ABC Blog

Please choose a city to view local blog posts:

Choose a City

6 Tips to Lower Your Austin Energy Bill

. Posted by in • Austin
Is your Austin Energy Bill to high?

Wondering Why your Austin Energy Bill is so High in the Winter?

Our customers have been fielding us with lots of questions about their Austin Energy bills over the last few months, and we are just as concerned as they are. Across the board, it seems as though our customers’ utilities are getting more expensive. KXAN investigated reports of abnormally high water bills back in the fall of 2015. Now that it’s winter, we’re getting calls about higher-than-average winter utility bills. And we think we know why.

Because Austin doesn’t reach freezing temps very often, most homeowners don’t think their heaters need as much attention as their air conditioners. But if your winter bills are sky-high, an old heater is the likely culprit.

You shouldn’t have to waste a penny to keep your family comfortable. Here are a few tips for general energy-monitoring and winter-specific ideas to lower those energy bills.

1. Take Advantage … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Tails of Horror: The Scariest Rat Problems We’ve Seen

. Posted by in • San Antonio
rats destroy homes and spread hantavirus

Our technicians have seen just about every kind of rodent problem you can have in San Antonio. We’ve also seen rats and mice in many different types of buildings, and we’ve seen the immense damage to structures that these animals cause. And when you ignore the problem it only gets worse — sometimes, devastatingly worse.

Here are a couple of the weirdest rodent infestation cases that ABC has ever seen in San Antonio. Keep in mind that these are very extreme cases, and most infestations can be handled by our staff very quickly.

One Hundred Traps. One Mouse.

A family of 4 contacted us when they realized that rats had infiltrated their home through an open food storage room in the back of the house. These rats entered the home by chewing through the walls of that unprotected food pantry.

Like many customers, the homeowners thought the problem would eventually take care of itself, … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

2016 Predictions For Austin’s Rodent Dilemma

. Posted by in • Austin
Rat and mouse droppings can spread disease to humans.

It’s Been a Busy Year.

ABC likes to give our customers predictions every year to help our neighbors make good home service scheduling decisions. 2015 was an interesting year in terms of rodent populations in Central Texas. ABC saw a 9% in rodent-related appointments in 2015, and we have a couple of thoughts on why this may be.

The Biggest Reason We’re Getting More Calls? Rain.

Austin saw an enormous amount of rain last year. May of 2015 was Texas’s and Austin’s single wettest month in recorded history. You may remember that weekend — there was a lot of flooding and dangerous road conditions. Several homeowners south of Austin, in Wimberly, saw their homes destroyed.

ABIA saw its highest rain totals ever recorded in a single day: 13 inches. Flooding was an issue one multiple occasions betweenMay and November of last year.

How does Rain affect Rodents?

Rats and mice are actually excellent swimmers, but that … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Is Your House Haunted? No, It’s Just Your Heater.

. Posted by in • San Antonio
abc will fix the crazy noises your heater makes

We’ve all heard the ghost stories; a loud pop comes out of nowhere; there’s a gusty breeze inside the home; you hear what sounds like whining and hissing. San Antonio is full of spooky old homes, some of which might even be haunted. If you hear the ghastly rumblings of a poltergeist in your house, stay calm. It’s probably not a ghost. More than likely, it’s just your heater.

We’re not paranormal experts over here at ABC Home & Commercial Services, but we are HVAC experts, and we have heard all sorts of noises coming from our customers’ heating systems.

The Sounds Old Furnaces Make, And Why

We’ve put together a list of common noises you heater might make. Take a look and see if anything sounds familiar.

Popping and Clicking Sounds

You’re drifting off into an evening nap in the middle of winter, and suddenly you’re startled awake by a loud ‘POP’ followed by that … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

How Did College Station Get A Rat Problem?

. Posted by in • Bryan-College Station
rats are abundant in college station neighborhoods.

So much of what our rodent specialists and pest entomologists know today has its origins in research done by Texas A&M. We’re so proud to learn from and work alongside researchers at the University.

Rodents Have A Complicated Past

Recently, one professor of biology and researcher at Texas A&M, Rodney Honeycutt, decided to look into the evolutionary history of rodents. Specifically, he wants to understand how a certain species of larger African rodents ended up with distantly related cousins on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean some 40 million years ago.

This story by ABC about Honeycutt’s rodent project perfectly describes what most of us are all wondering.

