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What To Do When Your Air Conditioner Freezes Up

. Posted by in • Austin

On a hot 95+ degree day, no one wants to deal with melted ice cream. That’s why we have air conditioning!

Hot weather here in Austin means trips to Barton Springs, bike rides, and cookouts on the patio with tall iced beverages. It’s all fun in the sun until your air conditioning goes out.

Below we’ll take a look at some of the most common AC problems and offer some tips for basic air conditioner troubleshooting.

How air conditioners work

Air conditioning systems cool air using an evaporator coil within your inside AC unit. Inside the coil is a refrigerant such as Freon that cools down the coil. The AC unit draws in warm air and blows it over the coil, where the refrigerant absorbs the heat and the newly chilled air is sent back into your home. The hot refrigerant is cycled outside your home to the compressor unit where it transfers the … Read Full Post »

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Celebrating the Big Tree in Goose Island Park

. Posted by in , • Corpus Christi
Big Tree Rockport Texas

 The Big Tree at Goose Island State Park north of Rockport, Texas. Photo Credit: Larry D. Moore

The Oldest Known Tree in Texas.

We’ve all marveled at different types of trees from around the world. From Redwoods in California to Banyan trees in India to Baobab trees in Madagascar, there are unique and incredibly old trees all over the world. Have you ever wondered what the oldest or most unique tree in Texas is?

The oldest tree on record in Texas is right in our neighborhood, a 1,000-year-old Coastal Live Oak nicknamed “The Big Tree”. Over its lifetime, the tree has withstood between 40 and 50 hurricanes and narrowly escaped destruction during the Civil War as Union troops set fire to the town of Lamar not far away.

Where did the Big Tree come from?

So, how did this tree, like a handful of other old trees around the world, manage to live so long? … Read Full Post »

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How to handle your neighbor’s overgrown trees

. Posted by in , , • Austin
tree trimming services

 

Large, established trees are a fixture in many older neighborhoods. Think about the new home developments you’ve visited, and they all likely have one thing in common: no established trees! These older trees provide shade on hot summer days, a home and food source for animals, play areas for children, and can even provide energy savings when blocking sunlight from entering a home.

With all of these benefits come several challenges. Property lines in neighborhoods exist in fixed areas, and tree growth of both roots and branches do not conform to any set location. Homeowners commonly run into situations where a tree sits on a property line, or a tree trunk grows in one yard with its branches hanging into another yard.

As a homeowner, what is the best way to deal with a shared tree that requires maintenance?

First, understand that this is a very common issue. The root systems of trees … Read Full Post »

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What to Do if a Pipe Breaks in Your Home

. Posted by in • San Antonio

When thinking about pipes breaking, most people worry about their pipes freezing in the winter. But what about in the summer? Did you know that in San Antonio, your plumbing can burst in the middle of hot weather too?

When heat and drought return to San Antonio each summer, the ground dries and shrinks, causing our plumbing to shift. In previous years, extended drought conditions caused a spike in the number of pipe failures in Texas.

Let’s take a look at some of the reasons your home’s pipes might break, and what you should do if you’re ever unlucky enough to have it happen to you.

Common causes of plumbing failure

Exposure to pressure  If something blocks up a pipe, whether it’s inside your house or in your outgoing sewer line, pressure will build up behind that clog. Common causes of clogged plumbing include pouring cooking grease down the drain and flushing paper towels … Read Full Post »

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Who Invented the Air Conditioner?

. Posted by in • Austin

It’s getting hot in Central Texas.

We’ve been lucky this year in Austin. Due to all the rain, temperatures are still slightly below sweltering!

Now that the warmer temperatures have arrived, everyone is thankful for the modern marvel of air conditioning. It is now possible to be burning up one moment and freezing the next as you move between the outdoors and heavily air conditioned spaces.

Air conditioning is such a part of modern life that we take it for granted.

Until it breaks down and wreaks havoc.

Here’s a little history lesson that will give you an understanding of the myriad ways people attempted to cool down before air conditioners arrived on the market.

Given that the modern air conditioner was not invented until the early 20th century, humans have been experimenting with ways to cool down for centuries.

