It’s time for drain cleaning before the holidays!

The holiday season is upon us, and we know how hard it is to remember everything that needs to get done. With all the shopping and cooking, lots of people forget to get their drains and sewer inspected and cleaned. It’s not enough to assume it’s working correctly because the drains and sewer could clog at any given moment. Drains are a part of a much larger plumbing system, and every one of those pipes leads to the sewer. Do not wait until the last minute or when a problem occurs and throws off your schedule.

Drain Cleaning and Sewer Maintenance

If you’re worried about the drains and sewer system being too complicated to even think about, we’ve got you covered. Our experienced and licensed technicians know exactly what to do when it comes to cleaning the drains and performing sewer maintenance. Through the use of modern and efficient equipment, we can not only clean the drains but see if there are any unwanted problems that could occur down the road.

If there are more issues with your drain or sewer than just a routine cleaning, we use a video camera for pipe inspection. The camera is great because it allows us to see where clogs are, and then we use hydro water jetting to flush the pipes out. This way all of your drains whether indoor or outdoor, will drain properly and not overflow. Our method also keeps your sewer clear of any overflow.

Once we clean your drains and sewer, we’ll let you know when another inspection will be due. We always remind our customers that if you think there’s something wrong, you should always call us for maintenance. Don’t let your holidays get ruined by clogged and dirty drains or a flooded sewer! iRepair services the following North New Jersey counties: Bergen, Morris, Passaic, Union, Essex, and Hudson. We’re just a call away!

If you have frozen pipes you can read our post on how to prevent frozen pipes from happening here!

As the season changes, it’s time to prevent frozen pipes from ruining the winter and your home! iRepair can help prepare your plumbing for winter. It is necessary to make a detailed check of the water pipes in your home because their proper maintenance reduces the possibility of damage and unnecessary expenditure.

Prevent Frozen Pipes!

In New Jersey, people can feel safe if there is a need for emergency plumbing service. Companies such as iRepair Plumbing Heating & Cooling for example, have been servicing homes for years and successful in doing so. Our hard-working professionals work in severe weather conditions, can solve the most complicated cases, and can be at your location in 45 minutes.

It is important to know that particular attention must be given to all water pipes, both indoor and outdoor. If you have a summer or winter home where you don’t visit often, it is necessary to drain the plumbing. Cold days can lead to freezing of water in installations, bursting of pipes, and thus enormous damage can be created, especially in the bathroom and kitchen.

Attention must be paid to any courtyard plumbing leading to fountains, and isolated buildings that are not heated. This is the reason why it is necessary to drain water from water pipes and the tap, which is located at the lowest part of the system, usually in the basement.

With the services by iRepair, you can prevent plumbing problems during the winter. It ‘s nice to know why may come to a problem with the water pipes. However, if there is a problem, then it is better to call experts. If the reaction occurs in time, you will prevent greater harm! If you’re in Bergen, Morris, Passaic, Hudson, Union, or Essex county in North New Jersey, we can help!

It is recommended that you have a professional surface maintenance and tune up done at least once a year to prevent breakdown during winter when the furnace is needed most.

When is the appropriate time for furnace maintenance?

Experts recommend an annual check just before the winter season. The heating unit, just like any other appliance, requires regular maintenance. Many heating surfaces aren’t in use for about six months out of a year hence there’s ample time for dirt and dust to build up in the components. This prevents the heating furnace from performing at peak performance during the cold season. The annual inspection ensures that all the components of the heating unit are cleaned and lubricated hence tuning up its performance.

There are many benefits to getting a routine maintenance and service of your heating surface. Call and engage an expert at IrepairHVAC, New Jersy to learn more about regular or emergency heating unit maintenance.

Benefits of routine heating surface maintenance

Better energy efficiency and lower energy costs

An annual inspection ensures that the heating surfaces are cleaned up hence working at peak performance during the winter period. When the heating furnace is performing at peak efficiency, it is usually reflected on the lower energy bill. Keeping your system well maintained means lower bills.

Longer useful life

Maintenance is important in prolonging the usefulness of any of your installation. Regular maintenance of the heating unit prolongs its life hence saving you money on prematurely replacing your system. Annual preventive maintenance also ensures the heating system isn’t bogged down in the extreme weather.

Keeps your family and house safe

Regular maintenance ensures there are no cracks and leakages in your heating system. When the heating furnace is working, fuel burning produces carbon monoxide which may leak- posing a health risk to your family- if there are cracks in the system. Monoxide poisoning can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea or coma. Routine heating system maintenance reduces the health risk.

Fewer system repairs

Routine inspection of the heating unit ensures that the technician inspects all problems hence they are able to detect and repair small problems before they result into bigger and more expensive repairs. Cleaning, lubrication, and assessment ensure peak performance and fewer breakdowns during operation.

Help keep a valid warranty

Many heating system manufacturers require at least one maintenance service per year in order to maintain the warranty. So, regular maintenance can save you money in case of expensive repairs in the future.

