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Maintaining your equipment

How to maintain your equipment

Regular maintenance of your appliances allows them to run at optimal performance and extends the life of your appliances. Here are a few maintenance tips for the three most commonly used appliances; boilers, warm air furnaces and hot water heaters. You'll find maintenance items which must be carried out by a qualified technician as well as others which you can carry out yourself.

You're a business customer? We also have tips for you.

General tips

As with every other energy sources, the regular maintenance of natural gas appliances by certified professionals is essential. An appliance that complies with safety standards and is well calibrated is totally safe and will allow you to obtain optimal performance.

  • The natural gas flame should be blue. Avoid using an equipment with a yellow or orange flame (other than a fireplace) or that is unstable.
  • For the safety of your building and its occupants, it is crucial to never store flammable or combustible materials near natural gas appliances. These materials include, but are not limited to chemicals, solvents, paints, oils, etc.
  • Maintain the appliance's air intake and exhaust vents, making sure that nothing is blocking the ventilation or the exhaust of combustion gases.
  • Poorly maintained appliances may give off carbon monoxide (CO) which can have harmful effects on health. Please have a CO detector that meets CSA 6.19 or UL 2034 standards and avoid serious problems.
  • To ensure that your appliances are working properly, have them inspected by experts regulary. Make sure that you contract with a company that is licensed by the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) and a member of the Corporation of Master Pipe-Mechanics of Québec (CMMTQ). Technicians and plumbers working on natural gas appliances must hold an appropriate certificate of qualification in natural gas equipment issued by Emploi-Québec. Énergir Partners offer maintenance programs adapted for you appliances.
  • For more information, read the maintenance tips and advice .
Hot water boiler

Maintenance by qualified person

  • Annual maintenance of your boiler is strongly recommended for the proper operation and efficiency of your equipment. Such work should be carried out by qualified technicians. Gaz Métro Plus, or an Énergir Certified Natural Gas Partner , has maintenance plans for you.
  • Annual maintenance includes water and air level checks, combustion chamber maintenance, water drainage (if necessary), conduit leak checks, combustion efficiency measurements, etc.

Maintenance by owner

  • Make sure your boiler is set to the minimum temperature required for the heat distribution system and meets your needs and final uses.
  • Check pumps and valves to detect any water leaks.
  • Look for boiler wall and hot water distribution pipe hot points that identify
    insulation gaps. Remember, if it's too hot to handle, you're losing heat.
  • Purge the air out of the radiators by leaving the faucet open until water starts coming out. Clean the radiator fins regularly for increased efficiency.
Warm air furnace

Maintenance by qualified person

  • Annual maintenance of your warm air furnace is strongly recommended to ensure both its proper operation and efficiency. This is especially the case for new intermediate or high efficiency models whose electronic controls and safety devices should be checked regularly. Such work should be carried out by qualified technicians. Gaz Métro Plus, or an Énergir Partner, has maintenance plans for you.
  • Have the exhaust shaft (chimney) checked occasionally from the inside and from the outside, to detect any signs of deterioration due to condensation or corrosion. If you have a high performance condensing system, make sure the technician checks the gas exhaust pipe to ensure it follows an upright slope and the end is not obstructed.

Maintenance by owner

  • Remove any obstacles in conduits, registers and cold air return registers so that the air can circulate freely throughout the network.
  • Clean the air filter of the warm air furnace regularly during heating season in order to ensure optimal air circulation.


Water heater

Maintenance by qualified person

  • Adopt a regular maintenance plan for your equipment. Such work should be carried out by qualified technicians. Gaz Métro Plus, or an Énergir Partner, has maintenance plans for you.
  • Have the water heater drained once a year. This will eliminate deposits at the bottom of the tank and save you replacement and repair as well as energy consumption costs
  • Repair leaky water faucets and install aerators.
  • Insulate your hot water pipes, especially those that run through unheated areas, with urethane or fibreglass tubes to reduce heat loss.


Air ducts

Maintenance by qualified person

  • To optimize the performance and energy efficiency of heating and air-conditioning equipment, it is recommended to clean the air ducts every three years, and even more frequently in some cases. Efficient cleaning of ducts helps prevent inadequate ventilation. Dust accumulation requires repetitive maintenance of components as it may: cause significant heat loss, clog filtration systems and degrade the appliance’s mechanical performance and shorten its service life through overheating of the exchanger.
  • What’s more, cleaning ducts vastly improves air quality for occupants. A thorough cleaning removes contaminants such as dust, allergens, bacteria, mould, germs and more.


Find a maintenance expert

As with every other energy sources, an annual maintenance of natural gas appliances by certified professionals is essential. Make sure that the work is contracted to a company that has a license from the Régie du bâtiment and that is a member of the Corporation of Master Pipe Mechanics of Quebec (CMMTQ). Any technician or heating contractor working on a natural gas appliance must hold a natural gas competency certificate from Emploi-Québec.

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Énergir Partners

Our Partners meet these criteria and are overseen by Énergir through technical controls. This ensures that your work is carried out in accordance with the codes and standards in effect.


Find a partner

Other services provider

GMP Énergie

GMP Énergie* offers you several preventive and maintenance services for your gas equipment and appliances.

Services available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
450 641-7587 or 1 866 641-7587

[email protected]
www.gmpenergie.com

* An independent company owned by 9450-8124 Quebec inc.

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Grants available for your business

Take advantage of Energir grants to add or replace natural gas equipment and reduce your energy costs. In addition to offering a better performance, natural gas is cheaper than electricity and fuel-oil.


See grants