It is very likely that these rebate programs have limited funding and may not go on for much longer so before you know it, they will be over. So it would be wise to take advantage of these offers and rebates while the offers are still available.

“Big ticket” items like air conditioners, boilers and furnaces are examples of where you take advantage of current rebate offers and save money. If you combine these dollars with the federal money and the Xcel rebate direct to the customer then you are talking about some serious cash. You can get up to 40 % or more in incentive dollars. That means that you can lower the cost of installation and then you can lower the energy bill from the day you start up the equipment. This is real money and that is what it is all about.
The next step of responsibility with major equipment purchases is with you, the homeowner, for the upkeep and maintenance of your equipment. From this day forward, you the owner must keep the air conditioner, furnace or boiler clean and keep the filters replaced like it says in the manual. Remember that when the burners are kept clean they burn more efficiently and the energy bills are lower and you reap the rewards. If you forget, and they get dirty and dusty you pay the price and your fuel bill rises.

When the air filters get dirty they slow down the air flow and this increases the static on the motor and shortens its life. Humidifiers get clogged up depending on the type and now you have a real mess.
To begin - clean the furnace itself. Clean the top and sides of you boiler. Clean the pump and clean the blower motor after you have turned off the electricity and waited for everything to wind down and cool off. Don’t forget that there is safety to consider and that there is low and line voltage as well. Amps and volts can hurt you just as well so make sure you have turned off all of the fuses and breakers before starting any of your cleaning.

Rebates and replacement of this equipment are great incentives if you get the job done right. How do you know you have the right job done? Ask a qualified inspector or those who have been in the trade you need to find a resource you can trust. Go to your local building department and ask them. Go to the local Chamber of Commerce and ask them. They are a great reference for reputable contractors. Ask the BBB and they will give you a list as well. This is where you start but do not stop until you are happy with the choice you have. If you want to schedule a service call or have any questions, feel free to call me, Tom D’Agostino at Kimmel Mechanical, Denver Office 303-952-8668 or our Gypsum Office at 970.328.6001. Best of luck!

Many people have not spent any money on their heating and air conditioning equipment in the last year or two and so it may be wise to think about one of the most expensive pieces of equipment attached to your home – the air conditioner.

Why is it important to think about it now? Here are several really good reasons:

1. You can get a really good tech to spend the time to check it out, clean it up and let you know if it is working OK or not. This allows you to know about any issues or problems before they become an emergency and before the resulting repairs become expensive. If you wait to service your air conditioner until the weather is hot and you need the work done, you may find that your heating and cooling company may be booked up weeks in advance and not able to service you quickly. Often companies run pre-season specials and if you wait longer, the service call and repair costs are often much higher.

2. It is recommended that you get a good test on your equipment before the heavy load time comes around in July and August and know if you are going to have a problem with you compressor. At Kimmel Service, we can test your equipment out and let you know what is failing and may be able to prevent a catastrophic failure at the worst possible time.

3. As the demand grows during the busy air conditioning season, the stock on parts and equipment dwindles as and your technician may not be able to quickly access the type, model and efficiency level that you want, when you want it. Shopping early gets you what you want at a more competitive price. Prices tend to go up in the middle of the summer when the techs are working 60 hour weeks.

4. Now that it is before the rush, the techs can take the right amount of time on your equipment to really test it out and make sure it is running up to speed and per manufacturers’ specifications.

5. There are some great rebate programs available for homeowners and businesses that want to upgrade to energy efficient models. If you take advantage of the rebate program now, you could be saving money on your utility bill immediately. Conversely, the longer you wait, the higher your utility bill will be. Should the blower motor go out or the compressor fail, you could potentially be without air conditioning at the hottest time of the year until the parts are available and the unit can be repaired.

Keep your cool and keep your cash. Call Kimmel Mechanical now for your AC checkup before we get too far into the cooling season. We also offer other energy saving options such as evaporative coolers. Xcel Energy offers up to $500.00 cash rebates on certain evaporative cooler installations. Some of these rebate offers from Xcel have expiration dates, so please call us to discuss your options and schedule the work. Give Tom, the Service Manager a call in Denver at 303-952-8668 or Summit and Eagle County at 970.328.6001.

