Air Conditioning

Size your A/C properly. For central air conditioning systems, make sure your system is sized properly for your home. Systems that are too big or too small waste electricity. If you have an older, less-efficient system, consider upgrading to one that uses less electricity.

Maintain your condenser. The condenser for your central air conditioning should be located outside but placing it in the shade will allow it to work more efficiently. Always consider locations on the north side of the home first. Shade is good, but that doesn’t mean you should block your condenser with shrubs, plants or bushes. Leaves and other organic debris can get into the condenser and clog drains, diminishing the condenser’s performance and causing leaks and other potential problems. Always keep your condenser clear of debris and check the housing, particularly after wild summer storms.

Use drapes, awnings, and shades in the summer. By blocking out the sun’s rays, you can keep your home much cooler in the summer. Canvas awnings have a long lifespan provided that you maintain them properly, and can cut the heat in your home by several degrees. You can get a similar effect by using drapes or shades, particularly on the south and west windows of your home. The cooler your home stays naturally, the less you’ll spend on electricity bills during the summer.

Heating

Have your heating/cooling plant inspected annually. If you have a gas furnace, have the heat exchanger checked annually by a professional. Cracks in the heat exchanger can allow deadly carbon monoxide into the home. High-efficiency gas furnaces only have a rated life of about 10 years so this type of inspection is especially important for gas heating plants. If you have a steam heat or hot-water heat system, have the system inspected by a plumber. Have all valves and radiators checked for proper operation and leaks. A leak in a pressurized steam heat system can be especially dangerous. Don’t try to fix this yourself. Boston Standard Plumbing offers complete steam heat maintenance and repair services.

Around The House

Use a programmable thermostat.Summer or winter, a programmable thermostat can help keep your home comfortable while you’re in and save energy while you’re away.

Fix plumbing leaks. A leaking toilet or faucet can cause your water bill to soar. Leaks in outdoor watering systems, outside faucets, and backyard pool systems can go unnoticed for weeks or months. If you suspect a water leak or broken drain, contact Boston Standard Plumbing for assistance. We can locate and repair leaks associated with all of your major water-consuming appliances, including refrigerators, dishwashers, garbage disposals, washing machines, humidifiers, water filters, sump pumps, hot water heaters, toilets and showers. We can also test the drains, natural gas and steam/hot water heat systems in your home for leaks and proper operation.

Perform regular maintenance. Never underestimate the importance of regular maintenance! All of the major systems in your home need some degree of regular maintenance. This may include common tasks like changing or cleaning filters, cleaning drains, clearing plumbing vents and testing the operation of valves. It can also include more complicated tasks like changing the sacrificial anode in your hot water heater.

Boston Standard Plumbing offers a variety of products and services designed to help you maintain the systems in your home. We carry Bio-Clean, a natural organic drain cleaner that is absolutely safe for use in all of your drains. Bio-Clean removes organic buildups that can impede water flow from your appliances and your main drain without the use of harsh chemicals that can damage your pipes. Bio-Clean also works in septic systems. Boston Standard Plumbing can also assist with more complicated maintenance and repair.

Insulate! When you think of insulation, you naturally think of the pink stuff that goes in your attic. Insulating your attic is one way to keep heat in your house and to retain cool air, but you can also insulate pipes to help keep the water inside flowing efficiently and at the proper temperature. Insulating hot water pipes can help you retain heat, reduce sweating, and make your hot water heater or boiler work more efficiently.

Avoid generating heat. In the summer, avoid generating heat in your home. This will prevent the inside temperature from rising and will help your air conditioning system work more efficiently. Cooking, a main source of heat in the home in the summer, can be done outside. Contact Boston Standard Plumbing to ask about installing a natural gas-fired grill outside your home. These grills use the natural gas service from the house and allow you to cook safely and cleanly without generating heat indoors.

Efficiency counts! If you haven’t already done so, switch to compact fluorescent bulbs where possible and look at the efficiency ratings of your appliances. Replacing an inefficient appliance with a highly efficient one can sometimes save enough money in utility bills to pay for the replacement! This is especially true of air conditioning and heating systems. Boston Standard Plumbing can help with a variety of installation and maintenance services for air conditioners, gas appliances and furnaces, as well as steam and hot-water heating systems.

