Tag Archives: plumbing

Drain Cleaning Ashburn VA

4 Drain Maintenance Resolutions

The transition between one year and another is an opportunity to set productive resolutions and improve yourself and your surroundings. For instance, you could make routine drain cleaning services and maintenance a New Year’s resolution to prevent your home’s drains from clogging. You might even get more specific in your resolutions by determining you’ll have rusty pipes replaced and drain strainers added. Maintaining internal systems is essential to homeownership, so why not make it a feature of the New Year? 

Ashburn, VA, homeowners have turned to R.A. Dobson for professional plumbing services since 1975. Besides drain cleaning, we can help with faucet, sump pump, and water heater installations and repairs. Our dedicated professionals deliver the expert plumbing care our customers need at reasonable rates. Call (703) 481-3700 or reach out through our website for a free estimate request

Below, we outline 4 New Year’s plumbing resolutions you don’t want to skip: 

1. Replace Rusted Pipes

Rusty and grimy pipes are a horror every plumber knows too well. Pipes deteriorate from daily use and little maintenance, causing leaks and water damage. Yet replacing worn pipes with new, shiny ones can prevent such disasters as well as save you stress and frustration from internal leaking. And if you don’t need your entire plumbing system replaced, hire a professional to replace only the pipes that need it. 

Many pipes are composed of galvanized steel, which suffers from rusting and corrosion. Galvanized steel pipes crop up most often in old homes, but you should always have a professional check what kind of pipes you have before determining what you can do to improve them. 

2. Use Drain Strainers

Although some sinks come with a drain guard, that may not keep out food particles and oils that can clog pipes. Therefore, whether your sink has a drain guard or not, investing in a strainer can protect the health of your plumbing system.

This device can also combat the symptoms and effects of drain blockages, such as unpleasant odors around your home. Acquiring a few simple drain strainers is thus an investment in your home’s hospitality, aiding in proper drain cleaning and maintenance.

3. Get Your Drains Cleaned Now and Then

Drain Cleaning Ashburn VA

A nightmare scenario for all homeowners involves water pooling in the kitchen sink after intense dishwashing or puddling on the floor after you run water down the drain. If you hear gurgling noises as water drains or notice it takes a long time to drain, you may have a clog on your hands. 

Fortunately, a professional can clean a clogged drain. Expert drain cleaning is critical to owning a home and should occur routinely to avoid expensive leaks. Fulfill your New Year’s resolution: call a professional to ensure the health of your pipes and drains. 

4. Keep Grease Out of Your Sink

Oil and grease from cooking contribute to pesky clogs and blockages. Grease, lard, fat, and oil solidify when they cool; they can become entrenched in your kitchen sink and grow larger as more food piles on top of them. 

Instead of pouring it into the sink, wait for the oil to cool and then dump it into a safe container or foil for your garbage. It can be hard to prevent all grease from penetrating your drains, but running hot, soapy water in your sink can fight its solidification and buildup. It’s not the solution to breaking up unwanted oils in your pipes, but it can help move obstructions through your pipes and prevent minor clogs.

Professional Drain Cleaning Now Available in Ashburn, VA

Make pipe and drain maintenance your New Year’s resolution. Although your plumbing system goes unseen in your home, that doesn’t mean repairs are unnecessary. Hiring our team of experienced professionals to handle your drain cleaning needs is a must for every homeowner in Ashburn, VA. Follow your resolution and call R.A. Dobson at (703) 481-3700 for our plumbing maintenance and repair services.

Sterling VA Plumbing Emergency Service

What to Do Before Calling An Emergency Plumber

If you have a plumbing emergency in the middle of the night, you may want to call for help right away. Before calling an emergency plumbing service, you can assess the issue by turning off your water, investigating the root of the problem, and having a list of questions prepared for when it is time to call. 

If you experience any common plumbing problems, call RA Dobson in Sterling, VA, to address and fix them. We are a second-generation family business with over 45 years of experience. Our highly trained professionals are equipped to solve any problem they are met with. Rest assured that we can get your plumbing running smoothly. 

Below, we discuss how to assess plumbing problems and why you can trust RA Dobson to handle them:

How to Assess Your Plumbing Emergency

  1. No matter where it starts leaking from, your first step to controlling a water emergency is to shut off the water supply of that fixture. If water continues to leak after you do so, turn off the water supply for the whole house.
  1. Make sure to properly diagnose the issue and decide if it can wait until the morning to call. Even if that means not using a specific sink or shower for a few days and waiting until you can be assisted. 
  1. There is also a chance that the problem was caused by a mainline water break or sewer malfunction. Contact your water company to see if there is any they can cover to take care of.
  1. If it is necessary to make an emergency call, make sure to follow these simple steps to get the best service and price possible: give distinct details about your issue, get a quote for the call, request a free estimate, and ask if you can speak with the plumber. 
  1. If you are unsure what the problem is or what danger it poses, call an emergency plumber. It’s better to pay a high bill and prevent a catastrophe rather than flood your home. However, it is important to know how to address your plumbing matters, so when an emergency does arise you are prepared.

