TTC Friendly

TTC Friendly

HVAC Contractor Takes City Transit to a Service Call .

Written by Writer X.

 

Toronto, Ontario. Canada. 

They help us solve problems and they help our cities grow. There are thousands of construction trades professionals in Canada today, but does every service call require a Mercedes Sprinter on the road?

BLACKROCK HVAC LTD tackled one of the biggest challenges facing our city today, traffic. Oh lovely traffic. For many Torontonians the TTC’s Bloor Subway Line is a convenient tool, but that’s not the case for contractors who need their trucks. Or do they?

Today I was invited to follow Orest Õh and “Big Danny” (the anonymous city contractor) from BRHVAC.CA – an Ontario based modern heating and air-conditioning firm – and promised to witness something new unheard-of.  The TTC Bloor Line will be our transportation of choice today to attend a bathroom exhaust fan service call during afternoon rush hour.

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“I promised a new client that I’d help him find a replacement fan motor for a bathroom exhaust in his Yonge & Bloor St condo. It was tricky to find but had it brought in overnight”, said Orest. “When talking to Anthony – owner of the home – we stumbled on the idea that taking the subway to his place would be the fastest and easiest way to get there. We packed our Klein Pro Backpack with necessary hand tools, the replacement exhaust fan, and had a great time! Crazy, but we did it.”

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Arriving at  Yonge & Bloor station they made their way out onto the street and spotted Anthony waving from his balcony. “The city really isn’t that big, our population is small compared to other global big cities. We checked in at the lobby, made our way up to the 7th floor and got started”, says Danny, a third year Construction Management student at George Brown College. Anthony was the DIY’er and onlooker, curiously watching the experts so he can do it himself next time. “I didn’t even know there was a bathroom exhaust motor in my apartment until something started to stink, really bad”, mentioned Anthony. “Education isn’t free. Now, after a pricey fix we know there are mechanicals even in a condo that require maintenance”.

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Toronto’s subway lines are straight forward, easy to navigate, and according to tourists it has the shape of a dick? “Shout out to Bombardier for the sweet looking subway cars, and the Toronto Transit Commission for making our streets look modern. We just had enough time to pose in front of the new train before she quickly got away, then we had to take the original”, says Danny. “My dad taught me that the most important tools to arrive to work with is your brain and two hands. Mechanics with nice trucks can have every tool inside, but if you don’t know what to do you’ll leave the job empty handed”, explains Õh.

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Reason for failure was burnt motor windings due to stress and overheating.

 

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Today’s Service Call Lesson: You get into trouble when you don’t keep dust away. Make sure to clean any grille or filters you have at home. If you don’t, it will build on the system’s motor and other components and overheat. Motors and engines give energy and produce heat so they need to breath and stay cool. Burnt motors are a common problem in the summer and it’s costly replacing them. A simple clean is free so why not.

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Any air grille that sucks air (return or exhaust) will have dust accumulated on it, so make it a habit to keep it clean. I did at my own house, and weeks after this experience you could find me snapping photos of return grilles on the streets like a weirdo. These pictures show how dust accumulates on exhaust/return grilles and nobody noticing….except me!

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The Tissue Test: Hold a tissue paper to the grille while the system is running to check if it is pushing or pulling.

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Blackrock HVAC is a modern heating and air-conditioning company with a twist, they want you to save money by doing things yourself. They’ve developed personalized maintenance plans for homeowners who would rather do maintenance themselves. A professional comes to your home one time to identify problem areas, creates a list for you, answers any questions you have, and you don’t have to see them again until you need to. This saves you money and avoids premature breakdowns like this one which cost Anthony six hundred bucks! I had a great time riding the Red Rocket with these zesty gentlemen all while learning something new.

 

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It’s nice to see innovation coming from Canadian companies especially when it’s so local. Wishing Blackrock HVAC all the best with their endeavors.

The End.