Winter Hints Tips Reminders

Winter is in full swing, and if you didn’t take the time to prepare, now is the time to tackle all those home maintenance items. Many of these winter hints are easy things that you can do yourself. Still, your furnace or any other primary heating or cooling unit and your sprinklers need to be cared for by a trained professional. But don’t worry, we are here to help! Give us here at Brothers Plumbing Heating Air & Electric for help today! And, for additional information on our services and available times, please give us a call anytime! We work 7 days a week with no overtime charges!

Schedule Your Annual Furnace Service Maintenance

Taking care of these items is vital to keeping your furnace running stable all winter. By scheduling these tasks before the cold weather arrives, you are making sure your home is ready for the cold winter months ahead. Once the freeze hits, everyone else will be scrambling to stay warm while you are friendly and toasty inside your home. Call us to get this scheduled early so you can have the peace of mind of a carefree winter.

Okay, we’re aware that winter is in full swing. However, we highly recommend you take care of your furnace maintenance in the fall, before the season begins. But, even if you didn’t get yours done last fall, it’s never truly too late to tackle these winter hints, tips, and reminders. Contact us to schedule a make-up maintenance today!

Remove Any Flammable Or Dangerous Items Around The Furnace

Many people use their furnace area for storage during the summer, but this can be extremely dangerous. Ensure the area around your furnace is clear from any items or debris to keep you and your family safe all through the winter.

Change The Air Filter

Air filters need to be changed at least every three months to ensure your system is functioning accurately and efficiently. This is especially important before heavy use times of the year. A dirty filter kills a unit’s efficiency and ends up costing you more money to operate. A clean filter not only keeps dirt and dust particles out of the air but also makes your system run more efficiently. If you do not know how to change your air filter, give us a call, and we will be happy to come out and take care of it for you.

Schedule Evaporative Cooler (Swamp Cooler) Winterization Service (If You Have One)

Evaporative coolers are an excellent and eco-friendly way to cool your house with a smaller environmental impact. However, some annual services must be performed to keep your unit functioning properly. Winterizing your unit is a must and can often be dangerous due to the cooler’s location (usually on the roof) and is best performed by a trained professional. The qualified professional technician will ensure the process is done correctly, preventing any potential freeze damage and ensuring your unit a long life. Give us a call to get your winterization scheduled!

Program Your Thermostat

Not many people realize this is one of the simplest things you can do to make your home more efficient and save you money! Set your thermostat only to run while you are home, and try not to set it above 68-70 degrees. Energy.gov states that turning your thermostat lower by 10-15 degrees for 8 hours a day will help you see an energy usage reduction of 5 to 15 percent on your per year bill.

Schedule Sprinkler Winterization

The cooler weather’s arrival also means it’s time to put up the lawnmower and get the exterior of your home ready for the frozen months head. #1 on this winter hints list should be to winterize your sprinkler system. Any water left in the pipes will freeze, expand, and then crack your order costing potentially thousands to repair. Call us to get yours scheduled today before the next freeze!

Undo Your Hoses & Protect Your Exterior Faucets

Disconnecting and covering your exterior faucets is a crucial step to protecting your home during winter. Make sure to disconnect all hoses and ideally install a faucet cover fully. Also, make sure to drain the water from the hoses once disconnected to lengthen the life of your hoses.

Check Your Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they are working correctly. Be sure they are installed correctly and in the correct locations in your home. There should be one outside of every bedroom at a minimum to ensure you and your family is safe. If you are concerned about the location of your current ones or need to add a few more, give us a call to schedule a consultation.

Contact Us Today!

Want to lose the stress of having to worry about these winter hints every year? Ask about our Home Care Club, where your yearly services are all combined into one low price, plus you are eligible for additional discounts on any other needed work performed. Call Brothers Plumbing Heating and Electric today!

Protect Your Family With Cleaner Air!

With so many viruses and allergens, we at Brothers Plumbing, Heating & Electric want to tell you about a piece of equipment we’ve been installing for years, the REME Halo air purification system. We have always recommended air purification systems to those who have respiratory trouble. Still, we are now also recommending the REME Halo air purifier to all homes. So, if you want cleaner air, this is how we recommend you get it.

Numerous studies by universities, independent laboratories, and major corporations have shown that the RGF REME Halo air purification system effectively reduces substantial amounts of surface mold and bacteria. And, other findings included:

Effective against H1N1 swine flu with 99+% kill on surfaces
99% of microbes in human sneeze killed at 3 ft
97% airborne bacterial reduction
99% reductions of e Coli, listeria, strep, tuberculosis, bird flu, etc.
85% odor reduction
97% airborne mold reduction
U.S. Military approved for mold protection in field hospitals
99% reduction of staph (MRSA)

Live Healthier And Get Cleaner Air With REME Halo Air Purifier

Breathing cleaner air isn’t the only benefit of using an air purifier. By keeping an air purifier running, you can live healthier. Air contaminants can potentially worsen many different health problems, including asthma, headaches, and allergies.

