The ability to carry tools and parts inside of our vehicles increases the confidence of our team and improves the chances of getting things done. Speaking for many trades: electrician, painter, carpenter, builder, etc, they maintain a lifestyle of self-reliance and express it through tools, including vehicles. This article begins with a short story, followed by pictures of our Transit XLT and ends with a video filmed somewhere in Ontario.
Shelving, partition wall, roof rack, winter tires, and a back-up camera will make you safe on the road but won’t fix the situation you’ve been sent out to diagnose. “The days of seeing a plumber with his ass crack showing are over”, says Will Gonell of Gonell Homes. Meaning, if you want to be involved with modern construction, you need to be up to date and carry everything you might need that day. Clients have expected professionalism since forever, lets deliver on this.
At Blackrock HVAC we accept this reality so we work on improving the comfort, fun, and functionality of our vans. Our company culture has lots to do with automobiles and engines. If your van or truck is a tool for business then taking care of it is money well spent. Don’t be that guy who drives a creepy rusty old van around town scaring women and children, we’re professionals by trade.
Radiant heating using a combination tank water heater for domestic hot water, and heating of a 500sq.ft basement floor. A forced air duct system provides heating and cooling for this semi-detached in the Bloor & Ossington area.
Underpinning Your Basement In Toronto?
This blog is designed to show you the process of building a modern radiant floor heating system in Toronto. We’ve make it simple so anybody can follow along. This is not a DIY but rather a helpful tool to organize and plan your renovation. Feel free to contact us at any time with your specific questions 🙂
Part 1: Rough In.
Part 2: Radiant Wall Assembly.
Part 3: Forced Air System (coming soon).
Part 4: Video Feature (coming soon).
Part 1 – Rough In
When anybody at Blackrock HVAC talks about roughing in radiant heating, the following materials are being installed: R6 or R10 insulation, 1/2″ Radiant PEX, heating manifold, and slab sensor. In this basement we used 1.5″ R6 insulation with steel wire mesh, but have since moved on to a modern “Puck Style” R10 insulation. R10 is required by code when floor heating is your “Primary Heating Source”. Since most of your home’s heat loss comes from the basement slab it’s a no brainer that bigger is better.
There are two things to consider when choosing which insulation panel to go with, price and height. Going traditional with wire mesh may seem cost effective at first, but taking into account the insulation, tuck taping it together, mesh, and then zip tying everything together…it equates to the same amount. It’s wiser to go with “Puck Style” because it has a higher R-Value and installs much faster for the same price. It’s IMPERATIVE that you have a discussion with your underpinning crew about going with “Puck Style” because they always have a larger height! Your crew will have to go deeper to accommodate these extra couple inches (no pun intended). The concrete slab must be 3″ thick above the insulation for it not to crack.
Here you see the radiant rough-in complete and concrete cured. Since this is a Blackrock Bespoke Project we went ahead and painted the floor to mark the mechanical room territory, and per tradition hung solid oak to be our radiant wall and focal point (optional). Our next step is to put the combo water tank and furnace in place to visualize their connections to piping and duct work.
Step 2: Radiant Wall Assembly.
Don’t let the following pictures of unknown parts intimidate you! So lets break it down. Your floor heating system needs a few key components to make it work… we need a heat source, a circulator to move the heat in the piping, and a distribution system like a manifold that distributes heat through your PEX loops. Along the way we’ve installed a pressure/temperature gauge to monitor the performance, and a water back-flow preventer so your heating water never touches the domestic water. All these components can be mounted in a functional yet aesthetic way.
Please be patient for the photography updates, our sexy secretary is in Mexico escaping a Southern Ontario winter.
In the meantime enjoy our final product photo and try to separate the Forced Air, Natural Gas, Hot Water & Hydronics in the room 🙂 Once identified please call Orest @ (647) 388-5744 to book an a appointment.
We packed our bags and flew to Europe for Viennese coffee and German beer.
Along the way our BRHVAC team made friends with some cool cats who know what’s good. Long story short, The Mechanical Room Vlog had an opportunity to shoot 4 episodes and we’re sharing them with you on this page.
No vodka was consumed during the filming of these episodes, only cognac.
Episode 1: Praha – Combination Boiler Heating (Live)
Are you tired of worrying about your HVAC system breaking down when you need it the most? We get it, unexpected repairs and costly downtime can be a real pain. At Blackrock HVAC, we understand how important reliable heating & cooling are for your business. That’s why our experienced technicians take reliability seriously, so you can focus on your business. We are dedicated to providing you with reliable machines with great warranties, giving you peace of mind knowing that we’ve got you covered in the Greater Toronto Area.
The pictures and videos on this page are our own installations and not stock photography.
Book an initial consultation to discuss the options for your building.
Trane / 400,000 BTUH / 15 Ton in Toronto
Our team has experience working with every brand of rooftop unit out there, but our decision to use Trane for new installations comes from our decades of experience in the field. We aim to provide you with a reliable machine with great warranty coverage. We understand that you want to know that who you’re hiring is a reliable and experienced contractor for rooftop unit installations. That’s why we make it a priority to ensure our clients are comfortable throughout the entire installation process. We take care of everything from hiring and scheduling a crane operator to connecting and painting gas lines. And, to give our clients added peace of mind, we provide a WSIB clearance certificate and document the start-up and testing of your new rooftop unit.
