Boiler systems provide us with the daily comforts that we often take for granted. In fact, the only time most property owners even give their boiler system a second thought is when something goes wrong and it needs to be repaired or replaced.
At a certain point, the cost of repairing the same boiler system over and over just gets to be too much and can even exceed the cost of simply getting a new boiler. How can you determine if replacing a boiler versus repairing it is the logical choice?
There are eight telltale signs that indicate whether it’s time to say out with the old and in with the new. Keep reading!
If you’re boiler is more than 10-15 years old, then it’s most likely time to swap it out for a newer and younger model.
That’s the average age range for a standard boiler system. Of course, there are a number of factors that can impact the quality of its performance and longevity. Everything from the quality of the make, the brand, maintenance, and frequency of use can impact your boiler’s performance over time.
If you use your boiler frequently and it’s getting up there in age, be sure to keep a close eye on its performance quality and maintain it regularly.
A fully functional boiler system shouldn’t need more than a few seconds to heat up water. It should be reliable enough to provide you with consistently warm or hot water throughout your home.
If your boiler takes longer than a few seconds to heat up water in various parts of your home, then you need to assess its performance. A brand new boiler may need some maintenance work, but an older model that’s been fixed a few times over the years might be on its last legs.
Boiler systems are typically silent and don’t make noise unless there’s something wrong internally. To diagnose the issue, you need to identify the type of noise your boiler system is making.
Gurgling noises usually indicate that the water pressure being released may be too low. This is an easy fix that requires you to adjust the pressure gauge or manometer to the appropriate level until the noise stops.
A loud rumbling sound, on the other hand, most likely indicates that the boiler is kittling. This happens as a result of mineral deposit buildup caused by hard water running through the boiler over a number of years. Your best course of action is to shut the boiler off and schedule an appointment with an HVAC professional, so they can diagnose the problem and offer an appropriate solution.
A leaking boiler can lead to a wide range of costly and potentially hazardous issues throughout your home. Water leaking from your boiler system can damage your flooring and surrounding fixtures, not to mention the fact that contact with electrical outlets can short circuit your property and even start a fire.
Carbon monoxide leaks, which can be fatal, are also commonly caused by malfunctioning leaky boiler systems. It’s important to identify the cause of the leak and deal with the situation immediately. Fixing a leaking boiler system can be expensive, so it’s usually a better idea to just replace it altogether. If you notice water leaking from your boiler system, call an HVAC specialist right away to examine your unit.
Boiler repair costs can quickly add up over time. Eventually the cost of repairing your boiler system will far exceed the cost of just replacing it with a newer and more advanced model.
Occasional repairs and part replacements are perfectly normal and to be expected throughout the lifespan of your boiler system. But if you’re forced to schedule servicing at least once a week, then your boiler system needs replacement immediately.
Have you noticed a large inexplicable increase in your energy bills lately? It may be time to check on your boiler system to see if it’s working properly. Naturally, your boiler system will exhibit some signs of wear and tear, but these should be easily manageable with routine maintenance and service checkups.
The functionality of your boiler system will decrease over time and you’ll start to notice that it takes a lot longer for water to heat up or that the heat distribution throughout your home is uneven. Newer boiler systems are far more energy-efficient than older units. Lower energy consumption will significantly reduce your monthly utility payments and end up saving you some money in the long run.
The older your home is, the harder it has to work to properly heat your home. If you’re starting to notice an increasing number of cold spots throughout your home or that the water in certain parts of the house doesn’t warm up fast enough, then this is a major sign that you need a boiler system replacement.
Uneven heat distribution throughout your home not only increases your utility bill every month, but it can also make you feel uncomfortable in your own home, which isn’t ideal since many of us are currently under lockdown due to COVID-19.
Some boiler systems have pilot lights. Typically, the pilot light should burn blue to indicate that the unit is in good working condition and that it has a sufficient oxygen supply to heat up the water and air in your home.
A yellow pilot light, however, usually spells trouble. There are a few reasons why the pilot light could turn yellow. It could be that the intake valve is blocked by debris or dust in which case you simply need to clean it out or replace it. Once you do that, check again to see if the light turns back to blue.
