Sometimes you just have to look at the bright side… High River became a much more energy-efficient town since the flood. Some of you had high-efficiency furnaces before, but many of you were forced to change from old in-efficient designs.

For those who were forced to charge and the others who just want a reminder, here are a few things to note about highly efficient furnaces.

The first two things are furnace maintenance issues.

• The first thing is that you should be changing your furnace filters regularly. Some filters only required being changed once a year, whereas your standard 1” filter should be changed monthly.

• The second is that the vent termination on the outside of the house may form an icicle. If this grows and covers the vent, the furnace will not work, so be sure to remove or chip off if necessary.

The last thing to remember is that the new furnaces have a lot more parts than the old furnaces did. These parts help increase efficiency as well as eliminate most (if not all) potential safety issues with older designs. Due to the increase in sensitive parts, high efficient furnaces should be maintained regularly. Most warranty contracts for furnaces require that the furnace be maintained a minimum of once a year by a qualified technician.

At G.M. Mechanical, we offer a maintenance contract so you know what you will be charged and don’t have to remember furnace maintenance in the Foothills every year. During your Foothills furnace maintenance visit, our technician may be able to spot small issues before they become a larger issue or escalate to a Foothills furnace emergency. For more information on furnace repair in High River and Okotoks, please contact G.M. Mechanical at 403-652-1282.

• We all know the cold is coming; we can’t avoid it. One easy way to reduce your gas bills is to turn down the temperature at night or when you are not at home. This can be done very easily with a programmable thermostat. You can set them to your schedule and they do all the work for you.

• And for those that do have a digital thermostat already… please remember to change the batteries. This will help ensure that your house is toasty warm every time you come home.

• Another way to make sure your hi-efficient furnace is working without problem is to check the exhaust and intake (if applicable) vents on the outside of the house. If you see an icicle forming, be sure to remove it as well as any other possible obstruction. Please also keep in mind that your furnace needs to breathe to be effective.

• Make sure that all vents are open and that return air vents are not blocked. This “breathing” can also be adversely affected by a dirty filter. A dirty filter reduces the amount of protection from dust and other particles you receive as well as causes harm to the furnace itself.

• You should be checking your humidifier pad as well. A humidifier pad that is scaled up will waste water by passing it through to the drain. It can also create a situation for mould to grow.

• An important tip for Foothills furnace repair is to be sure to have your heating equipment serviced by a qualified technician to avoid costly repairs or being stuck “inside” in the cold!

For more information about furnace repair in High River and Okotoks, please call G.M. Mechanical at 403-652-1282.

There seems to be a lot of discrepancy over what services companies offer when it comes to furnace maintenance in the Foothills.

The first thing I will start with is a furnace “Check”. This is typically the free service that Atco provides. Their mandate is to make sure the furnace is operating safely, nothing more. Don’t get me wrong, I would rather see people do this as opposed to nothing!

The second is having your furnace “Cleaned”. This is usually what duct cleaning companies offer. They come into your house and clean all of your ducts and clean the furnace as well. All they are doing is wiping down the hard surfaces of your furnace. They usually do not have the education to assess if the furnace is operating in a safe manner or at its peak efficiency.

The last is having your furnace “Serviced”. This is what HVAC companies do. They check to ensure the furnace is safe to run and they do a physical clean of the furnace. However, this is where they differentiate themselves; they also check voltages, gas pressure and amperages. Checking these three things can help spot potential issues down the road. We can also adjust fan speeds, gas pressures and control board timing to help your furnace run as efficiently as possible.

A furnace “Service” is what most furnace warranties require annually for validation. We offer an annual Foothills HVAC maintenance program so that you don’t have to remember to have your furnace serviced every year; we do the remembering for you! As always, if you have any questions about High River furnace repair, servicing, and maintenance or need our help, please call G.M. Mechanical at 403-652-1282.

Older furnaces were a much simpler design. They do not have the safety features that newer furnaces have. Also, with the older furnaces, they were very in-efficient, typically only 50% efficient. This means that for every dollar used to heat your home, 50 cents is going up your chimney. With the money you’d save with a hi-efficient furnace, you can pay for regular furnace maintenance and still have to pay itself off in a short period! Please feel free to call G.M. Mechanical for more information on Okotoks furnace repair, servicing, and maintenance at 403-652-1282.