At Dr. HVAC, we believe in treating our customers as more than just phone calls – we treat them like family.

Our customer service representative (CSR) Danielle Fath is one of the first people you’ll talk to at Dr. HVAC, and she’s more than ready to help with whatever you need.

Danielle is a Friendly, Efficient Problem-Solver

Danielle is the kind of person who’s very voice makes you feel better. In fact, in the past people have called her just to say hello.

“I have a demeanor that many customers like,” Danielle explains. “I want to make my customers as happy as I am, and that comes through when I answer the phone.”

But what customers like the most about Danielle is her ability to problem-solve. With several years of customer service experience under her belt, Danielle knows how to solve issues efficiently.

“People are looking for understanding and solutions,” Danielle says. “Customers want someone to listen to them, relate to them, and most importantly involve them in the process. You’re inviting us into your homes and trusting us to solve difficult problems. I will do whatever I need to do to solve your problem and make you feel comfortable – and so will the rest of the team here.”

She Works Hard to Get You the Best Results

Danielle loves being able to make a difference in someone’s day – that makes this the perfect job for her.

“It can be really stressful when it’s cold out and you’ve got no furnace. Letting customers know I’m here for them and making them feel better is the most rewarding part of the job.”

Danielle has many examples of moments like this, but one comes to mind.

“One gentleman called about his furnace and he was very frustrated. I was positive,listened to what he needed, and was able to get him an appointment immediately. He kept saying to me how much he appreciated my calm demeanour, as it made him feel better and he felt I was actually listening to him and giving his problem my full attention,” Danielle says.

“Everyone at Dr. HVAC works to provide a positive customer experience and form a connection,” Danielle adds. “When you call us, we’re not strangers anymore. As soon as you become a customer, you’re a part of our family.”

An Atmosphere Where We Can Collaborate and Learn

Danielle has had a lot of different jobs in the past. “They should call me a Danielle of all trades,” she says. “But every career I’ve had has been working with people.”

At Dr. HVAC, Danielle loves that she gets to keep developing her already impressive skillset and knowledge. “Being here in this environment makes you want to learn, and I get to participate in ongoing training with the team.”

Danielle also loves the atmosphere at Dr. HVAC. “Everybody here is looking in the same direction: we want to put everyone, including each other, first,” Danielle says.

“There’s so much communication here, and we’re encouraged to share our ideas and collaborate,” she adds.

In Her Free Time

When she’s not at work, she’s going on adventures with her three kids. “We love to explore the outdoors, and I think it’s important for kids to get outside and understand nature – plus it’s a great way to spend time together.”

Get to Know All of Us

The Dr. HVAC family is made up of amazing people. Visit our team page to meet each and every one of us.

Meet the Rest of the Team >

At Dr. HVAC, we believe in providing the best customer service and the best results.

Our service technician Bryan Malloch spends every day working hard to provide exactly that to homeowners like you.

Bryan Believes in Getting People What They Need

Bryan enjoys making a difference in someone’s day. “I like getting people what they need, whether that’s helping with heating or cooling.”

His years of experience as a service technician make him exceptionally good at diagnosing and repairing heating and cooling systems. He’s helped a lot of people get warm (or cool) again when they needed it most – but one service visit in particular stands out.

“During a bad heatwave we got a call from a mom with a newborn child. Her air conditioner was broken, and other companies were telling her it would be days before someone could come out to fix it,” Bryan says.

We wanted to make sure that this new family didn’t spend an entire heatwave without AC. “I drove out on a Saturday to make the repair,” Bryan says. “I was able to fix it within an hour. She was so happy and grateful to have her air conditioning back, she actually gave me some apples for the road.”

Putting the Customers First 100% of the Time

Dr. HVAC is committed to putting customers first. So is Bryan.

“We’re customer focused,” he explains. “We do things other companies don’t.”

This includes 24 hour emergency service and an outreach system to make homeowners feel safe and comfortable with the company.

“Homeowners will actually get a confirmation of their appointment with a picture of one of us so they know what time we’ll be there and who to expect,” Bryan explains.

This gives homeowners a sense of security when it comes time to have Bryan or one of our other technicians in their home.

“We also are very respectful of the home and property,” Bryan says. “We make sure to be quiet, friendly, and clean. In fact, a lot of the time we leave the furnace area cleaner than when we arrive.”