If it stays yellow, then this means you mostly have a more serious issue like a carbon monoxide leak in your home. A telltale indication of this is if you find black soot around the unit. If this is the case, then turn the boiler system off immediately and contact an HVAC professional to take a look at it.
Trust the HVAC experts at MDM Mechanical for all of your boiler installation, repair, and maintenance needs in Toronto and the GTA. We’re a family-owned and operated business that takes pride in providing high-quality services for all of our clients. Contact us today to book a consultation.
Winter is coming and that means it’s time to start thinking about furnace maintenance for your property. Here are some helpful furnace maintenance tips to help you and your family stay warm and safe this winter.
Make sure your furnace is properly maintained throughout the year to avoid problems and breakdowns when you need it the most. Take on a proactive approach to furnace maintenance, so that you can prevent future problems and spot potential malfunctions early. Furnace repairs are a lot cheaper than full unit replacements.
Late fall to early winter is the perfect time to test out your furnace’s thermostat. Start by turning it on and then changing the setting from cooling to heating. Next, set the temperature one or two degrees higher than the current room temperature and wait a few minutes for the heat to circulate. If you don’t hear it after a few minutes, then you need to check that the wire connections are in place and working properly. If you’re not comfortable doing this yourself, then you should contact a qualified furnace maintenance expert in your area.
Air filters are located inside your furnace to maintain the air quality of your home. These need to be replaced or cleaned every few months to extend the lifespan of your unit. Permanent electrostatic filters can simply be removed, washed manually, and then placed back inside your furnace. This ensures a healthy and safe air quality for you and your family all year long.
Take the time to inspect your furnace for any visible signs of damages or system failures. Additionally, you should hire a furnace expert to examine your unit at least once every six months to ensure everything is running smoothly and in proper working order.
A professional furnace maintenance technician will be able to immediately spot unit and service abnormalities, diagnose any problems, and recommend appropriate repair and maintenance solutions. HVAC and furnace professionals have a standard maintenance checklist that they refer to on every job and they have in-depth knowledge of various models and their working capacities.
At least once a year, your furnace’s heat exchanger needs to be vacuumed and cleaned to ensure optimal performance at all times. If you’re not comfortable disabling your furnace and cleaning the heat exchanger yourself, then ask a qualified technician to do it for you during one of your annual professional inspections. While they’re at it, they can also check for cracks and other damages that can lead to dangerous carbon monoxide leaks.
If you’re looking for professional furnace repairs and maintenance in York Region, then you can depend on the experienced heating and cooling technicians at MDM Mechanical. As a family-operated business, we understand your desire to keep your loved ones safe and warm this winter. Contact us today to book a professional furnace inspection.
Regardless of the time of year, routine boiler maintenance is necessary. It can help keep your boiler system in excellent working condition for a longer period of time and ensures that you’re getting the best possible value out of your heating system year-round. Boiler maintenance and repairs are especially important during the fall season to help prepare for harsh and cold weather conditions to come in winter. The last thing you want to happen is to have your boiler system break down on you in the middle of an icy, snowy, freezing winter climate.
Boiler maintenance in winter also ensures that you and your family can stay warm and comfortable during the coldest time of the year.
Your boiler system works hard to keep you and your family warm and comfortable during the winter months. It’s important that you take good care of it as well. Here are a few benefits of administering professional boiler repair and maintenance in winter.
Think of boiler maintenance in winter as a worthwhile preventative measure that’s meant to keep your heating system up and running during the coldest time of year. Boiler system maintenance entails checking for small damages and making necessary adjustments to boost efficiency. It’s a lot cheaper to invest in maintenance than boiler repairs. Plus, the more efficient your boiler system is, the less it has to work to heat your home and that can save you a lot of money on your heating bill every month.
Simply put, the more you take care of your boiler system, the longer it’ll last and the better it can take care of you and your family. Replacing or repairing your boiler system is a huge investment and it’s not something you’re going to want to do often. So take care of the one you have by hiring an HVAC professional to inspect it on a regular basis.
