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JJ McLellan

How to prevent water pipes from freezing and breaking!

pzmija JJ McLellan , , , 0 Comment

How to prevent water pipes from freezing and breaking!

-Ensure you have a source of heat in the location where pipes are located.

-If your pipes are located in a crawl space without heat ensure they are properly insulated.

-Have a small heater to use in an emergency if you need to thaw lines.

-Leave your cupboard doors open if your pipes are located on an outside wall.

-Check your pipes during very cold weather. If the pipes freeze, thaw, freeze, thaw they could cause a breakage such as the one in the photos where the pipe was literally broke apart.

-Ensure that you have water shut off valves (such as the one with the blue handle) so that IF you did have a leak or breakage you would not have to shut off all your water to your entire home.

-If you know you are going to be away for an extended period of time OR are without hydro/heat ensure you have some antifreeze on hand to winterize your pipes and prevent any breakage.

How comfortable is your home comfort system?

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The fall is upon us, personally my favourite time of year! Warm sunshine, cool nights, gorgeous colours, whats not to love! Cool evenings, snuggled under a blanket or sitting beside a roaring campfire or indoors with a gas fireplace, its a wonderful time of year!

20121002-328C5108-WM

For us its also a very exciting and busy time as heating season begins!!!

Did you know that your furnace, air conditioner, HRV and humidifier all work together along with your thermostat? Investing in a home comfort system is truly an investment into your home, especially if your equipment is 15+ years old.

It is especially important in newer homes or renovated homes to ensure proper circulation and ventilation of the air within the home. Many new homes and renovated homes are sealed to ensure proper energy efficiency with heating and cooling systems. Potential drawbacks is if an HRV is not installed, the air within the home will become stale and could potentially cause issues with illnesses etc. Homes need to breathe – properly with the equipment designed to also keep your family safe!

With the use of an energy efficient heating system combined with an HRV you can rest assured your family will breathe easier and be much more comfortable. How? An HRV exchanges air with the outside, through a filter. Your HRV vents are located within the washrooms, laundry room and kitchen of the home – all rooms where you want to ensure moisture, smells and potential air borne germs can be hanging out.

Home comfort doesn’t just rely on an HRV, your home heating system is very important, especially remembering to change your filters! All the air within your home travels through your heating system (for forced air heat), this air comes through your cold air returns, through your heating system and comes out your heat registers in your home. While cycling through the heating system various particles, dirt etc is caught. The more dirt and particles that are caught in the filter, the harder it is for your heating system to work efficiently and properly. If a filter becomes plugged this can be dangerous and burn out your heating system! Whats worse is if this happens in the middle of winter!!!

As a Lennox Premier Dealer we can assure you we will be here for many more years and we can assure you we only offer quality products with the availability of a 10 year extended complete care warranty as well as very affordable financing options with the option to pay any amount at anytime with no penalties!

Check out some tips from Lennox about Considering A Home Comfort System.

We Are The Home Comfort People! … Stay comfortable 🙂

Thinking of selling your home?

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Many of us at some point in our adult life will buy and sell our home, even multiple times. Speaking from experience, when we went searching for our home we had a fairly specific list of features.

Top of that list was the house must have or be able to have gas service.

Why?

Its simple. Bottom line, its more affordable – that was my main reason. Having the convenience of a gas BBQ, gas stove, gas dryer, gas hot water heater… and gas heat.

Well for us we lucked out – we found a house that fit all our needs AND had gas service. We had to compromise on an electric wall oven with a gas cook top – yes I even searched for a gas wall oven… We also had to compromise on geothermal heat – yes being in the business it is an affordable and environmental way to heat and cool… but not when you have gas available for heating! Quite honestly we will be making the change so our heating is primarily gas.

So … what if you are thinking of selling your home and your home has baseboard heat?

Homes with electric baseboard heating are not sought out nor preferred, for many home buyers they are a turn off. The biggest reason being its expensive, next to that the air doesn’t circulate as well and you wont be able to install central air conditioning – although there is options such as mini splits.

Bottom line is if you have gas in your home and forced air heat/cooling you will have added value.

So what can you do if you have baseboard electric heat? If you want to max out your selling price … You can install a new furnace, a/c and duct work…

Installing an HVAC Comfort System to sell a home is a value added selling benefit where you will recoup your costs. This type of upgrade is vastly different than installing new flooring or even a new kitchen.

Why? The HVAC System is not as aesthetically key as your home decor which is much more personable and customized to the home owner. Notice how I do mention its “not as” … I know my technicians would tell me different – it is very important 😉 The HVAC system is located in the basement, it is not something that is seen by your guests or something that you choose based on colour or look. The system is however chosen based on comfort – the comfort of you, your family and friends during all 4 seasons of the year.

