Plumbing Technical Tips

SO MD Homeowners should be familiar with location of main gas valve - main water valve - undersink cut off valves for emergency service.

WATER HEATERS

To relight a gas water heater, always check the side of the water heater or your owner’s manual first for step-by-step instructions. The manufacturer will typically advise you to:

1) Turn the gas valve to OFF and wait a few minutes

2) Turn thermostat to lowest setting

3) Turn the gas valve to PILOT and push down on it. Hold it down to begin the flow of gas through the pilot gas supply tube.

4) Holding the button down, use an extended lighter to ignite the gas at the end of the supply tube. You may have to hold the flame there for a few seconds if air is in the line.

5) Continue holding down the control button for a minute or so after the pilot is lit, long enough for the pilot to heat the thermocouple. Then release the control button.

6) Once the pilot light stays lit after you release the control button, turn the control to the ON position.

7) If the pilot doesn’t light or stay lit after a couple of attempts contact Google Mechanical your SOUTHERN MARYLAND hot water heater service,repair,installation,maintenance company.

ELECTRIC WATER HEATERS

1) Check Your Main Hose Electrical Panel For 240 volt double pole

WATER HEATER BREAKER

2) Turn off breaker wait 5 minutes and reset breaker - Hold your ear next to tank and listen for electrical hummimng.

TANKLESS HOT WATER HEATERS

1) Check for proper gas or electric supply

2) Check faucets for correct water flow - open several faucets at same time

CAUTION - IF YOUR Waldorf, MD La Plata, MD Indian Head, MD White Plains, MD Hughesville, MD Charlotte Hall, MD Mechanicsville, MD Hollywood, MD California, MD Great Mills, MD Lexington Park, MD Solomons, MD Lusby, MD St. Leonard, MD Prince Frederick, MD hot water heater has a sealed burner or electrical supply do not attempt to light the water heater pilot.

Turn off your gas supply and electrical circuit breaker and contact the trained hot water heater technicians at Google Mechanical. PowerVented Powerventer Tankless water heaters should be serviced installed maintained and repaired by our licensed insured and bonded so md southern maryland hot water heater technicians. 

Heating Technical Tips

SO MD Homeowners should be familiar with location of main double pole circuit breaker in main panel - emergency electric back up heat circuit breaker - air conditioner heat pump disconnect box

1) Keep a close eye, as well as ear on your equipment. A loud noise when a furnace,heat pump,or boiler starts indicates a immediate need for service.. Many times simple maintenance such as cleaning, lubrication, tightening a loose fan blade or mount, can eliminate costly repairs.

2) If your home has an older mercury thermostat replace it with a digital thermostat for immediate energy savings.

3) Whether your home is heated by a forced-air furnace, an oil-fired gravity furnace, electric radiant heaters, a heat pump, or some other means, the key to affordable comfort is making sure that you have an efficient system that’s operating properly.

4) Rearrange your furniture. Take inventory of each room: Are large pieces of furniture or drapery blocking off registers and keeping heated and cooled air from circulating throughout the rest of the space? Move anything obstructing your airflow.

5) Never close registers if you have a heat pump (this will make it work harder)

Maintenance and Repair directly affects an electric heating, heat pumps, gas furnace system's performance and energy use. Neglecting necessary maintenance and service leads to a decline in comfort and a rise in energy bills.

By conducting regular check-ups and cleaning the heating, heat pump unit and its components, a Waldorf, MD La Plata, MD Indian Head, MD White Plains, MD Hughesville, MD Charlotte Hall, MD Mechanicsville, MD Hollywood, MD California, MD Great Mills, MD Lexington Park, MD Solomons, MD Lusby, MD St. Leonard, MD Prince Frederick, MD homeowner can ensure optimal enjoyment for the life of their so md hot water heating and heating system and heat pump system.

Cooling Technical Tips

SO MD Homeowners should be familiar with location of main double pole circuit breaker in main panel - air conditioner heat pump disconnect box

1) Regularly change any filters and keep a close eye, as well as ear on your equipment You can generally find the air filter along the return duct, in walls, ceilings or the air conditioner itself, or mounted on the grill face in the room.

