Carney All Seasons Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Hatfield’

Tips for Choosing a New Air Conditioner

Monday, July 1st, 2024

When it comes to selecting a new air conditioner, there are a few things you need to consider before making the decision. After all, a new air conditioner will last your family for around 15 years with proper care, so you want to make sure you make a wise investment.

You can keep reading to learn more about different air conditioning options so you can select a model that fits your unique needs and expectations. Then give our team a call to schedule your air conditioning replacement in Hatfield, PA.

Tags: Air Conditioning, Hatfield
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Signs Your Water Heater Needs a Repair Appointment

Monday, April 8th, 2024

Water heaters are arguably one of the more important systems in your home. Having a supply of hot water ensures that you can take a shower whenever you want and wash dishes or clothes. But water heaters do experience problems from time to time.

You can keep reading to learn the early signs that can indicate something is wrong with your water heater and needs to be addressed ASAP. When you say ahead of water heater repairs in Hatfield, PA you can avoid having a complete water heater break down.

Tags: Hatfield, Water Heater Repair
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Ways to Avoid Plumbing Repair Issues

Monday, June 15th, 2015

There is no way to guarantee that you won’t ever experience a plumbing issue with your home in Hatfield, PA, but we do have a few tips to offer that can help reduce the incidence of plumbing repair in your home. However, if you are in need of plumbing repair, make sure you call experts you can count on, like the ones at Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling. Here are some of the ways you can reduce the amount of plumbing repairs in your home:

Tags: Hatfield, Plumbing Repair, plumbing tips
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The Best Ways to Maintain Your Geothermal System

Monday, October 6th, 2014

Geothermal heat pumps are a great way to heat your home efficiently. They rely on a renewable heat source, use less electricity or gas than traditional furnaces, and save you money on your heating bills. Geothermal heating has only recently begun to gain widespread popularity, however. Because of this, homeowners may be unsure about how to maintain their geothermal heat pumps properly. Read on to discover some of the best ways to take care of your geothermal heating system.

Clean or Replace the Air Filter

The air filter is what protect the coil in your heating unit from becoming dirty. If you never clean the air filter, it will eventually become dirty enough that it cannot protect the coil. If the coil gets dirty, its heating capability will gradually decrease. Eventually, the coil may become permanently damaged by prolonged exposure to dirt particles. The solution to this problem is simple: clean your air filter. Some air filters are disposable, rather than washable. If you are unsure which one is in your heating unit, ask your HVAC technician. Cleaning or replacing the air filter is one of the easiest ways to prolong the life of your geothermal system.

Check Underground Piping

The underground pipes that serve to draw in thermal energy are a vital part of your geothermal system. Because it is located underground, it is unlikely that this part will need major repairs. However, it is recommended that you have it checked at least once a year to be sure. Depending on the material and the medium used, you’ll want to make sure that the pipes are checked for leaks and any other possible issues that may require repair. This isn’t really something that you can do yourself, but your HVAC professional should have all the necessary equipment.

Our geothermal heating experts service the entire Hatfield area. Geothermal systems require very little maintenance, but they’re not perfect. Let us ensure your geothermal heating system’s health today.

If you haven’t scheduled maintenance for your geothermal heat pump yet this year, call Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling before the weather really starts to turn.

Tags: Geothermal Heating, Hatfield
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Am I Responsible for the Sewer Line from My House?

Friday, April 4th, 2014

The wastewater collected from around your home’s drainpipes ends up entering a lateral sewer line (also called the sanitary sewer line) that tunnels beneath your property toward the municipal line that runs down the center of the street. People often assume that anything that connects to a city sewer line—or indeed, anything having to do with a sewer system—must be the responsibility of the utility company and not the homeowner. Is that the case with the sanitary sewer line?

This is an important issue to understand, because damage to a house’s sewer line can turn catastrophic if it isn’t remedied quickly and correctly. The work involved requires extensive digging, and only people experienced with sewer repair in Hatfield, PA should take on this job. Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling handles sewer line repairs and replacements when the responsibility lies with the homeowner…

…which it almost always does.

According to Hatfield Township, the sanitary sewer line that runs from a home to the public sewer system is the responsibility of the homeowner up to the point where it joins the sewer main, after which it is the responsibility of the Hatfield Township Sewer Division, which maintains the 100 miles of sanitary sewers and 7 pumping stations. When you have problems that emanate from breaks, or blockages in the sanitary sewer line, you must call up a plumbing repair contractor to handle the work.

You need to do this as soon as you notice problems: sewer smells coming from your drains, clogging/slow drains throughout the house, low toilet bowl levels, soggy front lawn, noxious odors from the grass, or wet spots around basement drains. Blockage or breaks in the sewer line can lead to enormous problems in your house. Not only will all your drains block up, but sewage leakage can start in the basement or foundations, leading to major damage to your home.

You cannot take care of sewer line repairs on your own: it takes precision excavation and labor-intensive work. Save yourself back-breaking and most likely ineffectual repairs and call Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling. We specialize in sewer and water line installation, and we can restore your plumbing in Hatfield, PA with sewer repair as soon as possible.

Tags: Hatfield, Sewer Line
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Pros and Cons of Different Heating Fuels

Wednesday, March 12th, 2014

For heating, people once had to rely on the most basic choice of fuels: coal, wood, and oil. Modern heaters can still use wood for fireplaces and coal for grills, and oil remains popular for some boilers. But now there is the option for natural gas, propane, electricity, condensed wood pellets, and more when it comes to heating fuel. We’ll look at the three most common fuels for homes today to help you understand your choices.

Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling has over three decades of experience helping people find the heating in Hatfield, PA that will give them the best comfort and value. Contact us today to talk about your options for heating fuel.

Natural Gas

Pros: Natural gas is piped directly to your home, so you don’t need to worry about running out of your supply. It’s less expensive than either oil or electricity, so it provides high levels of energy savings. Natural gas systems have powerful heating ability that can handle most winter temperatures.
Cons: Your home must have a hook up to a municipal gas supply. Gas heaters require more maintenance and repairs than other systems. There is also a small—but possible—risk of carbon monoxide exposure and explosions.

Oil

Pros: Oil costs less on average than electricity, and doesn’t require you have any connection to a natural gas line. It is effective for back-up systems that don’t depend on outside fuel sources.
Cons: Oil burns less completely than natural gas, leading to extra waste that increases energy bills and leads to soot and pollution that is bad for both your home and the environment. Oil must be stored, so it may run out if you forget to schedule delivery, and it is generally less convenient than gas.

Electricity

Pros: Available everywhere—if you have a home, you have electricity, and an electrical heater will work for you. Electrical heaters usually cost less to install, last longer, and take up less space than other heating systems that use different fuels.
Cons: Electrical power is more expensive than natural gas. It also cannot reach the same levels of heating power as either oil or natural gas systems.

In general, we advise that homeowners who currently use oil for heating investigate the possibility of an oil-to-gas conversion. A home with a gas line opens up many more possibilities for heating, as well as hot water and kitchen appliances. And of course, electricity is always an option. Call Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling today to ask about oil-to-gas conversions, or for any other help you need with heating in Hatfield, PA.

Tags: Hatfield, Heating
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Will a Heat Pump Provide Sufficient Warmth for the Winter?

Monday, February 3rd, 2014

Heat pumps are popular HVAC systems because they pack the power of a heater and an air conditioner into a single unit. Using the process of heat exchange—moving heat from one place to another in order to heat up or cool down the indoors—heat pumps provide effective cooling in summer and heating in winter without draining excessive amounts of power.

But you may have heard that heat pump suffer from a serious drawback: a loss of efficiency in heating mode when the temperature drops too low. If you live in Hatfield, PA, heating your home will be important to you, so you do not want to get trapped with a heater that will start to give up on the job when you need it the most.

However, don’t let this frighten you away from considering a heat pump, as we’ll explain. Call Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling for more information about heat pump installation, as well as the personal attention to help you decide if a heat pump is the right choice for your home.

Heat Pumps and Hybrid Systems

It is true that a heat pump can have difficulty with extreme lows: the refrigerant inside the heat pump must extract heat from outside and bring it inside, and once the temperature drops below the economic balance point (which varies depending on humidity, but is usually around 32°F), the heat pump will work harder to remove enough heat. If you expect temperatures below freezing for a good part of the winter, a heat pump alone may not be enough to keep you warm.

However, a hybrid heat pump offers a solution. These systems combine a heat pump with a back-up heater that uses a separate fuel source, usually a gas furnace. Whenever the temperature drops below the economic balance point, the second system turns on automatically to make up the difference. You get all the benefits of a heat pump, and only have to pay a slight bit more in fuel costs for the secondary system, which will only run occasionally.

You should always consult with heating experts before making a choice about a heat pump, or any heating system. Experts can perform a heat load calculation at your house to determine how much heating power you need for your comfort, and then match you with the ideal system. Perhaps a standard heat pump is sufficient, or maybe you should invest in a hybrid.

Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling has delivered quality comfort to our customers for over 30 years. Contact us if you need heating service in Hatfield, PA.

Tags: Hatfield, Heating, Hybrid Systems
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How UV Lights Give You Higher Quality Water

Monday, January 27th, 2014

Finding quality water is a major concern with homeowners today. Increasingly, people have turned to whole-house water treatment systems to ensure they have the best water quality possible.

In this post, we’ll talk about one of the major tools for water treatment: ultraviolet (UV) lights. This may sound a bit odd as a way to clean water; most people associate water treatment with filters and water softeners. What can lights do to improve water quality? We’ll explain what UV lights do and how they can benefit you. If you are interested in having a UV light system installed in your home, call our Hatfield, PA water treatment system specialists at Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling.

