Greater Vancouver Heating,
Cooling & Plumbing Services

You can currently get a CleanBC rebate of up to $21,000 when you install a heat pump. Heat pumps provide both heating and air conditioning, and are very energy efficient. FortisBC dual fuel heat pump rebate: $10,000 rebate A $10,000...

Here is the ballpark starting price for a new boiler in the Greater Vancouver area. This price was last updated June 2024. High efficiency combination boiler:From $11,900 including installation  A combination boiler is a boiler that replaces both your current...

Until Dec. 31st, 2023 FortisBC is offering rebates of up to $1500 when you replace your old boiler with a new high efficiency boiler. After Dec. 31 rebates on gas boilers will end in favor of rebates on electric heat...

*** All rebates on gas water heaters have ended as of Dec. 31, 2023 See our current water heater offerings on our water heaters page. The only remaining government rebates are for heat pumps. See our heat pumps page for...

According to a 2002 report published by the Ontario Lung Association, a survey showed the public believed “indoor air pollution was a relatively minor problem compared to outdoor air pollution.” However, with many people now spending more than 90% of...

How do professionally installed air cleaners compare to 1” filters and portable air cleaners? According to North America’s best regarded consumer publication, professionally installed whole-house air cleaners with 4-5” filters outperform  standard 1” models (even including the more advanced “allergen...

The cost of electricity in BC has risen substantially over the last few years, and further increases are expected. At current energy prices, it costs more than three times as much to heat a home with an electric furnace than...

Over the past 10 years or so, the cost of new furnaces and air conditioners has been steadily rising due to increasing energy efficiency standards. As a result, homeowners have become more interested in extended warranties in order to protect...

According to a 1999 CMHC study, electronic air cleaners can do a very good job of cleaning the air in a home. However, a more recent CMHC study shows that regular cleaning of these filters is necessary to maintain their performance. Our...

Many people are interested in the benefits of a tankless water heater, but have a hard time finding out the cost to install one. We have decided to post some “ballpark prices” just to give homeowners a general idea of...

Consumer Reports: Poorly installed heat pumps are much less reliable In a recent report on central air conditioners, Consumer Reports found that “19 percent of systems installed by new-home builders failed compared with 12 percent installed by homeowners. The gap...

When buying a new hot water tank, one of the main questions homeowners ask is “which brand is the best?” Unfortunately, no major consumer publication (such as Consumer Reports) or surveying organization (such as JD Power) conducts brand reliability surveys....

Deciding which brand of tankless water heater to install can be a difficult decision, as there are no consumer publications that provide brand recommendations and seemingly no sources of unbiased reviews. Hiring an established contractor that guarantees their work remains...

Notice: Undefined index: file in /home/x4obwo122mgm/public_html/wp-includes/media.php on line 1500 It used to be considered “common knowledge” that geothermal (or ground source) heat pumps are a lot more efficient than air source heat pumps.  During the winter,  temperatures are a lot...

The major heat pump manufacturers all make lines of heat pumps with comparable specifications. The specifications for HSPF (heating efficiency),  SEER (cooling efficiency), noise levels, and warranty duration are very similar when comparing models within each class. This is probably...

How do professionally installed air cleaners compare to 1” filters and portable air cleaners? According to North America’s best regarded consumer publication, professionally installed whole-house air cleaners with 4-5” filters outperform  standard 1” models (even including the more advanced “allergen...

When looking for a new car or appliances, reliability ratings for all major makes and models can easily be obtained from major consumer publications. Unfortunately, reliability data is not available for individual furnace models. However, Consumer Reports has conducted surveys...

Most homes do not have the power supply required by an electric tankless water heater Electric hot water tanks usually take longer to re-heat hot water than gas systems. For this reason, homeowners with electric hot water tanks are often...

***This program is expiring on Dec. 31, 2023. When you install a new tankless water heater FortisBC will give you a $400-$500 rebate. The amount of the rebate depends on the efficiency of the tankless water heater: Water heater type...

A recent article in the Toronto Star reports how some homeowners are finding high efficiency furnaces very difficult to install in their homes. This is particularly a concern for townhouses and homes where the furnace is located near the centre...

