Avoiding a Repair Call: The Three Things to Check Before Calling a Professional
Avoiding a Repair Call Nothing is worse than a repair call that could have been easily avoided. An unnecessary hassle for the customer can often be avoided by quickly checking for these three common problems (believe us, they are far more common than you realize!) to see if they help resolve the problem. It only takes a second, and will make life a whole lot easier, and help narrow down where the problem lies when your furnace, boiler, or heating system is not working correctly. First, and most common of all, is a thermostat problem. If the thermostat is not working, there are often quick and easy solutions that do not require a repair technician. First, for digital thermostats – check for an indicator light or symbol to see if it is working. Not all digital thermostats have this indicator, but many do. Consult your thermostat manual to be sure. If you cannot find the light or indicator on your digital thermostat, then check the battery. Many people forget that digital thermostats are usually powered by a battery, and that those batteries need to be replaced from time to time. If this does not help, or if you have a manual thermostat, then try adjusting the heat (even by cranking it up, if only for a little bit) to test if the thermostat is working. When you adjust it up, you should notice the heat come on. If you don’t, then the thermostat might not be working and in need of repairs. Contact Pro Ace with your thermostat questions The second extremely common problem is the furnace not receiving any power. This is usually because someone has turned off the light switch that powers the furnace (or boiler) room, and the switch needs to be turned back on. The solution is simple – go and find the switch, usually on the inside or near the outside of your furnace or boiler room, and flick it back to the “on” position. If that does not work, or if you do not have a furnace room power switch, then you might need to check the breaker for your home. Try flipping the switch for your furnace room off and then back on, and see if it restores power. If it works, fantastic, but if not then there may be a problem and it is time to call a professional at Pro Ace Heating and Plumbing. Finally, check for gas leaks. You can usually smell a gas leak, or notice them in other ways, and it is important to take care of this immediately. You will have to call a professional to help, but the first thing to do is to find the gas shut off valve. This will be located near your furnace, outside it. When the valve is parallel to the pipe, the valve is open and gas is flowing. To shut it off, simply turn in 90 degrees to the valve is perpendicular to the pipe, thus shutting off the gas. After, you will want to contact BC Fortis, or Pro Ace Heating right away to investigate the leak and make gas leak repairs. Thanks to Pro Ace 24/7 gas, heating, and cooling emergency repair service, we can have a professional at your door, even in the middle of the night. Once you have finished all of the above, then check your system again. If it is now working, congratulations, the problem is solved. If the furnace is still not working properly, then the problem likely requires a trained gas technician to take care of it, and can be sent out anytime to help.Our New Advanced Technology Furnace Inspection Go High Tech
Furnace Inspection Technology The great benefit is to confirm that the furnace is operating safely and there is no sign of Carbon monoxide or any gas leaks also making sure is operating as manufacture specifications. Our new exclusive tablet technology will eliminate mistakes because any inconsistencies in an inspection report will automatically be flagged. Contact Pro Ace Heating and Plumbing with your furnace questions. To Read More Please Click on the pictureOur Big Summer Promotions!
