Frequently Asked Questions About Furnaces
Q. Why should I convert to natural gas
A.
Oil is twice the price!
The new furnace could be 95% efficient.
The old furnace could be 60% efficient.
33% difference. Add this to fuel cost difference.
No more chimney cleaning and pollution will be reduced to a fraction which will be your contribution to cutting greenhouse gases.
You pay for your gas after you have used it and can have payment equalized for a fixed monthly amount after a usage pattern has been established.
No oil tank in the garden rotting away, making your insurance company nervous.
Q. What about the oil tank
A.
We will drain the oil tank and remove it from the premises. If the tank is in the crawlspace or in some less accessible place we may have to cut it up in order to get it out. This may cost a bit more ($80 to $100) depending on difficulty. (This could also be the case with some very large old oil furnaces). Most old tanks contain about five inches of sludge in the bottom which makes the rest of the oil contaminated and muddy. You can use the oil up before you convert, or for $75.00 it can be transferred to another tank of your choice. Just give us the address.
Q. What about Gas to Gas Conversion?
A.
Gas furnaces installed in the early nineties were usually around 78 to 80% efficiency. Some much earlier furnaces which originally burned coal and later a Propane/air mix, were much less efficient than that.
Using the new condensing natural gas furnaces levels of 95% are achievable making efficiency differences of 17% and more as well as a big improvement of emission levels. The same grants are available as oil to gas conversions and the same tax credits can be claimed for the 2009 tax period.
Conversion would normally take one day so the inconvenience would be minimal.
Q. Single and Multi-Stage Furnaces. What's that all about?
A.
If you were designing a new home it is possible to lay out the ducting system separating the air flow between floors or house wings creating "zones". A multi-staged furnace will operate to supply the first zone at a lower rate of air flow and gas consumption, and will pressurize that zone allowing an even flow of air and heat. When a second thermostat calls for heat in another zone, the blower speed will increase and the gas burner will move to full power to accommodate the added requirement. The fuel saving is in using only about two thirds of the furnace capacity for part of the time.
As we are dealing with the replacement of oil or electric furnaces to natural gas in existing homes with existing ducting systems, we do not have the luxury of redesigning ducting, and have to work with a given set of circumstances in often fully finished homes with closely built-in furnaces and ducting. In order to achieve a pressurized duct system allowing an even air flow at comfortable temperatures, we must set the blower speed at the level required to achieve this. If we were to allow a lower blower speed to move less air, only the first heat registers of the system would be served, and at a lower burner capacity cooler air would result. Therefore, we lean always to a fixed speed blower with full burner capacity. This furnace is called "Single Stage" with adjustable blower speeds which are set to manufactures recommendations.
Q. How long will the job take?
A.
A straight forward furnace changeover will take about a day and a half to two days. In that time we can usually install a gas fireplace as well as any other gas appliance you decide upon. If you already have gas to your home we can do the whole job without delay. A new service application through Terasen Gas usually takes between four and six weeks, providing gas is on your street. When you make out your application with a Terasen representative they will tell you when they can install the service line and for how much. They will ask a few questions like "meter location" and "gas pressure". These can only be decided during a visit from Homeglow (we always call for "high" pressure which is 2psi. This allows us to accommodate any other gas appliances using smaller piping and a neater job).
Q. What servicing is required on a gas furnace?
A.
As a condition of the warranty, equipment should be serviced annually. Sometimes we may take a look at our service records and decide we could leave it a bit longer, but in general it is best to give the furnace a good clean inside the blower compartment and check all the electronics and gas to air ratios as well as other safety and limit switches, vent checks, air flow and temperature settings.
Q. What about servicing?
A.
The best time to book the service man is from February to August. Please don't wait until we are up to our ears in installation and emergency work to call us. We make our living installing new equipment. Service work is a low paid courtesy but we are glad to oblige during off season periods. Of course we will always respond to "no heat" or emergency situations as required.
Frequently Asked Questions About Fireplaces
Q. I would like a gas insert. What should I look for?
A.
First, establish how big a fireplace you would like and what your existing fireplace will accommodate. The inserts offered in our Package Pricing Specials are usually 20,000 btu/hr and regarded as the smaller of the inserts heating up to 400 sq. ft. This is ideal for back up to a furnace which, during winter months would normally be heating the house more efficiently. This fireplace would be used for local comfort especially during spring and fall when full house heat is not required, and perhaps in an evening for atmosphere and comfort.
These can be turned down normally to half their output as required. You may want to see a bigger flame and have a larger fireplace presence in your living room and providing the fireplace opening is wide, high and deep enough you can go up to 25, 30 or even 40,000 btu/hr. These have larger window areas and bigger log displays, also much more heat, which is useful if the room opens out onto the kitchen , hallway, staircase or to other open areas which can absorb the heat produced by a more powerful insert.
