Carney All Seasons Blog: Archive for March, 2015

What Types of Tankless Hot Water Heaters Are Available?

Friday, March 27th, 2015

Tankless water heaters are becoming more and more popular options for homeowners, thanks to better, more effective designs and their ability to greatly reduce energy usage. What’s even better is that if you choose to install a tankless water heater, you also can choose how to power it, with either natural gas electricity. Which type of tankless hot water heater is best for your home in Jenkintown? Let the experts at Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling give you some food for thought below.

Electric vs. Gas

So which is the better tankless system for your home? First, to have a gas-powered tankless water heater, you must have access to a natural gas line or an LP (liquid propane) tank. If you don’t have access to either of these, you will probably be limited to the installation of an electric tankless system. On the whole, the installation costs of an electric tankless system are less expensive, mostly because combustion tankless systems require specific venting that includes a flue. However, operating an electric tankless water heater will most likely be more expensive as electricity costs more than natural gas; in fact, it may be 10-15% less expensive to operate a gas tankless unit than an electrical one. When it comes to deciding which type will be the best fit for your home, ask the following kinds of questions:

  • What is your preference?
  • What kinds of power do you have access to?
  • What is your daily water usage?
  • Does size of the unit matter? (Gas tankless units are about 30% larger than electric ones)
  • What are the installation costs for both?
  • What kind of energy costs can you anticipate from operating each one?

Always Work with a Trained Professional

To help ensure that you purchase and install a tankless water heater that fits your needs and provides enough hot water to your home, work with a trained specialist.

The tankless hot water heater experts at Carney Plumbing Heating &Cooling can maintain and repair your unit when needed. Call us today and schedule an appointment.

Continue Reading

Why Consider a Whole-Home Natural Gas Generator?

Friday, March 20th, 2015

Did you know there are over 3 million people without power every week due to power outages? Not all power outages last for long periods of time, but even a 24-hour outage can spoil food and cause plumbing and HVAC problems for your home. However, if you have access to a natural gas line, or already have natural gas in your home for other appliances, you may want to consider the installation of a whole-home natural gas generator for your Warrington home so that you won’t have to worry about the effects of a power outage again. Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling offers whole-home generator services, so if you have been thinking that it’s time for a home generator, call us today!

How a Whole-Home Gas Generator Works

All generators should be sized to properly work for your home, which is something your expert can assist with. Once you determine the right size generator, the unit is installed outdoors and then connected to both your natural gas line and your home’s electrical box. Your whole-home generator is equipped with sensors that constantly monitor the power, so that should a power interruption occur, the generator immediately takes over; this is known as automatic switching. The generator will provide the power to your home’s electrical panel until the power returns, and when the power does return, the sensor will turn off the generator automatically as well.

Benefits

The benefits of having a whole-home gas generator include:

  • Safety and protection – a whole-home generator keeps your home operational, so that you can keep lights on, run and alarm system and have access to electronics.
  • Ability to keep food fresh – with a whole-home generator, the major systems in your home will be able to operate, including your electricity. This will allow you to keep your refrigerator on and maintain your food supply.
  • Comfort – your HVAC system is going to be one of the major systems powered by your generator, so you won’t have to worry about losing heat during a power outage.

The generator experts at Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling are here to help with all your whole-home natural gas generator needs in Warrington, so call us today!

Continue Reading

How to Keep Your Geothermal System Running Optimally

Friday, March 13th, 2015

Geothermal systems don’t have a lot of moving parts, but this doesn’t mean that there aren’t some basic things that you can do to keep your system healthy. We aren’t recommending that you perform any kind of repair or maintenance yourself on your geothermal system – leave that for the experts. Rather, our Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling experts would like to pass along some geothermal energy tips that may help keep your geothermal system in Bedminster, PA, healthy.

Tip #1: Schedule Bi-Annual Maintenance

You may be asking: twice a year – really? Yep, really. Your geothermal system provides your home with both heating and cooling, so the system’s heat pump works all year long, not just seasonally. As such, it does twice the work of a single heating or cooling system. Maintenance for your geothermal system will keep the system energy efficient, help discover any existing or developing problems and make sure that your system’s anti-freeze is at the right levels. Maintenance also involves cleaning, adjusting and lubrication, so you can rest assured that your heat pump will also be given a thorough going-over and the attention it needs to be in good working order.

