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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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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.

 

 

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Winter is Coming! Pocatello Heater Repair

Like it or not winter is on its way and here in Pocatello you can’t afford to let your heating systems stay low. As the weather gets colder without that added heat the pipes in our homes will start to freeze.

If your heater is in need of repair we highly recommend that you hire a licensed professional to diagnose and treat any problems that your heating system may be having.  The professionals at Aire Force One can save you money by quickly locating all of your heater’s issues. If you don’t mind getting your hands a little dirty you can utilize this basic guide to help fix any minor issues like a faulty thermostat or dead batteries.

Regular and routine maintenance can keep your heating system from needing repair for the entire winter season in Pocatello. Our professionals can spot any potential problems and failures before they can become disasters. They can also give you advise on needed resources and the decision making process regarding the health and safety of your heaters.

What should you do if your heating system decides to take a vacation this winter? First, you will need to pinpoint the issue your heating system is suffering from. What is the most immediate problem?

Are you Suffering from:

Partial loss of heat? If your heaters are keeping your house moderately warm and runs all day, your problem might be an air flow issue. Air flow issues occur in the duct work and in restriction from air filters or fan motors. Your heaters may even be overheating because there is one or more restriction in the air flow causing intermittent operation.

Total loss of heat? When you turn your heaters on are you getting cold air? Or no air at all? If you feel cold air this may be the result of a couple of issues. Start by checking your fuel supply and your electrical systems.

Perform These Quick Checks:

Heating System Thermostat

Erratic and intermittent temperature issues are usually the result in a thermostat malfunction. Installing new batteries may resolve this issue. Make sure you turn the power to your heating system off at the main electrical panel before you replace your batteries. If you pull your thermostat off and notice that batteries are not included, you may have low voltage power coming from your furnace. Put your thermostat back together and look for your electrical system.

Older thermostats may be manually calibrated, if your thermostat falls into this category, contact Aire Force Once and we will send over a professional to provide this service. You may want to consider replacing your old thermostats with a newer model.

Bonus Tip!

While you’re installing new batteries in your thermostat take a moment to check your smoke and CO detector batteries as well!

WARNING: Do not attempt to fix your heating system if your breaker trips immediately after turning it back on! Call the professionals at Aire Force One in Pocatello immediately!

If you are in need of some heater repair services in Pocatello look no further! Stay warm this winter!

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3 Reasons to Inspect your Furnace Before Fall

HVAC Pocatello Fall is quickly approaching and before we know it we’ll be drinking hot chocolate, eating pumpkin pie, and buying more pairs of gloves and coats than imaginable. In order to prepare for this wonderful season, it’s important to think about your home. Usually overlooked in typical fall preparations are furnaces. However, furnaces are critical to maintaining your holiday season excitement. Honestly, how fun is a malfunctioning furnace?

In order to prevent unwelcome interruptions to your holiday season, we recommend servicing your furnace at least once a year. Almost every HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) company recommends annual inspections. However, many individuals omit this critical step due to forgetfulness or cost issues. Taking this preventative measure will save you hassle and money in the future. Here’s why servicing your furnace is recommended:

1. Ensure safety

A large portion of accidents involving furnaces are caused by faulty or malfunctioning parts. While cranking up the heat during fall seems innocent, there have been fatal accidents. Harmful poisoning can occur when your furnace emits too much carbon monoxide for a certain space.
Another safety concern is the potential of a house fire. House fires are the most common result of furnace issues. When natural gas builds up in the home, an explosion can occur because of the volatile nature of gas. Regardless of the likelihood of an explosion, even the presence of natural gas in the air can cause extreme sickness, headaches, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness.
Having a professional inspect your furnace will guarantee a safe environment for you and your family. Carbon monoxide poisoning is the last issue you’ll want to deal with during your holiday season. Professionals will also perform a thorough inspection for flammable dirt and debris.

2. Increase Efficiency

One of the advantages of having your HVAC unit checked annually is increased efficiency. As you probably know, fuel for heating is very costly. An inspector can analyze the efficiency of your system to see that your HVAC system is burning fuel at an economical rate.

3. Invest in the Future

Although it may seem like a headache now, employing the knowledge of a professional technician will lead to lower bills and less fuel consumption. Spending a small amount of money on prevention will save you a large, heartbreaking bill in the middle of December. Make sure that yearly service is performed before winter to confirm the reliability of it during the cold winter months.

There are specifically outlined steps for a HVAC technician to follow while inspecting your furnace that will ensure a worry-free cold season. Although it may seem unnecessary, it’s like going to the dentist. You may not think you need it, until something goes wrong. Invest in a happy holiday season with a furnace inspection. You’ll thank yourself later! Always remember that Aire Force One is available for any of your furnace needs. Give us a call at (208) 240-6719 today.