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Often an afterthought, a home’s drainage system plays an important role in our home’s general health. While we may think of drains as the place for things to go, vanishing from our life into the unknown abyss, they should rather be treated as the place where things do not go. Clogged drains can lead to serious issues and can even harm the health of the home’s inhabitants as well as the environment. Through regular maintenance and more importantly, routine care, homeowners can prevent basic issues from spiraling into more substantial problems. While many of us [...]

HVAC scams have plagued the industry and its users for years, and unfortunately the trend only seems to be growing. Our specialists have been called to a countless number of repair jobs that are a result of shoddy or inadequate repair jobs completed by a scam artist. And while there is no fix-all for scammers, the best way to avoid yourself being scammed is to know their strategies and techniques. Here are some things scammers are known to do:       Unsolicited calls or visits from a “professional” who claims you have an issue [...]

When it comes to your home and more importantly, its plumbing system, there seems to be no shortage of myths. While some of these have been thought of and spread by unexpecting homeowners, some are part of elaborate marketing schemes by companies trying to sell their products. Regardless, we see much too often a home or businesses fall prey to these myths, resulting in the need for expensive repairs. Here are some of the top myths we see when it comes to plumbing: If you hear a water heater rumbling, it will explode. One long-standing [...]

With summer comes the joy of warm weather, sun, and the great outdoors. While many of us look forward to this season, one thing most of us can agree we don’t look forward to is the increased utility costs of keeping one’s home cool. Although keeping costs down through rising temperatures can be a challenging task, it’s a task that can be made easily obtainable through simple strategies and regular maintenance. To make things easy, we have broken things down into three basic categories: functionality, maintenance, and replacement. Functionality Reducing utility costs doesn’t always mean [...]

It is an estimate that over 70% of American households have a pet. We love our pets and those of our family and friends.  Having a pet is a rewarding experience, and the health benefits they have on us are well known. Given that having pets is so popular, we must understand their effects on indoor air quality. Particles of skin called dander are released when pets shed.  The dander's size is significant, as it is smaller than dust mites.  For this reason, it becomes both hard to remove and stays airborne for long periods. [...]

When constructing or remodeling any ventilated building, one of the first decisions to make is what type of ductwork to use. While your architect or contractor will make some decisions due to physical limitations or environmental concerns, the building’s owner will have some latitude in deciding the best fit for the building itself. There are two categories of ductwork to choose from: rigid and flexible, and various subcategories within the rigid family.  However, in most applications, flexible is the choice in situations where rigid ductwork simply cannot be used, such as curved or other complex [...]

Your air condition system is a complicated beast with a variety of components and mechanical movements taking place.  The key to enjoyable living and a palatable electric bill is to ensure each of these components are working correctly.  There is a long list of parts that need to be monitored, repaired, and cleaned.  One of the most important is the condenser coils. While your home’s cooling is quite a technical endeavor and uses words most of us haven’t used since high school (see thermodynamics), we will try and break it down in the simplest of [...]

Refrigerant is the main ingredient of our home’s air conditioning system. Without it, the system functions no differently than a fan moving room temperature air endlessly throughout one’s home.  In the early 20th century, electronic refrigerant systems became more commonplace. Their introduction into the home cooling market revolutionized the way we live.  Places deemed too warm for enjoyable living could now be called home.  From 1930 into the 1990s, the Sunbelt states saw a six percent increase in their population size compared to the rest of the United States. The impact air conditioning has had [...]

Replacing your home’s furnace is a big task, both logistically and financially. With modern advancements in technology and the installation and servicing of these systems, a replacement is easier than ever. The last thing a homeowner wants is for their home’s unit to stop working in the dead of winter when it’s needed most. The stress from this situation can be enormous since the restoration of heat needs to be immediate. To ensure homeowners are not facing an emergency replacement, we suggest considering a replacement if your device meets some of the following criteria. If [...]

Buying a new home is an enormous task, one filled with a seemingly endless list of questions and considerations. One must look at their purchase holistically, and do a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis. And it is important not to overlook a home’s HVAC system when making such a monumental decision. What is often seen during the purchasing of an older home is an HVAC system nearing, or beyond, its suggested lifespan. Often, homeowners that are contemplating selling their home will hold off on repairs and replacements. Because of this conundrum, potential homeowners should ask questions about [...]