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5 Money-Saving Tricks for Homeowners

By 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.

Richardson Heating Services

What Is “Short-Cycling”?

By Plumbing and Air Conditioning Dallas TX

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!

Essential AC Services

Keep Your Cool with These 5 Essential AC Services

By Plumbing and Air Conditioning Dallas TX

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.

Plumbing Projects to Improve Your Home Resale Value

5 Plumbing Projects to Improve Your Home Resale Value in Plano

By Plumbing and Air Conditioning Dallas TX

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.

brent presenting

Garrett Shares 30 Years of Entrepreneurial Experience

By Mentorship, Plumbing and Air Conditioning Dallas TX

Arkansas Tech University alumnus Brent Garrett’s career in business has provided him with a wealth of experience and wisdom.

As he set about sharing some of it with the ATU College of Business students assembled in the Doc Bryan Student Services Center Lecture Hall on Wednesday, March 11, he recalled an encounter with Fred Smith, chairman and chief executive officer of FedEx. While seated with Smith at a leadership council, Garrett asked him what the most important job of a leader is.

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Get to Know Your Water Heater

By Gas Water Heaters, Plumbing and Air Conditioning Dallas TX, Tankless Water Heaters, Water Heaters

The ins and outs of a workhorse appliance you rely on every day. Dallas TX

A water heater is the kind of appliance that we don’t like to think about… as long as it works.

A tank water heater will last 6-15 years, depending on the quality of the appliance and your water. Take some time to get to know the mechanics of yours and you can prolong that lifespan — and prevent the dreaded “blow out” we’ve all heard horror stories about.

AN INSIDE LOOK AT YOUR WATER HEATER

First, you need to know that there are two kinds of water heaters: tank and tankless. They may be either powered by gas or electricity.

All about the tank hot water heater. This American household staple has been around for a long time. It is the most common type. In essence, this appliance consists of a large holding tank where water is heated and then distributed to the rest of the house.

All about tankless hot water heaters. We actually talk a lot about this baby at Sirius Plumbing and AIr Conditioning because we love them! Read more here.

About gas powered water heaters. There’s not much of a difference between gas and electric in modern hot water heaters. Be aware, however, that if you smell gas around the unit, shut the gas off immediately via the shut off valve on the gas line.

You’d better know: where the main switch valve is. If you learn nothing else from this nitty gritty cross section of a water heater, let it be the exact location of the main valve that supplies water to the appliance. You will not want to be guessing when an emergency arises. To identify the input pipe, put your hand on it. Is it cold? That’s your intake.

You’d better know: where the pressure relief valve is. This guy has one job and it’s to keep the water tank from a blow out when too much pressure builds in the tank. Keep your eye out for any signs of water on the floor, which could be a sign of appliance malfunction.

You’d better know: where the drain valve is. If you need to replace or repair your hot water heater, or you need to drain it to maintain it, the drain valve is where it all happens. Near the bottom of the tank, you can open up a faucet about the size of a garden hose to empty the tank.

You’d better know: how to use the temperature control knob. Relight the pilot light, if need be, on the gas powered water heater. This knob also controls the temperature of the water as supplied to the house. CAUTION: a high setting can create scalding hot water from the taps, please exercise restraint when turning it up. Conserve energy by turning it down.

Now that you know the basic components of your water heater, you can prevent any unnecessary heartache and expense.

#protip Drain the water on a regular basis to flush out any built up contaminants and prevent corrosion. Do this by attaching a regular old garden hose and feed it into a 5gal bucket. CAUTION! The water is hot. (Hold on to that hose and elevate it before you disconnect it or you’ll need a mop!)

#protip Do a regular visual inspection of the unit. Look for signs of corrosion on the top and bottom. Make sure the ventilation pipe is secure.

#protip Your future self will thank you for spending less than $20 on a Water Alarm. This small device will deliver a piercing alarm heard throughout the whole house when it senses water on the floor.

