General HVAC News, Tips & Advice

With winter fast approaching, the temperatures are starting to drop, and snow is beginning to fall. The colder it gets outside, the more you’ll have to spend on your heating bills. However, just because gas prices are high and the weather is cold doesn’t mean you can’t save money on your utility bills. 

Minimizing how much your furnace is running is one of the best ways to save money on heating costs this winter. Since we live in Canada and heating obviously isn’t optional, it may make sense to invest in a more efficient heating system or perform general maintenance to help your current system operate more efficiently. 

If you want to stay warm and cozy this winter without spending a fortune on gas, you’ve come to the right place. In addition to not using your furnace or installing a new one, there are plenty of ways to save money this winter…

This article will explore several of the best energy-saving tips. 

Lower the Temperature on Your Thermostat

As we said earlier, the easiest way to save money on heating costs is by turning down the temperature on your thermostat, thereby using your furnace less frequently. Turning down the temperature on your thermostat is also a good way to lessen your carbon footprint because your furnace won’t run as long or often. 

However, the winters can get unbearably cold in Canada, so not using your furnace is only an option during the early and late winter months when temperatures are moderate. 

On average for every degree Celsius you lower your thermostat you can expect to save approximately one to three percent on your heating costs, so it can add up. Even just setting it a few degrees lower and wearing some extra layers can make a difference over the course of the season. 

Lower the Temperature of Your Water Heater 

If lowering the temperature on your furnace isn’t too appealing, you can also try lowering the temperature of your water heater. Water heaters have thermostats that work similarly to your heating system’s thermostat. 

Lowering the temperature slightly on your water heater can help compensate for the extra money you’ll spend running your furnace during winter. 

Lowering your water temperature also reduces the risk of burning yourself or having excessively dry skin during winter. It should never be higher than 49°C or 120°F.

Change Your Furnace Filter Regularly 

Furnaces are complicated heating appliances, and there are many maintenance jobs that require a professional. However, one of the things you can do quite easily is changing your furnace filter. Your furnace filter is responsible for trapping dirt, debris, and other particles from entering your furnace and preventing them from circulating throughout your home. 

However, most furnace filters will only work for one month to one year, depending on the type of filter you have. Eventually, the filter catches so much dirt and debris that it gets clogged up and starts blocking the airflow created by your furnace. 

By simply checking your filter periodically and changing it when necessary, you’ll help your heating system operate more efficiently and use less energy.

This is because the more clogged the filter, the harder the furnace must work to circulate air, thus consuming more energy. 

Try to replace the filter at least once per quarter or even monthly if your home is very dusty or you have pets, or you have a large home for example. In some cases you may be able to vacuum clean your filter in between changing it so you don’t have to replace it as often.

Have Your Furnace Professionally Serviced

While changing your furnace filter is a cinch, there are plenty of furnace maintenance tasks you can’t do unless you have the right tools, training, and experience. 

Therefore, you should consider having your furnace professionally serviced annually, especially if it’s getting older. Also keep in mind that the warranty on some new furnaces may require an annual inspection by a professional in order to maintain full coverage.

Here are some things an HVAC professional will do when servicing your furnace. 

• Check the fan and blower motor. 
• Examine the heat exchanger. 
• Make sure you have the right amount of gas flow. 
• Ensure the wiring and electrical components on your furnace are working correctly. 
• Check your furnace vents for blockages. 
• Change your air filter if necessary. 
• Make sure the burner and lighter are working well on gas furnaces. 

In addition to these tasks, there are many other things an HVAC pro can do that you can’t. They will also advise you whether you should install a new heating system or continue with your existing one. 

So if you want to save money this winter, have your furnace inspected, maintained, and repaired as necessary by a professional.

Have Your Air Ducts Inspected 

While having your furnace inspected, you should also have your air vents and ducts checked. Air flowing through your ducts will sneak out of any crack, hole, or crevice it can find. Because most of your ducts are below your floor or above your ceilings, air that sneaks out of them is lost and wasted because you’re essentially heating an unconditioned area. 

HVAC professionals have special tests they can perform to determine how efficient your ducts are. They can also pinpoint leaks and seal them properly so that you’re utilizing all the hot air your furnace creates. 

