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Schedule An Appointment Frequently Asked Questions
Trying to service or understand your HVAC system in your home can be complicated sometimes, which is why the experts at Home Armour Heating receive a lot of questions. We have compiled a few frequently asked questions and answers for you to learn more:
To keep your HVAC system running at peak efficiency we recommend maintenance twice a year. Once in the fall for your furnace and once in the spring for your air conditioner. With our licenced technician performing a 21-point maintenance inspection, you’re getting the most performance out of your HVAC system. Thorough preventive maintenance keeps your furnace running efficiently, prevents unexpected breakdowns during the coldest days of winter, extends equipment life ensuring the system operates safely.
Additionally, furnace manufacturers require annual professional maintenance to keep your warranty valid. We offer furnace tune-up services and plans to stay on top of this important task. Regular maintenance typically saves homeowners money in the long run through improved efficiency, fewer repairs, and longer equipment life.
In our trade, HVAC emergencies don't just happen during regular working hours. Your furnace is most likely to quit in the coldest snap during a holiday dinner at Brock House, and your AC will probably crash in a heat wave while you’re BBQing at Heydenshore Pavilion. We offer emergency HVAC services for urgent situations including no heat in winter, no cooling during extreme heat, gas leaks, carbon monoxide concerns, flooding from water heaters or HVAC equipment, and other critical problems.
When you call for emergency service, we prioritize getting a technician to your home as quickly as possible to get your system working again. Emergency service calls do carry an additional fee compared to regular scheduled service, but when you're freezing or overheating, the investment will be a thankful experience from our HVAC service pros. The best way to avoid HVAC emergencies is through regular preventive maintenance, but when emergencies do happen, we're here to help.
Our HVAC systems we install come with a 10-year parts and labour warranty, so you can enjoy your system for years to come. Optimize our protection plans to help you have that peace of mind your system is covered top to bottom with home armour protection and extend the life of your equipment.
When we install a new system for you, we walk you through exactly what is covered and for how long. We carry brands that stand behind their products, so you are not left holding the bag if something goes wrong down the road. We will give you honest advice, not just whatever lines our pockets.
A lot of Ajax and Durham Region homeowners do not realize that having a certified HVAC contractor handle the installation is actually required to keep the manufacturer warranty valid in the first place, so cutting corners there can cost you big later on.
Trusted AC installers and furnace repairmen suggest getting your heating system checked every fall before the cold hits, and your cooling system checked every spring before the heat kicks in. Our winters are no joke, so a little maintenance now saves you a lot of headaches later.
It is kind of like getting your oil changed when you skip it for a bit and things get real expensive real fast. Regular HVAC maintenance in Pickering also keeps your warranty valid and helps your system run at peak efficiency, which means lower energy bills every single month for households from Pickering Village all the way out to Clarington.
If you are not sure how your system works, just give us a call. We love answering questions and will never make you feel silly for asking. Our air conditioning service team covers all of Ajax, Pickering, Whitby, and the surrounding Durham Region communities, and we are always happy to walk you through how to get the most out of your cooling system without wearing it out before its time.
Honestly, there is no one size fits all answer here, and the right system depends on a few things. Those factors for efficient system sizing include the size of your home, the age of the unit, the type of insulation, whether you already have ductwork, and what your budget looks like.
A small bungalow in Pickering Village has very different needs than a big two storey house out in Duffin Heights or a newer build near Bayly Street and Audley Road. We take all of that into account before we ever recommend anything.
In our experience, most homes in Ajax and Pickering with central forced air furnace paired with a central air conditioner is still the most common and cost effective setup. It’s properly sized because it is reliable through the Winter and parts and service are easy to get anywhere from Pickering to Clarington. If your home does not have existing ductwork, or if you are looking to heat and cool a specific area like a garage, basement, or addition, a ductless mini split system might be the better move. These systems are quiet, efficient, and they give you control over individual rooms without having to run new ducts through your whole house.
Another valuable system are heat pumps, especially with the rebates available through Enbridge Gas and the Canada Greener Homes program. A cold climate heat pump can handle both heating and cooling in one unit, and the biggest question about newer models is that they are built to work even when temperatures drop well below zero.That said, some homes still benefit from keeping a gas furnace as a backup for the coldest stretches of winter, and we can set that up as a hybrid system so you get the efficiency of a heat pump most of the year with the raw heating power of a furnace when you really need it.
We are not going to sell you the most expensive thing on the shelf just because it sounds impressive. We are going to look at your home, ask you the right questions, and point you toward the system that actually makes sense for your life and your wallet. That is what a good local HVAC contractor in Ajax-Pickering is supposed to do.
We recommend replacing furnace filters in your home every 90 days. The longer the filter is in place, the more dirt, dust, and allergens are trapped clogging the filter and decreasing the efficiency while causing premature failure to your HVAC system.
Standard 1-inch filters should be changed every 1-3 months, more often if you have pets or allergies. Thicker 4-5 inch media filters can last 6-12 months. Here's the simple test: hold your filter up to a light. If you can't see light through it, it's time to change it. A dirty filter restricts airflow, makes your system work harder, increases energy bills, and can cause your furnace to overheat and shut down.
Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to what indoor humidity level is most comfortable. Aside from personal preference, levels of humidity that are too high or low can cause health problems and cause damage to your home.
The sweet spot for indoor humidity in a home is generally between 30 and 50 percent. Too low and you are dealing with dry skin, static electricity, scratchy throats, and wood floors and furniture that start to crack and warp. Too high and you are looking at condensation on your windows, musty smells, and the kind of damp conditions that mold absolutely loves to grow in.
In the winter, your furnace is running hard and the air inside your home gets very dry very fast. That is when a whole home humidifier connected to your HVAC system earns its keep. It adds moisture back into the air automatically as your furnace runs, so you are not waking up every morning feeling like you slept in a desert.
In the summer it flips the other way. Humidity levels outside can get really high around Lake Ontario, and that moisture finds its way into your home. That is where a properly sized and well maintained central air conditioner does double duty. It cools the air and pulls excess moisture out at the same time. If your AC is too big for your home, which happens more often than you would think, it cools things down too fast and shuts off before it has a chance to properly dehumidify. The result is a home that feels cool but still sticky and uncomfortable. If that sounds familiar, it is worth having us take a look at your setup.
This is likely because a dirty filter is the single issue at hand. Your ductwork might have gaps or leaks letting in dust and debris. Your system could also be pulling in air from places it should not be, like your attic or crawl space.
A reliable and local HVAC service in Pickering can do a full inspection of your ventilation system and figure out exactly what is going on. Clean air in your home is not a luxury, it is something every family deserves. Poor indoor air quality is a real issue for a lot of homes in Durham Region, especially older properties near downtown Ajax or in the Pickering Beach area where ductwork has not been touched in decades.
We can run a quick check and balance your system so every room in the house feels the way it should. You paid for a whole house, so the whole house should be comfortable. Uneven heating and cooling is one of the top complaints we hear from homeowners in Ajax-Pickering, and nine times out of ten it is something we can fix without replacing the whole system.