The approximate cost of installing duct work, a new furnace and new a/c in a home with baseboard heat will vary based on the size of the home, whether the basement is finished, the ease of installation, the models you choose etc. For the sake of numbers lets play with $15,000.

With our financing option through SNAP Financial you CAN afford to make this upgrade to your home, especially if you would like to make it more appealing to buyers.

The beauty of SNAP is it works much like a line of credit would – you have set payments each month, however if you would like to make lump sum payments or double up your payments – you can do so at any time without penalty! Perfect for someone who may be listing their home…

Working with our number from above:

Purchase price of $15,000
Monthly payment of $162/mth
7.95% interest.

Why buy quality equipment if you are selling? This definitely is a selling feature. As a Premier Lennox Dealer we pride ourselves on the quality of the equipment along with their energy efficiency.

A few more reasons why …

1. LennoxÂŽ offers the quietest high-efficiency furnace you can buy.

2. Variable speed technology can enhance your comfort and save you hundreds of dollars each year.

3. Absolute comfort. Furnaces with PreciseComfort™ technology are engineered to deliver ideal warmth.

Oh and an added benefit to YOU!
Install the system during one of our promotions and you will get rebates on the system – which means money back in your pocket!!!

Happy Selling!

Thinking of fall… think of a Regency Gas Fireplace to cozy up to!

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Regency new direct vent L965E & HZ965E - May 2012
Photo courtesy of Regency.

Fall is upon us, along with cool evenings! What better way to warm up than with a gas fireplace from Regency! Enjoy the convenience and ease of an energy efficient gas fireplace, comfortable heat with the flick of a switch!

You can also rest assured that your Regency Fireplace will provide you with years of comfort as they have a lifetime warranty on some of the very important parts of the fireplace.

Directly from the Regency Website below…

The Regency Limited Lifetime Warranty covers:

Gas Products:
Combustion chamber
Heat exchanger
Burner tubes / pans
Ceramic glass
Brick panels
Gold plating
Embers, pebbles, crystals, stones

Product Recall – Lennox and Superior Gas Fireplaces

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The information below is directly from the TSSA website and can be found directly by clicking HERE. Please see the information below for instructions of how you should proceed IF you have a fireplace which falls into the criteria below. 

As we typically sell Regency Fireplaces (for outdoor purposes we have supplied and installed outdoor Lennox Hearth Fireplaces) so we are passing on this information directly as we have received it. Remember to always have a licensed gas technician perform any work in your home or business!

Lennox and Superior Gas Fireplaces

Starting date:
August 1, 2013
Posting date:
August 1, 2013
Type of communication:
Consumer Product Recall
Subcategory:
Household Items, Appliances
Source of recall:
Health Canada
Issue:
Product Safety
Audience:
General Public
Identification number:
RA-34825

Affected products

Lennox and Superior Gas Fireplaces

Product description

This recall involves natural gas or propane Lennox and Superior brand fireplaces with the following model and serial numbers:

  • Lennox model numbers include:
    • ELDV
    • LDV
    • MLBV-40
    • MLDVT
    • MPB
    • MPD
    • MPDP
    • RHAP54
    • SYM
  • Superior model numbers include:
    • SDV
    • SLDVT
    • SLBV
  • Serial numbers have 10 digits starting with:
    • 6412D4
    • 6412E4
    • 6412F4
    • 6412G4
    • 6412H4
    • 6412D7
    • 6412E7
    • 6412F7
    • 6412G7
    • 6412H7

The model, serial number and the Lennox or Superior brand names are printed on the rating plate located in the control box area of the fireplace.

Hazard identified

Defective fireplace gas connectors can leak, posing a fire hazard.

Lennox Hearth Products has received eight reports, three of which were in Canada, of gas connectors leaking in fireplaces. No injuries have been reported.

Health Canada has not received any reports of incidents or injuries related to the use of these fireplaces in Canada.

Number sold

Approximately 1,800 of the recalled fireplaces were sold at fireplace stores and by HVAC retailers and installers in Canada.

Time period sold

The recalled fireplaces were sold from April 2012 through December 2012.

Place of origin

Manufactured in the United States.

Companies

Manufacturer
Lennox Hearth Products
Nashville
Tennessee
UNITED STATES

Images (select thumbnail to enlarge)

Top row, left to right: fireplace models ELDV and LDV. Bottom row, left to right: fireplace models MLBV-40 and MLDVT
Top row, left to right: fireplace models MPB and MPD. Bottom row, left to right: fireplace models MPDP and RHAP54
Top row, left to right: fireplace models SDV and SLDVT. Bottom row, left to right: fireplace models SLBV and SYM
Labels on the rating plate

What you should do

Consumers should stop using the recalled gas fireplaces immediately, turn off the gas to the fireplace and contact Lennox Hearth Products for a free inspection and replacement of the leaking gas connector. Lennox Hearth Products and its distributors are contacting purchasers directly.