Why Choose RA Dobson?

If you have a plumbing emergency, you can trust us to repair it. We offer the following services: drain cleaning, faucet installation and repair, sewer line repair, and sump pump/water heater installation and repair. 

We perform excellent service for our customers and solve any plumbing issue they are experiencing. We earned Angie’s List Super Service Award in 2016 as well as a large number of 5-star reviews. 

Some of our customers’ reviews have specifically noted how kind and professional our staff has been when in their homes. Through it all, providing affordable and efficient service while going the extra mile to ensure our customers’ satisfaction.

Professional Emergency Plumbing Service Available Now in Sterling, VA 

Although you should assess the situation before calling, when you do have a plumbing emergency in Sterling, VA, make sure to contact RA Dobson. You will be met with high-quality service at a fair price while completing all of your plumbing needs. You can reach us at (703) 982-0111 or fill out our free estimate request form on our contact page.

Sterling Virginia Heath Pump Installation

4 Heat Pump Features to Look For

Heat pumps are a highly-beneficial alternative to traditional HVAC systems. They are also more versatile and efficient, providing both heating and cooling while using less energy. Heat pump technology has been improved significantly with the addition of advanced features that increase its lifespan, functionality, and efficiency even further.

With over 45 years of experience, you can be assured that R.A. Dobson’s technicians are highly-capable in efficient heat pump installation, plumbing, air conditioning repair, and more. Throughout Sterling, VA, R.A. Dobson has served thousands of customers, many of whom return for our friendly service, quality workmanship, and competitive prices. 

Here are 4 interesting features you should consider for your new heat pump installation: 

1. Variable/Dual-Speed Motors

One prominent feature among certain heat pump models are variable-speed or dual-speed motors

These are connected to the heat pump’s fans, keeping the airflow at a consistent velocity throughout the house. It ensures your home is consistently heated with fewer cool drafts and cooled with fewer waves of heat. 

Keeping your indoor spaces consistently cool or warm also ensures that your system isn’t wasting electricity. The variable/dual-speed motors will help keep your heat pump system energy-efficient. 

2. Desuperheater

Another high-efficiency feature to look for among heat pump models are those equipped with a desuperheater. It is an auxiliary heat exchange component that uses the excess heat produced by the heat pump’s system to heat water. This feature turns your heat pump into both an HVAC system and a water heater system, increasing your home’s energy efficiency. 

According to the US Department of Energy, a heat pump equipped with a desuperheater can heat water twice as efficiently than the common electric water heater installed in most homes. 

3. Two-Speed Compressors

Standard compressors that are installed with most heat pump systems only operate at their full capacity, which can end up wasting a lot of energy over time. 

However, a heat pump installed with a two-speed compressor can increase its efficiency by switching between full and reduced capacity settings, saving energy. 

A two-speed compressor will also have a longer lifespan than a standard one, since it can work at a lower capacity, reducing the amount of strain and wear it receives over time.

4. Scroll Compressor

Another improved feature to look for is a more advanced type of compressor, known as a scroll compressor, which have made heat pump systems even more efficient. This is because scroll compressors improve on the standard piston compressor by having a longer lifespan and producing much less noise when in operation. 

This is due to their improved design, which involves two spiral shaped scrolls. While one remains fixed, the other revolves around it, greatly compressing the refrigerant used for heat exchange. 

Scroll compressors come in a number variants too, each more efficient due to the greater precision they have in capacity control. The standard is the single-stage compressor, which works only at full capacity, while the two-stage and variable capacity compressors are able to switch to lower capacity settings for even greater energy-efficiency. 

R.A. Dobson: Quality Heat Pump Installation in Sterling, VA!

As mentioned in the features described above, heat pumps have advanced into becoming a worthwhile alternative to HVAC systems. At R.A. Dobson, we do our best to keep track of the latest in heating and cooling technologies. To us, our expertise in professional heat pump installation, plumbing repair, and HVAC maintenance, is all about making sure your home remains comfortable and efficient for years to come. Our high-quality workmanship and honest service has made us one of the most trusted HVAC and plumbing companies in Sterling. Contact us at (703) 481-3700 to learn more about our services and get a free estimate.