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

What to Consider When Installing Outdoor Lighting

Monday, April 1st, 2019

outdoor-lighting-in-big-yardHave you taken a good look at your landscaping lately? Probably not, since it’s been covered in snow in prior months. But now that it’s melting away, consider this—is your outdoor landscaping and lighting serving the function you want it to? Maybe you’d like more lighting in order to entertain. Or perhaps you’d like to enjoy your patio for meals with the family when the weather gets warm enough.

As springtime begins, this is the perfect time of year to consider installing outdoor lighting. But there are a number of factors to consider with this installation, including ensuring that you hire a professional electrician in Cedar Falls for the job. Once you’ve hired an electrician, here are the factors to consider when installing outdoor lighting.

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Tips for Caring for Your Drains

Monday, March 18th, 2019

gurgling-bathtub-drainIf you heard someone say they have a plumbing problem, what’s the first thing you would think of? If you’re like many homeowners, you probably think of clogged or slow moving drains. Almost every homeowner has run into this problem at some time or another. The best thing you can do when this happens is invest in professional drain cleaning service from an experienced team of plumbers (don’t use store-bought liquid drain cleaners—these are corrosive, and only temporarily solve the problem).

Another way to relieve clogged drains is to prevent them from happening to begin with. This requires you to know the most common cause of drain clogs, so you can avoid these scenarios:

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What Should You Look for in a Heating Repair Technician?

Monday, March 4th, 2019

service-technician-at-homeowners-doorMany heating and cooling companies boast their good qualities—but what’s more important is that they actually deliver on those promises. When you’re in need of an HVAC contractor for furnace repair or any other type of HVAC service, you want one you can trust. How do you know if you’ve found the right heating technician, though?

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Signs You Need Heating Repairs

Monday, February 18th, 2019

gas-furnace-systemGiven the time of year, we hope you aren’t sitting around worrying that your heater could break down at any moment due to some troubling symptoms. If so, please give us a call right away for professional Waterloo heating services! Tackling repair needs when they are still small is vital to preventing larger emergencies down the line.

The sooner you repair your system, the sooner you’ll have lower bills, too, as you will improve your system’s efficiency. Keep reading to learn about the signs you may have a heater that is in need of repair:

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Our Top 4 Benefits of a Water Softener

Wednesday, February 13th, 2019

Do you use a water filtration system in your home? These units are fantastic for removing particulates from your water that are unsafe to drink, like lead or plastic. But what about the hard minerals in your water?

Water softeners remove magnesium, calcium, and other metals from your water, turning hard water into soft water. Though you may think this process is unnecessary because you’ve gotten along just fine without it, there are many benefits to installing a water softener in your home. Below are our top perks of having a water softener system.showering with soft water

Lower Utility Bills

Your appliances will run more efficiently with soft water. Rather than pushing water through limescale buildup or clogged connection pipes, your water will flow smoothly. That means your appliances won’t have to work as hard to operate.

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Why Should Your New Heater Be Professionally Installed?

Monday, February 4th, 2019

technician-looking-over-gas-furnaceWe get it, if you’re looking for a new heater this time of the year, it’s an emergent situation. It means your current heating system broke down when you need it the most and you’re scrambling to find a new one. But we urge you, as much as this is needed, not to rush your decision on Waterloo heating systems!

There are so many factors to consider when making this kind of purchase. You’ll want to compare fuel types, AFUE and HSPF ratings, and more. Most importantly, though, your heater should be professionally installed so that it is sized correctly. We’ll get into how important this is below.

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Can a Ceiling Fan Make Your Heater More Efficient?

Monday, January 21st, 2019

ceiling fan on grey beamed ceilingThe short answer to this is “yes.” But let us explain…

When it comes to Waterloo, IA heating, we understand you want a system that is cost-effective and powerful. This means finding the most efficient heating system on the market that’s within your budget and is perfectly matched to your home, and having that system professionally installed. Installation is literally just the beginning, though.

There are a number of steps you can take that cost you little to nothing that will boost the efficiency of your heater even more—installing weatherstripping on drafty windows and doors, closing your curtains to provide extra insulation to keep the heat in, and, that’s right, using your ceiling fan. Read on!

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4 Benefits of a Whole-Home Humidifier

Tuesday, January 8th, 2019

Dry air in your home isn’t just uncomfortable, it can cause issues for your health and quality of items in your home. Rather than suffer through the winter months with itchy skin and warped wood floors, we suggest installing a whole-home humidifier. Here are just a few of our favorite benefits that a system will give you and your home.hardwood floors protected from whole-home humidifier

Preserve Your Floors and Home

Are you proud of your home’s original hardwood floors? We love the look and feel of hardwood, but it requires more TLC than other types of flooring, especially when it comes to your home’s humidity. With air that’s too dry, your flooring and furniture will shrink, warp and crack. Even worse, paper keepsakes like photos and books become brittle and crack.

Whole-home humidifiers maintain your home’s humidity to a safe and comfortable level between 30 to 50%. Within this safe range, the wood, paper, electronics, and drywall in your home are better protected and better preserved.

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Are You Protecting Your Appliances and Electrical Equipment Correctly?

Monday, January 7th, 2019

Two electricians working on electrical panelHomeowners throughout the U.S. have become more and more dependent on electronic devices and high efficiency appliances. Combined with inclement weather of any kind—such as thunderstorms—the risk of power surges increase. They pose a serious threat, more serious than you may realize, to your electronic equipment and appliances.

Perhaps you believe you can get by with the small, portable surge protectors you can buy at any hardware or office supply store. These are referred to as power strips, and they are very convenient, allowing you to bypass any problems with limited outlets and plug in everything from your TV and stereo to your computer and all computer accessories. Unfortunately, though, power strips do not offer your appliances the comprehensive protection they need. For safeguarding of this caliber, we recommend you consider the installation of a whole-house surge protection system.

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Is Your Fireplace in Disrepair? Here’s What to Do

Monday, December 24th, 2018

Burning natural gas fireplace surround by stoneWhen the humidity and heat of summer and fall finally begins to fade and temperatures drop, many homeowners in our area begin to look forward to using their fireplaces. Chances are, you’ve already been using yours for a few weeks at the least. But is your fireplace in good shape? If it’s not working as you think it should or you see signs of deterioration, it may be time to call in the pros for fireplace repair in Waterloo, IA.

Our team is here to help you learn how to handle a problematic fireplace, or rather, one that is in disrepair. Problems with your fireplace usually mean problems with your chimney, too, which can end up being a dangerous combination. So when you call us for service, what can you expect?

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