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With the warmer weather coming, what maintenance should I be doing as I switch from using my furnace to my air conditioner?

Great question! You should start with removing the AC cover or tarp if you did cover it up last year, let that unit get some air. Turn your breaker on at the panel to start warming the unit up so it is ready to start when you are. The breaker should be shut in the fall as most units do consume a bit of power even in the off cycle. Clean up any debris, leaves or grown over bushes 3 feet around the unit. Inside the house, replace your furnace air filter, this should be done every 1-3 months for best indoor air quality and furnace efficiency, but for sure it should be changed as we switch over into our cooling season. Ideally your AC unit should be part of an annual maintenance plan to be checked over by a licensed professional every year. The benefits are maximizing unit efficiency, meaning you pay the least amount of hydro to run your unit for the year, a low system charge or excessive dirt can make the unit work twice as hard and cost you extra money. Hydro is not getting any cheaper! Plus it adds longevity to the unit. Best advice: get it on a maintenance plan.

I can't remember the last time I had my ducts cleaned. Is this something I really need to do? How often should this be done?

Yes this is something that really should be done in any home with ductwork. The amount of dust, bacteria and other nasty things that can live in your ductwork are NOT good for anyone. I recommend every 5 years

Baldwin's Birds

this should get done or after any renovation work. Anyone with allergies or asthma should even get it done every 2-3 years for best results. These are the lungs of your home, they need attention. Doing the job right with the right equipment usually takes about a half a day.

I don't have duct work in my house. Are there any options besides an ugly and loud window unit for cooling my house this summer?

Yes there are far better options. There are ductless ac units available that even provide heating. No windows required, a very small inside unit mounts on the wall up high and runs to an outside unit below. Very, very efficient units, and very quiet. I have them installed right over top of many customers' bedroom headboards with no complaints. Plus these units are 3x as efficient in heating mode as your electric baseboards, saving you money all winter too. The federal government is also offering rebates on these systems up to 5K if you convert your whole home to heat pump ductless heating and cooling units.

Only room for one

Confusion still remains as we try to sort out in our own minds what on earth is happening on a day-to-day basis with our weather. No wonder I am getting to see more Canada Geese flying south than the other way round! The other day we were being entertained by birds enjoying the sun's warmth in a small water dish, and today we are watching some snowflakes pass the window! Let's hope that the birds aren't affected too much and they keep on arriving.

Each day, different ones appear, providing us with a continual change of variety, and also of colours, on which to feast our eyes and test our memories as to which one is which. The many different Sparrows can do this, as they appear and tease us with their very similar features, like eye stripes and head coloring. The particular ones that I am talking about are the Chipping Sparrow and the Tree Sparrow, which are easy to confuse. Not quite so is the White Throated Sparrow, which has yellow eye markings and white stripes on its head, not too dissimilar to a white Crowned Sparrow. The yellow is lacking on the latter, but a casual glance can lead to the wrong conclusion sometimes, as you probably know yourself!

Some of our birds are "all year" inhabitants, who tend to look a bit dowdy during the winter months, but are now transforming them- selves into their beautiful and bright Spring and Summer outfits. I am, of course, talking about the Goldfinches, who, seemingly overnight, can change their color, which is just amazing! Hopefully you are getting to see and notice some of these changes for yourselves, and also get some views of birds that you might not be too familiar with. Stay safe and well, Cheers,

John Baldwin