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When the weather turns cold isn’t the time to get a furnace cleaned and serviced. Unfortunately, sometimes homeowners forget this essential maintenance until Old Man Winter blows into town. Whatever the time, a homeowner can get good service by following furnace repair recommendations from consumer groups.

Organizations that watch out for consumers’ best interests suggest several methods for selecting a reliable furnace repair service and avoiding scam artists.

Refuse phone solicitations that offer “free” or “low cost” furnace repair or maintenance. These scam artists often try to bilk homeowners by telling them their heating system has serious problems when it doesn’t. In addition, sometimes these “free” services are fronts for burglary rings that later come back and strip the home of valuables. Don’t fall for this scam.

Refuse to hire anyone who rings your doorbell offering to clean the air ducts with a “shop-vac.” It takes a high-volume or steam-clean vacuum system to clean heating ducts properly

Another key piece of advice: Don’t panic if an inspector for a furnace repair company you’ve called says you have to replace your heater immediately, or else. Unless you’ve dealt with this firm before and trust them implicitly, this kind of doom-saying inspection is almost always the lead-in to a scam. Yes, they may replace your furnace and do a good job (for a lot of money), but the question still remains whether you needed the replacement to begin with. Whenever anybody gives you this kind of warning, request a written report and then go talk to your local utility company.

When told that your furnace needs major repairs, get a minimum of three independent written inspection reports from qualified, licensed companies. Check each report to make sure it includes complete descriptions of the parts or materials needed, the services involved, warranty, the unit’s energy efficiency ranking, and the total price. If the estimate doesn’t have this information, ask for it.

Homeowners also can reduce the likelihood of needing emergency repairs by keeping up furnace maintenance themselves. Change the filters each month, and regularly vacuum the dust and dirt from air returns.

If it turns out that the furnace really does need repair or replacement, check the original warranty to determine whether repairs are covered. Some warranties require that the furnace receive annual maintenance in order to keep the warranty valid. If you must buy a new furnace, don’t choose a unit that’s too big for your household needs. You’ll only waste money.

To keep the furnace in good working order, as well as keeping the warranty in force, get the unit cleaned and tested on a yearly basis. Gas heating systems should be cleaned at least every other year, while units that run on fuel oil must be cleaned annually.

If you don’t have an annual service contract with a reputable home maintenance and repair company, ask for recommendations from neighbors, family members or co-workers. Then check out their recommendations with local authorities such as the Better Business Bureau or even the public records of small claims court. One woman who served as a bailiff in local courts once hired a heating repair service because, as she told them later, “you’re the only company who’s never been through our court.”

When interviewing candidates for heating service, always ask detailed questions. A good method is to write down the type of furnace you have and then ask for an estimate on service for that model, including all related charges. A reliable company should give you a response promptly and without hesitation. If the company representative takes a long time to answer your question, it could be an indication of poor performance, questionable practices or both.

A warm and cozy home in wintertime should result from following these furnace repair recommendations.

Air conditioner Toronto provider that sells, installs and services heating and air conditioning Toronto products.

These days, it seems like everyone is looking for ways to go green. Important actions such as recycling and reusing, conserving water and saving energy are the order of the day. There are many different ways we can contribute to helping the environment, and some of these methods may even help our pocketbooks as saving energy, for example, also helps you save money off your electric or gas bills.

What Does a Thermostat Do? A thermostat’s job is basically to control the output from your home’s heating or cooling system based on room temperature (hvac). This is done by what is basically a heat-activated switch. A heat sensor causes the opening or closing of the switch, which in turn starts, continues, or stops an electrical circuit that is connected to the house’s heating or cooling system. Many people prefer an electromechanical model to an electronic model simply because they are less expensive. Others prefer electromechanical models because they are not technically inclined and prefer simplicity. Here we will explain why electronic thermostats help save energy and how they end up paying for themselves in the long run.

How Will an Electronic Model Help Save Energy? An electronic, or digital thermostat has the primary benefit of being programmable. Because of this, the unit allows you to remain in greater control of the energy output of your home’s heating or cooling system. Having this control allows you to set the times that your heating or cooling is turned on and off based on a pre-determined schedule. If done correctly, you will reduce the energy used by these systems by not operating them during the night when everyone is sleeping or during the day when nobody is home. Most electronic thermostat models offer flexibility in terms of making changes to your heating and cooling schedule (seasonally or however you choose) or allowing you to manually override the heating and cooling schedule at any given time that you deem necessary.

How Much Money Can I Save? If you set up your thermostat’s schedule to reduce heating output by ten to fifteen percent for a period of at least eight hours a day, it is possible to save between five and fifteen percent a year on your energy bill. The same is true with air conditioning. If you automatically maintain your home warmer in the summer during the hours that you are not there, you can achieve an even greater level of savings. Can’t I Save Energy by Adjusting My Thermostat Manually?

While it is true that you can adjust your thermostat manually and be very cautious about turning it down every time you leave the house, an electronic thermostat has certain benefits that a manual unit just doesn’t offer. For example, if you follow this strategy with a manual thermostat, you will have to endure some discomfort upon returning home or waking up in the morning while the system works to heat or cool your home to a comfortable temperature. An electronic thermostat will have the home at an ideal temperature just when you need it to be.