Did You Know? - Marshall Plumbing Ltd. - Serving Central Vancouver Island's Plumbing Needs

Scheduled Service & Preventative Maintenance Programs
The average furnace or boiler in BC operates for over 1500 hours a year. To put this in perspective, if you drove your car for 1500 hours at a constant speed of 50km/h, you would travel for 75,000km. And what would you expect to happen if you tried to drive your car for 75,000 km without performing any maintenance? You would expect to find yourself stranded on the side of the road!

Like a car, a heating system has many parts that gradually wear out, suffer from build up of dirt and grime, and require lubrication or adjustment. Since so many home owners do not perform regular maintenance, it's no wonder why so many find their system breaking down year after year.

Reasons to tune up your heating system

Prevents breakdowns and increases reliability

Keep parts clean, well lubricated, and properly adjusted...they will last longer and suffer fewer unexpected breakdowns. Parts that regularly wear out can be replaced before they fail, at a lower expense and without the inconvenience of a repair call.

Take care of your furnace between winters...it will reduce break downs during the winter, when you may have to wait for service... 9 out of 10 heating & air conditioning system breakdowns are caused by dirt and dust.

Reduced Energy Consumption

A dirty filter makes a furnace fan work harder and burn more energy. Misadjusted gas valves and burners can result in too much gas being released, wasting energy and releasing poisonous carbon monoxide gas.

An excessively dirty heat exchanger can prevent heat from entering the air and result in wasted energy....all can increase your heating costs by up to 20%.

Reduced risk of house fires and carbon monoxide poisoning

Every year in North America more than 1700 people die from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning and over 10,000 are treated or hospitalized. Faulty heating systems are also one of the major causes of house fires.

The BC Safety Authority says: “Home heating appliances… should be inspected annually and cleaned as often as necessary by licenced contractors to prevent fires and reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning… While a CSA approved carbon monoxide detector in your home is an added safety measure, the best solution is regular appliance maintenance."

Increased system performance

Well maintained heating equipment ensures that your system is capable of delivering the maximum amount of heat, with the minimum amount of noise.

Lengthened system life

We all know that well maintained equipment lasts longer, reduces your chance of experiencing major breakdowns earlier than normal, and slows down the process of deterioration.

Keeps your system warranty valid

All major furnace manufacturers require regular maintenance or their warranty is void. According to BC Hydro "regular maintenance can go a long way to increasing the comfort, cost effectiveness and energy efficiency of your home heating."

Our Scheduled Service & Preventative Maintenance Programs includes everything that is necessary to keepyour system operates at its optimal energy efficiency, reliability, and effectiveness for the rest of the year. To schedule a tune up, call 250.585.2021

Grants and Rebates

The following LiveSmart BC grants are available until March 31st, 2011. Since both the pre and post-retrofit evaluations must be completed before this deadline, you should not delay.
95% efficient variable speed furnace:$770
92%+ efficient variable speed furnace: $580
Energy Star Heat Pump with 90%+ variable speed furnace: $1420
Energy Star Heat Pump without new furnace: $1060
90%+ Boiler: $730
EF 0.82+ Tankless Water Heater: $220

Homeowners who completed a pre-retrofit evaluation before March 31st, 2010and have not yet completed a post-retrofit evaluation are still eligible for federal ecoENERGY grants. Details are available at http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/residential/personal/retrofit-homes/retrofit-qualify-grant.cfm Homeowners have up to 18 months to complete all improvements. An energy advisor will visit your home and inform you off how much you can reduce your energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions by performing certain improvements. Homeowners who have already gone through the LiveSmart BC program can now go through the process again on the same home. Amounts and conditions are subject to change without notice.
Details for the LiveSmart BC program can be downloaded at: http://www.livesmartbc.ca/attachments/LiveSmart.pdf

Earthquake Valve

An earthquake valve or seismic valve is an automatic way to shut off the low pressure regulated gas supply to a structure during a major earthquakeand/or if a pipe is broken. These are applicable both to utility supplied natural gas and to gaseous liquified petroleum gas (LPG). These small devices are installed on the property gas meter (usually between the utility company's metered installation and the structure piping) and are designed to instantly stop the natural gas supply in order to protect the structure if a gas leak or line break occurs during an earthquake. Fires or explosions due to gas line breaks can be more damaging than the actual earthquake itself. The utility companies recommend you shut off your gas immediately after an earthquake if you smell gas. If you are at work or away when an earthquake hits, then you may not be able to get home in time. An earthquake valve will take care of this instantly for you.

City of Nanaimo Woodstove Changeout program

Trade in your old smoky belcher for a new EPA or CSA certified CLEAN BURN technology WOOD, PELLET, GAS stove or insert...ANDMarshall Plumbing Ltd can do the install for you! Click here to find out more bout City of Nanaimo rebates.

A few things to consider to keep a renovation running smoothly

Prepare a budget Whether you are getting a loan or paying cash, you need to work out how much your project is going to cost …before you start. Be aware of city regulations. Find out everything you can before you arrange the tradespeople. For example: If your home is heritage listed you will need to meet strict regulations. Contact your local city office to check on local bylaws.

Find a tradesperson you can communicate with Speak with family and friends who have done renovations or built a home to find a tradesperson that you can communicate with. Ask questions to make sure you understand everything they are telling you. Book a licensed tradesperson well ahead of time, as they can be booked for months in advance. (product warranties are only valid if installed by a licensed tradesperson)

Know your start and completion dates Communicate with your tradesperson and come to an agreement of realistic start and completion dates for your project. If you have a specific date that the job must be finished by-there is a new baby due-let your tradesperson know. And remember…unexpected problems can hold up your project, no matter how well you have planned it.

Services to my property It is important to know whether you need gas or electric appliances (hot water unit, cooking appliances). If you live further out from the city, you may need LPG appliances. If you currently have electric appliances and you want to change to gas, speak with your tradesperson to determine if this is going to be cost effective and worthwhile in the long run. If you are building a new home, decide on the appliances you want before building begins, as the plumbing will need to be roughed in based on your product selection.

Select you products Browse through online product catalogues and check out local dealers a few times to figure out what you want. Once you have decided on a style (modern, heritage, easy living) your product choices become easier. Check and mark down size restrictions of the room, product specifications and relevent measurements before you go looking. Talk to your tradesperson about your choices to see if they are suitable for the job.

Draw up plans It is important that you draw up plans of your bathroom or kitchen and discuss them with your tradesperson. Let him know what sort of products you would like, so he will know what work needs to be done as sometimes work needs tobe done before it can be installed.

Purchase products When selecting products, find out how long it will take for delivery. Some goods such as toilets will be in stock, while others such as spas and vanity units are custom made and can take months to order in. Often these custom made products are non-refundable so confirm your product choices with your tradesperson before ordering.

As an owner builder, what should I purchase myself? If you are owner building, make sure you purchase all of the main products for your bathroom, kitchen renovation to keep to your style. There will be things you will not think about when placing an order, such as different handle types on a vanity unit, the pump position of your spa, that you will need to decide on. It is important to make these decisions yourself as they will affect the overall result of your project.