There are even services available that are able to seal ductwork from the inside using a special process that doesn’t require direct access to the ductwork itself.

Use Ceiling Fans

While most people are familiar with using ceiling fans to cool things down, few realize you can use them during winter. Hot air rises, so the air near your ceiling is warmer than the air below. 

When a ceiling fan runs in the winter, it takes warm air from the upper part of the room and blows it downward to displace the cool air. It’s a great way to disperse hot air and utilize all the heat created by your furnace.

Install a Smart Thermostat 

Installing a smart thermostat is one of the best ways to regulate the temperature in your home. Smart thermostats will save money because they can adjust temperatures on their own, according to what you prefer. 

For example, if you typically turn your thermostat down at night or while away at work, smart thermostats can learn that behavior and adjust it on its own. Or, you can program it to turn your heating system (and air conditioning, if you have it) on and off with whatever schedule you want.

The best ones have other useful features like allowing you to monitor and adjust the temperature remotely like while away on vacation.

A smart thermostat can potentially save you as much as 10 – 20% or more on your utility bills, and so they can often pay for themselves fairly quickly.

Invest in Efficient Windows 

In terms of efficiency and heat loss, more heat gets lost through inefficient doors and windows than anything else. If your home has old windows, especially single-pane windows, there’s a good chance they’re losing a ton of heat. 

Furthermore, it’s a good idea to check the weather sealing around doors and windows at the beginning of heating season. On a colder evening you may be able to feel a draft with your hand, and you can also visually inspect gaps. 

Some low-cost weather sealing is a quick DIY fix that can make a big impact.

Installing new windows and doors is a significant investment, but it will save you big bucks during winter and summer. After all, a good way to save energy is to not waste the heat you’ve already paid for by allowing it to escape your home too quickly!

You can also consider using cheap weather insulation kits that can be found at most hardware stores. These include a thin plastic film that is sealed around older windows to imitate a double-glazed window. This can make a big difference in its insulation factor.

Have Your Insulation Checked 

Aside from windows and doors, poor insulation is a big cause of losing heat in your home. Heat naturally rises, which means that it can go floating through your ceiling and roof if you don’t adequate insulation to keep it inside. Having your attic insulation checked and replenished can save big bucks on your heating costs this winter; poorly insulated attics can be the main cause of heat loss.

Insulation in your walls is a lot harder to fix if it is not in good shape. But if you are remodeling, make sure that your walls are well insulated.

Close Heating Vents If You’re Not Using Them?

Contrary to what some people think, closing vents and doors to unused rooms and areas in your home is NOT a great way to save money on heating bills… and may in fact cost you more.

Here’s why: The fan on a typical furnace is set to push a certain amount of air through the duct system. Closing off ducts means that the fan has to push the same amount of air through a smaller opening, so it has to work harder. That means it will fail prematurely, along with associated parts like belts and bearings. It could cause other problems too, like increasing duct problems.

So if you try to save money that way, you’ll spend more on repairing your furnace.

That is, unless you have a variable-speed motor on your furnace. A variable-speed or ECM (electronically commutated motor) will adjust the furnace output appropriately to heating needs, although this can still strain your furnace. If the thermostat happens to be in a different room than the one you’re forcing air towards for instance, the furnace will sense the temperature in the other room and work harder to raise the temperature not knowing that the vents are closed to that room.

In short, it’s best to stick to some of the other tips on this list.

Utilize Your Drapes and the Sun

No matter where you are in Canada, the sun will always be a natural source of light and heat. Opening your drapes or curtains during the day allows that natural heat to enter your home like a greenhouse. 

Then, when the sun goes down, you can shut your drapes and trap the heat inside your home. Closing your drapes will also help add a layer of insulation if you have older windows. 

Use Plenty of Blankets and Warm Layers

In addition to all the other things you can do to save money on heating costs, you can also bundle up. Wearing multiple layers, having blankets handy, and wearing socks and slippers inside your home will go a long way toward keeping you warm so that you can turn the temperature down on your thermostat. 

Bundle up and cozy up on the couch with a book or Netflix!

Replace Your Old Furnace With a New One

While each of the ideas on this list is a great way to save money this winter, installing a new furnace is one of the best things you can do to lower your heating costs if you have an older and likely less-efficient furnace. 

