New Furnace / Central Air Conditioner Time??

I am not surprised I am not the only one who came to write a positive review about Ash (@newlyborn). I can see that he has left this impression on all who seek his help.
I had my KeepRite furnace (7 years old), flashing 9 led lights and shutting down every 2 minutes and then restarting a minute later. It would keep going on forever because according to the thermostat, the indoor temp has not met the set/desired temp. This made the house feel very cold (as more cold draft was blowing through the registers), and also put a lot of wear on the furnace unit (yikes!). Thanks to the help of this RFD community, few members recommended Ash after I posted my issue. I immediately contacted Ash, and he took care of the problem. The flame sensor and pressure switch was replaced, and the drain was cleaned. It is all up and running now, my toes are also very thankful!
Will highly recommend him to anyone/family/friends and he has gained this loyal customer.

Another upvote for Ash (RFD newlyborn). We were looking to replace our water heater with a tankless (Rinnai) and furnace (Lennox). He came by that night to give a very reasonable quote and left it with us to decide (no pressure) and was very communicative throughout the process. Our water heater then broke down while we looking for costs for someone to move the water main/drain. He was able to get his crew over quickly and get the furnace and hot water tank replaced in one day. The crew (Raj and I can't recall the other person's name) put down runners on the floor and around the work area. They left everything clean when they were done.

Unfortunately (things do happen with even the best of products/installations), the furnace cut out after a few hours of running. I let Ash know the next morning and he had Raj back to take a look at the issue a few hours later. The problem was intermittent (would run for 45min to an hour then cut off). They stayed for a few hours to troubleshoot and adjust. Things were working fine when they left but then 45min later it cut out again. I let Ash know and he came by himself that evening to replace the pressure sensor. Everything was handled the same day the issue was reported and Ash took great care to follow up and ensure things were still running over the next few days. He even delayed payment for a week until we were fully satisfied.

I would highly recommend him to anyone.

If your furnace is having some kind of issue, and has been red tagged and you cannot use it.. the first thing you should do is call ASH from fair deal heating. He saved us thousands by repairing our Bryant furnace that had a problem with the heat exchanger. We were going to get ripped off by enercare and several other companies but luckily he reached out to me on RFD and we couldn't be happier. Him and his partner tackled the job the next day and ensured everything went smoothly even after the job was completed. They even called several weeks later to ensure nothing was wrong. If you want to save some money and get the best service possible, go with ASH! @newlyborn

Have heard lots of bad stories about Enercare, just red tagging and saying you need a new furnace. How much did you save roughly by getting Ash to repair it?

Striderg3 wrote: ↑ If your furnace is having some kind of issue, and has been red tagged and you cannot use it.. the first thing you should do is call ASH from fair deal heating. He saved us thousands by repairing our Bryant furnace that had a problem with the heat exchanger. We were going to get ripped off by enercare and several other companies but luckily he reached out to me on RFD and we couldn't be happier. Him and his partner tackled the job the next day and ensured everything went smoothly even after the job was completed. They even called several weeks later to ensure nothing was wrong. If you want to save some money and get the best service possible, go with ASH! @newlyborn

Ash and his team did a great job installing a humidifier, furnace and air conditioning unit; we got the whole shebang with him. We are in Thornhill. What struck me most was his responsiveness and professionalism when answering my questions. He was also very patient. His team themselves were more the type to just come in, get things done, not answer too many questions, and leave. We’ve had a lot of dealings with contractors over the past while and some are great and some are not. Ash and his team are great. Fair priced as well. He also did a favour for me reattaching my vent cover. I would highly recommend Ash and his services. He knows his stuff as evident from his comments in this thread as well. Wishing him and his team all the best. He’ll have my business again whenever I need new HVAC.

We had Ash and his team (Fair Deal Heating & Air Conditioning) install a humidifier and hot water tank (said goodbye to renting with Reliance!). Ash installed the humidifier and his team installed the hot water tank. His team picked up the water tank for me (at an additional cost) and arrived promptly. They were very respective of social distancing which we really appreciate. Both Ash and his team were happy to answer any questions I had. Ash is very quick to reply and set up an appointment which made the whole process smooth. Bonus was the fair pricing of the labour. Down the road, I would not hesitate to call Ash to replace or work on our furnace and AC if, hopefully not any time soon, problems were to come up.

