Thanksgiving Hints and Tips

With Thanksgiving upon us, many people have started to prepare and are getting ready for the upcoming holiday. But did you know that for Brothers Plumbing Technicians, Thanksgiving is the single busiest day of the year? In fact, plumbing problems spike by 50 percent the day after Thanksgiving — and it’s no doubt why. Just think about it — you’ll be delighting in turkey and sweet potatoes, and soon your wayward and greasy dishes will be clogging your drains.

Here are our top plumbing tips for Thanksgiving so you can stay sane and enjoy family time to the fullest.

1: Don’t Throw Leftovers Down the Drain

Sure, it’s easier to just throw leftovers down the drain, but this will almost certainly clog it. Instead, throw leftovers in the trash or compost pile so there won’t be any clogging. If you choose to throw them down the drain, feed waste gradually to prevent overloading. Also, make sure to never pour fats or cooking oils in the drain as they will solidify in pipes. Use paper towels to wipe grease from pots, then throw them in the trash.

2: Make Sure the Disposal Is Running

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

• Turn on the faucet to allow the drain to fill with water
• Turn on disposal before you put any food into it.
• Keep the water running for a short time after turning it off so the waste won’t clog the drain.

3: Use a Sink Strainer

The best way to prevent clogging your drain is using a sink strainer to prevent any food from going down it. This 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 once you’re done washing the dishes. With a little bit of precaution, even the most challenging plumbing problems can be easily avoided.

4: Wait at Least 10 Minutes Between Showers

If you’re hosting overnight guests, advise them to wait at least 10 minutes between showers so the hair moving through your plumbing has enough time to disperse and dispose of itself. If the additional hair doesn’t have an adequate amount of time to disperse, it can clog or even back up your pipes — two situations that will require the assistance of a professional plumber like Brothers. Consider using a drain strainer to prevent any hair from going down the drain — this is the safest option if you’re concerned about clogged drains, and want to keep your pipes waste-free. Do not use products like Drain-O. Consider using Bio-Clean as a safe alternative. Bio-Clean is non-toxic. It creates no heat, no fumes, no boiling. It does not attack live tissue nor inorganic materials, only organic wastes like grease, hair, food particles, paper, cotton & sewage. This makes Bio-Clean safe for people, plumbing and the environment. 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.

5: Have Your Plumbing and Drains Checked Out Before Thanksgiving

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

6: 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 what the real problem is, 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.

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

Is Your Home Ready for Winter?

Fall is here and Winter is coming! With it comes crisp days, long nights and the beginning of the holiday season. While it is easy to get caught up in the pumpkin spice and fun-filled events of the season, it is also important to make sure your home appliances, plumbing, heating and electrical systems are all ready to withstand the cold of winter. Luckily, us here at Brothers Plumbing, Heating and Electric have you covered. Follow this simple list of recommended fall maintenance and home preparation hints, tips and reminders to make sure your property is ready for winter!

• Schedule your Furnace Safety Check.
• Schedule your Sprinkler winterization.
• Seal Door and window cracks.
• Inspect roof for damage.
• Clean gutters fee of debris.
• Schedule your water heater flush.
• Winterize home plumbing.

Heating and Cooling System Checks. Maintenance is absolutely key for responsible home ownership. Anyone who has had to replace an HVAC system knows it can be costly for a brand-new system. Proper maintenance can help lengthen the life of your system and avoid expensive repairs. Every year have your system looked at by a Brothers HVAC technician to save you expensive heartache in the long hall.

Get In Touch With Us To Schedule Any Services You Need

Some of the mentioned hints, tips and reminders are difficult or impossible to perform if you are not a trained professional. Luckily our team of Brothers Plumbing, Heating and Electric home experts is always standing by to help make sure you are ready for winter. Get in touch with us by calling 303-468-2294 or visiting www.BrothersPlumbing.com today!

Don’t Be Spooked By Your Furnace! Get Your Safety Check Done Today!

Have you scheduled your Annual furnace safety check yet? You might shrug off this task, but it’s more important than you think. Once you learn the ins and outs of annual furnace system maintenance, you’ll never put it off again.

Why Is Maintenance So Important?

The purpose of preventative maintenance is to keep your system up and running all season long with no surprise breakdowns, while operating at top efficiency. You rarely see your furnace face to face, so it’s easy to forget about it and neglect it. Imagine doing the same with your car. If you never have the oil changed or refuse to take your car in for any kind of tune-up until the check-engine light comes on, you can’t expect it to last more than a couple of years.

Your furnace is the same way. No matter how expensive the system is or what the manufacturer promises, a complicated piece of mechanical equipment is subject to breakdowns and needs repairs every so often. Reduce the incidence of repairs by keeping on top of annual maintenance.

