Save Heat This Winter With These Tips

Kitchener HVAC Services: Save Heat This Winter With These Tips

Inflation aside, most people’s heating bills go up in the winter. Even wearing socks and sweaters during the colder months isn’t enough to help keep your utility bills reasonable. The experts with CJ Brubacher Ltd. offer heating services in Kitchener and these tips to manage your utility costs this winter.

Let the Sun In During The Day

Take advantage of the free heat during the day by opening your blinds or curtains. You’ll also let the light in, so you may be able to turn off lamps when the windows are open. Natural sunshine has many health benefits, which is another reason to keep the curtains open during the day. You need sunlight to produce serotonin and vitamin D. Opening the blinds when the sun is shining can make you sleep better.

Get Rid of Leaks and Draft

Your heating system uses a lot of energy, so you don’t want to let any of your expenses seep out through leaky windows or drafty doors. Weatherproofing is an affordable investment in your home to prevent higher utility costs in both summer and winter. Check for drafts around windows and doors. Inspect your attic and basement for air leaks. You may also want to check your chimney for any air leaks when you’re not using it.

Weatherstripping can go around anything that opens and closes, such as your doors or windows. Use caulk for cracks in door frames or windows. If you haven’t updated your windows in 10 to 15 years, it might be time to get an inspection and a quote to replace them with more efficient ones. If you have leaks in your attic, it might be due to insulation failure. Basement air leaks can often be caulked.

Use Space Heaters

Space heaters aren’t efficient when heating your entire home, but when you need to heat up a small area, they can be quite effective. Use a space heater to add warmth to a bathroom that doesn’t get warm enough when you’re taking a shower. Put a space heater in the garage when you need to be out there. Just make sure to use caution and be safe with space heaters.

Turn the Thermostat Down When You Sleep

It’s surprising how reducing your thermostat by a couple of degrees will save money on your utilities. During the day wear warm clothes. At night, when you’re curled up in a quilt and wearing thermal PJs, you may not even notice it. If you have a smart thermostat, you can set it to turn up a little higher right before you wake up. If the family is gone most of the day at work and school, you may be able to turn the thermostat down while you’re out.

Close the Curtains at Night

Even windows that are sealed well are a loss of heat. The glass isn’t as insulated as your walls or doors, so you should close the blinds and curtains once the sun starts to go down. This will help keep the heat inside your home. It can also make sense to invest in insulated curtains over the cooler months to add to your energy efficiency.

Get a Furnace Inspection

Not only does your furnace use the most energy in your home, but it’s also one of the more expensive systems in your home. As your furnace ages, it becomes less efficient to run. An annual inspection can help you keep your furnace operating at its best throughout its lifetime. Our experts can catch small problems before they become major issues that could break down at an inconvenient time. If you need residential furnace repair or maintenance, contact CJ Brubacher Ltd.

Kitchener Heating Services 6 Furnace Safety Tips

Kitchener Heating Services: 6 Furnace Safety Tips

In warmer climates, residential heating may not be considered necessary. However, in a northern region like Kitchener that can get very cold during the winter, a furnace is absolutely essential for every home and professional building. It is easy to take your furnace for granted, but if it malfunctions, it does pose a risk for gas leaks, house fires, or carbon monoxide poisoning. With the help of heating services in Kitchener, here are some tips to follow to maintain furnace safety. 

1. Avoid Improper Installation

Furnace safety starts at the very beginning by making sure it is installed properly. The installation process is extremely complicated. If you do not install your furnace correctly, you could be putting yourself and your family at risk for gas leaks. Natural gas is very flammable and could combust with the smallest spark. Therefore, attempting to save money by installing the furnace yourself could potentially cost you and your family your lives. Correct installation of the furnace may be more important than the particular furnace you choose. 

2. Install Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Because a natural gas leak can be so dangerous, the gas companies add a strong, distinctive odour to it so that you can detect a leak and take prompt action to escape. Carbon monoxide can be even more dangerous than a natural gas leak. It is a byproduct of burning fossil fuels such as natural gas, and it doesn’t have any smell or taste, nor is it visible.