After you have turned off the power to the furnace and all fans have stopped spinning, you may want to wipe down the blower cage and burner chamber with a damp cloth. Remember the area around the burners may be very hot, so you may want to wait of bid to let things cool off and stop spinning before you start working. Did you know that you can save at least 5% of your fuel bill if the burners are kept clean and free of dirt and dust?

If you have a humidifier on your furnace or attached to it, you may want to service it right away before warmer weather gets here. That would entail changing the media pad, wiping off the inside of the humidifier so that it is free of the mineral deposits that have formed of the year. Check the humidistat to see that it is working properly. The only way to do that is to test it against another hand held humidistat to see if it reads the same amount of moisture in the air for the winter or spring months. Everyone seems to like the humidity level a little different, but one thing is for sure, if your windows are bleeding from all of the moisture in the house, then you have it set to high and should be lowered to get away from this condition which could rot the window casing and frames or cause mold to grow. You will have to find the happy medium where you get enough moisture that you do not get shocked when you touch someone or something, your skin fees moist but and not too much that the windows are bleeding water. Another sign that the window is leaking heat is the moisture (can be ice in the winter) that forms where the glass meets the frame. This gap in sealing your window will leak heat out in the winter and cool in the summer.

The last think you want to do before turning on the air conditioning condenser outside is to clean off any debris, leaves, or grass that has built up around the unit. This will allow the condenser to breathe a lot easier. The head pressure will be lower and the compressor motor will live longer because it will not over heat. Condensers are designed to reject heat and if they cannot, they may suffer a shortened life.

If these comments have provoked a few questions, please give me a call because the advice is free. (Denver 303-952-8668 or Summit and Eagle County 970.328.6001 ).

Tom D’Agostino, Service Manger
Kimmel Mechanical, Inc.

The plumbing system in your home consists of the parts to the most used product in your home: kitchen sink, water heater, toilets (Water Closet as we say in the industry), outside faucets (silcocks), etc. We take their use for granted until they break without notice, or so it seems. Let’s take another look:

The kitchen sink faucet is the most used device in the home and because of this wears down with repeated use of the faucet or spray hose. One of the first signs of wear is that you may notice that you are not getting the same amount of water from the faucet. This is easily resolved by unscrewing the aerator on the end of the spout and cleaning out the debris that has accumulated over a long period of time. If the sprayer does not work any more, then you may need to replace the spray head or diverter part (depending on the make and model) so that 100% of the water is diverted from the spout to the spray hose when you need it to.

Water heater – If you have replaced the heater in the last 18 months, then you should have been drawing off 5 gallons of hot water from the drain valve located on the bottom of the heater. If you have not maintained this chore and you are beyond the 18 months, don’t start now because it would result in a plumbing service call to replace that valve because it will not turn off. Minerals plug up the drain valve and cannot be easily dislodge if you have not flushed them out regularly. You may also want to look at the flame on the heater just to see if the blue portion of the flame is 1 12/” to 2” tall. If the flame does not meet this criteria, do not try to make any adjustments with the heater fuel or air intake. Please leave that to a professional.

Water Closets(i.e. Toilets) – The internal parts of the toilet consist of a ballcock or fill valve as well as the flush mechanism or flush valve. Due to constant wear and tear, the flush valve or flapper valve usually needs to replaced every 1 ½ to 3 years. The quality of the water in your system will break down the rubber on these valves and cause the tank to leak water ever so slightly at first until it gets very noticeable. The result is that it can waste hundreds and even thousands of gallons of water before noticed and corrected. How can you tell if your valve is ready for replacement? You can tell by touching the rubber flapper valve. If it is very spongy and rubs off on your fingers very easily, then it should be replaced. Once replaced, you can test that your repair has worked by simply putting some food dye in the tank and not use it for 30 minutes. If the flapper valve is the correct type and size, then you will not see any of the food dye going from the tank to the bowl. However, if you notice that the food dye color is leaching into the toilet bowl you will know that your repair was incorrect or your flapper valve was the wrong type or size.

