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Tips on Maintaining Your Heating and Cooling Systems

Tips on Maintaining Your Heating and Cooling Systems

There is a sense of pride that comes with being a homeowner.  Your home is a reflection of your hard work and years of savings.  You want to show off your home and make sure that your investment is going to last for years to come.  Owning a home is a source of enjoyment, but it also requires work to maintain a home.  Here are some great tips on how to maintain your home to last.

Maintenance Tips for Air Conditioner

Tip # 1: Change Air Filters – air filters need to be changed about every three months in central air systems.  Air filters are designed to capture dust and dirt from the air before it is distributed throughout your home. Dirty filters can restrict airflow.  Changing out the filters keeps airflow circulating properly.

Tip #2: Clean the vents. Dust is the culprit to many maintenance failures.  Simply keeping vents clean of dust can prolong the life cycle of your air conditioner.

Tip # 3: Hire a HVAC professional to clean coils and check system.  Annual or bi-annual maintenance service check ups by a licensed HVAC professional is strongly suggested.  Air conditioners are like your cars.  You wouldn’t want to drive your car for years without ever bringing it in for a tune up.  Air conditioners need their tune ups too.

Maintenance Tips for Water Heater

Tip # 1: Keep temperature setting on your water heater at 130 degrees Fahrenheit.  This is the suggested manufacturer’s setting.  However, some plumbers suggest you can lower this slightly to 120 degrees to reduce chances of overheating and to cut down energy utility bill.

Tip # 2: If you have a tank water heater, you need to mini-flush your heater.  Sediment that builds up in the tank water heaters can corrode your tank.  If you have an electric tank water heater, make sure to turn off electricity before attempting to flush tank.

Tip # 3: Hire a licensed plumber annually to service your heater. The plumber will inspect for leaks and corrosion. Like your car and air conditioning system, heaters need regular check ups to function properly.

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Which is Better – Copper Piping or CPVC?

Which is Better – Copper Piping or CPVC?

Are you building a new construction home?  Have you installed your water piping system?  If you have yet to install your water pipes, you may wish to learn more about the types of piping available to you.  There are two main types of water piping commonly used in the United States.  The two types are copper piping and chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) piping.  Many homeowners want to know which one is better to install.  To help you with this decision, I have compiled a list of advantages and disadvantages of both types of piping.

Advantages of Using Copper

•    Copper is biostatic.  It is resistant to bacteria.  This means that your water can safely transport through the copper pipes without being contaminated with harmful bacteria.
•    Copper is environmentally friendly.  Copper tubing does not require any solvent based adhesives.  With CPVC, solvent based adhesives are needed to connect pipers together.  Solvent based adhesives are not environmental friendly as these adhesives contain volatile organic compounds that are toxic.  Copper does not contain these toxics.
•    Copper is easy to install.  Plumbers tend to love working with copper as this metal is very flexible.  The copper piping can easily bend without breaking and fit into tight spaces.
•    Copper piping comes with a 50 year guaranteed warranty.  This may be the reason why 80% of new build homes chose to use copper in the United States and why according to the Copper Development Association, 95% of existing homes have copper piping.  The copper industry is confident their product is the best and is willing to stand behind it.  All copper manufacturers within the United States honor a 50 year warranty on their copper piping.  This warranty can be transferred to new owner when house is sold.  If the copper piping breaks and needs to be repaired, the home owners are protected.  The cost to fix piping or repair is covered under the warranty.

Disadvantages of Using Copper

•    Copper is a more expensive product than CPVC.  Although, copper does not require any connectors so labor and parts costs can be reduced.
•    Copper is corrosive.  Eventually copper can corrode and need to be replaced.
•    Copper piping is noisy.  The weird noises coming from the basement or ceiling are must likely not the neighborhood ghost.  The source of the noise is probably the copper pipes.