Is your hot water heater leaking? Watch this video to find out what to do next.
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Sirius Plumbing and Air Conditioning services Dallas/Ft Worth or any one of these mid cities:

Dallas, Plano, Carrollton, Richardson, Garland, Allen, Frisco, McKinney, Lewisville, Flower Mound, Coppell, University Park, Highland Park, Fort Worth, Richland Hills, North Richland Hills, Hurst, Bedford, Euless, Colleyville, Keller, Southlake, Grapevine, Trophy Club, and surrounding DFW communities.

We are committed to helping treating our customers like family. We make sure that we’re there for them when they need plumbing repairs, air conditioning repair, and hot water heater repair. We also help when people have a leaking toilet, clogged drain, or gas line repair. What’s more, we do tankless water heater installation and HVAC replacement. Get to know us better at siriuspac.com/about/.

jack garrett

Sirius Summer Intern is a True Champion at School and at Work

By Plumbing and Air Conditioning Dallas TX

Sirius Plumbing and Air Conditioning hires a small group of interns each summer and pays them while they gain real world work experience.

Jack Garrett feels fortunate to be one of them.

Jack’s role at Sirius is to work in the Call center, coordinating parts delivery, function as a dispatcher, and be available for other key office responsibilities.

He grew up in Plano, TX with his older sister. He attended John Paul II High School where he played Running Back/Quarterback; member of the National Honor Society.

He’s attending Trinity University, majoring in Business Analytics and Technology, minoring in Marketing, and plays Wide Receiver for the Division III Trinity Tigers football team.

While many summer intern jobs don’t pay, Sirius knows it’s right to pay their interns—as they work and learn the business–to help them to afford and finish their college educations.

Jack says his future plan is to return to Dallas to work, and hopes to get a job in Business Technology (or Tech) Consulting.

Jack Garrett is a champion at work and school, and a Sirius Intern the company is proud to employ.

Garrett says, “My highlight of the summer was having Happy, our service puppy in training, in the office to help with shredding paper for belly rubs in return.”

For more information about Sirius Plumbing and Air and their Internships giving back to the community, see the company’s website:

https://siriuspac.com/ or call 972-235-6600.

The company is located in Carrollton at 1406 Halsey Way, Suite 100, Carrollton, TX 75007

 

air conditioning dallas tx

Keep it Cool

By Plumbing and Air Conditioning Dallas TX

Maintenance checklist for the well-being of your HVAC system. Dallas TX

When you live in Texas, you gain a certain appreciation for your air conditioning system. With temperatures consistently in the 90s (at least!), a consistently cool home is the peace of mind we can’t afford to fail us.

(By the way, have you ever been curious about the genius to whom we all owe a debt of gratitude for inventing air conditioning? You can thank a Yankee.)

And while home systems aren’t as easy as “set it and forget it,” by performing annual maintenance for your HVAC system, you can pretty much relax knowing that you’ll make it through another 9-month summer (we love ya’ DFW!) without breaking a sweat.

HVAC / COOLING CHECKLIST

  1. Clean and adjust thermostat
  2. Check and tighten loose connections
  3. Check and clean condenser
  4. Check refrigerant charge
  5. Monitor voltage and amperage draw
  6. Inspect inside cooling coil if accessible
  7. Monitor air conditioning cycle
  8. Clean primary and secondary drain lines
  9. Monitor and adjust blower components
  10. Check operating pressures
  11. Install algae tablets
  12. Check suction line insulation
  13. Check and/or replace filter

Check these boxes at least two months before you expect to need your cooling. After all, nobody wants to be surprised when the temps start to rise and your home’s HVAC  system isn’t working. (And if you have small children or elderly people living with you, no heat can mean more than just a few extra fans, it can be a serious health risk.)

If you regularly maintain your Cooling system and still struggle to keep cool, you may not have the right sized system. Find out the right size for your AC unit here.

And if just the thought of hitting each and every one of these maintenance points in the midst of your already too busy daily life makes you a little anxious, we have good news. Now you can enroll in our new signature service, Sirius Comfort Care Program. For just $129 a year, we’ll come out and do all of this for you. Membership includes two complimentary annual tune-ups, a springtime air conditioning and a fall furnace check. We even send you hassle-free reminders to schedule service. What’s more, you get 10% off all heating, air conditioning, and plumbing repairs, year-round!