Tying into the previous point, routine boiler maintenance helps you identify potential or minor problems with your boiler system early on before they develop into larger, fully fledged issues that can hinder optimal performance or cause it to breakdown. Hiring an HVAC professional to inspect your boiler system at least once a year or every six months ensures that all potential issues are identified and addressed quickly and conveniently. HVAC professionals will also take the time to make specific recommendations based on the age and model of your system as well as your usage patterns. And, they’ll clean out the oil burner and heat exchanger to guarantee your safety and comfort.
Trust the HVAC experts at MDM Mechanical to look after your boiler system for you and make appropriate system, repair, and part replacement recommendations as needed. As a family-owned and operated business, we take the health, safety, and comfort of our customers very seriously. Contact us today to book a consultation with one of our skilled technicians in Toronto and the GTA!
Commercial energy consumption and costs can quickly add up if it’s not managed properly. Recording and tracking your commercial energy consumption helps you identify usage patterns, notice areas where energy consumption can be reduced, and maximize your budget for the long haul. Managing your commercial energy consumption also helps you control your organization’s environmental impact, which can help create a more positive public brand image.
Commercial energy management is the system you use to record, track, and control your energy usage. The point of this system is to allow organizations to take accountability for their level of energy consumption and effectively reduce it as much as possible without negatively impacting business practices.
In fact, managing commercial energy can help you improve business practices and public relations by actively demonstrating your organization’s commitment to advocating for a more environmentally friendly future.
Commercial energy management is an important part of running your business because it directly impacts your operations and your finances in the following ways:
Tracking and analyzing how much energy your business uses within any given period of time makes it easier to recognize wasteful patterns and correct them. For instance, some stores keep their lights and thermostats on even when they’re closed. This can increase energy waste and costs significantly. As a business owner with countless responsibilities, sometimes you have to delegate tasks to your employees. If a closing shift employee accidentally leaves a light on all night, then this can impact your energy consumption and increase costs.
The importance of installing a high-end commercial energy management system, though, is that it can automatically detect when certain energy sources were accidentally left on by analyzing past data. It also allows you to remotely control the system and turn off appliances, lights, and other energy-using technology.
State-of-the-art commercial energy management systems are equipped with a variety of built-in safety features that can detect a number of potentially dangerous situations. Chemical leaks, electrical damages, cross wires, and internal climate issues are just some of the dangers that can be detected by a commercial energy management system. The system will alert you any time something out of the ordinary happens, so that you can quickly look into it.
Staying on top of your organization’s energy consumption and managing your mechanical systems properly means that they won’t need as much maintenance or repair. Commercial energy management systems are designed to control the amount of energy used by mechanical equipment such as electrical breakers and appliances, so that you don’t have to worry about overheating or wear and tear as much.
When it comes to the importance of commercial energy management, MDM Mechanical are the experts. We’re a family-owned and operated commercial and residential mechanical services company that serves all of Toronto and the GTA. Our motto is “there’s no shortcut to quality” and we stand by it. Contact us today to learn more about our mechanical services.
A broken or malfunctioning commercial boiler system can cause a lot of potential problems and disruptions for your business. Whether you rely on hot water to heat an entire office building, to run your commercial dry cleaning and laundry service, or you offer professional cleaning services, it’s important to ensure that your commercial boiler system is always in tiptop condition. Routine maintenance and fixing minor commercial boiler issues before they progress into worse problems is the best way to do this.
Commercial boilers, for the most part, are very well constructed and capable of handling large water loads. But with that said they can still break down if something goes wrong. Here are six of the most common commercial boiler problems you should be aware of so that you know how to fix them and can take preventative measures.
Low or no heat production can be caused by a number of potential commercial boiler problems, ranging from minor to significant. On the less serious side, low or no heat production could be the result of dirty burners that block sufficient amounts of heat from getting through. For your own safety and convenience, it’s important to check your boiler’s burners on a regular basis and ensure that they’re cleaned frequently. Dust and debris that get trapped in the burners can pose a serious fire hazard.