Advantages of Using CPVC

•    CPVC pipes are not as commonly used within the United States as it is a newer product.  However, it is very common to see it used in Europe.  CPVC piping is corrosion resistance.  Unlike copper, CPVC will not corrode making it a very durable product.
•    CPVC pipes are quiet.  The pipes do not produce echo effect which causes the water hammer to be heard through walls.  This means the CPVC pipes can distribute water without you hearing it.
•    CPVC piping is more energy efficient than copper.  The thermal insulation properties of the piping help to reduce condensation, keeping water hot for long periods of time.  Metal pipes cool down quicker making it harder to keep water for long.

Disadvantages of Using CPVC

•    CPVC piping uses solvent based adhesives to connect pipes together.  These solvent based adhesives release volatile organic compounds into the environment which are toxic.
•    CPVC is not as easy for plumbers to work with.  The CPVC pipes do not bend so are harder for plumbers to install in tight places.  These pipes can also more fragile than metal.  Plumbers need to be careful when installing pipes to make sure not to poke holes in the pipe.
•    CPVC is does not come with a 50 year warranty.  Unlike copper which is backed by the copper industry, homeowners will not likely receive a 50 year warranty on their CPVC pipes.  If CPVC pipes need to be fixed, the repair will come out of the homeowner’s pocket.

Copper and CPVC are products that both have their pros and cons.  It is up to you to decide which piping product will work best from your home.  If you are still unsure which to use, consult with your contractor or plumber for their professional opinion.

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Top Four Reasons Why Toilet Will Not Flush

Top Four Reasons Why Toilet Will Not Flush

Growing up in a household of females, my father assumed the role of “honorary plumber”, a role he begrudging accepted.  Every once in a while my father would be greeted by myself or sisters with “Dad, the toilet won’t flush.”  Followed promptly by the lines, “It’s not my fault.  I didn’t do it.”

Are you the “honorary plumber” in your household?  Do you have a toilet that will not flush?  If you are wondering why your toilet will not flush, below are the top four reasons why it may not be flushing.

1.)    Toilet is clogged.  Using too much toilet or flushing down woman’s sanitary products can cause waste to become clogged in toilet.  Try using a plunger or toilet auger to push waste through.  You may wish to purchase thinner toilet paper if your household tends to use a lot in one sitting.  Also encourage females to dispose of sanitary products in trash and not down the toilet.

2.)    Water level is too low in tank.    The water level should be about one inch below the top of the overflow tube.  If water is too low, check the water valve.  It may have been accidentally turned off.  Turn back on the water supply and monitor the water level in the tank.  Once the tank is filled, try flushing the toilet to see if the toilet is now flushing properly.

3.)    The Flapper is warped.  Remove the lid from the toilet tank and take a look inside at the rubber flapper.  The flapper is designed to release water when toilet is flushed and then to plug the hole back up, sealing the water inside tank.  If the flapper has deteriorated and is no longer sealing flush tube hole, then this will need to be replaced.  Flappers can easily be purchased at any hardware store and are relatively cheap.  Turn off water, drain tank, and the swap out the old flapper with the new one.  Afterwards, turn back on the water and the toilet should flush properly.

4.)    Lift chain is not working. Sometimes the lift chains that connect to flapper can have too much slack.  When this happens the chain is too loose to pull flapper off flush tube when toilet is flushed.  The water is then not released.  To solve this problem, you simply need to shorten the length of the lift chain so that the chain can give enough pull to remove flapper from flush tube.

These are the four most common reasons why your toilet will not flush.  If you find that none of these reasons are the source for why your toilet won’t flush, it may be time to hang up your “honorary plumber” title and call in the experts.  Let the licensed plumbers do the dirty work.  Trust me, it will be worth the money.

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Virginia Requires Mandatory Backflow Prevention Device Inspections

Virginia Requires Mandatory Backflow Prevention Device Inspections

Do you have an irrigation water system for your landscaping? If so, you should have a backflow prevention device installed that protects your drinking water from becoming infected with harmful bacteria. The Virginia Department of Health requires all homeowners in the state of Virginia to have annual inspections done on their backflow prevention devices. Did you know this? Have you had your backflow prevention device inspected by a certified plumber this year?

What are backflow prevention devices?

