Dalton Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, Electric and Fireplaces, Inc. Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Cedar Falls’

Do You Need an Electrical Panel Upgrade?

Monday, October 28th, 2019

electricians-working-on-electrical-panelAlso referred to as the circuit breaker panel of your home, the electrical panel is the central hub of your entire electrical system—where the incoming electricity is routed to the different circuits. The breakers are designed to shut off circuits in case of voltage overload. If you have an older circuit breaker panel, you should ensure you aren’t overdue for having it replaced.

If you suspect or wonder if it is time for you to upgrade your electrical panel, the best thing you can do is call in a professional electrician in Cedar Falls. In the meantime, we’ve provided some questions below for you to ask yourself when determining whether or not your electrical system could use this type of upgrade.

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End-Of-Season AC Repairs to Be Aware Of

Monday, September 2nd, 2019

outdoor-ac-unitThe official end of summer is near, with many of us still using our air conditioners on a regular basis. The last thing you need right now is a sudden air conditioner breakdown and a repair call when temperatures are still fluctuating. Of course, if you had maintenance done—one of the most important AC services in Cedar Falls—then it’s less likely this will occur.

But if you do notice signs that your air conditioner is in disrepair, it’s best to take care of those repairs now, rather than waiting until next year when you need your cooling system again.

The fortunate part of all of this is as long as you know what to look for, most AC system repair problems give out signs and symptoms well before they force the air conditioner to break down. While you should never attempt to formally diagnose (or repair) a problem by yourself—they contain potentially harmful components, such as chemical refrigerant—you can fairly easily spot the signs that you need air conditioning repair, and take the appropriate steps from there. These signs include the following:

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What’s In Your Water?

Monday, July 22nd, 2019

water-coming-from-sink-faucetIn the last few years, water quality problems in the Midwest have brought to light what exactly could be threatening the water we all drink and bathe with. The good news is, our water goes through heavy filtration at the municipal level, and we do not have problems of a large magnitude as a result.

However, water has a long way to go from that water plant through the pipes and into our homes. Contaminants and minerals can get picked up—these particles in your water can have a significant impact on your household, not only for your health but your quality of life, too. For this reason, it’s vital that you invest in professional water testing in Cedar Falls, IA, particularly if you’ve never had it done before.

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When Should You Call a Professional Plumber?

Monday, April 29th, 2019

woman-wiping-up-water-from-burst-pipe-with-spongeThere are certain home improvement jobs that you can do on your own, but we don’t necessarily encourage DIY-plumbing repairs, unless it’s just a “quick fix” until you can get a professional plumber in to take a look.

The fact is, plumbing jobs aren’t easy. They require licensed professionals to handle most jobs more difficult than replacing a washer in a faucet or tightening a connection. When you need professional plumbing in Cedar Falls, IA, we’re the team to turn to. You should call one of our professional plumbers when you want:

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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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Avoid Overloading Your Electrical Panel with Holiday Lights

Monday, November 26th, 2018

Family Celebrating Christmas At Home Viewed From OutsideThe holiday season is upon us. If you’re like many homeowners in the area, you may be decorating your home, inside and out. Quite often, this includes putting holiday lights up and around your home.

One of the most common calls received by our professional electricians in Cedar Falls, IA this time of year is in regards to certain outlets throughout the home not working—this may include your bathroom outlets, garage, or outdoor outlets. And the most common reason for this problem is that outdoor holiday lights have tripped a GFCI outlet or circuit breaker within your home.

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Is Your Home Protected from Power Surges?

Monday, September 17th, 2018

beautiful home with mountain view in backgroundMany, if not most, homeowners assume that power surges come from stormy weather, and that alone. But this is not actually the case. Power surges come from the appliances in your home, and in recent years, as we have become increasingly reliant on electronic devices and high efficiency appliances, we’ve increased our own risk of power surges. And they post a more serious threat than many realize, to appliances, electronics, and homes in general.

You probably think you’re just fine depending on the small, portable surge protectors you can et at any hardware or office supply store (these are referred to as power strips). Hey, you can plug your stereo, television, lighting, and more into it—convenient, right? Well unfortunately, power strips are not enough to provide the level of protection needed for you home. Rather, you need a whole house surge protection system installed by a professional electrician in Cedar Falls, IA.

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It’s Never Too Late for a Generator Installation

Monday, May 14th, 2018

generator being installed by two techniciansTemperatures have only just begun to warm up, but as a diligent homeowners, you’ve probably already begun thinking about your air conditioner—getting it serviced if need be, or upgrading to a new, more efficient system. This is a very important part of summer preparation, but certainly not the only home system you should be thinking about.

Coping with power outages is a very real threat in our area. They may not be frequent, but when long term blackouts do occur, you need to have some way to keep your HVAC system running as well as other important home components. This is where Cedar Falls, IA generator installation comes in.

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Are You Making Any of These Home Security Mistakes?

Monday, April 30th, 2018

exterior of a homeIs your home as safe and secure as possible? Sure, you keep the front door locked, you have a basic security system, and maybe you even have a dog whose bark you hope will scare burglars away quick enough that they discover the dog really just wants to lick them to death.

These are all great first steps (though we really don’t recommend relying on the family dog), however to truly protect your home, it’s vital that you have an effective whole-home security system professionally installed by trained and experienced Cedar Falls, IA electricians. This will give you protection as well as a peace of mind whether you are away from home or your family is soundly sleeping.

In addition to this installation, there are a number of things you can do around the house to limit your risks of being burglarized even more. We’ve shared some of the biggest home security mistakes below, to help provide some guidance on how to do just that.

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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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