Saddleback Plumbing Heating & Air Blog: Archive for July, 2011

Maintenance: Cleaning Your Conditioner Coil Will Save You Headaches Later

Friday, July 29th, 2011

You have plenty of things to clean all over your house. But do you really have to clean your air conditioner too? Well, if you want it to keep working well, you do. In fact, cleaning the coil of your air conditioner is a quick and easy process, especially if you do it on a regular basis, and it can save you a great deal of frustration later on.

Like any machine, your air conditioner needs a tune up from time to time in order to continue to function properly. While a lot of this is taken care of if you have an annual maintenance service performed by a professional, your air conditioning coil will benefit greatly by being cleaned more often than that.

In fact, during your annual maintenance visit, your air conditioning technician can easily demonstrate for you how to get to the coil and clean it. This is a relatively easy task that you can carry out every month or so when your system is in use to help ensure optimal health and functioning for your system.

Of course, your air conditioning system will still run whether you clean the coils on a regular basis or not. For now, that is. Allowing more and more debris to build up on the coil, however, can have a big impact on the overall energy efficiency of your unit. An air conditioner with a dirty coil will have to work harder to keep your house cool, and that will be reflected by an increase in energy consumption.

Also, an air conditioner with a dirty coil that is having to work harder to keep your house cool will wear out more quickly than one that is working properly without added impediments. The added wear and tear that this causes to various other parts within your air conditioner can cause them to malfunction and need to be replaced sooner than they should.

This means more costly repairs, even if they are minor ones. It also means that your entire air conditioning system will probably not last as long as it may have with proper care. You will have to replace it sooner, adding even more to the cost of having and running the equipment.

Cleaning your air conditioner coil regularly is a simple and effective way of helping to keep the entire system running smoothly and efficiently for many years to come.

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How Much Will a High Efficiency Air Conditioner Save You?

Wednesday, July 27th, 2011

When it comes to your air conditioning system, the energy efficiency rating really does matter. While you may be paying a bit more for products with higher energy efficiency ratings to begin with, you will certainly save a significant amount on your monthly cooling bills in the years to come.

Before you can evaluate your options in terms of energy efficient air conditioners, however, you will need to know how their efficiency is represented. Most air conditioners come with what is called a seasonal energy efficiency rating (SEER). A higher SEER means a more energy efficient model, and likely a higher price tag as well.

But how much more energy efficient is a SEER 10 air conditioning unit as opposed to a SEER 11? Well, the truth is that it is about 7% more efficient. However, a SEER 14 will be 23% more efficient than a SEER 10, but only 5% more efficient than a SEER 13 model.

While all of these numbers can help give you some context in which to evaluate the various air conditioners out there, they can only go so far. Turning these percentages into dollars is what you really have to do when you are trying to figure out what your monthly or yearly savings will be.

So to give you a bit of perspective, imagine that your annual cooling costs come to around $480 with your current SEER 10 air conditioning system. If you choose to upgrade to a SEER 13, you will save somewhere in the neighborhood of $110. But if you opt for the SEER 14 instead, you will gain an annual savings of closer to $140 compared to your current bill.

Of course, the SEER of a particular air conditioner is not the only thing that will cause the price of the unit to rise, nor is it the only thing that can cause your monthly cooling costs to rise. Air conditioners also need to be matched to the size of the space they will be asked to keep cool.

If the unit you have is too small to effectively cool the area in question, you are likely paying more than necessary in terms of cooling costs for less than ideal results. Similarly, if your unit is too big, you will be paying too much no matter how high a SEER rating it has.

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What Is New in Air Conditioning?

Monday, July 25th, 2011

There are developments being made in air conditioning just about every day. This is a huge business, and so manufacturers are constantly trying to outdo each other as it is their only way to compete for customers. What this means for you as a consumer is that you will always have an excellent selection of products from which to choose.

Energy efficiency is one of the main selling points for any air conditioning system. For that reason, manufacturers are constantly working to come up with new and better models. The most advanced air conditioning systems on the market have energy efficiency ratings that by far surpass what was available even ten years ago and it is only going to keep getting better.

