Blog | HVAC and Plumbing Tips

Don’t Turn to Chemical Drain Cleaners

April 3rd, 2023

We know that in a stressful moment, even the most trivial solutions to a problem can seem like good ideas.

If you’ve been plunging or snaking your clogged drain for hours, those chemical drain cleaners offered at the grocery store probably sound like a perfectly reasonable idea. Plus, you can just pour them down the drain and go to bed, and by morning they’ll have worked just fine, right?

Well, no. Unless you like the taste of chemical fumes in the air and you’re a sucker for pipe corrosion, you’re going to wake up in a worse situation than when you went to bed. Chemical drain cleaners are unfortunately one of the worst ways to deal with a clogged drain in Arlington, VA, and we’ll talk about some of the reasons why down below.

Do yourself and your family a favor and call a professional to have your drain cleared. It won’t take very long, it won’t be very expensive, and you’ll be very happy with the results. We promise!

What If I Can’t Afford Maintenance?

March 20th, 2023

This is a tricky question. We’re not one of those HVAC teams that will guilt you into paying for a service that you just can’t afford.

But we’re also not going to lie to you and tell you that your AC will be fine without maintenance, it likely won’t be.

Maybe there’s a middle ground that we can reach, something that will keep your air conditioner in good shape without breaking the bank.

Those kinds of compromises exist, and it’s what we’re here for. We wouldn’t be a very good HVAC provider if we didn’t have tools to help customers with tight budgets.

HVAC equipment can be expensive, and when preparing to pay for a service like repairs or air conditioning maintenance in Alexandria, VA, it can be easy to start cutting corners.

Let’s talk about some of your options, as well as the results that can come if you do decide to skip maintenance this year, so you’re prepared for the outcomes.

Water Heater Repairs Shouldn’t Be Complicated

March 6th, 2023

The only complicated part about a water heater fix should be for the trained professional to figure out–and even then it’s usually not that complicated. From a homeowner’s perspective, water heater problems should be simple to figure out. If it’s a nuisance, a problem, or something that’s clearly not making you happy, then it’s in need of repairs. That’s that.

The tricky part comes from the fact that everyone’s preferences are different. Some people are okay with a water heater that takes exceptionally long to deliver hot water to their appliances. Other people see a leak and just grab a bucket instead of calling for help. We understand that everyone’s threshold is different, but this should never mean that you live your life with a broken water heater.

Down below, we’re going to talk about a few instances where it’s clear that you need water heater repair in Woodbridge, VA. Then, just give our team a call and we can work to figure out the best option going forward.

How Bad Is a Broken Heat Exchanger?

February 20th, 2023

There’s one component in your furnace that just doesn’t mess around–that’s the heat exchanger. It might sound like a simple component like the ignition or the flame sensor, but the heat exchanger is arguably one of the most important components of your heating unit. It basically separates a dangerous furnace from a safe one, and it’s used every single time your furnace turns on.

In order for your furnace to heat your home, it needs to exchange heat between two places. At first, your furnace burns gas and heats up the air around it, but that air is terribly contaminated. Carbon monoxide, smoke, gas, and soot are floating around inside your furnace, so the heat needs to be transferred into fresh air that you can breathe safely. That’s where the heat exchanger comes in.

So, let’s talk about how important a furnace repair in Alexandria, VA might be if it includes your heat exchanger.

What Is an Emergency Heater Repair?

February 6th, 2023

There are two types of heater repairs in Arlington, VA. There are repairs and then there are emergency repairs. You can probably imagine the difference when you close your eyes. A repair is going to be some kind of loud noise or a high heating bill–something that’s bad but not going to stop you from feeling warm and cozy on a winter’s night. An emergency repair would be something like smelling leaking gas or a broken down heating system.

Well, each of those types of repairs is going to require a different response. As your local experts, we want to make sure that you have the right response when you encounter a specific repair problem. So, this blog post is going to be an informative PSA about what constitutes an emergency heater repair, and what heater repairs might be okay for the next few days while you figure out a plan.

5 Sounds Your Heater Shouldn’t Make

January 23rd, 2023

Noises are all around us. They’re part of the ambiance of life. When you hear the rain hitting the roof or you notice the gentle whir of your HVAC system, these are all things that just make life a sensory experience. We’re not saying noises are good or bad, we’re just trying to say that noises usually mean something is happening, whether it’s a storm or something else.

Well, with HVAC systems, there are good noises and bad noises. Good noises are things like the clicking sound of the system gently turning on to start heating your home. Another good noise is the whoosh of air coming from your air vents, since it signals that the system is on and working as intended. Great!

However, there are some bad noises that signal the need for heating repair in Springfield, VA. These kinds of noises, the ones we’re about to talk about, should cause you concern and give you a good reason to call for help.

Start the New Year With a New Heater!

January 9th, 2023

When the new year rolls around, there’s always time for reflection as we turn toward the future. Sometimes people make new resolutions that will help them stay healthy, happy, and keep their finances in check for the coming year. Other people just like to enjoy the relief that comes with the end of a difficult year or the excitement of what might be on the horizon.

While it might be a bit of an awkward time for heating systems, since you’ve already likely been using your old one for a few months at this point, it’s a good idea to reflect on your home’s heating too. How is your heating system doing? Are you finally ready to switch to an all-electric heating unit, or are you ready for a gas furnace upgrade?

It’s not uncommon to start evaluating whether a replacement heat pump or gas furnace installation in Manassas, VA might be the right call for you.

Do You Need Water Heater Repair?

December 26th, 2022

Water heaters are some of the most reliable systems that exist in our homes. Many of them are storage tank water heaters, which means they can hold gallons of water for long periods of time, while keeping it hot and ready for immediate use. For tankless water heating systems, they can reliably heat water as it enters your house so you have hot water on demand. In order for these systems to run the entire day for years on end, they need to be brilliantly engineered by some pretty reputable manufacturers. They really know what they’re doing!

However, it’s really impossible to create a water heater that lasts forever. At that point, something like a steel pot that can heat water on the stove is going to last longer than your water heater, but that’s never going to heat enough water for the whole family to use. So, it’s important to invest in targeted water heater repairs in Arlington, VA when the time comes.

Why Choose Our Team?

December 12th, 2022

We’ve written a lot about the types of services we provide, to the point where customers know us pretty well. We’re a dependable team that can provide plumbing and HVAC service with high-quality results, that’s pretty much a given. But what we’ve learned from talking to customers and people in our area is that the search for help isn’t just as simple as calling the team that comes up first when you search online.

There has to be a good reason (or several good reasons) why you might choose us over everyone else when looking for heating services in Alexandria, VA. Perhaps it’s our 24-hour emergency services hotline that picks up the phone when no other company will. Or maybe it’s the fact that our workmanship far exceeds the work that’s done by any other team you’ve called.

Regardless, we want to make the decision easy for you. Let’s talk about why you might choose our team over another one in the area.

5 Reasons to Call a Professional Plumber

November 28th, 2022

Did you host Thanksgiving this year? Or are you planning to have friends or family over for some extra quality time? If you are getting more people in your home lately then your plumbing is going to be seeing a lot of extra use which is why you need a reliable plumber in Woodbridge, VA to turn to.

Whether you need plumbing system maintenance or a full-blown repair, you can count on our team to provide the service you are looking for. With well-taken care of plumbing, you can enjoy better peace of mind this season and beyond.