Yes! You can adjust the heat output of a radiator by painting it. The type of paint you choose can either increase or decrease the heat output of the radiator by as much as 10%-20%. The paint will have no appreciable effect on the cost of operating the boiler but can make individual rooms more comfortable.

Radiators transfer heat to a room in two ways. First, radiators heat the air above the radiator. This heated air rises and moves into the rest of the room to warm it. This accounts for about 2/3 of the radiator’s heat output. Second, the surface of the radiator radiates heat. Painting the surface of the radiator either increases or decreases the radiator’s ability to radiate heat without changing the radiator’s ability to heat the air above it.

Metallic paints, those that have metal flakes in them, can give the radiator a fresh look of bronze or aluminum. You may be tempted to think that a metallic finish will increase the amount of heat transfer to the surrounding air, but you’d be wrong! Metallic paints reduce the radiator’s ability to radiate heat into the room. If a room in your home is too hot, a coating of metallic paint can help “adjust” the radiator by reducing it’s radiating capabilities.

Colored paints that have no metallic flakes in them have the opposite effect. They increase the radiator’s ability to transfer heat to the room. Painting a radiator with a colored paint will increase the radiator’s ability to radiate heat into the room. The efficiency of a radiator in a room that is chronically cold can be improved with a change of color.

You can also limit the “wasted” heat that is radiated toward a wall by painting the side of the radiator that faces it with a metallic paint, and painting the outward facing portions of the radiator with colored paint. This will increase the amount of heat that is radiated into the room, and decrease the heat that is “wasted” by heating up the wall behind the radiator.

It’s important to note that the last coat of paint on the radiator is the only one that has any effect on the radiator’s heat output. In other words, you can take a previously metallic-painted radiator, put a coat of colored paint on it and increase the radiator’s heating capacity. Likewise, you can decrease a radiator’s heating capacity by covering colored paint with metallic paint, so there’s no need to remove old paint on your radiator.

Finally, if you’re trying to improve the efficiency of your steam heat system, consider insulating the pipes that service each radiator. You may achieve some control by painting these pipes, but a build up of dust can easily undo even the most heroic effort!

Boston Standard Plumbing provides expert maintenance for steam heat systems. We can repair or replace radiators, service pipes, boilers, valves and other system components. Call us at 617-288-2911 for more information on your steam heat system.

1) Age:
If your water heater is past its warranty, it should be replaced immediately. If your water heater is a tank-type storage tank, it was designed to fail- usually a few days after the warranty in most cases. Water heaters, after manufacturing, are sent to testing facilities where they endure accelerated lifecycles. Engineers can mimic 10 years of regular use in under 1 month- so believe us- they know exactly how long they are supposed to last. Walk into your local home-store and look at the water heaters; they sell a 3 year, 6 year, 9 year & 12 year tank- each with an appropriately-sized “sacrificial anode rod” to resist corrosion and protect the tank.

2) Reduced Output & Discolored Water:
Are you getting less hot water from your tank than you did last week? Your tank will fail rapidly once it reaches the end. Many homeowners mistake this symptom as an indicator to raise the tank temperature. If you find that your water is discolored, smelly or full of sediment or debris, your tank’s inner steel liner is now exposed because the minerals have eaten away the ceramic/glass lining, and tank failure is just around the corner.

3) Visual Inspection:
Take a look at your water heater from time to time, and you may begin to notice unusual conditions. When the base of your tank begins to show “scorching” or soot, your burner is starting to fail. If the “tappings” at the top of your tank, or anywhere along the tank’s jacket show corrosion, your tank is probably close to leaking.

