Cape Breton heating companies flat out repairing furnaces

Three weeks after the Thanksgiving Day flood in Cape Breton, some people still don't have a working furnace.

Hundreds of basements were deluged during the record-setting rainfall, destroying furnaces, hot water heaters and other appliances.

At a time of year when home heating companies are already busy, flood-related work has ratcheted up business even further.

"I've been extremely busy," saidChris Swann, an oil technician at Vision Heating. "We've been doing Saturdays and Sundays and lots of furnaces to do, and lots of people without any heat right now."

Swann saidhis company has been so busy, it's hired four more workers. He said they've been repairing water heaters, furnaces, and even oil tanks that shifted when basements flooded.

Still work to do

The Cape BretonRegional Municipality said52 homeowners applied for financial help after their furnaces were destroyed.

The municipality said all but 10 furnaces have been replaced, and it's hoped those last few will befinished in the next few days. There are also likely other homeowners using their home insurance to make repairs.

On Thursday, Swannwasreplacing the furnace inDavid Hawco's house in Sydney.Hawco, who is receivingfinancial help from the municipality,is one of many homeowners who faced a few chilly days during the past three weeks.

"It's been really cold waking up in the mornings," he said. "It's not too bad later in the day, you get used to it, but sleeping and waking in the morning, it's been very cold."

His old furnace was under about half a metre ofwater after the flood. He first thought it might be salvageable.

"I tried to heat it up with a propane heater and thaw it out type of thing, dry it out,for probably three days," he said. "But when I started it up, it just rumbled and smoke poured out of it, and I thought, no, I need a new furnace."

He's been making do in the meantime by wearing his outdoor clothes, including coats, while inside.

"Just trying to keep it warm enough to live in, with the oven going and the electric fireplace."

Hawco said it took only a week after his damage was assessed for thefurnace to be replaced.

"I'm pretty excited,to be quite honest with you."

• Sydney flood victims agree homes should be torn down

• Sydney flood victims assured compensation will flow soon