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Tips for Staying Warm on this Cold Valentines Day & Family Day Weekend!

It’s another extremely cold winter day.

Cold temperatures with blowing snow, it can be a disaster for your home’s Plumbing and Heating!

1. Go out and dig ALL the snow away from all Heating vents – Furnace, Water Heater, Dryer, Fireplace. Blocked vents can cause your system to fail – it needs fresh air to breathe!

2. Some vents have a little screen in them (to stop critters from climbing up in) this can freeze over with the condensate exhausting from the furnace, if it does just pull it out and ensure the vents are completely 100% clear. Remember to replace this in the spring!!!

3. Prevent your water from freezing by running all your taps consistently over the day to keep water running through the pipes or leave a tap running. Especially if you have washrooms you rarely use.

4. If you do not have a heated basement get a heater for the mechanical room – A small room heater that is meant for indoor use will help! Also ensuring the room is well insulated will help too!

5. Its too late – your pipes have froze…
– Leave the cupboard doors open so heat can get to the pipes.
– Insulating your pipes will help as well or putting a piece of hard foam insulation at the back of the cupboards.
– Place a small heater close to the pipes – be very careful not to leave it in the cupboard and unattended – do not create a fire risk. If you do not have a small heater, a lamp will help provide extra heat.
– Open your taps so that the water has somewhere to expand to, if it does not this is when pipes will burst.
– It is essential to have heat in your mechanical room.
– Wherever your water pipes are outside do not drive over this area as it can push the frost down and cause pipes (and even sewage/septic lines) to freeze!

frozen copper pipe

6. No Heat – no one wants to wake up chilly, especially with temps as low as they are this morning! Do you have back up heat? Its always a good idea to ensure you have a heater or two just in case your heat goes out. A technician will get to you as soon as possible, however in the mean time this will help keep the chill off. Please do NOT use your stove, BBQ or any heater intended for outdoor use in your home – this could be potentially dangerous to you and your family. Start with re-setting your furnace, sometimes it will reset and start up. If this doesn’t work – ensure your vents are entirely clear – this includes down into the pipe where snow and ice can hide causing a blockage.

vents blocked with snowsnow blocked vents

7. Pets and Children… Please do NOT leave your pets out in these temperatures! It’s way too cold for children to play outside – make it a board game movie day or check out public skating.

8. Vehicles will need to warm up even just for a few minutes before driving.

9. Clear all the snow and ice away from all doors to ensure a proper latch for them to stay properly closed. In temperatures like this it won’t take much to cause problems!

10. It’s Family Day weekend, if you really do not need to go out, Don’t! Enjoy the day with your family and stay cozy warm!The sun is shining brightly but its darn cold out there!

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Home Plan Of The Week | August 27th 2015

Last week’s home plan has not only an excellent layout but also very spacious rooms! A personal fav of mine is the open kitchen, eating area and great room – but I think the room I love the most is the mud room/laundry room with the two piece just around the corner. What is also great about this plan is it can be modified quite easily to lessen the square footage!

The Home Of The Week published by The Post!

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If you are in the market for a new home, renovation or simply update your appliances or fixtures give us a call for a free no obligation quote!

From small repairs to custom new build or renovation plumbing and heating system design and installation.

Whether you require HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) or Plumbing Mechanical work look no further than the Mechanical HVAC Contractors at JJ McLellan and Son to provide whole home comfort for all your Plumbing and Heating needs big or small, new or repairs!

Did you know we also service and clean Septic Systems!
A Royal Flush Is Better Than A Full House!

We Are The Home Comfort People We Service What We Sell As Well As All Other Makes & Models!

Focus on great food and fire safety during National Family Meals Month

I don’t know about you but I certainly know our family has enjoyed each and every moment that we could this summer (and still can)! This has meant many days are spent with later breakfasts, snacks vs lunch and late dinners to enjoy the gorgeous weather!

Even though my kids have been enjoying daycare camp this summer and have been in that routine, we are all looking forward to truly getting back into the swing of things and our “normal” routine!

