When is it time to replace your home heating system

 

 It's never an easy nor inexpensive prospect in replacing the heating system in your home.

From scam artists knocking on your door and being aggressive in their sales tactics, this can be overwhelming and confusing.

We have been replacing furnaces, boilers and HVAC systems for many years. We are an authorized Lennox dealer so you know you are getting a reputable product.

Furthermore, never expect an exact heating system replacement quote over the phone. There are too many variables in every furnace installation, boiler installation Some companies who solicit heating equipment over the phone, without so much as a site visit, are merely trying to get their foot in the door. Once there, the price will inevitably change as he may have overlooked many gas safety issues among other things. And other items not noticeable unless a site visit is performed. Chimneys require a thorough inspection and in most cases when replacing a mid-efficient furnace with a new high efficiency model the chimney must be what we call in the market donated Especially pay attention in these areas not commonly seen. For example your attic where the chimney passes through the attic area before being vented to atmosphere. The B-Vent should not have any signs of corrosion in particular. They are not to be perforated at all, ie holes through the B-vent. B-vent transitioning through an attic space or other unheated space a prone to more condensation problems due to the potential extreme temperatures produced through the combustion process. 

 

I hope you can obtain enough basic knowledge from this article to prepare questions for each bidding contractor. Remember to call any references the conractor might off, check the BBB (Better Business Bureau) Do ever feel pressured from the first furnace salesmen start knocking, nor ever pay a deposit upfront. Reputable companies typically do not charge anything upfront. These salesman are slick and they could convince the unprepared to spend more money than is needed. And yes, all furnace and/or boiler replacement required permits. We also compare apples to apples as equipment type is better than others. Obviously some furnace brands are far superior and much less trouble than others. 

ECM or (electrical communicated motor) use much less power to run than the old blowers in your current furnace. 

Provided they are installed correctly, setup combustion wise and serviced on a frequent basis the furnace should provide years of trouble free operation. Additionally they can achieve up to 95-95% in efficiency. This is also the time to think about installing a humidifier and in upgraded filter system for cleaner air and less problematic for those suffering from asthma 

Are your gas lines legal, big enough and adequate enough to supply gas to all the gas appliances in the house, ie. fireplace,natural gas bbq, gas range or gas dryer.They all add gas load to the equation.

 

We take pride in our work, and will treat your home like our own, with care. Whether the task is a boiler to a furnace, our technicians can not only install the units, they also service and repair the same equipment. 

 

A basement inspection in the area around the furnace of ductwork is a wise idea. We need to know whether there are

both fresh air supply to the return ducting and whether there is an existing combustion air supply. These items are only relevant during the installation of high efficiency condensing furnaces. Also check for a functioning humidifier.

Some humidifiers are superior than others depending on the humidifier make, model and the size of the home.

 

Our boiler installations are top notch, efficient. We use only quality boilers and related components for years of trouble free operation. All our installations are guaranteed to be trouble free. We perform a combustion analysis to ensure a proper burn with less boiler service problems down the road. Here is and example of the quality IBC boilers we use.

 

Alberta General Plumbing

12180 40 Street SE,

Calgary, AB

403-390-1115 

Website: WeFixHeating.ca 

Email: info@generalplumbing.ca

 

Servicing Cochrane, RedWood Meadows, Bragg Creek, Millarville, Strathmore and many points between. 

Give us a call, we can help you through all facets of the heating system replacement.

Proper combustion setup,for a IBC SL45-260 high efficiency boiler

IBC boiler combustion analysis setup

     IBC boilers are among the best high efficiency condensing boilers currently on the market. Made in Canada, they are designed for our Canadian temperature extremes.

     One must keep in mind that these boilers are only as good as the boiler service technician installing them. A well experienced boiler installer will utilize industry best practice in installation methods, proper setup and service intervals to maintain efficiency.

     One final commissioning step, often overlooked in the installation and setup process, is a combustion analysis to ensure combustion parameters are within factory specifications. On this particular boiler a slight increase of CO2 was needed which was achieved by turning the gas:air ration adjustment screw roughly 1/2 - 3/4 turns counterclockwise. Each boiler may require more or less CO2 depending on local conditions such as altitude. A quality combustion analyzer, calibrated yearly, is needed to set up combustion on boilers or furnaces.

For example, on an IBC SL 45-260 boiler, the (Natural Gas) CO2% acceptable ranges.  These results must be confirmed within the Installation and Operation manual for each IBC boiler model. 

CO2% HIGH FIRE range 9.1%- 9.7%         Target 9.5%

CO2% LOW FIRE  range 8.4% – 9.0%         Target 8.7%

with less than 120 PPM CO (Carbon Monoxide) 

Manifold gas pressure, inlet gas

manifold test port and

high fire gas:air ratio,

CO2 adjustment screw location

Combustion test port location

Final efficiency readout following setup

 From initial planning, hydronic system design, boiler installation to boiler setup, boiler system maintenance and repair, we can complete all stages of a hydronic system installation.

Alberta General Plumbing

403-390-1115

Or email for more information: info@generalplumbing.ca

Or our website: Calgary Boiler Service