New furnaces are more efficient than ever and can often heat your home at a fraction of the cost of older furnaces. The same goes for boilers and other types of heating systems.

Because they’re more efficient, new furnaces allow you to keep your home comfortable without lowering the temperature on your thermostat.

The amount you could save depends on a number of factors. While you may save as much as 40% on your heating bills if you have a very old and inefficient unit, realistically you should expect modest savings, but they can add up over the long term. 

Best of all though, you may be able to offset some of the cost of a new heating system with government heating & air conditioning rebates.

Final Thoughts About How to Save Money on Heating Costs

As you can see, there are many ways to lower your heating costs this winter while staying warm and comfortable. With some discipline, extra clothes and blankets, and a properly maintained heating system, you should have no problem saving money. 

However, if you’re looking for the best way to save money this winter and your furnace has been breaking down more than usual, investing in a new high-efficiency furnace can have many benefits beyond just monetary savings. 

The rise in HVAC prices is being caused by a convergence of global factors. How COVID-19, supply chain bottlenecks, the red hot housing market, the tight labour market, and even war in Ukraine are making HVAC systems more expensive.

Understanding the rise in HVAC system pricing (along with just about everything else)

It’s hard to avoid hearing about the escalating prices of essential goods on a day-to-day basis – whenever the news is on, it seems that runaway inflation and the impact it has on consumers gets mentioned at least once.

While it’s possible to cut back on some discretionary spending to get relief from these types of increases, there are some costs that can’t be avoided – like when your heating breaks in January, or the air conditioning gives out in August.

Many types of raw materials used in construction and manufacturing have been hardest hit by the convergence of factors that are driving prices up. And the Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVAC) sector is no exception. When frustrated Canadians are both waiting longer for their products and paying more when they finally arrive, it can feel like they are being gouged or that the industry is conspiring to squeeze a little more from us.

While simple explanations are the easiest, they’re rarely the most accurate. And that’s definitely the case when it comes to HVAC pricing and understanding the root causes of the recent increases. The reality is that multiple factors are at play, many of them directly related to the hangover from the once-in-a-century global pandemic that we are going through.

If you’re feeling the sticker shock of a recent quote that you received for your home or workplace, it may be helpful to unpack some of what has gone into the price that you saw. And why it’s likely quite a bit higher than the last time you sought out an HVAC service.

For reference, you can see the latest average furnace prices, air conditioner prices, and ductless heat pump prices in Canada.

The Big Picture: What’s Happening?

There is absolutely no question that going back over the past couple of years, HVAC pricing has gone up. This is a trend that’s observable not only in Canada, but all of North America. For example, in the United States:

• Trane Technologies’ announced increases on November 15^th 2021 of up to 12% on selected units for both their commercial and residential blocks of business. This affected many common brands such as Trane®, American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning®, Trane®/Mitsubishi Electric, RunTru®, and Ameristar®. It took effect January 1^st for residential customers and January 15^th for commercial customers. This was in addition to a 6% increase announced in April of 2021 and another 7% on August 9^th – that’s a total of three increases announced in 2021 alone.
• Lennox Industries announced three increases in approximately an 18-month period, starting with a 6% increase on residential and commercial heating and cooling products effective January 1^st, 2021. That was followed not long after by a 6-9% increase that took effect June 1^st, and more recently they announced another 9% increase as of May 2, 2022.
• AAON followed a similar pattern, with a 4% increase of June 1^st, 2021 and another 5% increase three short months later on September 1^st. The end of Q1 2022 saw a larger jump, with prices going up 7% as of March 29^th, 2022.

The story is the same here in Canada. One contractor that we work with has not only experienced delays in getting units shipped to him, but reports that Goodman and Amana have seen prices jump by about 10% over the past two years. Not as bad as some of the increases reported in the US, but that’s probably not a huge consolation to Canadians comparing pricing from several years ago to today.

Breaking Down the Factors

It would be great to point to just one factor driving these HVAC system price increases (after all, a single problem is a lot easier to fix). But with increases happening frequently and across a wide geography it is hardly a surprise that there are a lot of different reasons to consider. Let’s break down a few of the most common ones.

1. Changing Work and Travel Habits

It’s impossible to deny that our habits and patterns of behaviour changed dramatically over the last two years. It’s true many of us are starting to revert to some kind of normal, but the shifts brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic were so widespread and sudden that they were bound to have an impact.