Our Rooftop Installations Include
WSIB clearance certificate,
Hiring & scheduling a crane operator,
Supply & delivery of new rooftop unit,
Ordering a new adapter curb if needed,
Removal & recycling of scrap metal,
Connecting & painting gas lines,
High voltage electrical connections,
New thermostat of your choice,
Documented start-up & testing.
Cleaning up the job site!
Trane / 150,000 BTUH / 5 Ton in Toronto
Here is another example of a commercial rooftop unit replacement in Mississauga.
The old RTU was a Trane that had a few years on it (almost twenty). Worst part is that every year the landlord would spend a few thousand dollars on repairs during the winter season, while also dealing with complaints from the tenants! In the spring he decided that a new unit would be more reliable and actually save him money after a break-even point of only a few years.
We installed the same brand, but an updated model. These two machines share the same footprint which allowed us to keep the existing curb and make the installation less costly. A professional crane operator was hired to hoist the unit onto the roof. Our team safely connected and painted the old rusty gas line. Electrical and thermostat wires were checked for integrity and reconnected inside the new heating and cooling unit. This landlord is happy because he hasn’t called us for repair in two years now, just seasonal filter changes
TRANE / 150,00 BTUH / 5 Ton in Mississauga
Don’t let a faulty HVAC system ruin your tenant’s comfort! As a commercial property owner, you know how important it is to keep your tenants comfortable and happy. But a faulty HVAC system can lead to complaints and costly repairs, which can cause headaches for both you and your tenants. That’s why at Blackrock HVAC, we’re serious about the reliability of your HVAC unit. With decades of experience in the field, we can provide you with a reliable machine with a great warranty, so you only see us in the spring and fall for filter changes!
Book a consultation now and experience the difference.
At Blackrock HVAC, we pride ourselves on being a full-service contractor, and our rooftop unit installations are no exception. We provide our clients with a complete package that includes everything from ordering a new adapter curb, to recycling, and scheduling a maintenance next year.
Our focus is always on providing our clients with reliable, long-lasting HVAC equipment using high-quality technicians and materials. We understand that each commercial property is unique, which is why you should schedule a video call with Orest Omeliukh or Walter Brunswick who can answer any questions you might have.
Lots of people tend to believe that after graduating college it is easy to find a job, regardless of the amount of experience you have. However, in reality, even once you graduate college, having field practice is VERY beneficial. In this article, a graduate from the George Brown College will share his first experience in the field as an HVAC Technician. Continue reading →
Like most mechanical rooms it was dark, creepy, and featured equipment that we turn a blind eye to.
Luckily these homeowners of this 1950’s Toronto bungalow planned ahead and were willing to build something exciting! Furnace, Water Tank, and Central Vacuum replacement.
With new equipment and cabinetry we’ve added swag to the entire 700 sq.ft basement.
Planning ahead nets better decisions. Here we decided to incorporate the furnace room into the basement – which was exposed – to create an Open Concept Mechanical Room. By replacing the HVAC appliances, using high quality workmanship and interior design, we had a modern plan that was going to impress visitors.
The first step was to empty the room leaving behind only ducts and water lines. An accent wall was built behind the future appliances to make a boring furnace room look more desirable and unique. Canadian red oak was chosen for the wall spanning 8’ in length.
Goodman is the largest manufacturer of HVAC products in North America. Their core values are reliability, easy serviceability, and industry leading warranty. It was a no brainer to go with a Goodman GMVM96 with 2-stage gas valve, variable speed fan motor, and an oversized 5” media filter.
The accent wall is illuminated with LED’s to give it the wow factor. New metal for the return drop gets rid of old dust. Venting, wires and gas lines were carefully joined and tucked away neatly to eliminate clutter. A 50 gallon water tank was chosen for its reliability and peace of mind for the next eighteen years.
modern mechanical room
Switches with stainless steel covers compliment the mechanical room, making it truly feel modern.
A Blackrock optional granite equiptment pad Serial #007 was placed underneath the furnace like a boss.
Once all the equipment was tested and the gaps in metal were siliconed, the floor received two coats of paint, the results were amazing. Black & Decker cabinets made their way for additional storage that was impossible to envision before.
Benjamin-Moore paint was used on the walls to give the room style.
Central Vacuum was updated by The Vac Man, Toronto’s Central Vacuum Specialist. This home now sports a Nilfisk unit with an Italian motor and some carbon fiber swag.
No Blackrock HVAC installation would feel authentic without some custom 3D printed functional items. In this mechanical room we had Rapitaro Designs print us a exhaust vent bracket with a gold leafed embossed logo.
We’ve come full circle since the 1950’s.
What you’re looking at now is the new norm: a functional, reliable, organized room for your renovated home. Creative customers let us challenge ourselves and at the same time push residential HVAC design forward.
