Plumbing and Air Conditioning Dallas TX

When the weather outside turns frightful, there’s nothing more delightful than a house perfectly warmed by a reliable furnace. But for such a sophisticated piece of machinery, it can run quite a pretty penny if used improperly. You don’t want to spend upwards of $2,000 running it for a single cold season, and at Sirius Plumbing and Air Conditioning, we don’t want you to either.

To make sure that doesn’t happen, here are five money-saving tricks for homeowners during the winter.

1. Switch to a Smart Thermostat

Smart thermostats are a great decision across the board and regardless of the season. These fixtures are tech-forward and can be controlled via any kind of smart device. This will allow you to adjust the temperature of your household from virtually anywhere with WiFi.

And that’s only the beginning of what you can do. A smart thermostat can reduce your heating costs by 10%, and that number only goes up if you schedule a regular furnace tune-up. Smart thermostats will also build a monthly energy report so you can know for certain how much energy you’re using and what you can do about it.

2. Use Energy-Saving Techniques

When you perform a furnace tune-up, you can ensure your heating system is running the best it can, but that doesn’t mean you can’t give it an extra push. You can take steps to reduce the strain on your heater and allow it to run with less effort. 

If you have a ceiling fan, you can switch the rotation of the blades to push down warm air when it’s needed most. This is usually as easy as shutting the fan down and switching the direction switch on the center motor. You want the blades running counterclockwise in the summer to create a downdraft and the opposite for an updraft when it’s cold.

But even if you don’t have a fan, you can use your curtains to maintain heat strategically. Any south- or west-facing windows should be opened during the day to allow warmth from the sun. Then at night, you pull the curtains closed, preventing any heat loss through the glass.

3. Keep Your Furnace Clean

There’s a good chunk of the year when you’re not using your furnace. In that time, it’s bound to accumulate dust and debris. That’s why we suggest getting a furnace tune-up every year in the late fall. But before you do that, you can do some work on your own. 

This can be as easy as vacuuming any dust around your furnace. And for the parts that the vacuum can’t reach, you can dampen a rag and wipe them clean. Doing this allows your furnace to function the way it should with no deterrents, but there are many internal components in your heater that need serving as well. 

We don’t suggest trying to clean the inside of your furnace yourself. It’s a lot safer and more effective to arrange for a furnace tune-up, where a professional can work with all the minute details that they’re trained to focus on.

4. Schedule an Annual Furnace Tune-Up

There are many good reasons to perform an annual furnace tune-up for your household. It allows you to stay covered under your heater’s warranty, where you otherwise be stuck paying for a full repair on your own. It also makes sure that your system is running in the best way possible. The little things that our technicians clean and adjust quickly add up in terms of performance. 

And while there is a cost to regular tune-ups, it doesn’t compare to the cost spent on repairing a faulty unit. There’s even the chance for a technician to find a repair and fix it before it escalates into a bigger problem. They will do this, as well as: 

• Test the safety controls
• Clean and lubricate the parts that need it
• Adjusting electrical components
• Check for leaks in the system and ducts
• Tighten belts and pulleys
• Inspect the heat exchanger

All this work allows your heating system to last for years longer, and it gives you the chance to make the most out of your investment.

5. Find the Right HVAC Provider for You

In order to get a furnace tune-up you can rely on, you need the best provider you can get. And if you live in Plano, TX or the surrounding area, that provider is Sirius Plumbing and Air Conditioning. We’ve been striving to serve homes for years in every aspect of plumbing and HVAC they may need. 

When you work with us, you can trust that you get the guarantee of five-star service with every job we do. We even provide a two-hour work window, so you aren’t waiting all day for someone to show up. So to save time, money, and struggle on your furnace, call Sirius Plumbing and Air Conditioning. It’ll be a cool choice for a cold day.

In an ideal world, you don’t need to think that heavily about your furnace. You turn it on when it’s cold out and enjoy a steady flow of warm air throughout the home. But when that balance is disrupted, suddenly all you can think about is your furnace and its many sudden failings.

There are many cases where you need to seek a furnace repair. You know there’s something wrong when the system stops working altogether, but what if it’s barely trodding along no matter how much you prod it? Or what if it’s not working at all? Call Sirius Plumbing and Air Conditioning for a furnace repair today. We’ll tell you why, and we’ll fix it!

What Is Short-Cycling?

Your heating system runs on a cycle, and the average heat cycle lasts around 15 minutes. This is enough time for you to set the unit to your desired temperature and allow the burners to heat enough air to warm your home to your heart’s content. Once your unit reaches the set temperature on your thermostat, the unit will shut off until the level drops, and it needs to warm again. 

But if your furnace can only run for maybe ten minutes or less, that’s what HVAC professionals call “short-cycling.” In that fractured time period, the average furnace cannot fully raise the internal temperature of your home. As a result, things get chilly, and you wind up dissatisfied.

What Causes Short-Cycling?

Before you seek a furnace repair, you may be curious as to what’s causing your heating system to short-cycle. The problem can come from many sources, and it’s best diagnosed by an HVAC professional like the ones at Sirius Plumbing and Air Conditioning. Still, let’s talk about some of the major issues and how a technician can work to resolve them. 

Dirty Filters

This is one of the only causes of short-cycling that you could solve yourself. You should be changing your filter every few months (less often for thicker filters, and more often if you live with pets or allergies). If you don’t prioritize this maintenance task, the filter quickly clogs, and a clogged filter will prevent the flow of return air into the furnace. 

Without return air, your furnace is far more likely to get too hot and shut itself down, resulting in a shorter cycle. You may be able to solve this by changing the filter. If that doesn’t keep your system from overheating, you may want to change your action plan.

Overheating

Much like any other piece of technology, your furnace will shut down if it gets too hot. It does this to prevent the damage that can come from overheating. You may notice a burning smell coming from the vents around your home or strange noises coming from around the furnace when it happens.

Overheating can be due to a dirty filter, but that’s not the only thing causing your heating system to run hot and inconsistent. The dust from your filter may have traveled to the rest of your system’s internal components. If these vital parts get too dirty, it loses its ability to self-ventilate, which will cause it to short-cycle. 

We don’t suggest cleaning your internal components yourself. It’s much more effective to call us for a furnace repair to get things back in working order.

Blocked Heat Grates

These are two more problems resulting in overheating, specifically relating to the heat grates in a larger home.

As with your air conditioner, your furnace sends air through a series of grates scattered around your home. You can control which rooms get heated through the dampers over their grates, but if too many grates are closed, your furnace can’t properly disperse the heat. This will cause the heat to build up in your system and lead to it overheating. 

The best way to keep this from happening is to make sure at least 75% of your grates are kept open. If that’s not enough to keep the heater from shutting off, you may need a more in-depth furnace repair.

What Can You Do?

A furnace repair can help keep a furnace running the way it should. And it’ll work even better when you do it through the right HVAC service provider. At Sirius Plumbing and Air Conditioning, we serve homes in Plano, TX and the surrounding area, solving any problems they may have with plumbing, heating, air conditioning, and more.

We focus on a five-star guarantee with every job we do. Because when you work with Sirius, that’s exactly how we’re going to treat your home’s needs一seriously. And we don’t stop until you’re satisfied with the comfort of your home. So if you’re in an on-again, off-again relationship with your furnace, make things right with Sirius Plumbing and Air Conditioning. We’ll set things right!

Summer is approaching, which means you’ll soon need to rely on your air conditioner to get you through the heat. And living in Frisco means dealing with some serious heat.

That’s why you need an HVAC services provider that knows how to serve you through every kind of weather, from the sweltering heat to the blistering cold.

At Sirius Plumbing and Air Conditioning, we understand every aspect of air conditioner care. Whether you need your unit fine-tuned or replaced entirely, you get a job done right when you work with us. To prove we know our stuff, here are five AC services you can take advantage of to keep your home cool this summer.

• AC Tune-Up

You should schedule an air conditioning tune-up annually, preferably when it’s colder out, since you’re less likely to need it. But, of course, that’s not always possible. What matters is that you get frequent maintenance done on your unit, even if it seems to be running perfectly fine.