Benefits of Annual Furnace Maintenance

What can you expect from your newly tuned-up system? Is the cost of maintenance really worth it? You should consider that some benefits of regular maintenance are immediate while others prevent future problems from developing. Some of the most prominent benefits include:

• Lower energy bills: You might assume that since the equipment is heating or cooling your home without any apparent problem that everything is fine. However, have you taken a look at your energy bills lately? A neglected system slowly loses its ability to keep your home comfortable at the same level of efficiency it once did. Just as a car tune-up delivers better gas mileage, your furnace consumes less fuel after receiving professional maintenance.
• Fewer repairs: Do you hear a strange sound or notice an odd odor coming from your furnace? Calling for a tune-up right away could help catch problems before they become disastrous. For example, a fraying belt could result in strange operating noises. If a technician replaces it in time, you can avoid the expensive repair that results from a snapped belt whipping around inside. By preventing future repairs, annual maintenance pays for itself
• Lower chance of a catastrophic breakdown: Everyone wants an incident-free heating season. After all, it’s incredibly inconvenient and uncomfortable when equipment breaks down on a frigid winter night, right when you need your furnace most. The odds of this happening when you schedule inspections every year are greatly diminished.
• Longer equipment life: Furnaces and other heating equipment function best when they’re regularly serviced and cleaned. One malfunctioning part can cause a domino effect that causes the entire system to break down. Regular maintenance prevents this from happening and adds years to your equipment’s lifespan.
• Safer equipment operation: A failing HVAC system does more than cost a lot of money to repair; it also can endanger your family. For instance, if the furnace develops a crack in the heat exchanger, carbon monoxide gas can escape and poison the air you breathe. Also, electric HVAC systems can develop a short circuit, which is a serious fire hazard if ignored. Clearly, your family’s safety is yet another reason to schedule annual HVAC system maintenance.

Maintenance Tasks You Can Do Yourself

Plan to schedule annual furnace maintenance in the fall for your heating systems. If you have a heat pump, the combined heating/cooling system should receive maintenance twice a year.

Plan to perform a few maintenance tasks of your own between these formal visits. The following DIY tasks help keep your equipment running smoothly until the next professional visit:

• Change the HVAC air filter every month. Some units have an indicator light that tells you when the filter is beginning to become clogged and blocking airflow.
• Remove debris from around the outdoor unit.
• Keep supply and return registers unblocked by drapes, rugs or furniture.

Maintenance You Should Leave to the Pros

Many homeowners wonder why they can’t just complete an entire tune-up themselves. The fact is a thorough tune-up requires skills, tools and knowledge that only experienced HVAC technicians can deliver. Here’s what to expect when you call in the pros to perform annual HVAC system maintenance:

• Check the thermostat: The tech makes sure the thermostat is calibrated correctly to ensure comfort in every season. If you don’t have a programmable thermostat installed, a Brothers technician may recommend one and install it for you on the spot.
• Tighten electrical connections: Loose connections are dangerous and can cause improper operation that shortens the equipment’s lifespan. The technician also measures voltage and current on equipment motors.
• Lubricate all moving parts: Lack of lubrication causes high amounts of friction in the system. This can cause it to overheat and break down. Adding lubrication helps parts move smoothly against one another, decreasing electricity use and lowering your energy bills.
• Inspect the condensate drain: Cooling equipment and condensing furnaces produce condensate when they operate. Under normal conditions, the condensate collects in a pan and drains away to the outside. However, over time sludge or algae can form in the drain pipe and create a blockage. During times of high usage, the drain pan may overflow and cause water damage to the equipment or your home. A technician checks the condensate drain to make sure it’s draining properly and cleans it out if necessary.
• Check system controls: The start cycle, operation and shut-off sequence should occur in a particular fashion. The technician checks the controls to make sure everything is operating safely and properly.
• Clean and adjust the blower: Issues with the blower can decrease equipment efficiency by up to 15 percent. Making adjustments ensures proper airflow and ample home comfort.
• Clean the evaporator and condenser coils (cooling specific): Soiled coils slowly decrease efficiency and make the equipment run longer. Cleaning the coils annually is an important part of maintaining the A/C’s capacity, ensuring lower energy bills and prolonging equipment life.
• Check refrigerant charge (cooling specific): If the air conditioner was charged too high at installation, you could be paying much more than necessary to cool your home. An undercharged system also can develop if the system has a leak. A technician checks for these circumstances repairs any leaks that are present, and recharges the system if necessary.
• Check fuel line connections (heating specific): Poor gas or oil connections are a fire hazard. They can also cause health problems if fumes are able to escape into your home. Tightening the connections ensures safe operation.
• Inspect the gas pressure, burner combustion and heat exchanger (heating specific): Incorrect pressure, a dirty burner or a cracked heat exchanger can result in improper burner operation. These circumstances also can cause unsafe and inefficient operation. Adjusting the pressure and cleaning the burner are two viable options to improve operation and lower your heating bills, but if the heat exchanger is cracked, it’s likely you’ll need to purchase a new furnace.

An important part of preventative maintenance is someone with the right skills and experience for the job. Brothers Plumbing, Heating and Electric has over 37 years of experience with superior HVAC services ranging from installation to maintenance to emergency repair.