June 2014 – Wilbur Henry

Insulated vs Non-insulated Duct For Your Central Air

Air Conditioning Unit, Blog Posts, Furnace and Heat Systems / Tom Henry

In most cases, there are much more advantages to insulating air conditioning ducts. This is recommended in a fair amount of places throughout the home such as attics, basements, and crawlspaces. A general rule to follow is to keep non-insulated-duct ducts insulated in unconditioned spaces where there is no heat.

Because ductwork just sits there, it cools down. So when the furnace first comes on, there will be an immediate blast of cool air. To compensate, newer furnaces, especially two-stage or variable-speed models, start off slow and then ramp it up. The result is that there won’t be that initial blast of cool air.

Older homes were generally built without insulation on their air conditioning ducts. However, the modern age has been able to shed light on ways to make the most out of saving money and maintaining higher efficiency levels inside the home. If you are installing a new central air conditioning unit you should certainly install insulated duct work.

Still, many people purchase homes with non-insulated ducts. That does not always mean the ducts have to be replaced.

Options If Your Duct Work Is Not Insulated

There are cheaper alternatives to insulating ducts in an unconditioned space. Using duct wrap can increase efficiency and also save money. It can be done without the help of a professional and while it might not produce as high efficiency as true insulation, it can reduce monthly utility bills.

Checking ductwork is the first step towards deciding whether or not insulation is needed. You can do this with a visual inspection followed by turning on your central air conditioner and feeling for leaks. The plastic can become brittle over time and affect the R-value, which measures the level of installation. Some leaks will need to be patched before the insulation process can begin. In this day and age, it is a wise move to choose the insulation alternative.

Allowing even small doses of cool air to escape your ducts could translate into a lot of cash being doled out on utility bills over the course of time. Give us a call at 717-755-5461 or use our contact form and we can schedule a no-obligation consultation to discuss your options for your central air system.

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How to Fix a Copper Pipe Leak Without Soldering

Blog Posts, How To Repair, Plumbing / Tom Henry

A copper pipe can spring a leak inside your home at any time. It can also occur without any warning signs. But that does not always present an emergency plumbing situation. Most homeowners are not well versed in soldering, which plumbing-emergency-fix may be the best method of repair. But there are other quick fixes. One way to fix a leak in copper pipe is with flair fittings. Another way is with compression fittings.

The easiest fix is one that is relatively new to the market. The application of SharkBite fittings is a way to circumvent the soldering process. It is a name brand that has introduced a unique product.

SharkBites are fittings with flexible ends. In the event that you need a coupling, these fittings have a brass insert with two brass ends on it. Inside those brass ends are stainless steel teeth, which look almost like a shark bite. Connect them together and it can be held in place with an O-ring which keeps it from leaking. The stainless steel teeth keep it from falling off. This product is not cheap but one of the advantages is that SharkBites are replaceable. Just push the ends in and open the teeth so you can pull them apart again.

Great For the DIY – Not The Professional Plumber Choice

Most professional plumbers frown upon using this type of fix, but it is an easy solution for someone looking for a do-it-yourself method. It also comes in handy in older homes where people may be tentative to solder due to the potential threat of starting a fire. Old wood has a tendency to be a lot more flammable, so caution should definitely be taken.

However, you can put the torch away. The use of SharkBites is the easiest way for someone who knows nothing about soldering to fix a leak in a copper pipe.

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6 Ways to Find a Water Leak in Your House

Blog Posts, Water Leak, York PA / Tom Henry

Plenty of warning signs indicate that water is leaking somewhere in your house. You may get a call from the water company telling you your bill is higher than normal. Sometimes you can hear it, when you hear water run for a minute and then shut off. But there is no water manual that comes with the purchase of a home. However, there are several ways to find a water leak in your house.

Check the water meter

You hear water running, but you are not sure where it is coming from. Go out to your water meter and do some inspecting of your own. Look at the little dial on your water meter. If it is spinning, that means water is running water-meter-check-for-leak through your meter and there is a leak somewhere in your house.

