This is a great opportunity for MILANI customers.  FORTISBC has launch the Furnace Replacement Pilot Program for all our customers who decided to replace a non-condensing natural gas furnace/boiler and purchase an ENERGY STAR quialified high-efficiency natural gas furnace/boiler between April 22, 2013 and August 30, 2013.  Customers can be eligible for an $800 rebate under the following conditions:

 

 

(Source: www.FortisBC.com)

 

 

• To be eligible for a rebate, the Customer must first obtain a pre-qualification code from fortisbc.com/furnace to allow them to take part in the program. Codes are non-transferable therefore they cannot be given for use to other FortisBC customers.
• Pre-qualification codes are only available until July 1, 2013 or while quantities last.
• In order to qualify for a rebate under this program, the Customer must be a current residential customer of FortisBC Energy Inc., FortisBC Energy (Vancouver Island) Inc. or FortisBC Energy Inc. (Whistler) (collectively, “FortisBC”) and the Contractor must install a qualifying furnace/boiler in a FortisBC natural gas service territory.
• Emergency replacements of furnaces/boilers are NOT eligible for rebates. An operational non-condensing natural gas furnace/boiler must be replaced.
• If a Contractor deems the existing furnace/boiler to require over $1,000 (pre-tax including parts and labor) in repairs and/or deems it to be unsafe to operate, the new furnace/boiler will be considered an emergency replacement and the Customer will not be eligible for a rebate. 
• Program is not available for new construction.
• Only one FortisBC Rebate per household per customer. Contractors are eligible to receive multiple rebates.
• To qualify for the rebate, the replacement high-efficiency  natural gas furnace/boiler must be listed on the eligible product directories with FortisBC or with Natural Resources Canada and must be: 
  • an ENERGY STAR qualified natural gas furnace rated 95 percent AFUE or higher
  • an ENERGY STAR qualified natural gas boiler rated 94 percent AFUE or higher
  • an ENERGY STAR qualified natural gas combination boiler system used for both space and domestic hot water heating rated 94 percent AFUE or higher
  • a natural gas furnace specifically designed for mobile home use rated 95 percent AFUE or higher
  • the primary heating system for the home in which it is installed; heat pump systems and systems where the natural gas furnace/boiler is used as a secondary or back up heating system are not eligible for rebates
• purchase, installed and paid for in full between April 22 and August 30, 2013 
• Installed in accordance with the requirements of the BC Safety Authority and/or gas authority having jurisdiction in the Customer’s area and in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications and all applicable laws, codes, standards and ordinances.

 

Customer rebate process

• The Customer must return a copy of the completed application form with the contractor details completed in full. 
• The completed application form must include a valid pre-qualification code from FortisBC. A code can be obtained from  fortisbc.com/furnace.
• The application form must be submitted with a copy of the purchase invoice for the qualifying furnace/boiler that contains the purchase date, details of the work performed, the BC Safety Authority gas contractor licence number and the installation permit number.
• Applications and supporting documents must be emailed or postmarked no later than midnight, August 30, 2013. Processing of applications may take a minimum of 90 days. 
• FortisBC is not responsible for lost, delayed, damaged, illegible or incomplete applications.

 

 

• For more information, please go to the link below:

 

http://www.fortisbc.com/NaturalGas/Homes/Offers/FurnaceReplacementPilotProgram/Pages/Terms-and-conditions.aspx 

Each year across Canada, Consumer Choice Award gathers the opinions, perceptions and expectations through the responses of thousands of consumers and businesses. Established in 1987, the selection process has been perfected with a third party research firm to ensure that only the most outstanding service providers are the winners within an industry. This is the only organization in North America to recognize business excellence by conducting a research that surveys both the consumer & business community with statistical accuracy. The research method determines all service providers, ultimately selects the top ranked companies, and establishes the winner within each business sector in a specific city.

For the second year Milani Plumbing, Drainage and Heating is the recipient in four categories:

- Plumbing Contractors
- Drainage Contractors
- Heating and Cooling
- Bathtub remodeling.

We want to thank our customers for choosing us all these years; these rewards make us work even harder to continue to give the superior service they deserve. We also want to thank Consumer Choice Awards for highlighting Vancouver Businesses who have demonstrated a high quality of service and customer care.

The rule is: if you want a well running heating system in your residence or building, pay close attention to the boiler maintenance. Boilers should have regular maintenance in order to reduce energy cost and extend the life of the system. At least once a year have a specialist do a professional inspection of the heating system. Do not wait for your equipment to fail; bigger problems and huge bills are the result of lack of maintenance.

