Tag Archives: professional heating and cooling

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.

Furnace Repair Northern Virginia

When Should You Replace Your Furnace?

Over the years, we start to recognize the “character” of our homes. It might include the most comfortable spots to sit and work or the adjustments needed for its layout and setup. Perhaps unconsciously, we also find its warm and cool spots: the best places to spend cold nights and which rooms always seem chilly. 

However, your home’s temperature patterns illustrate the state of its heating system. If the temperature shifts from room to room, or if you constantly adjust the thermostat, your home’s furnace may need replacement. In that case, reach out to R.A. Dobson, Northern Virginia’s top service company. Our team provides professional furnace repair and installation, HVAC maintenance, and plumbing repairs. And our customers rave about our heating and cooling services to boot. 

Below, we review some common furnace issues that call for maintenance or replacement: 

Basic Furnace Care

Along with boilers, furnaces are the most common kind of home heating system. To warm its home, a furnace blows heated air through ductwork and raises the overall temperature to the thermostat’s setting. Manufacturers rate every furnace’s ability via the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) scale. 

Homeowners should replace their furnaces every twenty to thirty years. But, unless you built your own, you probably moved into a home that already had a furnace. Thus, you’ll have to find its user manual or look up its serial number to determine its age. 

If you need a new heating system, consider the variety of options on the market. For instance, our team recommends that you consider the benefits of heat pumps. Nevertheless, you can determine if you need a new heating system by watching for certain furnace problems.

Warning Signs

Your furnace may exhibit some obvious symptoms of breakdown. For example, its motor could bang, squeal, or buzz loudly as it weakens and falls apart. Likewise, visible signs of corrosion (including broken or rusted parts) speak to a need for maintenance. 

A defective furnace may also affect the conditions in your home. Noticeable temperature changes between rooms suggest that it struggles to heat them evenly. Also, if you constantly adjust your thermostat’s level, your system may struggle to maintain a steady temperature. 

Finally, a furnace that needs constant repairs may be at the end of its usefulness. If that describes yours, you should determine its age and whether it’s worth repairing. And, though seemingly unrelated, a dramatic rise in your energy bills without a change in your heat’s settings can signal a loss of efficiency.

Fixes & Replacements

If you believe that your heating is defective, request an R.A. Dobson service call before ordering a new system. Replacing a part – such as an air filter or thermostat – may fix the problem(s). Likewise, check our winter furnace checklist to ensure that your system is running correctly.

Keep in mind that newer-model furnaces can save significant money. High-efficiency furnaces have AFUE ratings between 90% and 98.5% – quite an upgrade from the 56-70% of old systems. Although it may be expensive upfront, a high-efficiency system could recoup its cost over a few years. 

Given the investment a furnace requires, you should ask R.A. Dobson for an estimate before installation. Happily, we provide free estimates for such service, and we’re currently offering a coupon for furnace installation on our website. 

Reliable and Affordable Furnace Repair Services in Northern Virginia

Whether you’re unsure or certain that your furnace needs replacement, our team at R.A. Dobson can help. We can inspect your system and then fix or replace it for you. Northern Virginia communities trust our professional furnace repair and installation, plumbing work, HVAC maintenance, and other services. Call us today at (703) 481-3700 or fill out our online form for a free estimate.

Thermostat Installation Northern Virginia

3 Types of Thermostats to Consider for Your Home

While your HVAC system requires each part to create a comfortable and healthy indoor climate, its thermostat holds a particularly special place. It’s the point of contact where you directly interact with your HVAC, where you can control your home’s temperature and, depending on the system, its humidity. 

It’s important to have a functional thermostat, but the latest models go even further and include “smart” features as well. If you’re looking for the best in heating and cooling appliances, turn to R.A. Dobson. We provide premium thermostat installation services as well as affordable HVAC system repair and maintenance. Customers throughout Northern VA come to us for their heating and cooling needs. 

Here are three types of available thermostats and a few models we recommend: 

Non-Programmable Thermostats

Before we go into the feature-rich thermostat types, let’s talk about the simplest option: non-programmable thermostats. This type of thermostat simply turns on, turns off, and sets your HVAC system’s temperature. They’re also known as “manual thermostats,” since users adjust them manually rather than program or remotely adjust them (as with more advanced models). 

R.A. Dobson provides the highest quality thermostats from Carrier, a trusted brand in the heating and cooling industry. Their primary thermostat that we offer is the Carrier Comfort™ Non-Programmable Thermostat. It’s an easy-to-install, basic system with a digital screen and manual controls. 

Programmable Thermostats

One notch above non-programmable thermostats, programmable thermostats boast many of the same functions but include a few useful tweaks. They are called “programmable” because they can adjust themselves according to your pre-programmed settings. 

Certain models only allow you to program two different settings that the thermostat will switch between. This might include one temperature set for weekdays and another for weekends, or days and nights. Other, more advanced, programmable thermostats allow you to set a different temperature for each day of the week (and even for certain times of each day). 

The Carrier Performance™ Edge® provides enhanced functionality at an affordable price. All models manage temperature, humidity, ventilation, indoor air quality, and more. The Performance™ Edge® Relative Humidity Programmable Thermostat can also incorporate additional climate systems such as a heat pump or furnace. 

