Frequently asked questions

It depends on where you live, the age of your home and who lives there. If you live near a busy or dusty road, in an older home, or have pets, change your filter every 3 months. Otherwise, every 4 to 6 months is usually fine, depending on the type of filter.

Good airflow is essential for your equipment’s efficiency, so don’t let filters clog up.

Your filter’s main job is to protect your equipment. It keeps dirt and debris out of the blower motor, where it causes friction and extra wear, and stops the evaporator coil from clogging and blocking airflow. Even if you’re not worried about dust, a clean filter protects the life of your equipment.

Not really. Most of the dust in your home comes from outdoors, so keep windows and doors closed when you can. A furnace filter removes some dust and smoke, but not odours or bacteria.

For allergens, bacteria, odours or heavy smoke you need an air cleaning system, such as UV lights or specialized filtration. Get in touch to find out which option suits your home.

Yes. A programmable thermostat can make your system very efficient. But large swings force your equipment to work hard to catch up, which costs more in gas and electricity and shortens its life.

A safe setback is 2 to 5 degrees. With a heat pump, keep it to 2 to 3 degrees.

This is very common. Heat rises, and basements are insulated by the ground, so floors naturally end up at different temperatures. The complete fix is a zoning system, which isn’t always possible in a finished home.

Running your furnace fan continuously helps by mixing cool air from downstairs with warm air from upstairs. It won’t make both floors equal, though. That usually takes changes like new windows, more insulation or zoned ductwork.

Inside your tank is an anode rod. It attracts corrosive minerals in the water and corrodes instead of the tank, protecting it from rusting through. The rod lasts about 6 years.

Once it’s gone, the tank walls start to corrode. The debris settles on the bottom and insulates it, so the tank takes longer to heat, overheats, and uses more gas. By around 8 years a tank can be unsafe. Draining the tank every year and replacing the anode rod after 5 years help it last longer.

Yes. Pamela is a Red Seal Refrigeration Journeywoman and Gas B fitter with a diploma in Electronic Engineering Technologies from SAIT. Professional Airflow Mechanics is fully licensed and insured for residential HVAC work throughout the Okanagan.

Call us at 250-859-0707, email info@professionalairflowmechanics.ca, or send a quote request and we’ll find a time that works for you.