Pro Ace Heating and Plumbing Blog wants to take the time to discuss our big summer promotions in more detail, because they offer you exciting opportunities to earn Pro Ace Heating gift cards, win a free furnace or free hot water tank, and fantastic financing options on all new installations. These outstanding promotions are coming out just in time for summer, and are available to everyone. We want to take a minute to discuss each of them! Pro Ace Financing Plan For all new installations, Pro Ace Heating wants to offer you our amazing financing plan. Pro Ace Heating and Plumbing offers one whole year with no interest and no payments! This financing plan only takes a minute to apply, and almost every homeowner qualifies, and is designed to meet your budget. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s confidential, and done through our partners at U.E.I. Financial. Now, you don’t need to wait to get your brand new furnace, hot water tank, boiler, heat pump, or other heating system installed! This is an entire year without having to worry about making a payment, and no worry about interest piling up. WIN A FREE FURNACE OR HOT WATER TANK Promotion That’s right – all summer long through September 30 of this year, Pro Ace Heating and Plumbing is giving you the chance to win a free furnace or free hot water tank for your home or business. There is no purchase necessary, so even people who have never tried using Pro Ace before are eligible to enter the draw to win. And if you have used Pro Ace before, you can increase your chances of winning, getting an additional ticket with the reference number from your recent Pro Ace service. You can sign up for free by clicking here. Pro Ace Referral Program The Pro Ace referral program is a great way to earn hundreds of dollars in gift cards from Pro Ace Heating. And it’s easy to do. All you need to do is refer Pro Ace Heating and Plumbing to anyone (or everyone) that you know in the lower mainland. And let us know about it, by calling or sending us an email. When one of the people you referred us to uses one of our services, we send you a gift card. You receive a $25 gift card for service and repair calls, a $50 gift card for hot water tanks and tankless systems, and an amazing $300 gift card for new furnace, boiler, heat pump, and air conditioner installations. And there isn’t any limit on how many gift cards you can earn! And as an added bonus, every referral gets you another ticket under your name for the ‘Win a Free Furnace or Hot Water Tank’ draw, for even more chances to win! These fantastic promotions are going on now, and you should take advantage of them. Pro Ace Heating is dedicated to giving back to the community and people that have helped it succeed as a company, and we can’t wait to hear your call!Seven Ways to Lower Your Energy Bill over Summer
Ways to lower your energy bill in the summer You might be using less energy because it is warm outside, but lots of people miss these easy opportunities to save money on their energy bill. Even during the hot months of the year when you don’t need to constantly run your furnace, there’s no reason to miss out on savings. Here are seven tips to bring down summer energy bills: If using an air conditioner or heat pump to cool your home, take the time to make sure that your house is properly insulated. Just like hot air escaping in the winter, cool air will be lost to the outside if your home is poorly insulated. And for the most cooling efficiency, keep windows and doors closed when running an air conditioner. Use a high efficiency water heater, or have one installed. Hot water is still used often in the summer, and a high efficiency water tank ensures that your water is heated without consuming the large amounts of energy that older, less efficient tanks consume. And since most hot water tanks need to be replaced every six to twelve years, summer is a great time to get it done. Or better yet . . . get a tankless water heater system installed. They are even more efficient than hot water tanks, and will greatly lower your energy bill, and have the benefit of lasting twenty years or more without needing to be replaced. And regardless of your water heating system, remember to avoid wasting hot water, and turn of the tap when you aren’t using it. Consider repainting your house to a brighter colour. A house painted in dark shades will absorb more light from the sun, and thus get warmer. A lighter coloured home will reflect more light, keeping you cooler and reducing air conditioner energy consumption. And try closing the drapes on the bright sides of your home. Have your air conditioner installed to a central location in your home. If it is installed far away, it takes longer for the cool air to find its way to you, and it will consume more energy. Ask us for advice about where an air conditioner should be installed in your home. And remember that hot air rises, and cool air sinks, so expect lower levels of your home to be cooler than upstairs. Service and Maintenance your existing air conditioner. This one is too often overlooked, and makes a huge difference that pays for itself by avoiding repairs (no one wants a broken air conditioner in the heat of summer), and reducing energy bills by making it more efficient and operating properly. And remember to turn off appliances, lights, and systems that are not in use. Even though it is summer, it shouldn’t be an excuse to be wasteful. Don’t leave energy consuming systems on if they aren’t being used, and remember to shut them down if going on a long trip or vacation. If you want more advice, contact Pro Ace Heating for additional ideas to keep energy bills down.The Nine Big Benefits of Tablet Technology
