Filed under: Plumber Tip, Plumbing Repair
Frozen pipe prevention is perhaps the number one priority in all Fort Collins home this winter. This is a process that should begin well in advance. On an average, a Fort Collins home experiences frozen pipes at least once in its lifetime. But, with little care and precaution, frozen pipes are something that can be completely avoided. Here are some simple useful tips that can help you with frozen pipe prevention for your Fort Collins home.
Insulation
The first thing you need to do for frozen pipe prevention in the Fort Collins area is to make sure that your pipes are well insulated. You can start early by fixing any leaks, damages and replacing any worn out plumbing fixtures in your home. If you have already experienced a frozen pipe, it would be a good idea to replace this portion of the pipe as it would be quite stressed and is highly prone to burst. Simple things such as covering your pipes in vulnerable areas with insulation material can help in frozen pipe prevention.
Checking drafts
Drafts are not only responsible to take heat from your home but it can also cause frozen pipes in many cases. This generally occurs in the basement. As a result, it is always a good idea to check the pipes in the basement at least once every week during winter for any frost build-up. Always make sure that you conduct an energy audit to identify and control the draft right before the onset of winter.
Filed under: Efficiency Tips, Fort Collins Furnace, Fort Collins Heating
Reducing heating bills in your Fort Collins home is perhaps is a priority for any homeowner. However, many homes end up spending more than they should, without obtaining a significant change in terms of reduced heating bills. There are plenty of simple and easy things you can implement to make sure that your heating bills are cut by a significant amount for your Fort Collins home.
Smart use of the thermostat
The thermostat is something that you may not want to mess around with in the winter. In many cases, your thermostat may be set to heat your home more than you require. As a result, getting it down will not only help in reducing your heating bills, but will make sure that your furnace (if you have one) works in a more efficient manner while staying warm at the same time.
Drafts
Drafts are another major contributors that work against reducing heating bills for your Fort Collins home. Drafts not only carry fresh cold air into your home but also make sure that warm air leaks into the atmosphere. This can make every effort that you have put in place go waste as all the heating and energy is simply lost to the atmosphere. A simple energy audit right before the onset of winter can help you resolve this issue quickly and make sure that your home stays warm without spending a fortune.
Filed under: Heating
A heating system replacement is an important decision to take, so Fort Collins homeowners must find the correct one for their specific requirements. Most furnaces last for 20 to 25 years, meaning you will have to exercise extra care when purchasing one. Choosing the best heating system to meet your requirements can be a bit confusing. You will have to determine whether you need one that operates on oil or gas, the right efficiency rating, the type of forced air furnace that will best suit your needs.
Reasons to replace your heating system
A furnace begins to lose its efficiency after a certain point. Older units will remain in working condition, but will not have the same energy efficiency as some of the newer models. They can make your electricity bill shoot up like clockwork. The heating systems available today come with efficiency ratings of 97 per cent while the old units run at 65 per cent or less.
Replacement due to safety concerns
The safety of your furnace is crucial regardless of whether you’re using a propane or gas heating system. The unit will have to be replaced in case there are signs of corrosion or carbon monoxide in the heat exchanger. While older furnaces may be safer in this case, they do not provide the same energy efficiency offered by some of the newer models. Models older than 15 years have the potential to cause serious damage to life and property if not well-maintained, making energy efficiency furnaces a great option for homeowners.
Filed under: Efficiency Tips, Energy Saving Tips, Furnace, Heating
If you just had an unpleasant winter where you were forced to wear extra warm clothes even when inside your home, then maybe its about time you had a furnace replacement for your Fort Collins home with a two stage furnace. This type of furnace is designed to adjust the heat output to provide you with maximum comfort inside your home while also providing you with significant amounts of savings in terms of energy. As a result, a highly efficient furnace replacement could be the what you wanted, especially if you are living in a cold region such as Fort Collins.
