ACI Northwest Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Cheney’

With a Generator You Won’t Need Luck To Keep the Lights On

Friday, March 12th, 2021

When a big storm rolls through town and knocks out your power, how ready will you be? Maybe you have a portable generator that you can dig out and get running to keep the lights in your home on … mostly. Even with one of these systems though, it can be hard to keep your home running. You don’t have to rely on luck to keep your lights on though. There is a more reliable option you can turn to: a whole-house generator.

If you haven’t considered a whole-house generator for your home’s electricity needs, now might be the perfect time to give this option some attention.

Tags: Cheney, generator repair, Generator Service, Whole House Generator
Posted in Generators | Comments Off on With a Generator You Won’t Need Luck To Keep the Lights On

5 Sounds You Shouldn’t Heat From Your Heater

Monday, March 1st, 2021

You have some great sweaters and some pretty cool socks that keep your toes warm. But the truth is that you are using more of these items to keep you warm when you are in the house. While there is nothing wrong with layering up to reduce demand on the heater, there is a bigger problem on your hands if this clothing is the only thing keeping you warm. This means you need a heating repair in Cheney, WA.

You can come to our team for the repair services you need. All you need to do is reach out for professional help if you notice warning signs like the sounds we’ve listed below.

Tags: Cheney, Heating Repair
Posted in Heating | Comments Off on 5 Sounds You Shouldn’t Heat From Your Heater

Know Your Electrical Outlets

Monday, October 14th, 2019

As the seasons change and the weather cools, we all start plugging things in. During fall and winter, we actually plug in a lot of things. From hair dryers to electric blankets to additional lights to moving Halloween decorations, your plugs are probably seeing a lot of use.

But have you ever considered what all that use could do if your house hasn’t been correctly outfitted with the recommended outlets? At the least, improperly installed or incorrectly placed outlets can cause an electrical short. At the worst, they could put you or your loved one at risk of a serious electrical shock, or they could cause a major fire.

Using the correct outlets can greatly reduce these risks, which is why were want to make sure you understand what outlets you should use, why you should use them, and where.

Read on to learn more.

Tags: Cheney, Electrical Outlet Safety, GFCI Outlets
Posted in Electrical | Comments Off on Know Your Electrical Outlets

Consider an Electrical Panel Upgrade

Monday, July 23rd, 2018

The circuit breaker panel of your home, known as the electrical panel, is probably not something you give a whole lot of thought to (even though you may walk past it a couple times a day). However, this component is the central hub of your electrical system, and plays a huge role in keeping that electrical system safe and fending off electrical repair in Cheney, WA .

The electrical panel is where incoming electricity gets routed to the different circuits that control the outlets, and subsequently the electrical appliances and equipment in your home, and switches. The breakers are designed to shut off circuits if and when there is a voltage overload. If this is occurring all the time, then it’s a pretty clear sign your electrical panel can’t take the demand being placed on it any longer.

Tags: Cheney, Electrical Repair, Signs of Electrical Panel Trouble
Posted in Electrical | Comments Off on Consider an Electrical Panel Upgrade

Heating Question: Can My Generator Power My Heating System in an Outage?

Monday, October 1st, 2012

Back-up generators come in many types and sizes. There are many that are perfectly capable of powering a heating system during a power outage, but you’ll need to know how much energy your heating system needs, as well as how much energy you’ll be using for other appliances like your refrigerator, television, lights and microwave.

Calculating Your Wattage Use

You’ll have to check your heating system and other appliances to find out exactly how much energy they each use. But just to get a general idea of what this total will be like, we can use some common numbers from current energy star models. On average, a furnace fan takes 400-600 watts to keep running, a refrigerator uses about 200 watts and a microwave consumes about 1,200 watts when in operation.

These numbers don’t tell the whole story, though, because they don’t take into account the fact that most of these appliances take much more energy to start than they do to keep running. For instance, that same furnace fan requires about 1,600 watts to start and the refrigerator likely needs another 1,600. Of course, you don’t need to turn all of these appliances on at once, so if you’re careful and creative with when and in what order you use them, you can get by with much less available wattage.

Generator Types

Both portable and stationary generators are available in a wide variety of sizes, although stationary systems are generally much more powerful than their portable counterparts. If you plan on powering your home for a long period of time or you have a lot of powerful appliances you want to keep on, a stationary generator may be necessary.

For more information about installing a generator in your home, give ACI Northwest a call!

Tags: Cheney, Electrical, Heating, Rathdrum, Spokane, Spokane Valley, Whole House Generator
Posted in Electrical | Comments Off on Heating Question: Can My Generator Power My Heating System in an Outage?