Work-From-Home

With millions of people basically overnight going from spending Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm outside the house at an office or work site to working from their living room, kitchen, bedroom or basement, home comfort came into much sharper focus for many. More time at home meant that people were more particular about being able to reliably control the temperature in their living space.

But it wasn’t just comfort: in the early days of working from home, nervous employees placed a premium on professionalism and their appearances – constantly sweating or shivering on Zoom calls simply wasn’t an option for people who were terrified of losing their jobs at a time of great uncertainty and upheaval. Ironically, the power has now shifted back into the hands of employees, which is a factor driving up HVAC costs that we’ll analyze a bit later.

Stay-cations & Local Travel

Given the onerous requirements of international travel in earlier days of the pandemic, as well as travel advisories that recommended against leaving the country for leisure, local vacation destinations came to see much heavier tourism than they were used to. This meant that a family accustomed to vacationing in Europe for two weeks in the summer may now be staying locally in their home province, or perhaps elsewhere in Canada. And their expectations for their holiday had not changed.

Hotels, motels and other short-term rentals that may have previously had lots of time to manage upkeep and maintenance were under great pressure – breakdowns in heating and cooling systems needed to be repaired more urgently and in greater number than previously, which put a lot of strain on HVAC companies and supply chains.

Supply Chain Bottlenecks

Another impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been bottlenecks in the supply chain. Basically, these bottlenecks create one or more pain points that slow down or outright stop the delivery of both raw materials and finished product on the path from vendor to purchaser or end user.

It’s certainly true that not all of these bottlenecks are caused directly by COVID-19 viral transmission, though workplace infection outbreaks in manufacturing and warehousing settings did not help. But most do in some way or another trace their origins to shifts in consumer and business behaviour related to the pandemic.

Survival of the Fittest (and Richest)

It’s not a surprise that early in a global pandemic of historic proportions cash quickly became King. Vendors who could afford to sometimes were able to pay more to get their goods first. This not only created hiccups and bottlenecks in the delivery of goods to other vendors, but had the ripple effect of driving up prices across the board.

Furthermore, supply chain disruptions and delays led to many companies placing even larger orders for fear of running out of key equipment, and thus contributing to making the situation worse.

An Auto-Crunch

A lot of people are familiar with the difficulty in ordering car parts, and especially new cars. A shortage of semi-conductors is putting tremendous pressure on car manufacturers to meet customer demand. And it is having the spin-off effect described above. This serves to monopolize supply chain links for highly technical materials, like those that go into HVAC products, as well as driving up prices for them.

Global (and Local) Price Pressures

A lot of the factors examined so far hint at the fact that prices for many things have gone up across the board. But beyond behavioural changes, there are more tangible and resources-driven reasons for the increase in prices.

Raw Material Costs – Including Fuel

If you were on a deck one of the past couple of summers, you may have heard someone joke that the property owner could retire from the proceeds of tearing it down and selling the lumber.

In fact, in some rural communities driven by seasonal construction, there were wait times of many months to build items like decks. And if the lumber ever did arrive, it was vastly more costly than even a few short years ago.

In fact, by some statistics, at various times in the recent past commodity prices have been more than 20% higher when comparing year-to-year. That’s a large enough increase that it most definitely factors into the HVAC price increases we have all seen.

And who could forget fuel costs? That feeling of dread that you get approaching the gas station lately is not just hitting your own pocketbook, it’s being felt by manufacturers, shippers, suppliers and tradespeople too. Unfortunately, none of them are in a position to absorb the cost, so it gets passed onto you in the final price that you pay for your HVAC purchase or repair work.

War in Ukraine

Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine is by most estimates the largest military conflict in Europe since the end of the Second World War.

It has infused all kinds of geopolitical complications into the supply chain that are hard to understand and even harder to predict the impact of – from sanctions on certain companies to efforts to divest of Russian oil. There’s no question that conflict in Ukraine has exacerbated the supply and price pressures that may affect – even if only indirectly – HVAC system availability and cost.

Real Estate Wildfire

If it seems like absolutely everything is going up, that’s probably because it is – especially when you’re talking about a white-hot sector like real estate. Despite some signs of cooling in some markets, real estate prices have absolutely run away over the past few years. This has shifted consumer behaviour in a way that directly affects demand for HVAC systems.

