Frequently asked questions

In newer Norwood Park homes the usual cause is the condensate drain. A condensing furnace makes water as it runs, and that water drains through a small plastic line. If the line runs along a cold outside wall or into a cold space, it can freeze or clog, the water backs up and a pressure switch shuts the burner off. Look for water pooled under the furnace, a gurgling sound or a line that feels frozen. Turn the furnace off rather than pulling the line apart, and book a furnace repair.

There is no useful average, because the fault sets the price. A dirty flame sensor or a tripped switch is a short visit. An igniter, a pressure switch or a control board adds parts. An inducer or blower motor is a bigger job, and a cracked heat exchanger usually points to replacement. On older furnaces, parts can be harder to find. The technician finds the fault first and writes the price down for you to approve before any part is fitted. Read what decides the price before you call.

Age alone does not decide it. In the 2016 Census, 235 of the 560 occupied private dwellings in the Norwood population centre were built in 1960 or before. Many of those started on wood or coal and now have an oversized replacement furnace on ducts added later. The technician checks the heat exchanger, the repair history, the ductwork and the chimney, which may need a liner if the water heater is left venting into it alone. Old duct wrap may contain asbestos and is not disturbed without testing. Ask for a repair price and a replacement price side by side on the replacement page.

In older Norwood houses the ducts were often added after the house was built. Runs to upstairs rooms are long, undersized or leaking at the joints, and an oversized furnace heats the basement fast and shuts off before those rooms warm up. Check that every register is open, that furniture is not covering the return grilles and that the filter is clean. The technician measures the airflow, seals the worst joints and looks at return air. Where ducts cannot reach a room, a ductless head can. See heat pumps for that option.

Most gas furnaces have no single reset button. The main control is a switch on or near the furnace that looks like a light switch; turning it off and on restarts the sequence. Some furnaces have manual-reset limit or rollout switches inside the cabinet, and a tripped rollout switch means flame came where it should not. Older oil burners have a red reset button on the burner. Press any reset once only. If the furnace trips again, leave it off and book a furnace repair.

Set the thermostat to cool and a few degrees below room temperature. Check the furnace filter, since a blocked one starves the indoor coil. Check the breaker and the outdoor disconnect. Clear grass, leaves and anything stacked against the outdoor unit. If you see ice on the copper line or the indoor coil, turn the system off and let it thaw before running it again. If the breaker trips a second time, leave it off: that points to a motor, capacitor or compressor fault. Then book an air conditioner repair.

The compressor is the biggest one, followed by a leaking coil, indoor or outdoor. Both involve recovering the refrigerant, replacing the part, pulling a vacuum and recharging the system, so labour runs long. Work is performed by 313A refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics. On an older unit with a failed compressor, replacing the whole system can make more sense than the repair, especially if the old one is sized wrong for the house. The guide on how long central air lasts explains how to weigh it.

It varies with how the unit was installed and kept. A system sized for the house, charged correctly and cleaned every spring runs much longer than one that was oversized or never serviced. Dirty outdoor coils, slow refrigerant leaks and worn capacitors shorten its life, and compressor failure usually ends it. Keep plants and snow piles back from the outdoor unit and change the filter on schedule. The guide on how long central air lasts covers the signs that a unit is near the end.

Every year: the furnace before the heating season and the air conditioner before summer. Many manufacturer warranties expect regular maintenance by a qualified technician, so keep the paperwork. A tune-up covers the burner, flame sensor, igniter, heat exchanger, blower, condensate drain and trap, and the side-wall vents before the January snow. On the cooling side it covers the coils, the electrical parts and the refrigerant pressures. Between visits, check the filter regularly in winter. Book a furnace and AC tune-up.

Go outside and look at the side wall. Newer Norwood homes, including those in Norwood Park, usually have a condensing furnace with two plastic pipes through the wall, and the water heater may vent the same way. Environment Canada's 1981-2010 normals for the Peterborough A station record 40.0 cm of snow in January and snow depths of up to 71 cm in March. A drift over either pipe trips a safety switch and the burner stays off. Clear snow and frost from both pipes by hand, then switch the furnace off and on again. If it still will not light, book a furnace repair.

Under Ontario Regulation 212/01, gas appliances must be installed, serviced and repaired by a registered gas contractor using gas technicians who hold a G1, G2 or G3 ticket. The installation follows the CSA B149.1 Natural Gas and Propane Installation Code. That covers furnaces, water heaters, gas fireplaces and propane units alike. Work is performed by TSSA-certified gas technicians. Before anyone opens the burner compartment in your basement, ask which ticket they hold. To book gas work, use the contact page.

The Ontario Fire Code requires a working carbon monoxide alarm next to each sleeping area in a home with a fuel-burning appliance, a fireplace or an attached garage. In Norwood that takes in most houses: a gas furnace or water heater, a wood stove in an older village home, or a garage built onto a newer one. Press the test button on each alarm and check the replacement date printed on the back. If an alarm sounds, get everyone outside and call the fire department from there. To have the furnace and its venting checked, book seasonal maintenance.

The Ontario Energy Board's list of municipal gas franchises names Enbridge as the gas utility for the Township of Asphodel-Norwood. The utility looks after the supply, the meter and the bill. Everything past the meter, meaning the furnace, the water heater and their venting, is work for a gas contractor. If your home heats with propane instead, the burner is set up differently, so the technician needs to know which fuel you have. Check your bill or the tank before you call, then see the service areas.

The size of the house is only part of it. The price depends on the heat loss of the house, the condition and size of the ducts, the venting route, whether the chimney needs a liner, electrical work for a heat pump or air conditioner, and which rebates apply at the time. A furnace sized to the old unit's label instead of the house often costs more to run. Current rebates are checked before the price is written. Start with the grants and rebates guide.