Maintaining Drains through Proper Grease Disposal

Neglecting repair issues in your home, such as a blocked drain system, can be harmful to your health. The musty smell of stagnant water, along with mosquito infestation on pooled, dirty water, can create an unhealthy environment for you and your family, especially in the summer heat in Edmonton, where breeding season for these bugs is at its peak.

Did you know that disposing leftover cooking grease into your sink drain largely contributes to drain clogging? The fats in the grease or oil from your kitchen combine with chemicals in the sewers to form nasty conglomerations of matter that build up and block pipes.

So rather than flush cooking oil and grease down the drain, wipe out the oil with a paper towel and dispose in the bin. If it’s a large amount of oil, pour it in a sealable container, and throw in the garbage. 

You might also consider reusing deep-fry oil, if still clear, and not yet dark or dirty, with a fishy smell. Simply refrigerate after sealing. Either way, proper grease disposal is a sure way to avoid constant drain cleaning.

While you can do drain cleaning yourself, if you’re in the habit of emptying your cooking oil into the sink drain, or washing your pots or pans without wiping the grease off, call on plumbing specialists to help clean your drains out. With DIY cleaning in serious blockage, you might only end up damaging the pipes, and costing you a lot more in the long run.

Summer: Best Time To Explore Home Heating Options

As the weather warms up, your reliance on home heating begins to decrease. This is obviously the best time for those wanting to replace their dysfunctional heating systems to begin hunting for a replacement. Before you do, you may want to understand the many available options here in Stony Plains. 

Fortunately, Alberta and Ontario are deregulated, the only places where you have a choice of supply, so you get to base your decision on two separate things: fuel and delivery. Fuel options include natural gas, propane, oil and electricity. Common distribution systems cover hot air and steam, radiant and hot water.

Since it’s summer, the prices of these fuel options may drop down a bit so it’s not really advisable to make a decision based solely on costs, though they’re still a good indicator of how much you should expect to spend when the cold clutches of winter arrive. In case you need a recommendation, experts say that propane and oil provide the best heating efficiency.

Distribution systems also have their considerations, usually depending on your preferences and the amount of heat needed to warm up the home. For example: radiant systems are more expensive since installation and repairs usually involve ripping the floors or wall.

It’s of course possible that the existing one in your home may just need a few parts repaired replaced. Either way, consult your plumber first for the best course of action.

Air Conditioning in Edmonton: Repairs for the Pro

In choosing an air conditioner, one of the factors you need to consider for cost-efficiency is the size of the space to be cooled. For instance, a room air conditioner may be preferable for smaller spaces, or for those who plan to move later on, as this type of AC is relatively easier to be moved to a new location. If you want to install centralized air-conditioning but your home does not have the needed ductwork, and adding one would be difficult, you may want to consider a mini-split AC or the central type that uses smaller high-pressure ductwork. 

Once you have an air conditioning system installed, make sure to give it proper maintenance to avoid unnecessary high energy bills and to prolong its service life. It will help to know basic troubleshooting methods, but you also have to recognize problems that warrant professional help. The following are two common AC repairs that are best left in the hands of an HVAC specialist. 

Refrigerant Leakage

The refrigerant is a liquid that absorbs and releases heat as it travels continuously through the AC coils. When this liquid leaks out or the appliance is low of it, the problem should be handled only by professionals. 

Motor Causes

Central air conditioners are similar to automobiles in that they all need a motor to function. While motor problems in cars are reparable on your own if you know how, AC motor problems can get very complicated, requiring the skills and knowledge of HVAC experts.