Backflow prevention devices are designed to protect drinking water from contaminated water due from backflow. Backflow occurs when non-drinking water flows into drinking water. There are two types of backflow – backpressure and backsiphonage. Backpressure occurs when there is an increase in downward pressure that is greater than the upward pressure. Backsiphonage occurs when there is a strong drop in water pressure.

Why does the State of Virginia make homeowners inspect backflow prevention devices annually?

The state of Virginia requires mandatory annual inspections of backflow prevention devices to protect all residents from drinking contaminated water. Non-treated water is unsuitable for drinking. Untreated water contains harmful bacteria such as E. Coli, chemicals, and parasites. Drinking contaminated water can make you and your family very sick. Some people have even died from drinking polluted water. Imagine the consequences of what would happen if contaminated water back flowed into the main city water supply. This is why the state of Virginia takes inspections of backflow prevention devices very seriously.

Can anyone inspect backflow prevention devices?

Only certified licensed plumbers can inspect backflow prevention devices. In the Chesterfield County, the county requires yearly inspection reports to be recorded and filed with the town. It is only a matter of time before other neighboring counties follow suit. If in need of an inspection in the Richmond area, call Marshall Mechanical at 804.323.0189. We offer 40% off when you schedule HVAC system maintenance along with the backflow prevention device inspection.

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Why Sometimes Putting All Your Eggs in One Basket Pays Off

Why Sometimes Putting All Your Eggs in One Basket Pays Off

It used to be that putting all your business with one company was a bad idea. The expression was don’t put all your eggs in one basket, meaning do not invest all your money in one spot. The fear was that if you were to have a fall out with that particular company or if that company were to go under, all your money would be lost. Why then would anyone want to work with only one company? The reason is simplicity.

Apple, Inc. is a prime example of a company that many companies use for all their technology needs. In an age where information can be shared between computer, phone, and television, it makes sense to operate all these devices under the same platform. Apple makes streaming content from one Apple device to another easy. This is why companies chose to put all their technology needs in one basket. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could create a basket to handle all your commercial maintenance service needs? With Marshall Mechanical building owners and property managers can do just that.

Unlike other companies that specialize in one type of service, Marshall Mechanical can service all business’ plumbing, heating and cooling, and HVAC maintenance. Instead of working with multiple maintenance-service companies, businesses only need to remember one name and contact phone number for all their commercial building maintenance. Now how stress free is that?

Besides only needing to remember one name and phone number, there other benefits of bundling maintenance services under one basket. It makes tracking maintenance history easier. Marshall Mechanical can track and record all maintenance repairs and check ups. They can also set up maintenance appointments to do multiple repairs at once. For instance, if building needs HVAC maintenance, then Marshall Mechanical can schedule to inspect backflow prevention device during the same visit to cut down on time and money.

For companies interested in putting all their commercial maintenance services under one basket, contact Marshall Mechanical at 804.323.0189.

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Important Sump Pump Maintenance Tips

Important Sump Pump Maintenance Tips

Did you experience flooding from Hurricane Sandy? While Virginia was not as badly hit as some other states, Hurricane Sandy still managed to wreck her havoc on our poor state. Over 5,000 Virginians temporarily lost power as the result of the storm and many experienced flooding. Did your basement flood? Do you have a sump pump?

A sump pump is a pump that is used to drain collected water from a sump basin. Most people invest in sump pumps when they experience regular flooding in their basements. When water seeps into the basement it is collected into a sump basin and the sump pump removes water away from home to drier ground. Sometimes flooding can still occur even when people have sump pumps. Why does this happen? Flooding occurs when the floor drain is blocked, the sump pump fails, or when the homeowners do not have a backup sump pump and generator. It is best to perform maintenance on your sump pump to ensure it works properly when you need it most.

Here are tips for providing maintenance for your sump pump.

1.) Make sure to clean the pump and inlet screen. In order to clean pump you must remove from sump.

2.) Check to make sure the power cord is receiving power. Without power the sump pump will not work.

3.) Test sump pump to make sure it is in working order. The best way to test sump pump is by dumping water down it to see if water drains properly. If sump pump fails the test, call Marshall Mechanical to come in and repair your sump pump.