Tip #2: Schedule Duct Cleaning

If you have a ducted geothermal system, it’s just as important to maintain your ductwork as it is to maintain the heat pump of your system. A thick layer of dust and dirt can disrupt the air flow in your system, creating unnecessary stress; this layer will also blow into your living spaces, compromising the indoor air quality in your home. Ductwork can often be neglected because it isn’t visible, but it is an important part of your heating and cooling system.

Tip #3: Change the Air Filters Every 3 Months

A dirty air filter can wreak havoc on your geothermal system. Not only will it block air flow, it will also put stress on your system and cause problems with your home’s indoor air quality. But there is a simple solution to all of these issues: change the air filter every 3 months.

Geothermal systems may not need as much upkeep as other types of home HVAC systems, but this doesn’t mean that they are maintenance-free and utilizing these geothermal energy tips from our Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling experts can help you stay ahead of problems.

Our experts are always on hand to help, so if you are experiencing problems with your geothermal system, contact us today!

Continue Reading

Signs Your Water Line Needs Replacement

Friday, March 6th, 2015

All of the plumbing in your home is important to every day function, but there are two major plumbing lines that especially need to be fully functional at all times: your septic or sewer line and your main water line. Without a properly-working main water line, your home won’t get the clean, fresh water it needs, and without a functional septic or sewer line, your home’s wastewater will not be removed properly or safely. Today we’re going to talk about signs that can indicate your main water line in Jamison needs replacement and why it’s important to always hire trained professionals, like the ones at Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling, to perform all work on your main water line.

Signs of Water Line Problems

Here are some of the more common signs that your main water line needs replacing:

Soggy Spots in the Yard

The water line coming into your home is buried in the ground, so if a leak or leaks have developed, the water will seep into the dirt and head toward the surface. The seeping will eventually create soggy areas and/or puddles around your yard.

Low Water Pressure

When problems develop with your main water line, the pressure inside the line can decrease significantly, which will present itself in your home as low water pressure. Typically all the faucets will display low water pressure when there’s a problem with the main water line, so if you are experiencing this, it’s time to call for an expert.

Discolored Water

Corrosion is one of the causes for a failing water line. If this is the case with yours, you may see a discoloration of your water due rust getting into the water flow. The discoloration would appear from all faucets and would be a part of both your hot and cold water.

Call for a Trained Expert

Water main replacement is a large job that requires adherence to local and state codes; additionally, it takes training and expertise to properly replace a water main line. These are the reasons why it’s so important to call for an expert should you need to replace your water line.

Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling experts have been providing comprehensive plumbing services since 1976, so if you suspect something is wrong with your water line, call us today!

Continue Reading

Reasons to Convert Your Heating System to Natural Gas

Thursday, March 5th, 2015

Have you been getting frustrated with your oil or electrically-based heating system? Do you wish to have other appliances on natural gas? Then it may be time to consider a natural gas conversion in Doylestown. Converting to natural gas is a process that involves several steps, the handling of heavy, complex equipment and managing the correct piping for the natural gas to flow safely into your home. What does this mean? You need an expert to handle your natural gas conversion, and the experts at Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling are here to help.

The Process

The process of converting from oil to natural gas involves a number of steps, including:

  • Site evaluation – this typically includes evaluating the current heater and how much gas piping will be needed to reach your home.
  • Estimate for scope of work – your technician will provide you with a scope of work and an estimate for the work to be done.
  • Coordination with the gas company – a lot of paperwork has to be processed in order to move forward with the conversion, and this is something the experts at Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling will handle. The paperwork will involve issues such as who owns the property, where the property is located and other administrative issues that pertain to the conversion, including permits.
  • Installation of the gas piping – once all the paperwork and permits have been completed, the technicians will move forward with installing your gas piping from the street to inside your home.
  • Inspection – once all of the piping has been installed, the gas company will need to inspect the work and approve it before any appliances can be connected to the gas.
  • Installation of gas heater – as soon as the piping clears inspection, your new gas heater can be installed.

Why Convert?

While the process may seem a bit cumbersome, there are some important benefits to converting your heating system from oil to natural gas:

  • Convenience of a fuel – with natural gas, there is no more need to manage fuel deliveries
  • You can fuel a number of appliances with the new gas line – you can add a water heater, a dryer, etc., to use your new gas fuel line
  • Clean-burning fuel – if you’ve had concerns about using oil, natural gas is the cleanest-burning of all the fossil fuels

If you have been thinking of converting from gas to oil, call the people you can trust: Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling.

Continue Reading