Outside faucets – We will soon be able to start using the outdoor faucets for lawn and garden use. If for some reason you did not take off the hose in time for the first hard freeze, then you may have a split outside hose faucet (freezless silcock). Be very careful when you go out to start gardening in early spring because if there is a split valve, it will flood your home inside while you are outside in the sun enjoying the good weather. The way to find out is to have someone outside turning on the water at the same time you are inside opposite the outside faucet and listening for the spraying noise which is very easy to detect by listening and watching to see if the floor starts to get wet.

If you see the water on the ground the stop and turn off the faucet and then call you local plumber for this repair. If you let this leaking faucet run for an hour or two while you are outside you will come back to a flooded home and a lot of work cleaning it up.

These are some of the most common problems or concerns that you SHOULD have regarding the plumbing system in your home. So, an ounce of prevention …… If you have any questions, please give Kimmel Service a call in Denver at 303-952-8668 or Summit and Eagle County at 970.328.6001 for some quick, free and easy advice.

Tom D’Agostino, Service Manger
Kimmel Service
Denver, Summit County and Eagle County Colorado

Many people (contractors, subcontractors, owners, renters, buyers or sellers) are interested or upset about dealing with lead based paint or asbestos in your Colorado residential or commercial property. This blog will not address the laws or regulations for handling the product or the paperwork that is required. Believe me, it is very confusing when dealing with lead paint or asbestos because it seems that many governing bodies have a say in how to handle, dispose-of, certify or document these hazardous materials. Let me set down what should happen when handling these two highly hazardous products.

Colorado Homeowners’ point of view

If you suspect that your home or commercial property has any type of materials containing lead or asbestos, you are encouraged to have your property tested by a LICENSED company who can verify the type of asbestos and the level of potency you may have in the product(s) on your property. If the lead is present in the paint, they will also test for that. Starting with a QUALIFIED and licensed tester is the first step. You will know what you are dealing with and what must be done if you start a remodel on your property. As I said earlier there are many regulations handed down by multiple authorities (OSHA, EPA, HUD, state regulations, etc.) but until you know the degree of problem you have, you cannot layout a plan of attack. Even if you want to make the repair yourself, you as the owner MUST have your property checked by a licensed and insured company. If you hire a subcontractor, he must also have the property checked (if you have not recently done so yourself) and then he will probably make recommendations for licensed individuals who can handle and process the lead paint or asbestos. He cannot tell you that it is not a problem, if there is ANY lead paint on your interior wood, metal or plastic surfaces or if there asbestos present.

Get your property checked because it may affect the sale of the property in the future or any refinance or any future remodel projects. You should protect yourself and get any suspicious product checked because a clean bill of health on your property is what will make the renovation, remodel or expansion project go smoother.

Contractors’ point of view

Most licensed contractors who have been around these past thirty years know that there are rules and regulations for handling, removal, disposal and testing of lead based paints or asbestos. They should not try to ignore this potential hazard because it could contaminate the entire jobsite and also put them out of business. The stories are true. The enforcement of the new rules and regulations are for real and they are substantial. Every contractor and subcontractor should be aware of the potential hazards caused by improper removal of lead based paint and asbestos. They should also know that strict testing is required. If they do not know this, then our suggestion is that you find another contractor. Subcontractors are also held to the same standards and cannot sweep this under the rug with regards to the testing and proper paperwork regarding lead paint and asbestos. There is not excuse for not testing the jobsite for these dangerous products because they are all over both old and new homes today. Import products are not regulated and asbestos can be found on some of the flooring products sold at your local box stores. BE CAREFUL and test first.

