What to Look For in a Good Plumber or Plumbing Contractor in Edmonton?

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What to Look For in a Good Plumber or Plumbing Contractor in Edmonton?

What to Look For in a Good Plumber or Plumbing Contractor in Edmonton? Plumbing is a compulsory trade, meaning the only people allowed to work in this trade, by law, are either Certified Journeyman or Registered Apprentices. For many in need of a plumber in Edmonton, the process of finding and hiring the right person/company usually goes something like this:

Go to Google and search “Edmonton plumber”.
Scan the first page of the search results or possibly a local review site or directory (e.g. Homestars).
Pick a few companies that came into their view first or have high reviews.
Call a few of these companies for rates and availability.

There’s nothing wrong with this step-by-step because not only is it simple and puts you (the customer) in control, but it’s also the easiest way to weed through so many options.

As of this article’s publish date, a Google search for “Edmonton plumbers” yields 1,170,000 results, Yelp hosts 286 plumbing companies, the BBB lists 400+ plumbers. When you also consider there are 30,000+ businesses of all types and sizes in Edmonton (as of 2016), it’s no surprise why we try to simplify our search for local products or services — there are just too many options to choose from!

With this in mind, this guide is meant to assist you when hiring your next plumber in Edmonton. We hope to equip you with a set of questions to ask so you can obtain the right information and ultimately hire the right Plumber or Plumbing Contractor for the job.

Here are seven questions you should ask the next Plumber or Plumbing Contractor (or seek to have answered) when you are in need of of plumbing services:

1. Are they a Certified Journeymen/ Registered Apprentice within the Province of Alberta?

Plumbing is a compulsory trade, meaning the only people allowed to work in this trade, by law, are either Certified Journeyman or Registered Apprentices with the province of Alberta. The reason for this is the protection of the general public’s health. All your major plagues through out history have been caused by poor sanitation!

In essence, a Journeyman is a skilled worker certified and authorized to perform a specific trade by the Province of Alberta. A Registered Apprentice is an individual registered with the Province of Alberta, who is still in training and has not yet completed their necessary education, training, and examination to become a Certified Journeyman.

A good question when hiring a Plumber or Plumbing Contractor would be, is the individual coming to your home or business a Certified Journeyman/Registered Apprentice, and is he or she experienced in the type of work you need done?

2. Are they licensed with the city, insured, and bonded?

Let’s say you hire a Plumber, they complete the job, then due to an oversight by the plumber, the next day you wake up to a leaky pipe and incredible flood damage in your home. Who is responsible for the damage and covering the cost to clean up and repair?

Naturally it is the Plumbing Contractor, but unless they have insurance, chances are you will be on the hook for the damage.

For your protection and peace of mind, you should confirm that the Plumber or Plumbing Contractor is licensed with the City of Edmonton, insured, and bonded.

3. How long have they been in business for?

This question is often missed or forgotten about. Ideally you should be hiring a Plumber or Plumbing Contractor that has been in business for at least a few years and has all of the right qualifications (mentioned above).

4. Are they experienced with all different types of materials?

The plumbing materials used in residential and commercial applications have evolved tremendously over the decades. For instance, decades ago a popular material for building drains was clay (we still see this in older homes in Edmonton). Today there are more materials used from cast iron to modern plastics.

It can be a bit difficult to know what material(s) a Plumber should be experienced with. However, you may be able to gain insights through:

Their website
Past work experience
Asking them what materials they have dealt with in the past.

5. Do they have a wide range and the right type of experience?

Touched upon above, you want to be sure the plumber or Plumbing Contractor you are considering has a wide range of experience and the right type of experience for the work you need done.

As for discovering if a Plumber/Contractor has the right type of experience, ask if they have been focused on new construction or servicing. The two require a very different skill set. If you are dealing with a plumbing emergency or are in need of a repair, you will need someone who has an extensive background in plumbing service (not new construction) for your home or business.

6. Are they equipped with reliable tools?

A good tradesman has all the the right tools required to complete a task. They should be in good shape, clean and not worn out. An indicator of a good Plumber is how well equipped he is, and the condition of his tools & equipment.

A good question for a Plumber or Contractor is “Are they properly equipped to perform this work?”

7. What are their reviews like online?

Online reviews can be misleading since no two review websites are the same. They each have their own ranking systems, nuances, and ways to choose which customer reviews they would like to display. For example, some review sites post mainly negative reviews unless you’ve paid to advertise with them.

However, when searching for a Plumber online, we recommend still checking one’s reviews and to look for any patterns. Do they get rave reviews for a specific type of service? Are many reviewers critical of a specific aspect of a company’s service (e.g. rates, time to arrive, etc.)?