  • The ancient Egyptians hung reeds in their windows and wet them with a stream of water. Air … Read Full Post »

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Why The City of Austin Still Has Water Restrictions

. Posted by in , • Austin

It seems like Austin has switched places with Portland or Seattle this year. We’ve received record amounts of rainfall. And along with the rains, we’ve enjoyed cooler temperatures and a later summer than normal. You’ve heard it on the news – the lakes are full, hurray!

Despite the rain, the City of Austin is still enforcing water restrictions, and has made some long-term changes to reduce water use in the Central Texas area. So if the lakes are full and our water supply is back to previous levels, why are we still operating under water restrictions?

How Austin-Area Water Sources Work Today

Our primary water source in Austin comes from the Colorado River and the system of Highland Lakes along the river. The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) manages this water source, and the City of Austin is its customer.

There are five dams along the river and six lakes created by those dams.

Lake … Read Full Post »

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[Infographic] When to Repair or Replace Your Air Conditioner.

. Posted by in • Corpus Christi
Get your AC ready for the hot Texas summer.

It’s hot outside. Is your A/C ready for the summer heat?

One of the biggest questions our customers ask us is when to repair or replace their AC units. We’ve put together a nifty flow chart to help you navigate the HVAC repair and replacement process. Sometimes, a maintenance routine is all you really need. But other issues require repairs — and sometimes, replacement parts or an entirely new air conditioner.

Always keep in mind that regular maintenance will keep your A/C in perfect working condition for the entirety of its lifespan.

Embed this Infographic on Your Site:

<p style=”text-align:center;”><a href=”https://www.abchomeandcommercial.com/blog/infographic-when-to-repair-or-replace-your-air-conditioner/”><img src=”https://www.abchomeandcommercial.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/ABCCorpus_AC_Flowchart.png” alt=”abc corpus christi repairs old air conditioners” title=”Click to enlarge” /></a><br />Source: <a href=”https://www.abchomeandcommercial.com/”>ABC Home & Commercial Services</a></p>

ABC Can maintain, repair, and replace your HVAC system.

If your journey suggests that your A/C needs some work or needs to be replaced, give us a call. From all of us at ABC … Read Full Post »

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Pro Pool Tips for your Summer Vacation

. Posted by in • Austin
follow these pro pool safety for summer in texas

School is out for summer, and we’re ready for a vacation!

Like most families, you’ve probably planned some sort of pool-related fun for the summer. Or maybe you’ve planned an all-out trip to the beach. Either way, we have put together a list of pro-tips for the pool that we’d love to share with our ABC family blog readers. These eight safety measures will ensure that your summer vacation isn’t disturbed by any scraped knees, sunburns, or worse.

Read Full Post »

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Rain and Your Lawn: How Much Is Too Much?

. Posted by in , • San Antonio

In San Antonio, we’ve experienced an exceptionally wet spring season, with several downpours over the past few months. While we’re grateful not to be in a drought, and our lawns certainly appreciate the rain, in this case, it is possible to get too much of a good thing.

Below we’ll look at some of the ways heavy and prolonged rains can harm your lawn, and some tips you can follow to avoid most of the potential damage.

Roots

A lawn can get too dependent on rain. If water is abundant, grass and other plants don’t need to develop healthy root systems. When a wet spring is followed by a hot and dry summer (as most of our summers are) the grass won’t have the deep roots it needs to survive.

Furthermore, too much water will actually suffocate your lawn. Most plants can’t stand in water for extended periods of time because waterlogged soil doesn’t … Read Full Post »

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Vacation Season is Bed Bug Season

. Posted by in • San Antonio
bed bug season

There is a bed bug “season” after all.

Schools out for summer and many families are ready to head out for the busiest travel season of the year. We are all for bringing home vacation souvenirs. But there’s one thing we hope all our customers can avoid this summer: Bed bugs.

Most of us never imagine that we’ll pick up dreaded bedbugs and bring them into our homes after a trip to the beach. Prevalent in the pre-WWII era, bed bugs were nearly wiped off the map in the 1950’s due to increased use of pesticides and better hygiene.

They’ve made a comeback starting in the early 2000’s, with a widely publicized epidemic after the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Authorities claim the reasons for the surge in bed bugs are varied – population increases in cities, the ease of global mobility, and pesticide resistance all bare some responsibility.

How do you get bed bugs after a … Read Full Post »

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