Advantage Airtech Blog

Furnaces and boilers are two of the most common heating systems in the country because they offer homeowners comfortable and efficient heating. But what actually makes them different? Are there any advantages of one system over the other? The Ajax, ON hydronic heating experts at Advantage Airtech have years of experience working with all different types and brands of forced-air and hydronic heating systems.  We thought it would be a good idea to weigh in on the issue and give our thoughts about hydronic heating systems.

Hydronic Heat vs. Forced-Air

Hydronic heaters are vastly different from forced-air systems. Whether you have under-floor heating, hydronic baseboard or wall heating you likely have a water or steam boiler. The boiler is the main source of heat for all hydronic systems. While the name might suggest that the water boils, a boiler usually doesn’t heat the water to boiling temperature—unless it is a steam system.

Once the water is hot enough, a pump will push it through a series of tubes throughout your home. The heat from the water radiates out into your living space and warms your home.

With a forced-air system, like a furnace or heat pump, they heat the air and then push it throughout your home through a series of ducts.

Benefits of Ajax, ON Hydronic Heating

There are a couple potential benefits to hydronic heating. The first is that many people find hydronic heating more comfortable than forced-air. While this is personal preference it is something to consider. Another tremendous benefit to Ajax, ON hydronic heating is that it often allows homeowners to set the temperature a couple of degrees cooler. This is because of the type of heating that hydronic systems provide.

If you’d like to learn more about this type of heating just call the Ajax, ON hydronic heating experts at Advantage Airtech. We have years of experience installing and repairing all different types of hydronic systems. We can answer any questions that you might have and help you find a good system for your home.

Every astute homeowner should keep a close eye on their home’s energy usage because it can tell you a great many things about your home’s heating system—including if it needs repair.  If you suspect that your home’s heating system isn’t working well call the Ajax, ON Canada heating repair technicians at Advantage Airtech. We’ve responded to countless calls for service and thought it would be a good idea to put together some of the problems that your utility bill can warn you about.

Increase in Utility Bills

You likely use your heating system very often when you live in Ontario. All that use can mean your heating system really takes a lot of abuse. One of the best indicators that your need heating repair is an increase in your heating bills. The Ajax, ON heating repair experts at Advantage Airtech can fix any type of problem that you might be having. Here are a few of the problems can could be happening with your heating system if your utility bills have increased.

• Clogged air filter – If your heating bills have increased it could mean that your heating system’s air filter is clogged. If you have a furnace or heat pump, make sure that your air filter is regularly changed.
• Fan motor – The fan motor in your furnace or heat pump is a huge part of your energy usage. If your fan motor isn’t working efficiently you could see an increase in your energy bill. This can happen over time and if you don’t get your system regularly maintained by a professional.
• Duct issues – The ductwork in your home is responsible for carrying all of the heated air throughout your home. If you start to notice an increase in your home’s energy it could mean that your ductwork has leaks and cracks. Leaking ducts can allow up to 30% of the heated air out of your system. The Ajax, ON heating repair experts at Advantage Airtech can help you with any issues that you might have.

For any Ajax, ON heating repair that you need call the specialists at Advantage Airtech.

If you’re looking for a new comprehensive heating and cooling system, one that offers high energy efficiency and excellent performance, then you may like to consider a ductless mini split heating system. The name sounds a bit complicated, however, and while these types of systems have long been used throughout the world and in the commercial industry, they have only recently become a residential standard. They may not be right for all homes and situations, however, so it’s critical that in addition to selecting high quality equipment you also remember to hire an excellent AC contractor. Only with professional installation can your new AC perform to the best of its ability. For ductless and other Scarborough, ON heating systems, call the experts at Advantage Airtech today!

