The function of a heat exchanger in a heating unit is to transmit the heat generated by burning fuel to water or air. The water or air in turn distributes it into the entire house. The heat exchanger is the major component of any heating unit. Its’ premature failure requires major furnace repair work.

The common cause of premature failure of heat exchangers leading to expensive furnace repair jobs is the development of holes and cracks. These holes and cracks leak hot water or the hot air into the home environment thereby reducing effectiveness of the heat exchanger.

Premature heat exchange failure caused by the development of cracks and holes in the heat exchangers is attributed to several factors:

• Regular heating and cooling of the heat exchanger over the years results in development of cracks
• Damp environment results in growth of rust which soon leads to holes and cracks. This shortens the life of heat exchangers and is a frequent cause for furnace repair
• Reduced air flow due to dirty air filters, fan blades, ducts, obstructed air passages, cause additional wear to the motor. This reduces the efficiency of heat exchange

Forced-air heating unit tend to overheat if there is obstruction to free air flow.  Built in safety feature such as auto shutdowns exist for dangerously high over heating, but these may not work in case of moderate overheating. This leads to metal fatigue. This too shortens the life duration of heat exchangers and results in a furnace repair.

The actions which will enhance the life of heat exchangers and prevent their premature failures include the following:

• Scheduled cleaning and maintenance of the heat exchangers
• Keeping the environment dry and clean
• Prevent all obstruction to free air flow

Preventing premature failures of heat exchangers and the consequent furnace repair is quite achievable by simply following some preventive maintenance procedures.

Installing a carbon monoxide detector to detect leaks would go a long way to prevent premature failures of heat exchangers and furnace repair.

Call today to have ClearView Plumbing & Heating inspect your heat exchanger, (403) 216-8439.

Can you imagine being in your house on a cold winter day without any heating, wishing you had got it checked at the onset of winters and avoided this situation? It is mandatory that you schedule for your heating equipment repair on-time, get the following things checked and let the winter months pass smoothly.

A timely call to your heating equipment repair professional will not only avoid premature failure of the unit, but also detect and resolve any possible causes of impending breakdown.

Replacement of air filters on a timely basis also ensures adequate air flow and maximum efficiency of the unit, thereby reducing the need for frequent heating equipment repair.

Ensure that all possible sources of heat loss (called drafts) are sealed off completely, to increase the unit’s efficiency, minimize excess use of energy and heating equipment repair costs.

Adding insulation to the attic will help in reducing the heat loss as well as the energy bills by upto 30%. The heating equipment repair contractor will be able to help you in adding the insulation.

Conducting a home energy bill audit will also save your costs drastically. It involves calling an inspector home and having the doors, windows and attics checked for any areas of possible energy loss. These inspectors are state certified, charge only around $30 per visit and provide valuable ways of saving money.

Replacement of old thermostat with a new and more accurate one is also one of the many ways to save huge bills on heating equipment repair. However, you will require your heating contractor’s help in setting this up for you.

Apart from the very many ways mentioned above to save energy and heating equipment repair costs, it makes all sense to do any revamping work either yourself or through your heating equipment repair professional to avoid any last-minute and more expensive breakdowns and resting in the comfort and warmth of your house in winters.

We’re one of the top heating equipment repair company’s serving Calgary, and surrounding areas. Please feel free to reach us anytime at  403-216-8439.

Homeowners ask us how to find a quality plumber, not for themselves (they have us after all), but for friends and relatives in other cities.  Here are eight simple questions homeowners can and should ask when seeking a quality plumber.

Does The Company Hold a Plumbing License? City and provincial  licensing is the minimum requirement to operate a plumbing company.  Licensing protects the public, including you.  Unlicensed plumbers are unaccountable to regulators and often unavailable if things go wrong.

Is The Company Insured? General liability and insurance protects you.  Most companies will be insured, but not all are.  Assume that any company failing to state that it carries insurance in its marketing or website lacks insurance.

Does The Company Have a Website? Similar to a physical address, a website is a sign of legitimacy. Most plumbing companies have a web presence today.

How Long Has The Company Been In Business (Under The Same Name)? One plumbing company in five closes every year.  The best way to predict whether a company will be around long enough to honor its warranties is whether the company has been around in the past.  Most reputable companies state their business tenure.  Beware companies that close due to a poor reputation and reopen with a new name.