These are just a few questions you should be seeking to answer. Here are a few good sources that are local to Edmonton:

For Professional Plumbing service in Edmonton, at a reasonable rate, please contact JW Brian Plumbing and Heating at: (780) 249-1496.

We Are Here To Help

Contact us now for reliable and trusted plumbing, heating and gas fitting services 7 days a week! (Subject to availability).

How Much are Carrier Furnace Replacement Parts in Edmonton?

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Sharing our knowledge and expertise on furnaces, plumbing, gas fitting, process piping, and more!

How Much are Carrier Furnace Replacement Parts in Edmonton?

Replacement parts for Carrier furnaces can have a wide range of prices. In this article, we will attempt to list the prices of the most common and main components of the Carrier furnace.

Note: All prices are in Canadian dollars and does not include dispatch, diagnosis and installation fees. Also, this is only a rough guide based on our extensive experience servicing hundreds of Carrier furnaces in Edmonton, Alberta.

JW Brian Plumbing & Heating does not supply replacement components for furnaces to the general public, only as part of our repair service.

Blower Motor

The blower motor on your furnace is responsible for turning the fan to circulate the warm air out of the furnace into your home. Blower motors on a Carrier furnace can range from as low as $300 to $1200 for an ECM motor, depending on your model.

Draft Inducer

The draft inducer is a fan that removes the gases created from the combustion process in your furnace. Like the blower motor, the Carrier draft inducer can have a wide price range, from as low as $250.00 to as high as $900, once again depending on your model.

Control Board (motherboard)

The control board on a furnace is a circuit board that controls the operation of your furnace. A Carrier control board or as some call it, the motherboard, can range in price from $300.00 to $800.00; depending on your model.

Gas Valve (combination gas control valve)

The gas valve or combination gas control valve opens and closes when there is a call for heat. The Carrier gas valves vary widely in price range, from $300 to $600, depending on your model.

Pressure Switch

The pressure switch on your furnace is a safety device that detects the wrong pressure in your vent system preventing the furnace from operating when there is a issue. Carrier pressure switches, depending on your model, vary in price from $50.00 to $150.00.

Heat Exchangers

The heat exchanger on your furnace exchanges the heat from your furnace to the air in your home. There are two types of heat exchangers, each with their own price tag:

High efficient – $500.00 to $1,000.00
Mid-efficient – $300.00 to $800.00

Pilot Assembly

On older furnaces, you may have a standing pilot. The pilot assembly is the thermocouple and pilot orifice. The price can range from $100.00 to $250.00.

Hot Surface Ignitor

On modern furnaces, they have done away with a pilot light and installed a device that heats up red hot to ignite the gases when the gas valve is turned on.They range in price from $80.00 to $150.00.

Flame Sensor

The flame sensor on your furnace detects the burners are in fact burning the gas. It is a safety device, shutting down the furnace when the gas valve is releasing gas but not burning. Prices can from $25.00 to $50.00.

High Limit Switch

The high limit switch is another safety device that shuts the furnace down when it detects over heating of the furnace. Prices range from $25.00 to $75.00

Flame Rollout Switch

The flame rollout switch detects flames rolling out from the combustion chamber, shutting the furnace down when it detects this unsafe problem. Priced from $15.00 to $25.00.

Condensate Pump

The condensate pump discharges the condensate from high efficient furnaces to a place of disposal when there is not a floor drain available. Prices range from $150.00 to $250.00.

Questions About Your Carrier Furnace or Replacement Part?

If you have a question regarding your Carrier Furnace or a Carrier Furnace Component, please call JW Brian Plumbing and Heating at 780-249-1496.

We Are Here To Help

Contact us now for reliable and trusted plumbing, heating and gas fitting services 7 days a week! (Subject to availability).

How Much Does it Cost to Install a Gas Line in Edmonton?

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Sharing our knowledge and expertise on furnaces, plumbing, gas fitting, process piping, and more!

How Much Does it Cost to Install a Gas Line in Edmonton?

It’s no secret that so many appliances we depend on everyday rely on natural gas. In Edmonton, some of the most common gas-powered appliances include BBQs, kitchen stoves, fireplaces, garage heaters, deck heaters, fire tables, and clothing dryers.

However, what is a mystery is how much it costs to install a gas line in Edmonton and how this price tag is formed. While it is difficult to lay out a precise pricing formula given the number of contributing factors, in this article we hope to give you – the end consumer – a clearer understanding of what to expect and consider; similar to what we strived for in our guide to furnace repair costs in Edmonton

The average cost to install a gas line in Edmonton

Based on our experience, we have found the cost to install a gas line in a Edmonton residence ranges from about $700.00 – $1,500.00.

