HVAC maintenance in Scarborough, Durham and the GTA
A complete HVAC system is serviced twice a year, not once, and the reason is mechanical rather than commercial: the heating side and the cooling side cannot both be tested in the same weather. Metropolitan Heating and Air Conditioning has maintained ducted heating and cooling systems across Scarborough, Durham Region and the GTA since 1979, on all makes and models.
Book by calling (416) 283-5698, Monday to Friday 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Why it takes two visits rather than one
Half of what a tune-up establishes is a set of measurements taken while the equipment is running under real load. Temperature rise across a heat exchanger only means something with the furnace firing against a cold house. Superheat and subcooling on the cooling side only mean something with outdoor temperatures high enough for the refrigeration circuit to settle. Read either one in the wrong season and the number is noise.
So the cooling service belongs in spring, ahead of the first hot stretch, and the heating service in early autumn, ahead of the first sustained cold. The shared components — filter, blower, ducts, thermostat, electrical — get looked at on both visits, because they are the parts carrying the load year-round and the parts most likely to have drifted.
What each visit covers
Shared, on both visits. Filter inspected and replaced, and the correct size and type confirmed. Blower wheel and motor cleaned, with lubrication where the design calls for it. Static pressure measured across the system — the reading that reveals a duct or return restriction throttling everything downstream. Accessible ductwork checked for separation and leakage. Electrical connections inspected and tightened, because thermal cycling loosens terminals over years and a loose terminal heats. Thermostat calibration verified against measured temperature, and its programming checked against how you actually use the building.
Heating visit. Burners, flame sensor and ignition assembly cleaned. Gas pressure verified against the manufacturer's specification rather than left as found. Flue and venting inspected for corrosion, separation and blockage. Heat exchanger visually inspected for cracking or perforation. Safety controls tested — limit, rollout and pressure switches. A full heating cycle observed from call for heat through ignition, steady run and shutdown, since some intermittent faults only appear across a complete cycle.
Cooling visit. Condenser and evaporator coils cleaned, which is the largest single lever on heat transfer. Condensate pan, trap and drain line cleared. Refrigerant pressures measured and compared against superheat and subcooling targets, so a low charge is identified as a leak rather than topped up and forgotten. Capacitor tested and contactor inspected for pitting. A full cooling cycle observed with the temperature split across the indoor coil measured.
The readings matter as much as the work
Cleaning a coil is the visible part of a tune-up. The measurements are the part that has value a year later. Static pressure, temperature rise, temperature split, capacitor microfarads and gas pressure are all numbers that drift in one direction as a system ages, and a record of them turns next year's visit into a comparison instead of a fresh guess. A capacitor reading 10 per cent below its rating is a note; the same capacitor 30 per cent down is a part to change before the season starts.
That record has a second use. Most manufacturer warranties on the equipment require documented annual servicing, and a gap in the history is a common reason a claim is refused while the equipment is still inside its term.
Between visits, the work is yours and it is short: change the filter on the schedule the manufacturer specifies, keep supply and return registers unobstructed, keep the clearance the manufacturer specifies around the outdoor unit clear, and write down the date when a new noise or a changed cycle pattern starts.
Book your seasonal service
Call (416) 283-5698 weekdays 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, or request a booking. Ask about maintenance plans if you would rather have both visits scheduled for you. See also HVAC repair, HVAC installation and replacement, and all HVAC services. Licensed and insured, from our shop on Venture Drive in Scarborough since 1979.