For more information, consumers may contact Lennox Hearth Products at 1-800-655-2008 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or online and click on “Recall Info” at the bottom of the page.

Please note that the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act prohibits recalled products from being redistributed, sold or even given away in Canada.

Health Canada would like to remind Canadians to report any health or safety incidents related to the use of this product or any other consumer product or cosmetic by filling out the Consumer Product Incident Report Form.

Date modified:
2013-08-01

Is Water Conservation Really That Important? | Summer Heat Wave

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With the heat wave we are feeling, water conservation is very important. Especially if you are on a well.

Here are some excellent tips from Home Water Works, a project of the Alliance for Water Efficiency. Please check out their link below.

Laundry

When doing laundry, always wash full loads.
Conventional washers built before 2011 typically use about 40 gallons per load; resource-efficient washer may use as little as 15 gallons per load.
Adjust the water level in the washer to the amount needed for the load.  Some of the new efficient washers will do this automatically.
When it’s time to replace the clothes washer, choose a high-efficiency washer with a low water factor.
The smaller the water factor, the more efficient the clothes washer. 

Dishwashing

If washing dishes by hand, fill the sink with water rather than continually running the tap.
Install an efficient dishwasher.
Technological advances in dishwashers make it possible to use less water to achieve the same goal.  Selecting a new dishwasher that uses less water per cycle will reduce household water use.
Only wash full loads of dishes in the dishwasher.

Faucets

Find and fix any leaky faucets.
A faucet leaking 60 drops per minute will waste 192 gallons per month. That is equal to 2,304 gallons per year.
Install efficient faucets and/or faucet aerators.
Turn off the faucet. When lathering hands, shaving, or brushing teeth.

Landscaping

Keep soil healthy and add mulch to prevent water loss through evaporation.
If watering with a hose, make sure it has a shut-off nozzle.
Water in the morning to prevent water loss due to evaporation.  Avoid watering when it is windy.
Use a rain barrel to collect water for use in the landscape.
Add a graywater system to collect water from your washing machine or shower and bath, and use it in the landscape.

Showers

If it takes a long time for the hot water to reach the shower, use it as an opportunity to collect water for other uses, such as watering houseplants.
Replace showerheads that have a flow rate greater than 2.5 gallons per minute.
If the showerhead is not labeled, the flow rate can be checked by catching the water in a 1-gallon bucket.  If it takes less than 24 seconds to fill up, the showerhead flow rate is more than 2.5 gallons per minute.  The U.S. EPA WaterSense program labels efficient showerheads that use a maximum 2.0 gallons per minute.
For more information and resources, visit the AWE Residential Shower Introduction Page.
Take shorter showers.
Reducing a 10-minute shower to 5 minutes will save 12.5 gallons of water if the showerhead has a flow rate of 2.5 gallons per minute (even more if the showerhead has a higher flow rate).

Toilets

Replace toilets installed before 1994 (1992 for Texas and California) with High-Efficiency Toilets (HETs).
Replacing an older toilet that uses 3.50 gallons per flush (gpf) with a HET that uses 1.28 gpf will save 2.22 gpf.  The EPA WaterSense program labels efficient toilets that use a maximum 1.28 gpf. 
If the toilet is flushed an average of six times each day it will save 13 gallons per day or 4,745 gallons per year.  Some older toilets may use as much as 7 gallons per flush. 
Check toilets to verify they are working properly.
Make sure the water level is not too high, the fill valve is working properly, and the flapper is not leaking. A running toilet can waste hundreds of gallons of water per day.
For more information on checking a toilet, visit the H2Ouse Water Saver Home Toilet Page.

Other

Check water bills for any instances of high water use, as this may be an indication of a leak.
Leaking faucets, leaking toilets, and leaking pipes all have something in common, they waste a lot of water! Your water bill will often show abnormal water consumption if there is a leak. Many water utilities have information on how to read your water bill online.
Composting food wastes saves water by reducing the water needed to run a garbage disposal.
Pool owners can use a cover to reduce water loss through evaporation. A pool cover can also save energy and reduce the need for chemicals.
Sweep outdoor surfaces with a broom instead of using a hose.
Wash vehicles at a carwash that recycles its water. If washing at home, make sure the hose has a shutoff valve.

http://www.home-water-works.org/water-conservation-tips

Natural Gas Grills – Safety and Maintenance – UnionGas.com

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Did you know that along with your heating appliances in your home you also need to think about safety and maintenance of your BBQ as well! See the information below from Union Gas for some Safety and Maintenance tips! Click on the title below to link back to Union Gas’s website! 