Buying & Renovating

One of the consequences of sky high real estate prices is that many buyers can no longer afford to consider buying a home with perfect amenities. For a lot of people it makes sense to buy an older or less maintained property and renovate or upgrade certain parts of it. This means that HVAC systems which may have been neglected by sellers who knew they were likely to be moving soon get replaced by the new owners once they move in. In really hot real estate markets like Toronto, it’s common for buyers to place offers without any conditions (such as a home inspection) – this makes the discovery of big problems, like in the heating or cooling system, more likely and makes fixing them more urgent. When this happens on a large scale, it places strain on the overall HVAC supply chain and causes price pressure.

Staying & Renovating

The flip side of this phenomenon is that some people who were considering moving (and thus maybe neglecting or putting off HVAC system repairs or upgrades) decided that the price of the market is such that they are going to stay put for longer than they initially thought. This means that an HVAC upgrade which seemed optional when they planned to be leaving within months is a lot more important – especially if they realize that the depths of winter or the peak of summer is right around the corner.

The X-Factor: Labour Affects Everything

Another area where costs are increasing almost uniformly across the board is labour, and it touches every part of the HVAC supply chain. Like fuel, labour is something that employers simply cannot do without, and the increases are too steep for them to not be passed on to consumers in some way.

This may benefit you if you have recently changed jobs for higher wages, as many have, but you are probably seeing the consequences of others doing the same in the cost of the goods and services you buy on a day-to-day basis.

There are several pieces to escalating labour costs that are worth considering. First of all, many places are experiencing an overall shortage of workers – this is true across sectors, although the retail and service industries have been hit particularly hard. This in turn requires those employers to offer even more money to fill low-skill roles that previously may have only paid minimum wage, which in turn pushes wages up for higher skill roles – why would someone work with dangerous or heavy machinery when they could make close to the same amount of money doing less demanding work?

You can be certain that the workers who assemble, install and service HVAC systems were not low wage to begin with.

This is another area where COVID-19 plays a significant, though indirect, role. The widespread adoption of work from home has made many people realize that they simply do not want to commute, and won’t work in jobs that may be unsafe or low paying. Many jobs can now be done fully from home – even low-skill call centre or customer service jobs – and those who are determined to find remote work leave a significant gap in the in-person workforce, which their former employers need to pay even more to fill.

Multiple Components Shaping Your HVAC Quote

Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind the next time that you get a quote for an HVAC system is that the cost is made up of multiple components and factors. We have outlined some of them here individually, but to fully understand them in context it is helpful to think about how the HVAC supply chain works from start to finish.

Raw materials are extracted and assembled. Increasing commodity prices as well as a shortage of the highly skilled labour that is capable of doing that work places multiple pressures on this initial part of the supply chain journey. Then, the raw materials are assembled into HVAC parts or complete units, and shipped to large distributors or smaller regional distribution channels.

Delays for specific technical components can slow down the whole process and push up the price of units once they are completed and ready for sale. Then complete units are sold to HVAC contractors, who in turn sell them to the end customer (you). The contractor has already absorbed all of the price increases mentioned earlier, in addition to having their own escalating fuel and labour costs to manage and factor into the final price that they quote for you.

Although I think by now you are starting to see how the larger picture of the HVAC supply chain shapes the price you ultimately pay, there are even more considerations that we haven’t touched on yet. With the price of absolutely everything going up, your HVAC contractor likely has additional in-house costs that are increasing for them which are completely unrelated to the HVAC supply chain process.

Examples could include the price that they pay their in office administrator, who may be demanding higher wages or the flexibility to work from home, or an external marketing contractor whose prices are also going up. Even the cost of the office cleaners and other vendors that your HVAC contracting company uses helps shape the final price that you see.

Supply Chain Explained: How Big Players Make it Harder for Small & Medium Sized Contractors

Nobody is just taking on these price increases out of the goodness of their heart. All of the actors in the HVAC supply chain are thinking about how to minimize their exposure to these pressures and best continue the level of service that their customers expect of them.

