Found 61 results for the keyword(s) ‘Furnace’

• Article

  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...
• Article

  WON'T A COLD-AIR INLET MAKE MY HOUSEHOLD AIR TOO DRY?

  Yes -- if the cold-air input is uncontrolled. In fact, uncontrolled cold-air drafts are the reason for dryness in older houses. Damper control of the cold-air intake (not the hot-air exhaust) will allow you to maintain whatever level of humidity you want.If your furnace combustion air is provid...
• Article

  CONFLICT: A MAJOR PUBLICATION SAYS NOT TO RUN AN OUTSIDE FRESH-AIR INTAKE INTO THE COLD-AIR RETURN ON THE FURNACE DUCTING.

  "Energy Efficient Housing -- A Prairie Approach" is the only book I know of which advises against this practice (check out the graphic, keyword "ventilation", title "WHAT IS A CONTROLLED COLD-AIR INLET?"), so I asked the Saskatoon Research Council why. They are not against the practice in genera...
• Article

  WHAT IS A CONTROLLED COLD-AIR INLET?

  Stale, humid air must be exhausted from the house, both to allow for fresh air and to maintain a high neutral plane. For this reason we need a planned-hole-high-in-the-house, but the air going out must come into the house from somewhere. If you carefully seal all the leaks in the house to m...
• Article

  The combustion air duct for my furnace freezes the basement. What to do?

  When the contractor installed a new furnace, he put in a great big air duct from outdoors right into the furnace room. This tends to freeze the basement floor. Can I close it off?Response:This duct is necessary in most modern homes and even in well sealed renovations to assure adequate air f...
• Article

  Floor heating grill booster fan

  Here is a little fan that just sits on top of the heating grill. It senses hot air and turns on to add some boost to the air flow in an area that doesn't get enough heat. It is called the Register Booster by Field Controls.
• Article

  Compare: Ground Source Heat Pump vs. Propane Furnace

  An e-mail from Roger in Cambelleville Ontario:We have just started to build our home (3300 sq. ft.) and I recently found out that natural gas is not available. So the great debate begins on what fuel source to use. I have narrowed down my selection to radiant heat using a propane to heat the ...
• Article

  HRV - both supply and exhaust ducted to furnace. Is this a good idea?

  I have occasionally been asked my opinion about a particular way to install a ventilation system (HRV - Heat Recovery Ventilator) that is considered acceptable in Ontario: Ducting both the supply and the exhaust runs of an HRV into the return air plenum of a forced air furnace. To understand t...
• Article

  Poor heat distribution in a house

  Barb from Regina has a house with a slab on grade with the furnace in a closet and the heating ducts running under the concrete and the cold air return high on an inside wall. Some of the ducts don't give her much heat and the floor is often cold.High inside wall heating and return ducts were...
• Article

  Getting heat to a back bedroom

  Anthony in Vancouver BC can't get enough heat into the upper story of the house.  He has already tried playing with the balancing dampers on the furnace ducts to try and force more air to the far reaches of the house.When that fails, just about the only thing you can do is to add a special "in-li...