This week, a colleague of mine shared a story about how they had to have a gas technician in to service the furnace, which wasn’t working. As it turns out, it was leaking gas and had to be red tagged. The gas technician also inspected all the other appliances that burn natural gas; two of which were also red tagged. According to the law, the furnace or gas appliance cannot be used until a gas fitter approves the appliances for use again after repair or replacement. It is a frustrating situation to be in, as my colleague can attest to. This story, however, is a cautionary tale and with proper maintenance and checkups, you can avoid the same inconvenience. Read these Furnace maintenance tips to avoid being red tagged yourself.

What is Red Tagging and why is it done?

Gas technicians take no pleasure in informing a homeowner that their appliances have to be red tagged and shut down. By the Ontario safety law, hazardous equipment in dangerous condition could lead to injury and fatality from a malfunction in gas appliances. Red tags can be given out because of a defective heat exchanger, a rusted vent or pipe, insufficient combustion or poor installation to name a few.

Upon entering your home, it is the responsibility of a gas technician to check all gas appliances if the furnace is faulty or broken. It is a necessary precaution and the primary responsibility, for any professional to ensure that your family stays safe in your home. No matter where you live, strict regulations apply when it comes to the procedure of red tagging and inspection as stated in code B149.1.10.*. If this procedure is not applied or done properly, the gas technician is held liable immediately for any damage caused to the home; a very serious penalty. If you call, they check all!

How to Avoid Being Tagged

You’re not guaranteed to get red tagged when a professional visits you. So, Every time you start your heating and cooling equipment for the season, remember to run through this list of check ups. Simply just running your appliance for a short period of time every couple of months will help regulate the system and prevent most problems. Keep in mind that Canadian winters are very harsh and can put stress on a furnace, rather than southern states and warmer climate provinces. Due to this factor, remember to do a full service check up every 2 years, 5 years for areas not as harshly affected by the cold.

Remember to:

• Clear your indoor vents
• Change the filters on furnaces, air conditioners and cold air returns monthly
• Make sure that there is no debris preventing airflow to your outdoor units before turning them on
• Change the batteries and check the temperature using a thermometer other than your thermostat for accuracy

When to call a professional:

The average life of a furnace is 16 to 25 years; checkups are not necessary every month, but at least once a year just to make sure its running without issue. Efficiency decreases with age, especially if regular maintenance is ignored. Indications that you need a tune up or a professional visit include:

• Having trouble with the thermostat
• Dusty and dry air inside the home
• Cracking wood furniture and static electricity

More urgent indications include the following:

Rattling or distressed Noise

• Possibly Loose panel
• Warning sign that heat exchanger could be cracked and may be producing dangerous toxins

Low Rumbling

• Oil inside the combustion chamber which make fumes

Flickering or Yellow pilot light

• Excess carbon dioxide around gas burning furnaces. If adjusting does not return light to blue, schedule a maintenance appointment

Scraping sound

• Ball bearings are nearly worn out. Turn off immediately and call a furnace specialist

High-pitched Squeal

• Blower belt is slipping or frayed
• Ball bearings need proper lubrication

An efficient and functional furnace creates clean air and a comfortable ambience in your home. With regular maintenance and proper care, your heating and cooling, and even your other gas burning appliances will work at peak efficiency, and without issue for many years to come.

For more maintenance tips for your heating and cooling appliances click here. Don’t forget to follow our Pinterest Page here for tips and inspiration around the house.

* The safety regulations and laws put forth in this document are applicable to Canada only, please refer to your country’s safety codes when dealing with furnaces and other natural gas appliances.

Go With The Flow

There are loads of ways to create airflow in your home. It is dependent, mostly, on the style of house you have. The best set up would be having your fireplace/stove/insert located on the main floor or main living area with a centralized location, or in an open concept space. Or having a ranch style house (long and sprawling), with the unit in the middle so you have two smaller wings to heat. Many people, for cleanliness reasons, opt for a basement installation of their fireplace/stove/insert especially if they are using a pellet or wood-burning model. This is where you may have an issue. But fear not! There are solutions, because sure hot air rises, but it needs a little bit of help.

Let’s Get Moving – Cheap And Simple

If you have a forced air heating and cooling system, turn on the fan and just use it to circulate the air that is created by your fireplace. This works best in more open concept spaces and smaller homes where heat loss to the vents won’t be noticeable. If you have ceiling fans, reversing them so that the air is being pulled up is another way to circulate that heat. The moving air is pulled up, thrown against the ceiling and then comes down the walls and is sucked back up again, much like a convection oven, only cozy with less cooking. This also works well if the fireplace is in a common and social area.

