Furnace & Equipment Replacement

Replacing a heating or cooling system can be a daunting task for many homeowners, especially since it really is the heart of the home.  It’s the single most important feature in a home from a safety, comfort and expense consideration.

Below are some considerations from FortisBC in their “HIGH-EFFICIENCY FURNACE INSTALLATION GUIDE FOR EXISTING HOUSES”.  This applies to any appliance really, but we thought we should share the thinking:

Step 1: Pre-Changeout
An initial assessment of the existing furnace, exhaust and ducting system, and the overall house condition and occupancy is completed pre-quote in order to establish proper furnace sizing and any ducting modifications that must be made prior to installing the new furnace. This typically includes a heat load calculation for the house.

Step 2: Installation
These details are pertinent to the day of the new furnace installation. The furnace installation must meet all Code requirements and should be installed in a manner that maximizes performance, durability and occupant comfort. Ideally, the contractor should be member of TECA5 and/or HRAI6.

Step 3: Commissioning
Commissioning must be completed by a licensed gas fitter after the furnace is installed. At furnace start-up, the necessary commissioning tests are completed and recorded to ensure the furnace is operating according to the manufacturers specifications.

Step 4: Education and Maintenance
The homeowner is provided with the commissioning checklist and manufacturer’s information and then informed of the warranty and operation and maintenance procedures for the new furnace before the contractor leaves.

At Airco Heating and Cooling Ltd., we take great pride in the work we provide to our customers. Homeowners have been trusting us for over 45 years to give exceptional service at a fair price, and we have always followed through.  We place a great deal of importance of making sure you are completely satisfied with all aspects of our work before completion.

Estimates – what to expect

You’ll notice our approach is generally different.  We are not interested in high-pressure sales.  We don’t like it when it happens to us, so why would we expect any different for you?

We will set up a convenient time to arrive at your home, where we will usually need about an hour of your time.  We send out an email reminder to ensure the time works for you.  Need to reschedule?  No problem.

When we arrive at your home, we start with some questions about what your are looking to achieve, your concerns and your preferences.  We want to understand your needs first.  Then we will review your current situation and understand the challenges of your particular home.  We will likely need to take a look at the layout of the home, the heating and cooling variables, and possibly some of the internal or external systems.

After discussing the options and ensuring we understand your needs, we will take the information away to build your quote.  Sometimes we can provide you a quote onsite, but normally we like to ensure we create a customized detailed quote to match the specifications required by your equipment or your needs.

Either way, we will email you a fully written proposal with all the relevant details and options you’ve asked for.  We may followup with you to see if you have any questions, but we don’t harass you or try to ‘make a deal’ today.  We respect your time and we know that if you like us, like our work and like our proposal, you’ll work with us.

If you need help with financing, or advice on choosing the right equipment or brand, we can help.  We do it thoughtfully, based on your needs.

If you choose to work with us, we normally do ask for a down payment to secure the equipment, file your permit as required, and save your installation date.  We have a 99% accuracy rate when it comes to start dates, so if we say we’ll be there, chances are pretty darn good we will be there.   We take all forms of payment and we do encourage cheque, debit, or other non-credit card forms to keep our transaction costs down.

Installation Process – what to expect

Depending on your needs, we usually arrive in the morning where our installation supervisor will meet you and review the work we are about to do.   They may discuss with you the options you have chosen, or confirm the best approach to the work.  We work hard to plan our work around your needs.

Our work usually takes a little longer than most people expect, because we often take our time to do things right.  Of course, we want to finish and let you get on with your life, but we also know a little extra effort goes a long way.   That may be little things like cutting clean holes and running wire straight, or larger items like pressure testing or leak testing.   We keep you updated each day to ensure you are aware of our progress.  We do a general cleanup of the area and put away our tools, materials, or anything else which might be a concern to others in the area.  We want to make sure the safety and security of your home is of primary concern.

Once we are nearing completion, we will take the time to fully commission the setup and startup of your equipment.  We will arrange with you to review and demonstrate the equipment and operation of all controls or systems.    We will organize and leave  you with all operating and instruction manuals.  We normally expect final payment upon completion, or completion of financing documentation, but only upon your satisfaction and comfort that the job is done and you are clear about all aspects of the job we’ve completed.   We will email you a copy of invoice with all models and serial numbers, as well as  your payment receipt, but we’ll have everything on file if you ever misplace them.

Post Service Process – what to expect

We normally call a few days after the installation to check-in with you to ensure everything is to your satisfaction.  We normally take care of registering the product for you to ensure you get full warranty coverage.  We also may have to file rebate forms or request final permit inspections.   Inspections by the BC Safety Authority, if required, will be arranged with you.  You may not get a formal inspection, depending on the resources at the BCSA. We like to think it’s because they know our work!

Our system is setup to check in with you by email in the spring of the following year.  We’ll remind you to schedule your service or change filters.   If you prefer a phone call, we’ll do that as well.  We know how busy life can be, so we want to help ensure your equipment operates safely and efficiently for as long as possible.   We don’t harass you to maintain your equipment, but we do recommend it for warranty upkeep and general safety and efficiency.

We hope this summary has given you some idea of what to expect from Airco Heating and Cooling Ltd. during any replacement project.  If you have any doubts, get in touch with us or refer to our many client reviews.  We really do care about the work we do.

The services we provide at Airco include service, repair, and replacements of all makes and models of the following:

We are a licensed, bonded, and insured service and repair business. At Airco Heating and Cooling Ltd., we take our work seriously and strive to contribute to our business with honesty, integrity, and quality work. We are in good standing with the Better Business Bureau,  TECA, Chamber of Commerce, and recognized by the BC Safety Authority.

You can trust that Airco Heating and Cooling Ltd. provides the best in detailed and well-thought out service and repair work to all members of our communities. Our technicians are trained professionals who will diagnose and recommend a solution to any issue.