Carney All Seasons Blog: Archive for August, 2014

Furnace Repairs to Take Care of Before Heating Season

Wednesday, August 27th, 2014

Is it already that time of year again? Or close to it? The end of summer has arrived, and with it comes concerns about keeping homes warms during the fall and into winter. If you haven’t given much consideration to your home’s furnace over the summer—and you likely haven’t—now is the time to ask yourself if the furnace is prepared to handle the cold days that will arrive within a few months.

The best way to know if your heating system can tackle another winter is to schedule a maintenance session for it. A professional technician will inspect your furnace to locate any repair needs that you should have taken care of before the chilly weather arrives. Don’t delay with furnace repairs, since a sudden cold snap could strike and leave you in a freezing house.

We offer same-day service for repairs, satisfaction guaranteed!

Call Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling and sign up for our maintenance program so you’ll get a head start on heating repair in Bucks County, PA.

Some repairs your furnace may need:

  • Cleaning the burner – If you have a gas furnace, the burner is the component where the gas jets ignite to raise the temperature. If the burner has developed dirt and grime across it during the summer rest period, it will struggle to draw oxygen and ignite. Technicians can remove the burner and clean it off so it runs at its best.
  • Replacing a malfunctioning igniter – Pilot lights are becoming less common for furnaces, and they instead use electronic ignition to start. If this igniter fails, the furnace’s burners will not activate. During maintenance, a technician will check that the igniter is working and inform you if you need to schedule a replacement.
  • Repairing the blower motor – If you also have a central air conditioner, it likely uses the same blower fan to distribute air as the furnace. The motor can start to wear down and lose lubrication over the summer, or dirt along its moving parts can create strain. If you begin to hear shrieking noises from the AC, you may also have a problem for your furnace; schedule a maintenance session and whatever repair work you may need.
  • Replacing broken heating elements – For electric furnaces, the heating elements are the critical part of creating warmth. If one or more the heating elements burns out, the furnace will lose its heating capacity. Technician can easily replace the broken heating elements.

When you sign up for our maintenance agreement at Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling, you will receive two yearly inspections and tune-ups: one for your heater and one for your AC. You’ll also receive 10% to 15% off any HVAC service or repair and guaranteed 24 hour service, 365 days a year, so you’ll always have the heating repair in Bucks County, PA that you need to stay warm through to spring.

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Ways to Tell You Need Water Line Replacement

Wednesday, August 20th, 2014

Perhaps the most important part of your home’s plumbing is the water line. Your plumbing system is all about moving water from one place to another, but without the water line from the municipal supply you wouldn’t have any water in your plumbing at all.

Water lines are durable and should last for many decades. But sometimes they can wear down, corrode (especially for pipes made from older galvanized steel instead of copper), suffer damage, or have tree roots infiltrate and block them. Repairs can sometimes restore the water line, but there are situations when you should have the line replaced in whole or part.

Below are some of the signs to look for that it’s time to consider water line replacement in Lansdale, PA.

Call the dependable staff at Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling when you need the work done; we can take care of it fast, and we’ll provide a free estimate for the replacement.

Signs you may need water line replacement

  • Drop in water pressure: If the water pressure coming from all taps and fixtures shows a decline that you cannot explain, it may be due to a water line that is blocked or leaking. Make sure that it is not a municipal problem (see if a neighbor is encountering similar difficulties) and then call for plumbers to investigate.
  • Discolored water: When a water line starts to corrode, it will change the color of the water from the taps to a rusty-brown, similar to what you might see when turning on a tap after a few weeks. This could also come from a municipal supply issue, but have a professional plumber look into it to see if the water line is at fault.
  • Water coming up through the yard or sidewalk: Should a section of the water line break, a large amount of water will start to rise to the surface. This will result in damp areas and pools on your yard that don’t come from rain or sprinklers. Sometimes the water will start rising up through the sidewalk. Don’t hesitate when you see this evidence for a severely damaged water line: call for plumbing help immediately.

Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling offers same-day service for your plumbing needs. When you require water line replacement in Lansdale, PA, make us your first call. We are fully licensed, insured, and bonded, and we perform line replacement in accordance with the PA-adopted International Residential Code.

