Plumbing & HVAC Blog | AllTech Services, Inc.

The #1 Way to Prevent Heating Repair Needs

February 28th, 2022

An effective heating system is what keeps your home comfortable and livable—especially in the colder months. Even in the warmer months, heat is sometimes needed to keep the house warm at night. Without a functioning heating system, your house could get uncomfortably chilly—no matter the time of year.

You always want the sure that your furnace or heat pump can heat your home effectively and efficiently. Unfortunately, you may not even know if your heating system is on the fritz until it’s too late. If your heating system needs repairs, you may not be aware until your heat bills start rising or there’s a safety issue. So, what’s the number one way to prevent this from happening? Heating maintenance.

Factors to Consider in a Bathroom Remodel

February 14th, 2022

hands-held-up-looking-at-bathroom-blueprint-concept

With winter about halfway over, many homeowners are looking forward to spring and springtime projects. Among the most popular household projects are remodels, particularly in bathrooms. One thing we urge our customers to keep in mind, however, is that it’s often not a great idea to attempt a bathroom remodel on your own, without the help of a professional.

Trying a DIY bathroom remodel, when there is so much plumbing involved, could potentially damage the plumbing or even end in an installation gone wrong due to improper measurements and whatnot. What you need for the job is a qualified professional plumber, which is where our techs come in! We are happy to share with you some of the most important considerations to make when planning a bathroom remodel. Read on to learn more!

Is My Water Heater About to Fail?

January 17th, 2022

If you’ve found yourself asking the question posed in the title, chances are you’re a little stressed right now. Maybe your water heater is showing a symptom that you’ve never seen or heard before, and it has you concerned that your household is about to be without the water you use for bathing, showering, cooking, and cleaning.

The water heater is, after all, the unsung hero of any given home. It goes under a lot of strain, being used 24/7, 365 days a year. In fact, it’s one of those home comfort systems that’s easy to take for granted … until something goes wrong with it.

And that’s the thing: you can’t expect your water heater to work flawlessly throughout its entire lifespan. Eventually, your water heater will need repairs, and then hopefully even later down the line it will need to be replaced—no home comfort system lasts forever!

Read on to see if you recognize any of the following water heater symptoms, and learn what they mean for your water heater. Then give us a call if you discover that yes, in fact, your water heater is likely about to fail.

How to Use Your Heater as Efficiently As Possible

January 3rd, 2022

With the holidays behind us, it makes sense that many homeowners are looking to tighten up their purse strings a bit. Stretched budgets can make things like keeping your energy bills reasonable a high priority. Low utility bills will make a huge difference to you after a season of extra spending, after all.

We would like to help you stay as comfortable as possible, at a reasonable cost. This is why below we have provided some tips to help you get the most out of your heating system without astronomically high energy bills. If something else is going on that might be affecting your heating efficiency, like a repair need, please don’t hesitate to give us a call. In the meantime, read on for some energy-efficiency boosting tips!

Sounds You Don’t Want Your Heater to Make

December 20th, 2021

I think we could all agree that it would be fantastic if someday there was an HVAC system available that could self-diagnose when it has problems and let us know by a simple text message what it is and how to fix it. While we can’t promise that won’t ever happen, for now, it’s not a reality, and it’s up to professionals like us and observant homeowners like you to catch problems.

So, how do you know if your furnace or other heating system has problems? Well, one of the key indicators is that it’s making strange noises. There are some sounds you’re always going to hear coming from your heating system. The whoosh of air coming through the vents, for example, and maybe even a slight, gentle rattle of the ductwork as temperatures fluctuate.

What you should be alert to, however, is any noise outside of the usual sounds you hear. We’re going to cover below what some of those sounds are, and what they might mean for your system. Read on!

Heed These Signs You Need Professional Heating Repair

December 6th, 2021

No homeowner should be sitting around worrying about their heating system breaking down at any moment. If this is you, we’re here to help! Of course, this is a lot less likely to be you if you have your heater maintained on a routine basis, and if you know the signs to watch for that indicate your system may need repairs.

But what if you don’t know the signs? Again, we’re here to help. We’ll share some of the most common signs of a heater in disrepair below.

First, we want to encourage you to schedule heating maintenance if you haven’t done so already this fall. This is the best way to fend off the worst of repair needs and/or a sudden and unexpected system breakdown. In fact, professional maintenance can help you avoid up to 85% of the repairs your system might ever need in its lifetime. Plus, maintenance can extend the life of your heater!

Now, onto those signs of disrepair. These are less likely to come as a surprise with maintenance, but there’s always a chance one of these symptoms can happen between tune-ups…

It’s That Time, Schedule Your Heating Tune-Up! Here’s Why

November 22nd, 2021

Given how warm our summers get, it can be very welcoming when fall arrives and we can turn off our air conditioners for a while and instead enjoy sitting in our homes with our windows and doors open to let in some fresh air.

But it’s November now, and temperatures are quickly cooling, letting us all know that wintertime is right around the corner, and pretty soon we’ll need our heating system on a daily and hourly basis. Is yours ready?

If you’re unsure of how to answer that, it probably means that it’s time for you to schedule a maintenance tune-up. This is a service we recommend you get in the beginning of fall each year, before you need your heating system the most. Maintenance helps your heater work as effectively and efficiently as possible, for as long as possible, which we’ll get into below. Read on as we uncover why now is a great time to schedule your heating tune-up!

Heater Safety: What a Cracked Heat Exchanger Means

November 8th, 2021

Are you using a gas-powered furnace in your household? This comes as no surprise: gas furnaces are the most popular heaters found in homes in our area, let alone around the country. They’re great for climates like ours that get more than a bit chilly in the winter!

Gas furnaces are very cost-efficiency and a fantastic choice for the majority of homeowners. However, while gas furnaces are not inherently dangerous, there is still a present risk when you have natural gas in your home—namely, you run the risk of combustion gas leaks. The one gas you need to be concerned with here is carbon monoxide, CO.

And CO exposure can happen when you have a cracked heat exchanger in your furnace! This is a problem you should never ignore, but how do you know if you even have this problem? Read on as we dive into what a heat exchanger is, why it’s bad if it’s cracked, and what to do about it.

The #1 Way to Prevent Major Furnace Repairs

October 25th, 2021

Are you ready for this? The #1 way to prevent major furnace repairs is through timely professional maintenance! Yes, it really is that simple. Routine furnace maintenance can help prevent up to 85% of the repairs your system may ever need in its lifetime. We’ll get into the “how” and the “why” of this below, but the most important thing you need to know right now is that investing in furnace maintenance is more about just a heating service. You’re investing in longer equipment life, less costly operation, improved efficiency, and most of all, your household’s safety.

Read on as we dive into why professional and timely maintenance is so important.

5 Reasons You Might Want to Call an Emergency Plumber

October 11th, 2021

It might seem like no matter what type of plumbing problem you have, it warrants a call to an emergency plumber. This isn’t always the case, though. Of course we are here for you if you do have a plumbing emergency, but we also know that plumbing problems never happen at a convenient time, and you’d probably like to schedule repairs so you know when to expect a technician at your home. So if you’re looking at something like a leaky faucet or a dripping pipe underneath a sink, then you may want to just turn the water shut-off valve for that particular fixture for now.

Of course, there are other times that you really do have an emergency on your hands. We have five examples of those plumbing problems below. If any of these describe your scenario, please don’t hesitate to reach out!