Category: Blog

Throughout the year, from summer to winter and every season in between, one of the hardest-working appliances in your home and plumbing system is the water heater. It must constantly be available to provide hot water to fixtures around the home, and this means ensuring it’s in good shape and not experiencing any issues that might limit its efficiency or operation.

At Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electric, we’re happy to offer a variety of water heater repair and replacement options for anytime your water heater is experiencing issues. We also offer modern tankless water heater options for those looking to upgrade. While there are a few potential signs that might alert you to a problem taking place in your water heater, a variety of possible noises involving the water heater are some of the most common. This multi-part blog series will dig into several of these sounds you might hear, plus the kinds of issues they’re often signaling to you.

Popping Sounds

Some of the most common sounds that may come from a water heater in your home are various popping, cracking, clanking or similar noises. In the majority of cases, this is due to mineral buildups in your water heater, particularly limescale caused by calcium and magnesium carbonate.

In most situations, these minerals have built up for many years. They are now creating a thick layer of sediment at the bottom of your water heater tank, blocking proper heat transfer and limiting your system’s efficiency – in turn raising your bill each month. Luckily, simple water heater maintenance from one of our plumbers will solve this issue quickly.

Rumbling Noises

In cases where you hear a low rumbling sound coming from the tank, this is often due to temperature increases in the tank that correspond with water passing through sediment. The impact between these two causes the noise – the more sediment is present, the louder the noise will be. In many cases, popping and rumbling sounds are heard together or at similar times in a tank due to similar sediment buildup issues.

Banging or Booming

One of the more dangerous potential sounds coming from the water heater is a loud banging or booming, particularly when the unit is just starting itself up. These sounds could indicate an issue where gas or oil is reigniting itself when the unit’s burner starts, which could lead to explosion risk in the area. While the issue could also be a lower-risk concern related to the heater going through unusual levels of thermal expansion, it’s better to be safe than sorry here – immediately turn the unit off and call our plumbers for help.

For more on dealing with noises coming from your home’s water heater, or to learn about any of our plumbing or HVAC services, speak to the staff at Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electric today.

In recent months, given the major health outbreak sweeping the globe, the topic of sanitary wipes has been front-of-mind for many people. There are many such wipes on the market, and one category includes “flushable” wipes meant for use in bathroom and related sanitation areas.

At Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electric, our plumbing repair experts are here to inform you of one reality here: Many of the wipes that are labeled “flushable” on their packaging are actually not, and this misleading information can lead to significant blockages and issues that require drain cleaning solutions down the line. Here are some basic facts to be aware of within this realm, including the risks of such wipes and the approach you should be taking to flushing them down your toilet.

Breakdown Times

You may be wondering how companies can market these products as flushable or septic-safe when reality shows they are not, and the answer is found in breakdown times. Technically speaking, it’s true that these wipe types are meant to break down within the system, which ostensibly should mean there’s no clogging risk associated with them.

The problem, though, is that this breakdown for these wipes is nowhere near as rapid as toilet paper, which breaks down extremely quickly. This means that clogged pipes and blockages are much more common, even in the products that assure you they break down over time.

“Ragging” Issues

And because these products don’t break down as quickly as they need to, they’ll flow into your drain system and often become caught up with other items already present in the sewer line. Items like paper towels, cotton balls, dental floss, thicker toilet paper, sanitary pads and many others may also be flushed at times (this shouldn’t be done either), and these will combine with wet wipes.

This leads to an effect known as “ragging.” In many cases, ragging becomes so severe that a professional plumber with drain cleaning expertise is required to remedy the issue.

Proper Approach

While we hate to be the bearers of bad news, particularly in a way that may interrupt convenience elements in your bathroom, the simple reality is this: The only item outside bodily waste that can be safely flushed down the toilet is toilet paper. Any other items, whether we’re talking about these flushable wipes or some of those we listed above, should be disposed of through other methods if you want to avoid the much higher risk of drain clogs and resulting drain cleaning requirements you’ll be faced with.

For more on the truth about flushable wipes and the proper use methods you should stick to with them, or to learn about any of our plumbing or HVAC services, speak to the staff at Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electric today.

At Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical, we’re proud to have saved significant sums of money for numerous homeowners on the HVAC energy costs over the years through intelligent modern heating and air services. From basic furnace maintenance and repair to a variety of air conditioning services, we’ll keep you and your family comfortable year-round – without breaking the bank on monthly utility costs.