The ductless mini split is so-called because it doesn’t use ductwork to circulate cool air throughout your home and the indoor air handlers are compact relative to conventional central air (hence the “mini”). But it is a “split” system, nonetheless, which means that like central air, there is an outdoor compressor/condenser unit and an indoor air handler/evaporator unit. Also, like central air, ductless mini split heating and cooling systems operate by heat removal and transfer. They use the refrigerant cycle to remove the warm air from your home in the summer and send warm air into your home in the winter.

The ductless heating system is essentially a heat pump. In heating mode, the outdoor units draws in thermal energy from the ambient outdoors temperature and the circulating refrigerant absorbs this energy, moving it indoors where it heats the cool air that has been extracted from your home. The key distinction is that it does not use ductwork to extract and distribute air. The indoor unit is a sleek, compact unit that hangs from the ceiling, or sits high on a wall. All of the air handler/evaporator components are housed within these indoor units, and you can thus divide your home into multiple zones of heating and cooling.

A ductless mini split heating system is a great way to improve efficiency and performance, and thus boost your home comfort. Call Advantage Airtech today for comprehensive Scarborough, ON heating solutions.

If you have a radiant heating system in your home then you’re likely enjoying the comfortable and efficiency of your heating system. However, like everything any other piece of equipment it will eventually need repairs. Call the Pickering, ON heating repair professionals at Advantage Airtech Heating and Air Conditioning if you’re having any issues with your radiant heating system. We wanted to help our customers know when their heating system is in trouble by putting together a quick list of some of the signs that they should look for.

Radiant Heating System Leaks

Most radiant systems use heated water to provide heating for your home. Because of that, they will likely eventually develop leaks. There are a few common places where leaks can develop with radiant heating systems.

• Boiler tank leaks – Many radiant heating systems use a large tank to heat water and then circulate it through your home. The tank itself can start to leak which is usually the result of age, rust or pressure.
• Water pump leaks – The water pump in your radiant heating system is what actually circulates the water through your home. Call the Pickering, ON heating repair professionals at Advantage Airtech if your water pump is leaking.

Radiant Heater Not Providing Heat

Another very common call for service that we get is for our customers who aren’t getting any heat from their system. The Pickering, ON heating repair professionals can figure out exactly what’s going on and then get your system back up and running. It could be that the thermostat for your home is broken, the burner for the boiler could be bad or the thermometer in the tank isn’t letting the water get hot enough.

For any Pickering, ON heating repair services that you need make sure that you call us here at Advantage Airtech.

Heat exchangers are one of the most important components of a gas-fired or oil-fired furnace. When you flip on the switch to turn on your furnace it will start to burn fuel that heats up the heat exchanger. If your heat exchanger gets cracked it can cause serious problems for your home—including carbon monoxide poisoning. Because the heat exchanger is inside of your furnace and because it isn’t a moving part it can be difficult to detect when it needs repair. For all your Ajax, ON heating repair call the friendly experts at Advantage Airtech. For over 25 years we’ve been providing complete furnace repair services to our customers. We thought it would be helpful to put together a list of the common signs for a cracked heat exchanger.

What Does A Heat Exchanger Do?

The heat exchanger in your furnace is a large piece of metal that gets heated up by the burner flames. Your furnace’s fan pushes cool air over the heat exchanger which heats it up. The ductwork in your home then carries the heated air into each of your rooms.

But heat exchangers have a second, equally important task: they exhaust the combustion fumes that result from burning fuel. One of those gases is carbon monoxide—the tasteless, odorless and colorless deadly gas. If your heat exchanger develops a crack it can allow those gases to escape into your home’s air supply.

How Do Heat Exchanger’s Crack?

Heat exchangers can crack because of a number of common causes.

• Rust – If your air conditioning system is located above your furnace then condensation from your AC can drip down onto the heat exchanger and cause it to rust.
• Overheating – This happens a lot in homes whose furnace is too big or when the air filter isn’t changed enough.

Signs You Have A Cracked Heat Exchanger

There are a couple ways that you can detect if your heat exchanger is cracked.

