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

Have You Discovered The Benefits of Home Automation?

August 17th, 2020

Are you utilizing a smart thermostat to control your HVAC systems? How “plugged-in” is your home entertainment system? How about your lighting or security systems?

We’re alluding to the benefits of an increasingly popular service here–home automation installation. if your home isn’t yet a “smart home” allow us to be the first to fill you in on the numerous advantages of making it one. While we might not yet see something like The Jetsons cartoon or a Disney movie, technology has taken significant strides in the last couple of decades to get us there.

Read on as we uncover the benefits of home automation and how you can make your home smarter.

Home Efficiency Boosting Tips

August 3rd, 2020

Summer is chugging right along, and the hottest temperatures are still ahead of us. That means as much as we’re running our home cooling systems right now, we’ll be doing it even more in the coming weeks. of course, this also means hefty energy bills. Air conditioners aren’t cheap after all–actually your HVAC use typically accounts for half of all your home energy use!

This doesn’t mean it needs to break the bank, though. You can take some steps that will help improve the efficiency of your air conditioner and help you out a bit on the financial end.

First, we have to mention maintenance–scheduling routine annual maintenance (or biannual, if you have a heat pump) is key to ensuring efficient AC operation. In addition to staying on top of your cooling system tune-ups, you can:

Signs That It’s Time for an Electrical Panel Upgrade

July 20th, 2020

Is your home operating as safe as it should be? What we mean is, what kind of shape is your electrical system in? If your home is a few decades old and you’ve never had an electrical inspection, there’s a good chance you could be operating on an outdated panel. This is a problem for a number of reasons.

First off, an old electrical panel can cause power surges. When a powerful appliance such as your HVAC system cycles on, it can cause a surge through the panel, and this can damage other, smaller appliances and electrical equipment throughout your home–think, your refrigerator, microwave, toaster oven, etc.

Secondly, outdated electrical panels pose a fire hazard, which, of course, is a serious problem. But you can avoid this! By knowing the signs that you need an electrical panel upgrade, you’ll know when it’s time to call us, and we can get your home back on track. Read on to learn what these indicators are.

What Should You Avoid Putting Down Your Garbage Disposal?

July 6th, 2020

If you’ve been using a garbage disposal in your kitchen sink, you likely can’t picture cooking and cleaning up without it, right? Whether it’s an unfinished meal, cooking scraps, or spoiling leftovers, it’s so convenient to just swoosh it down the drain instead of throwing it in the trash and risking a smelly kitchen until you or another member of your household get around to dumping the bag.

However, some homeowners are often over-dependent on these devices and that attitude can lead to unpleasant surprises, such as an urgent need for garbage disposal repair in Waterloo, IA.

Homeowners may sometimes find themselves getting frustrated by a garbage disposal that keeps getting jammed up or the fact that they’ve had to call a plumber more than once to get something out of the mechanisms. Read on as we uncover some of the problems garbage disposals and kitchen sink drains face due to what people put down them.

Why Your Ductless Installation Requires a Pro

June 22nd, 2020

Have you ever heard of an AC installation that could lead to an unexpected air conditioning repair in Waterloo, IA? This seems counterintuitive, but amateur installation can absolutely lead to unexpected service needs later on. To ensure that your air conditioner functions as effectively and efficiently as it should throughout the years, then you want to work with a professional for your installation.

There is no exception for a ductless HVAC system.

Rather than operating through a system of air ducts connected to a single indoor air handler and evaporator unit, a ductless HVAC system breaks up the indoor unit and blower fans into individualized air handlers, mounted high up on the wall in each room it’s installed in. The thing is, ductless installation is unique, and without the right team on your side, you could wind up with problems, which we’ll get to in a moment. In the meantime, read on to learn what makes a ductless system special.

Don’t Make This Indoor Air Quality Mistake!

June 8th, 2020

Close-up of a dirty air filter, illustrating poor indoor air quality.

There is a common indoor air quality mistake that many homeowners make, and that’s assuming that their HVAC air filter is going to eliminate allergens and contaminants from their homes. Waterloo, IA HVAC filters are vital to the performance and efficiency of your air conditioner, but they aren’t actually enough to protect your indoor air quality. For a comprehensive approach, consider improving your home’s indoor air quality with professional guidance. Much of the air we breathe indoors can be polluted, making it essential to address indoor air quality beyond just basic filtration. Considering that we spend about 90% of our time indoors, ensuring good indoor air quality is crucial for everyone.

And this is important information to know, particularly since we’re spending the majority of our time indoors these days, and if you or anyone in your household suffers from allergies or asthma, this is a big deal. Indoor air quality is a huge concern, and it should be. This is why we cannot say enough good things about adding a whole-home solution to your living space, with a whole-house air purifier and/or whole-house air filtration system. After all, allergens and contaminants are just some of the indoor pollutants and sources that can affect your health, so understanding them is key. Take the time to learn about indoor air to better protect your health and improve your living environment. It’s also worth noting that indoor air quality impacts children, the elderly, and people with health conditions like asthma and heart disease more than others.

What AC Repairs Do You Need?

May 25th, 2020

Your home’s central air conditioning system is one of the most important appliances there is when it comes to your family’s comfort and quality of life. It’s also one of the most specialized pieces of equipment! While the average homeowner can certainly take on tasks like minor plumbing fixes, replacing an electrical outlet, or doing some basic carpentry work, there are not many homeowners who have the specialized knowledge required to service or maintain their HVAC system.

Just like your vehicle or many other systems, your air conditioner need regular maintenance to keep working as it should, and it’s a lot easier (and cheaper) to address any problem when it’s barely begun than wait until it’s grown into something much bigger. Even the best, most well-cared for air conditioner has a lifecycle of about 10-15 years, but you can get the most out of those years by scheduling repairs as soon as you need them. So how can you tell you need them? Read on!

The Truth about Power Surges

May 11th, 2020

Homes today have more electrical equipment and appliances in them than ever before. In fact, if we had to guess we’d say that you likely have multiple devices connected to your power supply/electrical grid at any given time, right? What’s the best way to protect your appliances and power charging stations, though?

It’s important to know the answer to this since power surges—also known as voltage spikes—can do irreparable damage to electrical components. Think you can avoid worrying since you have power strips in all your outlets? We have some news…

You’re not really protected. It’s time to call your trusted Waterloo electricians and see what more you could be doing to protect your home’s electrical system and the appliances connected to it. Read on as we elaborate!

Are You Using Your Cooling System Efficiently?

April 27th, 2020

Any air conditioning system in our area is going to get a workout during the summer. Fortunately, air conditioners are built with efficiency in mind.

However, what if you aren’t using your cooling system as efficiently as possible? There are Waterloo air conditioning services that will help with this, like routine AC maintenance, but even with maintenance, there are a number of ways an AC system could lose efficiency and start raising your utility bills.

Read on as we uncover some of the top tips for using your cooling system as efficiently as possible.

Now Is the Time: Schedule AC Maintenance Today!

April 13th, 2020

Temperatures may be relatively mild for now, but we all know that when summer hits, it hits hard. It’s imperative that your air conditioner be ready!

Understandably, when an HVAC pro suggests maintenance for your air conditioner, it can be an easy recommendation to dismiss. Unless you need emergency AC repair in Evansdale, IA, you may be tempted to put off service to save money, especially if your cooling system is working “just fine.”

We encourage you to change your perspective! Just like maintenance for your vehicle, routine AC tune-ups are essential to the overall performance of your climate control system in preventing repairs, improving efficiency, and extending the system’s lifespan. How so? Read on!