One part of that, which we were just discussing as a family was doing a major cut back on the “convenience” food – which we do not eat a lot of at all, however it does seem to add up more in the summer! As a mom this means – MEAL PLANNING, sticking to a list and spending more time in the kitchen – easier in the fall and winter 😉

Get out your cookbooks, tablets or computers and begin collecting all of those recipes that you saw and thought you would like to give a try. Pinterest is awesome for this!!! Then it follows you wherever you go!

Get your kids involved!

Ive found when we get the kids to help out in the kitchen or help meal plan they love to try their creations! Have your older kids help with the actual cooking, there is no reason why they cannot be taught the proper use of a stove or cooktop and can assist you this way. We’ve reviewed this with our 9 year old and he is quite proud when I ask him to start the oven to a certain temperature or to start a pot of boiling water or to stir something on the stove. Obviously safety is key and if it involves oil or if we are not in the house this is a big no no!

Fire safety with gas is extremely important. Ensure your kids understand the risk and if they are old enough, how to properly turn on the stove. I personally would highly recommend not letting children try to start your BBQ – this is one thing we will not let our 9 year old do even though we now do let him turn on our gas cooktop. Its hard to see the flame and you have to maneuver yourself to light the BBQ, something I even have difficulty with. For the cooktop, if its clicking OR if its turned on and there is no flame – do not even question, turn it off and ask mom or dad to do it!

Start slowly with your kids and trust your instincts and them. Its hard to watch them grow and take on more responsibilities but its something that is such a great moral booster for them!

Source: Focus on great food and fire safety during National Family Meals Month

Home Of The Week | August 20, 2015

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From small repairs to custom new build or renovation plumbing and heating system design and installation.

Whether you require HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) or Plumbing Mechanical work look no further than the Mechanical HVAC Contractors at JJ McLellan and Son to provide whole home comfort for all your Plumbing and Heating needs big or small, new or repairs!

Did you know we also service and clean Septic Systems!
A Royal Flush Is Better Than A Full House!

We Are The Home Comfort People We Service What We Sell As Well As All Other Makes & Models!

Home Of The Week | The Post – Hanover July 16, 2015

Check out this weeks edition of The Home Of The Week published by The Post!

Watch for more plans coming each week!

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From small repairs to custom new build or renovation plumbing and heating system design and installation.

Whether you require HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) or Plumbing Mechanical work look no further than the Mechanical HVAC Contractors at JJ McLellan and Son to provide whole home comfort for all your Plumbing and Heating needs big or small, new or repairs!

Did you know we also service and clean Septic Systems!
A Royal Flush Is Better Than A Full House!

We Are The Home Comfort People We Service What We Sell As Well As All Other Makes & Models! 

Save On Your Utilties This Summer! | JJ McLellan Heating and Cooling Contractor

Get ready to save this summer (and fall, winter, spring – for many more years!)!!!

Our Summer Promotion begins on Monday June 22nd and we have 5 amazing reasons why now is the time to upgrade your heating and cooling system!

1. Receive up to a $1500 Rebate From Lennox.

2. Receive up to a $650 Rebate from OPA.

3. Do NOT Pay until 2016!!!

4. Save $$$ on your utilities with new energy efficient equipment.

5. You will experience an even temperature throughout your home or business whether its heating or cooling!

* Bonus – The equipment is amazingly quiet !!! *

At JJ McLellan and Son Plumbing and Heating in Mount Forest whether you require HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) or Plumbing Mechanical work look no further than the Mechanical HVAC Contractors at JJ McLellan and Son to provide whole home comfort for all your Plumbing and Heating needs big or small, new or repairs!

LEN_15705_Search_DT_4C_H03620_v1 (3)Lennox… What Perfect Feels LIke!

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We Are The Home Comfort People Who Service What We Sell & More!

For All Your Home Comfort Needs ~ Give us a call at 519-323-2000

Home Buying and Selling – Heating, Cooling and Plumbing Inspection

Buying a home is quite possibly the largest single purchase anyone will make in their lives. With such a large purchase you want to ensure you do your own homework as well as working with a reputable realtor to find the perfect house to make your home!

