Ductworks
Furnaces
Heating & Air Conditioning LTD.
As a Central Okanagan resident, furnaces are a very important part of your home. Furnaces provide your home with sufficient heat to keep you and your family comfortable. You can install your furnace in an attic, crawlspace, or mechanical room. View the Contents section to see what this page has to offer.
Contents
Furnaces
Goodman GM9C96
Goodman GMVC96
York TM9V
York YP9C
Furnace Recommended Service
You should have your furnace serviced once a year. We offer a loyalty plan that will do that for you! Click “Learn More” to see what our Loyalty Plan has to offer.
Filter
How often should I change my filter on my Furnace?
3 months is a good rule of thumb; however, this may vary due to several factors (See Below).
1. Filter Size
Standard filters are usually 1″ thick so if yours is thicker (~4″) you won’t need to change it as often.
2. Pets
Pets are a big factor when it comes to your filter. You may need to change your filter closer to every 2 months depending on how many pets you have and how much hair they shed.
3. Air Quality
If you have high pollution where you live, it will affect your filter.
4. New Build
If you just built your home or did renovations sawdust, drywall dust & anything else used will most likely end up in your filter.
5. Size of Your House
This might seem obvious but the larger your house the more areas there is for your HVAC system to collect dust, pollen, lint, hair, etc..
How do I change my filter?
1. Turn Off Furnace Switch
Find the furnace switch and turn it to the off position so air does not blow when the filter is out. Can’t find the switch? Your furnace switch should be labeled but if its not it can vary well look just like a normal light switch (See image 1 and 2 in potential issues).
2. Locate Filter Location
After the furnace is turned off you need to locate your filter. It will be between your return air duct going into your furnace and the furnace itself. Once you found it you will need to open the door (Usually a metal piece you slide open) to get access to the filter.
3. Switch Filter
Makes sure your filter is the same size as your old one. Your filter should fit perfectly there should be no gaps. When inserting the new filter find the arrow on the top of the filter. The arrow should be pointing towards the furnace (The arrow shows what way the air will flow).
4. Turn On Furnace Switch
Once the new filter is in put the door back on and turn on your furnace.
Potential Furnace Issues & Fixes
Furnace Switch
All Furnaces are connected to a switch, most should be labeled however some look just like a light switch (See Image 1 & 2).
Image 1
Image 2
1. No Noise
This might seem obvious but if you hear no noise coming from your furnace and it is not coming on when it should be odds are the switch was turned off.
2. No Power to your Thermostat
This isn’t always an indicator as some thermostats have back-up batteries; however, most thermostats main power comes from the furnace, so if the furnace is turned off so is the thermostat.
3. No Heat
If you notice your temperature below what your house is set at the first thing to check is if the furnace is on.
4. No Cooling
Your furnace still needs to be turned on to cool your house. So if your temperature is above what your house is set at make sure your furnace switch isn’t off.
NOTE: The switch is always the first thing to check; however, if your furnace is on and you are still having issues see below (Dirty Filter).
Dirty Filter
In order for you to understand the causes of the issues listed below you must first understand how your furnace works. When your furnace turns on it ignites a flame and turns on the fan. The fan pulls air from your house through the filter then pushes it through the flame distributing the treated air throughout your house. If your filter is dirty it blocks the air flow restricting how much air it can push into your duct.
NOTE: Turn the furnace switch off before changing your filter so air doesn’t blow when the filter is removed.
Clean Filter
Dirty Filter
1. Low Air Flow
If you put your hand over a floor register and don’t feel a strong flow of air coming out while your furnace is running its most likely being restricted from a dirty filter.
2. Furnace Turning On Then Off
When your furnace turns off really fast after it turned on it could be an internal safety switch tuning itself off when the duct gets to hot. When there is little air flow the flame can cause the duct to overheat because there is no air to transfer the heat to so it transfers to the duct itself.
3. Burning Smell
A burning smell is an indicator the furnace isn’t getting the appropriate amount of airflow.
4. Higher Gas Bill
The less airflow the less conditioned air is getting distributed throughout your home resulting in you furnace to run longer. Usually you’ll notice one of the other 3 indicators before you see it on your bill.
NOTE: If changing your filter did not solve your issue you need to call a professional right away.
Contact
- P: (250) 765-8854
- E: info@ductworks.ca
Office Hours
- Monday to Friday: 8:30am - 4:30pm
- Saturday & Sunday: Closed
