In the next few days, we all will experience temperatures and wind chills that our homes’ heating systems in the Des Moines area are NOT designed for. -20 to -30-degree temperatures with wind chills into -40 and down to the -50s! Newer homes will struggle to maintain temperature and older homes will NOT maintain temperature—the temperature WILL drop while the heating system is working at full capacity. Here are some helpful tips to make the next few days a little more bearable.
Schaal Plumbing, Heating and Cooling Blog : Posts Tagged ‘Des Moines’
Prepare for the Coming Extreme Cold!
Wednesday, January 30th, 2019Is Your Heater Running Properly?
Monday, January 14th, 2019
What does this mean, you may be wondering? Is my heater starting up? Sure it is. Is it generating heat? Well, yes. That would be a pretty obvious problem, and I don’t really need a blog post to tell me that a heater should be doing so.
That’s not really what this blog is about, though.
In today’s post, we are going to talk about an issue that a lot of homeowners face, and that a lot of homeowners fail to recognize as a serious issue: short cycling. Because your heater will still technically be firing up and producing heat when it is short cycling, you may be tempted to ignore the issue, if you register it as such at all.
Don’t.
We are going to take a look at some of the potential causes of short cycling, as well as some of the ways in which it works against you and your system. If necessary, we can handle your heating repairs in Des Moines, IA.
Keep Your Heater Working Efficiently
Monday, December 31st, 2018
If we were able to provide you with free heating, it would be our honor to do so. That’s just not a possibility, however—which is actually good for us, since giving away free heating probably wouldn’t be great for our finances. That being said, you certainly don’t want to be paying more than is necessary in order to heat your home. Too many homeowners write off their high heating costs as the norm, though, even though boost efficiency can be quite simple.
Now, we’re not going to be able to make your heater any more efficient than it is rated for. All systems do have their upper limit. However, we’ can help you to keep your heater working as closely to that upper limit as possible. Sure, replacing your old, inefficient heater with a new, more efficient model is an obvious way to get a more efficient heating performance. We’d like to share some other, less expensive tips with you today, though.
Winter Plumbing Challenges Solved!
Monday, November 5th, 2018
Winter brings a lot of challenges. It makes commutes tougher. It makes taking the dogs out for their walks tougher. Heck, it makes getting out of bed in the morning tougher. All that being said, it is easy to overlook some of the worst challenges that winter has to offer, including those affecting your plumbing system. You’d be remiss to do so, though. Why? Because if you wait for problems to take hold, you’re already in a world of trouble!
Today, we are going to be talking about the classic conundrum that plumbing systems face in the winter season. You guessed it: frozen pipes. Is there a way to guarantee that you’ll never run into problems with your plumbing pipes freezing? Unfortunately, no. Is there a way to make that risk as minimal as possible? Fortunately, no.
Wait, what?
There’s not “a” way—there are plenty of them! Read on for tips regarding winter and your plumbing in Des Moines, IA.
When Should I Repipe My Home?
Monday, September 10th, 2018
It’s a question that no homeowner is going to want to hear “right now” as a response to. The fact of the matter is, however, that your pipes won’t last indefinitely. There will come a time when repiping your home is really going to be in the best interest of your property. There may also come a time when there is really no other option to consider. Whatever the case may be, you want to be well-informed before you take on such a major project.
Now, we know what some homeowners may be thinking. Yeah, right. You’ll never get me to repipe my entire house. I’ll just keep patching up the system here and there as need be. That’s all well and good, but getting the job done all at once, when that really is the best option, is definitely going to save you a lot of time and, though it may be hard to believe at the moment, money in the long run. Just make sure that you hire a great plumbing company in Des Moines, IA to do the job.
3 Benefits of Hiring a Professional Plumber
Monday, August 27th, 2018
For some reason, it seems like many homeowners are more likely to take a crack at servicing their plumbing systems than they would be at, say, breaking open the furnace to try and resolve a problem with that system. There is no denying that doing so can be very dangerous, and we wouldn’t argure otherwise! That being said, you have to keep in mind the immense amount of trouble that a compromised plumbing system can cause!
From (very costly) water damage to unhygienic backups and incredible inconvenience, problems with your plumbing are very serious business. That is why you always need to hire a professional plumber in Des Moines, IA. There is nothing about DIY plumbing services, beyond a simple plunging, of course, that make such attempts worthwhile. Read on for a few specifics about why you want a professional plumber working on your plumbing system. Then, if and when trouble does arise, dial our number!
Call Schaal If Your Home or Office Floods!
Monday, August 13th, 2018
There are a lot of factors that we can control in our homes and around the office. The temperature, for instance, provided that we have good HVAC systems installed. There are also those events that are out of our control, though. These include flooding. Sure, professional plumbing services and even basement waterproofing will help to prevent and protect against flooding. However, even this is no guarantee.
Now, you are going to have a lot to deal with if your home or office should flood. From old family photos that you may have stored to important documents that have not been digitized, you’ll likely wind up scurrying around trying to mitigate damages on and to your property. But what about your HVAC system?
Today, we are going to look at what you should do regarding your HVAC system in the event of a flood. We know that you’ll have a lot on your plate, but trust us—you want to be prepared. Fortunately, that all really comes down to getting in touch with us, your trusted HVAC company in Des Moines!
Why Spend the Money on a Tankless Water Heater?
Monday, April 23rd, 2018
When you need to use hot water in your home, as you undoubtedly do at many points throughout the day, you probably don’t really give all that much thought to how that hot water comes to be hot, or how it makes its way to the point of use where it is needed. Water heaters are a standard feature of homes today, after all. If and when the time comes to invest in a new water heater, though, you are wise to give a whole lot of thought to how you’ll heat water in your home.
There are more options available than you may realize, and choosing your new water heater is not a decision that you can rush through. If you do, you may wind up overlooking a system that is a great fit for you, such as the tankless water heater. We install and service these water heaters in Des Moines, IA, and we have seen them grow more and more popular as more and more homeowners discover the benefits that they have to offer.
How to Keep Heating Repairs Away
Monday, March 26th, 2018
We may be approaching the finish line of the heating season, but that doesn’t mean that we are out of the chilly woods just yet. The fact of the matter is that you will still need your heater for a while longer. Because we are moving out of the heating system, though, it does make sense to start reflecting on how your heater handled this past winter. Were you 100% satisfied with the overall operation of your system? Or did repair needs really bog down your comfort this season?
If you answered yes to the latter, then today’s post is definitely for you. We want to share with you some information that you should keep in mind regarding the ways in which you can keep heating repairs to a minimum. No, there is no way in which you can hope to make your heater 100% reliable. That being said, you can definitely help to keep your system as reliable as possible. Here is how to do so.
Can I Handle My Own Heating Maintenance?
Monday, February 26th, 2018
There is no denying it—the single best thing that you can do for your home heating system is to schedule professional heating maintenance in Des Moines, IA. If you are not diligent in scheduling professional heating maintenance on an annual basis, then you are doing your home heating system a serious disservice. However, it is not really any more of a disservice than attempting to tune your home heating system up on your own is. This is not a DIY job.
We know that there are a lot of very capable homeowners out there, and there is certainly a lot to be said for self-sufficiency. That being said, however, the most responsible homeowners are those that know when to pass over the toolbox and to pick up the telephone instead. Handy as you may be, a thorough heating tune-up is simply a job requiring the skill and expertise that only trained professionals can possess. Work with us to reap the full benefits of routine heating maintenance.
