It’s that time of year again—the time when we urge our customers to schedule their heating maintenance as soon as they can. We don’t do this to pester you, but rather to stress just how important of a service it is. This is particularly true for gas-powered systems. Gas-powered heaters aren’t inherently dangerous. But if they’re not cared for the right way as they age, then they can become dangerous.
What happens is that components start wearing down and malfunctioning, the burners get covered with dirt and grime, and small problems that could have otherwise been repaired go without service—leading to subsequent problems, with the worse being cracked heat exchangers. Cracked heat exchangers leak dangerous gasses—namely, carbon monoxide—into the living space, where it has the opportunity to make you and your family ill, or worse.
Given the very warm summer we’ve had so far this year, it’s hard to imagine frozen anything let alone frozen pipes. Still though, this is a very common occurrence during the wintertime, especially in our surrounding communities. Frozen pipes can create a good deal of damage if they’re not dealt with properly. After all, as water in the pipes freeze, it expands and puts pressure on the walls of the pipe—eventually leading to a pipe rupture. 
You don’t need to know much about science to understand that when water meets metal, there’s a danger of corrosion starting. Corrosion is the term given to the chemical reaction between water and metal in the presence of oxygen. The damage from it causes the destruction of the metal.
Ever wonder why your home’s sewer line is buried underneath your yard? Well first off, we’d like to think you find it more aesthetically pleasing than being anywhere else. However there’s more to it than simply being attractive. This setup is also for safety and functionality. But unfortunately, this often leads to the “out of sight, out of mind” mentality, making the sewer line susceptible to problems like tree roots seeking out a water source.
If we were to ask you what the most important appliance in your home was, what would your answer be? Most homeowners would say their water heater. After all, the water heater in your home is responsible for a lot. It provides you with the hot water you need to shower, wash dishes, do the laundry, and much more. And if you have a tank water heater you have one more important component to think about—the anode rod.
If the term “slab leak” doesn’t scare you, it probably should. A term that’s plumber-speak for any leak that occurs in the cold or hot water pipes set beneath your concrete foundation, a slab leak is a major problem for homes. Not only will one cause significant water waste, but it can also damage your property, lead to mold and mildew growth, and add extra strain on your water heater if the leak is occurring in the hot water lines (which the majority of the time, it is.)
Our region isn’t exactly known for soaring summer temperatures, but that doesn’t mean that our weather can’t get sweltering enough some weeks to warrant the use of a fully functional air conditioning system. In fact, it won’t be too long now before you’ll need a reliable cooling system to keep your home bearable. And when you start using it on a daily basis, you’ll increase the stress on the system, which means a greater chance for problems to occur.
