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

Why Heating Repair Is Not a “Do It Yourself” Job

Wednesday, September 24th, 2014

Do-it-yourself projects are much easier today than they once were thanks to the availability of instant access to resources such as free online tutorials. And while such projects may allow you to learn a valuable new skill, heating repair is not something that should be done without the help of a skilled technician. Technicians go through a lot of training to be able to recognize repair needs and make repairs quickly and accurately. That’s why it is important to call on a specialist any time you need repair, like the dependable folks at Red Rock Mechanical in Williston, VT. Let’s take a quick look at a few of the reasons you should always call a technician first whenever you need professional heating repair.

  • The problem may not be what you think. Many guides can give you ideas about what may be causing reduced heating or strange noises from your system. But a lot of problems have several possible causes, which is why you should always depend on a technician to help you diagnose the issue. Reduced heating, for example, may be a result of anything from duct leaks to a faulty motor to dirt on the furnace.
  • Technicians can finish the job more quickly. You want your heater up and running as soon as possible, and an experienced repair technician will probably get the job done much more quickly. This is because technicians go through a lot of training to be able to assess damage quickly and are equipped with the proper tools to get the job done.
  • A new heating system will be costly. Perhaps the most important reason to schedule heating repair is to avoid the need for costly system replacement. The opportunity to learn how to fix your heater is simply not worth the chances of a sudden breakdown.

At Red Rock Mechanical, we carry the proper certifications to handle any heating repair and offer a one-year warranty on our labor, something you definitely won’t get with home repairs. We also offer 24-hour emergency service, so you can get repairs at any time of day. For heating repair in Williston, VT, give us a call now!

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What to Look for in a Plumbing Repair Company

Thursday, August 14th, 2014

Picking out the right company to handle your plumbing repairs can present some difficulties: you only have to make a quick search on the Internet to pull up a seemingly unending list of people who will offer to fix your plumbing troubles. How best to make the choice?

Below, we’ve listed a few qualities to place high on your criteria for a company to call for your plumbing repair service in Williston, VT. We think that you will discover that Red Rock Mechanical can meet all your needs, and that we go above and beyond to deliver quality plumbing work, whether it’s repairs, installation, or maintenance.

Look for These Qualities in a Plumbing Repair Company

  • Longevity: A criteria that applies to almost any company in any field: how long has the company served customers? A plumbing contractor with only a few years of experience (or which doesn’t reveal how long it’s been in business) is generally not as dependable as one with at least a decade of work under its belt. Longevity not only means more hands-on experience and better decision-making, but it also indicates a company that has earned the respect of many customers and the community in general.
  • 24-hour emergency service: Plumbing troubles wait for no one. If you have a pipe burst, a toilet overflow, or an unconquerable sink clog, it won’t necessarily happen during weekday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. business hours. You will need to have a repair company you can reach around the clock and around the week, and which can dispatch out emergency repair technicians when you need them.
  • Proper certification and licensing: Anybody can call themselves a “plumber,” but to work as an actual professional plumber you must have certification. The highest certification is Master Plumber, so make sure you find a company that keeps certified Master Plumbers on staff. If you need plumbing work for gas and propane pipes, you must also look for a company that has the special licensing required for these jobs—this is a major safety issue.

When you have emergency need for plumbing repair in Williston, VT, give Red Rock Mechanical a call any time of the day: you won’t receive a recording, but a live person who can send out the fast service you need. We have served Northwest Vermont for over 23 years, and we have Master Plumbers on staff and the proper licensing for propane and gas line work. We think that you will have a hard time finding repair plumbers more suited for whatever job you need done.

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Increase Efficiency with a New Air Conditioner

Thursday, July 10th, 2014

Efficiency is important when it comes to the large appliances in your home. Efficiency can translate directly into dollars saved, so when appliances like your whole-home air conditioner aren’t working efficiently, you can lose money; this can be especially true for air conditioners that are 10+ years old. Just as a new car can be more efficient than an older one, so, too, can a new air conditioner. If you are thinking of investing in a new air conditioning installation for your Williston, VT property, let our Red Rock Mechanical experts give you a few reasons how this can increase your system’s efficiency.

SEER Numbers

Before we talk about specific ways a new AC can be more efficient than your older one, we want to talk about SEER numbers.

SEER stands for seasonal energy efficiency rating, and it tells consumers how energy efficient a specific model is on a scale from 1 to 20. In 2006, the federal law regarding SEER was upgraded from a minimum SEER of 10 to 13. This meant that starting in 2006, all air conditioners had to be manufactured with a minimum SEER of 13. Therefore, if you have an air conditioner that is 8+ years old, it is likely that your AC is not as energy efficient as it could be.