Standard furnace
The major difference between standard furnaces and the two stage furnace is the fact that the latter has an AFUE of 98.5 compared to the former’s 80 AFUE. As a result, it is quite obvious that the standard furnaces are highly inefficient compared to a two stage furnace simply because of the type of burners used in either cases. In case of a standard furnace, the flame burns high when the valve is opened initially and then shuts off when the temperature is in alignment with the thermostat setting for your Fort Collins home.
Two stage furnace
The two stage heating systems not only have high energy efficiency, but also have a two stage burner. So instead of the on and off operating mechanism used in a standard furnace, the two stage system operates the burner at different stages. This can help you save money as the process reduces fuel consumption as the burner would be running at low settings a majority of the time giving reduced energy bills for the homeowners and enhanced heating for your Fort Collins home.
Filed under: Energy Saving Tips
The electric appliances in your Fort Collins home take responsibility for using most of the power in your home. In fact, it is estimated by the EPA (Environment Protection Agency) that household appliances, especially those used in the kitchen, account for about 50 per cent of the average household’s utilities. Also, appliances that have been used for ten years or more consume a higher amount of energy in comparison with newer ones.
Lower energy consumption with Energy Star
The classification system of Energy Star, which was established by the United States Department of Energy and the EPA identifies electronic appliances that reduce energy consumption, decrease your energy bills and enhance the quality of air inside your home. Appliances manufactured by Energy Star are often more expensive in comparison with other conventional models, but they come with advanced features that allow you to save a good amount of money on electricity as well as water bills. Some models even have the potential to save you almost fifty per cent of the energy used daily in your home.
EnergyGuide Label
Once you have completed an Energy Star dishwasher install, you must look for the EnergyGuide label, which displays the features, capacity and size of the unit. The label also forecasts the average annual operation costs and energy usage of the model. Dishwashers from Energy Star use fifty per cent less water, forty per cent energy, and help you save a good amount of money owing to superior quality.
Filed under: Plumber Tip, Plumbing Repair
Detection of leaks
Leaks in pipes and faucets no matter how small can cause unmanageable flooding. Leak detection can prevent such damage so make sure to check your crawl spaces, unheated basement, exterior walls and garages, particularly for areas without insulation.
Drainage and Insulation
All outdoor pipes and faucets must be drained and insulated prior to the arrival of winter. When water accumulates in these pipes, they can expand, freeze and burst or crack, so securing them can help in avoiding plumbing repair.
Problem areas must be weatherproofed
Vent fans, windows and doors must be checked for loose seals. Make sure that every seal is tight so that no water enters your Fort Collins home from outside. Cracked windows must also be given good attention as they can cause freezing temperatures indoors.
Exposed pipes must be insulated
The growth of mold takes places when pipes are not insulated properly. Insulation is inexpensive and easy. Electrical heating tape must be used to insulate pipes that are located close to electrical sources. Heat tapes are great tools to achieve enough heat to prevent the pipes from freezing.
Indoor pipes must be kept warm
Most plumbing problems during the winter result from issues with outdoor pipes. However, a good number of homeowners tend to forget about their indoor plumbing. The cold weather can freeze indoor pipes as well, so make sure that the thermostat in your home circulates air warm enough to keep pipes from freezing.
Contact an emergency plumbing service
A quality plumbing service that provides 24/7 services must be contacted immediately when you detect a leak in your pipes. They can get the issue resolved very quickly, preventing further damage.
Filed under: Tankless Water Heater
Now that the winter is here, it may be time that you think of getting a new water heater. Fort Collins becomes quite chilly, and frequent use of your water heater could cause it to start functioning inefficiently. Instead of allowing for such inconveniences to take place, you could get a tankless water heater installed to help you cut down on costs as well as your carbon footprint.
Though you spend a greater amount to make the purchase initially, tankless systems are convenient because you do not have to wait for the water to heat before you use it. This also prevents you from heating excess water that you will not be using.
Long lifespan
Another benefit of tankless water heating systems is that they last up to 20 years, which is double the lifespan of a regular water heater. You may feel that the initial cost is rather high. However, if you count the depreciation and the operation costs, you will find that a tankless heater is far more cost-effective.