Bryan Encourages Homeowners to Ask Him Questions

Bryan didn’t start in this industry as a service technician. “I started in customer service with an HVAC manufacturer. I became really interested in the industry, and started taking night school at Humber College,” he explains.

Now a fully licensed Gas Fitter since 2013, Bryan continues to develop his skills and knowledge. “At least once a week at Dr. HVAC we have training, and we participate in a lot of manufacturer training as well,” Bryan says.

This works perfectly for Bryan, who loves not only learning, but teaching. “I’m a nerd for my work,” he says. “I enjoy teaching it to homeowners who want to learn a bit about the important systems in their homes.”

In return, Bryan learns every time he goes to an appointment. “Every day is different. You get to learn about all kinds of people and all walks of life, which is great.”

Bryan encourages homeowners to come stand with him, talk to him, and ask questions – he’s more than happy to answer them.

What About Outside of Work?

Outside of work, Bryan can be most often found bowling, playing board games, working out, and watching movies.

Get to Know All of Us

We’re a close-knit family with years of experience, knowledge, and great stories. Visit our team page to meet each and every one of us.

Meet the Rest of the Team >

When you work with Dr. HVAC, you get the full-service treatment. That includes a special visit from our home comfort expert Bruna.

Bruna has been a part of the Dr. HVAC family for over 2 years, and has spent every day with us devoting herself to what she loves: customer service with a smile.

What is a Home Comfort Specialist?

“As a comfort specialist, I give everyone all the information they need to make their best educated decision about what new home system to get,” Bruna explains. “I walk them through some questions to identify their needs. Do they have allergies, do they have pets, are there hot and cold spots in their home? Their answers tell me what they need, rather than me assuming what they need.”

“So many people have told me that they’ve called a home comfort expert, and they’ve come in, written down a brand, unit number and price on a piece of paper and left. This doesn’t help anyone!” Bruna explains. “I make my recommendations based on their answers to my questions, which tell me what they need.”

Bruna’s in-depth questions are followed up with measurements of the home and a thorough inspection of everything connected to installing a new furnace, air conditioner, or other type of home system. She then gives a thorough presentation of a customer’s options.

“I don’t push anyone,” Bruna says. “I’m just there to give them as much information as possible and answer any questions they have. It’s a big decision, and I never want any customer to feel rushed to make a decision, or ill-informed about the decision itself.”

How She Became Our Home Comfort Guru

“My whole life has been customer service focused,” Bruna says. She’s worked with people since she was 15 years old, and always wanted a job where she could help others get the best service possible.

“When I joined Dr. HVAC, I wanted a happy, positive environment where customers were treated fairly and respectfully: not a place that was only in it to overcharge people and make a quick buck,” Bruna explained. “I knew about Dr. HVAC’s exceptional customer service reputation, so I applied for a job opportunity that was available.”

Bruna hit the ground running from day one. “When I first started, I was filling in for everything! Phones, accounting, you name it.” But it soon became clear that Bruna was happiest when helping the customers who called. “Brendon saw how much I liked helping customers on the phone. I was asking them questions and explaining the best options, and he said I should get out in the field.”

A Home Comfort Specialist Spends A Lot of Time Learning

To be a home comfort specialist requires a lot of training, and a commitment to learning. When Bruna first took the job, she traveled to Arizona for a week-long home comfort specialist training program. “It was an amazing experience and I learned so much. I’m actually going to another training program in Minnesota later in 2018,” Bruna says.

In between special training programs, Bruna spends a lot of her time keeping up with the latest industry news by reading articles and watching videos. That’s on top of the regular ongoing training at Dr. HVAC that everyone participates in.

“I’m always doing manufacturing training, Dr. HVAC training, and we’re always talking shop,” Bruna explains. “I love learning, and I’m always looking to soak up any new information that could help me help others.

Customers Appreciate Bruna’s Helpfulness

Bruna takes Dr. HVAC’s customer-first policy and applies it to her own job each and every day. “I think, ‘if I was on the other side, what would I want the representative to do? Be upfront and honest,” Bruna explains. And that’s exactly what she does.

“I really look at the situation and focus on what they need and what I can do for them,” she says. “My priority is the happiness of the client.”

Bruna is often met with some customers experiencing stress and frustration because of a broken furnace or air conditioner, overwhelmed with choices to make but no information to make them with. But when Bruna leaves, customers feel happy, relieved, and better informed about their replacement options. “I want there to be no surprises on installations, which is why I go into such depth with my presentation and questions,” Bruna explains.

