Month: December 2020

The short answer: choose a furnace installer that is registered with the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA), Ontario’s fuel safety regulator. It should also assess your home in person before quoting, put the scope of work and the warranty in writing, and point you to customers it has worked for in your area. The sections below show you how to check each one.

Why the Installer Matters as Much as the Furnace

Installing a new furnace is a big decision, especially since installation is the single most important variable in how well the new furnace performs.

When you compare furnaces, it’s easy to look only at the equipment and the manufacturer specifications. The problem is that if your installer doesn’t do a proper installation, you may never get the unit’s quoted performance in the first place. Bad installation can quickly turn a top-of-the-line, high-efficiency furnace into a very expensive under-performer.

That’s why install day is the most important day of your new furnace’s life, and why it pays to be particular about who you hire.

So how do you know you’ve found the best installation company? There is no single test. Making sure the company and its workers are licensed professionals is an important first step, but a licence on its own does not guarantee quality workmanship or thoroughness. Instead, look at a combination of things, seen mostly in the way the company behaves.

First, Confirm the Company Is Registered

In Ontario, work on gas furnaces is regulated. TSSA says only TSSA-registered fuels contractors can legally do fuels-related work in the province, and it publishes a searchable list of registered fuels contractors where you can find or verify a company’s registration. TSSA also certifies the technicians who install and service this equipment, so it’s reasonable to ask which certified technician will do your job.

Furnace King Home Services (2587905 Ontario Inc.) is on that list as a TSSA registered fuels contractor, registration number 000298169, for natural gas and liquid propane. You can look us up the same way you would check any other company.

A registration check takes a few minutes and tells you whether the company is registered with TSSA, though TSSA notes that its list is not an endorsement or referral. It doesn’t tell you how a company treats its customers, which is what the five tips below are for.

5 Tips: Questions to Ask Before You Hire a Furnace Installer

1. Do they give quotes over the phone?

A trustworthy installer won’t give you a firm price without seeing your home. Many homeowners like the convenience of a quick quote over the phone, but nobody can know what a job will really cost without visiting the property. Some companies will tell you a number you want to hear, and then on install day the price creeps up as complications appear, or corners get cut to hit the price promised over the phone.

TSSA’s qualified contractor checklist, which draws on red flags highlighted by the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI), says qualified contractors won’t quote prices over the phone without first assessing your job on site. It also reminds homeowners that the lowest price isn’t always the best value, which is why you shouldn’t simply choose the lowest bidder.

A quality installer will visit your property, assess what your home needs and then present you with options to reach your goals. They will also explain your new heating system so you understand how it operates.

2. Do they guarantee their work?

Most furnaces come with manufacturer warranties that cover faulty parts, but those warranties don’t cover problems with the installation. You can run into trouble with a furnace when nothing is wrong with the equipment itself, and then it’s up to the installer, not the manufacturer, to make it right. Without a guarantee, you could be left paying for repairs if your installer decides it’s not their problem.

A good installation company guarantees its work above and beyond the manufacturer’s warranty, and puts that guarantee in writing. A guarantee shows confidence in the workmanship and tells you the company will still be there after install day.

3. What have their past customers said about them?

Look for testimonials from satisfied customers, and check review sites such as HomeStars and Google where customers can leave honest reviews, good or bad. The checklist adds that qualified contractors will be happy to offer the names and addresses of customers they have worked for in your area.

It’s a good sign when customers go out of their way to say good things. A company that stays visible on sites where bad reviews are possible is showing confidence in its ability to keep customers happy.

4. Are they available when you need them?

If something goes wrong, can you reach them? A company with 24/7 emergency service gives you peace of mind after a furnace installation, because you know you can get help with a problem even outside regular office hours. It’s even better when real people answer the phone around the clock, rather than an automated service.

Also ask for a full business address and telephone number where the company can be reached. That checklist lists this among the signs of a qualified contractor.

5. Do you feel comfortable with them?

There’s a lot to be said for gut feelings. If a company has been to your home for an assessment, ask yourself, “Do I trust them?” People are generally good at spotting when someone is being insincere. If you don’t feel confident that they’ll deliver what they promise, they aren’t the right fit for you.

Red Flags When Hiring a Furnace Installer in Ontario

Beyond the five tips, watch for these warning signs:

• An unsolicited door-to-door offer. Under Ontario’s Consumer Protection Act rules, furnaces and air conditioners, among other home comfort products, can’t be offered or sold at your home unless you initiated the transaction, for example by calling a business and asking it to visit. There are some exceptions, such as when you already have a contract with the business. The Ontario government explains the rules on its page about door-to-door sales and home service contracts.
• A large cash advance before any equipment arrives. The TSSA checklist says qualified contractors don’t request large cash advances before delivering equipment or materials.
• Signing on the spot. If you sign a furnace contract at your home, Ontario’s Consumer Protection Act gives you a 10-day cooling-off period, starting the day you receive a written copy of the agreement, to cancel for any reason. You may still owe some costs if you asked for the equipment to be installed before the 10 days are over, so read the contract first.
• A quote that is vague about the work. If you can’t tell which equipment, labour and warranty are included, ask for it in writing before you decide.

What a Good Furnace Installation Quote Should Spell Out

Whoever you choose, ask for a written quote after an in-home assessment. It should cover:

• The make, model and efficiency rating of the furnace being installed
• The full scope of work, including venting, gas and electrical connections, the thermostat and removal of the old furnace
• Any ductwork changes the assessment found necessary
• Parts and labour warranty terms, in writing and separate from the manufacturer’s warranty
• The total price and the payment schedule

Comparing two or three quotes line by line is the easiest way to see why one costs less than another. Sometimes the cheaper quote simply leaves something out.

Talk to Furnace King About Your Furnace Replacement

If you’re replacing a furnace, start with our new and replacement furnaces page, or see the full range of heating services we offer. We install furnaces for homeowners across Mississauga, Etobicoke, Brampton and Oakville. Planning a budget first? Our HVAC cost estimator gives you a starting range before you book an in-home quote.

Furnace King is a heating and cooling company with over 40 years of experience, always putting customers first. We provide the information and quote at no cost. Call us at (905) 564-5464 or contact us online, and a member of our friendly team will get in touch.

It’s getting colder by the day in the Greater Toronto Area and the mercury has been dropping below zero with increasing frequency, especially at night.

If it has been a while since the last time you had a professional, licensed technician give your furnace the attention it needs, you may be in for a very cold, very uncomfortable experience this winter.

Because furnaces are running for almost half the year in Toronto, they need to be maintained and tuned up regularly or else they could fail when you need them most. There’s nothing worse than having your furnace die in the dead of winter and having to bare the freezing cold while having it replaced.

Add on top of that the risk of freezing pipes and you can see how waiting until the freezing winter to replace your furnace quickly goes from something you can take your time with to make the right choice, to a stressful emergency.

If your furnace isn’t performing like the day it was installed, or if you’ve noticed particular problems with it, now is the best time to make sure it will be able to handle the coming cold.

We’ve already talked about choosing the right contractor, and a professional, trustworthy furnace technician will be able to recommend whether or not your furnace needs to be replaced.

Now, before it gets too cold, is the best time to make sure your furnace can keep you warm this winter, because if you don’t ask your furnace if it has another winter in it, you can be sure it will let you know.

Furnace King is a heating and cooling company with over 40 years of always putting customers first.

Call us today for a no cost, no obligation free Home Comfort Survey at (905)564-5464
or Click Here to have a member of our friendly team contact you.