Cedar Falls, IA Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning Blog | Dalton Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, Inc.

How Do Your Electrical Outlets Protect You?

January 18th, 2021

Did you know that your electrical outlets protect you? At least, this is definitely the case in modern homes. This is part of the reason it’s so important that if you live in an aging home, you have your electrical system inspected on occasion. Today’s electronics and electrical appliances put increased demand on these systems, which can lead to overloads, blackouts, or even electrical fires.

Even in a newer home, safety becomes a concern if, for some reason, your electrical system isn’t working as it should. Electrocution is another threat when it comes to electricity dangers, which is why it’s so vital that you have the right outlets in place—outlets that protect you. What outlets are we talking about? GFCI and AFCI outlets! Read on to learn more.

Does My Heat Pump Have a Refrigerant Leak?

December 21st, 2020

Blue 3D question mark icon, symbolizing questions about heat pump repair.

Heat pumps are a great HVAC option for many homes, for a number of reasons! The ability to efficiently heat and cool your living space if of course a great benefit, plus heat pumps save space and money. Something to remember though is that since a heat pump does double the work of a standard air conditioner or furnace, it needs double the care!

This means ensuring that you have maintenance scheduled for the unit twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring before you need the system the most. This will ensure it operates as effectively and efficiently as possible, for as long as possible. It also ensures that we can check on all the different components of your system to make sure they’re operating as they should. This includes the refrigerant line!

Heat pumps are different from standard air conditioners, or from furnaces that don’t use refrigerant. They use refrigerant in their cooling process during the summer, but unlike standard AC systems, the process is reversed in the winter to provide you with heat. So, refrigerant is pretty important! But what if your system is losing some?

Tips to Keep You Warm This Winter

December 7th, 2020

Winter is right around the corner, and we want to help you be prepared! Hopefully you’ve already taken a step toward winter prep by having your heater tuned-up. If you have a furnace, this means scheduling an annual maintenance session. If you have a year-round heat pump system, this means having maintenance done twice a year.

But what if you’ve had maintenance done and you just don’t feel like your heater is keeping you warm as it should? Well, it may be that you need a heater upgrade. We’re happy to talk to you about your options! Another possibility is that you simply aren’t using your heating system as efficiently as you could be. Read on as we share some heating efficiency-boosting tips.

Does Your Water Need an Upgrade?

November 23rd, 2020

You might be wondering what we mean by this—“My water? What’s wrong with my water?!”

We get it—this probably isn’t something you think about too often. But we want to encourage you otherwise. Some water quality problems can be quite harmful, after all. The water you use for cooking, cleaning, and drinking has many miles to go from the water treatment plant to your home, and on the way has the potential to pick up harmful contaminants.

And then there are mineral deposits, too. Namely, calcium, magnesium, and iron. Now, these minerals are not harmful for you to ingest, but over time they are very harmful to your plumbing system and quality of life. Read on as we uncover the problems associated with what’s called hard water and what you can do about it!

“Does My Boiler Need Heating Maintenance?”

November 9th, 2020

There are many things in life that are understandably debatable. Should you have pineapple on pizza? Is the second week of November too early to start listening to holiday music? Should you schedule maintenance for your boiler?

Before you shout out a resounding “NO!” for all three of these, we have to urge you to reconsider your response to the last inquiry. Boilers are very sturdy and have fewer moving parts than other types of heating systems, like furnaces or heat pumps. But that doesn’t mean you can necessarily get away with not diligently caring for your boiler system.

In our last blog post, we covered why it’s so important that you have furnace maintenance done and there are many checkpoints to consider with furnace systems. But any heating system needs to have annual inspections, boilers included. Read on to learn more!

Follow This One Step to Prevent Furnace Repairs

October 26th, 2020

Temperatures are starting to drop and homeowners are starting to think about their heating systems. How well is yours working? How much are you paying for its use each month? Do you have any repair needs to address?

We hope as well that you’ve considered the single most important step you should be taking toward furnace care this season—scheduling maintenance!

Your maintenance tune-ups are the best way to keep your heating operating as effectively and efficiently as possible for as long as possible while avoiding up to 85% of the repair needs it may ever need in its lifespan. Keep reading as we go over why it’s so vital to have this service done and how you’ll benefit.

Do You Need to Upgrade Your Electrical Panel Before the Holiday Season?

October 12th, 2020

Today’s homes have increasingly more electrical demands than those of the past. With more devices, appliances, and smart home components coming onto the market, homeowners are finding themselves purchasing extension cords and power strips to accommodate. The problem is, this isn’t necessarily safe, nor is it very healthy for an electrical system, which can become overwhelmed.

An overwhelmed electrical system means an increased risk for electrical fires, damaging power surges, failed appliances, and even electrocution. This is something to think about, especially as we progress into this time of the year. What are we referring to? The holiday season, which is really just around the corner. The holidays will look different this year, but if lighting up your home with decorations is in your plan, then you may need an electrical panel upgrade! Read on to learn the signs that this is the case.

Can Drain Clogs Be Prevented?

September 28th, 2020

Think you don’t have to worry about drain clogs? Figure that when one happens you can just reach for a bottle of store-bought liquid drain cleaner? Think again!

Unfortunately, these harsh chemical “solutions” are anything but a solution for clogged drains. Sure, they may temporarily relieve a clog like a build-up of hair or soap scum. But in the long run, they’re going to do more damage to your pipes than they are good. This is because of the caustic ingredients they’re made up of.

When you do have a drain clog, the best thing you can do is call on our team for professional drain cleaning, which we will elaborate on below. In the meantime, read on to learn how to prevent drain clogs to begin with.

Signs It’s Time for an Electrical Upgrade

September 14th, 2020

Of all the things you think about when it comes to homeownership, the state of your electrical system is probably pretty low on the priority list. That is, until you have an issue with an appliance or outlet, or experience a blackout. The thing is though, you don’t want to wait until something goes wrong to actually address the issue. This can leave you in a worse position than preventing it to begin with.

And electrical problems can be prevented. It just takes you knowing the signs that your electrical panel needs an upgrade. With the addition of so many electrical devices, components, and chargeable devices, this is important information to have on hand. Read on as we uncover some of the problems that are clear indicators it’s time to pay attention to your electrical panel!

Why Is My Air Conditioner Leaking?

August 31st, 2020

Before you panic, know that we’re here to help. While a leaking air conditioner definitely isn’t a good thing, it’s not entirely uncommon. AC systems start to leak for a variety of reasons, and we’d like to go over what exactly is happening when you encounter this type of problem.

Since we’re pros, we know a thing or two about AC services in Waterloo, IA. Leaking air conditioners can be repaired when repairs are called for, which is why it’s so important that we cover this topic. When homeowners can detect that their AC is leaking when it’s not supposed to, they can call us and we can get to the bottom of the problem.