Carney All Seasons Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Carversville’

Why Replace Your Heating System in the Spring

Monday, March 18th, 2013

While most homeowners are considering cleaning out the garage or arranging their patio furniture when spring comes around, many are quick to forget about their heating system. That’s too bad, because the off-season is an opportune time for replacing your heating system, without incurring any unpleasant downtime without heating. There is a host of heating options on the market today, and if your heating system is over 10 years old, or requires frequent repairs, it’s probably an ideal time to invest in the future of the home, rather than its past. When you’re ready to replace your Blue Bell, PA heating system, count on  Carney Plumbing, Heating & Cooling for exceptional heating installation. Call us today!

Here are some things to consider for heating replacement this spring:

  • Energy-efficiency. Technological advances have made the heating efficiency of heaters over 10 years old obsolete. Today’s gas furnaces can reach AFUE ratings of up to 97%. Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency measures the amount of heating output against the energy input. This means less waste and increased energy savings. Often, upgrading to a new system will pay for itself in a few years, depending on your heating needs.
  • Prevent heating downtime. If your heater is on its last legs and you’re weighing your options, consider this: do you really want to keep paying to keep that old furnace alive, when you could save money in the long-term by investing in a new heater? Moreover, delaying the inevitable may catch up to you during the coldest months. Spring is a great time to upgrade because you can avoid heating downtime when you really need it.
  • Switch to natural gas. Not only can upgrading save you energy and hassle, making the switch to natural gas from oil also has its benefits. Natural gas is eco-friendly, highly efficient, and available without the associated costs of foreign importation. Gas is known to burn cleaner than oil, with less energy going to waste.

As you tidy up your attic or perform various spring cleaning duties, think about upgrading that old heater in the basement. Doing so can help you save money. For heater replacement in Blue Bell, PA, call Carney Plumbing Heating Cooling today! 

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Compression vs. Cartridge Faucets

Friday, February 18th, 2011

If you are like most people, you probably do not think too much about what goes on inside your faucet when you turn it on and off. All you need is for the water to flow when you want it to and to stop when you do not. But when the time comes to replace or repair one of the faucets in your home, it is helpful to know a little bit about how the different types of faucets work and what the pros and cons of each can be.

The oldest and most common types of faucets are compression faucets. When one of these faucets is in the off position, a small washer inside creates a seal that keeps water from flowing through and into the tap. But when you turn the faucet on, the stem inside raises up, which takes the pressure off of the washer and breaks the seal. That allows the water to flow until you lower the stem back down again by turning the faucet off.

These faucets are generally easy to find and relatively cheap. They are also easy to install or repair on your own, and this is fortunate because they do tend to develop leaks periodically. That is primarily because the washer inside will wear out over time and need to be replaced. This is a rather straightforward and simple process, but if you do not want to have to deal with it, you may want to consider your other option.

The other main type of faucet on the market today is a cartridge faucet. Instead of washers, these types of faucets employ a cartridge which seals to the faucet base with several O-rings. These types of faucets can often be quite a bit more expensive, although you can certainly find some that are reasonably priced. They are also much less prone to developing leaks, and when they do they are quite easy to repair as well.

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Dual-Flush Toilets: Another Great Green Plumbing Innovation

Wednesday, December 15th, 2010

If you’ve traveled to Europe or Australia, you’ve probably seen toilets with two buttons instead of a single flush handle. Pressing one button flushes the toilet lightly to remove liquid waste, and pressing the other produces a higher-volume flush to remove solid waste.

Originally designed for drought-prone Australia, these water-saving toilets are becoming increasingly popular in North America as well.

Standard 1.6-gallon toilets are a great improvement over older toilets, which used 3 or even more gallons per flush. But dual-flush toilets are even more water-efficient. A “full flush” uses 1.53 gallons per flush, and a “half flush” uses only 1.02 gallons per flush. The result is a reduction of up to 68% in water usage over a conventional toilet (and even more if your conventional toilet is old and leaky).

Of course the savings vary from person to person, but if you use the toilet an average of 5 times a day, you’ll save close to 600 gallons of water every year. For a family of four, that works out to a total savings of 2400 gallons annually. And, since toilet usage typically accounts for roughly a quarter of your water bill, you can end up with a monthly savings of close to 17%.

Another benefit of dual-flush toilets is that most models have a larger trapway for removing waste than conventional toilets – which reduces the likelihood of a clog.

Finally, dual-flush toilets look great. They are sleek, modern, and European-looking, and they perfectly complement a high-end bathroom.

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