HVAC & Plumbing Blog by DC Cheek Heating, Cooling & Plumbing

5 Tips to Extend the Life of Your HVAC System (& 1 Tip on When to Replace It)

November 22nd, 2019

Your home’s HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Condition) system runs ’round the clock, 24/7, all year long. You can’t expect it to last forever, but you can expect your furnace to last for about several years—depending on the model, you may get 15-20 years out of your furnace and 10-15 years out of your air conditioner. It’s a big investment to replace your furnace or air conditioner, so we have five tips for you to try to extend the life of your HVAC system. For more details on how long you can expect your furnace to last, read our guide.

1. Schedule two HVAC tune-ups per year

Contact a home services company to give your furnace a tune-up in the fall and your air conditioner a tune-up in the spring. This preventative maintenance usually includes a good inspection, cleaning, lubrication and any necessary adjustments. (Save $20 on a Tune Up)

2. Change the air filter regularly

Disposable fiberglass filters should be replaced every 30 days, but check your filter and furnace manual to see how often you should be replacing the filter. A dirty filer will make your HVAC system work harder to circulate air and that can cause extra wear on the system.

3. Clean your ducts

Be sure to keep the return air vents clean and prevent the build-up of dust and debris. You might also want to have your ducts professionally cleaned so that your system is delivering the cleanest air possible.

4. Give the HVAC system a break sometimes

Does your HVAC system really need to be running almost 24/7? Can you give it a break when you’re on vacation? On a cool evening could you open the windows and give the a/c the night off? You’ll be saving energy and giving the system a break.

5. Upgrade your insulation

The better your home is insulated, the less your HVAC system will need to run to maintain the temperature. The first place to check for sufficient insulation is your attic.

When to Replace Your HVAC System

Even if you follow these tips and take good care of your HVAC system, eventually it will need to be replaced, but when? If you’re approaching the projected end of life for the unit, you can’t go wrong replacing it because you will be saving money with the new, more energy efficient replacement. But if you want to prolong the system as long as possible, contract with a reliable home services company for your annual tune-ups and then ask the HVAC tech for their input on when to replace. If you’re unsure, here are signs your furnace may need repair or even replacement. Be honest with them about the maintenance you’ve carried out on the unit—even if that means confessing that sometimes you didn’t replace the air filter for a season or two. Hopefully you can get to know the techs from the home services company and get to where you can trust their input on when to replace your furnace or air conditioner.

Summary

Take good care of your HVAC system and it may well last longer than the average lifespan, but also know when to replace it before it becomes unreliable or so inefficient that it’s costly to keep it running. If your system is already struggling, find out what to replace it with for optimal performance and efficiency.

Is Your Sump Pump in Good Shape?

November 18th, 2019

There are some parts of the country where homeowners have never even heard the term “sump pump” let alone do they know what it is. They don’t need to know, after all—their home may be in a position where flooding is just not a concern.

Unfortunately, we’re not in that part of the country! Sump pumps are common in our area, and very often necessary. Winter and spring are times for heavy rains, and then as we get later in the year we also have tropical storm conditions to contend with—that can send floodwaters right into your home.

The question is, is your sump pump in good condition to handle this?

Now Hiring: Master Plumber

November 11th, 2019

DC Cheek Heating & Cooling is now hiring a Master Plumber.

Applicants must have a current driver’s license and a good driving record as they will be driving a company vehicle to customer’s homes and businesses.

Must possess own tools necessary to complete a plumbing diagnosis and repair.

Must be willing to pursue, develop and participate in continuing education.

If interested, please fill out the form on our Careers page.

It’s Time for Furnace Maintenance!

November 4th, 2019

We may be known for our hot and humid summers, but that doesn’t mean our winters don’t pack quite the punch as far as weather is concerned. As temperatures begin to cool off, we’re almost ready to start using our furnaces on a daily basis. As such, you should be scheduling your professional preventive maintenance if you haven’t yet.

It’s definitely a good idea to have this job completed before the chillier weather arrives—and that can happen before the official start of winter. Read on to learn about the many benefits of scheduling furnace maintenance, and give our team a call when you’re ready to schedule your tune-up.

Don’t Let These Heating Noises Haunt You

October 21st, 2019

woman-on-grey-background-looking-shocked

It’s Halloween season—you’re in your home and you hear a strange rattling, or perhaps a shrieking noise. It’s not quite trick-or-treating time so you can’t blame it on little kids at your doorstep. Could it be that your house is haunted?!

Okay, probably not. Is your heater on? That’s likely a more realistic explanation for the sounds you’re hearing.