4.) In the event that a severe storm or hurricane were to knock out power it is wise to also invest in a back up sump pump and generator. Many Virginia residents experienced flooding even with sump pump because their electricity went out. Had they had a generator and backup sump pump, no flooding would have occurred.

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NY and NJ Turning to Geothermal Energy After Hurricane Sandy

NY and NJ Turning to Geothermal Energy After Hurricane Sandy

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, many residents of New Jersey and New York were without heat and power for two weeks. Some are still without heat thanks to Sandy sweeping away their oil tanks, not to mention air conditioners. This has caused some building owners to rethink how they should rebuild after this hurricane. Is it worth installing a new oil tank and air conditioner system, just to have another hurricane down the road destroy both systems again? The likelihood of hurricanes of this scale may be low, but the severity of nor’easters is higher thanks to the disappearance of the natural sand dunes. Hurricane Sandy decided to take those as a retreating present back to the sea. Which leaves may home owners and building owners thinking about alternative heating solutions, such as geothermal energy.

Installing a geothermal heat pump system would eliminate the chance of a wind storm or hurricane blowing away heating and cooling system. Geothermal heat pump systems are buried underground. Geothermal energy is heat taking from the earth and distributed throughout home. The geothermal heat pump system brings in natural heat from below the ground surface and into the building structure. The system can also be reversed so that heat can be removed from building during the humid summer months and pushed back down into the ground. This allows the temperatures to cool down considerably in the building.

Unfortunately, geothermal heat pump systems are not cheap to install. These systems can range on average anywhere from $7,000 to $30,000 to install. The good news is that these systems are said to pay for themselves after five years. If home insurance policies provide insurance coverage to rebuild, it may be a good time for the building owners to invest in this green technology. Especially when the government gives 30% rebates off first $2000 installation costs.

Natural disasters are terrible when they hit. Hurricane Sandy destroyed thousands of homes along the eastern coastline. The only silver lining with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy is that perhaps people will now select greener products such as geothermal energy to rebuild.

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Protect Your Health with a Home Water Filter System

Protect Your Health with a Home Water Filter System

In 1832, thousands of New York City residents fled from the city to the countryside in an attempt to save their lives.  The city was attacked.  The enemy was cholera, the deadly bacterial disease that infects the small intestine causing diarrhea, vomiting and death within hours of many victims.  The 1832 outbreak of New City was caused by polluted drinking water.  Unfortunately, the New York residents of the time did not understand how cholera spread.  As a result 3,515 people died from the disease.  An assistant of the famous painter Asher B. Durand described the city during this time with “Our bustling city now wears a most gloomy and desolate aspect.  One may take a walk up and down Broadway and scarce meet a soul.”

Fortunately, today we know how polluted water can lead to deadly diseases.  Our cities and towns now regulate and treat our drinking water before the water enters our homes.  But even with the treatment facilities, our water is still not clean when it pours out of our faucets and showerheads.  This water still contains chlorine, ammonia and aluminum chloride.  These chemicals are used to treat the water from harmful bacteria.  Yet, how safe are these chemicals to drink?  The verdict is still out on this.

Do you want pure H20 to drink and bath in?  If so, you should invest in a home water filter system. Home water filter systems are designed to remove the chlorine and ammonia from the water before the water enters your home.  The filter system connects to the main water line entering your home.  The treated city water passes through the filter. The filter then removes the chemicals from the water and disperses the water through the pipes throughout your home.

Water filters are especially great for those who suffer from chlorine allergies.  Chlorine sensitive people can experience painful skin rashes and blisters when showering and bathing.  By filtering the water, these people will no longer have to dread showering.  The whole water filter brings the water back to its purest form making it safe to drink and bath in.

Whole water filter systems are a good long term investment.  These filter systems typically range in price between $1,000 to $1,500 and can be installed by a licensed plumber.  While Cholera outbreaks are no longer a common worry, there are other bacteria and chemicals in our water that may cause health problems.  The whole water filter system ensures your water is pure, free of harmful chemicals and bacteria.  This system gives you peace of mind and provides healthy living.

