11 Things to Prepare for Summer

11 Things to Get Ready for Summer

With warmer weather there are several things every homeowner should do to prepare their home’s plumbing and air conditioning system for the spring and summer seasons. These are activities that will help to assume proper operation of the systems, prevent damage and save energy costs.

1. Remove the cover you may have put on your air conditioning unit. Be sure the power is on to the outdoor air conditioning unit. This will allow the oil to warm up and freely flow when you need to turn the unit on.
2. Carefully clean weeds and plants that may interfere with airflow to the outdoor air conditioning unit. Clean any debris around the unit. Don’t let the weed-wacker near the unit’s coil as it might damage the unit.
3. Use some car polish to clean the cabinet of your air conditioner. It will not be an eyesore in your yard.
4. Install a new filter in your furnace for the cooling season. A dirty filter is often the reason for a service call that could have been prevented.
5. Turn off the water supply to your humidifier and if there is a damper for the humidifier be sure to put it in the summer mode. It’s also a good time to clean the humidifier removing the calcium buildup and replace the media to be ready for fall.
6. If you have a setback thermostat, now is the time to set the cooling setbacks and check to see if you changed the time for daylight savings.
7. Check the insulation on the air conditioner piping from the outdoor unit to the point it enters the wall of your home. This insulation helps save energy by not allowing the refrigerant to operate properly.
8. Check to be sure that the ground around your outdoor air conditioning unit has not shifted and caused the unit to lean. This can cause the unit to fail prematurely.
9. Turn the water on to the outside faucets. Check inside the basement and the faucets themselves for any leaks. Also it’s time to start-up the sprinkler system and check for leaks at piping or at the sprinkler heads.
10. Check the outlet of the sump pump to assure free flow for the water to discharge at least 5 feet from the house.
11. Our trained technicians can check the mechanical portion of your air conditioning system to assure efficient operation to save you operating costs and continuous operation when you need it. Every manufacturer recommends semi-annual checks by qualified technicians on your heating and air conditioning system.

Call us early for preseason savings on system checks! If your system is 10 years or older, it may be time to consider replacing it with a quiet high efficiency unit.

Contact us for more information or visit our website at www.CallBurton.com.

Burton & Sons Inc. is a customer focused plumbing, heating, and cooling service company that was originally started in 1979. Located in Garden City, MI, we employ highly trained people whose goal is to make our company the best service company in Metropolitan Detroit Area.

 

Great Ways to Beat the Heat

Summer is just around the corner.  That means summer electricity bills are just around the corner as well.  Here are some simple steps you can take to beat the heat this summer without breaking the bank.

Wear lighter clothing and set the thermostat a degree or two higher.  You cut air conditioning costs by 3% to 4% for each degree.

Invest in an Internet thermostat to control the temperature when everyone’s away.  Internet thermostats are some of our hottest selling products because they’re so cool.  Use your smart phone to monitor and control the temperature in your home from anywhere.  When no one’s home, adjust the temperature accordingly and save.

Turn off lights and fans when you leave the room.  Very little energy from an incandescent bulb is used for light.  85% to 90% of its energy use is heat.  If the kids have trouble remembering to turn out the lights, have motion detector light switches installed.  An alternative is to begin replacing incandescent bulbs with LED lights that are cool, efficient, and will probably never require changing.

You might also consider motion detector light switches for ceiling fans.  All the ceiling fan does is create air movement, which results in a pleasant cooling sensation, but only when you are in the room.  If a fan is running in a room and no one’s around to feel the breeze, does it still use energy?  Yes!

Summer is also the time to grill as much as possible.  Not only is it pleasant to cook outside, but you aren’t adding heat to the house.

While you can’t wash dishes or clothes outside, you can wash them in the morning or late at night so you’re not adding heat to the home when the air conditioning system is working its hardest to remove it.

Your attic acts like a giant heat sink in the summer.  Attic temperatures are blistering and that mound of super hot sits over your living space.  Make sure you have adequate ventilation in this area.

During the summer, keep blinds and drapes closed on southern and western exposures to minimize solar heat gain.  Consider installing a window film that will let light in, will reducing solar heat gain.

Get your air conditioning system tuned-up for the summer.  This is one of the most significant cost savings steps you can take.  Empirical research has consistently shown that annual maintenance pays for itself through utility savings in the summer months alone.  Annual air conditioning maintenance is so effective at preventing breakdowns that manufacturers require it as a condition of their warranties.   If you haven’t had your system tuned-up yet, call us right away.

If you really want to cut utility expense, consider upgrading to a higher efficiency air conditioning system.  If your air conditioner is ten years old or older, it’s only a matter of time before an upgrade will be required.  Accelerate it by a couple of years and you can benefit immediately from the recent 30% boost in minimum efficiency.  Plus, 30% is only the starting point.  Today’s air conditioning systems are dramatically more efficient than they were a few years ago.

The utility’s not going to do you any favors.  Why should you do one for the utility by operating an old, inefficient, energy hog?  Call us and at least learn what’s available.

Contact us for more information or visit our website at www.CallBurton.com.

Burton & Sons Inc. is a customer focused plumbing, heating, and cooling service company that was originally started in 1979. Located in Garden City, MI, we employ highly trained people whose goal is to make our company the best service company in Metropolitan Detroit Area.

 

The Plumbers’ Eco-Friendly Secret

Bio-Clean is the world’s best drain cleaning solution.  It’s an environmentally friendly combination of natural bacteria and concentrated enzymes that eats through organic waste, based on the same technology scientists use to clean up oil spills.  Bio-Clean can eat through grease.  It can eat through hair.  It can eat through cotton.  It can eat through paper.  It’s amazing.

When drains are clogged, most consumers use harsh chemicals that are even dangerous (read the warning labels).  Not only are they a hazard, they don’t work very well.  They drain down by gravity until they encounter a blockage in a drain pipe and burn a hole through it.  As soon as a hole is created, the liquids follow gravity and drain away, without fully cleaning the stoppage.  So the pipe is cleared temporarily, but soon clogs back up.

Bio-Clean uses a different strategy.  Enzymes break down organic solids.  Bacteria will eat through the organic waste, breaking matter down into water, carbon dioxide, and other harmless elements that run out the system.

The beauty of Bio-Clean is that gravity is used to deliver the chemical to the clog, but once it begins to work, the enzymes and bacteria follow the organic material, taking it all out.  Once the job is done, the Bio-Clean washes safely out the drain.

Bio-Clean actually multiplies as it proceeds.  This means you do not need to use much of it for a relatively big job.  It also means it works faster than liquid drain cleaners.

Bio-Clean is also fully biodegradable.  You can even eat it!  It’s a natural produce without the caustics, solvents, and acids you will find in store-bought products.  Bio-Clean is completely safe around your children and your pets.

This product truly is amazing.  It can eliminate garbage disposal odors.  It will fix slow running drains. People even use it in cat litter boxes, and to clear back yard ponds.

Want to try Bio-Clean?  Give us a call.  We would be happy to sell you a can, good for 100 treatments.  If you aren’t happy with the product, we will give you a full refund.  It’s 100% guaranteed.

Contact us for more information or visit our website at www.CallBurton.com.

Burton & Sons Inc. is a customer focused plumbing, heating, and cooling service company that was originally started in 1979. Located in Garden City, MI, we employ highly trained people whose goal is to make our company the best service company in Metropolitan Detroit Area.