One way that this happens is when larger distributors, who have deep commercial relationships and lots of cash to work with, buy up even more units up-front than they would in normal times. This allows them to offer greater predictability to their customers, but makes it even harder for small and medium sized suppliers to fill their orders. This has the effect of increasing wait times for some consumers, and certainly helps to push up prices as the little fish scramble to compete with the big guys.

Heat Waves & Actual Wildfires (Not just the Real Estate Kind!)

Earlier, we talked about the role that urgency plays in exacerbating existing pressures on HVAC prices. Indeed, with more people staying home or vacationing locally, service providers may be getting greater demand and pressure from their existing customers to fill service and repair requests.

But there is another thing that adds considerable time sensitivity to HVAC needs right now – the pace of climate change and the extreme weather events that many parts of North America are seeing. Who could forget the horrific scenes of British Columbia residents in places such as the Okanagan Valley fleeing their homes, flames engulfing the highway behind them?

The wildfires are a symptom of the underlying climate trends that are leading to record-setting heat waves like the ones that hit many parts of Canada and the United States last year. Alberta and British Columbia in particular had unusually hot stretches of weather that led to a massive surge in demand for air conditioning systems, causing shortages and price increases both locally and across the Canadian market.

These record-setting extreme heat events happening in many places causes the demand on cooling systems to swell even higher than it typically does in summer. With many of the other pressures already outlined here still at play, adding in the heat makes for the perfect storm for further price pressures.

With our globally interconnected supply chain, we also have to think about what is happening elsewhere. There were some reports that parts of India reached temperatures of 140 degrees Fahrenheit or 60 degrees Celsius recently. With those kinds of events happening more often and in more places, global HVAC supply chains feel the strain locally.

Looking Ahead – Inflation and HVAC Pricing

Unfortunately for those looking for some clarity as to where HVAC prices may be going over the next little while, unless you happen to own a crystal ball there are few definite answers.

It is clear from the actions and words of central banks that inflation is a problem on governments’ radars – it could soon become an even bigger political problem for politicians, resulting in stronger measures. Interest rate hikes are the most obvious lever available to policy makers, and while they could put a serious damper on housing prices they may yet help to slow down inflation.

A cooler housing market might scare Canadians who have bought homes and investment properties recently, but it can actually positively impact HVAC prices in one main way. With people harder pressed to afford the home they want, and stretching their monthly budgets to make home purchases work, large upgrades to amenities such as HVAC systems may become a secondary priority. This could help to relieve the extreme demand on contractors and suppliers right now.

And while Canadian tourist destinations will always be busy, with many of us slowly returning to more regular global travel, our local attractions like motels, cottages and cabin retreats could face a little bit less pressure than they have over the past two years of limited international travel. This could in turn give suppliers a bit of a chance to catch their breath.

That said, there is no magic solution. Some continued inflation is probably still baked in for the next little while, which means that further HVAC price increases are still possible. Hopefully the factors mentioned above will gradually make those increases become smaller and less frequent.

The bottom line? Next time your HVAC contractor calls with a quote that’s much higher than you expected, catch your breath before responding in haste – remember, they are not any happier about it than you are, and much of it is well beyond their control.

Demand for air conditioning continues to increase in Canada, with the demand tripling in British Columbia alone. But finding an efficient HVAC system is not the end of your worries. You also need to maintain your HVAC system and know when to arrange an HVAC inspection. 

HVAC systems provide the welcome heating and cooling relief households need across Canada and other countries. The global market size continues to increase, last valued at $225 billion to $275 billion due to increasing demand. You can find HVAC systems in different locations, from households to commercial spaces. 

But to maintain your system, you need to know when to schedule HVAC inspections. Read on for the top five HVAC problems that indicate you need to arrange an inspection. 

What Is an HVAC Inspection? 

An HVAC inspection is an evaluation of your system. It helps maintain the efficiency of your heating and cooling system. You want to ensure everything is running efficiently before Canada’s winter and summer seasons hit. You can arrange regular seasonal inspections or book one when you experience HVAC problems.

The inspector will see whether preventive maintenance is needed during an HVAC system inspection, such as replacing the air filter. The inspector will also evaluate the system to make sure it is operating properly, and look for the root causes of any issues you may be experiencing. 

They will bring the equipment and expertise needed to address HVAC problems. The inspection can also identify when you need to replace your system.