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Sirius Plumbing and Air Conditioning services Dallas/Ft Worth or any one of these mid cities:

Dallas, Plano, Carrollton, Richardson, Garland, Allen, Frisco, McKinney, Lewisville, Flower Mound, Coppell, University Park, Highland Park, Fort Worth, Richland Hills, North Richland Hills, Hurst, Bedford, Euless, Colleyville, Keller, Southlake, Grapevine, Trophy Club, and surrounding DFW communities.

We are committed to treating our customers like family. We make sure that we’re there for them when they need plumbing repairs, air conditioning repair, and hot water heater repair. We also help when people have a leaking toilet, clogged drain, or gas line repair. What’s more, we do tankless water heater installation and HVAC replacement. Get to know us better at siriuspac.com/about/.

tankless water heater dallas tx

To Tankless or Not to Tankless

By Plumbing and Air Conditioning Dallas TX

Tankless waterless systems, three myths debunked and three reasons to love them.

While tankless water heaters may be all the rage amongst the home improvement projects, they may not be all they’re cracked up to be.

How do you know if it’s a worthy investment or just very, very good marketing on the part of manufacturers?

In the spirit of full disclosure, we are a fan of tankless systems. We’ll tell you why, but first let’s debunk some of the myths that are pushing these tiny wonders to the forefront of the market.

Myth 1: You’re gonna save a ton on your utility bills. The small monthly savings that you’ll notice on your utility bill will hardly be noticeable.

Myth 2: You’ll have instant hot water. Gee, we wish this one were true. But in fact, a tankless water system still needs to convert cold water to hot. The only way you can do this instantly is via a circulation pump. So in truth, a tankless water system does not provide instant hot water in and of itself.

Myth 3: The whole thing is maintenance free. If you have soft water, that’s mostly true. But if your house runs on hard water, you’re going to need a plumber to come and flush the system on an annual / bi-annual basis. (Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.)

Now you know that tankless water systems aren’t the money saving, maintenance free, instant hot water miracle workers they are advertised to be. But they’re pretty darn close.

Here’s why we love them.

Reason to Believe 1: You’ll love the luxury. Remember when you ran out of hot water if you weren’t the first person in the house to grab a shower? Those days are over with a tankless water system. You’ll have a seemingly endless supply of hot water, no matter what the rest of the house does. The performance is unprecedented in such a small package.

Reason to Believe 2: Space considerations galore. A tankless system has such a small footprint, you can practically put them anywhere. For us in Texas, that means we can even put it in the attic, freeing up all of that great real estate in your house.

Reason to Believe 3: The thing is going to last 20-25 years. Eurpoean and Japanese technology makes the tankless water heater one of the things in your home system with an expanded lifespan.

Well, did we convince you? If you’re ready to update or replace your current hot water tank, consider going tankless. You’ll save a little bit of money, a whole lot of space, and you’ll never run out of hot water. What’s not to love?

 

Sirius Plumbing and Air Conditioning services Dallas/Ft Worth or any one of these mid cities:

Dallas, Plano, Carrollton, Richardson, Garland, Allen, Frisco, McKinney, Lewisville, Flower Mound, Coppell, University Park, Highland Park, Fort Worth, Richland Hills, North Richland Hills, Hurst, Bedford, Euless, Colleyville, Keller, Southlake, Grapevine, Trophy Club, and surrounding DFW communities.

We are committed to treating our customers like family. We make sure that we’re there for them when they need plumbing repairs, air conditioning repair, and hot water heater repair. We also help when people have a leaking toilet, clogged drain, or gas line repair. What’s more, we do tankless water heater installation and HVAC replacement. Get to know us better at siriuspac.com/about/.

 

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 Things I Wish My Parents Taught Me Before I Left The Nest  

By Plumbing and Air Conditioning Dallas TX

Words of wisdom about plumbing and air conditioning from our family to yours.    