Wanted to give Ash and his team at Fair Deal Heating & Air Conditioning a huge shoutout! We recently bought a place with a 30 year old furnace and a 20 year old water tank, Ash came out and helped us pick out the a new furnace and tankless water heater. He took his time to promptly answer all of my questions I had. We asked quotes from quite a few companies and he provided a great price compared to the other places we spoke to. He was able to schedule us in quickly to have his team install both units in a single day.

His team were very professional, respectful, and knowledgeable. We've been running the equipment and it's been working perfectly. Ash has been even reaching out to check-up on us to make sure everything's been running smooth. I'll be recommending Fair Deal Heating & Air Conditioning to my family.

Formicary corrosion is one of the topmost reasons why most manufacturers have moved away from the copper A coils. There is no twisting of the facts no matter how you put it.

Most of the corrosion in that picture I see on the end tube sheet and not the tubes. The tube sheet will rust on any manufacturer's coil and the rust does not pose a problem.

I agree that aluminum tube is preferable over copper; there can be a specific reason to use a third party coil though - for example the trane coils above 2.5 ton nominal I see listed are 20"++ wide instead of 16-17" and often the 14+ seer needs a larger coil than "nominal" to hit capacity/efficiency rating. So a 2 ton a/c can theoretically need a 3 ton nominal coil and require plenum modification or replacement to get it to fit. A 13 seer trane over 2.5 ton looks to have the same issue.

When working with a reputable contractor*, there should be no issue accommodating customer preferences and changing the job/products, though it may cost more due to needing to modify the plenum.

*All of the contractors here seem reputable and flexible.

The funny thing is that copper coils used to be very robust, there are 20-30+ year old copper coils still in use.
Must be a combination of reduced material quality and using thinner tubing to improve efficiency.
Not to mention homes have gotten tighter so there's more indoor air pollution.
A decent quality copper coil these days should be okay.

I have a 40 year old Claire furnance.
I'm just had my hot water tank replaced for the 3rd time. It got me thinking about my furance.

I just had it cleaned a few months ago. Do you think I should have it inspected or not worry about?

If your furnace is 40 years old, I will assume it has a standing pilot, one gas valve, and a belt-driven blower motor with a very solid heat exchanger. These furnaces were built like a tank. If you got it inspected just a few months ago, you don't need to get it done before the beginning of next winter season.

Wildwestbob wrote: ↑ I have a 40 year old Claire furnance.
I'm just had my hot water tank replaced for the 3rd time. It got me thinking about my furance.

I just had it cleaned a few months ago. Do you think I should have it inspected or not worry about?

newlyborn wrote: ↑ If your furnace is 40 years old, I will assume it has a standing pilot, one gas valve, and a belt-driven blower motor with a very solid heat exchanger. These furnaces were built like a tank. If you got it inspected just a few months ago, you don't need to get it done before the beginning of next winter season.

Ok thanks. That makes me feel better.
I had the blower changed a few years ago when I got an AC installed. Yes, it has a very basic pilot setup and one valve.
I dont know about the heat exchanger. I just had it cleaned but not really inspected.

Wildwestbob wrote: ↑ Ok thanks. That makes me feel better.
I had the blower changed a few years ago when I got an AC installed. Yes, it has a very basic pilot setup and one valve.
I dont know about the heat exchanger. I just had it cleaned but not really inspected.

Just my opinion - it's very important to have the heat exchanger visually inspected carefully at this age.
The entire hxt may not be visible so ask a tech about using a snake-camera, it can be put up each cell.

Good idea to have the exhaust tested with a combustion analyzer too which check carbon monoxide at a minimum. (better analyzers test other things in additon to co)

Your standing pilot furnace is throwing 30 to 40% of the heat it produces up the stack on average (including pilot and cycling losses) so keeping it alive an extra few years may end up costing you more & wasting a lot of gas. Your choice.

