D'Spain Sales and Service Blog : Posts Tagged ‘Boerne’

Options to Consider for Your Heating in Boerne This Winter

Thursday, November 20th, 2014

There are a myriad of heating options available for your home these days. If you’re in the market for a new heating system, the sheer scope of your choices can be paralyzing. Fortunately, you don’t have to do this alone. We’ve outlined a few great options for you, along with some pros and cons to help you make a decision.

Heat Pumps

A heat pump is a forced air heating system that focuses on moving heat from one place to the other, instead of creating it through combustion of fuel. There are two primary parts to the heat pump, an interior unit and an exterior unit. When the heat pump is turned on, the exterior unit siphons heat from the air around it and sends it to the interior unit. There, it warms the air and circulates it throughout the house.

There are a number of benefits to this type of heating system. It is extremely energy efficient, since it doesn’t need to burn gas or any other kind of fuel to heat your home. By that same token, heat pumps are arguably safer for your health, as they do not produce toxic byproducts like carbon monoxide that could find a way into your home. On the downside, heat pumps rely on the air around them to provide heat. In extremely cold environments, a heat pump will not be as efficient.

Furnaces

Furnaces are the most common kind of heating system, and are widely used throughout the country. They typically burn either wood, propane, or natural gas, and have a reputation for being extremely reliable. A furnace produces heat by relying on burners, which consume the chosen fuel and funnel heat into the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger warms the air being circulated, while also venting combustion byproducts like carbon monoxide out of the house.

The advantages of a furnace system include long lifespans, ease of availability and repair, and high heat output. Disadvantages include occasionally inefficient heating and unhealthy combustion byproducts.

If you’d like to know more about our heating installation service in Boerne, call D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc. today to speak with one of our heating specialists or schedule a service appointment with us.

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Some of Your Water Filtration Options

Thursday, October 30th, 2014

A clean, potable water supply is important to every homeowner. Your family’s health is your top priority, which is why so many homeowners utilize water filtration systems to keep their drinking water free of contamination. Some homeowners choose to only filter their drinking water with a localized filter in the kitchen. But if your water supply contains contaminants, every portion of your plumbing is affected, and the safest choice is installing a whole-home water filtration system.

So how do you know which type of system to purchase? An expert will always test your water first to discover what specific contaminants affect your home. Then, the technician may recommend one of the following water filtration systems. For more information about water filtration systems in Boerne, contact the knowledgeable professionals at D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc.

  • Chemical Feed Pump: A chemical feed pump is a system used exclusively to treat well water. Groundwater may be affected by pesticides, fuel leaks in the soil, or other environmental issues. A chemical feed pump can target the contaminants that are specific to your area to keep your water safe.
  • Whole-House Water Filters: A whole-house water filtration system can filter out common contaminants and some sediment, allowing few stray particles to pass through.
  • Iron Filter: You may choose to install an iron filter to specifically filter out iron, a mineral that can cause problems with your plumbing system, stain your dishes and laundry, and leave a poor taste in your mouth.
  • UV Water Treatment: A UV water treatment system uses an ultraviolet light to kill microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria.
  • Water Softener: A water softener is a safeguard against “hard water,” filtering out minerals like magnesium and calcium. These minerals can build up in the pipes over time, leading to reduced water pressure and eventually ruining your plumbing system.

Have you noticed that your water smells or tastes strange or spears an unusual color? Are you worried about the effects of hard water on your plumbing system? Do you want water testing to find out what types of contaminants may plague your pipes? Call the water treatment specialists at D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc. and ask about installing water filtration systems in Boerne.

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What Is a GFCI Outlet and Why Are They a Good Idea?

Wednesday, October 29th, 2014

We all know that water and electricity don’t mix, and the risk of electrical shock is not worth taking a chance with your electrical appliances. However, water can come into contact with your electrical appliances even when you don’t expect it, and other electrical accidents may also occur. That’s why many bathrooms and kitchens contain GFCI outlets, which you may recognize from the “test” and “reset” buttons on the fixture.

GFCI outlets help protect you and your family members from the very real risk of electrical shock. In fact, some municipalities mandate the installation of GFCI outlets in certain areas of home, while most experts strongly recommend them. And some homeowners choose to install these outlets throughout the house for increased safety or to increase the property value.

When you need GFCI outlet installation, D’Spain Sales & Services, Inc. is an exceptional choice for a professional electrician in Bandera.