The HVAC inspection cost can vary depending on several factors, such as the size of your system, your home, and the HVAC problems. It can range from $150 to $500. 

Warning Signs of HVAC Problems 

HVAC systems can experience a variety of issues. It can be tempting to ignore HVAC problems initially, especially if they seem to be minor, but problems can quickly worsen. If you notice any of these warning signs, it is time to schedule an HVAC inspection. 

1. Unexplained Energy Bill Increases

Some HVAC problems are hard to detect, but your energy bill can give you a clue you need to take action. If you are noticing a steadily increasing energy bill each month or a bill that is much higher than average, it could be due to the HVAC system.

If your HVAC system is switching on and off, it uses more energy. You will also not get the home comfort levels you need.

While there are many reasons why utility bills can increase, if you cannot find another cause, arrange an inspection. 

Regular HVAC inspections also help you reduce utility bills, as they make sure your system will always be running efficiently. Many HVAC problems will cause increased energy bills, including reduced airflow or decreased efficiency due to the age of the system.  

2. Unusual Noises and Smells 

Have you noticed a strange odour around your home? Or is your HVAC system being noisier than usual? Unusual odours are not just an annoyance but can also indicate a problem with your heating and cooling system.

You might hear sounds like rattling, banging, or screeching. There could be loose parts, an issue with the motor, a leak, or another issue that needs fixing.

Smells can also be an indication you need to call a professional. Smells will be unusual, such as a stale or musty smell. This could indicate problems with the condensate drain system. If you smell an electrical or burning smell, shut your system off immediately, as it could be a fire risk.  

3. Change in Airflow 

The airflow is how much air enters and exits your HVAC system. It should be balanced if it is working efficiently, but problems can sometimes change the airflow. Some common air conditioning airflow problems include:

• Buildup of debris on the cooling coils
• Clogged filter 
• Air leaks or disconnected ducts
• Imbalance between ducts sizes due to poor design

Do not ignore this warning sign. Sometimes airflow changes are due to filters needing to be cleaned. However, there could also be a severe blockage due to buildup of dust and dirt on the coils that could cause more damage to your system and higher utility costs if you do not address it. 

Ducts can leak due to various reasons. Animals can damage ducts, creating holes. Joints in ducts can separate, leaving openings where air can escape. Some of these leaks can be hard to find, so you’ll need a professional to evaluate the airflow and see if leaks are a problem.

If your system was poorly designed, there can be airflow issues that will prevent the system from operating with maximum efficiency. If this is found to be the case, it should be corrected so you can get the most out of your investment.

4. Old Age 

How old is your HVAC system? If your system is over eight years old, or you are unsure of its age, ask for an HVAC inspection. Most HVAC units last around ten years or longer if there is regular maintenance.

However, the system is more prone to problems as it ages, so be sure to start scheduling HVAC inspections to make sure you are maintaining it properly to increase its lifespan. 

5. Excess Moisture or Dust

Have you noticed more dust in your living space? You may also be experiencing more allergy symptoms and not know why. More dust in your living space can be due to a dirty HVAC system. 

There are a few reasons why your HVAC system is producing dust. Usually, changing a clogged filter which is not working properly can resolve the problem.

However, other causes such as faulty ductwork or inadequate filtration could also be to blame. It is best to schedule an HVAC inspection, so they can find the root cause of dust before it causes more health issues and dirt in your home.

It is also time to schedule an HVAC inspection if you notice excessive humidity in your home. A system that is not working properly will begin to lose control of humidity levels in your home. There could be several reasons for this, which are causing your system to have reduced efficiency. Your inspection will figure out what the problem is and how to correct it. 

HVAC Inspection Near Me

If you notice any of these warning signs or any other issues with your HVAC system, it is time to schedule an HVAC inspection. Do not ignore the problem because it can quickly worsen, which will cost you more money in the long run.

It is also essential to schedule an HVAC inspection by a qualified expert, as they have the expertise to repair or replace the unit. You could cause more damage or injure yourself if you attempt to figure out the problem. 

Do you need an HVAC inspection? Request free quotes to compare from our local certified HVAC partners.

We also have other resources to keep your HVAC system running at optimum. Sign up for our free membership to get exclusive buying guides and information.

