That’s right… you can WIN a Regency Fireplace!!!
Click on the image below to be directed to the Regency Website to enter!!!
Contest only valid in the USA and Canada. One entry per customer, per draw. Duplicate entries will be discarded. Contest closes May 15, 2014. Click here for full Contest Rules.
Get your barbecue ready in 6 easy steps | The Test Kitchen Blog.
Its time to get your BBQ ready for SPRING!!!
Canadian Living has some great tips to ensure its ready when the good weather graces us 😉
1. Clean the burners
2. Clean sear plates and cooking grills
3 Clean the exterior
4. Scrape the inside walls of the grills
5. Check the ignition parts
Always be careful when it comes to BBQ fuel – Propane and Gas especially. Also remember to ensure you have a tight connection before turning your propane tanks on for the bbq supply. If you have any concerns with your gas line supply for the bbq be sure to contact a licensed gas technician.
Download the 2014 Winter Wise Booklet courtesy of TSSA and their Safety Info website.
Click here to be directed to their download page and save the PDF!
Also be sure to check out their KID ZONE portion of the site!
So very important for young people to know there can be a lot of dangers when you are not safe.
There once was a time when leasing a vehicle was the way to go, you had a lower monthly payment, could get a new vehicle every few years… however you never actually owned that vehicle. You were simply “renting” by paying monthly for use of the vehicle. Major repairs were covered as the vehicle would be under warranty, maintenance was your responsibility – if you chose to of course.
The HVAC industry has been in this trend for many years now with water heaters and more recently getting into furnace and air conditioner rentals.
We can offer you the convenience, security and freedom of rental monthly payments with the benefits of ownership of your equipment! An affordable option of “rent to own” – with an “end” in sight!
We believe in offering our customer the very best value for their money – including protection for your equipment.
SNAP Financing is available for any home comfort improvement, renovation or repair. The financing is based on a monthly payment, 120 month fixed interest rate and the loan is open, which means there is no penalties for making additional payments or paying off the balance of the loan at any time.
This results in a very affordable Rent-To-Own option for anyone wanting to replace or upgrade their existing HVAC Equipment such as your water heater, furnace, air conditioner, hrv or even your fireplace… switching from electric heat? No problem your duct work can be included in this as well!
We are able to offer our customers a 10 Year Parts and Labour Warranty Program on home comfort appliances (including hot water heaters, furnaces, air conditioners, fireplaces etc) and coverage can be customized for parts and labour coverage.
Check out the info below for SNAP vs RENTAL and give Mike a call for more info! If you would like to pre-qualify you can do so on our website at http://www.jjmclellan.ca/ and click on the button in the top right corner under the website header OR click below on the image. 
By purchasing your Home Comfort System with our Rent-To-Own option, which includes the 10 year parts and labour warranty, you can rest and breathe easy knowing that you have low monthly payments and are covered should your equipment break down!
Even better is knowing that you will not be paying forever for the same old, outdated equipment. Once its paid for – its yours! There is no buy out, penalty or additional forms to sign. Our Rent-To-Own Option truly is cut and dry, black and white. It really cannot get much simpler!
Check out the details below comparing costs… it truly breaks my heart when we hear from customers who have a 15 or 20 year old water heater and have been paying the same monthly payment (or more as the rates do increase each year) when the water heater is no longer running efficiently and the capacity could be cut in half (depending on how hard the water is).
http://comfortmatters.lennox.com/index.php/getting-comfortable/enjoy-the-beauty-of-spring-inside/
The link above to the Lennox Comfort Matters website has some great tips!
Spring was certainly in the air today, it’s almost time to open windows and let the fresh air in.
We’ve begun to “enjoy the beauty of spring inside” by painting our many rooms in our home! An instant fresh way to update our living space and personalize to “us”!
While preparing to paint, we removed the heating and return air grilles. This is something I’ve gotten into the habit of cleaning at least once a year… Thank goodness I do it that often, the return air grilles are pretty gross with dirt, dust, hair, dander :S
Spring is another good time to change the filter in your furnace!
Another thing my husband did was clean out the dishwasher, by unscrewing the food trap at the back… blech it was disgusting! But the dishwasher is working much better, means the dishes are getting cleaned properly saving water by not having to rewash!
If you’re thinking of ways to update your space, one option to consider is possibly opening up a wall to provide more open concept. This is something we also did and provides heat from the sunlight coming in our front window, now flows throughout our front entrance and living room now!
One other tip I’m continuing to work at, it seems to be an ongoing battle, decluttering!
Let’s hope the Spring warm weather truly is on the way, if we get our Spring Cleaning done before all the snow melts, it’s more time to enjoy the outdoors!
Worried about your water pipes freezing?
Thankfully the sun has been shining today and it is nice and warm. However the frost is still causing issues with water lines freezing.
1. Let your cold water tap run a slow continuous stream. This will ensure the lines stay open with flowing water and if you have a water pump, this will force the pump to come on more preventing any freezing.
Our plumbers have been extremely busy the first month and a half of the new year with frozen water lines and even some sewage lines.
2. If you are living in a home which has an unfinished basement, ensuring you have some heat in your basement is necessary for winters like this.