Natural Gas Grills – Safety and Maintenance

Natural Gas GrillsYour most important source of safety and maintenance information is the owner’s manual that came with your grill. Refer to it for specific instructions and maintenance suggestions.

To keep your natural gas grill operating safely take a little time every few months to:

  • examine your grill for rust or wobbles, fix both immediately

  • check for gas leaks by turning your gas supply on, rubbing your gas hose with soapy water and seeing if bubbles appear. Don’t ignite the grill if you suspect a leak, purchase a replacement hose and install

To keep everyone safe while you are grilling, follow these suggestions:

  • light your grill with the lid UP, if it is down gas can collect under the lid and cause serious burns and injury

  • if your grill doesn’t light on the first try, turn the burner off, wait for the gas to dissipate and try again

  • keep water handy in case of flare-ups that get out of hand

  • follow manufacturers recommendations when determining the location to set up your natural gas grill

  • keep children and pets away from the grill

  • keep flowing clothing away from the grill, they can be very dangerous

Home & Garden Show | Mount Forest ENTER TO WIN A WATER SOFTENER!

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Come out and see Mike this weekend at the Mount Forest Home and Garden Show at the Mount Forest sports complex this Sat & Sun 9 am-4 pm! Be sure to enter your name and phone number in our draw to WIN a FREE Greenway Water Softener! 

Why should you enter? See the benefits of having a water softener below (courtesy of the Greenway website!)

How does a Water Softener work?

Hard water is found in various regions globally. In North America, hard water is prevalent Calcium, magnesium and other ions are found in “hard” water. These hard water ions can interfere with your plumbing and potentially decrease the efficacy of water heaters and other water appliances because of the build-up of lime scale. Soap and cleaning products’ effectiveness are also affected and therefore are not as efficient.

Water Softeners usually work on the principle of replacing the hardness ions (calcium and magnesium) with sodium ions through the use of ion exchange resin. The hard water to be treated is passed through a bed of the resin. Negatively-charged resins absorb the hardness ions, which are positively charged (Ca++, Mg++). The ion exchange resins most commonly contain Sodium (but can be found in potassium and hydrogen form also). Calcium and magnesium ions in the hard water replace these sodium ions on the resin, therefore decreasing the calcium and magnesium in the water, making soft water with no formation of lime scale

When all of the resin is “full” of the calcium and magnesium hardness ions, the softener regenerates by allowing high concentrations of sodium chloride (salt) to be reintroduced onto the resin, taking the place of the calcium and magnesium ions and discarding them into the discharge drain water. The water softener is then ready to be used once again.

How are GreenwayÂŽ Water Softeners different than other water softeners?

At Greenway Water Technologies, we take your water treatment seriously. We have collaborated, researched and designed water softening systems with our customers in mind.

There are four categories of Greenway® water softeners, each with its’ own unique features and characteristics based on your level of hard water and water flow requirements.

Our GreenwayŽ Standard Series water softener line includes two options; either an easy to use Clack 3 over 2 valve with bypass, resin tank, and salt tank OR a metered Fleck Valve including bypass, resin tank and salt tank.

The GreenwayŽ Advance series water softener line additionally includes our unique GreenwayŽ  valve head with bypass and added collar, resin tank and salt tank.

The GreenwayÂŽ Pro Series water softeners are our NSF certified units come in a variety of sizes. These will be available later this year (2011).

Our GreenwayÂŽ Cabinet water softeners are designed to be compact and are used when space is minimal. Some customers prefer this style of water softener as the resin tank and salt tank are built into one cabinet. Our customers can program in their own water hardness based on desired salt usage (low, medium or high salt settings) for effective results.

Above information from http://www.greenwaywt.com/products/water_softeners

Winter Lennox Promotion ~ Save on utilities by upgrading your system!

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Some people do not realize just how much you can save by upgrading your old heating system! If you think about just how much your system operates for a minimum of 6 months of the year, a couple or few of those months working very hard in the dead of winter. Or how much you could save converting from oil to propane… that is if natural gas is not available to you.

Our 1st Promotion of the New Year 2013 has officially began! On a very fitting day as well at -12…

Winter Lennox Promotion

Give Mike a call for your no-obligation quote. He will come to your home, measure and then provide you with your options. We also offer financing with the option of paying it off entirely or additional payments with no penalty!