ABC Blog

How to Turn Up Your Water Heater

How to turn up water heater

Don’t you hate it when you try to take a hot shower and the water is barely lukewarm? Or maybe your dishes aren’t getting as sparkly clean as you’d like them to be. One easy fix is to check your hot water heater. You might just need to turn it up a bit, or your cold water might be a cry for needed maintenance.

How To Turn Up Your Water Heater

Below we’ll look at where your hot water comes from and what you can do to resolve the cold water blues.  

Water Heater Basics

To know what could be going wrong with your hot water, you must understand what kind of water heater you have.

There are two basic types of water heaters: gas and electric. Most water heaters in the U.S. are conventional tank water heaters—tall cylinders that heat the water slowly at the bottom of the tank and must … Read Full Post »

How To Keep Pipes From Freezing Without Heat

how to keep pipes from freezing without heat

Winter often means bundling up and adding on extra layers. For homeowners, the season can also bring extra responsibilities. When temperatures dip below the freezing mark, pipes can freeze and lead to other, more serious problems.

How To Keep Your Pipes From Freezing This Winter

Since the possibility of freezing pipes only happens once a year, and relatively infrequently in warmer climates, it can be difficult to remember exactly what to do to minimize any potential damage to your home. Here at ABC Home & Commercial Services, we want to help make things easier on homeowners all year long.  Read our list of tips and steps you can take to prevent your pipes from freezing over below.

Inspect Your Home

Homeowners often ask us how to keep pipes from freezing without heat. The answer is that the same tips for keeping your pipes from freezing can also protect your home if you lose … Read Full Post »

How To Save On Energy Costs This Winter

winter energy saving tips

Depending on the weather, your home, and your heating system, winter can be a time of year when your utility costs go up. When thinking about your energy bills in the winter, there are a number of things you can do to keep your heating (and in warmer parts of the country, sometimes your air conditioning) costs low throughout the season.

How to Save on Energy Costs This Winter

Read on to learn how to put winter energy saving tips to work to reduce your utility bills.

Maintain Your Equipment

Your HVAC unit needs occasional attention to make sure it’s running at peak efficiency. It’s a good idea to schedule an annual inspection with a licensed heating and air conditioning technician. Experts such as the ones we have at ABC Home & Commerical Services can take a look at the unit’s coils and connections. They will check your vents and test your equipment … Read Full Post »

What Temperature Should You Set Your Thermostat In Winter?

What temperature to set thermostat in winter when away

Summer is over for another year, and that means that Austinites can finally unpack their sweaters and fuzzy socks. While we have a shorter and more mild winter than many of our friends to the north, that doesn’t mean we don’t need to keep our homes warm in the winter. A common question most people have is what temperature to set the thermostat when they are away, whether that means you are simply at work or if you are on a trip. It can be difficult to know what temperature to leave an empty house in the winter.

Temperature to Leave Your House in Winter

Below are some tips for saving energy while keeping your house comfortable year-round.

Ideal Temperatures for your Home

Setting temperatures for your home seems simple, but it can actually be a bit of a balancing act between comfort and HVAC efficiency.

According to Consumer Reports, if you want to save … Read Full Post »

Fire Safety Tips To Keep Your Loved Ones Safe All Year Long

fire safety tips

Cold winter nights call for warm beverages, movie nights, and of course, curling up by the fireplace.

Keep Your Loved Ones Safe With These Fire Safety Tips

Before you light the fire and cuddle up under a few blankets, there are a few things you should consider. Read our fire safety tips below to keep your family and home safe this winter.

Perform Regular Maintenance

Both wood burning and gas fireplaces are designed to keep your family safe. Still, though, it’s important to perform proper maintenance operations before lighting the first fire of the season.

One of the first things you’ll want to do is ensure your fireplace is clear of obstructions and creosote. This can be done by a professional chimney sweep. Do this annually, before you light your first fire. Your chimney sweep will share other fireplace safety tips with you which may be particularly relevant to your home.

Once your fireplace is … Read Full Post »

What Is The Best Room Temperature For Puppies?