An AC tune-up will ensure your system is running as efficiently as possible. Our technicians know what needs to be done to maintain an air conditioner unit, and they’ll adjust, tighten, and clean every part of your AC. When they finish, they’ll know the state of your air conditioner inside and out.

At that point, they’ll help you plan what to do next. If your unit doesn’t have any significant issues, you may just need to schedule another appointment for the following year. However, if a technician finds something wrong with your unit, they may suggest an in-depth repair or even a unit replacement.

• AC Repair

If you tolerate your AC more than you enjoy it, that’s a problem. You shouldn’t have to grit your teeth through weird smells or bothersome noises, especially because signs like these bode poorly for your comfort and wallet.

When your air conditioner unit isn’t running properly, it uses an increasing amount of energy to produce almost no desirable effect. That means your broken unit is likely hiking up your energy bill. In this instance, air conditioning repair will provide cool air for your home, reduce your carbon footprint on the environment, and get your utility bills back to normal.

An AC repair will not only keep your home cool in the summer, but it will also make sure the air circulating through your system is as clean as possible. If you or someone in your household has allergies or other respiratory illnesses, you want to make sure your AC isn’t pushing dust or other harmful particulates through your vents. Your health is just as valuable as your comfort and your home’s climate.

• AC Installation

If you live in an older home with a traditional AC model, the odds are that your unit is only designed to last for up to 12 years. If you haven’t been able to keep up with regular maintenance, you may have cut that lifespan in half. Is your current system not cooling your home as it should? It may be time to look into an air conditioning installation.

Modern AC units are better all across the board. These robust systems run cleaner and more efficiently than older units, saving you time, money, and trouble. While an older air conditioner has a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) of around seven or eight, newer models have a SEER of 13 or more. That has the potential to lower your energy bills by up to 50%.

And if you have an older AC system in Frisco, there’s a pretty good chance that it might contain freon, carbon dioxide, or ammonia. Once the unit starts to break down, these gases run the risk of leaking and damaging your health and the environment.

Our technicians know how to properly dispose of these units to make sure everyone and everything is safe. And what’s cooler than that?

• Other AC Services

Thermostats don’t have a concrete lifespan, but the average devices experienced a dip in quality after about ten years. After that point, you’ll start to notice signs of malfunction, such as fluctuations in temperature, incorrect readings, or a significant spike in your energy bill.

It’s technically possible to change your thermostat on your own, but it’s best to leave the work to someone with electrical training as it’s an electrical fixture. And when you come to Sirius Plumbing and Air Conditioning for your thermostat replacement, we can guide you through the many options on the market.

If you’re a tech-savvy or tech-forward consumer, there are several smart thermostats available. You can control these AI assistants through any smart device, and you can program them to turn your cooler on before you get home or off as you drift to sleep.

Your thermostat is a valuable tool to keep you cool. And when it’s no longer doing its job, we can get things back in working order.

• Sirius Comfort Care

Whether your unit is old or cutting edge, it’s invaluable to form a relationship with a provider you can work with to keep your home cool summer after summer. And Sirius Plumbing and Air Conditioning offers a special Home Comfort Care Program for an annual fee of $129 a year.

This program includes two complimentary annual tune-ups—one for your furnace and the other for your air conditioner. With these services, the program already pays for itself. But there’s more to it. Sometimes things break down even when you’ve cared for them the best you can, and that’s why our program offers 10% off all HVAC repairs all year round. And no matter how busy we get, you’re promised VIP service with our Home Comfort Care Program.

When a Frisco heat wave hits your home, you want to have a plan in place to defend yourself. Your system will work for you if you do what’s needed to keep it working. And when you want a provider to bring serious service to your system, Sirius Plumbing and Air Conditioning is your go-to team. We will make sure your system stays just as cool as you are.

Are you looking to put your home back on the market? There are many elements that go into choosing the best time to sell, but before you get in contact with a realtor it’s worth taking stock of your home and seeing what improvements can be done to raise its value on the Plano real estate market.

If you’re feeling handy – or at the very least handy enough to make plans with a good contractor – here are five plumbing projects to improve your resale value in Plano.

1. In the Kitchen

There are plenty of ways to improve the layout of your kitchen without having to do a full gutting. It’s all about improving your current appliances in a way that will be appealing to potential buyers. If you don’t have something like a dishwasher, for instance, installing one will be a massive convenience for the next owners.

