This article was written by senior furnace tech Benoît (Ben) Mongeau. Ben hails from the frozen tundra of Ontario, Canada, where high-efficiency gas furnaces are commonplace. While some codes and practices may be different from the US, I find that most of it is common sense and translates pretty well. One glaring difference between Canada […]

First off, the correct acronym for a GFI (ground fault interrupter) is “GFCI” (ground fault circuit interrupter). The purpose is to act as a safety device to protect from electrical shock. GFCIs are important components of electrical safety. GFCIs can be built into outlets, circuit breakers, and even extension cords. We generally use them for […]

Why Defrost? Let's start with the basics and move on from there. Defrost is necessary when the coil temperature drops below 32°F. Defrost can be as simple as turning the compressor off for a period of time or as elaborate as reversing the flow of refrigerant for the whole system or just parts of the […]