Hooper Plumbing & AC Follow 223

If you wake up in the morning and dread pulling your cozy, warm feet out from under the covers in anticipation of those cold hardwood floors, you can only imagine how cold the pipes under your home must get. Although the weather warms up to a gorgeous 65 degrees during the day, it dips into the low 30s at night. Pretty soon, we will be experiencing freezes typical to Februarys in Texas. Don’t wait for an emergency to call the plumber!

3 Simple Tips for Keeping Your Home’s Plumbing in Tip-Top Shape

• Kitchen & Bath: Plumbing for kitchen and bathroom sinks often include pipes near an exterior un-insulated wall, which causes problems during freezing temperatures. Prevent your pipes from freezing by simply opening cabinet doors below the sink to allow warm air to circulate. 
• Exposed Piping: Insulate any piping that is exposed. While you can contact a plumber to assist with this task, a simple do-it-yourself solution is to wrap the pipes with cloth, use foam insulation material around the cloth and duct tape it securely together. 
• Exterior Faucets: Also known as sill-cocks and/or spigots, faucets are often left untreated and filled with water during the winter months. This simple oversight can lead to very costly repairs and is easy to avoid. Drain the water out of all your outdoor faucets and cover them with insulation. If you have a vacation home, you will want to turn the water supply off completely and drain all the plumbing. 

If you are not a DIY type, or have an issue you need assistance with that is not covered in this article, contact Hooper Plumbing at (214) 363-2543, or visit us on the web at www.hooperplumbing.com.

Hooper Plumbing and Air Conditioning

6725 Hillcrest Ave, Suite A
Dallas, TX 75205

Have your utility bills been through the roof? During this hot summer month we’ve been cranking our air conditioning units and trying to keep the cost down, but it is almost impossible with triple digit days.

If you haven’t changed your air filters or have gotten your AC unit checked, this may be the time to do so. Dirty filters, leaks in ductwork or an older AC unit could be allowing air conditioning that you aren’t even using to seep through, meaning you are paying for cool air you aren’t even using. Changing your air filter is one of many steps to improve your home’s energy efficiency. Here are some tips to keep your home cool and utility bills down for the rest of this heat wave.

• Raise the temperature on your thermostat by six to eight degrees during working hours when you are not at time.
• Change your air filter to get maximum efficiency out of them keeping your home cool and clean.
• Make sure your duct work is not leaking. On average ducts leak as much as 30 percent of the conditioned air, air you have paid for.
• Make sure your AC unit is operating properly. Call a professional to come out and check your unit. We advise you to get an annual inspection to ensure that all equipment is working and safe.

Call Hooper Plumbing and Air Conditioning today if you have any questions or concerns regarding your AC Unit or other matters.

North Texas weather allows for about two weeks of “open window weather,” and then most people are ready to turn on the air conditioning. Fortunately, comfort does not have to equate to exorbitantly high energy bills. Proper care of your AC system helps the system to work more efficiently -- reducing energy cost and increasing the life of your AC system.   

Conduct an Energy Audit

HVAC companies offer home energy audits (also called home energy assessments) to help homeowners reduce energy consumption and energy waste. The first step in a home energy audit is to pinpoint the areas in your home where energy is being wasted. Once you have determined the areas of your home that are losing energy, the next step is to develop a plan for correcting the wasted areas and optimizing all other areas of energy output. 

Easy Tips for Reducing Energy Consumption

1. Assess the HVAC system. A thorough and professional assessment of your home’s heating and cooling system will provide important information that is specific to your HVAC system and its airflow efficiency. Based on the assessment, an HVAC company can devise a proper plan (if necessary) for making energy efficient improvements, which may include energy improvements for your home’s hot water heater. 
2. Replace Air Conditioning Filters. Dirty HVAC filters restrict the ability for efficient airflow, causing the HVAC system to work harder and longer to cool the house. Hiring a professional to come into the home on a routine, monthly basis to change out all air filters can reduce energy consumption by 1 to 2 percent. While this may not sound like a lot, it certainly adds up over the course of a long, hot summer.  
3. Weather-Strip Leaky Doors and Windows. Doors and windows are notorious culprits for wasted energy. A home audit will identify areas of the home that require weather-stripping, sealing and caulking, which can result in an energy savings of 2 percent or more. 
4. Seal Ducts. Leaking ductwork is a costly energy drain. The average home loses 25 percent or more of its energy through leaky ducts. A home energy audit will identify where these leaks are occurring. An HVAC company will repair the ducts and clean the non-leaking ones. It is important to note that duct cleaning and duct sealing are not the same thing; however, even if your ducts are not leaking, they should still be cleaned. 

Purchasing New HVAC System

While no one gets excited about the prospect of purchasing a new HVAC system, after a thorough home energy audit, you may find yourself real excited at the idea. Many of the homes in the Park Cities are old and have dated HVAC systems. The HVAC systems available today are designed to be tremendously efficient and over the course of your life in your home can save you thousands of dollars. Purchasing an Energy Star® HVAC system can save you 10 percent or more on your heating and cooling costs.

Contact Hooper Plumbing and Air Conditioning to schedule a home energy audit.

Hooper Plumbing & Air Conditioning

6725 Hillcrest Avenue
Dallas, Texas 75205
214.363.2543

Need Your AC System Serviced? Check out Neighborhood Deals for an offer you don't want to miss. 

Another round of cold weather is expected mid-week and we have a special running on BubbleLife Deals.  If you need heating service, we are not charging a trip charge.  Please mention the deal when you call in. 

The #1 cause of system failure is dirt and lack of maintenance.  At the minimum, you should change your filters but if you want a check up, call us at 214 363-2543. 

How does "No Service Fee" sound?   If it is going to go out, it is always at this time!  We hope it doesn't happen, for your sake, but if it does please call us. 

Hooper Plumbing & Air - 214 363 2543

Our Thanksgiving Tip to you is to remember not to put Turkey grease down the garbage disposal or sink!  Fats Oils and Grease can coat pipes and can cause overflows or even sewer back up!  This is not what you want during the holiday!