If you feel like air purification services will help you breathe easier, please do not hesitate to call us at (303) 468-2270. Or, for more information, visit: https://www.brothersplumbing.com/heating/air-purification/

Cold Weather Recommendations

Winter is right around the corner, and with it comes colder and colder temperatures. Unfortunately, the cold can wreak havoc on your home. Before the onset of cold weather, prepare your home by following these recommendations:

Electrical and HVAC System Cold Weather Preparation

Reverse your ceiling fans to operate clockwise to help move the heat around.
Check and change the batteries in your CO and smoke detectors.
Keep the thermostat set to the same temperature during the day and at night. By temporarily suspending the use of lower nighttime temperatures, you may incur a higher heating bill. Still, you can prevent a much more costly repair job if pipes freeze and burst.
If you will be going away during cold weather, leave the heat on in your home, set to a temperature no lower than 55° F.

Plumbing Cold Weather Preparation

Drain water from the swimming pool and water sprinkler supply lines following the manufacturer’s or installer’s directions. Do not put antifreeze in these lines unless directed. Antifreeze is environmentally harmful and is dangerous to humans, pets, wildlife, and landscaping.
Remove, drain, and store hoses used outdoors. Close inside valves supplying outdoor hose bibs. Open the outside hose bibs to allow water to drain. Keep the external valve open so that any water remaining in the pipe can expand without causing the pipe to break.
Check around the home for other areas where you might find water supply lines in unheated areas. Look in the basement, crawl space, attic, garage, and under kitchen and bathroom cabinets. You should insulate both hot and cold water pipes in these areas.
Consider installing specific products made to insulate water pipes like a “pipe sleeve” or installing UL-listed “heat tape,” “heat cable,” or similar materials on exposed water pipes. Newspapers can provide some degree of insulation and protection to exposed pipes. Even ¼” of newspaper can provide significant protection in areas that usually do not have frequent or prolonged temperatures below freezing.
Keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage.
Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals up out of the reach of children.
When the weather is freezing outside, let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the line – even at a trickle – helps prevent pipes from freezing.

Sometimes Things Happen

Unfortunately, even if you follow the previously mentioned preparation steps to the letter, pipes can still end up freezing. But don’t fret! Even if you experience cold weather-related home damage, you can always contact the professionals here at Brothers Plumbing Heating Electric. We’ll provide you with fast and reliable assistance!

You can also rely on our friends at Deer Valley Plumbing if you’re one of our neighbors to the south who needs help from Phoenix plumbers.

Holiday Plumbing Tips

Holiday gatherings are great, but nothing brings the family together quite like a good meal. The only problem here is cleaning up after everyone. Sure, you can lighten the load with disposable dishes, but all of those food scraps have to go somewhere. Unfortunately, most of the time that place is the kitchen sink, and that’s where the problems start.

Most plumbing systems can’t handle the volume of scraps that your extended family produces after a hearty holiday dinner. That’s why we here at Brother’s Plumbing, Heating, and Electric receive so many calls for emergency plumbing services around the holidays. After all, nothing puts a damper on your celebrations quite like a backed-up toilet. Luckily, our team has everything you need to help prevent any issues and keep your lines flowing like new. Just follow these tips and you’ll be sure to make it through this holiday season in one piece.

Practice Effective Waste Management

Your sink drains can only handle so much waste, so it helps to separate your food waste before washing dishes. Start by cleaning compostables off of your plates and into a proper container. You should place any other scraps in the trash to minimize the amount of work your disposal system needs to perform. While this goes without saying, don’t let plastic or other inorganic waste wash down your sink, or else you’re sure to have a clog form in your lines.

Be Deliberate With Your Disposal System

When it comes time to run your garbage disposal system, avoid overloading the feed. No matter how robust your disposal is, it’ll never be able to cope with an entire sink’s worth of waste. Avoid jamming your disposal by only feeding it scraps with warm water flowing through it. This method will allow your system to perform more efficiently.

Avoid These System Busting Foods

Certain foods produce waste that is never fit for your garbage disposal. These include but are not limited to:

Eggs: Eggs contain membranes that wrap around some of your disposal’s components, potentially rendering them useless. Once ground down, the shells are difficult to get rid of and often result in serious clogs.
Fats: Fats and greases coat your system’s blades, thereby reducing their effectiveness. This same grease can also cause clogs to form in your lines, and you should avoid it at all costs.
Vegetable or Fruit Skins: While they may seem harmless, vegetable and fruit skins tend to get caught underneath your disposal system’s blades, reducing their effectiveness.
Bones, Shells, Pits, and Seeds: These tough byproducts can dull your system’s blades, slow operation, and even result in a burnt-out motor! Avoid byproducts at all costs.
Stringy Vegetables: Stringy vegetables, such as celery, often congest your system similarly to fruit and vegetable skins.
Rice, Pasta, or Tea Leaves: These soft foods can gum up your blades and even eventually form serious clogs.

