Tips to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

• Schedule an inspection. Hire an HVAC contractor or a qualified technician annually to inspect and maintain your heating and cooling systems, water heater and other appliances that use coal, oil or gas.
• Install carbon monoxide detectors. Place a detector on every level of your home and change the batteries every six months. If the alarm on one of the detectors sounds, open the doors and windows, turn off combustion appliances and evacuate your home.
• Clean the chimney. Hire a professional to inspect and clean your chimney annually. When using a fireplace or wood-burning stove, open the flue and vents. Only use the damper after extinguishing a fire.
• Only use approved appliances to heat your home. If there is a power outage, do not use a camp stove, gas or charcoal grill, lanterns, candles or a gas oven to heat your home.
• Vent space heaters. Ensure that kerosene and gas space heaters have proper ventilation before sleeping in a room that contains such an appliance.
• Warm the car up outside. Do not leave a vehicle idling in the garage, even if the door is open.
• Use paint removers only in well-ventilated shops. When a paint remover contains methylene chloride, the substance converts to carbon monoxide in the body.

Know the Signs of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

At low levels, carbon monoxide can cause mild headaches, mild nausea and shortness of breath. At higher levels, the gas can cause dizziness, nausea, confusion and fainting. If anyone in the home experiences carbon monoxide-related symptoms, but feel better when they go outside, seek immediate medical attention.

For more advice about preventing carbon monoxide poisoning or to schedule an inspection of your heating and cooling appliances, contact Arpi’s Industries, Ltd. at 403-236-2444 or online. We’ve served the Calgary area for more than 50 years.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Calgary, Alberta about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about carbon monoxide poisoning and other HVAC topics, downloadour free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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1. Get an energy evaluation. Most homeowners don’t know where to start when it comes to hunting down air leaks, so it’s better to save time and hire a professional. During a home energy audit, an inspector will look over every room in your home, sometimes using tools like a blower door test or thermographic cameras to locate air leaks. Following the audit, you’ll get a detailed list of problem areas and recommendations, which will give you a clear road map for needed improvements.
2. Schedule a check-up for your furnace. Furnaces need routine maintenance to ensure that everything is running smoothly, and to lessen the chances of a heating emergency during the winter. Have your HVAC professional take a look at our furnace and perform any necessary adjustments before it gets colder.
3. Locate and fix any air leaks. Drafts not only cause discomfort–they also make your heating system far less efficient. Make sure your home is sealed properly this winter by using caulk or spray-foam to seal leaks in windows or near fixtures. Weatherstripping is ideal for gaps under or around doors.
4. Upgrade your insulation. Many homes lack insulation in important areas, especially attics and outside walls. If your attic needs insulation, you may be able to do the job yourself in an afternoon, but insulating walls is more difficult and may require the assistance of a professional.
5. Check the air ducts. Duct leaks can waste a lot of energy and put strain on your HVAC system. Make sure your ducts are tight to keep the house warm and cozy, and save money.

Contact Arpi’s Industries today for more expert advice on winterizing your Calgary home.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Calgary, Alberta about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about winterizing and other HVAC topics, downloadour free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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Make a Thorough Visual Search

Start on the outside of your home when looking for potential air leaks. Check outdoor water faucets, the intersection of siding and chimneys, any exterior corners and where the foundation meats your siding, brick or stucco. After you’ve looked outside, investigate indoor areas including the obvious leak spots such as doorframes, window frames, switch plates, outlets and baseboards. In addition, don’t forget the less obvious areas of cable lines, phone lines, dryer vent wall exits and attic hatches where leaks frequently occur. Examine all weather stripping and caulking to insure it’s still in good condition and check to see that all doors seal properly.

Seek Solutions

If you discover an air leak, deal with it immediately or add it to a pre-winter repair list. Replace any broken storm windows and install plastic sheets over older windows that leak. Replacing old doors and windows with new, high-performance models can reduce your energy bills and has the potential to prevent a large amount of heat loss from your home in the winter.

Professional Testing

To find all potential air leak areas in your home, consider hiring a qualified professional to perform an energy assessment. Having a blower door test included in that assessment involves depressurizing your home to reveal leaks nearly impossible to find with the naked eye. A thorough energy assessment shows you what areas of your home can benefit from additional insulation. Investing in the assessment before the cold weather hits helps prevent unpleasant surprises in the form of an air leak where you least expect it.

At Arpi’s Industries, we’re committed to keeping your home free of air leak problems.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Calgary, Alberta about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about air leaks and other HVAC topics, downloadour free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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Mercury is damaging to the neural network of humans and animals. Even is very small amounts it can cause brain damage and death in fetuses and small children. Just as frightening, mercury, like all heavy metals, does not fade away. Once released into the environment or consumed by a person or animal, it continues to build up, eventually reaching hazardous levels.

Once found in many household items such as mirrors and thermometers, mercury is a very toxic heavy metal. While it has been removed from most items found in your home, it may still be lurking in your home’s thermostat. If you live in an older home and the thermostat has not been replaced recently, it may be time to switch to a mercury-free thermostat.

Traditionally, mercury has been used in thermostats and certain switches because it is reliable and long lasting. However, new awareness of the dangers of mercury to both human beings, wildlife and the environment as a whole has made it imperative that new technology be developed to replace mercury thermostats.

Currently, there are traditional thermostats and programmable thermostats available that do not contain mercury. While there is still some debate over the longevity of these newer thermostats, especially the electronic ones, there is no debate that making the switch to a mercury-free thermostat is the right thing to do for your family and the environment.

To make an appointment to switch to a mercury free thermostat, contact us at Arpi’s Industries LTD. We have been keeping the folks in and around Calgary comfortable and safe in their homes for more than 50 years and would love to do the same for you.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Calgary, Alberta about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about mercury-free thermostats and other HVAC topics, downloadour free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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• Less Efficient. Oversizing a furnace means a less efficient furnace. A furnace is at its least efficient when it first comes on. The longer it runs, the more efficient it becomes. An oversized furnace will come on, run for a few minutes and shut off. It will do this again and again in what is known as “short cycling,” always running in it’s most inefficient phase every time it runs.
• Wear and Tear. Not only is short cycling inefficient, but it puts a large amount of unneeded wear and tear on a furnace. Think of this as constant stop and go city driving in your car, which will seriously shorten your automobile’s life over the long run. That same wear and tear applies to short cycling too.
• Too Much Heat. Oversizing a furnace means that as soon as it comes on, it will start blasting heat. It won’t stop until the thermostat setting is satisfied, which means that other rooms may become saunas or they may remain chilly, especially if the first heating vent off the furnace is near the thermostat itself. A properly sized furnace will slowly heat the home, allowing air circulation through each room and keeping a more uniform temperature throughout.

Oversizing a furnace may sound like a good idea at first, but when you know how a heating system works and what is expected of it, it isn’t a very good idea at all.

For more information about the right furnace for your home, contact Arpis Industries. We’ve been serving the Calgary area for more than 50 years.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Calgary, Alberta about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about furnaces and other HVAC topics, downloadour free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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• Look at your boiler to see if there are any cracks or obvious signs of damage on the outside. Use a flashlight if you need to. These signs of wear and tear indicate that your boiler may need some repairs, or in some cases, may need to be replaced entirely. A cracked boiler is dangerous and shouldn’t be operated in your home.
• Check the boiler pressure. Most boilers have a pressure gauge manual. Pressure too high or low requires professional maintenance as soon as possible.
• Make sure nothing has moved closer to the boiler like debris or items from your basement. Things like furniture, paperwork, leaves, clothing or holiday supplies can be a fire hazard if they are too close to your boiler. Clean the area around your boiler and make sure all items are as far away as possible.
• Get your boiler serviced before it gets too late in the fall. An annual service, even if there was nothing wrong with your boiler the last time you used it, can help to keep small problems from turning into big ones. That can save you money and make sure your boiler functions the right way when you actually need.

Contact Arpi’s Industries LTD to learn more about boiler maintenance. We proudly serve Calgary and the surrounding areas and look forward to serving your home as well.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Calgary, Alberta about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about boiler maintenance and other HVAC topics, downloadour free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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Types of Furnaces

• Single-stage furnace – This furnace operates at full capacity at all times. The outside weather conditions or temperature in various parts of your home does not affect the operation. Energy efficiency is adversely affected because maximum heat is constantly dispensed with this all or nothing approach.
• Two-stage furnace – There are several advantages to the two-speed operation. The furnace can use the first or lower speed for times when temperatures are not extreme. During very cold times, a second speed can activate to provide more heat to keep your home comfortable. Many hours during each day may only require the low speed operation which amounts to a significant savings in your monthly energy costs. A much quieter operation is another benefit of the two-stage system. Less carbon dioxide emissions are sent into the atmosphere with this method of operation.
• Variable-speed furnace – The fan motor can operate at various speeds sending the correct amount of heat throughout your home in all weather conditions. The fan is also capable of activating without the furnace in operation. Heat and humidity can be controlled in this way, providing a comfortable environment for your home. The air quality is improved due to increased filtering during air circulation. Energy efficiency is also improved because of reduced furnace operation. The purchase price is higher, but significant savings in energy expenses are realized over time.

