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Three Plumbing Issues That Can Put a Damper on Summer Fun

Plumbing Issues Can Hamper Summer Fun

Outdoor barbeques, backyard volleyball, and a whole lot of get-togethers are just some of the many fun activities that homeowners and their families are gearing up for this summer. With lasting warm weather on the horizon and the sun soon shining bright, there is every reason to smile. But not if homeowners have to deal with the headaches of home plumbing issues!

Several different plumbing issues can wreak havoc for homeowners, and these can hamper the summer fun. Homeowners must understand the common issues to look out for to identify any problems early on, seek professional help to address the issues immediately, and keep the party going!

Broken Sprinklers

Broken sprinkler systems are the first major issue to watch out for. Often, debris can get stuck in the sprinkler valves that sit above-ground. Typically, when sprinkler systems turn on, these valves spray water that has traveled underground. But if debris is stuck, then these valves cannot properly move up and down, which throws off the whole system.

As for other sprinkler issues, so many other problems have to do with damage to this underground structure. First, the sprinkler lines can break due to pressure from the surrounding soil or other causes like tree roots. In severe cases, there may also be burst pipes that result from colder weather conditions.

hose

Faulty Hose Bibs

In addition to the sprinkler system, homeowners need to watch out for their hose bibs. These hose bibs connect a hose to a water source – they are essentially “outdoor faucets.” Often, hose bibs connect directly to the side of the house.

Many different issues can result from the hose bibs, such as structural damage to the bib itself, water leaks or puddling in or around the hose bib area, debris buildups, or rusting strange sounds during use. All of these may be signs that there is a faulty hose bib.

So why exactly do these issues matter? Well, if not addressed early enough, homeowners may end up having a bigger problem on their hands. Since the hose bibs often connect to the side of the home, continued leaking can potentially lead to cracks or other sorts of damage to the home foundation. This is definitely a no-no that homeowners will want to avoid at all costs!

Worst of All: Sewer Line Issues

Homeowners must beware of sewer line issues, as these can be extremely unpleasant and hugely problematic. Sewer line issues can occur for all different reasons, including corrosion or backups in the pipes, tree root issues, or drastic fluctuations in temperatures.

There can be other downstream issues like draining problems, water flow issues in plumbing fixtures, highly foul odors, and more when there is damage to the sewer lines. Homeowners must watch out for these signs and call for immediate help should they suspect issues with their sewer lines. Failure to do so will most certainly hamper the summer fun!

About G. F. Bowman, Inc.

G.F. Bowman, Inc. of Cleona, PA is a family-owned and operated business providing trusted plumbing solutions for over 50 years. Their team of experts offers high-quality workmanship, permanent solutions, and top-notch customer service for each of their clients. Call them for plumbing help today!

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Choose the Right Dehumidifier for the Rainy Season

Keeping the Home Dry With a Dehumidifier

Spring is a wonderful time of year. As the weather changes from cold and dreary to pleasant, it means that summer is around the corner. But spring also brings rain, which brings moisture. And too much moisture in the home can be a terrible thing. Not only can too much humidity make it downright uncomfortable in a home or building, but it can also worsen allergies, cause mold growth, and damage parts of the home.

Luckily, the right dehumidifier can make quick work of this, allowing homeowners to stay comfortable and avoid some nasty humidity-related issues. Read on to find out how to pick the right dehumidifier.

What Does a Dehumidifier Do To Prevent Mold?

Moisture is more common in some months, and some areas, than others. During the rainy springtime season, humidity tends to be pretty high in Pennsylvania. And while an air conditioner can remove some humidity from the home, sometimes it requires a dehumidifier to help it along. A dehumidifier works by pulling warm, humid air in with a fan. That air passes over cooling coils, which can trap the moisture to those coils. That moisture then condenses and drains down into a receptacle. The dehumidified air is then sent back into the home.

Having a dehumidifier is the best way to ensure that mold doesn’t grow in the house. Mold needs moisture to grow, so when a dehumidifier is allowed to work, it removes that necessary factor of mold growth. This helps protect those in the home with allergies while keeping the interior comfortable even when it’s raining cats and dogs outside.

dehumidifiers

Kinds of Dehumidifiers

The two main kinds of dehumidifiers are portable and whole-home. Portable dehumidifiers are ideal for removing moisture from just one room at a time. They’re great for those rooms where the home’s AC just doesn’t seem to cut it and needs a little help. Or for those who only have cause for using one on occasion.

