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As I write this the temperature outside is finally above 20° C. It has been a long time coming. The other bit of good news is that the Province of Ontario is starting to open things up a bit allowing limited recreation options as well as the opening of certain store front retailers. It is very welcome after 8 weeks of self-quarantine.
This, however, should not be construed as a return to “normal”. We are a very long ways away from whatever our new normal will be. Workers will not all be flocking back to work anytime soon for a couple of good reasons.
- Physical distancing in elevators will severely limit the number of people going to work in high rise office buildings. One person calculated that it would take 36 hours to get all of the workers in the TD Centre up to their offices and just as much time to leave. I’m sure this is already a big issue in high rise condominiums as well.
- The lack of childcare will be a stumbling block for many workers with young children and women will bear the brunt of most of this. A number of our employees have restricted availability because they have no childcare and/or share it with a partner.
The result is that many people for the foreseeable future will continue to spend the majority of their time at home. This is your safe haven.
One preventive measure that must not be overlooked is the cleanliness of the lowly furnace filter. Please check it at least once per month. All of this additional activity in the home keeps dust circulating and it all ends up in the furnace filter. If yours is dirty, we can get you a replacement and better yet order an extra when setting up your maintenance visit and our technician can leave it with you. Not keeping filters clean can cause serious problems for an air conditioner.
We are all used to waiting in line to get into the grocery store these days. The same will be true when the hotter weather arrives, and you find yourself needing service. There will be a lineup. Since so many HVAC contractors chose to defer maintenance for their clients or the clients chose to not have maintenance done this spring, there will be a backlog of demand. We have hired extra people in anticipation of this demand and will do our best to see that our customers are not disadvantaged.
With summer comes thunderstorms than can bring power surges and power outages. One product that is proving very popular is a surge protector for your air conditioner and furnace. This device can prevent an untimely breakdown of your AC system when you need it most. Ask your service technician about it when they come to do your maintenance service. Thank you and stay healthy everyone!
Roger Grochmal, P.Eng.
Life Member ASHRAE