Another type of air conditioning system that is relatively new but is rapidly gaining in popularity is the ductless mini-split system. These and other compact air conditioners are popular because they can be installed virtually anywhere and do not take up much space. They also do not require the duct system that many other central air conditioners do.

In this way, ductless mini-splits combine the best of central air conditioning and more conventional window or wall mounted units. They keep individual rooms of your house cool and comfortable and can be controlled independently of one another, but they are also very quiet and energy efficient. In fact, ductless mini-splits are among some of the most energy efficient options available in the air conditioning world today.

For many years, enjoying the comfort that air conditioning provides has meant putting up with the noise of the compressor as well. Now, however, you can get the best of both worlds. Many air conditioning companies, in response to customer requests, have been working to curtail the noise and vibrations that air conditioners make.

This has affected models all up and down the line. Whether it is a window mounted unit you are after or a large central air conditioning system, you can rest assured that the model you buy today will be much quieter and produce a great deal fewer vibrations than your old system.

This is not only good news for you. It can also help to make your relationship with your neighbors a bit friendlier. The outside component of most air conditioning systems is usually where all the noise and vibrations come from anyway, and so your neighbors are likely to hear and feel it as well.

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How to Plunge a Clogged Drain

Friday, July 22nd, 2011

It is almost inevitable that you will have to deal with a plugged drain somewhere in your home at some point. This drain may be in the bathtub, a sink or a toilet. But wherever it is, a plunger is usually your best bet for getting it out. If you are going to be successful, though, you need to know how to set yourself up and use the plunger properly.

To begin with, remove the strainer or pop-up plug from the opening of the drain. You want the material that is clogging the drain to be able to come back up through that hole when you apply the plunger suction. Next, make sure the sink or tub has enough water in it to cover the head of the plunger completely. A toilet generally has enough water in it already. This water helps to create a better seal for the plunger and allows you to generate better suction, both of which are essential if you are going to dislodge that plug.

You should also make sure you block off any other outlet connected to the drain you are going to plunge. To do this, stuff an old rag or sponge into the overflow opening or into the second drain of a two compartment sink. That will make it possible for the entire force of your suctioning to reach the clog because it will not be compromised by air escaping through an alternate opening.

Now you are ready to plunge. Place the plunger over the opening of the clogged drain. While keeping constant contact with the sink or tub floor, move the plunger rapidly up and down between 10 and 20 times. After the last plunge, pull the plunger off of the sink or tub floor quickly. This should break the seal you have established and help to pull the clog back up the drain towards you.

It can take a few cycles like this before you are able to dislodge the clog completely. But each time you plunge, you are doing more to break up the clog. The pressure from the plunger can eventually get rid of many difficult clogs, so do not be discouraged if it takes a few tries.

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Bathtub Faucets and Fittings

Wednesday, July 20th, 2011

Buying new bathtub faucets and fittings can be a lot of fun. But it can also be a bit overwhelming simply because there are so many options out there. And the types of faucets and fittings you choose will have a big impact on the overall cost of the project. That is why it is a good idea to learn a little bit about your options ahead of time so that you know more or less what you are looking for when you actually get into the store.

To begin with, you will have to decide whether you want brass or plastic fittings. Plastic fittings are generally cheaper, but they also do not last as long and are more prone to chipping and cracking. Brass, on the other hand, might cost you a bit more up front, but it will last you longer and serve you better.

Brass faucets and fittings are available in a wide range of styles and finishes, so you can comb through the options to find the one that best fits with the theme you are going for in your bathroom. However, you should keep in mind that some of the available finishes for brass fixtures and faucets require specific care so that they do not tarnish. Make sure that whatever brass fittings and faucets you buy are a kind that you will be willing to care for properly.

You should also keep in mind that the majority of the functional part of your bathtub faucet will be located behind the wall of the tub. That can make repairs and replacement of faulty parts a bit more difficult than on a regular sink faucet, so you want to make sure you do not have to get in there to fix something very often.