Whole-home dehumidifiers are another story altogether. They require professional installation and effectively remove moisture from the entire house, provided it’s the right size. Whole-home dehumidifiers are generally more energy-efficient than portable models. They’re also quieter and are generally installed out of sight in the basement or attic, so it doesn’t take up space in the home.

Which Is the Best Choice?

Deciding which kind of dehumidifier to use can be fairly easy. The big question is how much space needs the humidity removed and how often. A smaller space, like an apartment, can get by with a portable model. This is also ideal because those renting an apartment don’t want to invest money to install a whole-home system.

However, those in small, medium, or large family homes who want to protect their walls and their household members should consider a whole-home dehumidifier. They have a higher up-front cost, but they tend to pay for themselves pretty quickly by preventing mold and keeping the walls from developing moisture damage. Those still unsure about which dehumidifier is best should talk to their local HVAC experts for more information.

About G.F. Bowman, Inc.

G.F. Bowman, Inc. has been serving Cleona and Lebanon, PA, since 1967. Their trusted staff members are all about delivering honest, quality service and long-term solutions. Their focus is always on customer satisfaction and excellent workmanship. Contact them to learn more about whole-house dehumidifier installation today!

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Use St. Patrick's Day To Make the Entire Home Green-er With a New Thermostat

A New Thermostat Will Save the Planet and the Wallet

There are small ways humans can work to help save the planet each day. Some recycle their grocery sacks. Some buy reusable straws and Ziploc bags. There are countless eco-friendly options on the market today, no matter what industry homeowners look at. When it comes to the home, almost every appliance in the home can now be eco-friendly if the homeowner chooses.

The HVAC system is no exception. When homeowners upgrade their thermostat, they save themselves money and energy each month, helping their wallet and the planet. Getting a new thermostat is one small change that can have endless benefits for homeowners and the planet! Continue reading to learn more!

Thermostats: Digital vs. Smart

The digital thermostat made its debut in 1980. At this time, it was the greatest advancement in HVAC technology and promised homeowners a number of benefits, including:

More convenience
Ease-of-use
Less energy usage
And more!

Now that 2021 is finally here, it is about time the world saw a new thermostat advancement: one that is not only more energy-efficient, but longer-lasting. The smart thermostat is that upgrade. It provides all the same smart thermostat features but enhances them and brings them to the present day.

They are the next step in HVAC maintenance when the homeowner wants more customization and freedom with their home’s thermostat.

More About Smart Thermostats

The smart thermostat has several features that aren’t present in digital thermostats. Not only that, but smart thermostats tend to take the features that are present in digital thermostats and upgrade them.

thermostat

A few upgrades that the smart thermostat offers are:

Wifi capability
Provides automatic energy reports
Air quality control
Smartphone (and other devices) accessible
Multiple programmable settings
If the homeowner is away from home and decides to change the temperature, they can easily do so on their app.

It’s easy to see that smart thermostats are the clear choice for the future of HVAC systems. They provide an added convenience and efficiency that isn’t offered in any other thermostat.

Here Are Their Eco-Friendly Features

Perhaps the most eco-friendly feature of smart thermostats is that the homeowner can access them via any wifi-capable device. Homeowners can’t experience this type of convenience and freedom with any other thermostat on the market right now. Upgrading to a smart thermostat for St. Patrick’s Day is a quick and relatively cheap way to create a greener home in no time.

G.F. Bowman, Inc. Knows HVAC

There is no better company to call than G.F. Bowman, Inc. when Harrisburg, PA homeowners have HVAC issues. These professionals have years of experience in the industry and always work to ensure their customers are safe, satisfied, and their homes are efficient. If homeowners want more information on thermostat upgrades, they should give G.F. Bowman, Inc. a call today for thermostat services!

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Tips To Keep Toilets in Top Shape

Tools in a Plumbers Toolbox

Finding the right contractors to help them when problems inevitably occur can be an intimidating task for homeowners. All too often, homeowners share horror stories about contractors that have overcharged customers or abandoned jobs altogether. One tool that homeowners have to find reputable contractors is knowledge. Knowing what they do and how they do it can prevent homeowners from being baffled by unscrupulous contractors. This quick article contains tips and information shared by local Harrisburg plumbers to help educate homeowners about their home’s toilets and how professional plumbers will work on them.