What is Tablet Technology Pro Ace Heating and Air Conditioning offers you the 9 big benefits of table technology and is the first and only heating company in British Columbia making use of digital tablets. Our trained technicians bring them for every service inspection to ensure that Pro Ace customers get the best service possible. And using the digital tablet technology provides us and our clients with nine big benefits: Our detailed 20-point service inspection is contained on the tablets. The 20 point inspection is even more thorough and in depth than the one used by BC Fortis to ensure the best inspection in the province. Step-by-step procedure. Our licensed technicians and customers can see every part of our inspection, to ensure that they cover everything and never miss a step. And thanks to the tablet, we can oversee each step taken from the head office. Honesty and transparency. The tablet can show our customers exactly what each service offers to the customer, and how it benefits their HVAC system; so they can see what we are doing and how it helps. Monitoring our technicians in real time. This means that we can check up on them at every moment and see what they are doing to ensure that they are doing the job properly and on time. Consulting the experts. Our technicians can use the tablet system to directly consult our senior technicians at the head office, so they can get a second opinion from a fellow professional. Eliminating mistakes that our competitors would miss. Whenever there is a discrepancy between the tablet report and the head office, we can quickly double check and correct any error that might otherwise go unnoticed by a different company. Efficient and portable. Tablets allow our professionals to stay more organized than our rivals, and allow them to have instant access to a huge volume of information, instantly at their disposal thanks to the tablet. Cutting edge technology. Thanks to the tablet, we are always one step ahead. We can get information to our technicians faster, solve problems easier, and keep them updated with head office better than anyone else. Detailed customer report. Finally, our detailed customer report is printed off and given to the customer at the end of every service and maintenance visit. The report details everything our technicians did, and lets the customer know the exact status of their home heating system. Tablets are one of the biggest reasons why Pro Ace Heating is a better company than the rest. It’s a great new technology that offers us and our clients a real advantage that makes a difference in the way heating inspections are done. It gives our technicians a powerful new tool that makes sure that every Pro Ace service call is done properly and is the most detailed in the business. When combined with our trained service technicians and their years of experience, and a known and trusted company that has been in business for seventeen years, it is a winning combinationSaving Money on Your Dryer System
Ways to save money on your clothes dryer bill Every single time that you use your dryer, lint builds up in the dryer duct system. The lint trap captures much of the excess lint, but some still finds its way into your vent, and it builds up more and more over time. And as the duct system gets more lint inside of it, the airflow gets reduced and less and less hot air makes its way into the drying cycle. And as it builds up, not only does it make your dryer less efficient, it also becomes a leading cause of fire in your home. You might have noticed this reduced air flow effect on your dryer system. Some clothes dryer repair telltale signs that you have lint build up include: clothing taking longer to dry, clothing covered in lint, your dryer getting hot, warmth and moisture in the laundry room when using the dryer, and burnt smells. If you notice any of these, it’s probably time to get your duct system cleaned out – something that Pro Ace does all the time. It’s quick and easy to have our professionals come over, and you’ll notice the difference right away. The time to dry will be shorter, you will get more clothes dry in fewer loads, and you notice your machine functioning better. And because dryer use is a major part of your energy bill, you will notice the savings right on your first energy bill – it pays for itself before the year is over. And by keeping the dryer running more efficiently and smoothly, it reduces the risk of needing repairs later on. The other great way to save money on your dryer system by reducing your energy bill is to install a dryer vent booster. The longer a duct system is, the less efficiently air flows to the dryer. This is also true for winding dryer systems with a lot of curves and bends, which greatly reduce the airflow of the system. This could mean that by the time the air reaches your dryer, it is less hot and flowing much weaker than it could be, and this adds up on your energy bill by forcing you to run your dryer for longer periods of time and making you run multiple dryer cycles for the same load. A dryer vent booster is the solution. It’s not expensive, and by having one installed, it will greatly increase the airflow into the dryer, making it more efficient and effective at drying your clothes – even if the duct system is long or full of bends and corners. The booster is a special type of fan that will accelerate the hot air in the vent, ensuring that more of it makes it to your dryer, faster and more efficiently than without. And because they are so easily affordable and have a good life expectancy, the savings will outweigh the cost over the life of the product. Pro Ace Heating and air conditioning has experts that can answer any questions you have about your dryer system, and can offer consultations or estimates if you are looking for dryer duct service. Get in touch with us if you need more information.Six Tips for Air Conditioner Efficiency