Lennox, Trane, and Carrier are probably the 3 most popular brands of new furnaces in British Columbia (with Amana probably being a close 4th). We have made this post to provide homeowners with a quick overview of the furnaces offered...

Here are our current prices for installing a hot water tank: 40 gallon gas: $1790  (This is the most common size of water heater)50 gallon gas: $2130  (For homeowners who wish to upgrade)40 gallon electric: $182050 gallon electric: $1980Removal and...

Some homeowners close the air registers in unused rooms in an attempt to save energy. You might think this would allow the furnace to heat only the rooms that are occupied, and that a lot of energy would be saved....

Which is better: In floor radiant heating or a forced air furnace? We are often asked this question by people looking to buy a new home. Each of them has its own pros and cons. In floor heating Forced air...

When buying items such as home appliances, homeowners often look to publications such as Consumer’s Reports for guidance. Unfortunately, none of the major consumer publications (such as Consumer Reports or Consumer Guide) have reviewed or conducted reliability testing on tankless...

Here are some ballpark prices for installing an air source heat pump in Vancouver BC. Basic heat pump added to existing furnace: $8,500Premium heat pump added to existing furnace: $10,500Heat pump with high efficiency furnace: $17,000. This is for a...

With the City of Vancouver’s Green Homes Program, new homes are required to be better insulated with less air leakage than ever before. This means lower heating costs. Unfortunately, it can also lead to stuffy, stale indoor air. To prevent...

The Energy Factor (EF) rating system provides a means of comparing the efficiency of hot water heating systems. Hot water tanks, for example, have EFs ranging from about 0.53 to 0.62 (the minimum energy factor of a 40 gallon gas...

Here are some ballpark starting prices for installing a gas furnace in the Greater Vancouver area: 90-93% efficient single-stage furnace: $490095% efficient two-stage furnace: $560095-96% efficient two-stage variable speed furnace: $610095-99% efficient variable capacity furnace: $6700 These prices were last...

Until September 30th 2012, Fortis BC will give you a $25 Save-On-Foods gift card when you have maintenance performed on your furnace, boiler, or fireplace. Homeowners with a fireplace and a furnace/boiler can receive a gift card for each system...

When electronic air cleaners (EACs) started to become popular about 15 years ago, they were hailed as a highly effective and economical way to clean indoor air. However, more recently, they have been criticized for their production of ozone (a...

If your sink is clogged, there are a number of things you can try before calling a plumber. Use a plunger Many sink blockages can be cleared with a sink plunger. You can also use a toilet plunger if you...

Rheem also includes a 6 year parts warranty on functional components, in addition to their 8 year warranty against tank leakage. Most other water heaters only have a 1 year warranty on parts. When you install a new Energy Star...

North America’s best regarded consumer publication has rated Waste King’s higher end garburators (the Gourmet SS3300 and Legend 8000) as the best systems available (the Gourmet SS3300 was recently replaced with the Legend 3300). They were found to grind food...

InSinkErator, a division of General Electric, is the top selling brand of garburators. They are known for making the quietest garburators on the market (for their Evolution series). Badger Series The Badger Series is InSinkErator’s lower cost line of garburators....

Most clogs can be removed with a plunger. Just make sure you’re using a toilet plunger, not a sink plunger, so that you can get a tight seal. The below video shows how to plunger a toilet. Also make sure...

Use a plunger A plunger can only create strong suction when it is filled with water, not air. Add a couple inches of water to the bathtub so that the drain is filled with water and also make sure the...

Until Dec. 31, 2023 you can receive a FortisBC rebate of up to $1150 when you install a new high efficiency furnace. After Dec. 31 the rebate will end in favor of rebates on electric heat pumps. The rebate is...

When you install an Energy Star hot water tank before, FortisBC will give you a $200 rebate. Energy Star hot water tanks have Energy Factors of 0.67 or above. This means that at least 67% of the heat generated ends...

According to a 2002 report published by the Ontario Lung Association, a survey showed the public believed “indoor air pollution was a relatively minor problem compared to outdoor air pollution.” However, with many people now spending more than 90% of...