Carney All Seasons Blog: Archive for December, 2013

The Ball in Times Square

Monday, December 30th, 2013

New Year’s is a time for parties, fun and great traditions, some of which go back more than a century. Among them is the famous “dropping of the ball” in Times Square, an event which is broadcast to millions of people every New Year’s Eve. With 2014 nearly upon us, we thought we’d take the opportunity to look at the history of this popular New Year’s Eve festivity.

The idea began in 1907 at what was then the New York Times building at One Times Square. The newspaper’s owner, Adolph Ochs, had been celebrating the New Year with fireworks since 1903. He wanted make the event even more remarkable, and added the ball in December of 1907 to welcome in the New Year. The first ball was designed by Artkraft Strauss, who made it out of iron, wood, and light bulbs. It took six men to hoist the ball up the building’s flag pole; once midnight struck, the tremendous ball was carefully lowered, and all were allowed to marvel at it.

Since then, the ball has undergone many changes in materials and design, and even the New York Times has moved to another building. But the tradition remains and the ball has dropped over One Times Square ever since. Today, the ball is electronically controlled, and uses LED lamps for its construction: designed by Waterford Crystal and weighing in at over 1,200 pounds.

A number of television broadcasts have helped carry the event over the years, but by far the most famous is “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” which first ran in 1972. The show was created and hosted by Dick Clark, who became a staple of the event as much as the ball itself. Clark hosted the show every New Year’s Eve from 1972 until his death in 2012. Since then, it has been hosted by Ryan Seacrest, who shared hosting duties with Clark starting in 2005.

Whether you’re watching the ball drop on TV or have some other New Year’s Eve plan in mind, we here at Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling wish you nothing but the best for 2014. Have a safe and happy New Year!

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Happy Holidays!

Monday, December 23rd, 2013

Holiday greetings from Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling! We hope you are having safe and pleasant season, enjoying your favorite traditions for this time of year. We wish you the very best, and we thank you for your business this year.

In honor of the season, here are some fun facts about one of everyone’s favorite holiday movies: It’s a Wonderful Life.

For years, one of the enduring December traditions in the United States was watching the movie It’s a Wonderful Life playing almost nonstop on numerous television stations. No matter the time of the day, you could turn on the TV set, flip through channels, and discover It’s a Wonderful Life playing. Whenever you needed him, you could find Jimmy Stewart shouting, “Hello, Bedford Falls!”

But now… It’s a Wonderful Life only appears on broadcast television a few times during December, and most families instead choose to watch the movie on video. What happened?

The reason goes back to the film’s initial wide release in January 1947. (That’s right, it opened after the holiday season. It was not even promoted as a holiday film.) It’s a Wonderful Life was a box-office disappointment at the time, and its studio, RKO Radio Pictures, lost more than half a million on it. The movie’s production company, Liberty Films, was sold to Paramount to avoid bank foreclosure. (A bit ironic, considering the movie’s plot.) In 1955, the National Telefilm Associates (NTA) took over the rights to It’s a Wonderful Life, which included the television syndication rights.

However, NTA failed to properly renew the copyright in 1974 because of a clerical error, which allowed the film’s images to enter into the public domain. Although the movie’s plot was still under copyright protection because it was adapted from a published story called “The Greatest Gift,” television stations across the world could now broadcast it with only minimal royalty payments.

In 1993, Republic Pictures, which now owned the NTA library, tried to enforce their claim to the copyright of the film, as they possessed the rights to “The Greatest Gift.” Republic Pictures succeeded, and licensed exclusive television rights to NBC. Suddenly, It’s a Wonderful Life vanished from local television stations, and NBC made the movie’s broadcasts—usually twice during December—into major events. As of 1998, Paramount again has the rights to It’s a Wonderful Life… 43 years after they lost them.

It’s still easy to make It’s a Wonderful Life a part of whatever traditions you observe during the holidays, whether through home video or television broadcasts. Despite its lackluster initial reception in 1947, Frank Capra’s film is now an inseparable part of December in the United States.

Have a great holiday week!