Taking care of your heating furnace has plenty of benefits and getting regular annual maintenance is a critical step. The first step is to contact an emergency heating unit service expert at IrepairHVAC in New Jersey who come and inspect your system and advise you accordingly. This will help in keeping your home comfortable when the cold weather comes, and it will also save you time as it will not need any additional service during winter.

iRepair Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling understand how plumbing problems can ruin your week or even month. As the summer approaches, we cannot avoid all plumbing problems that occur but we can be prepared to see the warning signs. Leaking, clogged sewer, clogged garbage disposal, issues about sewer, furnace problems, and sprinkler problems can all turn into a major headache.  Those common plumbing issues happen every summer, and can be prevented with the help of professionals like iRepair.

Need Help With Your Plumbing Problems?

When thinking about your plumbing system, you need to first realize the number of appliances and pipes that are included in the system. This doesn’t only cover the plumbing system that operates toilets, sinks, showers, and bathtubs in your home. It also covers laundry facilities in your home for your washer, utility sinks, and drains that may be installed.

One of the best methods to prevent these issues is to have a proper maintenance schedule with trained professionals. With the maintenance schedule, you will be able to catch the small problems before they become big problems.  A problem such as a clogged drain or busted pipe can end up costing you a lot of time and money. Drains may be clogged by roots, hair, food, grease, and whatever your children can fit in the pipes. That’s why it is a good idea to have preventative maintenance on your drains, sewers, and plumbing on a regular basis.

Plumbing Problems Can be Avoided

And for steel plumbing pipes, it is recommended to replace them with contemporary materials. The main pipes which running from your home to the street, horizontal pipes, and pipes leading to bathrooms should be top-priority for replacements.  Plumbing problem prevention is easy, you can call your trusted plumbing company to do the maintenance for you. Contact us today at irepairhvac.com.

If you are a homeowner who is concerned about leaving your heat turned up too high or the air conditioner on while you are away, there is now something very sensible that you can use to control your thermostat from anywhere; Remote thermostat controls. As technology makes things easier and easier, it would seem to reason that finding a practical and helpful way to control your thermostat from anywhere would soon be developed. The remote thermostat controls allow you to monitor the energy levels used in your home while you are away.

Trailblazers Offering Remote Thermostat Controls

1. Control4
   Offers a smartphone application, which allows users to control their home’s thermostat from wherever they are. You are able to adjust the temperature of your home, receive real-time information through embedded sensors installed in your home, and track temperature patterns.
2. Vivint
   Located in Utah, Vivint provides a variety of home automation packages to provide for energy efficiency in the home. Included in their offerings is remote-controlled thermostat adjustment smartphone app.
3. Nest
   This is an innovative home technology design company in California with a thermostat control system which identifies optimal temperature-control behaviors from the user. The user’s home and work schedule are used as the basis for determining the most energy-efficient way to control the temperature of their home. The system offered by nest is easy-to-understand and wireless.
4. Honeywell
   The remote thermostat control systems offered by Honeywell are among the most powerful on the market. It allows users a total domestic control interface. The system, which allows for total automation of your home temperature is called Honeywell’s RedLINK Comfort System. It allows you to gain access to your home’s primary technology controls via your smartphone or tablet. This system provides several degrees of customizations for your needs.

If you are about to start shopping around for a hot water heater, it might be a good idea to read this article first. We have provided you with a list of a few of the most popular hot water heaters sold and installed today. You will be able to choose from a tankless water heater, which is also eco-friendly or a traditional water heater. Here are the differences.

Traditional Water Heater- Stores heated water constantly

Notable factors:

• Cost effective.
• Can be installed in a garage, closet or basement.
• Up to 80-gallon capacity.

Tankless Water Heater- Requires a gas burner to heat cold water. It can also heat water through electric components while it makes its way through the water heater.

Notable factors:

• High-cost investment.
• Can be hung on walls, leaving space on your floors.
• If used too often, it can run out of water.
• Ventilation required.

Manufacturer brands most popular options:

General Electric
Manufactures gas and electric hot water heaters. They offer various sizes. Energy-Efficiency varies by size. GE heaters offer you different levels of warranty coverage. More recently, GE began to manufacturer GeoSpring, which are heat pump electric water heaters. Ask IRepair technician for details, if interested.

A.O. Smith
Manufactures both residential and commercial water heaters. A.O. Smith offers a condensing gas hot water heater, which enables homeowners to cut fuel cost by 25% compared to traditional gas models. This heater is Energy Star Qualified with a thermal efficiency of 96%. It comes with a large 50-gallon tank.

Kenmore

Kenmore’s Power Miser and HydroSense water heaters use natural and propane gas and are designed for residential use. Power Miser units offer a capacity of up to 75 gallons, with three different warranty types. The Power Miser is considered one of Kenmore’s best water heaters sold at Sears.

If your energy bill is the largest expense you have, you’re in luck because we can tell you how to reduce this bill. During the winter, people tend to run their heat all-day. This will inevitably make your energy bill higher. However, this is not generally the only reason that your energy bill is more expensive than usual. In fact, depending on the temperature outside, most homeowners find it less expensive to leave the thermostat set at a predetermined temperature to avoid the extra expense when turned on and off. Rather there are some simple adjustments that you can make to decrease your monthly energy bill during the winter.