Increasing Efficiency with a New AC

As we outlined above, air conditioners made and purchased before 2006 had a lower required energy efficiency number. Here are some other ways a new air conditioning system can help increase your overall energy efficiency:

  • Less repair work – if you experience a high level of malfunctions and/or breakdowns that require multiple repairs, not only are you paying service fees but your AC is most likely not running well, either. This inefficiency results in additional monetary loss.
  • Better overall operating efficiency – not only is the minimum requirement for a new air conditioner more stringent, but advances in technology have also made today’s air conditioners more efficient – some as much as 60% than ACs from just a decade ago.
  • Better fit for your home – as air conditioners age, their ability to cool your home can decrease with time; this can result in warm and cold spots that can occur throughout your home. To compensate for the shortfall in cooling properly, your air conditioner may start to cycle more frequently, or for longer periods of time. Either of these scenarios mean more energy is used – energy you have to pay for. With a new system that can handle your home’s cooling load, you won’t have to worry about extra energy usage.

Is Your AC Ready to Handle the Heat?

Choosing to move ahead with a new air conditioning installation in Williston, VT is something that requires consideration and calculation, and we are here to help. Call Red Rock Mechanical today and schedule an appointment to meet with one of our installation experts.

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Minor Plumbing Problems That Can Become Big Plumbing Problems

Friday, May 30th, 2014

Nobody likes dealing with plumbing problems, and if the issue isn’t seriously debilitating, we all have a tendency to let it be. Why not put up with a slow drip in the faucet, for example, or a sink that’s slow to drain? In point of fact, however, those little issues have a way of becoming bigger ones at the worst possible moment. If you’re looking for a plumbing service, Williston VT has a number of reputable companies, and you should always call them sooner rather than later. Here’s a breakdown of minor plumbing problems that can become big plumbing problems.

Consider the issue of leaks for example. A small out-of-the-way leak may not seem like a big deal, especially if the slow drip of water doesn’t affect the pressure from the faucet. But that drip can affect your house in ways you can’t predict. Water left on its own can work horrors on nearby wood and drywall, creating major problems with your home. It can also damage electric circuitry and wall outlets. By the time the leak becomes bad enough to affect the water pressure, you may be looking at a serious repair bill.

The same thing happens with clogs. The longer they remain, the more other detritus from your sink builds up. That makes the clogs stronger and harder to dislodge, as well as clogging up more and more of the pipe. Getting to a clog early can be comparatively easy. But if you wait, then the plumber may need to deploy more expensive equipment to fix the issue, or even replace the pipe itself. Sooner is always better when dealing with clogs. Your plumbing system will thank you for it.

To handle minor plumbing problems that can become big plumbing problems, call upon the professionals at Red Rock Mechanical for help. When it comes to plumbing service, Williston, VT residents can’t find a more reliable company, and we treat little problems with the same reverence and care that we handle big ones. Give us a call today to make an appointment and take care of that lingering little issue before it gets too big to ignore.

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How a Professional Plumber Unclogs Your Drains

Monday, April 7th, 2014

Sooner or later, every plumbing system gets drain clogs. Whether it’s hot grease poured down your sink, hair and soap trapped in the tub, or slow blockages building up over time, clogs are inevitable. Many people assume they can treat them with store-bought cleansers or snakes, but in truth a professional plumber is your best option. Here in Williston, plumbing experts utilize a number of tricks to get drains unclogged. Here’s how a professional plumber unclogs your drains.

In the first place, plumbers rarely use chemical cleansers, which can be dangerous and don’t always do the job. Instead, they rely on snakes to handle the bulk of the clogs. But plumber’s snakes bear little resemblance to the basic models you can buy at the local hardware store. Many of professional versions are electric, allowing the plumber to bring real power to bear on the issue. They also use removable heads that let the plumber tailor the tool to fit the specific clog.

That’s not the only type of tools that a trained plumber brings to bear. He or she can send video cameras down the drain to ascertain the exact nature of the clog, allowing for an informed decision as to the best piece of equipment of the job.

People often prefer to deal with clogs themselves, but in fact, a qualified plumber can make all the difference. When you look at how a professional plumber unclogs your drains – not just in terms of the tools, but the training and know-how – it’s clear how much of a difference that makes. Here in Williston, plumbing clogs can be treated by the experts at Red Rock Mechanical. If your drains are clogged then give us a call. 