• Wiggling or yellow flames – You should check your furnace’s burner on a regular basis. If you notice that the flames are wiggling or if they are yellow it could mean that the heat exchanger is leaking. The flames should normally burn steady and blue.
• Rattling – If your furnace is making a rattling noise it can sometimes indicate that the heat exchanger is cracked.

If you have any suspicions about your heat exchanger call the Ajax, ON heating repair experts at Advantage Airtech. We have years of experience dealing with all kinds of furnace problems and cracked heat exchangers. Unfortunately, it most cases, a cracked heat exchanger means that you need to replace your entire furnace. Give us a call today and we’ll send someone to your house to check it out.

Homeowners in Whitby, ON know how much wear and tear their furnaces undergo every year. That’s why spring is such a great time to make sure your furnace is primed and ready to go for next season with professional maintenance. There is no better way to ensure that the furnace’s components are adjusted, lubricated, cleaned, and operating properly. It’s also a good time to care of any minor repairs that may have been lurking since winter. In this post, we’d like to review why maintenance is good for your furnace. For more information, or to schedule Whitby, ON furnace maintenance or repair, call the experts at Advantage Airtech today!

• Comfort. Perhaps more than anything, you want your furnace to make you and your family comfortable during even the coldest nights. To be comfortable, you need to ensure that your furnace performs to the best of its ability. If it has been properly sized for your home, then routine maintenance should be able to ensure that it runs well for years to come, so that you always enjoy the warmth of a furnace throughout the heating season.
• Reliability. A big part of comfort is reliability. It doesn’t matter how well your furnace performs, if it doesn’t do so consistently and reliably. A furnace is a major investment. However old your heating system is, you need to make sure that you can rely on its ability to heat your home during the coldest of days.
• Energy Efficiency. It’s on everyone’s minds, whether they like it or not. While we cannot control the rise of energy costs, we can control how we use it. Routine maintenance ensures that you get the most heating output per unit of energy input. By regularly inspecting, cleaning, and tuning-up your furnace, you can ensure that your energy bill is money well spent.

During routine maintenance, your professional heating technician will look at your entire heating system to make sure everything is working well. It’s also a great time to find out whether there are any minor problems, whose neglect could lead to costly repairs or premature replacement. For more information about Whitby, ON furnace maintenance and repair, call the pros at Advantage Airtech today!

You depend on your home heating system for nearly half the year in Pickering, ON. You need to know that you can have confidence in your heater’s performance, whether it’s a furnace, boiler, heat pump, ductless mini split, or hydronic heating system. As the temperature slowly begins to rise in our neighborhood, it’s a great time to take care of any heating repair before they develop into larger and more serious issues. All work on your heater, no matter what the type or brand, should be carried out by a professional. For Pickering, ON heating repair, call Advantage Airtech Heating & Air Conditioning today!

Let’s take a look at the reasons for professional heating repair.

• Quality. Not only do you need repair fast, but you also need it to be of high quality so that you can rest assured that the problem is solved. Quick fixes are sometimes necessary, but they are only temporary. When you call for professional heating repair, you know that you’re also hiring years of experience and knowledge of heating installation, maintenance, and repair. Hiring a pro allows you to use those skills to your advantage, when repairing a thermocouple or diagnosing a leak in your gas boiler.
• Speed. One of the best reasons to call for heating repair is the speed with which the task is completed. Pros expedite the whole process, from diagnosing the problem to recommending a solution and executing it.
• Durability. When you have paid for repairs, you also want it to last. Shoddy and amateur workmanship may alleviate one of the symptoms to the problem, but true solutions to the problem require assessing the root cause. Professional heating repair not only provides quality and speedy repairs, it also provides solutions that last. Make sure it’s done right the first time with a heating professional.

Spring is a great time to get a jump on any necessary home heating repairs. Don’t wait until next winter to have your problem inspected by a pro — delaying repair can be costly. For professional heating repair in Pickering, ON, call Advantage Airtech today!