One home type that may have some unique concerns when it comes to monthly HVAC costs: Homes with higher ceilings in heavily-occupied rooms such as kitchens or living rooms. Today’s blog will dig into the impact higher ceilings have on HVAC efficiency, plus a few tips we’d offer on how to combat any rising utility costs associated with your higher ceilings.

High Ceiling Space Concerns

As you may have guessed, the primary HVAC-related concern of rooms with higher ceilings is space. Ceilings that are significantly higher than average will add significant square footage to a given room, meaning there’s far more air that has to be replaced when the HVAC system is looking to warm or cool the area.

Naturally, this increase in heating or cooling space often requires the system to work for longer to achieve the same temperatures. Without the right precautions taken, this can lead to a significant rise in your monthly bills. However, there are some tactics you can take to mitigate this impact.

Proper Unit Sizing

First and foremost, it’s vital to work with quality HVAC professionals like ours whenever your home is in need of a new heating or cooling unit such as a furnace, boiler or air conditioner. Our experts will help you choose the proper size unit for your home, accounting for the additional space in certain rooms based on ceiling height. A unit of the proper size is vital for maintaining overall efficiency and only using the bare minimum amount of energy.

Registers

If you have any say in the original design of the home, or if you’re able to make these upgrades, one strong fixture to help with air regulation is a combination of low- and high-return air registers. These allow you to shut lower registers in summer, allowing higher ones to take away heat from the ceiling – and then in the winter, you flip this around and shut higher registers so the lower ones remove cold air.

Other Hacks

A few other basic tips we can offer:

• Fans: Utilize ceiling fans in both seasons – running counter-clockwise in summer for a cool breeze, then clockwise in winter to push heat from higher areas downward to where people are.
• Natural heat: Keep blinds open on sunny days and utilize other natural methods for improving heating or cooling.
• Windows: Strongly consider energy efficient windows to reduce temperature loss in all seasons.

For more on how to manage your HVAC costs if you have high ceilings, or to learn about any of our plumbing or HVAC services, speak to the staff at Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical today.

In part one of this two-part blog series, we went over some of the basics of sump pumps and whether you might want one in your home. Sump pumps are plumbing items that are placed at the very bottom of a given home, usually in the basement or a crawl space, with the purpose of pumping out water during heavy rain or snowfall and preventing flood risks from taking place in your home.

At Action Plumbing, our quality residential plumbers are here to help with a variety of fixtures and items, including a sump pump if you’re considering installing one in your home or are having issues with a current sump pump already installed. In today’s part two, we’ll go over some of the basic factors you should be considering when you choose a new sump pump, including the types available and your switch format – plus some simple maintenance areas we recommend for those who have installed sump pumps in their homes.

Qualities to Consider in a Sump Pump

If you have decided to install a sump pump in your home, or if your current sump pump has failed and must be replaced, you will have several options at your disposal as your search for the new pump. Here are some of the primary qualities you should be considering as you browse:

• Submersible vs pedestal: The more common format for a sump pump is submersible, which refers to an integrated design where both the motor and the pump itself are inside an enclosed container, which can get wet without damaging these components. A pedestal option, on the other hand, divides the unit into two pieces, with a standalone motor above the floor and then a hose fed down into the sump pit. Generally speaking, submersible pumps have fewer issues over time and should be your choice unless other specific factors dictate otherwise.
• Switch: Another potential fault area is with your pump switch, which should be a mechanical switch, not a pressurized one. The latter may fail over time, failures that are difficult to notice in many situations and may cause significant hassle.
• Material: You may have choices of either cast iron or plastic material for your sump pump, and we generally recommend cast iron for a longer lifespan.
• Secondary pump: For those with significant flood risks or a living space in the lower part of the home, a secondary or backup sump pump can be installed as a backup in case of failure.

Basic Sump Pump Maintenance

Sump pump maintenance is relatively easy, and only needs to be done every so often. You should clean the area at least once a month, including screens or inlet openings. Test your power cord and float capacity as well. In addition, we recommend a removal of the pump roughly once a year, a period where you can clean the pit and the pump to help remove grime that’s built up over the past year.

For more on sump pumps and whether your home might benefit from one, or for information on any of our plumbing or HVAC services, speak to the staff at Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical today.

While there are certain plumbing components that are absolutely vital for any home and simply cannot be ignored, certain others may be present in certain homes but absent in others. A good example here is a plumbing element known as a sump pump, which some homeowners are intimately familiar with – but others have never even heard of.

At Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical, our quality plumbing contractors offer numerous residential plumbing services, including informing you of the benefits of a sump pump and whether your home might require one. In this two-part blog series, we’ll dig into some of the basics of sump pumps, what they do, whether your home needs one and some basic selection and maintenance tips to keep in mind.

Sump Pump Basics

A sump pump is a device that’s installed in what’s known as a sump pit, an area dug into the single lowest point in your house (usually the basement or a crawl space). The device is submersible, meaning it can operate when underwater.

The majority of the time, your sump pump will sit idle in a standby mode. However, when rain or any other kind of moisture begins falling, groundwater will funnel toward the sump pit, filling it with water and activating the sump pump float switch, turning the pump on. The pump then drains water from this pit into a storm drain, well or detention pond nearby, stopping the water from rising to the level of your basement floor and risking a flood.

What Sump Pumps Help With

Here are some of the specific benefits associated with sump pumps:

• Resistance against flooding in your basement
• Protection of paint and other coverings from peeling or corrosion
• Reduction of mold, mildew or fungus formation
• Safeguarding basement appliances against corrosion and water damage
• Improve indoor air quality
• Limit risks of termites and other pest infestations
• Helps home foundation remain intact
• Meets basic requirements for homeowners’ insurance coverage of basement flood damage

Do I Need One?

So do you need a sump pump in your home? While the answer isn’t necessarily as simple as a yes or no, here are some of the conditions that often prompt homeowners to install a sump pump:

• Flood-prone area: If your home is built on a plot with poor draining soil, low conditions or surrounding hills, it’s more likely to deal with flooding risks.
• Heavy rain or snow: The same is true if your area receives heavy rain or snow.
• Finished basement: Those with finished basements, even in low flood risk areas, often want to protect their space.
• Previous water issues: If you’ve pad past flooding issues or regularly struggle with moisture levels, a sump pump could go a long way.

For more on sump pumps and whether one is the right choice for your home, or to learn about any of our plumbing or HVAC services, speak to the staff at Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical today.

If your home is in need of a new water heater in the near future, a modern upgrade you should be strongly considering is the tankless water heater. Also known as an on-demand water heater, the tankless water heater removes the traditional tank from the equation, instead providing hot water through an on-demand heating component that brings several distinct benefits, including major water savings and several convenience areas as well.

At Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical, we’re happy to offer the highest quality in tankless water heaters available today, plus experienced plumbers who will help with every area of water heater replacement. Perhaps the single most common question our plumbing contractors get when considering a tankless water heater for their home: What size unit should I be purchasing and installing to meet my home’s water needs? Here are the important factors that help determine the answer to this question.

Flow Rate Requirements

The first metric to be aware of is flow rate, which refers to the amount of hot water the tankless unit is able to produce. Flow rate is generally listed using gallons per minute (gpm), and your unit must have the requisite capacity to meet the needs of all your fixtures.

When you have the expected flow rate of the various fixtures in your home, you can use this information – combined with how often you expect given fixtures to be used during peak times – to determine the total flow rate the system needs to be able to handle. Keep in mind here that tankless water heaters generally restrict you to one or two simultaneous water activities. As a reference, here are the average flow rates found in low-flow plumbing fixtures:

• Showerhead: 2.5 gpm
• Bathroom faucet: 1.0 gpm
• Tub faucet: 4.0 gpm
• Kitchen faucet: 1.5 gpm
• Washing machine: 2.0 gpm
• Dishwasher: 1.5 gpm

Temperature Rise Factors

The other major factor to be aware of when sizing your new tankless water heater is the temperature rise, which describes the temperature of the water when entering the system compared to how hot you need it to be when it comes out of your fixture. This involves knowing the average groundwater temperature in your region, something our pros can inform you of. You need a unit capable of delivering a temperature rise within your basic range, which will help determine the size you choose.

Combination Listings

In most cases as you browse tankless water heater models, flow rate and temperature rise metrics will be listed as a combination. For instance, units will provide their flow rate based on the required temperature rise – the former will often change based on the latter. Both must be considered when sizing your tankless heater.

For more on choosing the proper size for a new tankless water heater, or to learn about any of our plumbing or HVAC services, speak to the staff at Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical today.

In part one of this two-part blog series, we went over some of the basics on why main sewer line clogs are different from other kinds of drain clogs in your home, plus some of the factors that may cause them. The main sewer line is your home’s entryway into the primary municipal sewer system, allowing your waste to pass into this system in the proper ways.

At Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical, our detailed plumbing services include several sewer line maintenance areas, from trenchless sewer line repair to sewer line cleaning and assistance with any other issues you may have in this area. In today’s part two, we’ll go over a few additional potential causes of these clogs, plus some of the signs that may indicate you have such a blockage that needs to be addressed.

Improper Garbage Disposal Use

In part one, we went over some of the improper uses of toilet drains that can lead to main sewer line clogs – the garbage disposal is a similar concern in many homes, though often in different ways. Just like the toilet, however, the primary issue here is folks in the home believing the garbage disposal drain is meant for purposes that, in reality, it is not.

For starters, the presence of grease, oils and other cooking liquids in the drain is a big no-no. This will lead to hardening further down in the drain system, often in the main sewer line itself. The same goes for larger food particles – even if you think the disposal would do fine breaking them up, we highly recommend throwing away larger food debris separately and placing less strain on the garbage disposal.

Sewer Line Damage Issues

In other cases, clogs in the main sewer line take place because the line itself has become damaged over time. Cracking, sagging, corroding and general breakage are all possible in older pipes, especially those that have been present for multiple decades. This will not only allow in dirt and other debris, but will also prevent wastewater from flowing properly.

Signs of Main Sewer Line Clogs

Here are some of the primary signs that indicate you may have a main sewer line clog and should immediately contact our plumbers about remedying the issue:

• Your toilets are all gurgling or bubbling at the same time
• Smells of sewage and other foul plumbing odors are coming from multiple drains in the home
• More than one drain in the home is having drainage issues
• Wastewater begins to back up in one plumbing fixture while another is in use, and vice versa
• Strange wet patches begin to show up in your back yard above the main sewer line, even when the weather itself is dry

For more on identifying and remedying main sewer line clogs, or to learn about any of our plumbing or HVAC services, speak to the staff at Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical today.

There are a few different clog or blockage types that are possible within a given plumbing system, and they are not all created equal. And on the more severe end of the spectrum here, at least in most cases, is a clog or blockage in your home’s main sewer line.

At Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical, our plumbing services include a wide range of solutions for main sewer line issues, including sewer line cleaning and trenchless sewer line repair. While many homeowners have dealt with a basic toilet clog or some other simple drain blockage issue, the main sewer line is an entirely different animal. This two-part blog series will dig into what makes sewer line clogs different from others, plus what causes them and how you can recognize their potential signs.

Sewer Clog Vs. Standard Clogs

So why are sewer line clogs different from a basic toilet backup or something else you can handle with a plunger? Well, because the sewer line is the central one that connects all the other main plumbing lines in your home.

A single clog in a sink drain, toilet or some other area can usually be remedied simply enough, whether via a plunger, drain snake or some other tool. During main sewer line backups, however, every drain in your home can become blocked all at once as the main system floods, leading to major concerns that typically can’t be solved so easily.

Our next few sections will dig into the common causes of main sewer line clogs and backups, plus how they can be avoided so you don’t run into these issues.

Tree Root Concerns

As the home’s primary feeder to the municipal sewer system, your main sewer line typically runs out of your house and through your back yard in piping below the ground’s surface. In cases where your sewer line is damaged in any way, or even in some situations where it isn’t, tree roots from nearby trees may grow into the area and even directly into the pipes as they reach out in search of water sources. This blocks the flow of wastewater, and the issue only increases with time as the roots expand.

For this reason, it’s important to understand where your main sewer line is and manage tree roots in the area. If you’re considering planting new trees, know your sewer line location and avoid it entirely.

Toilet Usage and Items Flushed

Another possible cause of main sewer line blockage: Materials being flushed down the toilet that do not belong there. This includes literally anything other than human waste and toilet paper, even certain wipes listed as “flushable” on the packaging – you still shouldn’t flush these. Toilet paper is made to break down within sewer lines and avoid clogging risks, which is why it’s the only approved material to flush other than your own waste.

For more on clogs in your main sewer line, or to learn about any of our plumbing or HVAC services, speak to the staff at Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical today.

In part one of this two-part blog series, we went over some of the basics and benefits associated with mini-split ductless HVAC systems. These systems, which combine a wall-mounted indoor unit and an outside compressor, are intended for smaller areas or situations where you require independent temperature control between specific rooms or spaces within your home or building.

At Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical, we offer a variety of mini-split ductless systems to fill all your needs. What are some of the situations or circumstances where installing a mini-split ductless HVAC system into your home or building might be the best choice? That’s what we’re looking at in today’s part two of our series.

New Home Additions

One of the most popular formats wherein ductless systems are often utilized is when homeowners are performing a new construction project on their space that involves adding a new level, a new room, a new garage or any other kind of significant addition. In these situations, ductless HVAC systems make the entire process far easier because they do not require specifically-sized ducts – they will naturally size themselves for the new space.

In addition, ductless mini-split systems can operate independently when installed. This means you do not need to mess with your current HVAC system, even if it’s not a ductless one. The new system will be installed as its own separate entity and will function as such.

Independent Zones

Most standard HVAC systems have a single thermostat for the whole house, meaning everyone in the space has to deal with the temperature that’s decided upon. Mini-split ductless systems, though, allow for independent temperature zones based on rooms or areas in the home – you can install up to eight separate zones in a given home, meaning each person in the home can control their own temperature.

Downsizing and Energy Savings

If you’re in a situation where certain rooms in your home aren’t being used, you may want to conserve energy by closing off vents and conditioned air to these rooms. But you may not realize that this practice can lead to pressure imbalances in a normal HVAC system, damaging its components – as you may have guessed, though, there’s no such strain placed on a ductless system, where you can simply set these rooms for less stressful temperatures. You can also simply install a ductless system for your most-used rooms, then leave the lesser-used rooms with the existing HVAC system running on a low level.

No Existing Ductwork

Finally, for any kind of an installation or remodel process that involves structural changes, mini-split ductless systems are ideal. This is particularly true in cases where you’re looking to install a new HVAC component, but the home does not have existing ductwork in place – the new installation will be both cheaper and more efficient using a mini-split ductless system.

For more on mini-split ductless HVAC systems, or to learn about any of our plumbing or HVAC services, speak to the staff at Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical today.

For those looking to achieve separate temperature control in varying rooms or areas of the home, the mini-split ductless heating system might be just the thing for you. Providing high-quality efficiency and control for homeowners, these systems have become more and more popular over the last several years as technology has improved.

At Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical, we offer a variety of heating and cooling services, including mini-split ductless heating systems for those looking to increase their control and air quality. In this two-part blog series, we’ll go over all the basics you need to know about a mini-split ductless system, including how it differs from others, its benefits, and the kinds of situations where it often benefits home or building owners to install.

Ductless Systems Defined

Within a standard central air HVAC system, the “split” format is almost always used. It refers to an outdoor condenser or compressor for air conditioning, which is connected to an indoor air handling unit and a mini-split thermostat that’s operated by the homeowner. Both units connect through copper tubing lines, and conditioned air is delivered to rooms by supply duct lines – return duct lines return air to the indoor unit.

In many older buildings, however, there is no existing ductwork already in place. When owners are looking to provide heating and cooling, the process of cutting through floors and walls to install ducts is imposing and potentially expensive – but this is where ductless systems come in. They circulate air directly through the indoor unit without any ductwork needed, making them perfect options for these property types and potentially several others.

Ductless Mini Split System Basics

Ductless mini-split systems work by bringing in air from the room in question through the air handling unit, then moving it to the furnace via a set of pipes. It’s warmed (or cooled during the hotter months, this time in the outdoor air condenser) and turned into a gas, which is sent to the condenser unit and then recycled back into a liquid.

From here, the air is injected back into the room itself. Over a series of repeated cycles here, the temperature is adjusted to the point where you desire it. These systems will come with multiple units, each of which is independently controlled for separate temperature needs. Systems can maintain up to eight handler units for a given space.

Direct Benefits of Ductless Systems

There are several distinct benefits of ductless mini-split systems:

• Efficiency: Duct systems can often be inefficient, especially if the ducts themselves are not well-maintained and form leaks. Ductless systems, though, are much more efficient and allow for lower-stress operation within the HVAC unit, lengthening its lifespan while limiting your energy bill and also performing a service to the environment.
• Easy installation: Installing a ductless mini-split system is quick and easy, with no need to dig into the foundation to install ductwork.
• Air quality: Ductless systems help prevent contaminants through filtration cartridges, which are easy to replace and improve your air quality.
• Cost: Finally, with utility prices on the rise in recent years, ductless systems are often a great way to lower your energy bill through their use of less power.

For more on ductless mini-split systems, or to learn about any of our plumbing or HVAC services, speak to the staff at Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical today.