Tools To Unclog Toilets

To become a plumber, a candidate must complete years of training and take tests to obtain their license. With all their training, good plumbers can figure out problems quickly. But it’s not only their knowledge that allows them to work quickly. They have access to a special set of tools to fix even the worst plumbing problems.

tools

The first tool is one that homeowners can try as well. It’s a trusty plunger. Every home should have access to a plunger, and homeowners should know how to operate it. Homeowners need simply form a seal between the plunger and the opening at the bottom of the toilet. They should then push down slowly to burp out the air from the plunger and alternate plunging quick and short strokes with long and forceful strokes. This can remove most common blockages.

The second most common tool to unclog a toilet is a snake. Snakes come in a variety of sizes. Snaking a toilet should only be done by people who know what they are doing. A snake is designed to be fed into a toilet and rotated to grab clogs in pipes. Unfortunately, some snakes can cause damage or be dangerous to operate by individuals who have never done it before.

Common Toilet Repairs

A clog is probably the scariest repair that a toilet will need because it means a nasty mess is sitting in the basin until the clog is removed. But a clog is not the only common toilet repair that a plumber can help with.

Some other problems that plumbers can solve are:

Toilets continually running
Weak flushes
Incomplete flushes
No flushes
Foul odors
Wobbly toilets

Replacing a Toilet

toilet

Toilets are designed to last for a very long time. The moving parts in the tank can be replaced multiple times over the toilet’s life to keep it operating correctly. But, there comes a time when homeowners will decide to replace a toilet.

Some examples of why someone might choose to replace their toilet are:

Updating: Eventually, toilets will begin to look outdated. At this time, homeowners may choose to replace it during a renovation.
Constant Clogs: When toilets begin to chronically clog it can be a sign that it needs to be replaced. This might result from a bad design or a problem that has occurred due to overuse.
Cracked Bowls: It’s not uncommon for the porcelain in the bowls or tank to crack. Small cracks may not leak immediately, but the homeowner should consider replacement soon.

About G.F. Bowman, Inc.

G.F. Bowman, Inc. started in the owner’s garage in 1967. Since then, they have grown to serve the area with the close personal attention that has made them so successful. They commit to their customers that they will arrive on time and give the best prices with their flat-rate pricing scheme. Contact them to schedule toilet repair in Harrisburg, PA today!

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New Year, Time for New Ducts

Install New Ductwork or Replace Your Air Ducts To Start the Year Right

Homeowners don't often think about their ducts. They may think about them when they're in the attic trying to step over the ductwork without falling through the ceiling. Otherwise, it's an "out of sight, out of mind" kind of thing. Unfortunately, this often means that homeowners are throwing away money or living with less-than-clean air. Luckily, homeowners can look for some telltale signs when deciding if they should replace the air ducts in their home.

Limited Airflow

Ducts have one main job: to transfer warm or cold air throughout the house to control the temperature. This is no problem for new ducts. But once ducts are over a decade old, they can start to get a little long in the tooth. Things are more likely to start happening, like poor airflow. This is generally due to a collapsed or split duct.

It's easy to tell when airflow is limited because certain parts of the house will be at a different temperature than the rest of the house. In the winter, the section with limited airflow will be cold. In the summer, it will be warm. Not only does this make things uncomfortable for the people who live there, but it also causes the heater or AC to work overtime to get that area to the right temperature. This can cause an HVAC system to start having issues that could otherwise be avoided.

Odors, Mold, and Other Pollutants

When ducts start failing or are too old, they can harm the home's air quality. Since ductwork hangs out in the attic, the basement, or walls, it can gather dust and mold and transfer it throughout the house. This is especially true if there is a gap in the ductwork somewhere. The air flows through, picking up small airborne pollutants that can either gum up the filter or make it into the house and into the unsuspecting lungs.

This is bothersome for healthy people, but it can pose serious health risks for the elderly or the very young. Not to mention that a blocked up filter can cause the HVAC system to work hard to push air through. This is why new ducts mean cleaner air.

Home Expansions

When working on a home expansion, it's important to install new ductwork correctly. Unfortunately, this isn't just about connected old ducts to the new ones for the expansion. It's about determining if the current HVAC system will have the capacity and power to push air into the home's new portion.

This is why many homeowners prefer to bring in professionals to install all new ductwork when adding an extension to the house. HVAC techs can ensure that the ducts are installed in the right place and that the system can handle the new workload.

About G.F. Bowman, Inc.

The friendly folks at G.F. Bowman, Inc. have been serving Harrisburg, PA, since 1967. They provide up-front pricing and quality service with a smile. Their techs are trained on the latest technology and always show up on time and ready to work. Call now for expert HVAC services!