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Why Schedule a Necessary Heating Repair as Soon as Possible?

Monday, December 16th, 2013

If your heating system—whether it’s a boiler, furnace, heat pump, or hybrid—starts to malfunction and show signs that it needs to have repairs done, you have to schedule those repairs ASAP. Delaying will only cause you more grief. In this post, we’ll explain why it’s so important that you get those repairs done the moment you can.

Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling has developed a large and loyal client base during our 30 years providing heating repair for Blue Bell, PA and throughout Bucks and Montgomery County. With our same-day service and satisfaction guarantee, we should be your first call when you need to schedule those necessary repairs.

Reasons to Schedule Heating Repair ASAP

  • Prevent energy inefficiency: Your heater may still continue providing you with heat when it needs repairs, but it will lose its energy efficiency because it will need to work harder to maintain its regular temperature. Whether it’s broken ducts, loose fan belts, or rust, that repair requirement will force your heater to drain more power—and you’ll end up paying for that on your heating bills.
  • Fend off larger repairs—or a full break down: Malfunctions in heating systems tend to spread to other components as they worsen. The longer you delay, the more likely you will need more repairs done. You also risk the worst case scenario: your heater shutting down entirely. Any flaw in the system could threaten to bring all the components to a halt, so get the work done before your heater gets pushed to the edge.
  • Avoid work crunches for technicians: The winter is a busy time for HVAC specialists. If you schedule your repairs early, you won’t have to worry about long delays waiting for service when the trouble has turned serious enough that you’ve lost your heating and are stuck in a chilly house.

Call Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling for Repairs

At Carney Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, we guarantee satisfaction with our work. All our technicians are NATE- and EPA-certified, so you will know you’re getting quality service. We won’t leave you in the cold this winter: call us as soon as you need heating repair in Blue Bell, PA, and we’ll do our best to get right out to you and get your heater healthy once more.

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A Brief Guide to Some Essential Plumbing Components

Friday, December 13th, 2013

The more water-using appliances we have in our houses, the more we need to rely on the experience of professional plumbers to handle maintenance and repairs. When you need assistance with your plumbing in Villanova, PA, don’t rely on amateurs or a few on-line “how-to-guides”: look to the expert plumbers at Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling.

Here are some of the basic components of your plumbing, from the large (water main) to the small (p-trap). If you encounter trouble with any of these, such as leaks or clogging, you need to contact a plumber immediately.

Water Main

This is the line the runs from the municipal water supply into your home and delivers fresh water to you. It must be kept in good repair or you risk contamination of your water supply or the possible loss of all your running water.

Sewer Main

This is opposite component to the water main. The sewer line runs the waste water from your home out to the municipal sewer system. Damage to this line can result in sewage flooding into your home, as well as smaller but still troublesome issues such as sinks backing up and pest infestations.

Copper / PEX pipes

Pipes are, of course, essential for home plumbing. However, the material from which modern pipes are constructed is key to how well they perform their function. Pipes used to be constructed from galvanized steel, which is strong but inflexible and prone to corrosion with age. Today, PEX and copper are the most popular material for pipes. Copper is durable but less costly than steel, resists corrosion, and won’t crack and crumble from age. PEX (crosslinked polyethylene) is a synthetic material that is more flexible than rigid plastic or steel, won’t corrode, and is resistant to limescale and chlorine.

P-traps

You probably see the p-traps of your sinks more often than any other part of the piping of your home: they are the curved pipe right below the drains. P-traps are responsible for maintaining a barrier of water in the piping near the drains, and this water serves as a plug to prevent sewer odors from escaping through the septic system and into your home. P-traps can often become clogged with debris and food particles and require cleaning.

There are many more components that make up the plumbing in your home. It takes years of training to know and understand them all. This is why it’s important that when plumbing issues start in your home that you call up a trusted professional plumber for repairs. Make sure you contact knowledgeable plumbers when you need help. Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling offers same day service and a satisfaction guarantee: make us your first call for Villanova, PA plumbing service.

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Why Is My Hot Water Discolored?