A Little Electricity Goes A Long Way

What do you do if you haven’t got a forced air system to move the air around? There are several fan options that you can use, including fans that sit in the upper corner of doors, and even your big old box fan. Place the box fan on low, facing INTO the space where your fireplace is, blowing the cool air at the unit. This will cause a convection reaction and the hot air will be forced away from the burning unit. If in a small room, the hot air will be moving out the door into larger spaces in no time.

May Require Renos

If you’re still not getting the heat that you want, you may think about some minor renovations, like adding a pass through vent over the burning unit, into the room above. This simple mod will allow the heat produced by your fireplace to simply flow upwards. In a ranch style house, the long kind, adding transoms over the doors – those little windows but without adding glass – will allow for increased airflow. Doing this in conjunction with using ceiling fans or the home’s venting systems will make for a nice and warm home. Even better, you will add more light to your beautiful home if you choose to do this as well.

To check on the effectiveness of moving hot air from one space to another, try taping a streamer or piece of toilet paper to the doorframe. If it’s moving, you have airflow. If not, other solutions may be necessary. Either way, it is possible to heat your home by moving hot air generated by a wood or pellet burning fireplace/stove/insert.

To view our full line of wood burning and pellet burning appliances go here. And follow our Hearth Design board on Pinterest for loads of inspiration.

Winter is a word that couldn’t describe itself any better. Fortunately for us who dislike the cold, it also means that it’s time to turn on our gas and wood burning fireplaces to enjoy the warmth. An experience that is even more enjoyable for pet owners! But when it comes to pets and fireplaces, it is important to understand their love for warmth and to ensure a safe area for them.

“How can I keep my pets safe?” I hear you ask.

When operating a wood-burning fireplace, we can never say it enough: Don’t forget your Damper!!! This might be the ultimate and first thing you should check before lighting and putting out any fire. Forgetting the damper before starting a fire can be deadly to both you and your pet.

While you may already have heatproof glass doors, they aren’t made to resist hits (anything can happen). Fortunately, there are many options you can choose in order to protect both your pet and your fireplace doors, because let’s face it; heatproof glass doors are not the cheapest thing to replace. If you don’t have a screen, we strongly advise you to get one! It’s crucial to put an obstacle between your fireplace and your pet. This way they will avoid getting burned by the high heat coming from your appliance. There are many decorative options, so you don’t have to worry about a fireplace screen cramping your style either.

Training is the key to a safe and enjoyable environment

In order to create a safe area for not only you but also for your pet, it is important to teach them that the area around the fireplace is not a play area. Establish boundaries as much as when the fire is lit than when it isn’t. Make sure to have play time confined to another room of the house, even treats should be given elsewhere than the room containing the fireplace.

Then, make your pet understand that it is a relaxing zone. Bring its bed to a safe distance from the fire and use this moment to pet them calmly and slowly; create a safe feeling of security. Do not forget that our little companions have warmer blood than us, and love lounging near the fire just like us.

Hopefully this information will help you as much as it did us. Be social; join our Facebook and Twitter community!

Some people think that the fireplace is to be used only as decoration. Not only it is untrue, but fireplaces are also more efficient than people think. This goes especially for propane fireplaces that are known for their heating efficiency. Propane has become a very popular gas to use for both fireplaces and stoves because it’s easy to start the fire, and also because of its low cost. Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of using propane fireplace combustion needs.

Benefits In Using Propane For Your Utilities

The advantage of choosing propane over other fuel types (wood, for example) is simply to create peace of mind; light your fire with the simple push of a button. As long as there is space for a propane tank, gas fireplaces powered by propane can be installed anywhere. And propane can also be used for more than one item, like your Napoleon® grill, a Patioflame® or an outdoor fireplace. Furthermore, propane is well known for its economy as it takes less fuel to produce the same amount of heat than traditional natural gas.

As well as being efficient and cheaper, propane fireplaces are also easy to maintain. It produces a roaring fire that needs no tending and requires minimal cleanup. The only parts you need to clean are easy to find, especially with the detailed instructions in your manual.

Propane Is Not A Problem In Your Backyard

The best thing about propane is that it can be installed with any gas fireplace, regardless its location; a fireplace either inside or outside the house. Don’t worry about the size and location of propane tanks as the tank’s size depends on your expected usage, and the place where it is going to be is not static. You can either bury it or install it above ground level. Propane is a fantastic way to make sure that you have easy access to your home heating no matter what. It’s a highly efficient and inexpensive way to keep your family safe and warm.