“Smart” Thermostats 

Finally, the most advanced thermostats available are those with “smart” technology functions, which provide the highest levels of control and accessibility. As with programmable types, smart thermostats can control temperature, airflow, humidity, and other elements of your HVAC system. Smart thermostats can also affect multiple rooms or living areas within your home or workplace differently. Thus, you can set different temperatures for each area from one system. 

As with a programmable thermostat, a smart thermostat can schedule temperatures to rise or lower throughout each day. Moreover, most models have Wi-Fi functionality and can connect to your smartphone or tablet. This gives you remote access to your HVAC system anywhere with an Internet connection.  

At R.A. Dobson, we provide one of the best smart thermostat systems available: the Carrier Infinity® Remote Access Touch Control Thermostat. Along with all the features of a programmable thermostat, the Infinity Thermostat can connect to any smart device. With it, not only will you get the latest in thermostat technology but also a high-quality product that will last for years to come. 

R.A. Dobson: Quality Thermostat Installations in Northern VA

Although these are just some of the thermostat types available, they provide an overview of what’s on the market now. At R.A. Dobson, we always ensure that our customers get the heating and cooling products that fulfill their needs and stay within their budget. We also provide customers with our technical expertise in HVAC services such as efficient thermostat installation, professional plumbing repairs, and more. With 45 years of experience, we have the knowledge and skill to ensure your home or business gets the quality of service you deserve. Contact us today at (703) 481-3700 or fill out our form and get a free estimate for one of our services.

faucet installation Loudoun County VA

Money-Saving Heating & Cooling Solutions for Your Home

A home’s heating, cooling, or plumbing system may need to be replaced or installed, especially if you want to save more by being energy-efficient and cost-effective. You want to remain certain that whatever keeps your home running is up-to-date and functioning as it should be. One of the best ways to keep your house running smoothly is to reconstruct the systems that are no longer effective and capable so that you can rest assured that your home is safe from unexpected damages. 

At R.A. Dobson, our team of certified professionals in HVAC services offers excellent faucet installation services at an affordable price. For over 40 years, we have been providing residents and businesses in Northern VA with unmatched HVAC and plumbing services, utilizing our years of knowledge and top-of-the-line equipment to ensure their plumbing systems are in the best condition possible. Below, we have a few suggestions on how you can increase energy efficiency in your plumbing as well as heating and cooling systems. 

Improve Your Plumbing’s Energy Efficiency

Making your home more energy efficient has not only become a big trend in the past years but for most, it has become a new way of life. There are lots of greener options to choose from that also help you save money in the long run: 

Choose Low-Flow 

Nowadays there are many low-flow toilets that come in a variety of styles and colors. Low-flow toilets are 20% more efficient than traditional toilets, which means that you will be saving money on your water bill each month. When you flush your toilet, it can range from 1.6 gallons to 8 gallons per flush whereas when you use a low-flow toilet each flush only uses 1.3 gallons of water. That is a lot of savings literally going down the toilet because as much as ⅓ of a household’s water usage comes from the toilet itself. Having a low-flow toilet also helps homeowners when they live in dryer places since you would need to be conscious about saving water anyway. 

Dual Flush Toilets

You have probably already seen these kinds of toilets where there are two buttons you can press: one for a low power flush that washes down liquids and then another button that’s for a full flush that rids the bowl of solids. About 3 ½ out of 5-6 daily flushes are just for liquid waste. When it comes to the number of times you flush the toilet, flushing it for only liquids can make a huge difference. 

When you think about the financial impact of toilets, the demand for eco-friendly plumbing and water conservation is a beneficial upgrade. It is a quick and easy way to update the plumbing system in your home and a dual flush conversion kits cost as little as $20! 

High efficiency/condensing boiler

A high-efficiency boiler achieves greater efficiency by consolidating water vapor. These condensing boilers save energy by being better at heating up water. Plus, there is a federal tax credit for their installation and there are also additional rebates from power companies in some states. 

Tankless Water Heater

Tankless water heaters are longer-lasting and smaller so when the time comes to finally pitch them, they fill up less of the landfills. This allows you some savings since you will not have to pay for a replacement. The other benefit that comes with having a tankless water heater is that it uses less natural gas. It also allows for more unlimited hot water, and its smaller size can take up less space. 

Solar Water Heater

These heaters use solar panels to provide energy to heat water in place of gas. They can be used in any climate and consumers can save more money by using them. 

Low Flow Shower Heads 

The greater the amount of water is pushed out from the pipe, then the more water pressure is being used. When you use a low flow shower head, you will use less water in the shower; therefore, you’ll save money in the long run. 

Faucet Installation 

Modern faucets have become more efficient. When thinking about plumbing, another green choice that you can make is choosing an energy-efficient faucet. Installing new faucets throughout your house can increase home value and help you lower the water usage. When you hire a company that helps you install your new faucet, they can also assess your plumbing diagnosis and inspection. 

R.A. Dobson: Quick & Easy Faucet Installation in Loudoun County, VA

Being energy efficient can help save you money. This is why you should hire a professional HVAC service to help perform a faucet installation service as soon as possible. At R.A. Dobson, our expert technicians will deliver and install your toilet or faucet quickly and easily. Contact us at 703-481-3700 for a free estimate today!