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You are here: Home / Blog

November 15, 2016 by Aireforce1

4 Tips for an Efficient Heater

Southeast Idaho isn’t a stranger to cold winter weather and there is nothing more frustrating than a malfunctioning heater during the winter season. Because our daily activities are primarily focused inside, we need our heater to work efficiently and effectively. Failure to properly maintain your heating equipment can cause tremendous stress and inconveniences.  The National Fire Protection Association reported, “Heating equipment fires accounted for 16% of all reported home fires in 2009-2013.” The Federal Emergency Management Agency also reported, “During the winter, heating fires jump to 27% of structure fires.” And the leading contributing factor related to home heating fires was due to lack of cleaning.

You can save yourself from the hassle and threat of a house fire by following these 4 tips to prepare your home for the winter.

Pre-winter Test Run

As the weather continues to cool, it’s recommended to test your furnace by turning it on to make sure that it’s running prior to the winter season. You don’t want to wait till you need the furnace to realize that it isn’t working properly. During this test, you will want to adjust the thermostat from air conditioning to heat. If you have a high-efficiency thermostat, you should be able to set the time(s) of day you want the heater to run to maintain your desired temperature.

 pocatello furnace repairAnnual Furnace Inspection

After months of your furnace sitting unused, dust and debris build up can cause your furnace to clog and work improperly. If left unattended the threat of a fire grows ever more likely. During an annual inspection and cleaning, an inspector will go through a series of processes to verify your furnace pressure is accurate and discover if there are any leaks, rust or misalignments that need to be repaired. Scheduling a cleaning and inspection early can save you time, money and hassle down the road.

Replace Air Filters

Depending on the use and the amount of dust, pet dander and allergens in your home will depend on how often you should change your air filters. It’s recommended to replace your filters every one to three months to reduce debris build up. Additionally, make sure all heating vents and return registers are unobstructed. Blocked vents don’t allow air flow, and can also cause your heater to work overtime and over heat. An overworked heating system can cause inefficiency, resulting in needed repairs and a shortened lifespan of your heating system.

 Seal Windows and Doorways

If you have leaky windows and doors, hot air will escape through these cracks. Preparing your home by sealing window panes and door frames with silicone caulking or rubber weather stripping can save you from an expensive energy bill.

 By planning ahead and scheduling our licensed technicians to inspect your heating system early, we can save you time and money. The contractors at Barlows Aire Force One have the knowledge and tools to clean, inspect and repair your heating systems to make sure it runs effectively and efficiently, just when you need it to.

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Filed Under: Barlows Aire Force One, Furnace Repair Tagged With: furnace repair pocatello, pocatello furnace repair

October 11, 2016 by Aireforce1

Utility Bills: Saving Money this Winter

plumbers pocatelloOctober is here and for many of us in Pocatello that means colder temperatures, snow covered yards, frosty windows, and riskier driving conditions. The colder temperatures of winter also have an effect on our utility bills. Paying attention to certain aspects of our home systems, like our household plumbing, can help us save money during these chilly months. More specifically, you can find a good amount of savings when you pay attention to your water heater. The expert plumbers at Barlows Aire Force One have compiled a list of tips and tricks on how you can cut back on your utility bill this winter by paying more attention to your hot water consumption.

Savings You Can Find in Your Household Plumbing

According to energy.gov, our hot water heaters typically count for the second largest expenditure of the average American’s utility or energy bill, following closely behind heat and air conditioning. Keep your utility or energy bill under control this winter by following these suggestions:

Lower Temperatures

  • This tip applies to all year long. The Federal Department of Energy recommends that we keep our thermostats on our water heaters set to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Lower temperatures not only keep your utility bills under control, they can prevent scalding. When your water is heated to 140 degrees Fahrenheit it can cause scalding in just five seconds. Fact: Did you know that scalds are the number one burn injury in children under four years of age?

Take Shorter Showers

When the temperatures outside our homes drop to below freezing, it can be tempting to spend more time soaking up the extra hot water from our showers. The water coming out of the faucet can travel through your household plumbing at an average of two gallons a minute. Spending more time in the shower equals more money spent on heating that extra water. Keep your shower short and bundle up in warm clothing and soft blankets for comfort instead. If you want to take comfort in hot water drink hot chocolate or hot tea to warm you up.

Insulate Your Water Heater

Consider insulating the tank of your water heater to help it preserve its warmth. Insulating the tank will help prevent the water from cooling down. When your water heater starts to cool down it is forced to do twice the work, spending twice the money. Keeping your water heater insulated can be particularly important if it is located in the basement or another area of your home that doesn’t get a lot of heat. Make sure that you follow manufacturer instructions when insulating your hot water heater. You don’t want to accidentally cover up the burner or the thermostat.

Get a Replacement

If your hot water heater is acting up or having issues running, you might want to invest in a new hot water heater. It can be more cost-effective to purchase a new one than spend twice, or three times that amount over the winter months because of insufficient heating. You can even invest in a hot water heater that is energy sufficient, costing you less to run over time due to the increased efficiency.

If your hot water heater is acting up contact the plumbers at Barlows Aire Force One in Pocatello. Our Pocatello plumbers can help you save time and money by inspecting your hot water heater. We can also help you with any plumbing issues such as broken pipes, overflowing toilet, and heating system issues this winter.

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Filed Under: Barlows Aire Force One, Plumbing, Pocatello Tagged With: plumbers pocatello, plumbing pocatello, pocatello plumbers

June 29, 2016 by Aireforce1

Plumbing Planning: Summer Vacation

plumbing disasterIts summer and it’s the perfect time to plan that family vacation that you have been dreaming about for months now! While planning your trip outside of Pocatello you probably have a to-do list of tasks that need to be done to prepare your home for your absence. Stopping the mail and reprograming the thermostat aren’t the only things you should be doing to prepare your home. You should also focus on your household plumbing system.

