, you are paying me to do the job correctly. Was it really free…..?? A professional cleaning and inspection takes ONE HOUR at the very least. There are many aspects to a furnace/boiler cleaning, from taking it a part to afford for a proper cleaning, to changing the nozzle, filter, testing for proper set up and efficiency with a proper combustion analysis. It is just NOT possible, to do a proper cleaning/inspection on your system in a short amount of time. Their goal, it seems, is to get as many free cleanings as possible completed in one day, rather than doing a quality and thorough job. In the long run, it’s going to cost you more, whether it’s from corrosion, or improper set up, or emergency break downs in the winter months. Things go unnoticed when maintenance is done quickly causing you to make panic decisions during the freezing cold months without having the time to decide the proper course of action. Remember, all mechanical systems need proper maintenance in order to continue being reliable. Your car for instance…if you don’t do the necessary oil changes and repairs on a regular basis, it won’t be reliable for very long. The same goes for your heating system.
These pictures show the main piping at a residence using an electric boiler. The distribution system is all in-floor heating on a high mass over pour on all levels with just one small loop of copper baseboard. The new tenant in this situation experienced a $3700.00 electrical bill for one month of heating. Yes, it is a large home of approximately 3500 sqft, but that’s an extremely high heating cost. It may look impressive..... But, it’s not. In fact, it’s poorly laid out and lacks controls that would indicate that components are not fully functional. (This is only something a true Professional could point out.) Why is it this way?? Well, it’s to lower installation costs. However, one or two months of heating bills like this would make the upfront cost of a “Professional installation” of proper relay control panels, pale in comparison. This is the result of choosing the “cheapest quote”. On top of the $3400 electric bills, let’s talk about the extra labour required by bringing in a professional to repair, or just to even figure out what’s been wired and how! (It is likely any Technician is going to spend at least a few hours or more just trying to get an idea of where to look, let alone, find which component that are not operating correctly). Another red flag here is evidence that this isn’t the original heating system. In a 20 year old home, already on its 2nd heating system speaks volumes to me. Afterwards, I found out the home had also had at least 5 owners! I expect they all ran away once they found out the operating cost on this home. However, that is just a guess😉. While all of this can be corrected in the mechanical room, I have to wonder how well the system was laid out and insulated (in the basement in-floor slab specifically). The long and short of it is, the heating industry is mostly unregulated, and while safety regulations are usually made correct. How well it works, or, how much it’s going to cost and provide comfort to the homeowner is dependent on the Heating Contractor you’ve chosen to do the work! Our individual skill set and knowledge is not rated other than by a reputation developed over time and experience. Check references, do your research. Ask to see their credentials. These things are SO important. In my Professional experience, there are NO short cuts, only sacrifices made to cut capital costs, while some can be remedied in future, some cannot be changed, or, the costs associated with changing is exponentially increased. Don’t kid yourself, those “short cuts” DO end up costing you more in the long run. However, your utility/ energy provider will like you.