Ultraviolet (UV) lights

UV lights are used to eliminate microorganisms that can enter your water and threaten your health. Chemical disinfectants are rarely effective against these contaminants.

A UV system destroys these organisms through ultraviolet germicidal irradiation. Light at a very short wavelength destroys the nucleic acids inside microorganisms and disrupts their DNA. This destroys them and also prevents them from spreading.

Using UV lights to disinfect water has become increasingly popular since the middle of the last century because it does not risk putting chemicals into the water. UV lights are also easier to install and take up less room than other water treatment systems. UV treatment is approximately 20,000 times more energy-efficient than boiling water to remove contamination.

UV radiation does pose some risk to humans if their skin is exposed to its direct light, so installation of ultraviolet water treatment systems should be left to professionals who will make sure the lights are installed safely so they will only affect the water supply.

Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling has years of experience installing UV light systems and we carry and service the major brands. If you want the cleanest drinking water possible in your home, contact Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling today for installation of a UV light water treatment system in Hatfield, PA.

Tags: Hatfield, Water Treatment
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Should I Schedule Regular Drain Cleaning or Wait for a Backup?

Monday, December 2nd, 2013

This bit of advice about the plumbing in your home is used so frequently that it’s almost a cliché: “You should treat your plumbing no differently than you treat your car.” However, it’s the most apt comparison to convince people to schedule regular cleaning for their drains. You don’t want to risk your car breaking down in the middle of a lengthy drive, stranding you with a long wait for a tow truck, followed by a series of expensive repair bills. Likewise, you don’t want your plumbing to back up, preventing you from taking care of basic household tasks, until a plumber arrives to do possibly pricey repair work.

So take the question, “Should I schedule regular drain cleaning or wait for a backup?” and rephrase it for an automobile: “Should I schedule regular tune-ups on my car or wait for it to die in the middle of the street?” The answer should be clear.

The good news is scheduling drain cleaning is easy: you can call the experts at Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling. We offer top-quality cleaning in Hatfield, PA, and your satisfaction is guaranteed.

And we need to emphasize how important it is to get professional drain cleaners to do this work. You shouldn’t rely on a bottle of liquid “drain cleaner” to take care of the job. These products don’t so much clean your drains as they do violently scour them with acidic chemicals. They can harm your pipes, the environment, and you.

Professional drain cleaners use a variety of sophisticated tools to get your drainpipes into shape without harming them. Hydro-jetters, mechanical drain snakes, and video camera pipe inspection systems are basic parts of the toolkits of modern professional plumbers. A drain cleaning is more than just solving your current clogging and slow drain problems; expert plumbers will identify potential problem areas and repair them, as well as apply ecologically safe products to your water supply to keep clogs from forming.

Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling has more than three decades of experience in plumbing and HVAC. Over that time we have built up a dedicated client base who use our services annually to keep their plumbing in prime health. Turn to us when you decide to get your drain cleaning in Hatfield, PA, done before you run into a worst-case scenario. Take the same precautions about your plumbing as you do about your car: schedule regular inspection and cleaning.

Tags: Drain Cleaning, Hatfield
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How Professional Drain Cleaning Protects Your System

Monday, November 18th, 2013

Sooner or later, enough food, hair or other particles builds up in your pipes enough to cause a back-up in your sink, requiring a good Hatfield, PA plumber to fix. In some cases, you may be tempted to try cleaning the drain yourself, using either a cleanser or a snake bought from the store. In all but the most benign cases, this is a mistake. Professional plumbers can do the job much more safely and effectively than a store-bought method. Here’s how professional drain cleaning protects your system.

The key lies in a professional plumber’s experience and the variety of resources he has at his disposal. Store-bought solutions, whether chemical cleansers or snakes, tend to be one-size-fits all approaches. They don’t differentiate between the kinds of materials that make up the clog. Hardened grease, for instance, has a much different consistency than toothpaste and hair. Applying a general solution to each clog runs the risk of not working, while possibly causing damage to your pipes in the process.

A professional on the other hand, can apply different chemicals, and/or has access to much more flexible equipment than the average layman. For instance, a professional plumber’s snake often comes with interchangeable heads, letting the plumber tailor it to fit a specific clog. That lets him break up the clog without scratching or damaging the pipes in the process. In the event a pipe needs to be removed or replaced, the plumber knows how to do that as well: conducting the operation quickly and efficiently, while ensuring that the pipe doesn’t spring a leak at the fittings or cause some other problem.

If you’re having problems with a slow drain, call upon Carney Plumbing, Heating & Cooling to help. We can explain how drain cleaning works, and implement the right solution to fix your particular needs. Don’t waste time and money adopting quick-fix solutions bought off the shelf. Call us today to set up an appointment, and make sure your drains are cleaned properly.

Tags: Drain Cleaning, Hatfield, Plumbing
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