Important Tips for Furnace Safety

October 9th, 2023
furnace-old

When the weather begins to cool down during the fall, you’ll turn your home’s furnace on for the first time in many months. But before you do that, we want to recommend that you go over some valuable tips for furnace safety.

Gas furnaces are built with safety as a priority, and they feature several safety features such as flame sensor and flame-roll out switch that will activate to help protect your home. But you can increase your margin of safety with these important precautions.

What essential maintenance steps help keep your furnace safe?

  • Schedule annual maintenance to catch cracks, loose parts, or malfunctioning safety systems
  • Maintain at least one foot of clearance around the furnace for proper airflow and fire prevention
  • Replace the air filter every one to three months to prevent overheating and reduce fire risk from lint buildup
  • Test carbon monoxide detectors regularly and install them near sleeping areas for early warning of gas leaks

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Do You Need an Air Purifier for Your Home?

September 25th, 2023
relaxed-woman-at-home

The indoor air quality (IAQ) of both residential and commercial buildings can be shockingly low. In fact, the US EPA estimates that indoor air quality can be three to four times worse than outdoor air quality, which is the exact opposite of the way people usually think it is!

If you’re worried about the air quality in your home, you may want to look into professional IAQ services. One of the most common IAQ devices for homes are air purifiers. Will your home benefit from an air purifier? We offer air purifier services in Ellensburg, WA and the surrounding areas, and we can provide you with some insight into this question.

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Yes, Your Heat Pump Needs Fall Maintenance

September 11th, 2023
Person writing in a spiral notebook outdoors during fall, planning seasonal tasks like heat pump maintenance.

Fall is approaching, and that’s when people’s minds turn to thoughts of heating maintenance.

Okay, we’re being a touch optimistic. We wish more people would think of heating maintenance at the start of fall, because that’s the best time to schedule it. It is also one of the most important home maintenance tasks you need done before winter arrives, or else you may end up with a non-working heater on one of the coldest days of the year.

But what if you have a heat pump? You had it maintenance for it back in spring, so you should be good, right?

Well, you’d be good if you only used your heat pump during the summer. But heat pumps are meant to work all around the year. The whole reason for having a heat pump is that you have cooling and heating combined into a single system. If you want your heat pump to serve you dutifully and efficiently during the coming winter, you’ll need to schedule fall heat pump service in Yakima, WA to maintain it.

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Ways You Can Use Ductless Mini Splits in Your Home

August 28th, 2023

Ductless mini splits have made major inroads into home in the US over the past decade. Originally designed to meet the needs of small Japanese homes, the ductless mini split (a.k.a. ductless mini split heat pump) has spread globally to address many different comfort needs.

Not everyone knows how flexible ductless systems are. They don’t just have a single use; they offer a range of benefits that will help out in different situations for homeowners. You may not realize the ways that installing ductless mini splits can help your home. We’d like to change that in this post! Below are several of the ways you can use ductless heating and cooling to your advantage.

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Surge Protection: It Doesn’t Work the Way Many People Think It Does

August 14th, 2023
plugs-in-power-strip-overloaded

Surge protection. What does that mean to you? Don’t worry, there isn’t a wrong answer to this. What you’re thinking of almost certainly counts as surge protection. But that isn’t the whole story.

Okay, did you think of a power strip that you plug into an outlet and which you can then plug various appliances into? That’s what most people think of as home surge protection. These power strips do offer a level of defense against a sudden increase in voltage, since they have a built-in circuit breaker that will trip if too much power runs through it. 

We absolutely recommend you use power strips for sensitive equipment like computers, monitors, sound systems, etc. Power strips not only offer protection to the equipment, they allow you to safely plug in a lot more devices into a wall socket.

However, there’s more to surge protection, and we want to talk more about it as well as why we recommend installing a whole-house surge protector in Ellensburg, WA.

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Some of the Best Benefits of Heat Pumps

July 17th, 2023
heat-pumps

We’re big proponents of heat pumps, and we’re definitely not alone. The last few years have seen a big push for heat pumps as an alternative to the standard combination of air conditioners and furnaces (either gas or electric), and more and more homes are discovering the numerous benefits of making this change.

If you’re considering a heat pump installation in Ellensburg, WA or elsewhere in our service area, we want to encourage you. Below are some of the best advantages of making the switch to a heat pump for your home comfort.

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Don’t Make These Mistakes When Hiring an Electrician for Repairs

July 3rd, 2023
electrical-tools

If you need to have electrical repairs done in your home, the first step is to look for a professional electrician. But hiring a professional electrician isn’t as simple as an online search where you pick the first name that pops up. You need to know how to navigate hiring an electrician so you don’t make several common mistakes that can lead to costly problems later or even safety risks. 

Below, we’ll go over the errors you want to avoid when you’re looking for professional electrical repairs in Yakima, WA.

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The Benefits of an Attic Fan Installation

June 19th, 2023
roof-dormer-vent

When you hear the term “attic fan,” you might immediately wonder what good it would do. You don’t spend much time in your attic, so why would you need a fan up there?

Attic fans, however, are extremely useful devices. Their purpose is to remove excess heat and moisture in the attic. During the summer, the radiant heat from the sun on a roof can superheat the attic to a sizzling 130°F. True, you won’t go up there, but that heat affects your home in other ways.

We offer attic fan installation in Yakima, WA, and we’d like to explain all the ways you can benefit from getting an attic fan.

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The Best Way to Avoid AC Repair: AC Maintenance!

June 5th, 2023
AC maintenance checklist clipboard on top of an outdoor air conditioning unit.

It’s already June, the first month of summer (although technically summer doesn’t start until the third week of June), and it’s time to get ready for the coming heat.

To ensure your system is ready for the summer heat, it’s important to schedule AC maintenance before outdoor temperatures begin to rise.

“I’m ready,” you might think. “I’ve got a trusty air conditioning system to handle the sweltering months.”

But what if your air conditioning system isn’t as trusty as you think it is? That AC did a lot of work last year through the summer, and now it needs to do all that work again. The way your system was properly installed by a professional can also impact its long-term reliability and maintenance needs. What happens if your air conditioning system breaks down on one of the hottest days of the year? You’ll have to call us for repairs, and although we’re happy to help, we know you’d much rather not have to go through the inconvenience or the discomfort of waiting in a boiling house for help.

The best approach to air conditioning repair in Yakima, WA is to avoid it altogether. There’s one simple step you can take that will make repairs a rarity and ensure your air conditioner functions at its best through the summer: professional preventive maintenance. Regular maintenance can help you save money by reducing energy bills and preventing costly repairs.

In this article, we’ll share practical maintenance tips and essential air conditioner maintenance tips for homeowners to help keep your AC running smoothly all summer long.

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Should You Upgrade Your Home’s Electrical Panel?

May 22nd, 2023
electrical-panel-inspection-by-technician

Think of the electrical panel in your home as a “central switching station” for all the electricity flowing through the wires in your house. The current from the grid enters the panel, where it divides into the different circuits that spread to outlets, light fixtures, and hardwired appliances. This panel needs to be in top shape and up-to-date to handle a home’s electrical load or else it will result in electrical problems and possibly safety hazards.

Is your house due for an electrical panel upgrade in Ellensburg, WA? It’s a good question, and we’ll explore it more below.

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