Monday, December 9th, 2013

Turning on a sink faucet and discovering the water is colored a rusty brown is something you might expect if you have returned from a long vacation and no one has turned on the water in a few weeks. In less than a minute, this discoloration will go away. But what if this happens to your hot water during a regular day? Does it mean that the hot water heater has developed a malfunction and needs repairs or replacement?

A malfunctioning water heater is one possibility. We’ll go over some other reasons, and whether they mean you’ll need repairs for your heater or plumbing. Whatever the cause for the trouble, you can call on Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling to fix it. When it comes to water heater repair in New Hope, PA, we are “the plumber that other plumbers recommend.”

Reasons for hot water discoloration

  • Corrosion in galvanized iron plumbing: The problem might indeed be rust, the same as when you turn on faucets after a long absence. If you have older plumbing, this is often the cause. (Plastic and copper tubing do not encounter this issue.) You may consider repiping.
  • Disturbances in the municipal water system: The trouble may come from the city’s water supply and have nothing to do with your home at all. Try running cold water from another tap in the house. If it comes out discolored as well, then it is likely a municipal issue—and you’ll know your water heater is not at fault.
  • Sediment in the water heater: Now we come to issues inside the water heater. Sediment can build up in the heater’s tank (usually because of breaks in the underground pipes) and enter the water, causing discoloration. You will need to have a professional flush the tank to remove the sediment, and you should enroll in regular maintenance to prevent it from re-occurring.
  • An aging water heater: If your heater is approaching the end of its manufacturer’s expected lifespan, discoloration is usually a final sign before it breaks down completely. Corrosion and dirt infiltration are starting to override the water heater. You should have it replaced as soon as possible.

Call in the experts

If you can’t solve the problem with discolored water on your own, look to Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling for quality hot water repair in New Hope, PA. We provide a 2-year labor warranty along with a 6-year tank and part warranty through the manufacturer. Schedule an appointment with us today for an honest assessment of your water heater’s situation and an expert opinion on what you can do. We offer free estimates.

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Should I Schedule Regular Drain Cleaning or Wait for a Backup?

Monday, December 2nd, 2013

This bit of advice about the plumbing in your home is used so frequently that it’s almost a cliché: “You should treat your plumbing no differently than you treat your car.” However, it’s the most apt comparison to convince people to schedule regular cleaning for their drains. You don’t want to risk your car breaking down in the middle of a lengthy drive, stranding you with a long wait for a tow truck, followed by a series of expensive repair bills. Likewise, you don’t want your plumbing to back up, preventing you from taking care of basic household tasks, until a plumber arrives to do possibly pricey repair work.

So take the question, “Should I schedule regular drain cleaning or wait for a backup?” and rephrase it for an automobile: “Should I schedule regular tune-ups on my car or wait for it to die in the middle of the street?” The answer should be clear.

The good news is scheduling drain cleaning is easy: you can call the experts at Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling. We offer top-quality cleaning in Hatfield, PA, and your satisfaction is guaranteed.

And we need to emphasize how important it is to get professional drain cleaners to do this work. You shouldn’t rely on a bottle of liquid “drain cleaner” to take care of the job. These products don’t so much clean your drains as they do violently scour them with acidic chemicals. They can harm your pipes, the environment, and you.

Professional drain cleaners use a variety of sophisticated tools to get your drainpipes into shape without harming them. Hydro-jetters, mechanical drain snakes, and video camera pipe inspection systems are basic parts of the toolkits of modern professional plumbers. A drain cleaning is more than just solving your current clogging and slow drain problems; expert plumbers will identify potential problem areas and repair them, as well as apply ecologically safe products to your water supply to keep clogs from forming.

Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling has more than three decades of experience in plumbing and HVAC. Over that time we have built up a dedicated client base who use our services annually to keep their plumbing in prime health. Turn to us when you decide to get your drain cleaning in Hatfield, PA, done before you run into a worst-case scenario. Take the same precautions about your plumbing as you do about your car: schedule regular inspection and cleaning.

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