Design Comfort Blog

Plumbing Problems: When It’s Time to Call a Professional

December 10th, 2016

There are few plumbing problems that the average homeowner can resolve on their own—a small clog, a loose connection, maybe. Some plumbing problems simply require the touch of a professionally trained plumber, such as the members of our staff. Trying to resolve a plumbing issue on your own can actually end up causing more harm than good to your plumbing system. Keep reading for some scenarios that definitely call for professional help.

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Is Your Furnace Ready to Be Replaced?

December 5th, 2016

Chances are that with the cooler temperatures we’ve experienced recently, you’ve turned your heater on already this season. If so, then hopefully you haven’t noticed any detrimental problems with it. How do you know when something is wrong with your furnace, anyway?

Are there clear signs that a furnace needs extensive repairs, or is in need of replacement? While some furnace problems might be hard for the average homeowner such as yourself to prevent or detect, there are certainly some telltale signs that your furnace is ready to be upgraded.

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Should a Tankless Water Heater be Your Next Home Appliance Installation?

November 28th, 2016

Is your home’s water heater in need of replacement? If it’s broken down recently or if you are tired of paying for increasingly frequent water heater repairs, then this may very well be the case. Whatever your reasons are for scheduling the replacement of your water heater, remember that there are far more options today than there were 10-20 years ago.

There’s nobody saying that you have to stick with the same type of water heater that you’ve always had. For example, you may do well to consider the installation of a tankless water heater—which offers many benefits.

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Start Saving Money with a High Efficiency Furnace

November 21st, 2016

The furnaces on the market today are all much more energy efficient than those on the market even just a decade ago. But that doesn’t mean that all of the current models are created the same. There’s still a pretty big difference between furnaces when it comes to efficiency as well as price. Therefore, you really need to know what you’re looking for if you want to get the best deal out there.

One of the most important factors you’ll want to keep in mind when selecting a new furnace is its efficiency. All furnace systems come with an AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) rating, which reflects just exactly how energy efficient they are.

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Electric or Gas: Choosing the Furnace That Is Right for You

November 14th, 2016

Natural gas-powered furnaces are among the most popular types of heaters in modern homes. In fact, many heating companies recommend them due to their low costs of operation and the effectiveness of their heating. However, an electric furnace is not a bad choice either. It has its own set of benefits that may fill your needs as a homeowner. Sometimes, and electric furnace may even be a better choice for you, such as in the scenarios we’ve listed below.

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Should it Smell When I Start up My Heater?

November 7th, 2016

We’re at that time of year that while it’s not necessarily time to run our heaters all day, every day, our nighttime temperatures are certainly cooling off to the point that you’re likely going to start your heater up soon if you haven’t already.

If you have turned it on to test it out or take the chill out of the nighttime air, did you notice anything strange? Did you detect an odd odor coming from your furnace? If so, there are a number of reasons this might have occurred. Answering the question of whether or not it should smell when you start it up depends on a few different factors.

Dust Buildup

The most common, and the least concerning, explanation for a smelly furnace upon startup is that you have a buildup of dust on your electric heating coils or on the burners in your furnace. Over the course of the summer season, there’s plenty of time for dust and dirt to accumulate on these components, as your furnace is not in use. The smell is usually caused by this dust burning off and should dissipate after a couple hours of use.

When the Problem is More Serious

If the smell seems to resemble melting plastic, then you may have a more serious problem on your hands. This could very likely be the sign of an electrical issue that is causing the wiring within your system to get too hot. If this is the case, the integrity and condition of your furnace is at risk, and it’s a fire hazard. Be sure you have this addressed right away.

Foreign Object in Your Heater

One last possibility is that a child’s or pet’s toy made its way into your ducts. If something like this makes its way through the vent grills, then you might be able to pull it out on your own. However, if no object is immediately visible, then it’s time to call a professional to complete an extraction without risking damage to your system.

To schedule Cottonwood Heights, UT heating repair and to learn why our customers say
“I love my Design Comfort,” just reach out to us today!

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Your Plumbing’s Worst Enemy: Store-Bought Drain Cleaner

October 31st, 2016

What is your first instinct when your sink or bathtub has a clog? Perhaps it is to grab a plunger. If that doesn’t work though, you’re likely to try store-bought chemical drain cleaner. After all, it’s a quick and inexpensive way to remove a clog, right? While we agree that these cleaners work quickly and inexpensively, we do not recommend using them.

The reason for this is because the chemical makeup of these cleaners has an adverse effect on plumbing systems—which defeats the purpose! Keep reading to learn more about why we do not encourage the use of these cleaners, and why “quick and inexpensive” is not always the better choice.

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Time For You to Get a New Boiler?

October 24th, 2016

When living in Utah, there’s a very good chance that you, like many other homeowners throughout the country, rely on a boiler to keep you warm during the winter. If this is the case, then you have a heating system that can do its job very efficiently, and will last a long time to boot as long as you schedule preventive maintenance on a regular basis.

However, there will eventually come a time that your boiler will need replacement. No heating system lasts forever, after all. But how do you know when that time has come? Keep reading to learn about some of the signs that it’s time for you to get a new boiler.

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One Leading Method to Improve Your Indoor Air Quality

October 17th, 2016

No matter what time of year it is, it’s only natural that you want to be as comfortable as possible inside your own home. When you think of home comfort, you most likely think about the temperature of your indoor air. And this is key to your comfort, however not the only factor you should consider.

In order to maintain a truly comfortable environment within your home, you’ll want to think also about how well it is ventilated, and how you can achieve ventilation without wasting energy. Your solution lies in an energy recovery ventilator, or an ERV.

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Three Reasons You Can’t Live Without This Water Treatment Product

October 10th, 2016

There are a number of water treatment products and services on the market today to improve the quality of your drinking and bathing water. Although hard water isn’t one of the unhealthy water quality issues, it’s certainly inconvenient and can cause a number of problems with your plumbing system, among other home components.

Hard water is water that has a higher-than-normal mineral content, consisting of calcium and magnesium that your body can absorb safely. However, hard water causes considerable issues with your quality of life. Its impact may be subtle, but that doesn’t mean it’s not damaging to your household. The solution lies with a water softener system—a water treatment product you can’t live without, but why?

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