“When you do that, and people are happy, they thank you so much,” Bruna explains. “One woman had a carbon monoxide leak in her home that another company missed. We caught it, removed her furnace, and I helped her get a new one. She was so grateful and thankful, she asked if she could hug me.”

It’s not uncommon for people to be so appreciative of Bruna’s help that they invite her to stay for dinner, or give her small tokens of thanks. People are even being referred to her.

“We build such a relationship,” Bruna says happily. “I’ve always lived in and around the Peel region area, and the people that I meet are awesome. They’re so welcoming, I feel like I’m at home. And I’m so grateful that I get to be a part of it.”

Meet More of the Dr. HVAC Family >

Once November rolls around, Christmas events starting popping up all over the place. We’ve created this guide to let you know what events you shouldn’t miss if you’re looking for a little holiday magic.

Brampton Board of Trade Santa Claus Parade

Date: November 18, 2017
Time: 5 PM
Location: Downtown Brampton

Every year, this parade gets bigger and better as participants try to outshine last year’s floats. The audience keeps growing too, and reached an all-time high of 170,000 people in 2014.

Photo credit: InBrampton

“Best in Canada”

According to an interview with the Brampton Board of Trade Santa Claus Parade media spokesman Ahkil Mooken in 2016, there’s a reason they get well over 100,000 spectators each year.

“A few years ago, we were voted the best community parade in Canada by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. That goes to show you the size and quality of our floats,” Mooken explained.

Features

This parade features:

• A Family Fun Zone – you’ll have to attend to find out what’s there!
• Elaborate floats with lights displays, and colourful costumes
• Santa and his sleigh

“The parade is successful because of the commitment from our volunteers as well as the dedication of the residents who support us,” Mooken added. “The smiles we see on the faces of both children and adults makes it worthwhile to us each year.”

This year’s parade will be no exception, filled with many fantastic floats you’ll want front row seats to see. In fact, we recommend finding a spot along the parade route before 5 PM so that you can see it all!

We also recommend dressing for the appropriate weather, because Santa’s sleigh will arrive come rain or shine.

Have more questions about the Brampton Santa Claus Parade? Visit their FAQs page >

 

What did Santa Have to Say?

According to St. Nick himself, the Brampton Santa Claus Parade is his favourite. “The smiles lighting up the children’s eyes and faces is what makes this so special,” he told The Brampton Guardian in 2016. “It’s for the children, but parents have fun too…”

We’re sure he feels the same way about the 2017 parade, which sounds like it will be better than ever.

Downtown Brampton Christmas Market

Date: Starts November 17, 2017
Time: Starts 6 PM
Location: Garden Square Brampton

What’s Christmas in Brampton without a market to go to? The Downtown Brampton BIA is putting on the 5th annual Christmas Market, and everyone is invited!

If you can think of it, chances are the Christmas Market will have it. Garden Square will be playing host to food vendors, craft booths, and a donation centre for Brampton Food Bank and Peel regional Police Toys for Tots.

Features

This event includes:

• The Annual Tree Lighting
• Letters to Santa – keep an eye out for Brampton Guardian letter carriers to make sure Santa gets your letter!
• Cookie decorating – anything goes, and it all tastes good.
• A Mistletoe patio
• Carriage rides
• A carousel

Perfect Event for Getting into the Holiday Spirit

It isn’t just the hosts of the event that feel the Christmas magic. “The Christmas market is a great place for me to bring my family, I think it’s getting everyone into the holiday spirit,” said Brampton resident Harpreet Singh about last year’s festivities.

Bigger Than Ever Before

According to the Bramptonist, this year’s market is extending beyond Garden Square to the Daily Times Square in front of the new city hall.

This will serve to make the whole event just that much better. “It’s a magical time of the year to see downtown Brampton all lit up with beautiful decorations and window displays,“ Suzy Godefroy of the Downtown Brampton BIA told the Sheridan Sun in 2016.

So if you’re looking for tons of holiday spirit, downtown Brampton has plenty to go around.

Find out just how big this Christmas market will be >

Streetsville Christmas in the Village

Date: November 25 – November 26, 2017
Time: 2PM – 9PM/11AM – 4PM
Location: Streetsville, Mississauga

The Streetsville BIA is ready to dive head first into Christmas if you are! This year will the 2nd annual Christmas in the Village. You’re sure to be dazzled by the sight of Streetsville decked out in its Christmas finest.