Does The Company Have a Physical Address? Fly-by-night plumbers and uninsured moonlighters rarely have a business address.  More stable plumbing companies operate from a shop or office.

What is the Standard Guarantee? Not only does a better guarantee give you longer peace of mind, but better guarantees are offered by better companies.

Does the Company Give the Full Price Before Work Begins? Some companies offer fixed quotes, no matter how long the work takes.  Others charge by the hour and give open-end quotes, which means the work could cost a lot more if the company takes longer than the plumber expects.

Are The Company’s Service Vehicles Clean and Well Maintained? The condition of a company’s service vehicles is an indicator of the way the plumber will take care of your home.

When you hire a plumber, you want honesty, fair pricing, and quality from a company you can trust.  If you have any questions about this, give us a call.  We’d love to help you!

Call us today. You can start saving tomorrow!

Contact Us

To Get Help Fast Call:403-216-8439

Or Send an Email

ClearView Plumbing and Heating
4805, 32nd Street SE, Calgary, AB T2B 2X3
Calgary, Alberta T2J 5N8

Trust the experts with your furnace-Calgary

CLEARVIEW PLUMBING & HEATING ., you’ll receive peace of mind that your furnace will be checked and cleaned by experts in natural gas equipment servicing.

All of our Service Technicians are fully certified and receive extensive ongoing training.

During the service call, our Service Technician will be pleased to answer any questions you may have about your heating system and will advise you about proper filter maintenance.

As always, all work is fully backed by CLEARVIEW PLUMBING & HEATING . to Insure your complete satisfaction.

Why is insulation important?

The proper type and level of insulation for your home provides a continuous thermal barrier minimizing heat flow through the walls, ceiling, and floor.

The result is a more comfortable home and reduced heating and cooling costs. Installing insulation properly is as important as the type and level of insulation because gaps, voids, compressions, and moisture reduce the effectiveness of insulation and allow unconditioned air to enter your home.

Insulation level are specified by R-value. R-value is a measure of insulation’s ability to resist heat traveling through it. The higher the R-Value the better the thermal performance of the insulation.

However, for cooling a radiant barrier insulation needs to blown in or stapled to the underside of your roof to prevent heat from penetrating into your bedrooms at night.

High Efficiency Air Cleaners

Study after study shows that as homes become tighter and more energy efficient, more contaminants become trapped inside.

The air we breathe in our homes is loaded with pollutants like pollen, lung damaging dust, pet hair, dander, dust mites, tobacco smoke, spores, disease-causing bacteria and viruses.

Considering the typical throwaway furnace filter only traps about 5 – 15% of these polluting particles and that the slightest traces of pollutants can trigger miserable reactions for allergy sufferers, you need serious help.

In today’s world, a whole-house, high efficiency air cleaner is the best system to get the job done.

The Aprilaire® Media Air Cleaner is a silent, low-maintenance, inexpensive air filtration system.

Germs Going Airborne Can Have Lethal Consequences

The technology developed to warm or cool our homes, offices and schools has inadvertently succeeded in creating ideal conditions for growing, concentrating and giving a “air-ride” for germs living indoors.

Here enters the use of ultraviolet “C” (the germicidal bandwidth) to kill germs circulating in indoor air and for use to sterilize the microbial growth areas (a/c coil) so as to prevent germs from going airborne.

The UVC air sterilizing system is a global solution: it goes after everything that lives in the air or can go airborne. And by killing the highest percentage of all germs, the target germs causing the problems are then “taken-out” or reduced to a level that is not harmful.

The Dryness Cure

When outside air is heated, its relative humidity plummets, stripping moisture not only from the air, but from your skin and body, your wood furniture, fixtures, and floors.
Humidity is added to the dry air coming from your heating system and distributed throughout your home through ventilation ducts.
No mist or droplets, which can carry impurities, are present because the water is converted to a pure vapor form.

Our exciting Aprilaire line now includes the world’s first truly automatic humidifiers which generate up to 50% more moisture to assure greater comfort and preservation than other humidifiers.             Aprilaire with Auto-TracTM means there’s no manual humidistat to adjust… ever!

