Heating certainly represents the largest consumption of energy in your home. Non-efficient heating systems are a waste of energy and money.

There are several types of heating systems:

• Electric baseboard heater and convector
• Radiant (see notes below)
• Hydronic (hot water)
• Forced air
• Heat pump

Whatever the source of energy, all types of heating systems require regular maintenance for optimum efficiency.

Important

• It is important to have your heating furnace checked if more than 40-year old and if burning fossil fuel such as fuel oil, diesel, propane, natural gas, wood or coal inside your house. Old furnaces that are not subject to regular maintenance can cause oil feedback or carbon monoxide leaks in air distribution lines or inside the house.

• If you plan to be absent for quite some time in the winter season and your home, cottage or secondary residence is heated with a hot water system, do not forget to drain it to avoid pipe breaks due to freezing.

• Pay particular attention to 4,800-watt construction type unit heaters. According to recent studies, this type of equipment can cause fire if left unattended. These heaters are designed for temporary use only.

• Have your radiant ceiling heating checked by a professional firm that specializes in your type of installation. Consult the following table.

• The Régie du bâtiment du Québec considers the following radiant heating equipment to be dangerous. In a notice delivered on December 5, 1994, the Régie ordered to disconnect certain types of radiant heating panels that caused 26 fires in Québec.

• AZTEC FLEXEL SCOTLAND
• 22 WATTS
• THERMO-FLEX SCOTLAND
• 22 WATTS
• FLEXWATT
• 20 WATTS ANS PLUS
• SAFE-T-FLEX MK 4 OR MK 5
• 22 WATTS/PI2

FLEXWATT panels bearing the following numbers are also concerned by this notice:

• R13C13H120
• R13C13H208
• R13C13H240
• R17C20H120
• R17C20H208
• R17C20H240
• R25C30H120
• R25C30H208
• R25C30H24