How It Works

There are three slots in any modern outlet. The larger left slot is known as “neutral” while the right slot is called “hot.” The hole at the bottom, which is non-existent in older outlets designed to accommodate two-pronged plugs, is called “ground.” The ground is meant to protect you from electrical shock from metal-encased appliances. But a ground-fault circuit interrupter provides even greater protection.

Normally, an electrical current flows from hot to neutral. Electricity flows from hot through the electrical appliance and back to the neutral slot. If something interrupts the circuit, such as water, the risk is that the current will flow to you instead, leading to electrical shock. A GFCI outlet senses any change in the current quickly, shutting off the power immediately.

Why Choose Professionals for Installation

Installing a GFCI outlet is only a job for a trained professional. This is mostly for safety reasons as a technician has the right tools for the job. A trained electrician can also let you know if additional areas of the home need protection as well, such as a laundry room or an outside outlet.

D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc. is an outstanding choice when you need an electrician in Bandera. Call us today!

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Advantages of a Solar Pump for Your Water Well

Wednesday, October 15th, 2014

Choosing the right pump for your water well depends on a variety of factors. First, you’ll need to make sure that the type of pump you choose works best for your home, whether it is a submersible pump or a jet pump. Then, you need a qualified professional to decide which size pump works best for your needs. And one further consideration could have a major impact on your satisfaction with your pump: deciding to go solar.

Using solar energy with your water well simply involves the use of PV (photovoltaic) panels in conjunction with your well pump. Solar energy has become more and more prevalent today, so it is not too difficult to add solar energy to more of the home conveniences you rely on every day.

Learn more about the advantages of solar pumps here, and be sure to schedule water well services in Boerne with D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc., serving the Texas Hill Country for over 40 years.

Cuts Energy Spending

Water wells offer advantages over public water supplies, as you won’t have to worry about paying for water usage with your utility bills. However, your pump consumes electricity, which could add up over the years. Using solar energy for one of the tasks around your property, such as the water well pump, may significantly reduce your spending every month.

Works with Any Type of Pump

Your well uses one of two types of pumps: a submersible pump or a jet pump. Jet pumps are the most common type used in homes, pulling water from above the well using a vacuum. A submersible pump, on the other hand, is submerged in the water, pushing water up into the pipe. In either case, a PV panel can provide an alternative power source for any size pump.

Professional Service for Every Step of the Process

If you hire an experienced professional for solar pump installation, you may get better pressure and need fewer repairs over time. A technician can install the pump and the PV panels and give you professional advice about maintaining your unit for years to come.

For professional water well services in Boerne, call the experts at D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc. today!

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Benefits of LED Lights for Your Outdoor Lighting

Wednesday, October 8th, 2014

Increasing the outdoor lighting for your home is an excellent way to make your home safer and more attractive, as well as to increase the hours you can enjoy outdoor recreational areas, such as pools and patios.

However, those outdoor lights will add up to an immense amount of wattage, making them potentially expensive to run. That’s why we recommend you have LED lights installed for your outdoor lighting in Boerne, TX. Our professionals at D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc. can help create a new energy-friendly lighting scheme for the outside of your home using LED light bulbs. You will notice the difference when you hire skilled electricians like those on our team.

The Advantages of Using LED Lights

Light emitting diodes (LED) provide light as powerful as that from incandescent and florescent lights, but they require significantly less energy to run. Here are some of the benefits that LED light bulbs provide:

  • Energy saving: Imagine using 80% less energy to power the lights outside your house. That’s a huge difference, and that is what LED lights do. They only lose 20% of the energy they use to heat, where standard bulbs lose 80%.
  • Longevity: The savings grow even larger when you consider the average lifespan of an LED light bulb is 10 times greater than a traditional bulb. The average LED bulb will burn for 100,000 hours, which means it could burn steadily for 11 straight years. You’ll receive 4 times the savings over 10 times the lifespan.
  • Less heat: Because of their high energy-efficiency, LED lights emit a small amount of heat. You won’t have to worry about the lights making summer nights too uncomfortable.
  • Good for the environment: LED lights do not contain harmful elements like mercury that could end up in landfills. And you will send far fewer bulbs to the landfills because of their long lifespans: you can expect to throw away 25 incandescent light bulbs for every one LED light bulb.

LED lights do cost more to purchase upfront than standard bulbs; however, this is a small price to pay when you consider their energy savings and immense lifespan. LED lights start to pay for themselves the moment they first come on. The LED lights now available for outdoor use have expanded from the older narrow-beam models, and they can now fill a variety of functions. Ask your electrical installer about ways to make the most out of your new outdoor lighting set-up with LED light bulbs.