1. Don’t Panic. Few, if any, emergency situations are improved by panicking. If you can’t think clearly, your chances of making a bad or slow decision increase. It’s also more likely that the damage will be more severe. You’ll need to act decisively and carefully and you can’t do that if you’re panicked.
2. Stop the water. Stop any flowing water as soon as humanly possible. When you’re dealing with a clogged drain, a broken valve, a broken pipe, a split hose, a blocked toilet or something similar, you’ll need to get the water to stop moving first. That may mean plunging a toilet or sink, shutting off a faucet, stopping an appliance, closing the main water shutoff or a secondary valve. Do what it takes to stop the water. If you skipped Step #1 and are panicking, you can always call the Fire Department to assist in a water shutdown.
A note: water and electricity never mix. If you have a standing water problem, or water that is dripping on or near an outlet, electrical appliance, your breaker box or fuse box, cut the electricity to the affected circuits, or pull the main breaker- but only if you know it is safe to do so.
3. Examine the problem area carefully. Take a good look at what’s happened and try to figure out what’s causing the emergency. Sometimes, the problem will be obvious. Clogged drains and broken pipes aren’t hard to spot. In other cases, the problem may be evident, but you may not have the tools you need to clear the problem. You may have no idea what’s gone wrong or even where the problem is. If you cannot find the problem, or you know what the problem is but lack the tools or expertise to repair it, contact us at Boston Standard Plumbing. We can respond to emergencies quickly, diagnose your problem and get your plumbing back in working order.
4. Identify and correct the problem. Identify the problem and fix it permanently. Don’t settle for a “temporary” repair without having a plan in place for a permanent fix.
5. Remediate the damage. Plumbing emergencies almost always do damage to your home. The damage could be environmental, cosmetic or structural. Environmental damage is easiest to clean up if you act quickly and may involve nothing more than drying or cleaning the wet area. Wastewater spills deserve special treatment with disinfectants because wastewater is a health hazard.
Dry up any standing water. Dry out carpets, walls, and wood that may have gotten wet. Use fans to circulate the air. Space heaters, used according to manufacturer’s instructions, can also help evaporate moisture. Replace drywall, carpeting, tile, flooring, and insulation that have gotten soaked.

What could be responsible for the standing water? Several causes come to mind immediately. First, check the dishwasher for a kink or crimp in the drain hose. Over time, these hoses, which are usually made of flexible rubber, can kink or pinch, making it very difficult for the water pump to empty the dishwasher completely. Residual wash water will accumulate in the bottom of the dishwasher. In this case, you may or may not notice a smell along with the water, unless the water stands for several days without draining.

Second, food left on the dishes can cause a clog in the drain hose. Most dishwashers have a very limited ability to handle food scraps. Over time, these food scraps, combined with grease and accumulated soap can partially or totally occlude the drain hose. This situation may produce a dishwasher that isn’t draining completely and foul odors inside the dishwasher or in the sink, even immediately after the dishwasher has finished its cycle.

Third, if the clog is not in the dishwasher’s drain hose, it could be located where the dishwasher hose joins your sink plumbing, or in the sink itself. If you have a garbage disposal, small bits of food waste might be clogging the dishwasher drain, or may have drifted into the dishwasher’s drain hose from the disposal.

For clearing clogged drains, Boston Standard Plumbing uses and recommends Bio-Clean. Bio-Clean is an enzymatic drain cleaner that tackles the source of the clog without using dangerous chemical mixtures that can damage pipes, hoses and connectors in your plumbing system. Bio-Clean is non-poisonous, and begins to work within an hour. It completely destroys the clog at the source and leaves your hoses, connectors and drains exceptionally clean. Bio-Clean works on all drains, not just those in your food preparation areas. If you would like assistance with a clogged drain, our drain cleaning service and Bio-Clean treatment can have your drains flowing freely again in no time!

If your hoses and drains are clear, another source of trouble could be the dishwasher itself. The water pump on your dishwasher may be leaking – a condition you might not notice with the dishwasher in place. Signs of a leaking pump include water on the floor around your dishwasher after it runs; the dishwasher may also make an exceptional amount of noise when draining. In this case, you may want to consult an appliance repair specialist for advice.

A: A washing machine usually offers years of trouble-free service. Now and then, however problems can arise. In most cases, the trouble with a washing machine is mechanical and isn’t related to the plumbing at all. However, the washing machine does tie into your home’s plumbing, and a few plumbing problems can occur.

You may notice that your washing machine rattles your plumbing, especially when it closes its valves. This noise can be loud, and is often referred to as “water hammer.” You can experience water hammer when you close a regular tap, but most often, you’ll hear water hammer from a washing machine or dishwasher.

A device called a solenoid controls washing machine valves. The solenoid acts like a mechanical “finger” and its job is to push a button or mechanically activate a device. In the case of your washing machine, the solenoid’s job is to shut the washing machine’s valves down as fast as possible, once the correct water level has been reached.

