Frequently asked questions

In the newer streets around Fall Fair Way, Fletcher Road and Binhaven Blvd, most furnaces are high-efficiency models that draw air in and exhaust it through two plastic pipes in the side wall. When drifting snow covers those pipes, the furnace shuts itself off as a safety step. That is usually all it is. Go outside, clear the snow from both pipes by hand, then turn the furnace switch off and back on. If it still will not light, or the pipes keep icing over, leave it off and book a furnace repair visit.

Mid-century houses along Binbrook Road usually have a mid-efficiency gas furnace venting up the chimney, and many of those furnaces are near the end of their life. In the oldest village core houses near Highway 56, the chimney may date from oil or coal days and may never have been relined, and an old oil tank is sometimes still in place. Common findings are worn heat exchangers, venting that is the wrong size and ducts that are too small. None of this means trouble tonight. Note the furnace's age from its label, and read how long a furnace lasts.

In the tighter houses built around Fall Fair Way and Fletcher Road, the furnace is sometimes larger than the house needs. An oversized furnace heats quickly, shuts off and starts again soon after, which leaves rooms uneven and wears the parts harder. A dirty filter or closed registers can cause similar swings. Start with the simple things: change the filter, open every register and make sure the thermostat is not near a heat source. If the swings continue, sizing may be the cause, which matters most at replacement time. See furnace installation and replacement.

Usually the fan is running but the burners have not lit, or have shut off. Check that the thermostat is set to heat and the fan to auto, because the 'on' setting moves air whether the furnace is heating or not. A very dirty filter can make the furnace overheat and shut the burners down while the fan keeps going. On a high-efficiency furnace, a blocked condensate drain or snow over the side-wall vents does the same. If those look fine, the igniter, flame sensor or gas supply are next, and those are for a technician. More in our guide on why a furnace blows cold air.

Start with the thermostat: set it to heat, a few degrees above room temperature, and replace the batteries if it uses them. Then check the furnace power switch, which looks like a light switch near the unit, and the breaker. Make sure the front panel is seated properly, since a loose panel stops the furnace. Turning the switch off for a moment and back on restarts the control sequence, and trying that once is fine. If it still does not start, or starts and stops repeatedly, leave it off. Common causes such as a failed igniter or pressure switch are for a furnace repair visit.

It depends on what has failed and whether the part is on hand. Common faults such as a dirty flame sensor, a failed igniter or a pressure switch are often fixed on the first visit. Larger parts, such as a control board, inducer motor or blower motor, may need to be ordered for your model, and the technician will explain what can be done in the meantime. A cracked heat exchanger is different: the furnace is shut off and stays off until it is dealt with, because it can leak carbon monoxide into the house. See furnace repair.

Check that the thermostat is set to cool, replace the filter and make sure the outdoor unit is clear of grass, leaves and anything stacked against it. Check the breaker once, but if it trips again, leave it off, because repeated tripping points to an electrical or compressor problem. Ice on the indoor coil or the copper line means turn the system off and let it thaw. Work is performed by 313A refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics, who handle refrigerant leaks and electrical faults. See air conditioner repair.

A high-efficiency condensing furnace, the kind in most houses built from the 2000s onward around Royal Winter Blvd and Reid Ave N, makes water as it runs. That water drains through a small plastic line to a floor drain or a pump. When the line or trap clogs, water backs up and a safety switch often stops the furnace. A small puddle is not an emergency. Wipe it up, check the drain line is not kinked and the condensate pump is plugged in, and leave the trap to a technician. A seasonal maintenance visit cleans the drain before it blocks.

A seasonal visit looks at the parts that wear or clog before they cause a breakdown. On a furnace that usually means checking the burners, igniter and flame sensor, testing the safety switches, looking over the heat exchanger and venting, and clearing the condensate drain on a high-efficiency unit. On central air it usually means checking refrigerant pressures, cleaning the outdoor coil and looking at the electrical parts. Many manufacturers ask for regular professional maintenance to keep their warranty terms valid, so keep your records. Details are on furnace and AC maintenance.

Work is performed by TSSA-certified gas technicians at Binbrook Furnace Repair, as Ontario Regulation 212/01 requires: gas appliances must be installed, serviced and repaired by a TSSA-registered contractor using G1, G2 or G3 gas technicians, to the CSA B149.1 Natural Gas and Propane Installation Code. You can safely change a filter or clear snow from an outside vent. Anything inside the burner area or on the gas line belongs to a technician. Before any gas work starts, ask to see the technician's certificate. More on furnace installation and replacement.

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. That covers nearly every Binbrook house with a gas furnace, from the older homes on Binbrook Road to the newer houses with attached garages. If an alarm sounds, take everyone outside, call the fire department from there, and stay out until they say it is clear. Test each alarm this week, and read our carbon monoxide guide.

It depends on the fault. Many no-heat calls come down to a small part such as an igniter, a flame sensor or a pressure switch, which costs far less than a major component like an inducer motor, a control board or a blower motor. The largest repair is a heat exchanger, and a cracked one is not left running, because it can let carbon monoxide into the air in your house. Whatever the fault, you see a written price and approve it before a part is fitted. Describe the symptom when you book a furnace repair.

Programs come and go at the federal and provincial level and through utilities, and their rules change often. Eligibility usually depends on the type and efficiency of the equipment, and many programs ask for an approval or an energy assessment before the work starts, not after. Because the details shift, check what is current before you sign for new equipment. When we price a heat pump, we look at the programs open at the time so you can decide with the full picture. Read more on heat pumps.

In Ontario homes the usual three are a gas furnace paired with central air, a heat pump that heats and cools through the existing ducts or through ductless wall units, and a hybrid system where a heat pump does most of the work and a gas furnace takes over in the coldest weather. Older houses may also have a boiler or electric baseboards. The right choice depends on the house, the condition of its ducts and how you want to heat and cool it. Browse our services to see each option.