At D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc. we offer many different options for outdoor lighting in Boerne, TX and the rest of Texas Hill Country. Contact us today to learn more about our different lighting and electrical services, and the ways that we can help you conserve energy.

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Upgrading Your Electrical System

Monday, September 15th, 2014

Unless you’re an electrician, electrical engineer or budding electronics enthusiast, you probably don’t spend too much of your time thinking about what courses through the various wiring and outlets in your home. But it’s important that you don’t take your electrical system for granted. At the very least, it’s important to make any necessary adjustments and upgrades to the system over time so that it remains compliant with the latest codes and that it remains safe to use for your entire family. Faulty or otherwise shoddy electrics should always be fixed immediately. But even if you don’t have an urgent problem, there are some good reasons to consider upgrading your electrical system.

Whether you want to add functionality, extend electricity to an addition on your home or property or improve the safety of your home, we offer a number of different electrical service upgrades. Let’s have a look:

  • Whole house surge protection. Sure, power strips have their place, but they simply cannot compare to whole house surge protection devices that integrate directly with your circuit breaker panel. These devices are excellent because they not only provider a much greater level of protection against the threat that internal and external surges present to your home, but they also provide coverage for your entire electrical system and everything that’s plugged in, including your HVAC system and other major appliances.
  • Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. When was the last time you had your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors tested? It’s important to make sure that they will be there for you when you need them most. It may be time to upgrade these safety devices and to ensure that they are hard-wired with battery back-ups.
  • Generator installation. Whether you opt for a portable or a whole house generator, it’s important to know what you can and cannot use it for. A portable model is good in a pinch, but it lacks the power, comprehensive coverage, and convenience of a whole-house generator. The latter can even run your HVAC system as well as various appliances.

These are just a few ways to upgrade your existing electrical system. Contact a professional on our team to learn more about our professional electrical services in Boerne, TX.

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How to Improve Your Well Water

Monday, September 8th, 2014

Well water is an ancient method of supplying your domicile with potable water for cooking, drinking and bathing. But it’s also a responsibility and at times, may even be a hassle. It’s important that you start off with a decent well, but there are various ways to improve your well water even after the hole is dug. You need to make sure that your well pump and water treatment systems work well. Here are some ways to improve your well water.

  • Soften your water. Many homes in our area are affected by hard water, which occurs as a result of high levels of calcium and magnesium in addition other trace minerals. The effects vary depending upon the mineral content of your hard water, but it can wreak havoc on your plumbing pipes in the long term. It can also affect the taste of your water as well as the way your water interacts with your skin and hair while bathing. A water softener may be just what you need to avoid such issues from taking place in your home.
  • Purify your water. When you get your water from a well, it’s your responsibility to ensure that it’s potable. The underground aquifer from which your well draws can be affected by a number of different environmental factors, including the mineral content in the area as well as any environmental damage nearby. There are a number of different water treatment options that can purge potentially harmful contaminants and pollutants from your well water. Water testing is the first step to knowing exactly what’s in your water supply.
  • Boost water pressure. One of the most common well water issues is deficient pressure. This is not just an inconvenience when taking a shower, but it can also potentially lead to backflow, which occurs when your wastewater and water supply cross-contaminate. There are plenty of ways to boost pressure, including water storage tanks and pressure tanks. You may also want to consider a booster pump.
  • Draw water efficiently. If you want to make sure that your well water system operates efficiently, then you may want to draw on renewable energy source such as the wind or sun. If your windmill needs some repair or you want to exchange your well pump for a solar model, then you can rely on our water well services.

Reach out to our professionals at any time to ensure that your water well services in Boerne, TX are taken care of properly. Call us today.

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The Whole-House Difference: Choosing the Right Generator

Monday, September 1st, 2014

Are you tired of going without the basics every time you lose power? Do you worry about adequate ventilation when operating your portable generator? Do you want backup power that you don’t have to lift a finger for? If you’re in the market for a generator, then you may want to consider making the jump to whole house models. There are a number of different systems that run on various fuels and they provide an unparalleled amount of power throughout the various parts of your living space. But all of this depends upon the quality of the generator installation, which is where professionals like us come in.

So, how do you know what type of generator is right for you home. You can begin by asking yourself a few questions.

