There are some Canadians who suggest there are really only two seasons in Canada: winter and summer. One day it’s minus 30, the next day it’s plus 30. That might be an easy adjustment for people, but it can be challenging for your home comfort system given the often quick switch your HVAC equipment goes through from furnace season to air conditioning season.
While servicing your home comfort system can happen anytime throughout the year, there is an optimum time period in the spring and fall when experts recommend you schedule service. This is to help ensure your equipment is running at maximum efficiency, heating your home in the winter, and cooling it in the summer.
“Home comfort system is a nice way of saying anything you’re doing to condition the air to make it more comfortable in your home,” said Sean Gordon, Operations Manager at Motion Electrical Heating and Cooling. “That includes your furnace, your air conditioning, your air filtration systems, and humidifiers.”
Gordon said that while many people are already considering the switch to air conditioning, spring can be a good time for an end-of-season check of your furnace.
“I can draw a parallel to a boat,” said Gordon. “You winterize your boat before it gets put away for the winter to make sure everything’s all good for the summer. That way you know it’s ready when the time comes to use it again. The same can be said for your furnace.”
There are many different aspects included in a maintenance check of your furnace. Gordon said his techs start with a combustion air analysis, which produces a report card on how well the furnace is running in terms of gas combustion. All components get checked and furnace filters are replaced if needed.
“Let’s be honest, no one goes down and pulls the front off of their furnace unless it’s not working,” said Gordon. “You book a checkup to see if there are components showing wear or leaking so we can get it fixed before next season. After the inspection a homeowner can decide to have the work done now, or they can plan to have it fixed before heating season.“
When it comes to servicing an air conditioner, Gordon says it’s important to wait until the average outdoor temperatures climb to above 20 degrees. This allows a tech to come in and properly test to see if the unit is operating efficiently. Inspections include checking for leaks and measuring pressures to ensure the A/C is operating within manufacturer specifications. Another important visual check includes looking for any signs of damage or residue from rodents and insects that could affect the operation of your A/C unit.
“We check the connections because over the winter our furry friends can go in, chew on wires or make a nest. One of the main reasons we get called in the spring is because some sort of insect has gotten between the points on the contactors. Earwigs are the biggest culprit. They like to crawl in there and get stuck in the contactors. I’d say probably 30 to 40 percent of our calls when air conditioning isn’t working is just a bug in the contactor.”
Spring is also a good time to consider enhancing your home comfort system with the addition of a mini ductless split. This is a stand-alone component that can be used to heat or cool areas of a home or cottage where circulation of hot and cold air is insufficient to provide proper comfort.
“It’s really a heat pump that provides heat or cooling in a room where it’s needed depending on the season,” said Gordon. “It’s popular in cottages that don’t have a furnace that relies on electric heat or a fireplace. All it requires is 20 amps of power and it’s installed outside. It keeps your house cool in the summer and in the winter it’s efficient down to minus 15.”
Besides assisting property owners ensure their HVAC systems are operating properly, Motion Electrical Heating and Cooling is also working hard to ensure the local community gets all the support it needs.
“We are active volunteers, sponsors, and event hosts supporting Centre Wellington Big Brothers Big Sisters as well as supporting many other community initiatives such as the CW Foodbank, Lions Club Guide Dogs, local school and charity donations,” said owner Katie Pope. “We will be hosting our Survivor event again in May and to date we have raised over $30,000 with this event!”
For more information, visit them online or on Facebook.