Furnace and air conditioning service in Waterdown

Newer high-efficiency furnaces, like the ones in most Waterdown South and Waterdown Bay houses, draw in air and exhaust through two plastic pipes low on a side wall. Snow is a real factor here. The Hamilton RBG climate station near Waterdown has a 1981-2010 normal of 118.1 cm of snow a year, and it once recorded 38.4 cm in a single January day. A buried or frosted pipe makes the furnace shut itself off for safety. Brush the pipes clear by hand and keep the area around them open, then switch the furnace off and on. If it will not restart, or the pipes keep icing up, book a furnace repair.

Under Ontario Regulation 212/01, gas appliances must be installed, serviced and repaired by a registered contractor using qualified gas technicians. The installation has to meet the CSA B149.1 Natural Gas and Propane Installation Code, and the same rules apply to propane. Work is performed by TSSA-certified gas technicians. A proper installation also protects the manufacturer's warranty on the new equipment. Before anyone opens the burner compartment, ask to see their gas technician card, then read how we handle furnace installation and replacement.

The Ontario Fire Code requires a working carbon monoxide alarm next to each sleeping area in a home with a fuel-burning appliance, a fireplace or an attached garage. That covers most houses with a gas furnace, a gas water heater or a garage built onto the side. If an alarm sounds, get everyone outside, call the fire department from there and leave the gas appliances off until they have been checked. Test your alarms this week, replace any that are past the date on the back, and if you suspect a venting problem, book a furnace repair.

Waterdown is served by the regional natural gas utility, which runs and upgrades the gas system across the Hamilton area. Homes beyond the gas lines rely on other fuels, such as propane or wood. The furnace, its burner parts and its venting all differ with the fuel, so it matters when we order parts or size a replacement. Check your heating bill or look for a propane tank outside, then mention which fuel you have when you get in touch.

Possibly, but check first. Waterdown has 121 designated heritage properties, most of them in the old village core, and changes to the outside of the house, such as a new side-wall vent for a high-efficiency furnace or an outdoor air conditioning unit, may need the City of Hamilton's approval. Sometimes a different layout, like running the vent to a side or rear wall, keeps the street face untouched. Contact the City's heritage staff before you commit, then look at the options on our air conditioning installation page.

Mostly the part that failed and the time it takes to find the fault. Cleaning a flame sensor or replacing a worn igniter sits at the small end. An inducer motor, a control board or a blower motor costs more, and a cracked heat exchanger is the expensive one, often the point where a new furnace makes more sense. Age matters too, because parts for older furnaces can be harder to find. You see a written price and approve it before any part goes in. For the full breakdown, read what goes into the price of a furnace repair or a new furnace.

It needs checking. In the Glenlea, Buchan Court and Renwood Park surveys, many houses started on oil, moved to gas, then got a high-efficiency furnace that vents out the side wall. That leaves the gas water heater venting alone into a chimney sized for far more heat, where flue gases cool, condense and can backdraft into the basement. In the Griffin Survey and the McMonnies and Stock Survey, unlined masonry chimneys can also be damaged by that condensation. Look for soot, rust or moisture around the water heater's draft hood, and if you see any, book a check through furnace installation and replacement.

Cold outdoor air holds very little moisture. At the Hamilton RBG station near Waterdown, the 1981-2010 normal daily average is -4.7 °C in January, so the furnace spends months warming dry air. In newer Waterdown South and Waterdown Bay houses, an HRV that is out of balance can bring in more outdoor air than the house needs. In older houses, drafty windows and doors do the same. Static shocks, cracked wood trim and dry throats are the usual signs. Pick up an inexpensive humidity meter, watch the reading for a week, then read our guide to humidity in winter and summer.