What You Need to Know About Water Heater Leaks

Thursday, March 22nd, 2012

In Cheney a leak in your water heater can be a big or small problem depending on where the leak is, how severe it is and whether it requires repair or replacement. Here are some things you should know about tank water heater leaks that will help you determine who to call and how to act.

Where Is the Leak?

Step one is to determine where the water is coming from. Look for leaks around the fittings and valves attached to the device. If one of them is loose or if you see water dripping from a connection, it can probably be fixed relatively easily. However, if the leak is coming from the body of the water heater, you may have a ruptured tank which is a sure sign of a bad water heater that needs to be replaced.

Draining Your Tank

Once you identify the leak, turn off the water supply to the tank and prepare to drain it the rest of the way. You should also disconnect the power from the device. If the water heater is gas, I recommend you call a professional who is certified to work on gas appliances. For electric water heaters, you may still want a professional, but the next step here is to simply turn off the breaker to stop electricity from flowing to the device.

Drain the tank next, using the bucket to capture the water as it is released. If you have a floor drain and can angle the tank over the drain, go ahead and do that now. Once the tank is empty, it is time to tighten your fittings.

Fixing the Problem

Assuming this is a fittings or valve problem, loosen any fittings that appeared to have leaked, repair the plumbing thread and retape the pipes, finally tightening the fittings back into place. The pressure valve may need to be replaced as well – do this now if it is necessary.

Before reapplying the electricity to the water heater, reattach the water supply and turn it on to check for leaks. If it holds water, you are lucky and your water heater’s tank isn’t leaking. Reattach everything and turn it back on.

If you notice the leak continues, you should call ACI Northwest, as it is likely the glass inside your tank has cracked or is leaking. Most of the time, this cannot be repaired and means you need a new water heater installed.

Tags: Cheney, Laclede, Priest River
Posted in Services | Comments Off on What You Need to Know About Water Heater Leaks

Tankless Water Heater Tip: How to Get the Right Size

Monday, January 9th, 2012

Tankless water heaters are gaining popularity among Cheney homeowners because of their on demand hot water supply and space-saving design. Although they are more expensive than traditional tank water heaters, on demand water heaters are more efficient, reliable, and easier to install and maintain. Before choosing to install a tankless water heater, however, you will have to decide which size will meet your hot water needs.

Rather than storing hot water in a tank, the tankless models heat the water with individual units located near the application where hot water is needed, such as a shower or washing machine. For larger homes, some of these smaller units cannot heat enough water for several applications running at the same time. You can also install a single tankless water heater for the entire house, or separate ones for appliances that use more hot water.

Finding the proper size and type will depend on the flow rate—measured by a GPM (gallons per minute) number—that each fixture needs. Every application has a standard flow rate that must be added up in order to calculate the hot water demands for your entire home. For instance, if someone is using a sink with a 1.5 GPM at the same time another person is running a shower with a 2.0 GPM, the flow rate for the tankless unit would need to be at least 3.5 gallons per minute. You will have to add up the flow rate for all the applications in the house to get the minimum GPM figure for your tankless water heater.

In addition to flow rates, tankless hot water heaters are also measured by how much the water temperature needs to rise as it moves through the heating unit. You can determine the temperature rise for each application by subtracting the temperature of water coming in from the desired temperature going out. Once you add those together with the overall flow rates, you will know which tankless water heater can handle your overall hot water needs.

Before you buy an on demand hot water heater, it is best to talk to a professional installer. While the flow rates and temperature rise for most household appliances are fairly standard, these numbers can vary because of several factors that professionals are trained to calculate. Size is not the only factor to consider when shopping for a tankless water heater. Fuel type and efficiency should also be factored in to your purchase.

If you aren’t sure what type or size of tankless water heater is right for your Cheney home, call ACI Northwest to speak with one of our professional technicians. We are always glad to offer our expert advice so that you can meet all of your hot water needs in the most efficient way possible.

Tags: Cheney, Colburn, Liberty Lake, Spokane County, Tankless Water Heaters, Water Heaters
Posted in Services | Comments Off on Tankless Water Heater Tip: How to Get the Right Size

The Beauty of Zone Heating: A Tip from Furnace Contractor

Monday, November 28th, 2011

While it might not technically be a necessity, there are a lot of reasons why you might want to look into having a zone heating system installed in your Cheney home. Whether you’ve been using the same home heating system for a long time or are looking to have a new one installed, there’s never a bad time to have a zone heating system put in.

Most people think that the only thing that affects their home heating and cooling bills is the energy efficiency of their furnace or heat pump. However, that’s simply not always the case. Certainly, the more efficient your furnace or heat pump is, the lower your energy bills will be. But that doesn’t mean they’re as low as they could possibly be.