For more information about our propane fireplaces and our other fireplace products, contact us today! 

Everyone wants to get the most bang for their buck. With winter around the corner you can save money on your heating costs with an efficient fireplace. When any fireplace is properly maintained during the on and off seasons it will run great, lasting you for years to come and allowing you to turn down the furnace and enjoy the exquisiteness of the burning flames. Here are some tips on maximizing the efficiency of your current fireplace.

Get the Most Out Of Your Wood Fireplace

Wood fireplaces can be trickier than a gas fireplace for maintaining a warm heat when having to manually add more logs to the fire. To maintain a better efficiency from your fireplace try a different building technique by piling the biggest logs on the bottom then gradually adding smaller pieces until you reach the top. Ensure you choose the wood wisely as it is a crucial part to a successful flame, the wood that you plan to use for this year should have been cut last year giving it a fair amount of time to settle and dry. Most importantly when it comes to wood fireplaces make sure your wood is not stored outside where it could get wet or if you have no other option ensure it is properly covered; that being said all your wood should be absolutely dry before being placed in the firebox area. Another tip to take into consideration to increase efficiency is using more expensive wood, for instance maple or hickory will burn longer and provide more heat. Keep in mind not to cut your logs too big to avoid stuffing them into the firebox, allow at least a couple inches difference between the logs and the firebox.

Maintain the Efficiency of Your Gas Fireplace

Maximizing efficiency with your gas fireplace is a little easier to accomplish than wood for the main reasoning of less maintenance. Direct vent fireplaces combustion are as efficient as vent free in any home. If you’re interested in updating your fireplace, a ceramic glass front is stronger and more efficient for transferring heat into the home rather than regular tempered glass. Ensure you perform yearly maintenance on your blower in terms of removing any built up dust allowing your fireplace to blow the maximum amount of heat into your home without dust going along with it. When installing a fireplace into the home insulate with a vapor barrier and drywall around your fireplace to eliminate heat loss into the walls of the home, especially when the fireplace is placed on an outside wall. If you plan on using your fireplace as much as your furnace in the winter consider during installation using hot air distribution kits to move heat to the adjacent room . Most fireplaces will only allow you to adjust the flame 70 percent, although Napoleon fireplaces go as low as 30 percent allowing you to enjoy the fireplace while saving.

We all know how expensive it is to heat your whole house. Many people have been trying to think of a way to reduce our energy bills. Turns out that they’ve found an efficient way; Zone Heating. Zone Heating is the term used when you heat the room you’re most in with an alternative heat source instead of using your main heating system. Keep reading to understand why it’s more efficient to use a fireplace than using your furnace alone.

What Is Zone Eating and How It Works

Research has been made about how much time we spend in each room of our home. Results said that we spend more than 80 percent of our time in only 20 percent of our house. Therefore, it would make sense to heat that 20 percent. That would save you a lot of money. You don’t have to look far into the past to see that people used to heat their house with a single fireplace or stove, thus, heating the room they would be in the most. It is efficient and economic! The best way to use Zone Heating is to get a fireplace or a heater and heat the rooms you’re usually in. Myself, I bought a heater for my bedroom and installed a fireplace in my living room. I did this because the fireplace looks gorgeous and on Sunday nights I like to gather with my family and watch a movie with the fireplace going.

The Benefits of Zone Heating

One of the most important things to learn about Zone Heating is it is very beneficial to your wallet and your carbon footprint. First of all there’s the comfort. It is important to feel comfortable in your favorite rooms. Then there’s the efficiency. Proper use of Zone Heating can save you hundreds of dollars in energy costs each year just by keeping the furnace set a little lower. And last, but not least, quiet performance. Heating your room with a fireplace is way quieter than having the furnace working all of the time.

For more information about Zone Heating and our fireplace products, click here.

When remodeling or furnishing your home, you want to choose the best quality paint products and pieces to enhance the beauty of the room you’re decorating. Through this post ,we will explore how to transform your fireplace surround to match the personality of any room in your home. Fireplaces like any other home appliance need to be checked upon regularly and cleaned. If you’re looking to redecorate, your fireplace is a great way to completely change the look and feel of a room.

To get started you’ll need to have some tools and materials handy.

