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

Signs Your Water Heater May Be Failing

Monday, April 18th, 2016

Your home’s water heater may possibly be the most expensive component of your plumbing system. Keeping this in mind, you want to take care of problems right away if you suspect something is wrong. But how do you know if something’s amiss? Fortunately, many common water heater issues are relatively simple to figure out.

You will, however, want to contact a professional to take care of any repairs you need right away. But what if repairs just aren’t enough? If you have an aging water heater, and it’s experiencing any of the following troubling signs, it may be time to retire your system and replace it with a new one.

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3 Causes of Clogged Toilets

Monday, April 11th, 2016

Toilets are the single most important plumbing appliance in your home, for obvious reasons. When they get clogged up, they can bring your household screeching to a halt, and while the simplest issues (i.e., clogs caused by human waste and toilet paper) can usually be covered by the use of a plunger and some good old-fashioned elbow grease, other causes require a professional plumber’s attention. Here in Waverly, IA, you have a reliable service on call to help, but we’ve found you can avoid a clogged toilet simply by monitoring what you flush down it during the day. Here are 3 causes of clogged toilets that should watch out for.

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How Does UV Water Disinfection Work?

Monday, April 4th, 2016

If you think back to high school science class, you can likely recall the basics of UV (or ultraviolet light), which lies beyond our ability to see, but which can affect us nonetheless. In sunlight, it causes our skin to tan or burn. In smaller amounts, such as those present in a UV light bulb, it can interact with the detergent in our laundry to make white clothes glow in the dark. (It’s how you get that effect at amusement parks or rock concerts). But UV light can serve a far more important role than momentary amusement. When applied properly, it can help make the water in your Hudson, IA home a whole lot cleaner and safer. All you need is a UV water disinfection system in your home.

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Cut Down On Your Air Conditioning Bills This Summer

Monday, March 28th, 2016

The weather can be up and down this spring, as it is most springs in Elk Run Heights, IA, but winter is on its way out and summer will be here before you know it. A good air conditioner will keep your home cool when temperatures rise, but it shouldn’t have to do the job alone. You want reliable cooling power without the pinch of those high monthly bills. The good news is that there’s a number of ways you can cut down on your costs by improving your air conditioner’s efficiency. Some of them require a little investment, while others are common sense approaches that anyone can do with a little foresight.

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How Does Sizing a New Air Conditioner Work?

Monday, March 21st, 2016

Spring is the time to replace old air conditioners with new ones, and if you’ve made the decision to put yours out to pasture, congratulations! As spring turns to summer here in Hudson, IA, this makes the perfect time of year to plan for a new air conditioner: before the heat really hits, when you can shop around and plan for the installation of your new system the right way. While doing so, speak with your technician about sizing your new air conditioner. By that, we mean the system’s output and power levels, not physical size. It’s very important that your new air conditioning system be sized properly, but how does that process work? Here’s a quick primer for you.

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Is a Ductless Mini Split System a Good Fit for Your Home?

Monday, March 14th, 2016

Ductless cooling systems eschew the traditional centralized model for cooling your home. Most air conditioners have just a single large unit that generates the cool air, then distributes it through your home using a series of ducts. Ductless systems, as the name implies, eschew that model in favor of something more diffuse. A group of smaller units is placed in each room or section of your house, charged with cooling that section only. The benefits are self-apparent: you can set different temperatures in different rooms for greater individual control and turn off the air in rooms you aren’t using (cutting down on monthly energy bills in the bargain). But given the added cost of installing a ductless system, it’s worth asking whether such a system would be good for your Denver, IA home or not. We’ve provided a few things to consider on that front.

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Consider the Benefits of a UV Air Purifier

Monday, March 7th, 2016

As we approach the end of winter here in Waterloo, IA, prudent homeowners may want to start considering any repairs or upgrades on their systems for the spring. Spring means pollen, which in turn means a rise in allergic reactions and general misery for family members who may be vulnerable to colds. You can take steps to protect them from such attack and improve the overall quality of your indoor air with the installation of a UV air purifier. We’ve included a quick breakdown of how it works and why you should consider its benefits this spring.

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Federal HVAC Credit – Available for Equipment Purchased and Installed in 2012 – 2016

Friday, March 4th, 2016

In 2015, the U.S. government renewed the 25C tax credit for high-efficiency heating and cooling equipment. This credit is offered as part of a larger energy-efficiency incentive for home improvements.

What it covers

  • Up to 10% of the cost to $500, or a specific amount from $50 to $300
  • $300 maximum credit available for qualifying central Air Conditioners, Heat Pumps, Packaged Units and Ductless Mini-Split Systems
  • $150 maximum credit available for qualifying Furnaces and Boilers

Qualification details

  • Equipment must be installed in an existing home and your principal residence; rentals or new construction do not qualify
  • If you claimed $500 or more for enhancements to your home’s exterior (windows, doors, skylights, insulation, roofing, etc.) from 2006 to 2014, your HVAC purchase made in 2012-2016 will be ineligible
  • If you claimed $500 or less, you may qualify for a credit, but you may not get the full dollar amount specified

 Call Dalton Plumbing, Heating and Cooling for more information on these fabulous rebate opportunities! 

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Protect Yourself Against Spring Floods with a Sump Pump

Monday, February 29th, 2016

Winter is coming to an end, and here in Evansdale, IA, that means rains and flooding will be here soon. Heavy rain is part and parcel of the Midwest, but when it floods your basement or other part of your property, it can be a huge problem to clean up and repair the damage. The solution is to install a sump pump at the lowest point in your property, which can safely remove floodwater as it enters your property. A quality plumber is needed to perform the installation, but if you schedule a session now, before the rains start in earnest, your new sump pump will be ready to go when you need it. Here’s how it works.

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How to Detect a Slab Leak

Monday, February 22nd, 2016

A slab leak is one of the most serious problems your home will face here in Cedar Falls, IA, though it’s not through anything unusual about the pipes themselves. Rather, it’s the location that causes all of the trouble: a leak buried under (or sometimes inside) the concrete foundation of your house or porch. That means is can go for months or even years undetected and wreak all kinds of havoc in the meantime. Over time, leaking water can crack your foundation in two. A good plumber can usually correct the problem, either by digging into the concrete or (more efficiently in many cases) reroute the pipe so that the water runs through a more accessible path. But before that happens, you have to detect the slab leak in the first place, which can be tricky to do. Here’s a few signs to help you out.

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