Discuss plans to replace your furnace with a professional before making a decision regarding purchasing a furnace. A qualified technician can measure your living space by calculating the amount of doors, windows and other factors to ensure you install the correct size replacement.

Please contact Arpi’s Industries with any concerns regarding what kind of furnace is right for your home. We proudly serve the Calgary area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Calgary, Alberta about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about furnaces and other HVAC topics, downloadour free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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Guide to Fall Plumbing Preparation

• Your outside water hoses can freeze and then expand so they should be disconnected. If your outside hoses freeze, it can cause the inside connecting pipes and faucets to break.
• Check outside faucets for drips or leaking, and have a professional repair any leaks you find before winter arrives. Frozen pipes can cause cracking. Even the smallest crack can cause flooding in your home.
• Use a polystyrene foam insulation kit on your outdoor faucets. Purchase kits at your local home improvements store.
• Pipes in crawl spaces and garages should be insulated with a heat tap. Thermostat controlled heat cables can be used to heat pipes in areas where they are likely to freeze.
• Seal air leaks around doors and windows to lessen the amount of air penetration in your home.
• Flush out your water heater before winter hits to remove sediment build-up. This part of your fall plumbing checkup can increase the life of your water heater by reducing corrosion. There is a faucet at the bottom of water heaters that will allow water to be drained from the heater. If this task sounds like too formidable of a job, then hire a professional to complete this task before cold weather arrives.
• Your water heater should be set to 120 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure peak performance.
• Clean leaves and debris from your gutters and downspouts. Water will freeze and thaw in them during the winter months, and keeping them clean means that water will run out of them easily.
• Make sure your home stays above 55 degrees and turn off your main water valve if you take any extended vacations during the winter.

We want to educate our Calgary customers about their seasonal plumbing checkup. For more information about your plumbing or other home comfort issues, contact Arpi’s Industries LTD.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Calgary, Alberta about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about plumbing and other HVAC topics, downloadour free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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Although the air filter through which indoor air is drawn, reconditioned and recirculated does reduce the amount of airborne pollution entering your system’s ductwork, any leaks around your register vent or in any part of your HVAC system provide an entrance point for contaminants. Dirty air filters also allow pollutants to enter your ductwork.

Over time, you will likely notice a buildup of dust and debris on the visible portions of your HVAC system. A good general rule of thumb is that if your system looks dirty, it is time for a thorough and complete seasonal duct cleaning.

Because the components of your HVAC system are all connected, proper cleaning of the entire system is critical to effectively minimize or eliminate the re-circulation of airborne particulates into your living space after passing through your HVAC ductwork. Selecting a contractor known to complete quality work will ensure that all parts of your HVAC system have been thoroughly cleaned and properly resealed and that all parts which have been removed have been carefully sealed and replaced.

Starting off the heating season with a clean HVAC system will allow your furnace to work much more efficiently, as systems with clean ducts, fresh air filters and clean register vents give air the opportunity to flow freely within the system, saving you money and increasing the comfort of your home.

If you live in the Calgary area and would like to discuss seasonal duct cleaning, the professionals at Arpi’s Industries Ltd. can help you; we have been serving homeowners in the area for more than 50 years!

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Calgary, Alberta about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about duct cleaning and other HVAC topics, downloadour free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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• Use your water meter to check for leaks before they become an issue. To do this, turn all of the water off in your home and don’t let automatic appliances like dishwashers run. Mark the reading on your water meter down and wait 15 minutes without turning on any water at all. If the reading has moved after 15 minutes, you have a water leak somewhere in your home.
• Walk around your home and inspect fixtures and walls near pipes. Any sign of discoloration is likely a leaking pipe or faucet that you can’t see. Make sure you inspect pipes under cabinets as well.
• Periodically check your toilet fixtures for leaks by removing the lid on the back of the tank and listening closely for any sort of hissing sound. A hissing sound means that your toilet is leaking and you need to find the source of the problem. You can also add food coloring to the tank, wait a few minutes and see if there is coloring in the bowl to see if there’s a flapper problem.
• Get a regular inspection for your plumbing. Most homeowners don’t think to do this, but your pipes and water heater need maintenance too. A simple annual service call can save you a lot of problems if it helps you avoid a serious leak down the road.

Contact Arpi’s Industries LTD. for more information about finding water leaks before they do serious damage to your plumbing and home. We serve the Calgary area and look forward to serving your home too.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Calgary, Alberta about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about water leaks and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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