Dalton Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, Electric and Fireplaces, Inc. Blog: Archive for the ‘Cedar Falls Blog’ Category

Concerned about Efficiency? Check Your Thermostat Settings

Monday, November 21st, 2016

Let’s say that you’ve come home after a particularly chilly day, and the temperature inside your home offers no relief from the cold outside. Your natural reaction will very likely be to go to your thermostat and turned the temperature up to as warm as you can bear.

Unfortunately, this really doesn’t do much good. In fact, if the temperature of your home is—hypothetically speaking—currently set at 68, and you turn it up to 80, your heating system isn’t going to work any faster than had you set it 75.

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How Could a Whole-Home Humidifier or Dehumidifier Help You?

Monday, November 14th, 2016

We certainly get a full range of weather here in Janesville, IA and throughout the Midwest, and with a climate that changes so frequently and dramatically, problems can occur. For example, during the winter months, the air in your home may become too dry. This is especially true if you have a forced-air heating system. On the contrary, in the summer time, you might have a problem with too much moisture.

While these problems are different in origin, there is one common factor connecting them. At some point during the year, your indoor humidity levels will not be well balanced. Fortunately, there are a number of indoor air quality products that can help keep you more comfortable than just an HVAC system can do on its own. Two of these products are the whole-home humidifier and the whole-home dehumidifier.

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This Winter, Watch Out for These Common Boiler Problems

Monday, November 7th, 2016

Boilers have been a leading choice in home heating systems for a number of decades. This is because they are highly reliable and efficient so long as they are well maintained. They provide efficient and even heating throughout homes without air quality concerns that you may see with a furnace.

Additionally, since a boiler has few moving parts, it doesn’t age as quickly as other types of heating systems might. As a result, they usually last for many years with only a few repair needs throughout that time. However, it’s imperative that you keep in mind—just like any other heater, boilers are not invulnerable. You may encounter a boiler problem at some time or another. But what could these problems be?

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3 Signs it’s Time to Call a Plumber

Monday, October 31st, 2016

Your home’s plumbing system is one of the most important components it has. Without clean, working pipes, fixtures, and water heaters, modern conveniences just wouldn’t be possible. So if you find that your plumbing system is having issues, then you’ll want trust a highly trained professional plumber—like the members of our staff.

But what if it’s just a small problem you think you can resolve on your own? In some cases, a little backup can be relieved by a plunger, but this is about the only time you should attempt a plumbing repair on your own, as store-bought chemical drain cleaners can do more harm than good. Keep reading for 3 signs that it’s time to call one of our professional plumbers.

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Help! My Furnace Won’t Start Up

Monday, October 24th, 2016

Temperatures have begun to decline, signaling that the start of winter is a lot closer than it seems. Soon enough, you’ll be turning on your heater to keep your home comfortable, if you haven’t already. Hopefully if you have, you didn’t have any problems.

But what happens if you go to turn your furnace on and it doesn’t start up? What could be the cause of this trouble? Read on to learn why furnaces may fail to turn on. And if your unit is aging or repeatedly giving you trouble, it might be time to explore which home heating system is right for you and whether a newer, more efficient model could be a better long-term investment.

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How Can You Make Your Home More Energy Efficient This Winter?

Monday, October 17th, 2016

When you think about the efficiency of your home, you likely think about how effectively and efficiently certain appliances work in your home, such as your HVAC systems. Maybe you even think about your indoor air quality—how having a humidifier or dehumidifier in your home can help your climate control system work as it should with less effort.

What if there were one simple, but very effective, way you could make your home more energy efficient though, in addition to ensuring the professional installation of highly-efficient systems? What if the secret was your front door? Keep reading to discover what we mean.

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Water Heater Tips for Top Performance

Monday, October 10th, 2016

One of the appliances in our homes that is taken for granted the most is that of the water heater. Water heaters make a number of tasks around the home much easier, but we don’t really give much thought to that—until something goes wrong. To ensure that your water heater works effectively and efficiently as it should for as long as possible, check out and follow the tips below.

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Preventing Frozen Pipes: 3 Steps to Take Now

Monday, October 3rd, 2016

The weather may still be on the warmer side around these parts, however fall is officially here, and winter will follow shortly behind. One of the most common problems we contend with during the winter months is burst pipes. This occurs when water freezes and expands inside the pipes, include it ruptures the metal lining.

It’s important that you take steps now to prevent this, while temperatures are still on the warmer side and you have the opportunity to make additions or changes to your current plumbing system to help you out. Keep reading for 3 steps you should take now to avoid this problem.

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Does Your Furnace Smell Strange upon Start Up?

Monday, September 26th, 2016

Temperatures have finally begun to cool, and while we still aren’t using our furnaces on a daily basis, you may have turned yours on one night this past weekend to get a little bit of chill out of the air indoors. If so, hopefully you didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. However if you did detect an odd smell coming from your furnace, it’s not something to be ignored.

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Why Should I Schedule Maintenance for My Heater?

Monday, September 12th, 2016

With temperatures steadily declining, there’s no denying that the start of fall is just over a week away. Soon enough, temperatures will drop to a point that necessitates the use of your heating system. Hopefully you won’t have any trouble when that time comes. However, the only way to ensure a fully functioning and reliable heating system is by scheduling routine maintenance. Nobody wants a broken down heating system right when they need it the most!

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