After all, if you don’t have a zone control system installed, you’re paying to heat your entire house every time you turn on the heat. Depending on the size of your house, that could mean you’re heating anywhere from two to 10 rooms or more that are unoccupied at the time. In fact, you could be paying to heat an entire empty wing of your home. And while you’ll pay less than you would if your heating system was less efficient, you’re still paying more than you need to.

With a zone control system, you can heat your home much more efficiently because you can control which areas of the house get the heat and which ones don’t. You can set multiple different temperatures for the different zones of your home, which allows you to keep the occupied areas warm while not forcing you to waste energy to heat unoccupied spaces.

Aside from the economic benefits of only heating the areas of your home that you need, zone control systems also can put an end to some of those contentious thermostat wars that go on in so many households. If the members of your household can never agree on what a comfortable temperature is, they can simply each set their own temperature for their own area of the house.

That way, everyone is happy and no one has to suffer uncomfortably. After all, you paid a lot for your state of the art home heating system. It’s only fitting that you should be able to get the most possible out of it.

Tags: Cheney, Energy Savings, Freeman, Heating, Newman Lake, Spokane County, Zone Control
Posted in Services | Comments Off on The Beauty of Zone Heating: A Tip from Furnace Contractor

Troubleshooting Thermostat Issues: Is it the Thermostat or Something Else?

Friday, November 4th, 2011

If the temperature in your Cheney home is too hot or cold, what is the first thing you check? Probably the thermostat. If you are a homeowner, you probably have played around with the setting on a thermostat, much to the chagrin of other occupants who don’t share your same comfort level. And if you try and adjust a thermostat at work – well forget about it. Most companies now have locking thermostats or “false” ones that don’t actually connect to the heating and cooling system.

So if you have a temperature problem, is it really the thermostat that causes it? Maybe yes and maybe no. One physical characteristic to check is the location of the thermostat. If it is in a drafty hallway or near a heat source, it only reads the temperature for that area and other parts of the building are neglected. You will often find more than one thermostat in a home that is tied into more than one furnace or air conditioner.

The older more popular round thermostats are manually controlled and do not adjust to any conditions in the home. They simply control the heating and cooling functions based on a human turning a dial. It’s as simple as that. So if you use this method to adjust the temperatures, blame yourself and not the thermostat. You might want to consider installing a digital, programmable thermostat.

With that in mind, let’s look at some typical ways to troubleshoot a thermostat.

Check the anticipator, which is a small metal tab on the front of the printed scale. Give it a light push in either direction. It may be stuck.
Clean the interior of the thermostat housing and clean the contacts (small metal plates)
Check loose wires or wires that may be corroded.
Read the thermostat manual (if not available, look online) for other tips such as ensuring there is voltage to the terminals.

If you have checked everything and the thermostat seems to be in working order, look for other things within the heating & cooling system. These include blocked or restricted registers and vents, leaks or cracks in ductwork, and dirty air handling filters.

Tags: Cheney, Deer Park, Heating, Medical Lake, Spokane County, Thermostat Repair, Thermostats
Posted in Services | Comments Off on Troubleshooting Thermostat Issues: Is it the Thermostat or Something Else?

How Often Should I Have My Geothermal System Checked? A Question from Greenacres

Monday, October 10th, 2011

The beauty of a geothermal system for your Greenacres home is that is requires very little maintenance. They have fewer mechanical components are than other heating systems – and most of these components are underground or inside, shielded from the outdoor elements. The underground tubing usually is guaranteed to last 25-50 years and inside components are easily accessible for servicing.

Nonetheless, keeping a geothermal system working at peak efficiency is very important. If the geothermal system loses some of its efficiency, it will cost home and building owners money in energy costs, which makes little sense since geothermal system installation costs are higher than most other heating systems.

Its key component is the ground loop system, polyethelene tubing which carries refrigerant from below the Earth’s surface and back to an above-ground compressor. When installed correctly, the buried ground loop can last for decades. A leak in the metal tubing is usually the only problem if the ground loop is not installed correctly. In the case of a leak, it may be necessary to dig up the tubing – often installed at least ten feet below the surface – and repair the leak.

Other geothermal system components include its air handling unit, compressor, and pump. These components require periodic system checks by qualified professional heating and cooling technicians. Maintenance normally requires filter changes and component lubrication, to name the most common. In some cases, building owners can perform their own filter replacement and refill of lubricants. However, it is recommended that an experienced technician perform a multiple-point inspection of the geothermal system components, usually during regularly scheduled annual or bi-annual service calls.

Tags: Cheney, Deer Park, Geothermal, Greenacres, Medical Lake, Spokane County
Posted in Services | Comments Off on How Often Should I Have My Geothermal System Checked? A Question from Greenacres

ACI Northwest Blog