Not every address in the downtown core is a glass tower. Cabbagetown, Corktown, Leslieville, Riverdale-adjacent Regent Park, and pockets of the Distillery-adjacent low-rise stock still run traditional forced-air furnaces — mostly two-stage 96% AFUE units, with a mix of older mid-efficiency systems in the century homes that haven't been converted yet.
Furnace work in the downtown core is a different animal from the suburbs. Mechanical rooms are small, venting often has to be re-routed around finished basements, and gas line access is frequently through party walls. We're TSSA G2-licensed and we've been diagnosing and installing in downtown Toronto row houses long enough to know which shortcuts create leaks in year three.
For no-heat calls in the winter we run 24/7 emergency dispatch with a target one-hour response inside the downtown core.
What's included
Ignition, gas valve, pressure switch, inducer motor, limit switch, and control board — checked in the correct order so you get a real answer, not parts thrown at symptoms.
Two-stage or modulating 96%+ AFUE furnace, matched blower for the ductwork, new venting, and combustion analysis on start-up.
Heat exchanger camera inspection, CO test at the register, and combustion tuning. Print-out provided.
Burner clean, blower service, filter, and combustion tune — the difference between a furnace that lasts 12 years and one that lasts 20.
Our process
- 124/7 no-heat dispatch in winter.
- 2In-home visit and written quote for replacements — never a phone-only estimate.
- 3Correct-sized equipment based on the actual house, not a rule of thumb.
- 4Install, combustion tune, and permit closed with the ESA and municipality as required.
Signs you need this service
- Furnace short-cycles — starts, runs briefly, shuts off, repeats
- Yellow or flickering flame instead of a clean blue burn
- Rumbling or booming sound on ignition
- Uneven heat between the front and back of the house
- Rising gas bill with no change in weather patterns or setpoint
Frequently asked
How long does a furnace replacement take in a downtown Toronto row house?+
Most single-day, with venting complexity being the wildcard. Party-wall houses with tight mechanical rooms and re-routed side-wall venting can spill into a second day.
Do you handle the ESA and permits?+
Yes. Every furnace install we do includes the ESA electrical permit (where applicable), the gas connection under our TSSA license, and municipal building permit coordination on request.
What size furnace do I actually need?+
Almost always smaller than what's currently in your basement. Older Toronto homes were routinely over-sized by 30–50%. We do a Manual J load calculation on request so you buy for the house you have, not the house someone guessed at in 1998.