• If you have a predetermined temperature that you feel most comfortable with during the colder weather, keep it at that temperature regardless of the change in the weather. When temperatures lower, simply put on more clothes or wrap-up in something heavy. Area rugs also help to insulate your rooms making it less cold. 
• Turn your heat down at night, to about 10 to 15 degrees lower than what you typically have it, for a minimum of eight hours. This, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, helps to reduce your annual heating bill by 10 percent. 
• Whenever there is sun outside, open the curtains and let it naturally warm-up the inside of your home. Once the sun goes down, close your curtains and blinds to retain the heat. 
• Have your furnace cleaned annually. This reduces the amount of energy you consume. When you have your furnace properly serviced annually it means that you don’t have to worry about remembering to change the filters or other things necessary to maintain the condition of your furnace.

If you have tried these suggestions and still are not seeing a difference in your energy bill, it might be necessary to contact iRepair for servicing and repairs.

If you are about to purchase a new home, you should know that you do not have to keep the water heater that already exists in the house. In fact, if you have preference for the type of water heater you prefer, you should have it installed. Some heaters are more efficient, cost effective and require less maintenance than others. You should be familiar with the various types of hot water heaters that are available to you today.

Tankless Water Heaters

This type doesn’t require a storage tank. The hot water is provided as needed. They experience less energy losses than those that most storage unit heaters do. When you turn on the hot water, the cold water first goes into the unit. Typically there is a electric element that heats the water or a gas burner. This means that the heater is able to generate a steady flow of hot water. This means that you don’t have to wait until a storage tank accumulates hot water that can then be released.

Conventional Storage Heaters

This is considered to be the most popular type of water heaters for residential use. The single-family water heater holds up to 80 gallons of hot water. When you turn on the hot water tap, the hot water is released from the top of the tank. The hot water is then replaced with cold water from the bottom, making it possible for the tank to remain full. The source of fuel for a conventional storage water heater consists of fuel oil, natural gas and propane.

Solar Water Heaters use the heat of the sun to produce hot water. This saves in energy expenses.

A knowledgeable associate of I Repair will be able to advise you of your options and discuss the many advantages associated with each type of hot water heater, in greater detail.

Like us on Facebook!

Keeping in heat over the winter can be a difficult task. There are a plethora of things that can cause your heat to escape (forgetting to close a window, cracks in the wall, poor insulation, etc) and finding a way to take care of everything can be a daunting task. That’s why we at iRepair have come up with a small list of things you can do to help keep in the heat this winter and make sure that you don’t lose money. By following these tips, you’ll be making sure that your home is safe and warm and that you are saving money while you’re at it.

1.       Let the Sun in – By letting in sunlight, you are letting the warm rays do what they do best – which is keep your home warm. Despite the cold air outside, and as long as you close the curtains when the sun goes down, you should be able to keep the heat in and the cold air out simply by letting the sun shine indoors.
2.       Seal up any Cracks – Windows can be tricky and can let in drafts especially if you’re living in an older home. To keep heat from escaping, and to keep cold air from getting in, see about sealing the gaps in the windows and doors. You can do this by putting plastic inside and out of your windows, by sealing the cracks with foam, or putting foam adhesive strips around your windows. You won’t be able to open your windows once you do this unless you’re okay with re-sealing them, so be frugal.

If you are having emergency problems, please contact our emergency team immediately and someone will be at your door as soon as possible. If you think your heating unit needs to be tuned up, iRepair has exemplary technicians who are the best at their job and who can help get it ready for the winter.

Check out our Facebook page today!

With summer blisteringly hot outside, most of us want to take refuge in a nice cool home. We here at iRepair absolutely understand that. However, could you be overworking your air conditioner? Could you save more money on your electrical bill with some simple changes to how your AC is running? Could your house possibly get, and stay, any cooler? It’s possible! We’ve come up with some great tips to help you keep your house cool and functional.

Play Tetris – And, no, we don’t mean the game. We mean your furniture! If your air conditioning vents are under a couch or chair or even a coffee table, the chances of you cooling only the underside of these objects is obvious. To make sure you are getting maximum cooling from your HVAC system, try moving around your furniture and see what a difference it makes.

Lights on Lights off – If you don’t need to have your lights on, then keep them off! Much of the heat that is accumulating in your home can come from your lights being on all the time. If you’re not home, or if you’re not in a particular room, then turn the lights off! This will not only save on your energy bill for lighting, it’ll help your AC keep the house cooler without overworking.

Keep a Steady 78 – Believe it or not, but your air conditioner will work better if set to a steady temperature like 78. Think of 78 like cruise control on your car. It allows your air conditioner to work at a steady pace without overworking, and can actually help it do a much better job in keeping your house cool. Don’t try to cool your house with a low temperature, start higher, stay cooler longer.

Remember, if you’re having trouble with your air conditioner that cannot be fixed by you, contact iRepair immediately and we’ll be at your home to figure it out.

Like us on Facebook!