  • How much power do you require? This is probably the greatest difference between portable generators and those at are permanently installed on your property. Whole house generators offer plenty of power for various parts of your electrical system, including major appliances and your HVAC system.
  • Do you look forward to filling up a portable generator every few hours, despite inclement weather while also making sure that it’s properly ventilated to avoid exposure to carbon monoxide? Portable generators certainly have their use, but if you want a system that involves a lot less effort and preparation, then a whole house system might be exactly what you need. Whether you opt for a diesel or a natural gas generator, it is vented properly outside its weatherproof casing to ensure that any exhaust fumes are dealt with properly.
  • What’s your stance on ease-of-use? For the ultimate in convenience, you may want to opt for an automatic standby generator, which contains a detector that allows it to turn on automatically as soon as it detects a drop in current from your utility line. That means you don’t have to be home to know that your home is fully secure.

Whatever type of generator you may need, we have a solution. We stock a diverse range of portable and whole house generators, and our electricians can make sure that you get the right one for you. Give us a call today to schedule your next generator service in Boerne,TX.

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How Air Conditioners Work

Monday, August 25th, 2014

Whether you own a heat pump, central air unit or ductless mini split, they all share a common purpose: to cool your indoor space. When you adjust the thermostat on a hot afternoon, you want to make sure that your cooling system responds. But how does it respond? Although you may have long enjoyed the comfort and convenience of your air conditioner, you may be wondering at where that cool air comes from, if not from a block of ice. The process is complicated but having a basic understanding of how air conditioners work is useful. It may help you catch a problem before it becomes a major issue.

The fundamental process behind many of the most popular refrigeration systems, from central air to walk-in coolers is more or less the same. It involves the transfer of thermal energy by means of a refrigerant cycle. Let’s start with a standard central air split system, so-called because it splits the system into an outdoor unit and an indoor unit. Packaged units (wherein all components are housed in the same quarters) are more popular in commercial applications. Let’s begin with the compressor, which is a pump located in the outdoor unit along with the condenser coil. It takes the low temperature, low pressure gas fresh from its interaction with your warm air in the evaporator coil and it pressurizes it. This radically increases the temperature and pressure of the gas so that it can disperse this thermal energy as it goes through the condenser.

As its name suggests, the condenser coil and blower fan work in tandem to cool this gas, thus turning it into a liquid. It has lost a significant amount of thermal energy originally taken out of your indoor air, but not enough to cool your air. In order to drop the temperature further, your liquid refrigerant enters an expansion valve where it is depressurized and cooled dramatically. It is now primed for cooling purposes. It heads indoors where it circulates through the evaporator coil. The interaction between the cold refrigerant in these coils and your warm indoor air extracted from your living space is the key to the cooling. The refrigerant absorbs the thermal energy of your air and cools the air in the process. Your cooled air is then distributed throughout your home.

If you’d like some more information about our air conditioning services in Boerne, TX, then don’t hesitate to give us a call today.

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Common Cooling Problems in Boerne, TX

Monday, August 18th, 2014

Does your AC make a strange noise during operation all of a sudden? Have you noticed that your energy bills have never been higher? Does your AC fail to respond to the thermostat adjustments? There are a number of things that can go wrong with such a large and complex system, and only a professionally trained technician can ensure that your cooling system is diagnose thoroughly and then fixed properly. Still, there are some common cooling problems worth mentioning, if only to help you identify that you have a problem in the first place. As soon as you notice something wrong, make sure you alert a professional. Catching the problem early on its development is the best way to avoid serious damage.

Keep an eye out for the following issues.

  • Strange or loud noise. If your AC makes a sound that you’ve never heard before or it seems particularly loud all of a sudden, then there’s probably something wrong with it. Don’t hesitate to call on a professional to diagnose it. If it’s a grinding noise, your blower motor might have dried-out bearings; if it’s banging, then there could be a loose component somewhere within your air handler or ductwork.
  • High energy bills. A spike in your energy bills can occur for a number of different reasons, but it’s always cause for concern. If you find that your energy bills are much higher than normal, then you likely have an efficiency issue such as an air or refrigerant leak. Low refrigerant can cause problems all over, and airflow issues do not go away on their own.
  • AC fails to turn on. If you find that your AC fails to respond to your call for cooling, then it could be a problem with the capacitor, which is a small electric device responsible for jumpstarting your AC whenever you need to turn it on. You may also have a problem with your existing thermostat. Before you call, however, reset the circuit breaker and your thermostat to see if that takes care of the problem.

Cooling problems are a hassle, but solving them is easy when you rely on the technical expertise of our specialists. Call us today to schedule air conditioning repair in Boerne, TX with our staff.

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