Check the hot water heater

Go to your hot water heater and turn off the valve. Wait a minute and then turn it back on. If you do not hear a surge, then you know there is no leak on the hot side. That means there must be a cold water leak.

Check your toilet

A cold water leak could come from either your toilet or an outside faucet. If you hear water come on for a minute and then go off, then there is a problem with your toilet. When it comes on and then shuts off, it is a sign that tank ball is leaking through and needs to be repaired or replaced. One way to check is to put a little food coloring in the top of the toilet before you go to sleep. If dye is in bowl the next morning, then you know it has leaked through.

toilet-tank-ball or flapper

Check your outside faucet

When winter rolls around, many people forget to take their hoses inside. This does not allow the antifreeze hydrant to drain and it can freeze during a very cold winter. When it freezes, the copper tubing splits and water winds up leaking in the wall or outside. It will only happen when you turn on the outside faucet and it could also flood the cellar.

Answer your phone

If with your water is leaking consistently without your knowledge, it will show up with your water company. When a large volume of water is being used, your water company will notice the difference. If that continues, the company will often phone the homeowner to divulge the issue.

Listen

If there is a water leak underground, no kind of x-ray vision will help you to see it. However, you can listen for hissing, splashing, thumping or clicking sounds. If you hear those noises, there is usually a leak. But no wave of a wand will repair it. Fixing the leak might require digging up the ground and replacing the pipes.

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Don’t Look Like A Rookie When Shopping For A New Central AC Unit

Air Conditioning Unit, Blog Posts / Tom Henry

What My Competitors Don’t Want You to Know

Purchasing a new central air conditioning unit is not like going to the market and picking up milk and eggs. It requires a bit of homework. The first step is going online and learning about SEER ratings. A SEER rating central-air-york-pa is a way of rating the efficiency of an air conditioner. SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. The higher the SEER rating, the more money you will save. It is comparable to MPG (miles per gallon) ratio in a car.

Check For Rebates On New Central Air Units

With the purchase of certain model air conditioners, there will be rebates. For example, a 16 SEER air conditioner will usually have about a $300 rebate while a 14 SEER generally includes a $200 rebate. However, there needs to be a power source capable of running the air conditioner of a certain size. For a 16 SEER air conditioner, you would need a two-stage furnace. So purchasing a higher SEER without an adequate furnace would be a waste of money.

Extended Warranties. Are They Right For You?

Whatever type of air conditioner you wind up purchasing, someone will try to sell you a warranty. Most manufacturers guarantee their air conditioning equipment for 10 years. So what salesmen actually try to sell customers is a labor warranty. However, they are not just looking out for your best interest. If you agree to a warranty, what the distributor will do is take out an insurance policy on your unit. In the event that something malfunctions, the distributor will get paid by the insurance company for coming out and fixing it.

Beware of warrantees when shopping for a central AC unit. Extended warranties are not a wise investment. Out of 100 people, usually two or three might wind up cashing in on their warranty. The percentages are stacked very high against the consumer when it comes to extended warranties.

Consider How Long You Plan To Stay In The Property

There is also the consideration of how long you plan to live in the home where the central air conditioning unit will be installed. If you are planning to be there approximately five years or less, then a 13 SEER air conditioning unit is probably your best buy. It won’t cost as much as a higher SEER unit and will serve its purpose for the short term.

If you are planning on living in a home more than five years, then it would be wise to invest in a higher SEER unit. This would provide you with a higher efficiency unit, which would prove more advantageous in the long run. Summers are getting hotter and the price of electricity continues to rise. A higher SEER will help you save on utility bills now and even more so in the future.

Is The Company Go To Be There Next Year If You Need Service?

The last thing to consider is to seek out a reputable distributor and not some pop-up business. You want to buy from someone reputable with a history in the business. If a problem arises, you want to be able to go back to a business that will stand behind its equipment. If you have any additional questions call our office at 717-755-5461 or use our central AC contact form.

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