And the best way to ensure that is to opt for a slightly higher quality fitting and faucet. It may cost you a bit more up front, but it will be well worth it to you in the long run. Even with these restrictions, there are still plenty of options out there so you should have no trouble finding one that suits your sense of style while still offering high quality performance for a reasonable price.

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How to Choose the Water Softener That Is Right for You

Monday, July 18th, 2011

If hard water is a problem in your home, the solution may be simpler than you think. There are many water softeners out there, and some of them can be quite effective at treating the water coming into your home in order to remove the minerals that make the water hard. However, there are plenty of distinct differences between the various products on the market as well, so you should take a closer look at your options before you commit to one system over another.

The first thing you need to know when you start looking at water softeners is how hard your water actually is. If your water is very hard, you will need a heavy duty water softener. But if there are only moderate amounts of calcium and magnesium in your water, you may be able to opt for a less powerful model.

You should also be aware of how much water you go through on a daily basis. You want to get a water softener big enough to handle the demands of your household, and you will not be able to do that if you do not know how much water you typically use.

Another difference between the various water softener models on the market today is the type of regeneration cycle they employ. You can opt for a timer regenerated water softener that will complete the regeneration cycle as often as you set it to. These models tend to be cheaper initially, but they can also cost more to operate and maintain in the long run because they will regenerate when the time comes whether it is actually necessary or not.

There are also meter regenerated water softeners that only go through a regeneration cycle once a certain volume of water has passed through them. These water softeners are specifically calibrated to the amount of calcium and magnesium you have in your water so they only go through a regeneration cycle when it is absolutely necessary.

One concern that many people have about using water softeners is that the most common types use sodium as a regeneration agent. That means that they exchange sodium for the calcium and magnesium in the water. If you need to limit your sodium intake, you may not want to be adding even this small amount to your water. In that case, you can purchase a water softener that uses potassium rather than sodium which can be just as effective at removing other minerals.

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What Are High-Efficiency Toilets?

Friday, July 15th, 2011

Everyone has a toilet in their home. In fact, you probably have more than one. And you probably do not give much thought to the type of toilet you have. After all, a toilet is a toilet, right? Well, there are actually several different types of toilets, and while they all get the basic job done, there are reasons to favor one type over another.

One such distinction falls on what are known as high-efficiency toilets. These toilets use significantly less water than standard toilets on each flush, thereby saving you money on your water bill every time you use them. No toilet on the market today is permitted by law to use more than 3.5 gallons of water per flush. High-efficiency toilets, by contrast, generally use between 1.6 gallons and 1.1 gallons.

That might not seem like a huge difference, but just think about how many times in a day someone flushes the toilets in your home. That will add up fast. Installing a high-efficiency toilet can save you as much as 12,000 gallons of water a year. And depending on the size of your household and the number of toilets you have, that figure could be even higher.

Of course, a lot of people shy away from high-efficiency toilets because they are concerned about performance. It seems unlikely to them that a toilet that uses so much less water could work effectively all of the time. The truth is, though, that many high efficiency toilets work even better than conventional ones at clearing the bowl in one flush. And high efficiency toilets do not clog any more than regular toilets. In fact, they often do better in that area as well.

Another thing to bear in mind is that toilets last for a long time. This means that the toilet in your home could be quite old. Toilets made before 1980 use much more than modern toilets are allowed to use per flush. Some of them actually go through five gallons or more of water each time you use them. By replacing an older toilet with a new, high-efficiency model, you will be setting yourself up for some significant savings on your water bill each month.

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What Is a Flapper Valve?

Wednesday, July 13th, 2011

Your toilet is not an overly complicated piece of equipment. But in order to work properly, it does require that all of its parts are in the right place and in good shape. Even if something small on your toilet is out of place, it can cause problems like constant dripping or running, improper flushing force or a sudden refilling of the bowl when no one has flushed the toilet.

These problems can sound serious, but many of them are quite easy to address if you know where to look. With most toilets, that place is the flapper valve. The flapper valve is a relatively small rubber plug that fits over an opening at the bottom of your toilet tank. When you press the handle to flush your toilet, the flapper valve lifts up and allows all of the water from the tank to go rushing into the bowl.