But just because it’s a more reasonable explanation doesn’t mean it’s an acceptable explanation. Your heater shouldn’t be making strange or unfamiliar sounds, and if it is it definitely means something is amiss and needs repair. So what sounds, exactly, should you listen for? Read on!

7 Easy Ways for You to Start Saving on Your Water Consumption

October 18th, 2019

In America we’re used to have running water readily available and in seemingly endless supply, but the long-running drought in California and water restrictions in western states should tell us otherwise. There is a finite supply of water and though water is a renewable resource the amount of clean drinking water is declining. We can all help out by using less water (and paying less). These seven ways to conserve water at home are very practical and some are surprisingly easy.

1. Turn off faucets

How often do you let faucet water run needlessly as you wash or rinse dishes, wash your hands or face, brush your teeth or shave? Your bathroom faucet runs at about two gallons of water per minute. Turn off that tap while you brush your teeth and shave, and you’ll save hundreds of gallons a month.

2. Shorten showers

An older showerhead can put out as much as 5 gallons of water per minute. Install a new low-flow showerhead to bring that down to 2.5 gallons and then cut your shower time in half and you will have reduced your shower water use by 75 percent!

3. Fix leaks

Even a slow drip from a leaking faucet can waste as much as 20 gallons of water a day. A leaking toilet can waste 200 gallons a day! (To check your toilet for a leak, put several drops of food coloring in the tank. If that color shows up in the bowl without flushing, you have a leak.)

4. Go to a car wash

Instead of washing your car at home with the hose, go to a gas station car wash that will use less water and recycle it.

5. Install low-flow or dual-flush toilet

Replace an old toilet with a new ultra-low volume (ULV) 1.6 gallon flush toilet to use up to 70 percent less water. That could reduce your total indoor water use by 30 percent! Another option is a dual-flush toilet that could use as little as 1 gallon for the low-level flush.

6. Replace your old water heater with a tankless hot water heater

A tankless water heater only heats water when you need it. And when you need hot water, the supply is ongoing… so no more worrying about being the last one to take a morning shower. You’ll save about $80 a year in water heating bills.

7. Upgrade to a High Efficiency (HE) washing machine

Today HE washing machines use as little as 7 gallons per load. That’s a lot less than your old washing machine that could be using up to 54 gallons! Newer Energy Star-rated washers use less water and 50 percent less energy.

Summary

None of these are particularly hard to do, but act on a few of them (or all of them) and you could conserve a lot of water—and lower your monthly bills. Some of these are do-it-yourself projects, but a home services company could help you with any of these projects that require a professional

Are Frozen Pipes a Risk?

October 7th, 2019

“Wait,” you may be wondering, “it was in the 90’s still last week, why are we talking about this?”

We get it, fall has barely started, and it’s rather rare that temperatures in the Woodstock area drop below 30°F in the winter anyway. But, rare doesn’t mean never, and it’s far better to be prepared for the possibility than not. How can you do this? Read on!

The Power of Professional Air Sealing

September 23rd, 2019

Today’s homes are built with efficiency in mind!

What does that mean, exactly? Well, it means that modern homes are sealed up tightly, not letting any heat out in the winter and not letting any heat in during the summer. Sounds like a good deal, right? It is a great deal, so long as your home is newer and doesn’t have any home performance problems.

Aging homes may be losing their air sealing in areas, and therefore causing heat transfer where there shouldn’t be. This means that your air conditioner may not be able to cool your home as efficiently as possible, and the same goes for your furnace or other heating system heating you in the winter.

The good news is, there’s something you can do about it—invest in professional air sealing services!

How to Best Protect Your Kitchen Sink

September 9th, 2019

Could you ever imagine living without your water heater? It’s one of those components to your plumbing system that’s impossible to think of going without. Another one is a fully functional kitchen sink. Many homes today have even one more component they can’t think about being without—their garbage disposal.

These components are all convenient, but if you’re not properly caring for them you could find yourself without them and with a huge repair bill to boot. Keep reading to learn how to best protect your kitchen sink to avoid costly and time-consuming plumbing repairs.

Is Ice Ever Normal to See on Your Cooling System?

August 26th, 2019

In a word, no.

While it may seem like ice should be a normal part of the cooling process, it simply is not. If you’ve discovered ice on the indoor unit of your air conditioner, then it’s time to figure out why. The good news is, this isn’t necessarily a major repair in all cases.

But it is one you should leave to the pros—trying to scrape off or thaw ice on your own could further damage the system, and it doesn’t resolve the problem that caused the ice to begin with.