These two tips are especially important if you are planning to be away at any time during the winter. Arrange to have someone check on your home once or twice a day (when its really cold), run water, flush toilets.
What a gorgeous winter morning to wake up to, at least in our part of Ontario! The temperature a cool yet refreshing -7 with light snow flakes falling.
Please take advantage of this “warmer” winter weather to get outside and ensure the snow is properly cleared around all your vents for your home. This includes dryer vents as well as your heating appliances (furnace, boiler, fireplace) and hot water heater.
The picture below is a photo of the intake and exhaust vents for a forced air furnace. The exhaust is straight out, intake points down. If your vents are blocked they can cause the equipment to not function properly or not work altogether.
Please also check your filters. A blocked filter will cause your furnace and HRV to work much harder than it is designed to do and possibly over heat. This can cause premature break down of the appliance and reduced life. It is recommended to have your system maintained and cleaned at least once every 2 years while changing your filters every 2-4 months, more often in the heating season.
Don’t forget your plumbing system! Is your basement currently heated? If you have forced air heating in your home having a duct run off the furnace and into your basement – even if its unfinished, will help your mechanical room stay warm and prevent pipes from freezing. Ensure all outside taps are shut off from the inside and the taps are open outside.
Remember to be safe while out driving on the roads! Ensure your windshield is cleared properly, you have a snow brush in your car, your gas tank is full or at least over half full and you are dressed for the weather! Also very helpful if you have a blanket – just in case and a cell phone (fully charged or with a charger in your vehicle).
Enjoy… a photo from yesterday morning!
Staying warm in the cold!
Old man winter isn’t letting up on us yet.
Be safe and stay warm!!!
JJ McLellan – Broken Pipe – Froze and burst!
When water freezes it expands, this is why if your pipes freeze they can and will burst – such as in the photo!
Open your cupboard doors – If you are worried about your pipes freezing and the potential of bursting… If you have pipes/taps on outside walls, open your cupboard doors to allow heat from your home in.
Heat from a lamp – If that doesn’t help plug a lamp in and put it under the sink (safely… not near anything flammable!) the heat from the bulb will help.
Run water – If you are really concerned, turn on the tap and let it run, a small consistent stream will help prevent freezing.
Insulate – If your home is very old and does not have a lot of insulation in the walls you could add some foam board insulation to the back of your kitchen cabinet to help prevent freezing.
What if I dont have a basement? If you live in a mobile home or a home with a crawl space, ensure you have heat tape for your pipes and that the underneath of the home is properly insulated and sealed! If your home was built on a slab on grade most likely you will have in floor heating, ensure the heating system is kept at a consistent temperature and have your system maintained regularly.
Getting away from the cold – If you are going away ensure you have someone checking on your home at least once a day – twice in cold weather like this.
Consistency – When the weather turns cold it is very important to keep your thermostat at a consistent temperature even during the night. Set your thermostat at a comfortable level and leave it.
Its too late… what should you do?
If your pipes have froze you can try to thaw them yourself. First open your taps, second use a heat source such as a hair dryer or a small portable heater. Be very careful to ensure you remove anything flammable prior to applying heat – especially in the kitchen if there are cleaners in the cabinets.
If you are not able to get your pipes thawed its time to call the professionals. Our plumbers have dealt with many frozen pipes! Either way once you get your problem solved – ensure you will be ok for the next deep freeze with proper insulation such as wall insulation, floor insulation, pipe insulation and heat tape.
Do not wait until you have issues to take preventative action. Ensure you have proper wall insulation, ensure the underside of your home (this includes basements) is insulated properly. If you are already planning a renovation pipes can be re-routed to lessen the chance of freezing. Unless you are considering gutting an older home back to the studs to completely re-insulate the home, sometimes in an older home re-routing the plumbing is the best option to get the pipes off of an outside wall. The costs for preventative maintenance will be well worth the costs you could face if your pipes freeze and burst!
Unsure of what you should do? Feel free to give Mike our Comfort Advisor a call he would be happy to recommend some options for you to ensure your home is safe!
Stay Warm!!!
The good people at Lennox have offered some excellent tips to “Stay Bold Against The Cold” in their recent Comfort Matters post! Check out their great tips for you and your home to stay warm in this cold winter weather.
As always please remember to ensure your furnace filter is clean or changed regularly.
When the temperatures drop OR we get a lot of snow, checking your heating vents is very important. When it is very cold outside (like today), when your furnace vents the vapour can crystallize over the vents when it hits the cold winter air. Be sure to check the vents at least once a day to ensure they are clear, twice if you are experiencing issues with your system. The same when we get a lot of snow, ensure your vents are clear.
Why is it important to keep the vents clear? The heating system has to breathe, if it cannot bring in fresh air and exhaust the stale air your system will not be able to work properly and will shut down.
What do the vents look like? If they are out the side of your house they will look similar to this…
The pipe pointing down is the intake, the pipe straight out is the exhaust. They do require a minimum of 12″ all around them to work properly with the heating system.
When in doubt, once you’ve made sure your filter is clean, your vents are clear and have tried to reset your system… give us a call at 1-866-565-5513.