While carbon monoxide is flammable, the real danger is that it is poisonous and virtually impossible for a human being to avoid breathing in if it is present. There is usually no sign of carbon monoxide in the air until you start showing symptoms of poisoning, and by that point, it may be too late. Carbon monoxide detectors alert you to the presence of the poisonous gas in your home before you start showing symptoms. You should have one on every level of your home and be sure to keep fresh batteries in them so that you can rely on them in an emergency. If your carbon monoxide detectors are older, you may need to replace them. 

3. Clear a Space Around the Furnace

The area around the furnace may seem like a good place for storage, but clutter around the air vents may prevent proper ventilation. Keep the air intake vents free from debris, and keep the space immediately surrounding the furnace free from large obstructions such as boxes or furniture. Dispose of used furnace filters rather than storing them nearby. 

4. Don’t Hang Laundry Next to the Furnace

Though a temporary obstruction, hanging laundry next to the furnace isn’t a very good idea. It could be a fire hazard and reduce the airflow. 

5. Have Your Furnace Maintained

Maintaining your furnace helps to keep it operating properly. There are some maintenance tasks that you can handle yourself, such as changing or cleaning the furnace filter, depending on which type you use. 

While you probably cannot perform more advanced furnace maintenance yourself, you can perform frequent inspections of the furnace and have maintenance done if you notice any troubling signs. Listen for unusual noises, such as popping, rattling, or banging sounds, coming from your furnace. Look for visual changes to your furnace, such as rust spots. 

If you notice warning signs like these, you should call an HVAC professional right away. However, it isn’t only when you suspect trouble that you should have furnace maintenance. You should have a professional evaluation performed on a regular basis. 

Call CJ Brubacher for Heating Services in Kitchener

We have been providing residential and commercial heating services in the area for nearly 100 years. Schedule services 24 hours a day. 

Kitchener Heating Services: Are Space Heaters Dangerous?

Kitchener Heating Services: Are Space Heaters Dangerous?

As winter amps up for bone-chilling nights and frigid days, space heaters are often the go-to for homeowners that have furnace issues. Whether it’s because of maintenance issues, lack of proper cleaning, or a need for replacement, inconsistently working furnaces can be both frustrating and uncomfortable all winter long. Space heaters offer a temporary fix while saving for repairs or replacements but can also be highly dangerous. Learn more about the common concerns surrounding space heaters and who to call for heating services in Kitchener

Space Heaters Should Be a Temporary Fix

Despite shared memories of grandparents or parents pulling old space heaters out of storage for the entire winter season, space heaters are not meant to serve heating needs consistently. Further, when space heaters become older, the hazards surrounding them are even more significant than before. 

There are typically two types of space heaters that people have in their residential homes and commercial buildings. For the most part, in the residential heating of homes, you will find an even mix of the two, electric and fuel-burning. Due to building codes and emissions rulings, commercial heating from space heaters is only electric. 

Electric

Electric space heaters are powered by, you guessed it, electricity. These space heaters plug into an outlet to help heat the surrounding area. 

Fuel-Burning 

Though primarily a thing of the past, fuel-burning space heaters still exist and are still very dangerous. Fuel-burning heaters emit more radiant heat, similar to open fire, but from fuel use. Without proper ventilation, the effects can be both hazardous and devastating. 

Space Heaters Pose Real Dangers in the Home

Though some people believe that space heaters are sometimes necessary to take the chill out of the air, a properly working furnace should be able to get the job done without adding additional hazards to your health.

Fires 

Both electric and fuel-burning space heaters are renowned for starting house fires. Nearby materials can get too hot and catch on fire with the option. In electric space heaters, circuits are often overloaded and electrical fires that can spread across the home start with one single outlet. Fuel-burning space heaters can easily be knocked and spill fuel, accelerating flames. 