Colorado Renter point of view

If you suspect that your rental property contains asbestos or lead based paint, then ask your landlord to have the property tested before you or anyone starts a remodel project, of any size. Ask for a copy of the test results. This is a reasonable request. You are not trying to make it difficult on anyone but you are living in this property and a remodel project could stir up lead in the space your live or allow asbestos to become airborne. So, remember that testing is the first step in the process.

If you have any other comments or concerns, please feel free to ask me. My number is 303-952-8668. I may not have all the answers, but I know people who do. We have used Bill Schaefer of Chief Home Inspections (email Bill@chiefinspection.com or cell# 303-668-7072) when we have any questions or concerns regarding lead paint or asbestos in any property we work in.

Tom D’Agostino, Service Manager
Kimmel Mechanical, Inc.

Let me start by making a few things clear about tankless water heaters. Tankless water heaters are not a new product, but they are relatively new to the USA. They have been used in Europe for at least 35 years or longer. We often get questions and calls from customers asking us to advise them on what water heating system to choose for their homes or businesses because they have heard that tankless water heaters are the better choice. Often, I will get a call from a customer asking for a price for a particular brand of tank less water heater. My first question is to ask why the customer wants a tankless water heater because the product may not be right for them. Many are surprised that I would state this because they have been told by a friend, co-worker, relative, etc. that the tankless water heater is the answer to all of their hot water needs and is extremely efficient. This is where my teaching background comes into play. Let me explain the good, bad and limitations of almost every brand of tankless water heater.

THE GOOD -
1. They are a wall hung water heater and do not take up much space.
2. They make hot water efficiently.
3. They make hot water on demand instead of storing hot water in a tank.

THE BAD –
1. The venting of these heaters can get very expensive if you are not on an outside wall. The stainless steel flue pipe and fittings are special to each manufacturer and costs can be very costly.
2. They can only produce a given amount of hot water which can be many times less than what you need in your home.
3. They have no reserve tank when there is more than one use of hot water in your home at the same time.
4. When you exceed the gpm (gallons per minute) capacity of the heater, guess what, everyone needing hot water gets a reduced amount to use and no one is happy at that point.
5. They lime up (develop mineral deposits) inside the narrow tubes after a few years of use. The copper tubes inside begin to lime up and restrict the passage way which in turn reduces the amount of hot water it produces and increases the cost of producing the hot water because the flames have to heat through the ever growing mineral deposits that adhere to the copper tubing.
6. The tubes eventually plug up and you need to delime the heat exchanger, replace the heat exchanger or the entire device, eventually. Efficiency has fallen off dramatically when the minerals start to build up and the rate of mineral buildup increases dramatically once the process starts.

Now, let me clarify that a tankless heater has its purpose and uses. You may only want a small amount of hot water in a location that is far away from the central heating plant. Since these tankless heaters often have a zero clearance to combustible materials, they can easily go into a closet area and serve a single bath. However, that still does not prevent the minerals from plugging the copper waterways. If the usage is low and the demand is controlled, these products generally perform as advertised.

On the other hand, if you live in a home with growing children or teenagers and the hot water usage is hard to calculate or you already know that you have higher hot water demand, then it is time to look at some serious options. Did you know that the conventional tank type water heater technology is such that you can produce hot water at 96% efficiency which is higher than most tankless water heaters? Also, the tank is super insulated and will not lose the btu’s stored in the hot water very easily. If efficiency is what you need, tankless water heater are not necessarily the best option. If quantity of hot water is what you need, tankless water heaters may not do the trick for the price paid, if the requirements are large. You can produce the hot water that you experience with a tank style water heater by using tankless water heaters, but you may be installing two or more tanks in parallel or series in order to get your hot water needs satisfied and then the price goes up dramatically. This is seldom mentioned in advertisements or from companies that do these installations.

Keep in mind that a tank type heater has stored hot water available instantly and you can also get several shower or baths taken simultaneously where you may not get that from a tankless heater without having one large or several heaters tied together. If you are looking at cost (and most people are) we recommend that you look at the high or ultra high efficiency water heaters on the market today. And as a bonus to using these heaters, they may qualify for the Federal Tax credit of up to $1,500 in addition to giving you a large amount of hot water at a very reasonable price.