A New Holiday Tradition

Christmas in the Village started only last year, and visitors were thrilled with the festive atmosphere.

“My family and I went for the Christmas celebration. The town square was set up beautifully with Santa and vendors all in the town square… it was excellent,” said one reviewer on the popular review site TripAdvisor.

Features

Christmas in the Village will feature:

• A hospitality lounge, complete with mulled wine and live entertainment
• A Children’s Tent to keep your kids creatively active
• Santa’s Village
• Reindeer Ridge, a prime place for holiday photos
• Polar Express Train – you have to see it to believe it!

View the entire event schedule >

The Bolton Santa Claus Parade

Date: December 2, 2017
Time: TBA
Location: Highway 50

This is a parade that keeps getting bigger every year. As the number of colourful, elaborate floats go up, so does the Christmas fun. You’ll want to nab a front row sidewalk so you won’t miss a minute.

The Whole Community Participates

John Stegeman, active member of the Kinsmen Club, says the Santa Parade is a staple event. “I think in this town everyone knows that on the first Saturday of December, Santa will come to see the community of Bolton,” he told the Caledon Enterprise.

The parade is planned over the course of the year, and floats are submitted by businesses, groups, and individuals alike. Then, on the first Saturday of December, thousands of people of all ages line up on Highway 50 to watch, waiting eagerly to catch a glimpse of Santa.

“We’re a growing town but we have small town values and a Santa Parade brings the community together. The kids love it and mom and dad know that once Santa comes, it’s just about time to put the lights and the tree up.”

Don’t Miss These Other Festive Events

There’s so much to do in the Peel region over the holiday season; we don’t want you to miss something!

Lunch with Santa

Date: Recurring
Location: Downey’s Farm Market

This one of a kind event lets you sit down with Santa in a unique and festive environment. Reservations are required.

View event details >

Holiday Open House

Date: November 19 – November 19, 2017
Location: Alton Mill Arts Centre

Looking for local handmade gifts, fine art, and the rarely seen Grinch (who could be persuade to take a photo with you?) Look no further than the Holiday Open House at Alton Mill Arts Centre.

Learn more >

Family Jingle and Mingle

Date: December 9, 2017
Location: International Centre, Mississauga

The quintessential Christmas party, only on a much larger scale. There’s entertainment, great food, and all proceeds are donated to charity.

Find out more >

Light Up the Square

Date: November 25, 2017
Location: Celebration Square, Mississauga

Celebration Square will be lit with festive colours, and we encourage you to grab your skates and join in on the fun.

Learn more >

Explore Peel and All of It’s Christmas Spirit

You don’t have far to go if you’re looking for some Christmas fun in the Peel region. We hope you enjoy the season, and Happy Holidays from the Dr. HVAC family!

Our team of expert technicians is made up of people committed to representing Dr.HVAC as a company that cares, and that includes our technician Sean Fagen.

Sean is a long-time member of the Dr. HVAC family. This is exactly what he was looking for in a job. “I wanted a place where I could continue my education and be in a community atmosphere.”

Sean already knows a lot. He’s had plenty of experience in the industry working with everything from air conditioners and furnaces by top brands like Lennox to refrigeration technology. Once he started working at Dr. HVAC, he started learning even more.

“We have weekly training modules at the company, and I go to seminars on pretty much everything. New technology, new practices, customer service – you name it!” he explains.

Learning is one of the things Sean likes the most about working at Dr. HVAC. And, as he so rightly says, “liking the place you work is important.”

“I like that I can take the things I’ve learned and help people, creating resolutions to their problems.”

Some of Sean’s most positive customer experiences have stemmed from his ability to resolve problems. “Just last week, there was a lady who was without air conditioner on a weekend, and she needed emergency service because she had an event coming up,” Sean recalled.

“I was able to get there in less than an hour and fix it with parts I had on my truck. She was pleased, and really liked that part of our service response program involves sending a picture of the technician along with our email or text confirming the details of the appointment. Knowing what I looked like before I got there made her feel more comfortable. She ended up leaving two reviews, which makes me feel good because I know reviews help our company, and it’s nice to know people are happy with what I do.”

Sean added that another thing he liked about Dr. HVAC was how they were different from other HVAC companies. “Other companies keep you waiting, making you go a week in the summer without an air conditioner. Dr. HVAC doesn’t do that.”

Instead, we respond promptly, meaning Sean is able to respond to multiple calls a day in a timely manner. Even though it can sometimes be challenging to not have a set schedule, he’s glad he can help so many people.

