Information

Money Down Your Drain

Drip… drip… drip…

That's the sound of your hard earned money going down the drain, due to a leaky faucet. Instead of trying to repair it, sometimes it is more cost-effective to simply replace the faucet with a more efficient, designer model.

Did You Know?

• A slow, steady, faucet drip can waste 48 gallons of water every day?
• New, more efficient faucets/aerators use 1/3rd less water?
• Leaks aside, replacing old faucets can save 1 gallon for every minute of use?
• New, designer faucets are not only more efficient, but far more attractive?

Replacing old faucets is fast, easy, and painless when you call. Call us now 1-800-235-4393 or fill out an online service request to see our new plumbing faucet lines and models. While we’re out, we’ll dye test your toilet for leaks, free.

It’s your choice. Keep paying for water down the drain, or own a beautiful, new, designer faucet.

Air Conditioner Check-Up

When is the last time you fired up your air conditioner?

Are you even sure it still works properly?

There’s nothing worse than waking up in the middle of the night sweating only to find your air conditioner unit is not working, a predicament that could have been prevented with professional maintenance. Unfortunately, even routine maintenance can't prevent all foreseeable problems with the system; it can be running fine one day and completely burn out the next. Some things cannot be prevented. But with regular maintenance, your system will perform efficiently for many years.

Although spring is a generally mild season, summer will usually be hot and uncomfortable at times. It’s also the ideal time to budget a bit of that savings for an air conditioning tune-up. If you take care of the unit now, you can prevent many small problems from becoming big, expensive problems later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q:  How often should I recharge my air conditioner with new Freon?
A:  Contrary to popular belief, air conditioners do not consume refrigerant (Freon) as a car consumes oil, so under ideal conditions it would never need changing or filling. Therefore, a low Freon level indicates a leak which should be repaired before adding more. While most new system connections are welded to minimize leaks, many older units (8+ years) were connected with mechanical flared fittings that can vibrate loose over the years, causing leaks.

Problems with Freon leaks:

1. Low Freon levels reduce efficiency of the air conditioner.
2. They can freeze the evaporator coil, causing it to literally ice up.
3. Freon is an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) controlled substance, deemed hazardous if released into the environment.
4. The heart of the unit is the compressor, which is cooled by the refrigerant. Over time, low Freon levels can cause overheating and premature failure of the compressor, often requiring complete replacement of the compressor or the entire condensing unit. A very expensive proposition.

Q:  Are regular check-ups worthwhile?
A:  We do recommend annual air conditioning check-ups in the spring and heater or furnace check-ups every fall. Although regular checkups will not absolutely guarantee that a unit will continue to work perfectly throughout the season, they will reveal most small problems that can lead to major, far more expensive problems if left unattended.

Q:  What is an air conditioning check-up?
A:  It consists of the following steps:

1. Check for proper refrigerant (Freon) levels. A low level indicates a leak that needs to be found and repaired before adding more Freon.
2. Check all electrical components and controls.
3. Clean evaporator and condenser coils, as needed.
4. Oil motors as needed.
5. Calibrate thermostat.
6. Check condenser.
7. Check filters.

A thoroughly cleaned air conditioning unit will operate at top efficiency. However, homeowners are strongly discouraged from cleaning it themselves and should contact a licensed HVAC technician in their area. Like most anything you own, regular maintenance is far less costly than repairs or replacement. Contact us today and we can send a certified HVAC technician to your home right away. The longer you wait the more trouble (and money) it will be to get your air conditioner running smoothly for summer!

Your Satisfaction

When purchasing a new comfort system, what percent of consumer satisfaction results from the quality of the INSTALLATION and what percent results from the quality of the EQUIPMENT?

Professionals agree…

• 80% of your satisfaction comes from the contractor
• 20% comes from the equipment

For decades people have kicked around the 80% contractor and 20% equipment relationship. It is interesting that an empirical study of contractors yielded the same results to the question above. While some gave the contractor and equipment equal weight and others thought it all came down to the installation, the average matched the decades old conventional wisdom.

What does this mean to you, the homeowner? Most importantly it emphasizes that there is more variation between any two contractors than any two manufacturers. In other words, job owners should be more careful in the selection of the contractor who installs their comfort system than any other decision.

For more information on finding a plumbing, electrical, or HVAC simply call us toll free today at 1-800-235-4393 and find a plumber now.