The force of this water pushes everything out of the bowl through the drain at the bottom, clearing the bowl and refilling it with fresh water all at once. As long as the flapper valve is able to maintain a tight seal, this process will go along smoothly without a hitch. But sometimes these valves become dirty or simply wear out.

When that happens, water can begin to leak down from the tank into the bowl on an almost constant basis. Depending on the severity of the leak, this may just cause the toilet to run constantly. Or it can even cause periodic “phantom flushes” were the toilet clears the bowl without anyone pressing the handle.

Phantom flushes occur because too much water has seeped down from the tank into the bowl. When the volume in the toilet bowl reaches a certain level, the water in the bowl is forced out, resulting in a flush. This wastes water and can also be pretty startling if you are not expecting it. Fortunately, though, you can usually fix this problem easily enough.

To do this, check your flapper valve to make sure it is keeping a tight seal with the bottom of the tank when not in use. If it is not, you may only need to clean it off to restore the integrity of the seal. In more serious situations, however, you may need to replace the flapper valve entirely. This is not difficult or expensive and can save you a lot of water in the long run.

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Showerheads that Save Water: Low-Flow Shower Heads

Monday, July 11th, 2011

If you are looking for ways to save water in your home, a low-flow shower head is a great place to start. There are many different types of low-flow shower heads on the market right now, so you should have no trouble finding one that suits both your needs and your budget. However, it can be difficult to determine which one is right for you, so it is best to learn a bit about your options before you make a purchase.

The goal of low-flow shower heads is to use less water. But you do not want to compromise your shower experience at the same time. So you need to find a low-flow shower head that can provide the same feel as a regular shower head with less water. Thanks to plenty of new technological developments, this is quite possible, but not all low-flow shower heads can accomplish this effectively.

The first thing you want to look for in a low-flow shower head is a pressure compensating system. This allows the shower head to provide a consistent stream of water regardless of your water pressure. One of these shower heads makes sure you always have a powerful enough spray for a comfortable shower even when you do not have a lot of water pressure. They do this without wasting water if your water pressure is very high.

You must also decide whether you want a shower head that aerates the water. An aerating shower head adds air to the water spray to make it feel like there is more water than there actually is. Many low-flow shower heads use this technology to enhance the feel of their spray and it can work quite effectively. But aerating the water also tends to cool down the water, meaning that you will have to turn on more hot water (and use more energy) to maintain a comfortable temperature.

Fortunately, there are some low-flow shower heads that do not aerate the water and are still able to provide a comfortable and complete showering experience. You will have to do a bit of digging to find them, but it will be well worth it to you in the long run.

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Shower Valves and Fittings

Friday, July 8th, 2011

Your shower is the place you go to get clean. But it is also much more than that. You want to be able to enjoy a comfortable showering experience at all times, and for that you need to have the right shower valves and fittings. There are a lot of factors to consider when you are picking out your new shower setup, so it is a good idea to do some research ahead of time to find out what features are really important to you and which you can do without.

First of all, you will need to pick out the type of shower head that you want. There are wall-mounted, ceiling-mounted and hand-held varieties available, so you should think about where you like the water to be coming from and how much flexibility you want to have in that. Some people definitely prefer hand-held shower heads, but for others it is simply a wasted feature.

When you go to buy a shower head, it is also important to have a budget range firmly in your mind. There are so many features available on some of the top of the line models that it can be very tempting to go all out. Be sure that you really consider how likely you are to make use of all of those features before you go and spend the money on them.

The number of controls that your shower has is another item that you will have to consider. The types of controls you need will depend to a certain extent on the water pressure situation in your house and the availability of hot and cold water. For instance, if your shower is susceptible to losing cold or hot water when someone turns it on elsewhere, you will want a shower head that can compensate for that. If that is not an issue for you, however, there is no reason to spend the money for that particular feature.

While you certainly have many feature-based decisions to make when it comes to picking out your new shower valves and fixtures, do not forget to consider aesthetics as well. The look of your new shower matters too and there are so many different fixture styles and finishes that you should have no problem finding one that suits your sense of style.

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