Red Rock Mechanical, LLC Blog

Some Helpful Tips for Handling Emergency Plumbing

April 27th, 2020

woman-under-sinkThere are times when you have a plumbing problem so urgent that you don’t have a choice except to call an emergency plumber in Plattsburgh, NY. We’re here to be that plumber when you’ve got the trouble. However, we know that right now you’ll feel hesitant about reaching out for services you may not absolutely need right away. When you face an issue with your plumbing, you may find yourself debating whether you should make an emergency call.

We’d like to help by taking a closer look at plumbing emergencies in general, how to deal with them, and when it’s best to call us for vital help.

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Can I Save Money by Buying a Used Air Conditioning System?

April 13th, 2020

air-conditioning-unitThis is a question we sometimes hear from customers who are looking to lower household costs. It makes sense for people to inquire about purchasing used AC equipment since so many other expenses for a home can be reduced by buying used. A car for example. Or furnishings. So why not buy a “previously owned” air conditioner, especially at times when people are looking closer at their budgets?

Well, there are many reasons not to buy a used air conditioner, and not a single HVAC contractor recommends it. Buying used when it comes to HVAC in Plattsburgh, NY is a major money loser in the short and long term. Below are a few reasons why:

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Spring Is Here—Schedule Your AC Tune-Up

March 30th, 2020

service-reminder-clockSpring arrived a few days earlier on the calendar this year. But that’s only the “official” first day of spring, a point in the Earth’s journey around the Sun. Our local weather doesn’t obey the calendar, and the cold weather blows through here sometimes until May. But spring is still the season of air conditioning tune-ups and inspections, no matter what the weather is like. Without fail, the summer heat will arrive, and you’ll want your air conditioning system in peak shape to handle it.

To schedule spring AC maintenance, you don’t print up a list from the internet and try to get through it on your own. You need a Burlington, VT, HVAC contractor with experience, skill, and licensing. You can rely on our more than two decades of experience serving local homes with heating and cooling to give you the finest AC maintenance tune-up.

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Is a Drain Snake Enough to Handle a Clog?

March 16th, 2020

drain-cleaning-cutawayIf the “drain snake” you’re thinking of when you ask this question is a hand-cranked drain auger purchased from a store, then it might be enough to take care of a clog in a sink or shower drain. It isn’t a total solution, however, and in many cases it provides only a brief fix and will leave you with a clogged up drain only a few weeks later—or less.

When it comes to fighting drain clogs or cleaning out drains, you may need something more powerful. And no, we don’t mean chemical drain cleaners. These are not only temporary solutions at best, they are harmful to drains and can end up compounding problems.

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Facts on Condensing Furnaces and How One Can Benefit You

March 2nd, 2020

piggy-bankIf you have a furnace in your house that’s more than 15 or even 20 years old, any replacement system will have a higher energy efficiency rating. This because standard for gas furnaces have changed dramatically over two decades, and even the new mid-efficiency models have a higher standard than the mid-efficiency models at the start of the 21st century.

If you upgrade to a new furnace at the end of this year’s heating season, you can expect energy-saving performance. And if you want a major efficiency upgrade, one of the best options is a condensing furnace. These furnaces score some of the highest AFUE ratings (efficiency ratings) of any heating system on the market, with as little waste as 2%.

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Was This the Last Winter for Your Furnace?

February 17th, 2020

natural-gas-furnace-burnersThe winter weather isn’t done with us, but the second half of the season is a good time to consider how well your home’s furnace has held up. This may be the last winter it can perform up to expectations. Or it may already have fallen behind this season. If you’ve spent more on furnace repair in Burlington, VT than you think you should, getting a new furnace during the spring lull might be on your mind.

It’s wise to start making plans, and even wiser to learn how to recognize when a furnace is nearing the end of its service life. Let’s hunker down and get a clear-eyed assessment of your furnace situation.

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How Plumbing Trouble Can Lead to Mold

February 3rd, 2020

mold-on-wallYou don’t want mold anywhere in your house. Mold looks awful, creates terrible odors, destroys building material like drywall, and can release toxic spores. (Black mold, the most common type of mold due to water damage, is the most dangerous.) Unfortunately, a number of common plumbing issues can lead to mold. The faster you call for plumbers in Burlington, VT to fix a problem, the less likely you’ll have mold as a consequence. And if it’s mold that causes you to notice the problem in the first place, you need plumbers there on the double.

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What Strange Furnace Smells Might Be Telling You

January 20th, 2020

girl-pinching-noseWhen a furnace first turns on for the winter season, it emits a burning odor into the air from the vents. This is normal. It’s odor of the dust along the heat exchanger or heating elements burning off as the unit heats up. The smell will subside after a short time and the furnace will get into the regular groove of warming the house.

But if a furnace starts to smell funny after it’s started up for the season, it’s often a warning something is wrong that needs attention. We want you to know what these unusual odors may mean and when to call for furnace repair in Plattsburgh, NY from our team, so we’ve written a short guide. If you have any doubts about your furnace, don’t spend long analyzing it—shut the furnace off and call for assistance. Always better to be safe when it comes to a central furnace.

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6 Simple New Year’s Resolutions for Your Plumbing

January 6th, 2020

happy-new-year-champagneMaybe you aren’t into making New Year’s Resolutions. We understand—sometimes putting up a big plan for the year seems daunting and makes you afraid of failure. But there are smaller resolutions you can make that aren’t so much vows for personal betterment as they are simply planning. For example, planning to have better plumbing in Plattsburgh, NY for 2020. No need for a resolution, you just have to remember some basic steps and a few tasks and you’ll have plumbing with far fewer problems and better future ahead of it.

Let’s go through the six “resolutions” we recommend for your plumbing!

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Important Facts About Dual Fuel Systems

December 23rd, 2019

sun-and-snowflake-badgeDual fuel systems are heating systems that use two different energy sources for heating: electricity and natural gas (or, in a home with no access to natural gas, propane). The standard operation for a dual fuel system is a combination of an electrical heat pump with a gas furnace as a back-up. The electrical power of the heat pump provides warmth for a home in temperatures of 40°F or higher, and the gas-powered furnace takes over when the temperature drops lower.

This provides the “best of both worlds” for electrical and gas heating: a heat pump is an inexpensive way to electrically heat a home, and natural gas is the least expensive way to provide high levels of heat when necessary. Since a heat pump functions as an air conditioner during the summer, this single installation can take care of comfort for the year.

These are the basic dual fuel system facts. But there are a few more important facts to know before you call a Plattsburgh, NY HVAC contractor to have one installed.

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