Why Heating Maintenance Is Important
A heating system is like a car. Both are substantial investments that require regular maintenance. However it’s much easier to forget about maintaining system since you don’t necessary use it or see it every day. Out of sight out of mind. Having an annual heating system maintenance is extremely important. Miller’s Heating is your local heating vancouver wa experts. In this article we will discuss all the benefits of completing an annual heating maintenance.
Lifespan of Equipment
Quite simply a well-maintained system will last much longer than a system which hasn’t had an annual heating system maintenance. If you want to get more years out of your current system, don’t neglect your yearly annual heating service.
Safety
When you call a heating contractor to schedule a heating system service, they will send out a professionally trained technician. Not only will the technician perform the annual heating system maintenance, but they should perform a safety check on your system as well. The technician will inform you of any safety concerns that they discovered. For example, cracked heat exchangers in gas furnaces can be extremely dangerous. It’s best to have a pair of trained eyes look at your heating system once a year to protect your family.
Helps to Prevent Breakdowns
Did you know that over 90% of all mechanical breakdowns are due to dirt. An annual heating system service helps to prevent breakdowns since the technician will clean out your system of any dirt buildup. This will save you money in the long run as repairs can be expensive.
Energy Efficiency/Lower Utility Bills
It is estimated that you spend about 25% of all of your utility bills on heating. Want to lower your utility bills? Make sure to have an annual heating system service. This will ensure that your system is working efficiently. The more efficient the system the less you pay in utility bills.
Keeps Equipment in Warranty
When you buy a new system, you are given certain manufacturer warranties. In order to keep these warranties in effect, you must maintain your system yearly. If you have questions about your warranties, call the heating contractor that installed your system. They will have on record what warranties you have associated with your system.
Why You Should Include Plumbing in your Spring Cleaning
It’s that time of the year again! The sun is shining, the birds are chirping and spring is in the air. As we wave goodbye to winter and welcome the new season, we tend to approach life with more energy and optimism. For most of us a lot of this newfound energy will be used for cleaning and organizing. While doing your spring cleaning, don’t forget about the fixtures that keep your home in working order. Here’s a few ways to clean and maintain your plumbing system:
Check Your Pipes
Take a look at the pipes both inside and outside of your home to make sure that none of them are dripping or leaking
Clean Your Drains
Even if the drain does not appear to be clogged, cleaning it will prevent a clog from forming. Try using a bacterial drain cleaner to clear any debris. A mesh strainer is also a good idea to keep clogs from forming.
Clean Mineral Buildup
Faucets and shower heads can accumulate buildup over time. A good way to clean them is with vinegar or a calcium removing solution.
Clean Your Garbage Disposal
Your garbage disposal sees a lot on a daily basis, which is why it’s so important to take care of. To properly clean your disposal; throw in some ice cubes and lemons (without the rind) and let it run for a minute or so with the water turned off. Not only does this clear debris, it also leaves a refreshing citrus scent.
Check Your Water Heater
Make sure there are no leaks and that the temperature is set to no higher than 120 degrees. This is also a good time to have your water heater flushed in order to prevent sediment buildup
If you have any questions or concerns about your fixtures or plumbing system, please feel free to call.
How to Keep Your Plumbing System Healthy
If you’re running a commercial building or property, we’re going to assume that the plumbing is pretty low on your list of daily priorities. Still, it’s important that you take steps to make sure that your commercial plumbing stays as healthy as possible. The wrong kind of plumbing problem could cripple daily operations, or even shut down the whole building for a while. You don’t want that. So, follow the tips below to make sure that your plumbing system stays as healthy as possible.
Schedule Annual Maintenance and Inspection Services
It’s very unlikely that you or anyone else on your commercial property will notice a major plumbing problem in-time to prevent most of the damage. This is because plumbing issues start subtly and develop over time. Most plumbing issues only start to display noticeable symptoms after they’ve had a while to develop. If you want to keep your plumbing system healthy by catching these issues as early as possible, you should schedule annual inspection and maintenance appointments.
Regular inspections allow your plumber to locate any areas in your system that might be starting to have issues, and resolve them before they get any worse. Doing this consistently will cut down on repair costs, increase the efficiency of the system, and allow it to last longer overall. This is the single greatest thing you can do to help keep your plumbing system running smoothly.
Call for Repairs Promptly
Regular inspections and maintenance appointments can help reduce the chances of a problem developing with your plumbing system significantly, but it can’t guarantee that you’ll never run into any issues. If and when a plumbing problem does come up between maintenance appointments, you need to be able to identify it and have it repaired as quickly as possible. True, you won’t be able to prevent as much damage as if the issue had been discovered during a maintenance appointment. But, at that point, anything you can do will be better than nothing.
There are a variety of ways that you can tell if your plumbing system is experiencing issues. For example, you should always call for repairs if you notice water pressure dropping in any part of your building. Falling water pressure could mean that you have a blockage or leak forming in your system. You should also probably have a technician check out your system if you notice your monthly water bills start to rise substantially. Unexplained spikes in monthly water bills are often an indication of a leak somewhere in the system.
These are just a couple of the various indications that could point to a problem in the plumbing system. If you have any reason to believe that your plumbing might be dealing with a problem, it’s better to call a professional than to wait for it to get worse before you’re sure.
5 Important Questions To Ask A Commercial Plumber
Commercial plumbing can differ significantly from residential plumbing. Your business has to run efficiently to make a profit, and depending on the type of business you have, a plumbing or drain problem can affect the bottom line. It could be a minor nuisance that closes your bathrooms for an hour or two or it could be catastrophic plumbing failure that brings your business to a standstill.
You don't want to make costly mistakes when it comes to your commercial plumbing. Hiring a licensed plumber with commercial plumbing experience isn’t as simple as it should be, and there are several things that you don't want to go wrong during the process. In order to ensure that your commercial plumbing needs are met and the best possible services rendered, you'll have to shop around before making your decision.
Here are five questions you need to ask before securing the services of a commercial plumber:
1. Is the plumber licensed, experienced and insured?
Licensed plumbers will be more likely to have the knowledge necessary to ensure any work you have done follows all plumbing and building codes; liability insurance will protect both parties in the unlikely event of a costly mistake. Both are critical when it comes to hiring a commercial plumbing contractor. Remember, commercial plumber should be experienced with plumbing repairs and maintenance for businesses of all types. Think of the many types of businesses that rely on plumbers. Everything from a gas station to a restaurant to a manufacturing plant needs working plumbing so the commercial plumber you hire should have experience fixing the plumbing in your specific type of business.
2. Does the plumbing company charge for estimates?
Before the plumber comes out to your business, make sure you know whether or not you'll be charged for the inspection. It depends on the plumbing company whether or not this fee will be assessed. Sometimes these fees are call “trip charges.” That’s just the cost for the plumber to stop by and make an assessment of your problem before any real work begins.
3. Are rates hourly or does the plumber charge a flat rate fee?
In order to avoid unnecessary overages, check to make sure the number the plumber quotes you is either all-inclusive of the labor and parts necessary or if you will be charged by the hour. You don't want to get nickel-and-dimed by the company for unknown charges. It pays to know exactly what they're charging you for and how they're levying those charges.
4. How long has the plumbing company been in business?
Commercial plumbers that have been around for a while will be more likely to have favorable reviews from the community. In addition, an older, better established company is more likely to have experienced plumbers with proven track records for good quality work. Established companies are also more likely to provide 24-hour emergency service. Remember, your business may be at a standstill until the plumber can fix the problem.
5. What is the warranty policy?
It's important for plumbers to guarantee their labor when they are rendering services to your business. Be sure to learn what the protocol is for claiming a warranty before you sign on the dotted line. Most often the plumbing fixtures are covered by the manufacturer’s warranty but you should be concerned about how long the plumber will guarantee his work (labor).
When you partner with VanMech Plumbing & Heating, you will get upfront answers to these questions. Get in touch with your local commercial plumbing experts at VanMech today for more information.
Is It Time for a New Commercial Water Heater?
Water heaters are built to last, and commercial water heaters doubly so. These are systems that are expected to serve possibly hundreds of people a day, up to seven days a week, all year-round. That’s a tall order for any system to cope with. Hopefully, you’ve been scheduling regular maintenance to keep your water heater in good shape and calling for repairs when necessary. No matter how well you take care of your system, though, it’s not going to last forever.
Eventually, your commercial water heater is going to reach a point where it needs to be replaced. When that happens, you should know the signs so that you can have a new system installed before the old one gives out. The following are some of the more common signs that your commercial water heater is at the end of its life.
Chronic Difficulty Meeting Demand
Depending on the size of the water heater you’re using, and the number of people on average making use of it at once, you’re very unlikely to exhaust its hot water supply without putting an extraordinary amount of demand on it. You should start to become concerned, however, if the system beings having difficulty meeting normal demand. Failing water heater output is often the result of wear and tear on the system over years of use, causing it to lose efficiency over time until it starts to become noticeable. There is nothing to be done about wear and tear this advanced, aside from replacing the entire system.
Frequent Breakdowns
Commercial water heaters are put under a lot of stress, and as such it’s not unusual for them to break down every once in a while. If you need to repair your water heater more than once every few years, though, you might have a bigger problem. As a water heater ages, more and more of the parts inside it will start to succumb to age. The closer the system is to breaking down permanently, the more repairs it’s going to need during the course of a year. If your water heater is breaking down this often, you should really consult with a professional about replacing it. You’re spending a lot of money keeping your current water heater up and running, instead of saving money by installing a new system that won’t need to be repaired for a while.
Old Age
The lifespan of the average water heater is 10-15 years. That will vary slightly depending on individual circumstances, but can be expected to stay somewhere within that range. If your water heater is older than 15 years, you should consider replacing it with a new one. Older water heaters are more likely to develop issues of various kinds, less energy efficient, and all-around more costly to maintain than younger systems. Better to install a new system now than to continue propping up an old one that isn’t doing the job well enough anymore.