I have touched on the basics of tankless vs. tank type water heaters but there is much more to discuss. Please give me a call and I can help you size the tankless heater if you desire or I will offer you some options and give you the pros and cons for each. Our advice is free, so give me a call and let’s chat.

Tom D’Agostino, Service Manager
Kimmel Mechanical, Inc.
Tel # Denver 303-800-3781 or Summit and Eagle County 970.328.6001

I am sure you have heard all of the reasons why it is important to change these older appliances RIGHT NOW, but let me review the obvious reasons and then give you a few compelling ones you may not have heard:

Let’s begin with the reasons you may already have heard:
1. Federal tax credits up to $1,500.00
2. Utility rebates direct to you in the form of a check.
3. Life safety because the old appliance may be leaking toxic gases in your home
4. Increase efficiency (and a reduced energy bill every month)
5. Peace of mind knowing you do not have to wait for a disaster before you changes out the appliance.

These are the top five reasons that you may have read in your newspaper, on a radio ad or on an advertising piece you have received in the mail.

Let me tell you why I feel it makes sense to upgrade or buy better quality appliances as soon as you can. First, now that more energy efficient appliances are becoming more affordable, the cost of putting in an 80% efficient appliance often is about the same as a 95% one. If there is a financial incentive to put in the better quality, you may get a longer life out of the new one than you would otherwise and for close to the same price.

A singular point not mentioned in any discussion about a conversion from old to new is very basic: upgrading to better and more efficient equipment simply adds to our everyday comfort. We live in our homes year in and year out and we rely on that equipment for consistent hot water, regular heating and cooling. Being comfortable in our home is found in the simple yet important things like the temperature being controlled better with the new furnace or boiler system or the hot water temperature is consistent after the third shower in a row by family members. Today’s equipment gives us better heating and cooling and more consistent hot water than we have ever had in the past which is a valid reason alone for making the upgrade. Yes, there are brands that claim to offer certain performance and may not perform as well as those claims in actual use, but do your research and check out what are proven brands and models are available and you can enjoy better “creature comfort” than ever before. One of the free services that I can provide to you through Kimmel Service is help in guiding you to the best appliances and equipment that meet both your budget and lifestyle needs.

When we install a higher quality piece of HVAC equipment and tell the customer the benefits (and differences) from their previous equipment they are amazed and pleased. One of the first comments that customers tell me is that they have been living in a cold or warm house for so many years that this will be a pleasant change. They of course want to save money but often they will think “now that I have a furnace which puts out better heat at a lower price, I will move my thermostat up a few degrees and not pay any more money”. This is a common misunderstanding, but you have not studied you’re your new furnace or boiler can do for you without turning up the thermostat.

I encourage the customer to some time reading the literature for the equipment and talking to the experienced technicians or company managers so the customer is aware what it takes to get superior comfort at a better that expected utility bill and to make the best selection.

Also, did you know that adding a humidifier can actually lower your thermostat temperature? Yes, you can feel just as comfortable at a lower temperature if the humidity level in your home is increased. We experience a two to four degree drop in temperature when you raise the humidity level in your Colorado home.

If you have any questions or want input and guidance regarding your upcoming purchase of new appliances or equipment, please feel free to give me a call.

Thanks,
Tom D’Agostino, Kimmel Service Manger, Denver 303.952.8668 Summit & Eagle County 970.328.6001

Plumbing
As the Colorado temperatures start to moderate and the hours of sunlight increase, you are beginning to think about spring and flowers and fun in the garden. It is OK to think about that but do not try to turn on your outside faucets because when the sun goes down so does the temperature. If you do a little gardening or you water some of the trees and shrubs that have been dormant and you use your outdoor faucet, don’t forget to remove the hose or the freezeless faucet may split at night when the temperature dips to below 25 degrees F. This could cause a flood in your home when spring does arrive and you get out to work on your lawn or yard for the first time. Without knowing it, the water will be spraying inside your house while you are outside tending to the grass or perennials. This mistake is very common so please heed this warning to avoid a very costly repair. Also, do be tempted to turn on your underground lawn sprinkler system just because we have a few mild early spring days. Be sure that we are out of the danger zone and temperatures are not going to fall below 32 degrees F and the danger of frost has past.

