Technicians Sony and Wayne of Vancouver plumbing and heating company have been busy putting in this Viessmann high efficiency boiler system in Vancouver. This particular system has 12 heating zones.

Viessmann Boiler Surrey Burnaby Vancouver

Should You Get Your Heating Ducts Cleaned?

A hot air furnace heats and distributes air through its ducting system.The ducts are usually made of sheet metal and are most obvious in your basement, where they hang from the floor joists.The return, or cold air, ducts bring air to the furnace, usually collecting it centrally in the house. The return air trunk duct is the big rectangular duct along the basement ceiling that enters the bottom of the furnace. The supply, or warm air, ducting usually exits from the top of the furnace. It starts with a trunk duct on the basement ceiling.The individual supply ducts, in round or smaller rectangular sheet metal, branch off the trunk duct and go to each room, where they terminate in a floor or wall register. Over time, dust and debris will collect in these ducts, particularly in the return air ducts.You may be wondering whether it would be worthwhile to have these ducts cleaned. Duct cleaning will do the following:

• provide you with better indoor air quality (or IAQ),
• reduce the presence of house molds and allergens,
• get rid of house dust,
• result in more airflow and better delivery of warm air, and/or
• reduce energy costs.

What Can Duct Cleaning Do For You?

A thorough duct cleaning done by a professional duct cleaner will remove dust and debris-pet hair, paper clips, children’s toys and whatever else might collect down there.

We are getting a lot of questions about what qualifies under the Home Renovation Tax Credit. Here is what I found out from the Government Website:

Examples of eligible expenses

• Renovating a kitchen, bathroom, or basement
• Windows and doors
• New flooring – carpet, linoleum, hardwood, floating laminate, etc.
• New furnace, woodstove, boiler, fireplace, water softener, water heater, or oil tank
• Permanent home ventilation systems
• Central air conditioner
• Permanent reverse osmosis systems
• Septic systems
• Wells
• Electrical wiring in the home (e.g., changing from 100 amp to 200 amp service)
• Home security system (monthly fees do not qualify)
• Solar panels and solar panel trackers
• Painting the interior or exterior of a house
• Building an addition, garage, deck, garden/storage shed, or fence
• Re-shingling a roof
• A new driveway or resurfacing a driveway
• Exterior shutters and awnings
• Permanent swimming pools (in ground and above ground)
• Permanent hot tub and installation costs
• Pool liners
• Solar heaters and heat pumps for pools (does not include solar blankets)
• Landscaping: new sod, perennial shrubs and flowers, trees, large rocks, permanent garden lighting, permanent water fountain, permanent ponds, large permanent garden ornaments
• Retaining wall
• Associated costs such as installation, building plans, permits, professional services, equipment rentals, and incidental expenses
• Fixtures – blinds, shades, shutters, lights, ceiling fans, etc.

Note
Window coverings, such as blinds, shutters and shades, that are directly attached to the window frame and whose removal would alter the nature of the dwelling are generally considered to be fixtures (i.e. have become part of the home) and therefore would qualify for the HRTC. In some circumstances, draperies and curtains may qualify for the HRTC, if they would not keep their value or usefulness if installed in another dwelling. If these qualifying criteria are not met, it is likely that draperies and curtains would not qualify for the HRTC.

Examples of ineligible expenses

• Furniture, household appliances, and electronic home-entertainment devices
• Purchasing of tools
• Carpet cleaning
• House cleaning
• Maintenance contracts (e.g., furnace cleaning, snow removal, lawn care, and pool cleaning)
• Financing costs
• Amount paid as part of the purchase of your new house, including “upgrades”
• Expenses to acquire goods that have been previously used or leased by you or an eligible family member (e.g., hot water tank)
• Expenses incurred to the rental and/or business part of an eligible dwelling

Do it yourself

If you do the work yourself, the eligible expenses include expenses for building materials, fixtures, equipment rentals, building plans and permits. However, eligible expenses would not include the value of your labour or tools.

Work performed by electricians, plumbers, carpenters, architects

Generally, work performed by electricians, plumbers, carpenters, architects, etc. in respect of an eligible expense qualifies for the HRTC.

Family member hired for renovations

Expenses are not eligible if the goods or services are provided by a person related to you, unless that person is registered for the Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax (GST/HST) under the Excise Tax Act. If your family member is registered for the GST/HST and if all other conditions are met, the expenses are eligible for the HRTC.

Talking to a customer today and I thought this would be a great topic to blog about. Andrew did do a basic soap and water test and didn’t find any leaks. However, our customer still smells gas. We will send someone out again to his place to check everything. Here is a brief description of the Basic soap and water test through this excellent video.

http://bubble-cast.com

Here is a list of points that our plumbing and heating technicians will check when inspecting your fireplace:

Gas Fireplace Inspection

• Clean glass and unit according to the manufactures guidelines.
• Check the entire vent system and termination for condition and operation.
• An inspection of the explosion relief flappers and glass door gaskets to ensure a proper seal
• An inspection of the burner, vents, and air openings.
• An inspection of the gas valve, gas components, and pilot systems.
• Verify correct operation of all optional equipment: fans, thermostats, remote control, safety switches.
• Keep the fireplace area clear and free of combustible materials, flammables or items that could be damaged from high heat.
• Test for carbon monoxide leaks.

Here is a check list of a full boiler inspection that our plumbing and heating technicians perform:

• Check operation of safety limit control controls.
• Check pressure relief valve.
• Check water pressure and temperature set points.
• Check expansion tank.
• Check operation of thermostat.
• Lubricate circulating pump as required.
• Check radiant floor temperature control device (mixing valve or equipment).
• Check pressure switches and vent blower (if applicable).
• Inspect burners and clean if required.
• Examine vent connector and inspect venting system.
• Check the vent damper operation (if applicable).
• Check and adjust pilot light (if applicable).
• Check flame rectification.
• Measure the stack (flute) temperature.
• Check gas piping to boiler.
• Check and adjust manifold gas pressure.
• Clock appliance to verify correct input.
• Combustion / ventilation air adequate.
• Check for elevated carbon monoxide levels.
• Inspect heat exchanger.
• Check temperature difference between supply and return piping.
• Check for Carbon Monoxide.

This is a check list of a hot water tank inspection that our techs would go through:

• Check operation of safety limit controls
• Check water pressure and temperature relief valve
• Check expansion tank (if applicable)
• Check operation of thermostat
• Check pressure switches and vent blower (if applicable)
• Inspect burners and clean if required
• Examine vent connector and inspect venting system
• Check vent damper operation (if applicable)
• Check and adjust pilot light (if applicable)
• Check flame rectification
• Measure stack (flute) temperature
• Check gas piping
• Check and adjust manifold gas pressure
• Clock appliance to verify correct input
• Combustion / ventilation air adequate
• Inspect heat exchanger
• Clean equipment interior/exterior
• Carbon Monoxide Testing

Check here to determine if your appliance is Energy Star qualified and the efficiency: Energy Star

Please follow this link for the Table which outlines the federal government grants: Grant Table