This exclusive Aprilaire feature monitors the outdoor temperature and automatically adjusts the humidifier so that it always provides the optimum relative humidity to your home. It is truly automatic

Aprilaire humidifiers are nearly maintenance free; with the flow-through design, there are no reservoirs to fill, drain, or clean. Simply set the control to a comfortable level, and Aprilaire will automatically adjust the humidity level. It’s an easy, effective way to distribute humidified air to every room in your home.

Gas Furnaces

Homeowners with just a little guidance can make a wise decision on a new furnace that they can be happy with for years to come.

When shopping for a furnace ask yourself a few general questions. Was I happy with my old furnace? If not, why were you unhappy? comfort? reliability? performance? cost to operate? From an investment point of view (ROI about 18%) furnaces are unique that in time they can more than pay for themselves.

The longer you plan on staying the more you’ll want to go for the bells and whistles. First, to enjoy what modern technology has to offer over your parents furnace system. Second, 10 or 15 years down the road modern technology will be commonplace allowing you not to compensate the new homeowner for and out of date furnace.

One of the first things to consider when purchasing a gas furnace is its efficiency. This is indicated by the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency rating or AFUE. ABC, offers a variety of highly efficient gas furnaces, ranging from 80 to 95% efficiency.

We also offer variable speed and two-stage furnaces, which can greatly increase your comfort level.

Variable speed furnaces have up to 4x the power of a standard furnace blower motor, overcoming many ductwork problems that prevent even heating. Plus they cost 80% less to operate electrically than a standard furnace blower motor.

Two-stage furnaces are like having two furnaces in one. When furnaces are sized the square foot/cubic volume of the home, widows, doors and R-values are noted. The regional climate conditions make all the difference. We refer to it as heat loss with a design temperature.

Call us today. You can start saving tomorrow!

Contact Us

To Get Help Fast Call:

403-216-8439

Or Send an Email

ClearView Plumbing and Heating
4805, 32nd Street SE, Calgary, AB T2B 2X3
Calgary, Alberta T2J 5N8

Of all of the systems within your home, chances are good that your HVAC system is the most expensive, and most used. Your HVAC system keeps your home heated and cooled to a comfortable temperature year round so that you can enjoy your home to the fullest. Maintaining your HVAC system is important to preventing any future problems with the system and to avoiding unwanted costs. Having your HVAC technician perform a semi-annual pre-season check up each spring and fall goes a long way toward taking proper care of your system. And since contractors experience an overflow of work once summer or winter is underway, it is best to call them early in the spring and early in the fall so that you can schedule an inspection without having to wait.

Maintenance Checkup

During the visit, your HVAC specialist should:

• Check your thermostat settings. This is done to ensure that the heating and cooling system will keep your comfortable while you are at home and save energy for you while you are away. The HVAC specialist can test your thermostat to make sure that it is functioning properly. Consider having a programmable thermostat installed that allows you to control the temperature of your home when you are not home. This is a good way to conserve energy by having the A/C or heat kick on to a more comfortable level an hour before you arrive home.
• Tighten and check electrical connections. The HVAC tech can measure the voltage of the system and look for faulty electrical components that might reduce the life of your system.
• Lubricate the system’s moving parts. Parts must be lubricated to avoid friction within the motor. A system that is not lubricated will also use more energy.
• Inspect the condenser drain. This drain often becomes plugged or clogged and can cause water damage to your home while also affecting your humidity level inside.
• Check system controls. Checking the system controls ensures that the unit is in safe and proper operational mode. The technician will test to see that the system comes on properly, operates like it should, and then shuts off appropriately.

Seasonal Checkup Specifics

In addition to the maintenance checkup above, specific actions are required for seasonal checkups. During the spring, the HVAC technician can get your system ready for hot weather by cleaning the evaporator and condenser coils to enhance the system’s performance. They will also check and adjust the A/C’s level of refrigerant. The system will not operate at peak efficiency if the refrigerant is too low or if there is too much refrigerant present. And finally, the blower components will be cleaned and adjusted to provide for proper airflow and greater comfort. In the fall, the HVAC technician will check to make sure that all of the connections of your HVAC system are in proper order, and they will test the pressure of the gas (if gas system), burner combustion and heat exchange, depending on the type of system. Improper connections can cause a fire hazard, equipment failure, and decreased efficiency.