1. Rag Cloth, Brush
2. Water and Vinegar solution, in a spray bottle, in a 50/50 solution
3. Paintbrushes, a thick textured roller and painter’s tape
4. Indoor primer (oil-based, and stain resistant)
5. Indoor, heat resistant latex paint (flat, semi gloss or gloss)*

*Oil or silicone based

Start by clearing off your fireplace, including the removal of pictures or ornaments on and around the mantel and hearth. If you have a brick fireplace and are planning on painting it, make sure you also clean the surface of the brick. Using a brush, do a once over to make sure all the dirt, dust and soot is clear. Then spray the brick with your 50/50 solution of water and vinegar, and then pat it with a cloth to make sure you’ve gotten all the debris so the paint will adhere properly. Tape off any areas you want to remain paint free.

Outside Surround

Priming the brick or surround is helpful if you want to avoid soot stains showing up in your new paint job. Buy a stain blocking and oil based primer to seal the brick or wood. This will also make sure the paint sticks and lasts on your fireplace surround without chipping and staining. Always be sure to follow the manufacturer’s directions on the can before starting.

Choose an indoor latex paint for the surround: you want a flat, semi gloss or gloss paint that is rated to withstand high temperatures generated by a fireplace (around 250 degrees). Painting a wood frame or mantel with this type of paint is always a good idea.

For brick, have a textured roller handy in order to cover the brick easier. Since brick is very porous, make sure you apply at least 2 coats of paint, after priming, before you go over it with a small paintbrush to fill in any spots that didn’t get coverage. Remember: although this paint is heat resistant, it is only to be used for painting the exterior of a fireplace.

Voila! Now you have a wonderful looking painted fireplace! Adorn it with your favorite decorations, or even with some of these great accessories and you’re going to have a beautiful room that creates the perfect cozy environment for you, your family and friends!

Making a Fashionable Statement

Once your wood is seasoned and prepared for use, then you’re ready to move the beautiful logs inside.
You can store wood in any living space, whether it be outdoors, inside a living room or bedroom. In this article we will discover funky new ways of showing off your well seasoned kindling, for all to adore in the upcoming months!

Research

First, search online and through magazines what kind of layout you may want. Consider which option is the best way to compliment your fireplace, while maintaining the best focal point. Choosing an asymmetrical or symmetrical design, traditional, modern or contemporary look depends on location or positioning of your fireplace. Make sure you appoint a contractor or professional for a building plan.

Design: Up, down, side to side…You name it!

Here are some cool ideas to consider for your ideal wood storage.

In the wall: This can be any size; height or width. Wall storage can liven up a room, or add rustic flair to any old space.

Under the hearth: If you prefer an organized and clutter-free space, storing wood under the fireplace can prove to be very functional. Installing a drawer or secret cabinet is a great way to add style and organization (as well as surprise!) into the home. Heck, if you prefer, stack your wood out in the open for all to see!

Hidden Angles: for those who don’t relish the idea of wood being a focal point, there is always the option of storing on an angle. Here is a picture to illustrate:

Utilizing furniture: visit your local antique or vintage shop to find furnishings and accessories which you can retrofit. If you have limited space with nowhere to house your wood, feel free to use a bookcase, dresser..the opportunities are endless!

Tips and Reminders:

Although storing wood in your home looks beautiful, you want to take measure and keep these considerations in mind.

1. Think about practicality; know your home. You will have to think about keeping a ladder or great step stool to help you out depending on the size of wall storage. You do not want to put yourself at risk!
2. Make sure your wood is seasoned for well up to a year before bringing it into your home. This ensures that no little critters inhabit your wood. Well seasoned dry wood will have no scent, no moisture, and no bark or sap. Bugs and insects love all those things, and seasoned wood doesn’t have it. So, rule #1 – SEASON YOUR WOOD!!

1. Line your space with durable material. Especially since you’re stacking wood, you don’t want an unstable base foundation, or a finish that could wear and get scratched. A rubber mat liner is a great material to use, as it is anti-skid and has treads. Easy to cut and size as well as affordable, these mats are transparent and are a great investment.
2. Do not spray your seasoned logs with flammable solvents. This includes air fresheners of any kind or insect repellants. Instead, buy ant and bug traps to place inside your storage. These have no potent smell and will not ruin or taint your wood. You don’t want to be burning wood that has chemicals on it, after you worked so hard to season it!!
3. Only take what you need. While big storage spaces are great, they can be hard to maintain for some if you do not burn wood frequently. A solution would be to fill your space halfway, and replenish when scarce. This makes cleaning easier to keep on top of, as well as keeping track of your firewood stock.

Have you got a neat place to store and show off your firewood? Comment below or send us a picture!