Poisoning 

Carbon monoxide can be identified by using special detectors installed in the home, which are practical for the appliances but cost additional money. Fuel-burning space heaters also pose an additional threat with carbon monoxide poisoning, sometimes referred to as the silent killer, because the signs often go unnoticed until too late. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include:

  • Dizziness
  • Nausea 
  • Confusion 
  • Shortness of breath
  • Blurred vision 
  • Weakness 
  • Headache 
  • Loss of consciousness 

Injuries 

Like any household item that poses a threat, accidents are likely to happen. Whether you turn your back for one minute and the heater topples over, or your child pours juice on top of it, causing a short, or the dog hits the flame with a tail wag and spreads fire to the curtains, you simply never know what could happen with space heaters in the home. 

Space Heaters Can’t Replace Proper Heating 

While space heaters seemingly provide a quick and straightforward solution to winter heating woes, it is only a tach to a more significant problem. As time passes, minor issues that prohibited the furnace from working properly will only grow. Soon, space heaters will not band-aid the entire home, and the furnace will still be broken. Both fuels and electricity costs rise as the winter season wears on. Rather than wasting money, begin saving or exploring financing options to address the needs of your furnace. 

For more information on scheduling an assessment of your central heating system for furnace installation, maintenance, or repair services, contact the professionals at CJ Brubacher HVAC, plumbing, and electrical services today.

The Best Commercial Heating System For Your Kitchener Warehouse

The Best Commercial Heating System For Your Kitchener Warehouse

Keeping a warehouse heated correctly can be difficult. It’s not only workers who need to be kept comfortable. You may have products that require special temperatures. You have multiple options to heat your warehouse, so you should understand the benefits and disadvantages of each to know what type of commercial heating system will work best for your needs.

Commercial Heating Options

Choosing the right heating option avoids poor heat distribution through your facility and energy waste because your system is overworked. It also helps avoid uncomfortable employees.

Radiant Heating

Radiant heating is a newer type of system that is usually suspended from the ceiling or on panels on the walls. It can also be installed in floors. Instead of blowing hot air, the radiant heaters deliver heat much like a desk lamp. It runs quietly and is more dust-free than heaters that blow air. It’s very energy efficient, but it can be expensive to retrofit a building with radiant heaters. It’s more popular for new construction. It’s also dependent on a boiler, which can add to the installation costs. You may also hear this type of system referred to as infrared heating.

Heat Pumps

Heat pumps use a refrigerant to pump heat through your space. One of the benefits of heat pumps is that it uses the natural environment and doesn’t rely on fossil fuels. They’re very environmentally friendly. The downside is that the installation can be significant, but heat pumps can last up to 50 years. They also have less maintenance than other types of units. Heat pumps can be duct or ductless, which can be beneficial if you don’t have space for ductwork. Although heat pumps generally rely on electricity, which reduces your carbon footprint, your heat pump can be paired with gas for a colder climate.

Factors to Consider When Installing a New Heating System

Warehouses are often large buildings with high ceilings. You don’t want to waste energy by heating every square inch of the building, which is often unused space. There are methods that can re-circulate the warm air that rises to the occupied floor level. You’ll also want to consider the square footage of the building and the insulation present. If you have loading docks in use through the day, that is another thing to look at. You’ll want to think about the space on your floor. If you have limited floor space, you may want a heating source that can be mounted on the ceiling. 

Don’t forget to think long-term about the maintenance and longevity of the unit. Paying more for a system that has a longer life span can actually save your business money. Look at utility costs and sustainability, because the world is moving towards a greener planet. Should you ever want to sell the warehouse, you want to appeal to buyers.

CJ Brubacher Ltd. provides heating services in Kitchener from residential or commercial AC installation, repairs and maintenance. We can help you get the best heating option for your warehouse that does what you need it to do. Contact us to schedule service or for a consultation about your heating system replacement. We’re available 24/7 for emergency services also.