“Help! My Pipes Froze, What Do I Do?”

April 2nd, 2018

Icicles hanging from a brown pipe. Frozen water and metal surface, winter time concept. selective focus shallow depth of field photoOverall, our winter was relatively mild this year, with the coldest of temperatures lasting just a few days at a time. Still though, we did have freezing temperatures, and with freezing weather comes frozen pipes.

Hopefully, you did what you could to prevent this problem from affecting your household. For example, one preventive step you might have taken was to open any outdoor faucets used for sprinklers and hoses, and turned off all water flow to these points. After all, the pipes located outside are, understandably, the ones most susceptible to freezing, and leaving the faucets opened helps water to drain from them.

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Qualities to look for in an HVAC Contractor

March 19th, 2018

HVAC contractor working on ac unitIt’s easy to boast about what makes a company unique, but it’s more important to actually live up to those qualities.

When you are on the lookout for a Waterloo, IA HVAC contractor to install a new system, repair your existing one, or even help you with your indoor air quality issues, you need a company and professional you can rely on. But what qualities should you be on the lookout for?

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Take Care of Your Heating Repair Needs Before the Weather Warms

March 5th, 2018

A man uses a flashlight to help him see the hot water heater in a dark closetIt may still officially be the season for snow, but spring will be here soon enough and we all know how quickly the temperatures can increase once that happens. Once things start warming up, you’ll be using your heater less and less. Therefore, if you have any Waterloo, IA heating repair needs you’ll probably be tempted to put them off until next year if they don’t seem that severe.

Unfortunately, one of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is neglecting their end-of-season heater needs. Ignoring your heater when work needs to be done can be harmful to the system itself, for one. Also, if you have a gas-powered heater then ignoring it can be a safety hazard.

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Discover an Unexpected Benefit of Ceiling Fans

February 19th, 2018

wooden ceiling fanWe’re going to discuss something here now that usually isn’t a huge topic of conversation this time of the year, but should be! As a full-service home services company, we’re happy to share efficiency and money saving tips with our clients. As such, there’s one electrical service you can invest in that will help with another area of your home—your HVAC efficiency!

We’re talking about the installation of ceiling fans in your home, from a professional Waterloo, IA electrician. Keep reading to learn more about how exactly ceiling fans help with your comfort and your bills. And if you’d like any further information, please reach out to us any time!

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Yes, Your HVAC Systems Should be Professionally Installed

February 5th, 2018

two technicians looking over outside air conditioning unitIf you’re reading this, you may be at a point during your homeownership that you are needing to replace a heating system, or perhaps thinking ahead to a new air conditioning system. Maybe you’ve already been shopping around, either hitting the stores or researching here online.

That’s great! We encourage you to explore your options. But when it comes to actually installing a new heater or cooling system, we not only recommend but we urge you to only trust a professional Waterloo, IA HVAC contractor for the job. This isn’t just something we tell people—there’re are a couple of very good reasons we say this—namely, to get the correct sizing and efficiency for your home.

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Surge Protection Is Not Just Storm Protection!

January 8th, 2018

icon of a home designed to look like a computer chipThere are a good deal of homeowners who believe they can go without whole-house surge protection, or don’t even think about it at all. If you’re one of those homeowners, we urge you to read on and learn about why this is so important. Within the last couple of decades, we have all become more and more dependent on electronic devices and high efficiency appliances. When you couple this with inclement weather—particularly thunderstorms—the risk of power surges increase.

But surge protection is not just storm protection! Surges pose a serious threat to your appliances, electronics, and your home in general, even when it’s not storming outside. And you might think that you can just get by with a small, portable surge protector you can buy at the hardware store (a power strip), but this doesn’t give you comprehensive protection—not the kind of protection that a professional Waterloo, IA electrician can give.

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When Do You Need Gas Fireplace Repairs?

December 25th, 2017

Burning natural gas fireplace surround by stoneA gas fireplace is a very effective and efficient way to warm the room you’re in without needing to run your entire whole-home heating system—or it can even supplement that heating system so you don’t have to turn it up as much.

It’s important to remember, however, that if you detect or suspect a problem with your fireplace, then you should call for Cedar Falls, IA gas fireplace repairs right away. But are there any troubleshooting tips you can try on your own? Sure, and we’ll get to that below.

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Will I Really Benefit From a Water Softener?

December 11th, 2017

water softener systemThese days, most water supplies throughout the country have a significant level of filtration and conditioning they go through before that water gets to your faucets. And if you use ground water from a private well, you very likely have your own water treatment system in place. However, something many homeowners don’t realize is missing from their homes is protection from hard water.

Water softeners are an increasingly popular, and extremely helpful, Cedar Falls, IA water treatment system. Hard water is the result of a high concentration of minerals within the water supply—namely calcium and magnesium. While these minerals are harmless to ingest, they actually do a great deal of damage to your plumbing system over time. Hard water should be addressed before it has the chance to put your pipes out of commission. But are there really that many benefits to having a water softener installed? Keep reading, and then decide for yourself.

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Signs that You Need Drain Cleaning

November 13th, 2017

Water running down the drain - shallow DOFThe drain and sewer system of your home is one of the most important components of the plumbing system. If your drain system isn’t properly maintained, it can cause serious problems for the whole system.

Fortunately, it’s fairly easy to keep your drain system in good shape. All you need to do is ensure that you schedule drain cleaning services in Waterloo, IA with a professional plumber on at least a yearly basis. Keep reading to learn signs that you may need drain cleaning outside of that maintenance appointment.

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How You Can Reap the Benefits of Home Automation

October 16th, 2017

modern looking homeHave you ever been away from home for an extended period of time, or even just at work for the day, and thought to yourself, “I’d really like to check in on my house”? We’ve all been there. At some time or another, you’ve likely wondered if you left the lights on unintentionally, kept your HVAC system going for too long, or even forgot to lock your front door.

The good news is, there is a way to have access to your home at all times, no matter how far away from it you are. With a home automation system, professionally installed by an experienced Waterloo, IA electrician, you can check in on whatever is important to you in your home, from work or across the country. Choosing a pro for the job will ensure a job done right, and will help you reap the full benefits of home automation!

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