Furnace, AC and HRV Problems in New Milton Homes: What Tarion Covers Before You Pay a Repair Bill

What fails in a new Milton house

Builder-installed furnaces are usually decent high-efficiency units installed fast: condensate traps left unprimed, exhaust pipes terminated where snow drifts, pressure switches that trip on the first cold night, and thermostats wired for the wrong equipment. Air conditioners are commissioned in a hurry and are often over- or under-charged from day one, which shows up as weak cooling the first July. The heat recovery ventilator, required in new Ontario houses, is the appliance most owners do not know they have: its filters and core need cleaning every few months, and a clogged HRV makes the house stuffy and humid and can trip the furnace.

Ductwork is sized to the plans, not the finished basement, so a cold basement bedroom is normal and is not a warranty defect.

What Tarion covers and how to claim

Tarion’s warranty on a new Ontario home covers defects in work and materials, including the heating and cooling systems, for one year, and major systems including heating, electrical and plumbing for two years; the building envelope and structure are covered longer. The builder is responsible for the repair, and Tarion steps in if the builder does not. The catch is procedure: you must report the defect to the builder and to Tarion in writing, through Tarion’s online portal, within the warranty forms’ deadlines, and a repair you pay for yourself before reporting is not reimbursed. A contractor who touches the system before the builder has had the chance can also give the builder an argument.

Keep the pre-delivery inspection report, the equipment manuals and every email. Check Tarion’s current warranty periods and deadlines, because they are specific.

• Closing date and Tarion warranty forms
• Furnace, AC and HRV make, model and serial numbers
• Written report to the builder and Tarion, with photos and dates
• HRV filter and core cleaned
• Manufacturer’s warranty registration for each unit

Once the warranty has run out

After two years the ordinary Ontario rules apply. Gas work must be done by a TSSA-certified gas technician; refrigerant work by a certified technician who finds the leak before recharging; electrical work by a licensed electrical contractor under the ESA, with Milton Hydro as the utility for a service change. Manufacturer parts warranties on furnaces, air conditioners and HRVs often run five to ten years and can outlast Tarion; register them at closing and check them before paying for a part. If you smell gas, leave the house before calling, then phone Enbridge Gas’s emergency line or 911 from outside.

Because every house on the street has the same equipment, a Milton HVAC company has probably fixed your fault on the same model this month. Ask.

Living with a new house

Learn where the HRV is and clean it every three months. Change the furnace filter monthly for the first year while construction dust settles. Keep the outdoor exhaust and intake pipes clear of snow and mulch. Have the air conditioner’s charge checked in the first spring, while it is still under warranty. Halton Region’s and Enbridge’s efficiency programs apply to new houses too, and a heat pump can replace the builder’s air conditioner when it fails.