In Canada, there are over 12,200 HVAC contractors working today. While this means you have a lot of choices, it can start to feel overwhelming when you’re browsing your options.

Not only can it be time-consuming to comb through all these companies, but you might not feel confident in your final pick. And in the worst-case scenario, you might end up with someone who overcharges and provides subpar HVAC service. In that case, you’re back at square one with less money in your pocket and a broken HVAC system.

So how can you find an HVAC company that’s best for your needs and budget? Read on to find out!

Ask Your Friends and Family for Recommendations

If you’ve got a social network in the immediate area, take advantage of it. Your friends and family are sure to have run into AC or heater issues before and have required the assistance of a professional.

Ask around to see which HVAC services they found reputable and which companies they recommend you avoid.

You should also take this opportunity to ask them about their personal experiences. This can give you better expectations of individual companies and help you shortlist potential service providers to contact.

Check for Licenses and Insurance

In Canada, HVAC technicians need to be appropriately licensed to operate legally. This means that not only do they need to train for a certain number of hours, but they also need to do an apprenticeship and pass a certification exam.

This is a rigorous process, which means only the cream of the crop receives licensing. Working with a licensed professional means your issues will be diagnosed and fixed fast.

In addition, the HVAC service company should be insured. Skills and experience mean the technicians are adept at their jobs, but it doesn’t guarantee an accident-free experience. Should anything happen, you want the HVAC company taking care of it—not you.

Pick HVAC Companies With Experience

HVAC technicians must accumulate hefty hours of experience before they receive their licenses. But like with any industry, the more real-life expertise they have, the better.

You don’t want to choose an HVAC company that’s still learning the ropes and fumbling with its business operations. Instead, you want to pick a well-established company in your local area.

This ensures that your HVAC problems will be solved promptly and that you’re treated well and billed right. In general, you’ll have a much better overall experience, as established companies will have ironed out all kinks in their business operations.

Make Sure They Have Good Reviews

Being well-established and providing outstanding service go hand-in-hand. However, you’ll still get some businesses that stubbornly stick around for years, even if they mistreat their customers or provide mediocre service.

Having a license, insurance, and years of experience isn’t enough. You need to dig deeper and find out what prior customers are saying.

No business will have 100% positive reviews, so a few bad reviews are expected. But take the time to browse, weigh the good against the bad, and read the comments to get the complete picture.

If you can, sort by most recent reviews and see how they’ve done in the last year or so. If they consistently rate highly for HVAC repair and customer service, that’s a fantastic sign!

Look for Fair Prices

Of course, one of the most important things to look for is pricing. After all, you might find the best HVAC service provider in the area, but if their pricing is unaffordable, they’re of no use to you.

Always request several quotes before you make a final decision. Don’t get excited about (what seems to be) a reasonable price on your first try. Taking the time to ask for a few estimates will be worth it, as you’ll be able to compare and eliminate those with extremely low or high prices.

You can also see how they handle you as a potential customer to get a feel for how they do business.

Also, reputable HVAC companies will always be transparent with their quotes. If anything seems too good to be true, then it probably is.

Unscrupulous companies may give out unbelievably low quotes to reel customers in and then add on hidden fees to drive costs up. Other companies may be vague in their estimates—also a red flag.

Any HVAC provider that doesn’t give you a clear-cut quote should be avoided.

See if They Offer Emergency Services

It’s helpful to choose a local HVAC company that offers emergency services, even if you don’t currently need them. You never know if your boiler will break down or your AC will start making weird noises at 2:00 AM.

When you have an HVAC emergency, you don’t want to take your chances on a provider you’ve never used. When you have one go-to company, you can rest easy knowing that if anything goes wrong, you can rely on them, no matter what time of day or night it is.

Also, the fact that an HVAC company provides emergency services means they understand their customers’ needs and are doing everything they can to be there for them.

Get Excellent HVAC Service Today

Now that you know how to weed out the bad and pick the good, you’re sure to get an HVAC service that meets your needs.

Of course, not every Canadian homeowner has time to research and vet HVAC companies carefully. Fortunately, we at FurnacePrices.ca have done the work for you! We have a curated list of local HVAC contractors with proven track records and stellar reputations.

Get started now by requesting quotes and comparing them. You can get no-obligation estimates, too!