Remember, where there is flame there will be heat. The more flame the more heat and a larger fireplace will drive up the temperature quickly in a smaller room. If you mainly want the ambience of a pleasant fireplace flame and don't necessarily need the heat then don't buy a big insert.
Q. What about just having gas logs instead of an insert?
A.
Gas log sets look great and are easier to install as well as being cheaper as gas chimney liners are not required. They will not, however produce anywhere near the amount of heat of an efficient insert with a designed heat exchanger. They will burn more gas by up to 40% and when they are turned off, they need doors on the fireplace opening to prevent heat loss up the chimney, or worse, draughts coming down. (BC gas code requirements demand the removal of fireplace chimney dampers or their fixing permanently open when installing gas log sets. This is a safety requirement in case the fire logs are ignited without venting facilities.)
We do not promote gas logs because of the inefficiency but we will provide them if that is what you would like.
Q. Where do we look for inserts?
A.
Homeglow displays a wide range of gas inserts in our workshop studio and will be pleased to show you our selection. We are not open to the general public but work on an appointment basis. Generally we like to come to your home in the Greater Victoria area to check out the installation details and measurements and then invite you back at your convenience to select your fireplace. Check out our Gas Inserts to begin your search.
Q. We do not have Natural Gas on our street. What about Propane?
A.
Gas inserts usually come set-up as natural gas burners but propane conversion kits are included. The installation is the same except we run gas from a tank instead of a gas meter. Propane storage tanks can be rented from gas suppliers and can be delivered and set up on a concrete pad with regulator and connector ready for us. You would normally arrange this prior to installation and we can recommend whom you should call for these services.
Frequently Asked Questions About Water Heaters
Q. Gas Water Heaters! What should I know about them?
A.
With our Furnaces packages we offer storage type water heaters which usually would simply replace your old electric one. They would either be vented along with a Mid-efficiency furnace vent through the chimney, which would be lined and terminate with a gas chimney cap. Alternatively, if a High-efficiency furnace is being installed which means it would be vented through an outside wall, the water heater would be vented by itself up the chimney but through a smaller metal liner.
If there isn't a chimney available a vent can be taken up through a roof if it is a single story home, or a "Direct Vent" water heater can be used which vents through an outside wall. This heater would need to be sited fairly close to an outside wall to function well.
These storage type tanks have standard gas controls for easily adjusted temperatures and will work well during hydro outages as they need no electrical power to function. Also during an outage you still have 40 to 50 gallons of hot water to use up. An eight year leak warranty is usual with two years on parts, and parts as well as replacement tanks are readily available locally. The life expectancy of these tanks in the Victoria area is about ten to fifteen years. Service requirements are negligible.
The main reason they eventually have to be replaced in the Victoria area is due to the continual expansion and contraction of the tank as water is heated, then as water is drawn off, the incoming cold water causes metal to contract thus stressing the tank welds and joints. This goes on year in year out until eventually the tank leaks. As tanks have not changed much over the years, they are easily replaced.
The tank life can be extended if the house cold water inlet has a pressure regulator installed and set at a constant maximum (usually 75psi). Also a small expansion tank designed for potable water systems can be installed to take care of the tank expansion. These are recommended by water heater manufactures and inspection authorities but are rarely used as they add an extra cost to the job which means the gas fitter can lose the bid for the job. These would normally come under the jurisdiction of the plumber and should be considered.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tankless Water Heaters
Q. Advantages?
A.
No water storage. Continuous hot water. Higher efficiency. Through the wall venting. Takes up less space. No pilot light. Higher heat exchanger and parts warranty.
Q. Disadvantages?
A.
Venting and ignition are powered by electricity, no power - no hot water! As water is heated "on demand" there is no "creeping" of hot water along pipes to lessen the delay in delivery. You may have to wait a bit longer for hot water to arrive at the tap or shower. A central location is therefore desirable on an outside wall preferably.
It is recommended that these heaters be drained then rinsed out periodically as "furring up" can occur which could prevent water flow causing the heater to shut down.
These heaters are all imported and as yet have no proven "breakdown" record on which to base a spare parts stocking program. This means service could be delayed in the event of problems. To supply the demands of an average Victoria household, only the more powerful of these heaters will handle the job. Maximum ratings of 199,000 btu/hr are normal which means bigger gas supplies as other appliances will likely be installed at the same time or in the future. (The rating of a conventional storage water heater is approximately 38,000 btu/hr).
Q. Cost to install?
A.
Between two and three times the cost of a conventional water heater.
At Homeglow we enjoy turning questions into solutions
Call Bill today at 250 382-0889
Homeglow can serve Canadian customers only.
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