Preventative Service Will See You Through The Season

The best way to ensure the integrity of your plumbing during the holiday season is to call a plumber to do a regular inspection. This examination will give you an overview of your system’s health and alert you to any existing issues. That means you won’t have to worry about your disposal system shutting down on you in the middle of your celebration. Better yet, you’ll avoid any potential back-ups and the embarrassment that comes with them.

Count On Our Professionals

Hopefully, these few tips are enough to help you avoid the most common plumbing issues people encounter during the holiday season. However, accidents happen, but thankfully, you have us help you whenever you run into problems. When you need help preparing for the holiday season, let Brother’s Plumbing, Heating, and Electric help you with our services. We’ll help ensure that your plumbing system is in top form so that you can tackle this holiday season with confidence.

Of course, if you’re located elsewhere in the country, we can also help you find one of our reliable friends to help you. For service in California’s Central Valley, for example, rely on the Modesto drain cleaning services from Tony’s Plumbing Service!

Thanksgiving Hints and Tips

Happy Thanksgiving from us here at Brother's

With Thanksgiving upon us, many people are preparing and getting ready for the upcoming holiday. However, your guest list and kitchen aren’t the only things that need attention. Did you know that the day after Thanksgiving is one of the single business days of the year for plumbers? We here at Brothers Plumbing estimate that plumbing problems spike by 50 percent the day after Thanksgiving! This increase in issues happens when homeowners allow the added strain of the holiday to overwhelm their plumbing.

It doesn’t take a plumber to see how Thanksgiving can take a toll on your lines. Thankfully, it isn’t difficult to avoid all of the plumbing issues that come along with the chaos of this holiday. All you have to do is follow these few tips to help you stay sane and enjoy quality time with your family.

Don’t Throw Leftovers Down the Drain

Sure, it’s easier to throw leftovers down the drain, but this will almost certainly clog it. Instead, separate your leftovers and dispose of them accordingly in the trash or compost pile. This step will help you prevent clogs from forming in your lines. If you absolutely have to dispose of some waste down your drain, feed it in gradually to prevent overloading. Also, make sure never to pour fats or cooking oils in the drain as they solidify in pipes. Use paper towels to wipe grease from pots, then throw the towels in the trash.

Make Sure The Disposal Is Running

Another common mistake that can clog your drain is not turning your disposal before putting food into it. To avoid garbage disposal issues, make sure you follow these steps.

Turn on the faucet to allow the drain to fill with water.
Turn on the disposal system before you put any food into it.
Keep the water running for a short time after turning it off to ensure a clear flow.

Use a Sink Strainer

The best way to prevent clogging your drain is by using a sink strainer to prevent any food from going down. This strainer will keep the water running while making sure that no leftovers will pass through it. The waste gathered in the strainer can be thrown in the trash or compost pile.

This little bit of precaution can help avoid even the most challenging plumbing problems.

Wait At Least 10 Minutes Between Showers

If you’re hosting overnight guests, advise them to wait at least 10 minutes between showers. This waiting period will allow hair moving through your plumbing enough time to disperse and wash away. Without this period of time, hair can clog or even back up your pipes. Consider using a drain strainer to prevent any hair from going down the drain. This option helps prevent clogged drains and is a safe way to keep your pipes waste-free.

If you find that you’re suffering a hair clog after Thanksgiving, avoid products like Drain-O. Consider using Bio-Clean as a safe alternative. Bio-Clean is non-toxic, creating no heat, fumes, and requiring no boiling. It does not attack live tissue or inorganic materials, only organic waste like grease, hair, food particles, paper, cotton & sewage. Bio-Clean changes the waste particles into water, carbon dioxide, and mineral ash, which run harmlessly out of your waste system. These elements are then available for plant life. This targeted operation makes Bio-Clean safe for people, plumbing, and the environment.

Check Your Plumbing and Drains Before Thanksgiving

Why wait until Thanksgiving to find out that there’s something wrong with your drains or plumbing? Call Brothers to get a reliable and highly skilled plumbing technician to inspect your plumbing system and ensure everything is fine. By doing so, you can rest assured knowing that if any clogs are present, our experts will identify and successfully remove them in preparation for the upcoming holiday. Further problems, such as leaky pipes or dripping faucets, can also be diagnosed and resolved ahead of time.

Don’t Attempt To Fix the Problem Yourself

Don’t pick Thanksgiving to become a DIY expert. Know your limits — if you attempt to fix the problem yourself without accurately knowing the real problem, there’s a good chance you’ll instigate a major plumbing disaster. Always keep a Brothers Plumbing, Heating, and Electric number at hand so you can call in the experts when plumbing issues strike.

When in New Mexico, you can also rely on the professional service provided by Albuquerque Plumbing, Heating & Cooling. ABQ Plumbing is a team of experts who provide Albuquerque plumbing services for the entire community and New Mexico.

Need to have your plumbing checked or fixed? Call Brothers Plumbing, Heating & Electric at 303.451.5057 or schedule online!

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