What You Can Do To Help

While there is very little that the homeowner can do on their own with the complex HVAC system, inspecting, cleaning or changing the system’s air filters monthly is as important as having the system inspected semi-annually. A dirty filter can cause your system to work harder, be less efficient, and need to be replaced sooner. Replace filters even more often during periods of extreme use, such as when it is extremely hot or terribly cold.

The furnace filter is a hardworking part of your HVAC system, screening out unwanted debris and pollens from your system and increasing the system’s efficiency and output. By replacing the furnace filter often, your indoor air will be healthy and clean as the filter works to screen away allergens and bacteria that can make you sick or exacerbate symptoms in asthma. In addition, the replacement of your filter on a regular basement will keep your expensive HVAC system running like it should, prolonging its life, and reducing the cost of keeping your home comfortable in both the warm and cold months of the year.

It is important to inspect your furnace filter monthly, particularly during the seasons when you are operating your system more heavily than normally, such as during periods of intense heat or cold. An inspection can reveal if your furnace filter needs to be cleaned or replaced. If your furnace filter is not properly monitored for cleaning or replacement, your HVAC system will have to work harder than it needs to, which reduces its overall performance and increases your energy bills.

Furnace Filter Types

There are two types of furnace filters – disposable filters with cardboard frames or permanent filters with metal or fiberglass frames. The disposable filter is inexpensive but requires monthly replacement (or more often during periods of heavy HVAC system usage). Permanent filters lost for a long time and rarely require replacement. Permanent filters must be routinely cleaned, however. All furnace filters, including disposable and permanent types, are rated with a MERV rating. MERV stands for minimum efficiency report value. This rating is based on the filter’s ability to trap particulate matter and is a useful tool when evaluating filters based on performance. The higher the filter’s MERV rating, the more particulate matter, dust, debris, and allergens it will capture from the air – and the better the filter will work to keep these things out of your expensive HVAC system. Filters can be further broken down into various subtypes. Most filters are mechanical filters that work by trapping unwanted material in manmade or natural mesh netting. Most disposable filters are mechanical. The electrostatic filter is made from polyester strands that become charged electrically when air flows through them, and this static attracts pollen, dust, and other matter and traps it. Most permanent filters are electrostatic filters. There are also HEPA filters available in both disposable and permanent types. HEPA or high efficiency particle absorber does not have a MERV rating because it exceeds the ratings system’s specifications and provides the ultimate in indoor air quality for the home when utilized.

How to Clean or Replace a Furnace Filter

The first step to cleaning or replacing the furnace filter is to turn the system off and then locate your service panel. This is typically a panel that can be removed by hand, although some systems may require that you use a screwdriver to remove the panel. Locate the furnace filter inside the service panel. It will usually be near the intake/outtake fan or blower. Check the dust level of the filter. Can you see through the filter? If your furnace uses a reusable model, you can simply rinse the dust away in the sink or out in the driveway using a garden hose; allow it to dry and then reinstall it. If your furnace uses disposable furnace filters, make a note of the size that the unit requires and then throw the dirty filter away. Purchase and replace the filter and then turn the system back on.

One of the best upgrades to your HVAC system is the whole house humidifier, and this is particularly true if you worry about the quality of your indoor air, or if someone in the home suffers from allergies. A whole house humidification system will not only reduce the number of colds and flu that your family experiences each winter, but it will also help to extend to the life of your expensive furniture and hardwood flooring, by keeping the level of humidity within the home within the healthy range of 35 – 50%. Your HVAC specialist can help you select the right system for your home.

