Red Rock Mechanical, LLC Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Plattsburgh’

Ways to Troubleshot (Not Repair!) a Faulty Gas furnace

Monday, December 7th, 2020

burners-in-furnaceWe want to be clear about this from the start: Only a trained, licensed HVAC professional should repair a gas furnace. This is a matter of safety—although even if it were safe to tinker with a gas furnace on your own, you’d still only want a trained professional to touch the system to make sure the repair is done right. In many jurisdictions, it’s illegal for anyone without a special license to work on an appliance connected to a gas main. 

In this post we’re making a distinction between trying to repair a gas furnace and going through basic troubleshooting steps when a furnace isn’t working properly. There’s nothing wrong with making checks on a furnace before you call us for heating repair in Plattsburgh, NY. Often, the problem with a non-working furnace is something simple you can correct on your own. Just don’t take any steps where you need to get tools and open up the furnace! That’s the point where you’ve gone past troubleshooting and might get into actual trouble.

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Make October Heating Maintenance Month!

Monday, October 12th, 2020

service-reminder-clockIf we had to select the best month for scheduling heating maintenance in Plattsburgh, NY, it would be October. There is no truly bad month for heating maintenance: it’s important that it gets done each year, so having it later or earlier is better than never. But October is when you’ll get the most from having professionals inspect and tune-up your heating system.

Why is this? For one, it’s in the “Golden Zone” where it’s early enough to beat out the first serious cold weather of the year but late enough that the heater will be in prime shape for when those cold snaps first make their chilling debut. It’s also a time of year when HVAC technicians like ours have less crammed schedules because we aren’t dealing with as many emergency calls for failed ACs or heaters. You can schedule maintenance for the most convenient time.

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The Top 5 Reasons to Call on Professionals for Drain Cleaning

Monday, June 22nd, 2020

drain-in-metal-sink-waterDrain cleaning is a job we recommend homeowners schedule both to clear up clogged drains and as a regular maintenance task once a year. Drain cleaning helps keep one half of your plumbing system—the sewage and drainage side—working at top condition so you won’t have to worry about it. Nobody wants to fret about draining wastewater out of their house!

If you think you have trouble occurring in your home’s drainage system, or you’re long overdue for regular drain cleaning, call our pros to schedule high-quality drain cleaning in Plattsburgh, NY and Burlington, VT. If you’re wondering why you need professionals to do this, below are the five best reasons to hire the experts:

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Signs of an AC Compressor Going Bad

Monday, May 25th, 2020

woman-and-fanThe compressor is the most critical part of your central air conditioning system. All parts of an AC are important for it to operate, but the reason we say the compressor is the most critical is because when it fails, not only does the AC lose its ability to cool, it also usually means the air conditioner must be replaced with a new condenser and indoor evaporator coil.

You can prevent serious damage to your AC because of a compressor that’s going bad if you know what to look for. A call for air conditioning repair in Plattsburgh, NY from our technicians may be able to save the compressor. If that isn’t possible, you’ll at least be able to arrange for a replacement on your schedule rather than being forced to when the air conditioning system breaks down.

Below are the major warnings to look for that you’ve got a bad compressor.

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Some Helpful Tips for Handling Emergency Plumbing

Monday, 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?

Monday, 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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What Strange Furnace Smells Might Be Telling You

Monday, 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

Monday, 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

Monday, 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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Old Pipes to New Pipes: Making the Upgrade

Monday, June 10th, 2019

PVC-pipesRemodeling older homes is a major industry today. There are entire magazines and hundreds of websites dedicated to how people can bring a tired, out-of-date house to sparkling modern new life. But this flashy remodeling may not be the remodeling your house needs the most. Behind the walls and under the floorboards are plumbing pipes that might be well past their prime and made from long-outdated metals. Replacing old pipes with new ones can rescue a home from numerous problems, including massive water waste, extensive water damage, and even toxic chemicals getting into drinking water.

(And, like other types of remodeling, extensive repiping will raise the value of a house!)

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