 Like many adult children who did not grow up around handy parents, the care and upkeep of your home can be a real head scratcher. What to do when certain very common problems arise can seem like a very big deal when you don’t have the experience of seeing someone fix them.

As plumbing and air conditioning pros, we get a lot of the same questions; things you probably should know as a homeowner.

Conversely, we’re parents, too, so we get it. People just not as well versed in the mechanics of our home systems (and how to maintain them yourself) as we used to be in our grandparents’ day.

The following is a list of things we wish that every up-and-coming adult is armed with the knowledge that they need to run a household without having a panic attack every time the drain gets clogged.

Change the filter on your air conditioning system every two months. Period.

Picture this, you’re sitting at home in the middle of summer and the register just won’t kick out cold air. You mess with the thermostat, reset the system, and you just get neutral air. You stockpile on box fans, dress for the desert, and wait for the HVAC pros to come and diagnose the problem. They pull out a filter that looks like the bottom of the Dead Sea and BAM! — you just spent hundreds of dollars to get someone to change your filter. They aren’t expensive, buy 6 at a time and set a ping on your calendar to change them every two-to-three months. A clean filter will keep you snug as a bug in a rug in winter and cool as a cucumber in summer.

If you’ve got a clogged drain due to nasty hair and other gross stuff, start with an over-the-counter drain unclogger first.

Most bathroom drain clogs result when dirt, skin flakes, and especially hair binds to soap scum on the walls of drain pipes. Over time, this gunk accumulates and reduces water flow. Before you call us (and we love when you do), troubleshoot the clog by removing and cleaning the drain stopper. Next, try using the humble drain plunger, keeping in mind to block the overflow drain in the tub or sink. If that doesn’t work, remove the drain elbow joint and clean it out. Clean drain stoppers routinely to prevent clogs and use a hair strainer drain-cover to trap hair before it goes down the drain.

If you’ve noticed a sudden drop in water pressure, it might not be the plumbing.

Don’t panic. There are many possible reasons you may be experiencing low water pressure. First, check each faucet in the house to see if the pressure problem is isolated, running hot and cold water separately to see if they have roughly the same pressure. If it’s only the shower head and/or a faucet that are weak, they may just need a good cleaning. To clean a shower head or faucet aerator, simply soak them in vinegar. If pressure problems persist, the source of the problem lies elsewhere.

 If you ignore a running toilet, the water company will laugh all the way to the bank.

When you hear your toilet running, there’s usually a sign that your water bills are going to start getting unnecessarily high. Think of how much water is wasted when the toilet is constantly running. Often, it’s just a quick fix that you can do yourself. The problem is often just an open flush-valve or something small within the tank. Take a look inside — it may not be as bad as you think — and it’s definitely costing you money. (Need to make a major repair? Check out our step-by-step instructions.)

Taking the time to understand your home systems doesn’t require trade school or a budding genius. Many of the everyday items that keep the water flowing and the house heated / cooled have been built the same way over the last one hundred years, you just have to know what to look for.

And now that you’re armed with your newfound practical knowledge about plumbing and air conditioning, you can avoid the high-stressed reaction when things don’t work quite right.

In over your head? No worries, we got you. Ask “the water guys” at Sirius Plumbing.& Air Conditioning. We’re here for you.

Sirius Plumbing and Air Conditioning services Dallas/Ft Worth or any one of these mid cities:

Dallas, Plano, Carrollton, Richardson, Garland, Allen, Frisco, McKinney, Lewisville, Flower Mound, Coppell, University Park, Highland Park, Fort Worth, Richland Hills, North Richland Hills, Hurst, Bedford, Euless, Colleyville, Keller, Southlake, Grapevine, Trophy Club, and surrounding DFW communities.

We are committed to treating our customers like family. We make sure that we’re there for them when they need plumbing repairs, air conditioning repair, and hot water heater repair. We also help when people have a leaking toilet, clogged drain, or gas line repair. What’s more, we do tankless water heater installation and HVAC replacement. Get to know us better at siriuspac.com/about/.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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