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

Dalton’s Spring Home Maintenance Checklist

Wednesday, April 4th, 2018

home-maintenanceWe know that during the winter it’s easy to hibernate instead of doing routine chores around your home. However, now that the coldest days of winter are behind us, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get to work on your home maintenance.

 

Don’t worry! You don’t have to comb the internet to find out which tasks need to be done this time of year, because the Dalton team is here to help. We have the expertise to assist you in sprucing up your home and getting it ready for summer. Take a look at the items we have on our helpful spring home maintenance checklist.

Call Dalton for your Preseason A/C Tune Up!

Any time is better than never, but we think spring is the ideal season to get your A/C tune-up. A preseason tune-up will cut cooling costs, lower the risk of future breakdowns and need for repair, and keep your system running longer.

Get a Chimney Checkup.

We suggest having your fireplace inspected and cleaned at least once each year, especially if you use it on a regular basis. Your Dalton technician will ensure the unit is properly clearing exhaust and waste. After, they will prepare your unit for summer, ensuring your cooled air stays indoors.

Stop the Beeping and Replace the Batteries in your Smoke and CO Detectors.

Even when your detectors aren’t indicating they are low, we suggest switching the batteries out every year. The batteries in these devices can make a life-or-death difference for your family, so it is absolutely worth the time spent replacing them.

Keep it Healthy, Pure, and Clear by Replacing your Water Filters.

To ensure clean drinking water for your family, we suggest changing your filter every three to six months. If you notice the water flow slowing down or altering to a darker color, consider replacing it early and get your water tested by a certified Dalton technician.

 

For help with any of your spring tasks, speak to the team at Dalton Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, Electric and Fireplaces! We are standing by to help you prepare for summer and keep your home’s systems in tip-top shape. You can reach us at (319) 266-3513.

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“Help! My Pipes Froze, What Do I Do?”

Monday, 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

Monday, 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

Monday, 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

Monday, 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

Monday, 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!

Monday, 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?

Monday, 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?

Monday, 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

Monday, 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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