Avoid a Plumbing Disaster

If one of the pipes in your kitchen sprung a leak you would turn off your water and call a Pocatello plumber, right? What happens if you aren’t around to spot the water leak when it happens? The water will continue to flow, creating a water damage disaster. No one wants to return home from a pleasant vacation to find their home is a watery mess.

While the odds of your plumbing system springing a leak are slim, the stakes are high and the solution is simple. Whenever you plan on leaving your Pocatello home for extended periods of time during the summer, you can buy yourself some insurance by simply shutting off the main water supply to your home.

In most homes, the main shutoff valve to your water supply is located next to the water meter. The main shutoff can be a knob that can be turned by hand or a valve that requires a wrench to turn. If you are unable to find your shutoff valve, you can contact a Pocatello plumber for help. Even if you aren’t leaving your home for an extended period of time it is a good idea to know where your water shutoff valve is in the case of an emergency. Knowing where this valve is and how to shut it off can help you save your home from suffering from thousands of dollars’ worth of water damage.

If you have an automatic sprinkler system or irrigation system, this will also be shut down if you close your main water supply valve. To keep your lawn from drying up or your garden from dying you may want to use other shutoff valves to reduce the risk of flooding your home while keeping water flowing to your lawn and garden. If you are not sure where other water valves are located, a licensed plumber can help.

Save Water and Energy

There is an added bonus to any summer vacation that you may not have thought about. Leaving your home unoccupied for an extended amount of time can save you money! When you don’t use your household lights, appliances, and electronics for an extended period of time you will see a big difference in your power bill, and you may also see a difference in your water bill while you’re letting fancy restaurants do the dishes and taking long showers in hotels.

A few more adjustments will help you save even more. If you have an automatic ice maker in your freezer, shutting it off before you leave will help you save a little extra water. Shutting down your water softening system will also help conserve energy and water softening salt.

The largest saving potential comes from your hot water heater. The water heater consumes more energy than most of your other home appliances, but if there is no one home to take hot showers or do the dishes, there is no need to keep it running. If you shut off your main water supply and water leaks or siphons out of the water heater tank by any means, the heating element could burn out if it continues to heat an empty tank.

The simplest way to turn off your water heater for vacation is to turn it off at the main breaker switch. Some modern water heaters come with a “vacation” setting on the heat control dial.

If you need help preparing your plumbing system for a vacation be sure to schedule an appointment with a trusted Pocatello plumber right away!

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Filed Under: Plumbing, Pocatello Tagged With: plumbers in pocatello, plumbing disaster pocatello, pocatello plumbers

January 31, 2016 by Aireforce1

Cutting Your Power Bill in Half

Owner of Barlows Aire Force One, Wayne Barlow, speaks with a KIFI news local reporter about what you can do to cut your power bill in half.

video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo player

Filed Under: Barlows Aire Force One, Pocatello Tagged With: furnace pocatello, heating pocatello, hvac pocatello, power bill

January 3, 2016 by Aireforce1

Air Conditioning Frozen Up

 

HVAC specialist Pocatello Now that the temperatures have dropped in Pocatello, here are some useful tips to help prepare your AC unit for the winter weather. When the temperature starts dropping, check your AC unit frequently to make sure ice has not built up on your system. If you leave ice built up on your AC unit, you could end up with permanent damage and might have to replace your AC unit. With years of experience, our heating and cooling service at Barlow’s Aire Force One, can help your Pocatello home with your frozen air conditioner and let you know what you should do if this happens to your AC unit.

Frozen AC Unit – What to look for

The most common time to see ice or frost on your AC unit is usually when the air conditioner is running. The most common places to see ice or frost are on the lines going to and from your AC unit. When the gas expands and the pressure goes down, it will cool anything around it. Having ice appear on your air conditioner is not uncommon, and it does not mean that your AC unit is permanently damaged or broken. However, if this does happen, you should contact an HVAC contractor. If your AC system isn’t moving as much air as it should or needs to, this may lead to having your system be chilled. If the airflow is restricted, the cold air will stay in the unit causing the temperature to drop in your AC unit. If this happens, you could risk having frozen parts in your AC system.

AC Frozen Up?

If you realize your AC unit has frozen up, you should first turn off the air conditioning. This will help prevent any more damage from happening. Always check to see if your filters are dirty or clogged up and check to make sure all your vents in your home are open. These simple steps might end up solving your problem. However, if you notice your AC system freezing frequently, you should have your ducts cleaned out by a professional.

If you leave your system iced over a lot and never go out to check on it, you could risk having permanent damage to your unit. Getting a recharge or a tune-up is a lot cheaper than having a new air conditioner replaced in your Pocatello home.

Get Help with HVAC Issues

You should always give your HVAC contractor a call if you happen to notice frost or ice on your AC unit. An HVAC pro can notice if your unit has dirty filters, vents in your home closed, a dirty evaporator coil, blocked return grills, or if mechanical parts need to be replaced. A good sign should be that if your air conditioner is working properly, then you should not have it freeze up or have ice build up on it. Barlow’s Aire Force One can diagnose the issue and let you know what is exactly wrong with your AC unit and help get your AC going again properly.

 

 

Filed Under: Barlows Aire Force One, HVAC, Pocatello Tagged With: barlows air force one, barlows hvac, frozen ac unit pocatello, hvac issues pocatello, pocatello frozen air conditioner, pocatello hvac

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