You can also replace your current sink head with a pull-out faucet, which is another addition that’s incredibly useful. If you’re feeling wild, you can even upgrade to a double-basin sink, a perk that will give your house an advantage over others in the area. All it takes is a few key areas of work, you can turn your kitchen space into something out of the right owner’s dream.

2. For the Bathroom

Adding a new bathroom can allow you to upgrade to luxury features, increasing the value of your home by up to 23%. Even building a new, conveniently placed half-bathroom is a big plus in real estate, especially for a larger family or persons with disabilities.

However, we understand a full construction job isn’t feasible for many would-be sellers. There’s a lot you can do that’ll create a similar effect. You can tile or retile your shower for a fresh look. Even just changing your fixtures will make a big difference, though there’s an increasing want for creative design choices in that realm. Black or mixed metal are two daring options to consider.

But underneath all the glitz and glam of a stylish bathroom, there’s a room that’s made up mostly of drains. So take the time to make sure the core plumbing around your bathroom is functioning properly.

3. Modernize the Water Heater

How’s your water heater? If you haven’t thought about it, you’ll want to before you take the steps to sell your home. If you have a tank-style water heater, they tend to last around ten years. After that they start to corrode and build up sediment that can get into the water supply and clog vital machinery. So if your water heater is leaking, or if it’s taking longer than usual to heat up water, it’s time to replace it.

You might want to consider switching to a tankless water heater. They take up much less space than a tanked heater, and they provide near-instant hot water access without a pilot light or water storage. They also have a lifespan double of that of a tank-equivalent, and a longer warranty to match.

A tankless water heater is a definite selling point for your home. It’s safer, more effective, and is even wi-fi capable and can be controlled through a tablet or phone.

4. Pipe Upgrades

Even once your appliances make it into the 21st century, that won’t amount to much if your piping system is stuck in the 1970s. Most homes, particularly older ones, contain galvanized pipes. These corrode over time and, like an outdated water heater, can cause toxic material to break off into your water supply.

If your system is old enough it could contain polybutylene, or even lead. Even just a section of these materials in your piping can cause serious health risks. Beyond improving the resale value of your home, it’s vital to modernize your piping for the safety of the people who move in after you.

The best alternatives for piping are copper for water and PVC for waste outlets. With these materials you can ensure a smooth functioning system with few joints and low risk of corrosion. It’ll improve the value of your property, but by emphasizing that the plumbing system is taken care of you’ll be providing extra security to buyers.

5. Eco-Renovations

In nearly every room of the house it’s becoming more and more important to implement eco-friendly appliances into your renovations. Eco and low-waste appliances are beneficial on a globally conscious scale, while also putting in work to lower energy bills in the process. Needless to say that it’s something most buyers will definitely be considering in the house of their choosing.

A tankless water heater, as stated before, is a very useful eco-friendly shift in your home’s design. Beyond that, it could help to take a tour of the plumbing in your house and see what could be improved.

Is your toilet constantly running water or wobbling in its foundation? Time to get a dual-flush upgrade to cut energy costs and add another perk to your home’s appearance. You can also replace your faucets and showerheads to fixtures that can save water by the gallon while reducing strain on your plumbing system.

When shopping around for fixtures and appliances as you get them, look out for proof of Energy Star certification. Even if you don’t know what that is by name, there’s a big chance you’ve seen the baby-blue sticker on the front of a fridge or other home fixture.

Energy Star is a program from the Environmental Protection Agency that is awarded to appliances that are energy efficient. Using Energy Star-approved fixtures in your home tells buyers that, when they live there, they’ll be reducing their carbon footprint and saving money doing it.

Your house has provided a roof over your head and shelter from the proverbial storm. You might like it, you might hate it, or you might not feel anything one way or the other. But when selling your house you want to present it in the best light possible.

Installing a new sink will contribute to that, and so will getting rid of any leaks or clogs. These are all efforts big and small that you can put in to make sure that, when the right buyer walks through your doors they won’t just see another house on the market – they’ll see a home.

And, rest assured, they’ll pay accordingly.