Heating

You have gone all winter and avoided heating disasters. As the temperature rises, don’t forget to change all the filters in your system. It is easy to forget to do this because the furnace does not run as often. But remember, now that the front and back door are open to the outside more often than during the winter months and all the airborne dirt, seeds and particles can get into your home and be trapped by your filter. When you shut the door, these airborne matter work their way back to the furnace through the return air duct system. Remember when you change the filter, change it more often than during the winter or at least check it more often.

And don’t forget the humidifier. Many of them require that you replace the pad and it is easy to forget. If the water gets dirty and the pad begins to crumble this means you could have a plugged drain on the humidifier. When this happens, you could also start to grow some type of mold and several other nasty things can happen. A good plan is when you change any filter, don’t forget to write the date that you installed it on the side of the filter where you can see it so you do not have to get inside the blower assembly or take the time to flip it around. (Also, don’t forget to install the filter with the arrow pointing in the direction which the air flows.) A filter rack outside the furnace itself is the safest place to install and service/replace the filter itself.

Finally, save money by adjusting your thermostat down during the late winter and early spring months, since there is more daylight and solar heat beating down on your house. You can get the house very warm during the day and circulate this heat by leaving the fan switch in the “ON” position while keeping the temperature setting at the desired level. This will move the heat that has accumulated in the ceilings throughout the day and keep an good average temperature throughout your home. Your furnace will not fire up as much and you will be more comfortable. This great tip uses the natural solar heat gain during the day and also reduces your heating bill.

If this blog has generated a few questions, please feel free to give me a call. Denver Colorado (303-952-8668) or in Summit and Eagle County (970.328.6001) --- Tom D’Agostino, Kimmel Service Manager

The reason for the HVAC upgrades was due to damage sustained by the dangerous and damaging hail storm that blew through Wheat Ridge and Lakewood last July. (We live in Wheat Ridge and it took out our Roof, Windows, Siding, deck and garden.) The damage to Howard Johnson’s from this powerful storm was not just limited to the exposed HVAC equipment on the roof, but to the siding, stucco, roof and P-tac units.

There was a Roof Top Unit (RTU) which heated part of the lobby and the restaurant inside the facility and it was badly damaged. Since the equipment was old, the replacement equipment needed to be adapted to the existing roof curb. That took a few tries by the outsourced fabricator, but we were able to hoist up to the roof the curb adaptor which took the weight of the new RTU and kept the water proof seal. (See the attached pictures of our installation in progress.)

There were two up blast kitchen exhaust fans from the hood that were made of aluminum which were also badly damaged by the hail. This change out was easier that the RTU replacement because we used the same manufacturer and the new units sat on the same curbs that existed without any modifications. We only had to adapt the new electrical connections and grease basins to the new fan to complete this replacement.

The real challenge was replacing the refrigeration equipment. The old manufacturer of the three compressor unit was in no hurry to give exact pricing or delivery dates for the single condenser coil which cooled all three compressors or the actual compressors themselves. Refrigerant and technology has changed a great deal since the early 80's, and one immediate challenge was to keep the beer cooler working throughout the entire process for the restaurant. In addition, the holidays had arrived and this work was started around New Years and the restaurant and bar were in full swing, so down time during the busiest week was not going to be tolerated and would result in loss of income for the bar and restaurant .

In order to expedite the process and prevent any down time for the bar and restaurant, we opted to buy three separate new compressor and condenser units, build a custom rack and install them on the same rooftop pad that existed for the custom refrigeration unit that has existed since 1983.