Other potential causes may include a faulty ignition, broken or inaccurate thermostat, a broken pump, or a safety switch that’s causing automatic turnoff. Regardless of the type of commercial boiler problem you’re experiencing, there’s no way to know for sure what’s causing it until you call an expert to come and take a look.
No matter what they are, leaking fluids from your commercial boiler system are never a good sign. Water that’s leaking directly from your boiler tank is a guaranteed sign that the inside of your boiler tank is most likely severely corroded. If this is the case, then the only solution is to replace the hot water tank completely. Unfortunately, this isn’t the most cost-effective solution, but it’s the only feasible one.
Less serious reasons for water leaks could be condensation (which is normal) or a broken pressure relief valve or expansion tank. Luckily, these commercial boiler problems can be repaired fairly cost-efficiently.
Sometimes, you might notice that your boiler system is distributing heat unevenly throughout your workplace. Certain areas might have noticeable cold spots while other areas might be unnecessarily or unbearably warm. Uneven heat production and distribution can very likely be corrected by simply adjusting the settings of the zone control systems in each area.
The necessary settings of the zone control system will vary depending on the layout, design, and additional features of your workplace. For instance, if one section of your office space is carpeted but other sections have hardwood flooring, then the zone control systems in each location should be adjusted accordingly. Carpeted environments typically require less heat than non-carpeted areas.
Steam leakage is one of the primary causes of low or loss of system pressure. Over time the more steam your boiler loses, the more inconsistent the water pressure and heat distribution system will be. Low or loss of pressure can also be an indicator of a faulty or damaged feed pump or steam trap, so be sure to check those on a regular basis as well.
If your boiler sounds like a whistling kettle or like someone is pounding their fists against its interior, then you could have a serious problem on your hands. Strange noises like these indicate one of two things:
Both scenarios force your commercial boiler system to work much harder than it needs to and can eventually lead to internal pressure buildup over time. Make sure the gas pressure, gas piping, air intake, and exhaust are working properly to prevent potentially cost-prohibitive damages and repairs.
There are several reasons your boiler system may automatically shut off seemingly by itself. It could be that the thermostat isn’t working properly and giving inaccurate temperature readings or that it’s entirely broken and simply won’t give any readings at all. Another reason could be due to a significant loss of air pressure, a damaged pump, or blockages in the vale.
If your boiler system is shutting off on its own or simply won’t turn on in the first place, then you should schedule a service appointment with an experienced HVAC and heating system expert to identify and fix the problem.
Your business, your employees, and your customers all rely on your commercial boiler system to maintain their warmth and comfort throughout the year. To that end, it’s important that you do everything you can to keep your boiler system operating smoothly and efficiently at all times. Plus, taking care of your boiler system will save you money in the long run. Here are a few ways to prevent commercial boiler issues for your business.
These are all simple, but crucial preventative steps you can take to keep your boiler system operational for as long as possible without having to replace it. Of course, as the years wear on, certain parts will need to be repaired or replaced and your system will need to be properly cleaned on a regular basis to prevent fire hazards, but the cost of maintenance and repairs is insignificant when you look at the cost of purchasing and installing a whole new boiler.
At MDM Mechanical, we take great pride in providing top-quality boiler maintenance and repair services to our clients across Toronto and the GTA. As a family-owned and operated business, we’re the very definition of friendly and reliable service that you can count on. Book your consultation today!
Winter is still a few weeks away, but many parts of Ontario including Toronto and the GTA have already begun to experience lots of snow and frigid temperatures. While most dwellings are equipped with furnaces to keep our interiors toasty and warm, not all furnaces are created equal. As a homeowner, you may have a single-stage, two-stage, or variable capacity furnace to heat your home.
What’s the difference between a single stage furnace, a two-stage furnace, and a variable furnace? How do you know which one is more energy- and cost-efficient for your home?
Keep reading for cost, performance, and compatibility comparisons between all three types of furnaces. Just be aware that these varieties only apply to gas furnaces, so if you have an oil or electric unit, then this might not apply to you.