2) Maintain at least a 2-foot clearance around the outdoor unit, free of debris and foliage.

3) Regularly inspect the air conditioner unit's condensate drain - A safety cut off trap is a wise investment for your Southern MD air conditioning system.

4) If your home has an older mercury thermostat replace it with a digital thermostat for immediate energy savings.

Maintenance and Repair directly affects an air conditioning system's performance and energy use. Neglecting necessary maintenance and service leads to a decline in comfort and a rise in energy bills. By conducting regular check-ups and cleaning the air conditioning, heat pump unit and its components, a Waldorf, MD La Plata, MD Indian Head, MD White Plains, MD Hughesville, MD Charlotte Hall, MD Mechanicsville, MD Hollywood, MD California, MD Great Mills, MD Lexington Park, MD Solomons, MD Lusby, MD St. Leonard, MD Prince Frederick, MD homeowner can ensure optimal enjoyment for the life of their so md air conditioning,heat pump and cooling system.

Electrical Technical Tips

SO MD Homeowners should be familiar with location of main electrical panel - subpanel cicuit breakers for emergency repair

SWITCHES and OUTLETS

There are two clear indications of a worn-out electrical outlet:

1)The cord's weight pulls the plug out of the outlet

2) The plug blades do not make constant electrical contact within the outlets slots.The outlet is old and has been used so often that it's worn out.

3)The most common malfunctions of switches are that they simply cease to work or they give off sparks when you flip them off and on.

4)Electrical Switches and outlets should be replaced an electrical switch and outlet needs to work efficiently and safely .

Always assume an electrical receptacle or apparatus is energized until you prove otherwise with a circuit tester.

CIRCUIT BREAKERS and FUSES

Circuits to all the devices in your home that require electrical power start from the fuses or circuit breakers Caution: Never try to defeat this built-in safety system by replacing a FUSE or circuit breaker with one of a higher current-carrying capacity. Don't replace a 15-ampere fuse with a 25-ampere fuse. Replace fuses and breakers only
with ones of the same size and amperage.

All electrical devices and electrical wires are designed to provide the greatest measure of electrical safety A fuse that blows or a circuit breaker that trips is doing its job properly, indicating that there is trouble somewhere in the circuit if a circuit goes off, there may be some visual or audible indication of the trouble spot, such as a bright flare from a lamp or a sputtering, sparking sound from an appliance, that will immediately lead you to the source of the
trouble.

If the fuse is blown or the circuit breaker refuses to reset, the problem lies in either faulty equipment or wiring is faulty, probably due to a short in a junction or receptacle box or in the house wiring itself.A circuit breaker is a remarkably trouble-free device, but once in a while a breaker does fail. The result is the circuit will not energize, even when it's fault-free. When a circuit goes out, if the circuit breaker itself has a distinctive burnt plastic smell, if the trip handle is loose and wobbly, or if the breaker rattles when you move it, the breaker has probably failed.

 APPLIANCES - HEATING - AIR CONDITIONING - PLUMBING EQUIPMENT

Three main lines (older houses may have two) are responsible for supplying 110-120/220-240 volts AC (alternating current) to your Waldorf, MD La Plata, MD Indian Head, MD White Plains, MD Hughesville, MD Charlotte Hall, MD Mechanicsville, MD Hollywood, MD California, MD Great Mills, MD Lexington Park, MD Solomons, MD Lusby, MD St. Leonard, MD Prince Frederick, MD home. The exact voltage varies depending on several external factors.

This three-wire system provides you with 110-120-volt power for lighting, outlets and small appliances as well as 220-240-volt power for air conditioning, an electric range, a clothes dryer, a water heater, and electric heating.Visit our How It Works Library to see how your southern maryland home systems operate. Maintenance repair and service of your so md home electrical switches, outlets,circuit breakers, GFI outlets and lighting circuits by our licensed techs will keep you safe.