Things that worked 30 years back do not necessarily work the same way today. Everyone was happy with a single-stage furnace with the belt-driven motor. Nowadays not only ECM motors prevail, there is tonnes of debates over constant Vs variable torque, etc. Even the weight of copper coil has reduced considerably which is a clear indication that manufacturers have started skimping on material. Corrosion DOES pose the biggest risk for premature failure and hopefully, people are qualified enough to understand this basic principle.
Duct modifications are part of any AC/ Furnace installation so any installer skipping to use OEM coils because of these required mods is nothing but cutting corners at least to me.
As I mentioned in my post earlier, facts remain facts no matter who and how they are written twistedly.

insertname2020 wrote: ↑ Most of the corrosion in that picture I see on the end tube sheet and not the tubes. The tube sheet will rust on any manufacturer's coil and the rust does not pose a problem.

I agree that aluminum tube is preferable over copper; there can be a specific reason to use a third party coil though - for example the trane coils above 2.5 ton nominal I see listed are 20"++ wide instead of 16-17" and often the 14+ seer needs a larger coil than "nominal" to hit capacity/efficiency rating. So a 2 ton a/c can theoretically need a 3 ton nominal coil and require plenum modification or replacement to get it to fit. A 13 seer trane over 2.5 ton looks to have the same issue.

When working with a reputable contractor*, there should be no issue accommodating customer preferences and changing the job/products, though it may cost more due to needing to modify the plenum.

*All of the contractors here seem reputable and flexible.

The funny thing is that copper coils used to be very robust, there are 20-30+ year old copper coils still in use.
Must be a combination of reduced material quality and using thinner tubing to improve efficiency.
Not to mention homes have gotten tighter so there's more indoor air pollution.
A decent quality copper coil these days should be okay.

Another shout out to Ash (@newlyborn) and his team for another satisfied customer. He's delightfully honest, straightforward, and will tell you what you need and where you'll get good value. Absolutely no sales pitch - he understands what you want, and he gets you to the right decision. Replaced my 16 year old furnace with a Lennox Merit, Carrier AC and Aprilaire 600 humidifier - now the house is much much more comfortable, and the install was very clean. The crew was courteous and did really nice work.

Could not recommend enough - if you need a new furnace/AC, this is the guy. I will be sending all my friends and family to Ash from now on.

Another shout out to Ash and his team. I had a Rinnai 199i tankless installed last week and I'm glad I bought the full load unit. Previously had a return vent moved, A/C unit moved from the back to side of the house and April Aire humidifier installed. It's nice knowing that I have a go to HVAC company!! No doubt who I'll be calling when my builder furnace gives up the ghost.

Also great tips on how and where to move my floor drain that I didn't get from the RFD plumbing thread.

Thank you Marty. To avoid confusion, you got the model RUR 199i which is equipped with wifi, reservoir tank and circulating pump. Rinnai RU 199i is also an excellent choice and cheaper if water delay is not an issue.

Martyji wrote: ↑ Another shout out to Ash and his team. I had a Rinnai 199i tankless installed last week and I'm glad I bought the full load unit. Previously had a return vent moved, A/C unit moved from the back to side of the house and April Aire humidifier installed. It's nice knowing that I have a go to HVAC company!! No doubt who I'll be calling when my builder furnace gives up the ghost.

Also great tips on how and where to move my floor drain that I didn't get from the RFD plumbing thread.

I'll echo the others on the thread - thanks go to Ash @newlyborn at Fair Deal Heating and Air Conditioning for installing a hot water tank for me.

My rental GSW 60 gallon burst after a decade of service, so I decided to buy a new one outright. Ash's team installed a new John Woods ProLine XE within 2.5 hours - including building a new exhaust pipe. The team wore masks the whole time and put down drop cloths on the path to and from the basement. The new hot water tank he recommended runs quieter and less often - the surface is cool to the touch.

Glad to be saving a bit more energy, and saying bye-bye to my $40 monthly rental fees!

Ash did my tankless water heater installation, everything was done quick and smooth couldn't be happier
Guys showed up on time did what was needful then clean up the whole area as if nothing was ever done
There was a small leak from my fridge line connection which I was aware of and these guys fixed it without even asking

Thanks again Ash!

@johnmoon glad to add another happy customer to the "Rinnai" family.