Milani Plumbing, Drainage and Heating has qualified and licensed technicians that can perform a professional preventive service:

- Visual inspection of heat exchanger
- Pilot flame
- Boiler press and temp settings
- Expansion tank
- Boiler Feed
- Back-flow prevention
- Identify leaks or signs of leakage
- Boiler relief valve
- Auto-vents
- Venting condition
- Combustion and ventilation air
- Proper clearances for boiler venting
- Combustible material stored near boiler
- Wiring condition
- Pumps
- Identify / explain poli B if present
- Mixing valve
- Gas manifold pressure
- Adjust burners
- Check high limit switch
- Drafting
- Zone valves
- Unusual noises (air banging etc…)
- Test for gas leaks
- CO test

If your boiler or pipes are making weird noises and don’t let you sleep at night, they need your attention.  Noises could be the first sign of a larger problem, always address them: shut the boiler down and call an expert.

One of the most common noises is a banging noise coming out of the pipes, like a knocking sound in the system.  This sound is produced by accumulated air in the boiler and pipes.  A pressure release valve or ‘bleeder’ will help to take the air out of the system and should eliminate that annoying banging sound.

There are other problems that cause disturbing noises in the boiler, for more information see the video below and call us for a phone consultation.

Article from The Province. Read the full article @ http://www.theprovince.com/health/Burnaby+Christmas+feast+forgotten+bunch/7728817/story.html

They are often forgotten at Christmas time.

To help put some holiday cheer into the lives of 28 mentally ill patients at Burnaby Hospital, Milani Plumbing Drainage & Heating cooked up three 30-pound turkeys with all the fixings on Thursday.

Company president Vern Milani said they had eight employees start at 5 a.m. to get the big birds ready for the in-patients.

“They always get forgotten,” Milani said of the in-patients at the hospital’s mental health unit. “It is always the kids who get the attention — these are the forgotten bunch.”

Milani said plumbing technician Jason Weeks was the lead cook. He deep-fried the birds before throwing them on the barbecue to get them ready for the noon meal.

Pam Vickram, the manager of the mental health ward, said Christmas time can be tough on the in-patients because they are not allowed to leave the hospital.

The turkeys, she said, give the in-patients a sense of Christmas and that people care about their problems. “It gives them a celebration for the holidays,” she said.

“They feel they are getting something special.

“They don’t feel left out.”

The patients suffer from a variety of disorders, Vickram said, including depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and substance abuse.

The average stay for the patients ranges from 11 to 12 weeks.

“They are very happy something like this is being done for them,” added Vickram of the festive luncheon put on for the patients and staff of the unit.

Due to the hospital’s privacy concerns, the patients were not allowed to speak to the media.

When was the last time you gave your central heating system proper maintenance? If your answer is two, three, four years ago or “I don’t remember”, you will probably run into problems with your boiler sooner rather than later. The boiler accounts for 60% of the cost on your yearly energy bill and yet we pay no attention to it. We simply expect it to work when we need it.

If you don’t service your boiler annually, these are the most common problems that can disturb your winter:

1. No heat or too much heat in one area of the house. The second floor has no heat, or just the living room is freezing. Usually this problem is because the zone valve is not working properly.

2. No heat in the whole house. In this case your technician would be looking to fix or replace your thermocouple or gas valve.

3. Low or High Pressure in the boiler.

4. Leaks. Can be very small at the beginning but usually will become a bigger problem.

No matter what the problem, don’t panic; call a certified heating technician right away. If you have a gas leak, call Fortis BC immediately.

In the video below, Milani explains in more detail the reasons for these common problems.

The weather is getting colder everyday and you just noticed that you haven’t touch your furnace’s filter area for many months? Probably it is time to clean or replace your filter.

Filters not only protect the furnace motor and internal components from airborne particles, they also prevent you from sneezing mornings catching dust, pollen, smoke and also pets hair.  Air filters capture many of the allergens that aggravate allergy and asthma symptoms; to keep their effectiveness, disposal filters should be changed every month, but if you have an Electrostatic filter just wash it every month and will last forever!

In this video Milani Plumbing, Drainage & Heating shows you how easy is to replace the filter of your furnace.

The worst thing that can happen is to come home, tired after a long day of work and your house is colder than the iceberg that sunk the Titanic! What could be wrong? Easy, your furnace is not working properly anymore. The most common cause of problems with your furnace, doesn’t matter if it is a high efficient one or a 35 years old one, is lack of maintenance. Having a Furnace Tune-up once a year helps prevent unexpected breakdowns, poor comfort, increased energy costs and huge frustration.

What can cause lack of heat at home?

1. Furnace or heating system pilot or ignition control problems.
2. Dirty or clogged filters.
3. Fan motors, belts and bearings not working, causing air flow problems, furnace overheating or poor heating control.

MILANI Plumbing, Drainage & Heating has the most qualified professionals who can quickly diagnose the problem and make the repairs. Watch this video to see what might be happening if your furnace stops working:

What are some of the costliest repairs in your New Westminster home? Costly can be characterized by lost money or lost time – or both. You may have experienced some of these so-called “disasters” and wondered what you could have done to prevent them. In particular, let’s talk about disasters of the wet variety – plumbing repairs.

