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Found 60 results for the keyword(s) ‘Furnace’

  • Article

    Why do furnace filters have a warranty if you are supposed to change them every month?

    Good question -- but all filters are not created equal. Some are disposable and others are cleanable. Pleated disposable filters last longer (maybe 3 months) than the cheapest of the fibreglass filters (one month). In fact the 3M Filtrete filter, the top of the 3M series of filters, is rated a...
  • Article

    All my heating ducts are under windows. Why?

    Many years ago there were some heating systems, particularly in the Prairies, that had the heating ducts on the ceiling in the centre of the house and the cold air returns under the windows. When we blew a lot of hot air into our houses, this worked fairly well, on the premise of pulling the col...
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    Measuring air flow from your furnace or exhaust fans.

    Have you ever wondered how much air actually comes out of your hot air floor registers, or how many cubic feet per minute your bathroom fan actually exhausts? Well the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has developed a simple tool that will give you a good approximation.They call it the Gar...
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    Should cold air returns be on the ceiling or on the floor?

    Pham from Hamilton asked why he sees air returns on the ceiling sometimes and on the floor in other houses, and what effect this placement has on air quality in the house.If you are in the far north, or in the Southern US, the answer is simple. In an air conditioning climate the return duct goes...
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    How far back should a set back thermostat be set?

    Jack wrote: I recently installed an electronic thermostat. I have it set for 21 degrees before bed and then down to 15 overnight. Someone told me I shouldn't have more than a 5 degree difference because the furnace would have to work harder in order to warm up the house in the morning, there...
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    Should I get my ducts cleaned?

    Josie asks: "I am considering getting my ducts professionally cleaned. Can you tell me if it will reduce the dust in my home and whether there are any other benefits to having this done?"This question comes back every year, and although there is still hot debate on the subject, it appears to me ...
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    Proper installation of new whole house ventilation systems

    Joan from Armstrong, BC is having trouble adjusting the ventilation system in her new home to keep condensation off the windows. She told us the kind of system she has and said that it was required by the building code. Actually no specific system is required by any of the building codes. ...
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    DOES MY FURNACE GET ENOUGH AIR?

    A combustion furnace or boiler (gas, oil, coal or wood) requires air to burn and air to maintain a proper draft in the chimney. In a leaky old house with the furnace in an open basement this is never al problem. As the house becomes better sealed, several problems can arise:-- An automatic v...
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    CAN WOOD-BURNING SYSTEMS BE MODERNIZED?

    Open fireplaces are not heating systems. They have traditionally been built on an outer wall, creating sealing problems for air barriers and wasting lots of heat through the back of the chimney. Fireplaces should always be built on the inside walls -- if you build one at all. The problem w...
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    CAN I DOWNSIZE A GAS FURNACE?

    It is harder to down-size an old gas furnace than an oil furnace, but it can be made to operate more efficiently.-- Increase the fan speed to draw more heat out of the furnace.-- Increase the "fan-on" time before and after operation to draw more heat out of the furnace.-- Install an electronic pi...
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