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Signs of a Furnace Control Board Problem

Thursday, March 20th, 2014

The modern furnace is a marvel of technology, especially when compared to the furnaces of yore, which were basically large ovens with pipes hooked up to them. Contemporary furnaces have most of their operations linked into a furnace control board, which is the core of how the furnace works. The control board runs a series of operations—starting the electronic ignition, opening the gas valve, checking the burner unit, activating the blower, shutting off the gas, venting the heat exchanger—that moves the furnace through all the stages of providing you with heat.

The control board can malfunction, however, and put your furnace’s operation in jeopardy. When this occurs, you will need to call for professional heating service in Williston, VT to replace the defective board. Red Rock Mechanical can provide this service for you, fast and effectively, when you need it.

Here are signs you may have a malfunctioning furnace control board:

  • Uncomfortable temperatures: If your furnace starts to make you either too hot or too cold, and the thermostat settings seem fine, then the problem might be a control board that is turning components off too soon or letting them run too long. Although there are multiple issues that can cause this malfunction, the control board is one of the main culprits.
  • Interruption of the regular sequence of events: Elaborating on the above warning, pay attention to your furnace’s specific sequence of operation. (Don’t open the furnace cabinet to check, just stay near it and listen to what happens.) Does the blower stage stop suddenly? Are the gas jets not activating? Is the ignition not coming on? Does the blower continue to run after everything else has shut off? Any of these irregularities in the normal sequence of events can indicate control board malfunctions.
  • Diagnostic indicators: Most boards have LED lights to indicate when there is a problem with their operation. If your furnace starts to run improperly, open up the control board access panel to see if any red warning lights have activated. There should be a diagnostic chart on the inside of the panel lid that will explain what the warning lights mean. When you call a technician, describe the diagnostic information so the technician will have a good idea what problem needs to be addressed before coming to your house.

It takes a fine knowledge of electronics and furnace technology to replace a control board. Don’t attempt to fiddle around with the panel on your own without the proper training. Make a call to heating experts with as much information as you can glean from the panel to explain the situation. They can take it from there.

Red Rock Mechanical has helped people in Williston, VT with heating services for 23 years. If you need work done on your furnace’s control board, give us a call.

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Heating Problem: My Electronic Ignition Furnace Won’t Ignite

Tuesday, February 18th, 2014

The standing pilot light was the regular way to ignite gas-powered furnaces for almost as long as these heating systems have existed. But now an electric ignition system have started to replace pilot lights. Because an electric ignition does not need constant power the way a pilot light does, it contributes to energy savings. The electric ignition is one of the reasons modern furnaces have seen a rise in AFUE ratings (annual fuel utilization efficiency) and have remained competitive with other, newer heating systems.

However, just like a pilot light going out, if your electric ignition fails, the gas jets in the burner will not come on and the furnace will provide no heat. There are a number of reasons this might occur, but whatever is behind the problem, you should not attempt to troubleshoot it yourself. Gas furnaces are potentially hazardous if they receive untrained work. Stay safe and call professionals like the staff at Red Rock Mechanical when you need help with your heating in Williston, VT.

Possible causes for electronic ignition failure

  • Igniter age: An electric ignition system is not designed to last as long as a furnace itself and it will need occasional replacements after it wears out. A repair technician will be able to determine if this is indeed the problem and find the proper replacement part.
  • Wrong igniter for the furnace: Here is a good example of why calling for professionals is best. If the wrong type of igniter is in the furnace with incorrectly matched voltage, it will soon fail.
  • High temperature limit switch affecting the igniter: The high temperature limit switch is an important safety feature of a furnace that prevents it from becoming too hot. The switch will turn the furnace off when the temperature rises too high. But a clogged air filter can cause the switch to start turning off the igniter early. The limit switch itself can often malfunction, preventing the igniter from turning on at all.
  • High current in the home: A power surge can cause the electric igniter to burn out, especially if it is a “hot surface” igniter, which functions similar to a light bulb with a burning filament.

Don’t go “do-it-yourself”

Although the electronic igniter in your furnace is a small and replaceable component, you should never attempt to change it yourself. First of all, you won’t know for certain what caused the igniter to fail, and there may be other issues that need attention. Second, you should never interfere with any natural gas system because of the possibility of carbon monoxide exposure and other hazards.

Call Red Rock Mechanical and our 24/7 emergency service for assistance with a gas furnace. Take no chances with your heating in Williston, VT: rely on our NATE-certified repair technicians.

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