Deer Lake's larger Burnaby lots and mix of home eras call for hydronic systems sized to real heat loss, and CANRO designs and services them locally.
Tell us what you need—we’ll call you back fast.
Quick answer
Hydronic heating in the Deer Lake area covers a wide range, from original radiators or baseboard in mid-century Burnaby homes to radiant in-floor systems designed into more recent custom builds on the neighbourhood's larger lots. Whatever the distribution type, the boiler needs to be sized against the home's actual heat loss — which on a larger Deer Lake property with high ceilings or an addition can be considerably more than the original system was designed for.
Need a licensed gas fitter for your hot water / boiler? Call CANRO at (604) 359-1081 — residential natural-gas heating and hot water across Metro Vancouver since 1999.
Deer Lake's housing stock includes original mid-century homes still running their first-generation radiator or baseboard systems, alongside larger, more recently built houses that more often use radiant in-floor heating designed in from the start. Because lots in this part of Burnaby tend to be more generous than in denser neighbourhoods, additions and second-storey expansions are fairly common, and it's not unusual to find a hydronic system that was never resized after a home grew significantly beyond its original footprint.
As a Burnaby-based company, we see this pattern often enough in Deer Lake that checking actual current heat loss against the boiler's original capacity is one of the first things we do on an older home with any hydronic complaint, rather than assuming the existing setup is still adequate.
| Distribution Type | Where It's Common | Consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Cast-iron or panel radiators | Original mid-century homes | Mechanically durable, piping needs periodic checking |
| Hydronic baseboard | Additions and later renovations | Faster response than radiators, easy to zone |
| Radiant in-floor tubing | Newer custom builds | Even heat, best planned during construction |
A second-storey addition or a significant expansion on a Deer Lake lot adds real heat loss that the original boiler and distribution system may not have been sized to cover. Symptoms are usually uneven heat — the addition running noticeably cooler than the original part of the house — rather than a dramatic failure, which is why it sometimes goes unaddressed for years before someone finally asks about it. Properly resolving it means calculating the addition's actual heat loss and either rebalancing the existing system or adding boiler capacity, not just adding another baseboard run and hoping.
For homeowners planning a future addition rather than one already built, it's worth having this same capacity conversation before construction starts, not after. Sizing the boiler and distribution for the home's eventual full footprint from the outset avoids the more disruptive process of upgrading a hydronic system after walls and flooring are already finished.
Safety note
If you smell gas anywhere near a water heater, boiler, or gas line, do not flip switches, light anything, or search for the source yourself. Leave the house, get everyone else out too, and call FortisBC at 1-800-663-9911 from a neighbour's place or your cell once you're outside. Gas piping, venting, and combustion equipment in your home must only be worked on by a Technical Safety BC licensed gas fitter.
Not always. If the addition's heat loss was never calculated against the boiler's capacity at the time, it's common to find the system undersized for the home's current footprint.
Often, yes. They're durable and simple; it's usually the surrounding piping, valves, and balancing that need attention as a system ages, not the radiators themselves.
This is a common sign the hydronic system was never resized after the addition was built, and it's worth having the addition's actual heat loss calculated rather than continuing to just run the thermostat higher.
Often yes, particularly where floor access allows it and the existing boiler has enough spare capacity once the new zone's heat loss is properly calculated.
Larger homes with higher ceilings or additions typically have more total heat loss than the original system was designed for, so capacity needs to be checked against the home as it exists today.
An annual check of pressure, circulator function, and zone balance is a reasonable baseline, catching small issues before they become a no-heat call in winter.
Family-run, TSBC-licensed (gas LGA0043870 · boiler LBP0046450), serving Metro Vancouver homes since 1999. Residential, natural gas only.
Call (604) 359-1081 Email info@canroheat.ca“Canro does an amazing job! Super professional and skilled with everything—boilers, furnaces, and AC. Always a pleasure working with them!”
“Five stars for Canro. We needed a replacement of a 30-year-old boiler. A new high-efficiency unit was installed—clean, professional work.”
“I can’t speak highly enough about George, who was recommended for a boiler service call for my parents’ home. George is excellent.”
25+ years keeping Metro Vancouver homes comfortable. Honest advice, upfront pricing, work that lasts.