For an accurate quote, it is necessary for an on-site inspection. Below are 8 factors that we will consider when determining the scope of the project and final cost.

1. Gas Supply Capacity

One of the first things we do when we arrive on site to conduct our free estimation is to determine if the existing system has the capacity to install the new gas appliance. It is possible that the meter does not have the capacity, in which case the gas company will be more than glad to install a larger meter free of charge as they will be selling more gas.

2. Length of Gas Line

JW Brian Plumbing & Heating has installed hundreds of gas lines ranging in length from a mere foot to hundreds of feet in a commercial application.

The length of the gas line affects not only the time involved for the installation but the size of pipe necessary to deliver the correct amount of gas to the appliance as the further away you get from the source of gas to the appliance, the larger the pipe needs to be due to friction loss.

Another factor to consider is the fact that a gas line less than 20 feet does not require a pressure test, only what is called a service test, basically checking the joints with soapy water. No bubbles, no troubles! Over 20 feet, there is to be a pressure test witnessed by the city inspector, and a return trip to tie the gas line into the supply, obviously a more time consuming situation. For more information on this subject, be sure to read the City of Edmonton’s detailed overview on Residential Gas Permits.

3. Number of Offsets

It is one thing to hang a piece of pipe that is 20 feet long into a couple of hangers in your basement ceiling, now cut that same piece 6 times, thread each piece, add fittings and additional hangers and one can see clearly how that same 20 feet of pipe has now taken you 3 times as long to install.

The number of offsets has a huge bearing on a final quote.

4. Accessibility

In other words, how accessible is the area where the gas line is to be installed? Are we running the gas line through difficult surroundings, like under a deck, in a crawl space, through an attic, or is it 50 feet in the air, requiring a man lift?. These are all accessibility factors that go into pricing a gas line installation.

5. Location

Similar to accessibility, location also plays a role in gas line installation and the total cost. What we are taking into consideration here is will the gas line will be located:

Through the house
Outside of the house
Underground
Or a combination of the above

6. Size of Pipe

Pipe size is determined by distance and the amount of BTU required. It goes without saying that the larger the pipe, the more expensive it will be.

JW Brian Plumbing & Heating always over sizes for the addition of future gas appliances.

For example, we run a gas line to your deck for a barbecue. We will ensure you can add a deck heater or elegant fire table down the road by installing a larger gas line which really only costs a few extra dollars and saves you having to run a new line in the future.

7. Type of Pipe

There are several types of pipe that can be used to transmit gas, each one impacting the final cost differently. We’ve listed the four main types below that you will find in Edmonton, from most expensive to least expensive:

Gas Tight (most expensive)
Copper
Steel
Plastic (least expensive)

8. Permit and Inspection

A common question we receive is whether one needs a permit. In all cases, the answer is a simple: yes! Any alteration or addition to a gas system, unless downstream of an appliance shut off, requires a permit and inspection. JW Brian Plumbing and Heating will provide the permit and arranges the inspection on any work we contract.

Read our article Gas Permits in Edmonton – The Complete Guide for more information on gas permits.

Do you have questions or are you interested in a quote?

We Are Here To Help

Contact us now for reliable and trusted plumbing, heating and gas fitting services 7 days a week! (Subject to availability).

How Much Does it Cost to Repair a Furnace in Edmonton?

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Sharing our knowledge and expertise on furnaces, plumbing, gas fitting, process piping, and more!

How Much Does it Cost to Repair a Furnace in Edmonton?

Plain and simple, if you live in Edmonton it’s nearly impossible to live without a working, reliable furnace in your home. We might not need heat during the warmer summers months from May to August, but come September it’s an absolute necessity; especially when temperatures dip to below 0°C.

Here at JW Brian Plumbing & Heating, we’ve diagnosed and repaired hundreds of furnaces in the Edmonton and surrounding area on all makes and models.

To help prepare you for the day that your furnace is suddenly rattling or fails to produce heat, we’d like to share some of our relevant knowledge on this topic. Through this guide, we will answer one of the most common questions customers ask us: “how much will it cost to fix my furnace?”.

As you’ll see below, there are a number of variables that will determine the final cost of a furnace repair. We will attempt here to give a reasonable approximation so at the very least you’ll have some idea of what to expect.

Note: the below cost approximations are based upon our experience and proven track record of servicing hundreds of furnaces in Edmonton, Alberta. Although we stand by these figures, the final cost may vary depending on the contractor you hire.

