Garbage Disposal Humming: Quick Fix Or Big Problem?

January 2, 2019. Posted by Tom Riggs in Appliance Repair, Plumbing • San Antonio

We tend not to think much about our appliances. That is, until something goes wrong.

One evening, as you are going about your normal routine, you scrape your leftover food from your dinner plate, turn on the disposal and wait for that familiar and gratifying noise of food heading down your garbage disposal.

But something’s not quite right. What’s that humming sound? There’s supposed to be roaring. Grinding. Not a soft little purr.

But that’s all you’re getting.

What does it mean? Is there some kind of quick fix? Or is your disposal ruined?

We rely on our garbage disposals after pretty much every meal. We expect these appliances to take whatever we throw at them and keep on going, even when you don’t notice and a spoon slips down your drain or your children put eggshells in the garbage disposal.

Unfortunately, these kinds of common plumbing mistakes—as well as just general wear and tear—can cause … Read Full Post »

Furnace Leaking Water In Winter: What Should You Do?

December 17, 2018. Posted by Tom Riggs in Air Conditioning & Heating • San Antonio

It’s winter, and that furnace you don’t think twice about for the rest of the year is finally getting some work.

Not that you typically gave your heater much thought, even during the colder months. When your house started to get chilly, you’d turn the temperature up on your thermostat to get things toasty, and that was that.

That is, not until last week. That day, you were in the attic and you saw something that gave you pause: the furnace was leaking water. Is it supposed to be doing that? Should you get it fixed?

This is an issue that heating professionals get asked all the time, and the short answer is pretty simple: no, your furnace should not leak, and yes, you absolutely need to have it repaired if you notice an accumulation of water around this appliance.

Before you start to panic, however, it’s important to understand two things:

This is actually a pretty … Read Full Post »

Water Heater Burst: Why This Happens And What To Do Next

December 12, 2018. Posted by Tom Riggs in Plumbing • Corpus Christi

When a water heater bursts in a home, it is a shocking event, not to mention a messy one, and it could potentially cause a lot of expensive damage. If your hot water heater burst, you’re probably wondering why this happens and what to do next.

In general, the basic reason why hot water heaters burst is that there is corrosion within the tank, which can lead to the tank bursting at its seams. Unfortunately, there are several possible underlying causes that can contribute to water heater explosions, and it’s not always apparent which one is the culprit.

Sometimes there are risk factors or warning signs that could indicate a water heater explosion is imminent, but not always. In order to understand the risk factors that could contribute to a water heater exploding, it’s important first to understand the type of water heater that you have in your home.

Types Of Water … Read Full Post »

Should I Cover My AC Unit In The Winter?

November 23, 2018. Posted by Tom Riggs in Air Conditioning & Heating • Austin

Anyone who lives in the southern portions of the United States will tell you that having a good air conditioning system is essential because, for about two-thirds of the year, your unit is going to be running pretty much nonstop.

You’ll depend upon your AC to survive our hot, sweltering summers, when the temperatures frequently hit triple digits. You’ll also rely on your system during much of the spring and fall, since the 80s and 90s stick around for much longer here than in many other parts of the country.

During the hottest times of the year, homeowners may regularly clean or replace filters, pay attention to how their system is running and remove debris from around outdoor vents.

When the cold weather (briefly) sets in, however, many of us promptly forget all about our AC, basking in lower electric bills while we can. Some homeowners might not even give the air conditioner … Read Full Post »

Electrical Safety Tips To Protect Your Family At Home

October 17, 2018. Posted by Tom Riggs in Electrical • San Antonio

You’ve dealt with electricity in your home before. We all have. Say the power goes out and you need to flip the breakers. A much more common experience is the countless times you’ve had to change a light bulb. No big deal.

So, when you decided to put ceiling fans around your house, you opted to do it yourself. After all, you’re a smart person. How hard could it be?

Most homeowners soon discover that dealing with electrical tasks around the house isn’t as straightforward as we’d imagine. Using the example of installing ceiling fans, perhaps you flipped off the breakers in the places where you were putting the fans. You got the right tools. You hung the fans up, one by one. Boom. Done. Except that when you flipped the power back on, two of them didn’t work. Sigh.

So, you went back and forth, turning off the power, working on the fans, then turning the … Read Full Post »

Why Am I Running Out of Hot Water Faster Than Before?

