Factors That Affect Furnace Performance In Calgary Homes And How To Fix It

Aire Serv

Calgary, recognised for hosting the 1988 Olympic Winter Games, is indeed the place to be in winters. The city presents loads of outdoor activities to enjoy in colder months, from strolling along the Stephen Avenue Walk to ice skating at Prince’s Island Park.

No matter how much you appreciate the cold chills outside, but once home, there’s nothing like the instant relief you experience holding your hand over a warm vent.

However, even though Calgary has a moderate Cost of Living Index of 69.85, you might end up spending about $3k to $7k on a quality furnace installation. And so, it becomes essential that you take special care to ensure your furnace functions well in the long run.

You can try furnace repair, Calgary, to check all critical aspects of your furnace that could affect its performance and get it serviced to fix all the issues. Here are some of the top factors that ensure your furnace gives you excellent value for money:

Maintenance

The local government mandates that all furnaces in Calgary households have a minimum 92% AFUE rating. With the proper maintenance, you can have the right AFUE rating for your home furnace, ensuring higher efficiency and higher cost savings.

Experts recommend having a yearly tune-up to take care of any problems affecting the furnace performance and bringing the unit up to its peak efficiency cut-offs. Having a good maintenance history keeps a tab on your energy consumption all winter long, thus avoiding energy bill spikes.

Thermostat Settings

Calgarians enjoy more sunny days than any other major cities in the country, close to 335 days per year. But the town once experienced a bone-chilling temperature of -45°C.

Every degree you set on the thermostat affects the furnace performance; lower values make the heating system consume lesser energy. Specialists suggest keeping the thermostat in “auto” mode for adjustable temperature settings, easing the load on your furnace and increasing its efficiency.

Air Filter Condition

Though even Calgary’s worst air quality falls in the low end of “moderate risk” on AQI, below 40, poor ventilation and construction lead to outdoor air leak into your home. It thus increases the pollutant levels in your living space that leave the air filters dirty.

When you have dirty filters, try furnace repair, Calgary services once per month to avoid the system from working harder and consuming more energy than usual. The reason is that clogged filters block your system’s airflow and, in worst conditions, force the limit switch to shut down the unit. Depending on the state, consultants might clean or replace the filter to improve your furnace efficiency.

Home Insulation Levels

Typically, Calgary homes have the CMHC recommended fibreglass, mineral fibre, rigid foam as the well-fitting insulation material.

The insulation helps contain the furnace generated heat with your home interiors. In the absence of quality insulation, your heating system has to work harder, affecting its overall performance. Thus, get your air sealing settings checked by a professional to ensure less strain on your furnace to produce more heat for the same space.

Duct Leaks

A Calgary residential property has a full basement with high value for money or a walkout basement, a more popular feature among locals. In either scenario, the requirement is to have proper ductwork run throughout your home unit.

Low ducting leads to air leaks, forcing cool air from places like basements to seep through while wasting warm air from the furnace flow away from your living space. Hire a specialist to check the ducting settings, ensuring none of the furnace’s energy spent generating heat goes unused.

Ignition System

The popular gas-fired-forced air furnace models in Calgary include the conventional warm air and induced draft furnaces. In contrast, the latest units come with an electric ignition system.

To check for a faulty ignition system, reset the settings first. Professionals would recommend turning off the power and inspecting the heating element. For power light, you could follow manual instructions to relight it. If any of the parts appear damaged, check with an agency to get them replaced.

Gas Line

The gas line to your furnace should be open for continuous gas supply. Even then, there are chances for gas leaks.

Calgary experts suggest having a carbon monoxide detector to test potential gas leaks, as it is dangerous and affects the efficient furnace operation.

Parting Words

A $5.7 million pilot project is all set to be a roadmap for future greenhouse gas emissions reductions in and around Calgary. It will give you access to hydrogen-blended natural gas to light up your furnace units. To use such energy sources well, consult a service agency, try furnace repair Calgary to check your furnace and fix all the performance issues. Rest assured, you will have a highly-efficient heating unit to keep your dwelling warm through the winter.

 

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