Our HVAC foreman, Mike Bryant, is extremely talented and came up with some great solutions. He created his own stands and welded them at home for this project. Also, much of this work was performed outside in the elements, so the weather conditions added more constraints.

Once the new units were mounted, we were faced with at least four direct shorts to ground for the power to the units. Previously the wiring to these units, coming from inside the facility was faulty and caused some serious electrical hazards. We had to pull new wire from the interior each time.

Eventually we relocated some the equipment from the roof to the various evaporators inside the kitchen and bars. Ultimately our efforts paid off. The walk-in cooler, walk-in freezer and beer cooler were working like a charm with some of the latest equipment, refrigerant and wiring. If it was not for the skill and talent of Mike Bryant and his team members, this job would have never been completed on time.

Our crane service subcontractor, Bill Boom Company, was very skilled and performed perfectly, as they always have in the past. HVAC Supply Company provided us with the RTU and curb and their delivery of the Goodman/Amana equipment was very timely.

This was a great product after all is said and done, but there was some high drama from beginning to end in order to complete the work on time and keep the customer’s business in normal operation. It took skill and talent to complete these unusual situations and I am very proud of our team’s efforts to get the job done.

If you have any questions about this installation or this type of work, please feel free to give us a call. We are always happy to talk to the customers and offer our suggestions and knowledge at no charge. The direct phone number to Kimmel Service is 303-952-8668.

Tom D'Agostino, Kimmel Service Manager

First, pay attention to any little problem that you may see or hear about because it may become bigger very quickly if ignored. Start first by looking for plumbing related problems. If you have a spot on the ceiling downstairs from the bathroom upstairs, it could be something very simple like a leaking shower door or your kids splashing water outside the tub. But it may also be something more serious such as a cracked or broken drain line. As you check around your home, make note of what you find and check it out. Ask questions of the household member to determine when the problem started or how regular the problem occurs. If you do not know what questions to ask, give me a call because the advice I give you is free for the asking (303-952-8668 or 970.328.6001 ). (This is the part of the trade that I really like.)

In my previous blogs, I gave you tips on how to prevent frozen and broken pipes as we continue with the cold Colorado winter weather. Just following these simple tips will during the extremely cold days and nights will prevent a costly catastrophe from happening in your home or office. Don’t let down your guard while these temperatures exist and remember that at night the temps will fall and cause a pipe to burst and you could return to a flooded home if the temperatures moderate while you are out during the day. If you think this may happen, be sure to turn off the main water shutoff valve before you go out and turn it on when you come back. But remember when you turn the water back on, listen for possible water running from a frozen line that has thawed and burst.

As far as your heating system is concerned, make note of cold spots in your home. Many times you can even out the temperatures in your home simply by turning on the “fan” switch on your thermostat. This is very efficient using just a small amount of electricity .The fan will move around the heated and cooler air in all parts of your home and average out the temperatures. Warm air wants to stay in the ceiling and particularly the second floor ceilings, so by leaving the fan on, you can move that warm air around your home using the heating ductwork already in your walls. Remember to keep the heat set on the normal temperature you desire and then the burners will come on when there is a call for heat. This little trick really works!

Don’t forget to change your filter halfway through the winter months. You are moving around the dirt and dust in your house and ducts and it all seems to collect in the filter at the furnace. The replacement filter should be the same size as the duct, not larger or smaller so that air does not leak out and affect the overall performance of your furnace. Remember to buy only “pleated” filters unless you have a special air filter system.

And finally, remember that a little preventative maintenance on a regular basis can prevent a big problem later or will minimize the damage at least. Keep this blog handy as a reminder of what to be aware of when it comes to your plumbing and heating systems so that disasters can be prevented. If you have any questions, please feel free to give me a call to discuss plumbing, heating, air conditioning or solar questions you may have (303-952-8668 or 970.328.6001 ).

Tom D’Agostino, Service Manger, Kimmel Mechanical, Inc., Denver, Summit County and Eagle County Colorado