Having a home inspector is important, however having a qualified, experienced, licensed and insured technician to inspect the home’s heating, ventilation and cooling system is highly recommended to ensure you are fully informed with the condition of the HVAC and Plumbing system before firming up on your purchase.

The technician will inspect the equipment to ensure they have been properly maintained and are working efficiently. If the tech notices anything which may potentially go wrong or has failed due to normal wear and tear, not having the system maintained or simply due to age; as the buyer, you will know before signing the papers if you may need to invest money on repairing or replacing any part or the entire HVAC system. Typically if there is something serious found with the system this can be negotiated within your purchase for repair, replacement or a credit to the buyer to repair or replace at their discretion after taking possession.
An experienced plumber can inspect the home’s plumbing system to check for any leaks or evidence of previous leaks, water pressure in the toilets and faucets, water softener and if there is a well at the home the plumber can complete a well flow test. If the home has a septic system this is important to know the age, location and maintenance history. The plumber can do a walk around the yard to visually inspect the area around the septic system and weeping bed. Visually walking around the home and looking for any signs or evidence of water leaks can indicate a previous or ongoing plumbing issue. Things to look for are water stains on the walls, ceiling or floor, a musty smell, sagging floors (by a water source – ex kitchen and bathroom), mold or mildew near water sources, cracked or missing caulking in the bathroom around the tub. Toilets which do not flush properly can also indicate a potential problem within the drain lines or within the septic if you have one.

The important factors to look at when buying a home.

1. HVAC and Plumbing – As mentioned above it is highly recommended to have a qualified, licensed, insured and experienced technician inspect your HVAC and Plumbing System. Is the system the proper size for the house, what is the age, is there any warranty, any maintenance records. What are the monthly utilities costs? Could a newer system be more efficient and affordable? Has there been any plumbing repairs? How old is the well or septic? How old is the softener, water heater… Do you require any water treatment? Has a water test been performed to ensure the water is safe to drink and use for bathing, cooking etc.

2. Roof – Look for any missing, curling, broken shingles. Ask the age of the roof, if there is any warranty on the shingles, if the current owners still have the original paperwork.

3. Attic – Take a look up in the attic to see the amount of insulation, any evidence of water damage, if there is any mold or mildew, any evidence of animals in there, holes etc.

4. Basement – Typically if there has been water issues in a home the basement will smell very musty. Look for water spots on the floor, wall, trim, and ceiling. If you have a moisture meter this is a good idea to take with you to check for moisture levels in the basement. Check to see if the current home owners are running a dehumidifier this can be an indication of having dampness or water issues.

5. Septic – Ask the home owner for a diagram of where the septic is located, when it was installed and the last time it was pumped. Typically with home purchases one of the conditions is to have the septic pumped the month prior to closing. When having the septic pumped it is very important for the health of the tank to ensure both the liquids and solids are pumped out. If only the liquid is pumped out, sludge will build up and if not properly monitored could potentially cause a blockage in the outlet to the weeping bed or within the weeping bed.

6. Electrical – Is the home’s electrical system up to date and legal. Many old home’s have smaller panels which must be upgraded to handle the demand of many people and their lives today. This can also pose a safety risk depending on the age of the home if the wiring has never been updated.

7. Exterior, Doors and Windows – Take a walk around the home, is the exterior in good condition, note any damage. Is the grading of the soil around the property sloping away to keep the water away from the home or is there potential for pooling near the foundation. How old are the doors and windows? Note any damage. Open and close the windows and doors.

8. Garage – Is the garage insulated, heated, are the doors insulated, check to ensure the garage door(s) work properly.

Before you buy give us a call at JJ McLellan and Son Plumbing and Heating to complete an HVAC and/or Plumbing inspection on your home purchase. Call us at 1-866-565-5513 or 519-323-2000 or EMAIL US. We are the home comfort people who service what we sell and more!