Saving on space
One reason why all homes require a new heater is to save on space. Regular water heaters that have a tank capacity of about 50 gallons tend to be nearly 25” wide, and 60” tall. This takes up quite a bit of space in the bathroom or kitchen. If you get a tankless water heater installed, you will only require about 20” wide and 28” tall.
Filed under: Boiler, Fort Collins Plumber
Are the temperatures outside freezing and your old boiler not good enough to keep you warm? Are the early mornings unbearable inside your house in Fort Collins? If yes, then it is time you upgraded your boiler. Upgrading your boiler will not only provide you with tax benefits but also make sure that you can save as much as 30 to 40% on your energy bills as boiler installations are getting more eco-friendly and highly energy efficient.
Different types of new boilers
A vast majority of the new boiler installation options available in Fort Collins are of condensing type. These boilers are more energy efficient as they reuse the wasted energy that is often lost when using an old boiler. Condensing boiler installations are available in two forms: Combination boiler and Heat-only boiler.
The combination boiler is a gas combination boiler, which is capable of running the hot water unit as well as the central heating system in a single unit compared to the older and more primitive types of boilers. As a result they also take up less room compared to their older counterparts. However, these boiler installations cause a small time lag when obtaining the hot water.
Suited for large homes
The older boilers are generally heat only boilers, which power only the radiators and as a result are most suited for large homes. Getting such a boiler installed would also require a separate system to provide boiling water, which can be slightly problematic for a smaller home. These also have a reduced time lag, but occupy more space.
Filed under: Heating, Plumber Tip
Carpet your floors
During the winters, marble floors of your Fort Collins home can be very uncomfortable because they tend to trap the cold. Cut out rugs to cover exposed areas of the floor. As an additional precaution, you could slip on a snug pair of booties. Even the tiles in the bathrooms get rather cold in the winters. Install rubber mats so that your feet do not contact the cold floor directly.
Reverse the blades of your fan
This technique is rather unconventional. However, the logic works on the principles of how our atmosphere constantly shifts based on temperature. Since heat rises, reversing the blades will help by bringing down warm air towards the ground. If this option is not viable, you could try other things like baking and wearing clothes that come straight from the dryer. Heater repair is extremely important to avoid such issues during the winters. There are a number of places in Fort Collins where you can get this done.
Cover up drafts
If you have not gotten your heater repaired, you should take extra precautions to cover up drafts and open gaps from which cold breeze can slip in. While you are in the process of sealing the various inlets, you could warm up during the nights by putting a hot water bottle under your mattress before sleeping. Consider getting some exercise in the mornings. When you have your blood pumping, your body has additional energy to heat itself.
Filed under: Drain Repairs, Unclog drain
It is a good practice to clean your boiler pipes regularly and what better time than at the beginning of the year. If you have not cleaned your pipes for a long time or if your flow rate is effected seriously or even if you observe any other kind of anomalies taking place, this might be the time for a chemical cleaning and pipe cleaning services in Fort Collins can help you achieve this. Deposits inside the boiler pipes can also reduce the energy efficiency of the boiler-making pipe cleaning the most important aspect of boiler maintenance
Chemical cleansing
Chemical cleaning is one of the most important boiler maintenance tasks. This will help remove all types of deposits from the boiler tubes and also improve the heating rate. It will also reduce any chances of tube failure and make the boiler more stable. However, chemical cleaning is not something that can be done easily. This is a dangerous task that requires professional help. Get in touch with professional Fort Collins pipe cleaning services to help you with the chemical cleaning of your boiler tubes for best result.
When to clean?
The time for a chemical cleaning is often determined on the basis of the number of years between two chemical cleanings. This will give the professionals at the pipe cleaning services some idea to determine if there could be a deposit formed inside the pipes. However, there is not guaranteed way of knowing whether or not the interiors of the pipe are covered with deposits. This can vary on several factors such as the water chemistry, the frequency of use and so on.
Posted on April 21st, 2014 by admin
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