October 15, 2018. Posted by Tom Riggs in Plumbing • Austin

a thumbnail from the video featured in this blog

Running out of hot water faster than normal is extremely frustrating. Typically, this issue happens more often with tank style heaters, but it can still happen with tankless heaters. According to Michael Marugo, Plumbing Operations Manager at ABC Home & Commercial Services, homeowners start to run out of hot water faster than normal when there is sediment in the bottom of your water tank.

Unfiltered water can have sediment in it which, overtime, can settle into the bottom of your tank water heater. You can remove this sediment by having your water heater flushed annually. If you water heater isn’t flushed, this debris and limescale can build up on the bottom of your tank. If you have inches and inches of this sediment, it takes away from water that could be heated by your water heater. You may be running out of hot water faster before because there’s less space for … Read Full Post »

No Air Coming Out Of Vents: How Can I Get My AC Working?

August 6, 2018. Posted by Tom Riggs in Air Conditioning & Heating • San Antonio

When the sun is out and temperatures are brutally high, homeowners know that it’s critical to have a working air conditioner. Without a properly functioning AC, when summer temperatures rise into the 90s and 100s, you are not just uncomfortable indoors—it can actually be dangerous for humans and household pets, not to mention potentially harmful to your appliances and electronics. So what should you do if your AC suddenly stops working?

When your AC isn’t functioning well—or at all—it may be due to a problem that requires an experienced professional to fix. Certain common AC issues, such as a broken capacitor, are risky for inexperienced DIYers to try handling themselves; even cleaning your own AC condenser coils carries the risk of shorting out your unit. There are certain things, however, that the average homeowner can do to troubleshoot a problem with an air conditioner and resolve an issue on their own. … Read Full Post »

Solving A Common Austin Plumbing Problem: Clogged Drains

July 20, 2018. Posted by Tom Riggs in Plumbing • Austin

You’ve had a long, stressful day. All you could think about for the past few hours is slipping into your bathtub to let all that tension flow away.

That’s your only thought as you come in the door. You’re barely paying attention as you turn on the hot water, grab a towel and step into the bath. That’s when you realize you have a problem.

There are three inches of freezing cold water in the bath. What happened?

The faucet water is steaming hot, so that must mean there is an issue with the drain.

You’d thought it was draining more slowly lately, but you never imagined it would completely stop. Well, you’re not about to sit in day-old dirty water, so your bath is going to have to wait.

Hopefully, unclogging the drain wouldn’t take too long, you think to yourself.

Whether it belongs to a sink, shower, tub or toilet, clogged drains are among … Read Full Post »

San Antonio Plumbing Problems And Solutions

July 2, 2018. Posted by Tom Riggs in Plumbing • San Antonio

There are so many ways to enjoy a day in San Antonio, whether it’s walking around the Pearl, spending an afternoon on the Guadalupe River, seeing a new exhibit at the McNay, letting the kids burn off steam at the Hemisfair or carb loading at the Magnolia Pancake Haus.

No matter how you decide to spend your free time in San Antonio, there is one thing we can all agree on: the last thing you want to do is waste an afternoon, a day and even a weekend trapped inside trying to fix a plumbing problem. Unfortunately, plumbing problems tend to spring up at the worst times, including when your kids are in the car and you have packed the car for an all-day outing.

As locally based San Antonio plumbing experts, the licensed plumbers at ABC Home & Commercial Services have encountered nearly every plumbing malfunction and mishap you can imagine. … Read Full Post »

Best Temperature To Set Thermostat In Summer

July 2, 2018. Posted by Tom Riggs in Air Conditioning & Heating • San Antonio

Controlling the temperature inside your home or business has never been easier, especially with the widespread use of programmable thermostats and the growth in “smart” thermostats. You can easily adjust your thermostat to any temperature you like, adjust settings when you are away from home and even control indoor humidity. If comfort is your main goal, bump the temperature down as low as you like. If you’re more concerned about energy costs—but you’d still like to be comfortable—that takes a little more finesse.

We’re going to go out on a limb here and assume that just about everyone falls into the second category. You want to be cool and comfortable inside your home and make your living spaces a desirable place to be temperature-wise. By the same token, you don’t want to spend a lot of unnecessary cash to make that happen.

The best summer thermostat settings for you really depends on … Read Full Post »