It goes without saying that nothing is built to last. Parts and products will eventually wear out and need to be repaired or replaced. But the rate of repair or replacement has a lot to do with how well things are maintained, especially common plumbing fixtures and appliances in the home. In order to identify some of the disasters caused by plumbing fixtures and appliances, let’s identify the source of the problems – and their location in the home.

We spend a lot of time in the bathroom so let’s start there first. What disasters happen in the bathroom? At least three come to mind: running toilet, leaking shower head, and clogged sink (also found in the kitchen so let’s kill two birds with one stone here). First, the toilet.

A running toilet is annoying and wastes several gallons of water by the hour. It is often caused by a defective flapper inside the tank, not properly sealed and causing water to leak from the tank. Next, the shower head. Leaks often occur when something as simple as a small rubber washer is worn out, breaking the seal and allowing water to leak. Lastly, the clogged sink. The most common culprit of a clogged sink is something that will not decompose or wash away, namely human hair, bits of plastic or fingernails, etc.

All of these bathroom backups can cause extensive water damage to walls or floors. In the most severe cases, a bathroom’s structure can be compromised by something as small as a dripping faucet – if left unchecked over time.

The next place we spend a lot of time is in the kitchen, another prime area for plumbing maintenance. Two appliances that drive homeowners nuts (when malfunctioning) are garbage disposals and refrigerator ice makers.

First of all, garbage disposals are not made to dispose of everything. Utensils, plastics, bones and other goodies do not grind up but rather, bind up a disposal. A backed up disposal can shut down the sink drain and spill over its top. Just as annoying is a refrigerator icemaker, which depends on a plastic or copper tube for its water source. A break in the tube or crimp in the copper line can back up the water and cause a major leak behind or below the refrigerator. And like the bathrooms disasters, damaged flooring and walls can be the result.

Maybe the biggest plumbing disaster of all comes from something unseen by the naked eye: frozen water pipes in crawl spaces or attics. Water pipes in uninsulated areas can freeze when outside temperatures fall below the freezing mark. Often, homeowners are unaware of the problem because they are away from the home for extended periods of time or have failed to properly insulate pipes, crawl spaces, or attics. Frozen pipes can burst, causing extensive damage and lead to an even more dangerous situation: mold growth.

How can you avoid common disasters? Make sure your fixtures and appliances are maintained and if needed, serviced by a professional plumber. You may also want your plumber to give you a whole-house inspection, which can pinpoint potential trouble spots where your next plumbing disaster might be brewing.  Call Milani Plumbing, Drainage & Heating with any questions.

Do you know how your furnace works? Believe it or not, lots of Langley homeowners probably can’t explain the operation of furnace. It probably isn’t at the top of your “to do” list. It’s only important to know that once you set your thermostat to a desired temperature, the furnace comes on and warms the house.

The most common furnace is fueled by natural gas but there are other examples of heating equipment such as boilers, electric baseboard, or geothermal. But let’s look at how a gas furnace works since natural gas is found in most households. Gas furnaces use natural gas or propane to provide energy used for generating heat.

When the temperature in your home falls below the level set on the thermostat, an electric pilot light automatically ignites to heat a burner inside the furnace. This burner uses gas to generate heat within a combustion chamber inside the furnace. After the furnace senses that the thermostat has triggered the flame and that it is properly lit, the actual spark (or ignitor) is turned off.

Simultaneously, a motor in the furnace pulls in air from an exchange or return, which could be a grill in the floor, ceiling, or wall of a house. That air flows through ducts into the plenum of the furnace. The plenum is on the opposite side of the heat exchanger from the burner.

Gas will typically burn for at least two minutes before the blower starts to disperse heat throughout your home. This extra time gives the air an adequate period of time to warm up and also so that cold air won’t be pushed through the vents into the rooms in your house at the start. After either the preset time (roughly two minutes) or pre-established temperature is reached, the blower’s motor is turned on and it blows air over the heat exchanger, which usually consists of a series of copper tubes or pipes. When a fan blows air onto the heat exchanger, the air is heated. This heated air is then blown through a series of ducts to heat your home via vents in the floor, walls or ceiling. Exhaust fumes from the combustion process exit the furnace through a gas flue or chimney.

Just as the heat in your home turns on when a certain temperature is reached, it also turns off after the rooms are warm enough, thanks to your thermostat. The thermostat again senses the temperature in the room. When the room warms up to the temperature set by you at the thermostat, the gas valve is switched off, stopping the flow of gas. After the gas is turned off, the blower motor will still run for a few minutes, allowing the heat exchanger to cool off a bit. In some furnaces, the blower motor never shuts off, but operates at low speed to keep air circulating throughout your home.

In a nutshell, your thermostat is the brain in your heating system and your furnace is the brawn, doing most of the work.