D'Spain Sales and Service Blog

Signs of Electrical Trouble in Your Home

October 31st, 2016

Your electrical system is one of the most important components in your home, but also one of the most dangerous. Frayed wires, loose connections and similar problems can crop up almost anywhere in your home, and the dry air in Fredericksburg, TX can make that worse. Without proper repairs, it could short out important appliances or even start a fire. Only a trained, licensed electrician should conduct repairs on your electrical system, but before that can begin, you need to notice that there’s a problem. The sooner you can spot signs of electrical trouble in your home, the more quickly a professional can get the issue fixed. Among the signs to watch for are the following:

Tags: Electrical, fredericksburg
Posted in Electrical | Comments Off on Signs of Electrical Trouble in Your Home

The Dangers of Space Heaters

October 25th, 2016

Winter is on its way here in Helotes, TX, and keeping your home warm is more than just a luxury. A number of methods exist to handle the issue, and you might be tempted to rely on a portable space heater to do it. Portable units benefit from a low cost and an ease of use. Unfortunately, they also present a number of dangers to your home, that may easily outweigh the short-term savings of a cheap solution. They can include, but are not limited to, the following:

Tags: Heating, Helotes
Posted in Heating | Comments Off on The Dangers of Space Heaters

Causes of Reduced Heating in Your Furnace

October 24th, 2016

Most homes in the Bandera, TX area rely on forced-air furnaces for heat. It’s an effective means of keeping your house warm, and it also gives you an easy way to spot any problems that might arise. A lack of hot air coming from the vents usually spells a significant problem, since it slows down the rate at which your house warms up. That means the heater has to use more energy to do its job, which raises your monthly bills. It also increases strain on other parts of the system, forcing them to work harder and increasing the risk of a serious breakdown.

Tags: Bandera, Heating Repair
Posted in Heating | Comments Off on Causes of Reduced Heating in Your Furnace

How to Prevent Freezing Pipes

October 17th, 2016

With cold temperatures comes a whole new host of potential issues for your Boerne, TX home. That can include freezing water in your pipes, which will clog up the plumbing system at best and could result in burst pipes at worst. Burst pipes can be particularly damaging if they occur while you are away for the holidays, and could go for days or weeks before being detected. Now is the perfect time to prepare for freezing pipes, and make sure they don’t bedevil you this winter.

Tags: Boerne, Plumbing
Posted in Plumbing | Comments Off on How to Prevent Freezing Pipes

Humidifiers vs. Dehumidifiers: What’s the Difference?

October 10th, 2016

In an environment like Fredericksburg, TX, where summers are humid and winters dry, it makes sense to have both a humidifier and a dehumidifier working in your home. They act as different sides of the same coin: one removing excess moisture from the air, and the other adding moisture when the air is too dry. The issues are similar but distinct, and each one demands a specific response to treat. Here’s a quick breakdown on the differences between the two systems.

Tags: Dehumidifiers, fredericksburg
Posted in Indoor Air Quality | Comments Off on Humidifiers vs. Dehumidifiers: What’s the Difference?

The Benefits of Pressure Tanks

October 3rd, 2016

Many homes in the Bandera, TX area operate off of the civic grid, which means they use well water and similar private sources to feed their home. That means you need to attend to any issues or problems with it yourself, which often includes water pressure. Low pressure is a common complain for well water, both because the pumps involved are suffering from problems and form issues inherent in the well itself.

Tags: Bandera, Water Well
Posted in Plumbing | Comments Off on The Benefits of Pressure Tanks

Upgrade Your Air Conditioner Instead of Replacing It

September 27th, 2016

An air conditioning system doesn’t always need to suffer a catastrophic breakdown in order to need replacing. Indeed, many times it’s simply a matter of inefficiency: costing so much to run in monthly bills that a replacement unit is necessary just to maintain a monthly budget. The last part may be of particular concern to homeowners in Boerne, TX, where summers are long and you want to get as much time as you can out of an existing unit.

If high summer bills are the only real complaints about your system, you can take concrete steps to address them without replacing your entire unit. Look for upgrades to cut into those costs and extend the overall life of your system. They cost much less to install and the benefits they can provide are substantial. And with demand on your air conditioning system lowered during the winter months, now makes an excellent time to discuss your options. Here’s a brief list of air conditioning upgrades you may wish to consider.

Tags: Boerne, Zone Control Systems
Posted in Indoor Air Quality | Comments Off on Upgrade Your Air Conditioner Instead of Replacing It

Do You Need a New Furnace or Boiler?

September 26th, 2016

Fall is officially here, and if you live in Helotes, TX or any nearby community, the time has come to dust your heating system off and get it ready for another winter. If your heater is older and perhaps struggling with efficiency and/or repair issues, you might want to think about replacing it with a new one before heating season begins in earnest.

Tags: heating replacement, Helotes
Posted in Heating | Comments Off on Do You Need a New Furnace or Boiler?

The Importance of Changing Filters in Your Air Conditioner

September 19th, 2016

Fall officially arrives this week, but most residents of Fredericksburg, TX know that warm weather will continue into October and possibly beyond. Your air conditioner, already handling a daily workload for months, will be under more pressure than ever to perform as summer comes to an end, and that means it’s very important that you ensure you regularly change the filters on your system. Ideally, they should be changed once a month, but you should do so no less often than every 2-3 months. It’s easy enough to perform yourself, and you can purchase replacement filters at your local hardware store or home improvement center. (In fact, it might be a good idea to stock up on extra filters so you have them on-hand when you need them.) But why is it so important to do so?

Tags: Air Conditioning, fredericksburg
Posted in Air Conditioning | Comments Off on The Importance of Changing Filters in Your Air Conditioner

Check the Drain Lines in Your Air Conditioner

September 12th, 2016

With the weather starting to cool off here in Helotes, TX, now is an excellent time to address any specific issues your air conditioner may have and get them taken care of before you need to turn your attention to your heating system. Among the common issues we encounter this time of year are problems with the drain pan and the drain line, which have minor causes but can result in serious damage to your system if you’re not careful. The good news is that a qualified technician can usually fix the problem properly.

Tags: Air Conditioning Repair, Helotes
Posted in Air Conditioning | Comments Off on Check the Drain Lines in Your Air Conditioner