Single-stage furnaces are designed to heat your home during the absolute coldest months of the year in your region. As a result, they typically run at the highest possible capacity whenever they’re in operation, regardless of what the temperature and whether is like outside. The reason they’re called single-stage furnaces is because they only have one setting when in operation. One of the few benefits of a single-stage furnace is that the upfront cost is comparably lower than two-stage or variable furnaces.
Since single stage furnaces only have one setting, they don’t distribute heat evenly throughout your home which means that you’ll notice a lot of cold and very warm spots throughout your home. Not only does this impact your monthly energy bills because your furnace is constantly running at full capacity, but it also affects your comfort level throughout your home.
Single-stage furnaces are now becoming obsolete and the government is requiring homeowners to install furnaces with 95% efficiency or higher.
Two-stage furnaces are the opposite of their single-stage counterparts in that they feature two settings instead of one. That means they don’t automatically always operate at full capacity. As the name indicates, two-stage furnaces have two heating outputs: high and low. The high setting is appropriate for extremely cold temperatures and climates, whereas the low setting is used for milder temperatures, such as early autumn days.
Considering the two-stage heating system typically runs at the lower capacity of about 70-80% in most households—depending on how cold it gets in your geographical region, of course—it’s usually classified as the more cost- and energy-efficient option of the two. The low capacity allows many homeowners to keep their two-stage furnaces running for a longer period (usually early October-late April) and they also provide more even heat distribution than single-stage furnaces. Depending on your needs, the benefits of a two-stage furnace outweigh those of a single-stage furnace.
A variable capacity (also known as variable speed) furnace is arguably the most versatile option out of the three. Variable capacity furnaces feature a strong indoor blower motor which can operate at multiple settings and be adjusted according to your specific needs rather than only producing single or dual speeds. Therefore, variable capacity furnaces can more accurately control heat and distribute it evenly throughout your home.
Variable capacity furnaces also have the ability to automatically adjust the blower settings based on certain factors in your home that may restrict air flow, including dirty filters, the location of your furnace, the design of your ductwork, etc.
Not only do variable capacity furnaces provide a more consistent temperature throughout your home to eliminate cold spots and automatically adjust according to the temperature of the house, but the blower motor will still function even when the furnace itself is turned off. Effectively, what this does is it continues to improve the air quality and circulate clean air throughout your home, which reduces the amount of dust and allergens that you and your family breathe in.
Here’s a brief comparison chart of the three furnace options:
| Type of Furnace | Cost | Efficiency | Maintenance | Repair Cost |
| Single-stage furnace | From $2,800 to $4,000 pending BTU input and difficulty of job | Not very efficient
|
Annually | Relatively low due to less efficiency
|
| Two-stage furnace | From $3,000 to $6,000 pending BTU input and difficulty of job
|
About 95-97% efficient depending on the capacity | Annually | More expensive than single-stage furnaces due to more intricate parts |
| Variable capacity furnace | From $3,500 to $8,000 pending BTU input and difficulty of job | 95-98% efficient | Annually | Costs the most due to the high-tech parts |
The answer to this question is simple. Single-stage furnaces have a much lower upfront cost—and that’s pretty much where the advantages end.
Single-stage furnaces are only ideal for homeowners who are looking to save money on purchasing a furnace or who aren’t planning on spending much time in their homes. So, is a single-stage furnace a good investment? That depends on what you’re looking for and what you can afford to spend.
You’re better off spending a little extra money on the upfront and installation costs of purchasing a two-stage or variable furnace to heat your home. Two-stage and variable capacity furnaces have the capability of increasing your comfort level throughout your home by distributing the heat as evenly as possible throughout every room and you can adjust the temperature according to your preferences.
Between the low-end single-stage furnace and the high-end variable capacity furnace, a two-stage furnace is a perfectly moderate compromise in that it gives you the best of both worlds.
MDM Mechanical is a family-owned and operated furnace installation, maintenance, and repair company that provides high-quality heating and cooling services throughout Toronto and the GTA. We’re committed to providing our customers with the best possible service according to their needs. Contact us today to book a consultation with one of our specialists.