The average cost to repair a furnace in Edmonton

In our experience the average cost to repair a furnace in Edmonton ranges from $300.00 to $1,500.00 and averages out to around $700.00.

This is influenced by several factors which we will break down further below.

Dispatch and diagnostic fee.
The age, brand, & model of your furnace.
Cost of labour.
Cost of replacement components.

1. Diagnostic fee

All legit companies who offer furnace repair services will have a dispatch and diagnostic fee of some type. These fees are to cover the cost of doing business and vary between companies. Please call 780-249-1496 for our dispatch and diagnostic fees.

2. The age, brand & model of your furnace

The age, brand & model will influence the cost of repair. Concerning age, we have found a simple rule-of-thumb applies: older furnaces tend to be more affordable to repair than newer furnaces. This is due to the fact that the components for older furnaces are old technology, while newer furnaces use higher tech components that are more expensive to replace.

As well , the brand of your furnace will influence the cost of the replacement components. The more common brands in Edmonton are: Lennox, Carrier, Goodman, Trane, and York.

3. Cost of Labour

In addition to the age, brand & model of your furnace, it’s important to consider the contractor’s cost of labour. Due to the rate variance between contractors in Edmonton, you’ll likely need to do some research and asking around to find more information on installation fees.

4. Cost of replacement components

Furnaces are built to last and with proper maintenance and care should provide years of service , but there is no denying some components will wear out and need to be replaced in time.

Pinpointing the affecting issue in a broken furnace can be daunting without professional help.

Up until now, we’ve covered three factors in determining the approximate cost to repair a furnace. The final determining factor is the actual cost of the defective component that is preventing your furnace from working as it should.

Outlined below are 4 of the more common components we replace in the Edmonton area and they’re approximate costs.

Draft inducer – the draft inducer is essentially a small fan that pulls the products of combustion through the heat exchanger. Draft inducers typically cost between $400.00 and $900.00.
Blower motor – implied within the name, the blower motor pushes and circulates hot air from the furnace into your home over the heat exchanger. The cost for this component is $400.00 – $1,500.00.
Control Board – the control board is the furnace’s computer controlling its functions. They range in price from $300 to $900
Gas valves – the gas valve regulates and controls the flow of gas to the burners, and are integral to the appliance’s performance. There are various types of gas valves, the cost of this component is from $400.00 to $1,000.00.

Need help repairing your furnace? Let JW Brian Plumbing and Heating help.

If your furnace needs repairing, please feel free to contact us. We are on call 7 days a week (Subject to availability). To book an appointment, please call us at (780) 249-1496.

We Are Here To Help

Contact us now for reliable and trusted plumbing, heating and gas fitting services 7 days a week! (Subject to availability).

Tag: cost estimation

Tips and Advice

Sharing our knowledge and expertise on furnaces, plumbing, gas fitting, process piping, and more!

What to Look For in a Good Plumber or Plumbing Contractor in Edmonton?

1. Are they a Certified Journeymen/ Registered Apprentice within the Province of Alberta?

2. Are they licensed with the city, insured, and bonded?

3. How long have they been in business for?

4. Are they experienced with all different types of materials?

5. Do they have a wide range and the right type of experience?

6. Are they equipped with reliable tools?

7. What are their reviews like online?

We Are Here To Help

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Tips and Advice

Sharing our knowledge and expertise on furnaces, plumbing, gas fitting, process piping, and more!

How Much are Carrier Furnace Replacement Parts in Edmonton?

Blower Motor

Draft Inducer

Control Board (motherboard)

Gas Valve (combination gas control valve)

Pressure Switch

Heat Exchangers

Pilot Assembly

Hot Surface Ignitor

Flame Sensor

High Limit Switch

Flame Rollout Switch

Condensate Pump

We Are Here To Help

Recent Posts

Tips and Advice

Sharing our knowledge and expertise on furnaces, plumbing, gas fitting, process piping, and more!

How Much Does it Cost to Install a Gas Line in Edmonton?

The average cost to install a gas line in Edmonton

1. Gas Supply Capacity

2. Length of Gas Line

3. Number of Offsets

4. Accessibility

5. Location

6. Size of Pipe

7. Type of Pipe

8. Permit and Inspection

We Are Here To Help

Recent Posts

Tips and Advice

Sharing our knowledge and expertise on furnaces, plumbing, gas fitting, process piping, and more!

How Much Does it Cost to Repair a Furnace in Edmonton?

The average cost to repair a furnace in Edmonton

1. Diagnostic fee

2. The age, brand & model of your furnace

3. Cost of Labour

4. Cost of replacement components

Need help repairing your furnace? Let JW Brian Plumbing and Heating help.

We Are Here To Help

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