Tips for Air Conditioner Efficiency With the hot days of summer right around the corner, this is the perfect time to think about your air conditioner. It’s going to be hard at work, keeping you cool all summer long, so Pro Ace Heating wants to offer some helpful suggestions that will make sure your air conditioner is working properly and giving you the best value this season. Here are our six tips: Our #1 tip is to ensure that your air conditioner has received proper, professional service and maintenance this year. The BC Safety Authority recommends annual inspections for a reason, and by having and expert come by and service your air conditioner, you will be sure that it is working correctly and cooling efficiently. The detailed Pro Ace service inspection will make sure your air conditioner is ready to go for summer. Shut doors and close vents and air ducts where possible to rooms that are not in use and do not need to be cooled. This will reduce the amount of energy that needs to be consumed by your air conditioner to keep your home cooled, by focussing the cold air on the central rooms of your house. Replace the air conditioner filters. Generally, the filters need to be replaced every month on an air conditioner with disposable filters, and by keeping fresh filters in the system you will notice a difference. And for reusable filter systems, remember to clean out the air conditioner filters regularly. Consult the manual – depending on the make and design of the filter, there will be recommended times to clean out the replaceable filter, depending on its efficiency. Use a programmable thermostat to control temperature. It’s easy to have a programmable thermostat installed, and also inexpensive. By keeping your home at a set temperature, you can avoid “over-cooling,” and vary the temperature for different parts of the day and night. And remember to shut off the air conditioner if gone from your home for a long period of time. Ensure that the air conditioner is unobstructed so that the air flows freely from the system. Check to make sure that there are no obstructive objects such as drapes, blankets, chairs, sofas, desks, and other object that will block the cool air coming from the air conditioner. Consider a high efficiency air conditioner, especially if the air conditioner in your home has a low SEER rating (8 and under is considered quite low). Modern, high efficiency air conditioners can have SEER ratings of 13 and above, and may drastically reduce your energy bill. Pro Ace Heating carries a large selection of efficient and affordable Trane air conditioners, ready to be installed in your home. We hope that you find this helpful, and keep your air conditioner running efficiently and effectively this summer. You can email us or give us a call if you are interested in any other suggestions for air conditioning, and we’ll have lots more suggestions on this blog as summer draws closer.Hot Water Tanks and Tankless Heater Systems
Hot water tank vs Tankless Water tank heater system Obviously, having hot water is an important and vital component of living comfortably. And there is a growing choice for homeowners about how they would like to heat water for their taps and faucets. Traditional hot water tanks are a great choice – they are getting more and more efficient and affordable, and work great. But an increasingly common option is having a tankless water heater system installed in your home. Tankless systems are very common in Europe and other parts of the world, and are becoming more and more popular in Canada and the USA as well. Over the past two decades, tankless systems have become very effective and efficient, and offer some great benefits compared to regular hot water tanks. We took the time to compare and highlight the major differences between the two different systems, so that you can choose the one that is best for your home. Hot water tanks are large metal containers stored in your home, usually near the furnace or boiler, and filled with water ready to be delivered through your home to faucets and taps. By constantly burning gas, the water inside always remains heated, available at any time of day. Hot water tanks have a lower cost to install compared to tankless systems, and have a life expectancy of six to twelve years. This means that they do need to be replaced from time to time over the life of your home, but because they are affordable and effective, getting a hot water tank replaced is simple. Tankless systems are more expensive than a regular hot water tank up front, but have great benefits that become clear over the life of the product. First, the life expectancy of a tankless water heater system can be twenty years or longer – meaning that they don’t need to be replaced for decades, where a regular hot water tank would likely have to have been changed. The second major advantage is energy savings. Tankless systems do not need to heat water all the time. They, instead, burn gas only when hot water is needed to be delivered to an area of your home. This means less gas is used overall, and energy (and money) is saved. This also makes tankless systems better for the environment. Finally, tankless systems are much smaller and more compact than regular water tanks, so they make a great choice if there is limited floor space or you just want more floor space in your home. Pro Ace Heating also now carries Bosch Tankless Water Heater systems! In conclusion, both tankless water heaters and hot water tanks offer great benefits and are designed just right for your house or home. Depending on which system suits your needs better, getting a system installed is easy and affordable, and with modern high efficiency systems, the savings will really add up over just a few years. Also, be sure to stop by the Pro Ace Heating website, and enter our contest for your opportunity to WIN A FREE HOT WATER TANK (or even a FREE FURNACE). There’s no cost to enter and no purchase necessary.What is a Heat Pump?
