Today, most digital thermostats have built in filter change reminders and alerts, so you can set a custom interval at which you go through furnace filters. Depending on the size and quality of the filter it may be one, three or six months. Some of the new smart thermostats with built in WIFI can also send you a friendly email reminder. In todays fast moving world we have so many things to try and keep track of and filter changes are a very common thing to overlook.

Generally in a multi-storey home, the furnace or air handler is located in the basement or attic; out of sight, out of mind. Having a visual or audible reminder is a useful trick so you don’t forget the all important routine air filter change. Remember, the air filter is first and foremost to protect the equipment, not necessarily the occupants air quality. Black Iron recommends purchasing enough filters to have an extra few on hand for when you need them and when you receive those reminders.

If you would like to save some time and hassle, contact us and we will find the right size and style filter for your systems needs and protection. Join our filter club and receive the benefits!

Bird screens on vent terminations:

As much as you want to or think that it is a good idea, unfortunately it is bad practice to put screens on the exterior vent pipes. Your hi-efficiency furnace creates condensation and by putting a screen to keep birds and chipmunks out, only provides a place for water to collect, freeze and block the outlet preventing the furnace from operating. It can lead to an unnecessary service call and in some cases actually void manufacturers warranty. It is an inhabitable environment and most creatures do not want to go in there. Having said that it does happen from time to time but it is less likely to happen with todays appliances and more likely to freeze up the exhaust if you install some sort of apparatus.

Continuous fan operation:

Depending on your furnace or air handler, it may be relatively inexpensive to run the furnace fan continuously. In the less temperature extreme times of the year it is nice to just rely on your circulator blower to bring up some cool air from the basement and mix with the warmer air in the upstairs to create a more even and uniform temperature around the home. There is one time in particular that you do not want to run your fan. Referring of course to times of home renovations or construction, and especially when sanding drywall. During these times a lot of dust and debris is floating in the air, drywall dust is a very fine dust that can be hard to get rid of. By having the fan on you are not only blowing the dust around and not letting it settle making it easier to collect, more importantly all that dust is being drawn into the ductwork via the cold air return system. It will prematurely clog up your air filter and if you do not have adequate filtration it will end up in the furnace.

• Open a window
• Do not use an electrical switch or appliance
• Do not use a telephone inside the house
• Exit the building
• Immediately call the gas company or a gas contractor from outside of the building on your cell,
  or use a neighbours phone.
• If either cannot be reached, call the fire department

Fire alarms and CO (Carbon Monoxide) detectors are an essential part of your safety. Sometimes the first line of defence, and sometimes the last. Constantly monitoring safe levels even when you are asleep. It is important to have them strategically placed in the home. CO has the same “specific gravity” or the weight of air, and it is possible for poisonous carbon monoxide gas to rise, fall, or stratify making it pertinent to have one on each level.

In a typical two-storey home you would locate near fuel burning appliances in the basement, in the kitchen and occupied areas on the main floor, outside bedrooms and sleeping areas on the second level. Carbon monoxide is colourless, odourless, non-irritating and is very difficult to detect by the human senses. Changing the batteries routinely and having all your gas fired appliances inspected and maintained annually is a great way to be proactive.

You can sign up for one of our annual maintenance plans and have one less thing to worry about. We will conduct a carbon monoxide screening test of your home to ensure your safety. At Black Iron we have the tools and the know how to give your equipment a clean bill of health for your peace of mind, and can provide you with a report card detailing the safety and the efficiency of your heating equipment.

We would like to put to rest some of the most common HVAC myths and misconceptions and replace them with good habits and best practices. We all have our own ways of doing things, whether it’s a good way, a bad way, the right way or wrong way. Or simply just the way you’ve always done it for reasons unknown, and that’s fine it’s human nature. In this section we would like to address some of the questions we get asked most often and examine some of those thought processes.

The number one piece of generally accepted misinformation:

“Hey, I heard if you close all the vents in the basement it will make the upstairs colder! It also saves money by not cooling that space!” This statement is incorrect. Your ductwork and HVAC equipment are specifically designed to work together as a system, so closing off outlets for air to escape only increases the pressure inside the ducting. Thus, causing the circulation blower and other components in your furnace or air handler to work harder with less effect.

Another common misconception:

“Yeah…we don’t use that room anymore so we keep the door shut, and I also shut all the vents in there to save money!” Again we can see where some of the logic lies but the science just isn’t there. Realistically you are removing that part of your home from the air distribution system which can lead to hot and cold spots which can result in condensation and mold and other adverse effects. Also, If you have hot and cold spots in your home, there are a few common factors as to why. Poor insulation, older construction and insufficient ductwork (which most times means a lack of cold air return ducting in both the upper and lower levels) All problems that can be diagnosed and sometimes remedied.

Bad Practises:

How the air conditioner works:

The principal function of your air conditioner is to remove heat from where it is unwanted (inside your home) and transfer it to a place where it makes little or no difference (outside your home). As a by-product of this action, you get de-humidification.This is when we start to feel cooler and more comfortable. If the air is saturated with water vapour, it becomes very difficult to absorb any more. At that point, your skin is unable to release the heat from your body and you will never cool off. The air conditioner removes moisture directly from the air, allowing your skin to release or give off the heat from your body through the natural process of evaporation or more commonly, sweating. Before the “sensible” or actual temperature goes down, the latent or “hidden” heat must be removed (by de-humidifying and lowering the moisture content of the air itself). This may take some time at the beginning of the cooling cycle, and why it is important to let the air conditioner run for extended periods to do its job. Many people shut their unit off at night and open the windows just because the feels cooler outside. You are not wrong, however, by doing this you are actually inviting more moisture in, and the entire process has to begin all over again the following day.

In this exercise you are not saving money or energy. In all actuality, you are creating more work for the air conditioner, most likely during peak energy “time of use” hours. By allowing the air conditioner to operate and cycle on and off as needed, it will reach a comfortable humidity level, and once level is achieved, it is essentially in maintenance mode and therefore not working as hard as it has too upon start up. So when you are staring at your thermostat wondering why the A/C has been on  for two hours and the number on your T-stat hasn’t drastically dropped 4 degrees, just give it time to work its magic and dehumidify your home, chances are you feel cooler already and you don’t even realize it.