Room temperature for puppies

Many of us consider our pets a part of our family. With countless “dogs-welcomed” restaurants, trails, large dog parks and training and boarding facilities, it’s no wonder that so many cities are seeing an increase in puppy adoptions.

Welcoming a dog into your home involves research and planning, particularly if you have decided you’d prefer to adopt a puppy. From proper nutrition to adequate amounts of exercise to an endless amount of love and care, it’s your duty to ensure your pet is cared for. Thinking about the best room temperature for puppies and older pets is one way to make sure your furry friends stay happy and healthy.

What’s the Best Room Temperature for Puppies?

It might sound silly, but even the smallest factors, like your home’s temperature, are important aspects in maintaining your dog’s overall health, particularly if you have a puppy. Let’s discuss what new dog owners need to know … Read Full Post »

How to Keep Your Home’s Heater Running More Efficiently This Winter

energy efficient heaters

When summer comes to a close and fall brings with it lower temperatures, homeowners start thinking about heaters which are often dormant during the warmer months. But before you turn up the thermostat, however, take a look at ways to preserve energy in your home and reduce your energy costs.

Check out our winter energy saving tips below to make sure you are getting the most out of your heater.

Conduct an energy audit

An energy audit can help you gain a better understanding of your home’s energy use. It will help you determine problem areas and how to best fix them. It can also help you determine just how much you should use your heater. An energy audit is the first thing you should do if you are looking for ways to save on heating costs.

Cover any openings

After you’ve conducted an energy audit, you’ll want to check for any air leaks [http://energy.gov/energysaver/detecting-air-leaks] … Read Full Post »

HVAC Inspection Checklist: Preparing Your Home For Fall

HVAC inspection checklist

By the time the scorching San Antonio summer gives way to a slightly-less-scorching autumn, you’re probably ready for a break from the heat. But is your home prepared?

If you’re like most Texans, your air conditioning unit worked hard in the summer months. As you look forward to the coming cold weather, your entire HVAC system may need servicing to ensure that it continues to work perfectly. Here’s a quick HVAC inspection checklist of things to do to help you get started.

Clean Up Your Unit

Just as your home needs a deep cleaning a few times per year, you need to occasionally clean your HVAC system to keep it running optimally.

Outdoors

Clear leaves and debris away from your outdoor HVAC unit. This prevents any blockages from happening, as well as any reductions in the unit’s ability to provide heat.

Not all of the debris is located inside of the unit, however. Trim any other … Read Full Post »

Choosing An AC System For Your Home

air conditioner types

The weather in Austin can sometimes feel like perpetual summer, with hot and muggy weather for more than half of the year. When considering air conditioning for your home, it’s valuable to know the different air conditioner types that exist so you can make the best choice for our sweltering climate.

Air Conditioner Types

Perhaps the most common air conditioner type is central AC, which provides cooling throughout your home. These units consist of an evaporator unit, a condenser unit, and ducts or other distribution mechanisms that send the cold air throughout the home. Below [3: https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/central-air-conditioning/buying-guide.htm]

Split Systems

The most common form of central air conditioning is a split system, involving both an indoors unit and an outdoors unit. In a split system, the cooling or evaporation coil unit is inside the home, usually inside a cabinet located in a central location within the home, while the condenser and compressor are outdoors, usually … Read Full Post »

How Often To Change The Air Filter In A House

how often to change air filter in house

If you own an air conditioning unit, you know that changing the air filter is a common air conditioner maintenance task that must be performed so your heating and cooling system can run clean and pure air throughout your home.

Have you ever really thought about why is it so important to change your AC’s air filter? Or how often should you clean it? Keep reading to learn more tips about keeping your air conditioner running efficiently.

Five Reasons To Change Your AC Air Filter Frequently

There are quite a few benefits of changing your filter frequently.

Improved Performance

Imagine trying to drink water through a clogged straw. That’s a lot like how your air conditioning unit feels when it’s trying to draw air through a clogged filter. By switching out your air filter on a regular basis, you make it easier for your system to pull air in and keep things cool. This, in turn, … Read Full Post »