Part of being a technician in the home-service industry is entering homes that aren’t yours. So we asked Sean what he does when on a service call to make customers feel more comfortable.

“I try to treat the customers home like it’s my own. I don’t make a mess, and I’m mindful of objects before I move them. It actually starts before even stepping into the house. I’ll knock on the door, I won’t ring the bell, just in case there is a baby sleeping.”

He also will take the time to explain what he is doing, and why he’s doing it if the customer is curious or is looking for some extra assurance. For Sean, no two customers are the same.

“It really depends on the customer. Some choose to stay out of, watch TV while I do my work. Others like to hover and observe. I don’t mind either approach. And if they’re observers, I’ll explain what I’m doing, and I do think they’re more appreciative of that.”

Sean’s love of our family atmosphere and his knack for helping other people has made him extremely happy here. His years of experience also made him an excellent person to ask this final question: what does Dr. HVAC offer that is above and beyond the norm in our industry?

He didn’t have to think long about his answer. “Peace of mind. Peace of mind is something we strive for. Whatever the job, an installation, a repair, we get the job done right. And if there are any concerns, we’ll address them. We stand behind our service.”

The next time you need any of our services, it could be Sean avoiding the doorbell and knocking on your door.

Our customer support team is made up of people devoted to making DR.HVAC one of the best. That includes our administration manager, Evelyn Lendvoy.

Evelyn has been with us for a year and a half, and was familiar with Dr. HVAC before she took on the role of administration manager. “I knew some of the technicians in my personal life. They referred me to Dr. HVAC,” she said. She was called in for an interview, and as they say, the rest is history.

As the administrative manager, Evelyn has her hand in many pies. She answers the phones, orders equipment, and does many other important tasks on a daily basis.

She admitted that when she first started at Dr. HVAC, she wasn’t as confident about handling all these roles as she is now.

Her determination to perform to the best of her ability at all parts of her job pushed her to go back to school for accounting. Now she is balancing part-time schooling with her full-time job. “It’s made me better understand what I’m looking at,” she explained, adding that she was happy she made the decision to do it.

Accounting is not the only training Evelyn is undertaking. “Every week as a company we get together to discuss new technology, new practices,” she explained. She and the rest of the customer support team learn along with the technicians so that they all provide customers with the same information. This training includes reading educational material and watching webinars. Just recently, Evelyn watched a webinar on dehumidifiers in response to an increasing number of questions about this particular system. “I watched the webinar on dehumidifiers so I can communicate to the customers,” she said.

Communication with the customers is one of the things Evelyn loves most about working at Dr. HVAC. In fact, she loves communicating with everyone. “I love the rapport I have with the technicians and the customers.” These are people she talks to all the time. “I have regular customers I talk to often.”

For Evelyn, it’s about treating each person as exactly that; an individual person with whom to have multiple, personalized conversations. To her, that makes the experience. “It’s nice to be able to have positive conversations.”

“Customers are putting a lot of their trust and money into Dr. HVAC,” Evelyn said, adding that it is part of her job to build and respect that trust by providing all the valuable information they are going to need, including timelines and details on the work that will be taking place.

Respecting that trust is one of the ways Evelyn builds memorable relationships with her customers. “I have a commercial customer, I’ve been with him since day one,” Evelyn explained. “He calls me his Dr. HVAC girlfriend,” she laughed, adding that there was lots of joking and camaraderie between them. “We built a relationship.”

Evelyn knows why she loves Dr. HVAC, but she also knows why customers like the company. “I find a lot of people appreciate our honesty.” She explained that so many other companies aren’t upfront with their pricing, or try to oversell to customers once the technicians are in the home. Dr. HVAC doesn’t do any of that.

“We’re going to be honest with you,” Evelyn said. The message is clear and simple; Dr. HVAC gives realistic upfront prices, and never tries to sell services the customer doesn’t need.

“These people have families, are elderly, are on fixed incomes,” Evelyn explained, adding that their customers need someone to trust, to take their problems seriously and consider their individual circumstances. The people at Dr. HVAC respect that trust, especially when it comes to working in someone’s home.

Inviting someone into your home means that you have to have respectful relationship. “A lot of the customers love that technicians build a rapport right away,” she added. The technicians, some of Evelyn’s good friends, don’t try to force services or act surly. Instead, they explain what they are doing and educate their customers, extending the positive experience.

It helps with Evelyn’s job to have a workplace where respect is paramount at all levels. “I do what I can to make the customers feel comfortable.” Then the technicians take it from there.

The technicians will even fix little things for free if they notice something broken or out of place, something Evelyn believes sets Dr. HVAC apart.

“It reminded me of a story I heard when I worked in retail. The pickle story,” Evelyn said. There was a man who every day ordered at the same restaurant from the same waitress, and he always got a free pickle. When that waitress left and the man was served by a new waitress, she wanted to charge him for the pickle. It became such an issue that they lost the man as a customer. “Over a stupid pickle!” she exclaimed.

Dr. HVAC doesn’t charge for every single pickle. Instead, they demonstrate their value of the relationship by adding this personal touch of doing what they can for their customers.

We had to ask Evelyn one more question: is she happy she took the job? “It’s been fun and challenging. It’s always changing,” she said. “I love it. I love the relationships I build.”

We’re proud to announce that the Dr HVAC team helped out with the Tony Robbins Thanksgiving Basket Brigade for the fourth year in a row.

This year, Brendon, Ryan, and Danny got up bright and early on Saturday October 8th to be at the Ontario Food Terminal for 6 AM. There, they loaded up over 5 truck loads of food donations and took them to the Streetsville United Church in Mississauga. They also got to see a fantastic sunrise while they were at it.

Doing Good and Having Fun

At the church, dozens of volunteers sorted the food and portioned them out into Thanksgiving dinner packages, including a frozen turkey, potatoes, veggies, and cranberry sauce. There was also plenty of healthy food for more meals in the days following Thanksgiving.

All told, there was enough to provide a real Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings for over 60 needy families!

“It was a real privilege to be able to do our part for the campaign,” said Brendon Aldridge, Dr HVAC owner and chief technician. “I find Tony Robbins personally inspiring, and I was especially moved by his reasons for starting up the campaign.”

The Basket Brigade is now in its 23rd year. Anthony Robbins is now a successful author and motivational speaker, but as a child his family was poor. When he was 11 years old, a donated Thanksgiving basket from a stranger made a huge impression on him. When he was 18, he started doing the basket brigade even though he only had enough money for 2 baskets. Now he now funds dozens of basket brigade campaigns across North America. You can read more about Tony’s story here or watch a video of him telling the full story here.

An Interview With Brampton Basket Brigade Volunteers

Why Not Join The Fun Next Time?

We had a great time this year as always. It’s a really festive atmosphere, with people joking and talking and sharing stories.

If you’re interested in helping out next year, there are lots of ways to contribute:

• Join the Brampton Basket Brigade Facebook Group >
• Keep an eye out on GoFundMe for next year’s fundraising campaign >

Testing has shown that the water in the Peel region is considered moderately hard. In the surrounding rural areas where homeowners rely on wells, water may be even harder.

Hard water isn’t dangerous, it just means it contains dissolved minerals like magnesium, manganese and especially calcium. Where hard water becomes a problem is that these minerals will get deposited on anything the water touches, and it can be really tricky to remove, even if you can get at it.

While you may not need a water softener as a matter of survival, many of our customers are delighted with the benefits they get after installing a water softener. Here are some of the benefits you may not have considered.

1. Water Softeners Save Money

Energy Bills

Because calcium doesn’t conduct heat well, hard water scale means your water heater has to work harder to reach the temperature you set. Up to 62% of the efficiency can be lost when even a modest amount of buildup is coating the heat exchanger. When there’s no coating, the metal heat element has no problem transferring heat to your water.

Plumbing

Over time, hard water scale can cause the inner diameter of your plumbing to become narrower, and can lead to clogs. It can mean your plumbing won’t reach the usual 70 to 80 year lifespan and has to be replaced sooner.

Appliance Purchases

Scale buildup also reduces the lifespan of your water-using appliances, meaning you have to pay to replace them more often. This is for two reasons: as mentioned above scale causes any appliance that heats water to work harder, and also sometimes the coating itself directly interferes with the mechanical operation.

Household Cleaners and Personal Care

Having hard water means you have to spend more on soaps, shampoos, cleaners and detergents because they don’t lather as well in hard water. It also means you have to invest in specialized cleaners that are acidic enough to burn through the alkaline minerals in hard water scale.

2. Water Softeners Save Time

If you’ve ever spent time trying to clean the white ‘scale’ buildup on your shower doors, or on your kettle, coffee machine or faucets, you’ll appreciate a water softener. A softener won’t mean you never have to clean again, but it will mean that your weekly cleaning takes much less time spent on chores and more time for the important things in life.

3. You’ll Love the Improvement in your Skin and Hair

If you find your family is spending way too much money trying expensive hair and skin treatments, the problem might not be the products or yourselves, it may be in the water.

If your appearance is important for your self esteem or to make a good impression at work, it’s something to consider.

Get More from your Home

If you can see white scale buildup on your taps, kettle or other appliances, you have hard water. If your budget allows you to purchase a water softener, we recommend it. We carry a wide variety of water softener solutions to treat a single source or your entire home.

Learn more about our water softener services and products >

As an allergy sufferer, you probably already clean your home several times a week during allergy season. You close the windows, you vacuum and dust, but you still suffer. It could be pollen, dust, mold, or other irritants, but it seems that there’s no escaping, even with medication.

There may be a better way – a way that’s completely drug free. When you take control of your indoor environment, you can dramatically reduce the level of environmental irritants in your home.

Take Control of Your Indoor Air

Ever since the energy crisis of the 1970’s people have been sealing leaks around doors and windows and installing better insulation. Our homes are closed up tight these days. That’s great for energy efficiency, but the problem is that it creates a dirt trap in your home: once pollutants get in they can recirculates for years. The EPA in the united states estimates that indoor air is almost always 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air and can be much more.

But there are effective solutions. In the last few years, more and more allergy sufferers have been turning to air quality equipment to continuously treat their air as it flows through their homes.

Here are 3 ways you can improve your indoor air and reduce your allergy and asthma symptoms.

1. Air Filtration

You’ve probably heard about the 1” filters that go on your furnace or air conditioner, but we’re talking about something a lot more comprehensive. Those 1” filters are there to help protect the furnace, not get your air truly clean.

Get HEPA for Allergy Relief

What we’re talking about is whole-home HEPA quality filtration. A HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter removes 99.9% of particles from the air that are as small as 0.3 microns. That’s enough to trap pollen, dust mites, dust mite feces, mold spores, mildew spores, bacteria and some viruses.

Many of the best filtration systems are actually like a HEPA sandwich. They include a pre-filter to trap the larger particles like hair, dander flakes, and most dust particles. This is followed by a HEPA filter. Finally, a carbon filter removes odours and gasses like VOCs (volatile organic compounds).

Also, let’s be clear here. We’re not talking about tiny little desktop units or even larger portable air filters. We’re talking about top-quality solutions that clean the air in your entire house. That means you get the same clean air everywhere in your home.

Air Filter Checklist for Allergy and Asthma Sufferer

When shopping around for an air filter, look for these features:

1. HEPA-quality filtration or better. Check for particle size as some companies advertise HEPA filters that don’t remove particles down to 0.3 microns.
2. Powerful airflow: 4-9 changes per hour for the square footage of your home (or more).
3. If you’re concerned about mould and mildew, you may also want to get a UV lamp purifier. Instead of just trapping particles, it uses ultraviolet radiation to kill them.

Don’t forget to ask your provider how much the replacement filters cost. Allergy and asthma sufferers typically require several replacements per year, depending on the manufacturer and home size. With air filtration systems, you typically get what you pay for.

2. Humidity Control

When it comes to humidity, you need a Goldilocks solution. If your home is too humid you risk helping mold and mildew along by creating moist conditions. If it’s too dry you end up irritating your own bodily tissues like eyes, nose and throat, which can contribute to reactions.

Aim for a humidity level that’s between 35% – 45%. This isn’t usually a challenge in the summer, but in the winter when the furnace is constantly drying out your air you may need to invest in a humidifier. For best results, invest in a steam humidifier, and avoid the old-fashioned drum humidifiers that rely on a pan of standing water. As you can imagine, this pan of water can get pretty disgusting over time.

3. Duct Cleaning

Your home’s air ducts carry air throughout your home, so if they’re dirty they will reduce the effectiveness of your air filtration solution.

You don’t need to go crazy – just get them cleaned every few years or after any renovations that produce a lot of dust. If you move into a new home, this should be one of the first things you do.

The Right Solutions

These are three solutions that will probably help allergy and asthma sufferers the most. But don’t just start throwing money at the problem. There are dozens of different kinds of air filtration systems that are designed to do different things. To make sure you get the right solution for your needs talk to an air quality expert.

Learn more about our air filtration solutions >