Types of Whole House Humidifiers

The whole house humidifier can provide benefits well beyond that of a traditional humidifier because it is attached to your existing heating/cooling system. This humidification system will regulate the humidity of the entire home continually by adding moisture via the HVAC system when the furnace or air conditioner comes on. There are three basic types of humidification systems for the home, each of them differing in the manner that they work to add moisture. These systems are:

• Drum-style whole house humidifier. This type of humidifier has a foam or fabric belt that spins on a drum that rests atop a water reservoir. The belt has a wick that draws moisture from the reservoir, and as air is blown over the drum, the moisture starts to evaporate and is carried into the home via the HVAC system. This is the most cost-efficient type of whole house system for humidification.
• Flow-through-style whole house humidifier. This system works by dripping water through a foam or aluminum pad. The air from the furnace or air conditioner then blows through the pad, picking up moisture and dispersing it throughout the home’s vents.
• Spray-mist whole house humidifier. The spray-mist system of whole house humidification, as the name suggests, emits a fine mist into your home’s ductwork when the furnace or air conditioner is being used. This is the easiest ot maintain of the three systems.

Installation of a Whole House Humidifier

Once you have selected the type of humidification system that you want to install in the home, there are some considerations to be made. To start with, make sure that the humidification system is going to be installed in a location in the home where the temperature never falls below “freezing” during the cold months of the year. Humidifiers and extreme cold do not go well together because the cold can cause the water in the humidification system to freeze, causing burst pipes, seals, and joints that can be expensive to repair. Also, you want to select a whole house humidifier that is big enough to adequately humidify your home. Work with a certified HVAC technician to determine the size and the type of humidification system that will work best in your home, based on things like your home’s square footage, among other things.

It’s vital when purchasing a new heating system or air conditioning system for your home that you are confident in the contractor you choose. The contractor is essential because these heating and cooling systems are field engineered and put together by the contractor.

Purchasing heating for your home is not like purchasing an appliance in that it’s not as simple as plug in and go. These systems are custom designed for your house specifically, and the contractor is in charge of putting together your system, selecting the components, and installing it in your home. Until it’s actually assembled and installed, the heating and air systems for your home are simply a pile of pieces.

If cars were put together like heating systems are

Imagine putting a car together in the same way that you would an air conditioner. The dealer would go through a list of manufacturers looking for parts like engines, drive trains, and spark plugs. That same dealer would be the one putting the entire car together, and he would be ultimately responsible for being sure that everything worked together.

The dealer would also end up putting together some of their own parts, perhaps creating their own parts from metal pieces.

The Quality of the product would show through

Although the automobile dealer would state that they offer genuine engines, the quality of this put together car would be miles off from what the consumer is normally used to. Certain car dealers would insist on quality product and provide a well-put together car. Some might try to cut corners for a better price. The quality would vary widely from each dealer.

What you see is not always what you get

Consider this: You are buying a car and you ask for a SUV. Unbeknownst to you, the dealer only knows how to deliver a small economy car. You believe you are buying an SUV, but you aren’t getting what you asked for. Unless you really know your vehicles, you may never know that you are only getting the economy version of what you asked for.

The car would be garage assembled

When your car is delivered to you home, it would be in hundreds of pieces that would require assembly in your driveway. If the dealer isn’t an expert in putting the car together, you may end up with as subpar product.

You’re investing a lot of money in something where the bottom line comes down to the skill of the assemblers. It’s scary, but just a couple of dollars per hour can make the difference between an expert and a hack.

Warranties Depend on the Dealer

If the only regulations for a dealer is licensing and complying with codes, these conditions are easily met for almost any business. These businesses would open and close overnight, with one out of five closing every year and leaving the customer without a warranty. Although the parts may be under warranty with the individual manufacturers, the labor is entirely dependent on the dealer.

It is the dealer that matters most

If you bought your car in the same way you bought your heating or air conditioner, you would be sure to select a reputable HVAC dealer and accept his warranty and recommendation for the entire car, just like your heating contractor.

The best time to consider a high efficiency furnace is when you are planning your yearly maintenance on the furnace. When you are ready, call a ClearView plumber who can get the job done right. You need a professional to take care of the maintenance.

I know from my experience that opening a furnace door reminds me of opening up the car hood.. I am absolutely clueless and wondering why I opened the hood at all. SO why take chances, call ClearView and we will send over an experienced professional who can do the job while you are doing what you do best, working, writing, golfing or just chilling out by the pool.

You can extend the life of your HVAC equipment in Calgary with regular maintenance. Each year, you want to check your furnace for carbon monoxide leaks and take a video inspection of your heating system.