“They could have done it only one of two ways, as far as anybody knows. Either they swam across, which seems preposterous. Or they climbed aboard a raft and followed the currents across the Atlantic to the new world.” – Lee Dye

We know … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Heater Blowing Cold Air? How To Solve This Problem

. Posted by in • San Antonio
Heater Blowing Cold Air

If your heater is on and blowing cold air, it is most likely an issue with either your thermostat or your ductwork, but the complexity of heating systems opens up multiple possibilities. We’ll explore some of the more common reasons heaters blow cold air so that have so that you have the information you need to contact a trusted HVAC repair professional to get needed repairs done.

Heater Is Still Warming Up

Whether your heater is electric or gas, heat exchange is not an instant process. It will take a while after turning your heater on to initiate all of the processes involved in creating and moving heated air throughout your home.

Your heater has to first collect and compress the air in your home, then heat it and expel the cold air. Heating systems work by heat exchange, which means that your HVAC system returns the cold air to the outside of … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Can Carbon Monoxide Leak If The Furnace Is Off?

. Posted by in • San Antonio
Can Carbon Monoxide Leak If Furnace Is Off

Understanding how HVAC systems work and having an HVAC maintenance checklist can be helpful to avoid potential dangers from these appliances that many of us don’t completely understand nor have the knowledge to repair.

The main cause of carbon monoxide in homes is heating, although chimneys, space heaters, dryers, cars, generators, grills, stoves, ovens and tools can also generate this byproduct. Your heating and cooling system burns fuel to create cool air in the summer and warm air in the winter. Any time fuel is burned, the chemical processes create a byproduct called carbon monoxide, or CO. Cracks and leaks, obstructions and general malfunctions in your heating and cooling system can cause your exhaust system to fail and allow CO to seep into your home. When and if this happens, the consequences can be extremely serious.

Can carbon monoxide leak if a furnace is off? Technically, your system won’t produce carbon monoxide if your furnace … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

7 Elements of a Perfect and Happy Lawn

. Posted by in , , • Dallas-Fort Worth

A Short and Complete Guide to Nurturing North Texas Yards

If lawn care chores are wearing you out, you might be trying too hard. Nurturing a Dallas landscape takes some effort, but why make it complicated? You can keep that yard perfectly happy with seven simple steps.

1. Understand the Grass – Just knowing what kind of turf you’re growing isn’t enough. Bermuda grass doesn’t like shade, and St. Augustine is a heavy drinker. Whether it’s buffalo, centipede or zoysia, show that lawn some love by learning about its preferences.

2. Watch Your Watering – Break the habit of watering on set days. Slow, deep soakings encourage healthy root systems, so wait until the yard looks a little thirsty. Whether you irrigate with a sprinkler or an automated system, water early in the morning for maximum effect.

3. Feed on Schedule – Most North Texas lawns like their nutrients served every two months from … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

When a Pest Infestation Has Gone Too Far

. Posted by in • Dallas-Fort Worth

Pests may be par for the course in Texas, but infestations are still serious business. Find out when it’s time to call in professional pest control.

From pesky mosquitoes to curious rodents to ominous spiders, pests are a fact of daily life in the hot and humid Dallas area, but that doesn’t mean you should keep your guard down when it comes to pest control. While seeing an occasional critter is no big deal, it can sometimes be the first sign of a growing problem behind the scenes. How do you tell the difference between a stray and a more serious infestation? Watching for the warning signs below is a good place to start.

Dead Pests

If you keep seeing dead pests throughout your home or around your windows, there’s a good chance that a living colony is thriving somewhere on your property.

Structural Damage

The most destructive pests use homes as nesting grounds, leaving … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

4 Rodent Species Houston Residents Should Know

. Posted by in • Houston

Every Year NPMA declares one week in November Rodent Awareness Week.

It is important to us that our neighbors stay in the know. Rodent Awareness Week 2015 is a great time to brush up on your rodent knowledge so that you can keep your home free from rats and mice. The more you know, the better you can protect yourself and your family.

Houston has a pretty well-documented roof rat problem and has for a few years now. The wet cool months of November-March are when we get the most calls for help with rodent control in Houston, Texas.

4 Rodent Species To Look Out For In Houston

Deer Mice

These are brown-bodied mice with pointy noses, small ears, and
short brown and white bellies and tails. Deer mice mature at 7 weeks and can rapidly reproduce, which is why even just one mouse could signal an infestation. If you find a deer mouse, a nest, … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed