AllTech Services, Inc. Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Ashburn’

Have You Tested Your Sump Pump This Season?

Monday, November 25th, 2019

sump-pump-systemWhen you think of winter, what comes to your mind? Colder weather may be one, but you also probably think of rain, storms, and even snowmelt. Winter is quite the season for us here, and weather events can lead to flooding dangers that can lead to significant damage to homes in our area, including yours. Of course, you can protect your home against flooding with one very important system—the sump pump.

If your home already has a sump pump, you’re in good shape! But, you need to check and make sure it’s actually ready to do its job if needed. Since your sump pump only comes on occasionally, during an emergency, it’s important to know if it’s ready to do its job at any giving moment. Keep reading as we help you give your sump pump a short inspection and a test. You’ll learn ahead of time if you need sump pump repairs, or even if you should start looking into an upgrade.

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Ductless System Facts You Need to Know

Monday, October 28th, 2019

ductless-system-air-handler-with-remotePerhaps you’ve already heard of the many benefits of ductless systems. How they are year-round systems that are highly efficient, saving energy and money. How the reverse flow of refrigerant allows them to be efficient air conditioners as well as very effective heaters, depending on the time of year.

There are many reasons to have a ductless system installed in your home. There are also quite a few reasons you should only ever trust a professional for that installation job. Keep reading to learn about what you should know about these systems—particularly, what type of unique repair needs that can crop up if the ductless system isn’t professionally installed.

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Winter Is Coming: How Will You Protect Your Pipes?

Monday, September 30th, 2019

pipe-with-iciclesOkay, so Fall just started—why are we already talking about winter? Well, because this subject is important, and the further ahead you can plan, the better! Once temperatures drop to a point where they can easily reach below freezing, your pipes are susceptible to problems. Sure, this doesn’t seem like a problem right now, but if you’re in the middle of January and all of the sudden find yourself with a plumbing disaster by way of a burst pipe, it would be unfortunate that you could have taken precautionary measures.

And that’s what are post is for today. To help you take measures to ensure that frozen and subsequently burst pipes won’t become a problem in your home. We’d like to warn you now so that it won’t even be a concern later when winter comes. So, what can you do to protect your pipes?

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Heed These Signs You Need Water Softener Services

Monday, June 10th, 2019

hand-opening-faucet-tapWe’ve talked in previous posts about the importance of good water treatment, and what hard water can do to your drains. Hard water, as a reminder, is water with high levels of minerals in it. These minerals include calcium, magnesium, and sometimes even iron—all of which are harmless to ingest (after all, we see them in multivitamins quite often!) but can do serious damage to your plumbing.

Unfortunately, these minerals create what’s called limescale, and this builds up within your plumbing pipes. It can not only create clogs, but because of its hardness, when it breaks off the lining of your pipe it can hurt the integrity of your plumbing, leading to eventual corrosion and leaks. So you know this—but do you know how to spot the signs of hard water? We’ve shared a few of the most common below.

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“Do I Need Water Treatment?”

Monday, May 27th, 2019

tap-water-running-down-a-drainIf you’re asking yourself this question, it’s absolutely worth looking into. The thing is, water quality problems not only impact your quality of life and your plumbing system, but they can also affect your health.

Your water supply does go through a treatment process at your municipal water plant before it reaches your home. And most of these municipal water supply centers are good enough to remove the majority of harmful materials. But, the water has a long way to go from that plant to your faucets and fixtures. Therefore, you shouldn’t rely on this as a 100% effective water treatment source—there’s always a chance that some trace elements of contaminants (such as lead or even cyanide) can make its way into the water supply you are using to drink from and bathe with.

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Plumbing Dos and Don’ts to Avoid Emergencies

Monday, April 29th, 2019

worried-woman-sponging-up-water-from-burst-pipeHave you ever had a plumbing emergency in your home? If not, you’re very fortunate! We’d like to help keep that streak running. If you have had a plumbing emergency happen before, then you already know how detrimental it can be, and would probably like to do whatever you can to prevent it from happening again.

Our team has handled a number of plumbing emergencies and other plumbing problems throughout our years in business. Because we know what to look for, we have compiled a brief list of some dos and don’ts for you to follow in order to hopefully avoid these emergencies altogether.

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Beware These Signs of a Plumbing Leak

Monday, November 26th, 2018

bursted copper pipe with water leaking out, 3d illustrationChances are at some time or another you’ve had to deal with a plumbing problem of some kind. One of the most common of those is the ever formidable leak. But what makes them so scary?

Well, there’re a few things. First of all, even if a leak seems “minor,” like a dripping faucet or the like, it can create gallons of wasted water over the course of a year. A “minor” plumbing problem can trick you into thinking it’s not that big of a deal. That is, until you notice the cost of your water usage starting to rise.

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Are You Having a Furnace Startup Problem?

Monday, November 12th, 2018

Young woman shivering during the winter seasonThat time of year is here again—it’s time to start using our heaters on a regular basis for a few months or more.

Let’s say you get up one morning though, and your furnace isn’t running—so you go to the thermostat and turn up the heat. You wait … and nothing happens. You panic. Is your furnace completely broken down? Do you need a new one?

We’ll be honest, if you have an older system and/or you have skipped your maintenance appointment, this is a possibility. However, there could be a number of reasons a furnace would fail to startup or turn on for another cycle. Yes, you should call for professional heating services in Ashburn when this occurs, but in the meantime we’ve shared some information below on what might be going on.

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Do Ductless Systems Have Unique Repair Needs?

Monday, October 29th, 2018

Closeup view about using some appliance such as air condition.The short answer to this is, “yes.” But that shouldn’t deter you from considering this HVAC system as your next home comfort installation, if you don’t already have one! This is actually one of the most common options for heating and cooling in modern homes, and for good reason. Instead of operating through a network of ducts connected to an indoor air handler and evaporator unit, ductless systems break up the indoor unit and blower fans to distribute air throughout the home by use of mini air handlers mounted on the wall in each of the rooms intended to be heated or cooled.

This set up allows for effective and efficient heating and cooling around the home. But it is important to know that ductless heat pump systems do have special needs and can malfunction in the same way a regular heat pump or air conditioner can, just with a few added factors to consider.

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Unique Ductless Needs to Be Aware Of

Monday, October 1st, 2018

person holding remote to turn on ductless air handlerWhen it comes to choosing the right cooling (and heating) system for your home, there are a number of factors to consider. You’ll want to look at the size of your home, your budgetary needs, how efficient the HVAC system is, and more. Our staff is here to help you make an educated decision in the manner. One system we frequently recommend to our clients is the ductless system, and for good reason!

Operating on heat pump technology, a ductless system can effectively cool your home in the summer while just as effectively heating it in the winter. This makes them a great choice for homeowners looking to replace both systems, install a new air conditioner altogether, or homeowners who just don’t want to deal with the indoor air quality and efficiency loss issues that ductwork can bring.

But they aren’t right for every home, and it is important to be aware of some of the repair needs you can run into if your system is not professionally installed or serviced, which we’ve highlighted below.

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