Heat Pumps "What is a heat pump?" is one of the most commonly asked questions to our Pro Ace service technicians. The technology has been around for a few decades now, but it is still a relatively new addition to major home appliances, and many people don’t know what they are or how they help your home. So we’re going to take a minute to discuss heat pumps in detail for you, and so you can see why it would be a great addition to your home. Heat pumps work by taking outside air, and then heating or cooling it, and distributing it to your home. Think of it like an air conditioner, but instead of only cooling your home, a heat pump can also keep it warm. Rather than burning fuel to create heat, like a furnace or boiler, heat pumps simply transfer heat from outside air to inside, making them much more efficient through many months of the year. And they aren’t just for heating your home – heat pumps are the usual way to heat swimming pools, hot tubs, and other subsections of your home. These types of systems perform best in moderate climates. They can still be useful in extreme climates, but in freezing cold winters they usually need to be used in conjunction with your furnace in order to maximize energy savings and keep your home heated and comfortable. However, in moderate climates, where sub-zero temperatures are less common, they are an extremely efficient choice to keep your home at a comfortable temperature. The reason for this is simple. It is because it is far more effective to use electricity to transfer a small amount of heat to or from outside air into your home, rather than burning fuel for heat. This is especially true when there are only a few degrees of difference in temperature between the outside and the desired indoor temperature. This allows heat pumps to save you huge amounts of money, especially in a moderate climate like British Columbia’s lower mainland. It makes the benefits obvious. More efficient means that you can save money by using your furnace and other heating systems less often, which will really add up for big savings on energy bills. And because they are so efficient, it also means that a heat pump is better for the environment than only using your furnace or boiler for heat, because it allows you to use less energy. And it’s convenient to have heating and cooling all in one simple system, rather than having a variety of systems for each job. Pro Ace Heating experts are the right people to ask if you have any follow up questions about heat pumps. We can walk you through commonly encountered problems, and send over professionals for installations, repairs, or service. And we can offer a free consultation if you are thinking about getting the benefits of a heat pump in your home. We carry a selection of fantastic Trane heat pumps that can deliver the quality comfort that you desire in your home.The 5 Advantages of a Programmable Thermostat
Programmable Thermostat Advantages For your home heating or cooling system, programmable thermostats are the right way to go. They are the latest and greatest in digital technology for home heating, and offer some amazing benefits that you just done get with old fashioned manual thermostats. They make a fantastic addition to your home HVAC systems, and can be useful for saving you money and making your house and even more comfortable. Exact temperature under your control. With an older manual thermostat, you can never quite be sure exactly what temperature you are set at – it could easily be off by two or three degrees, and that can be the difference between the right temperature and discomfort. And it’s as easy as pushing a button. Energy savings thermostat! The main draw of any programmable thermostat is the ability to control the exact temperature at any time of the week. You can have the thermostat turn down the temperature at night, or when no one is home in the house, resulting in day by day energy savings lowering your energy bill. And energy savings add longer life to your heating or cooling unit. More programmable thermostat information. Digital thermostats offer users much more information than manual thermostats. You can see the exact temperature, tell whether or not your furnace is working correctly, and can find out exactly what temperature your home will be at, during a specific time of the week. And they all have a digital seven-day clock build in. Affordability. The cost of programmable thermostats is only marginally higher than a manual thermostat, and you can save that money back with the energy savings that a programmable thermostat can provide. An inexpensive programmable thermostat can easily pay for itself over time, by cutting down on your gas and heating bills. Other features. Many programmable thermostats offer additional features, such as vacation mode which will automatically adjust the temperature when you are away from your house for an extended period. Battery indicators are another feature on many programmable thermostats, reminding you exactly when the batteries need to be changed, so that you do not forget. And many higher end thermostats allow you to program for specific months, rather than just for the week, as well as other great features. Also, remember that cranking your thermostat (whether a programmable or manual thermostat) up to 35 degrees, or down to 5 degrees, will not heat or cool your home any faster than having it at the desired temperature. Homes will heat and cool at the same rate, regardless of the variation in temperature, and cranking it up or down, one way or the other, will just cause the HVAC unit to run longer, ultimately wasting more energy. Just input the desired temperature for all times, using a programmable thermostat, for maximum effectiveness and efficiency. Pro Ace Heating and Plumbing technicians are a great choice if you are looking to have a programmable thermostat placed into your home, to start taking advantage of the energy savings today!
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