The valve has to move in opposition to the water pressure in your pipes. The pipe that feeds your washer may have over 80 pounds of water flowing in it, and the solenoid needs to stop that water in a hurry! Getting a good, clean shutoff takes some effort to overcome the fast-flowing water. The solenoid, which is an electromechanical device, slams the valve shut to prevent overflow. The sheer weight of the water in the pipe coming to an abrupt halt shakes your pipes; the momentum of the water has to be absorbed somewhere, and your pipes take the hit, sometimes making a great deal of noise in the process.

As you can imagine, over time the stress of water hammer can cause damage to your pipes. The solution is to put a relief somewhere in your pipes, close to the washing machine valve. This relief, called a permanent air chamber (or a water hammer arrestor), can be added to your pipes in the form of a sealed vertical copper tube filled with air. When the washing machine valve slams shut, the flowing water doesn’t have to slam against the closed valve; it now has another place to go.

The water fills the vertical pipe, and compresses the air in the otherwise empty tube. The air in the tube resists the flow of water and slows the water to a gentler stop, eliminating water hammer in the process. When the valve opens again, the water in the relief tube drains back into the supply pipe for your washer, and the tube is once again ready for the next sudden stop.

Over time, air in the permanent air chamber may be absorbed and the device will lose its effectiveness as a water hammer relief. Completely draining all of the pipes in your home by shutting off your main valve and opening all of your taps may allow the permanent air chamber to drain completely. Once the chamber is empty, the permanent air chamber will begin to relieve water hammer again.

As an alternative, a water hammer arrestor performs the same function but includes a rubber bladder that prevents air in the chamber from being absorbed into the water.

You may need help installing a relief in your plumbing to prevent water hammer. Boston Standard Plumbing can help you install a permanent air chamber or water hammer arrestor for your washing machine or dishwasher. Please call us at (617) 288-2911 to arrange a consultation.

Conventional wisdom says that when the hot water tank starts making noises, it’s time to replace the tank. This advice has probably sold a lot of hot water heaters, but it’s not necessarily true. Your hot water tank may become noisy over time because sediment builds up in the tank. The sediment may be the result of minerals that occur naturally in the water, deterioration of the sacrificial anode, or deterioration of the tank itself.

In a hot water heater, a “sacrificial anode” is an exposed metal rod that is designed to corrode slowly over time. The sacrificial anode is made from magnesium, aluminum or a combination of zinc and aluminum. Water in the tank sets off an electrolytic reaction that would cause the exposed steel in the tank to fail quickly. To protect the steel, a more reactive aluminum or magnesium rod corrodes in its place. Once the sacrificial anode is corroded, the steel in the tank will begin to corrode, and the tank will fail.

To prevent the steel in the tank from failing, you should replace your sacrificial anode about once every three to five years, depending upon your hot water tank. Some tanks have longer warranty periods. Use the life of the warranty as a replacement guide for the anode. If you choose not to replace the sacrificial anode, the tank will keep working, but the steel will corrode and deteriorate. Tank replacement (and a big mess) is inevitable.

Sacrificial anodes typically screw into the tank, (often at the top) which makes them easier to replace. Note that sacrificial anode rods are long. You’ll need adequate clearance to remove them from the tank. If you don’t have 3.5-4 feet of clearance above your water heater, you may need to disconnect the tank to replace the anode(s).

Replace the sacrificial anode with one recommended by the tank’s maker. Aluminum anodes may be less expensive, but tend to corrode much more readily. This means you’ll replace the anode more often because more sediment will accumulate in the bottom of the tank. Aluminum anodes may also increase in diameter or break apart in chunks after they’ve been installed, so getting an aluminum anode out intact can be somewhat of a challenge! Cast-off aluminum can also be a source of noise in the tank. Finally, aluminum may contaminate the water. Hot water from the tap should not be used for drinking or cooking, and children should be cautioned not to put hot water from the tap into their mouths.

Some tanks employ two sacrificial anodes: a conventional rod (or two) at the top of the tank and an outlet anode at the top or bottom of the tank. All of the tank’s sacrificial anodes should be replaced at the same time and with the same metals. Don’t mix and match anodes! The cost of a replacement anode depends upon your hot water heater. Consult with us regarding replacement anodes. If you decide that the job is too big for you, we’re happy to inspect and replace your anode(s) for you.