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Some of Your Options for Better Indoor Air Quality in Quakertown, PA

Monday, August 18th, 2014

The quality of the air you breathe is intrinsic to your health and comfort. While you may not have a lot of control over the air outside, you certainly have control over your indoor air quality in Quakertown, particularly when you install a whole-home air cleaning solution. There can be multiple reasons for needing to improve the quality of your indoor air, from allergies to asthma to generally better health, and Carney Plumbing, Heating & Cooling has a variety of products that can assist you with your needs.

Options Available for Better Indoor Air

Choosing the right whole-home product for your indoor air quality depends in large part on your needs. It’s best to work with a professional to determine what the best choice will be, but here are a few products to give you a preliminary overview of what is available:

Mechanical Air Filters

Mechanical air filters are square-framed filters that fit into the space in which your standard filter fits. Mechanical filters are made to improve your indoor air quality, whereas the standard mechanical filter is made to reduce the dirt and dust in your system. Mechanical air filters can include HEPA filters, and come in a range of MERV ratings that can help you determine what particles a particular filter will help remove. Mechanical filters typically need to be replaced (some can be cleaned) every 3 months.

Electronic Air Cleaners

There are two types of electronic air cleaners:

  • Electronic precipitators
  • Ion generators

Electronic precipitators create a space known as an ionization section; they do this by charging the air around them, creating a charged section of air. As particles move into this space, they become electronically charged. Electronic precipitators have oppositely-charged, metal plates that collect these charged particles.

Ion generators work in a similar way, but with two distinct differences: one, they do not create an ion section; instead, they send ions into the air, and particles that come into contact with the ions become charged. Two, they do not have collection plates; the charged particles collect on the surfaces of your home instead.

UV Germicidal Lights

UV germicidal lights are air purifiers that kill biological contaminants with over 99% efficiency. UV lights achieve this by killing the DNA of biological cells with the radiation from UV-C light rays. UV lights can be installed over coils and in vent work. One thing to note about UV germicidal lights is that they do not filter anything, so to achieve the best level of indoor quality, it’s advisable to pair UV lights with an air filter.

Wondering How to Improve Your Indoor Air? Call Us!

Better air quality helps keep you, your family and your air conditioner healthy.

Carney Plumbing, Heating & Cooling can help you choose and install the right product to improve your indoor air quality in Quakertown. Call us today and schedule an appointment with one of our experts.

 

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3 Types of Well Pumps to Consider

Monday, August 4th, 2014

Not every home can have access to a municipal water system, and these residences will need to access water wells for their plumbing. If your home uses a well for fresh water, one of the essential components of your plumbing is the well pump, an electromechanical appliance to move the water out from the well and into your home. Well pumps need maintenance and occasional repairs like any other hardworking device, and if you need to have a replacement well pump, schedule the work as soon as possible so you don’t get trapped one day with no water in your home at all!

Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling provides Doylestown, PA with well pump services, including installation and repairs.

If you need a new well pump, whether as a replacement or for a new home, call our specialists at Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling right away and schedule an appointment.

Here are the 3 different types of well pumps to consider:

1. Submersible pumps

As the name implies, these pumps sit down within the well itself. A submersible well pump resembles a long metal cylinder. It draws water from the well through the bottom of the unit using a motor and up through a flow sleeve. The water goes through a grill into a discharge pipe, which pushes the water straight up and out of the pump to a pit-less adaptor, a connector that redirects the water to the horizontal water line that then enters your home. Submersible pumps work best for wells that are several hundred feet, and they can often work for more than 25 years without requiring repairs.

2. Jet pumps (single drop)

Unlike submersible pumps, jet pumps are housed above the well and out of the water, sometimes within your home or in a well house, which makes them easier to service than submersible pumps. Jet pumps use an impeller motor to create suction through a pipe that extends down into the well, and the water passes through a narrow opening, or jet. The constriction of the jet increases the speed of the water and sucks even more water from the well. The “single drop” jet pump, which contains the impeller and jet assembly above ground, is effective for shallow wells (down to 25 feet) since the water does not have a long distance to travel to reach the storage tank.

3. Jet pumps (double drop)

Jet pumps can also work for deeper wells, but the set-up is different. In a “double drop” jet pump, the jet assembly is located down within the well, while the impeller motor is still located above. With the jet down in the well, the pump can draw additional water to assist with the overcoming the distance.

What is the right type of pump for your home’s well? It depends on the depth and location of the well, and how efficiently each type of pump will work. Contact professionals, like those at Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling, to help you pick and install the right well pump in Doylestown, PA for your home’s steady fresh water supply.

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