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What Is So Great About Dual Flush Toilets?

What Is So Great About Dual Flush Toilets?

How can one toilet greatly differ from another? I keep hearing about energy saving green toilets, but frankly do not know much about them. For me, I personally have not given much thought to my toilet. As long as my toilet is clean and flushing properly then I am happy. Yet, recently I learned that there are a whole slew of toilet designs available on the market for consumers.

It terms out that not all toilets are created equal. In fact some are way cooler than others. My pre-1992 toilet is not on the cool list. It is considered by the government to be a water waster. Oops. Apparently toilets prior to 1992 were built with 3.5 gallon tanks. This means that it takes 3.5 gallons of water to flush my toilet or over 7,000 gallons per year. In an effort to conserve our precious water supply, the government passed a law in 1992 requiring toilet manufacturers to make toilets that only used 1.6 gallons or less to flush. With this law came the invention of dual flush toilets.

What are Dual Flush Toilets?

Dual Flush Toilets are toilets that have two flush buttons. The flush buttons are designed to control the amount of water used to flush. Liquid waste requires less water to flush down the toilet, whereas solid waste requires more water. This is why there are two flush buttons. One button is for liquid waste and the other button is for solid waste. Countries where water is in high demand and needs to be closely monitored, are already adopting dual flush toilets. The United States is slowly catching on. Plumbers are seeing more dual flush toilets being installed in commercial buildings and residential homes.

Americans, including me take our water for granted, but we should not. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), by next year an estimated 36 states will experience water shortages due to wasteful water usage. I hope Virginia is not one of those 36 states. Unfortunately, the odds are not in my favor. I guess it is time for me to trade in my water wasting toilet and upgrade to the dual flush toilet.

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Are You Shopping for New Furnace?

Are You Shopping for New Furnace?

There is nothing worse than having your furnace die in the middle of winter. Ok there is and that is having no furnace at all. Did you know there are still some places in first world countries where fireplaces are the only source of heat for an entire house? It’s true. I found that out while living in the South Island, New Zealand. I can tell you first hand fireplaces DO NOT heat houses properly. Unless you are sitting directly in front of the fireplace, you are going to be cold. Heat is necessary to survive the cold winters. If you find yourself in need of a new furnace, it is best to purchase and install one quickly.

Shopping for a new furnace can be overwhelming. The first step a home owner should do is research furnaces. Do your homework. You want to be as knowledgeable as possible when selecting a furnace for your home. Furnaces are not cheap. You want to make sure that the furnace you select will be a good return on investment. Sure sales people can educate you on different furnaces, but can you trust them? The saying goes “the key to success is knowledge”. If you want to make a successful purchase, know your knowledge. Find out what brand names are getting great reviews. Figure out what size furnace you need. Determine if you need to go with a gas, oil, or electric furnace. Also factor in cost with the life expectancy for the furnace.

There are two main types of furnaces for consumers to purchase – the condensing furnaces and electrical furnaces. Condensing furnaces are offered in oil and gas. These types of furnaces are more common to see in the northern states where colder temperatures are common place. Electrical furnaces are another alternative option to using condensing furnaces. These furnaces are efficient, but not as popular to use in homes as oil or gas furnaces. Electric furnaces use a large amount of electricity to heat home. Electricity tends to be more expensive than oil and gas. For this reason most people have oil or gas furnaces installed to save on monthly utility bills.

After selecting your furnace, pay close attention to the installer’s work. Research how the particular furnace should be installed. For instance, did the installer seal off all duct connections or just use duct tape? This is a warning. Duct tape is a red flag. If you see duct tape, immediately demand the installer correct his poor work. Is there an intake and exhaust pipe needed for your furnace model? If so, make sure that installer has both pipes installed and not just the exhaust pipe. Again knowledge is essential to having the furnace installed properly. The more knowledgeable you are, the more likely you are going to end up with a properly installed furnace.

So in conclusion fireplaces as the only source of heat in a house equal bad idea. Having a new furnace properly installed in your home equals good idea.

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