Category: Blog

The health and appearance of trees are most affected by the person with the pruning saw. Proper planting, pruning and care of a new tree can lead to a structurally strong and healthy tree for many years. Improper care can drastically shorten the life of a tree and waste the money and time invested in raising it to maturity.

A qualified professional will perform tree work properly and safely, but an unqualified person may further damage the tree, and more importantly may not be insured, leaving the liability burden to the client.

Hiring a professional Tree Removal Company deserves careful consideration. Remember the following points when hiring or contracting with an arborist or tree care service:

* Check your telephone directory’s yellow pages under “Tree Service” for a listing of those businesses which do tree work in your area. While anyone can list themselves in the phone book, a listing indicates at least some degree of permanence. Be cautious of any professional that advertises “topping” as a service. “Topping” is not an approved tree maintenance practice.

* Ask for certificates of insurance, including proof of liability for personal and property damage and worker’s compensation. Then, contact the insurance company to make sure the policy is current. Under some circumstances you can be held financially responsible if an uninsured worker is hurt on your property or if the worker damages a neighbor’s property.

* Ask for local references. Take a look at some of the work, and if possible, talk with former clients. Experience, education and a good reputation are signs of a good professional.

* Don’t rush into a decision just because you are promised a discount if you sign an agreement now. Be sure you understand what work is to be done and for what amount of money. It is generally not a good idea to pay in full until the work is completed.

* Most reputable tree care companies have all the work they can handle without going door to door. People who aren’t competent arborists may solicit tree work after storms, seeing an opportunity to earn quick money. Storm damage creates high risk situations for both workers and property. Legitimate professionals never ask for payment in advance.

* In most cases get more than one estimate and let each contractor know you are soliciting for other bids.

* A conscientious professional will not use climbing spikes except when removing a tree. Climbing spikes open unnecessary wounds that could lead to decay arborist using climbing ropes
arborists use specialized equipment

* Good tree work is not inexpensive. A good professional must carry several kinds of insurance as well as pay for expensive and specialized equipment. Beware of estimates that fall well below the average. There may be hidden costs or the professional may not be fully insured or trained.

* Ask if the arborist is certified by either the New York Arborists Association or the International Society of Arboriculture. Certification is not required by the State of New York but it does indicate that the arborist has a high degree of knowledge.

* In your area many professionals may not be certified, if the professional you are considering is not certified, determine if he/she is a member of any professional organizations. Membership in professional organizations does not guarantee quality, but does indicate professional commitment.
Credit: Department of Environmental Conservation @ https://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/5291.html

Heating Repair San Antonio

San Antonio heating and furnace repair work on all brands and models heating and furnace units such as Carrier, American Standard, Lennox, Brown, Kohler, Amana and many more view the entire heating and furnace brands list. If your heating unit doesn’t come on , the heating unit is not blowing hot air or you have any other issues with it, simply call our toll free number and we will take care of your heating problem. We are available 24/7 for your San Antonio heating repairs at:

Or via email. Please include your name, contact information and brief explanation of the problem that you are having with your heating. As soon as we receive the email we will contact you in order to schedule your appointment for San Antonio heating repair.

Our Heating repair areas include all of San Antonio and the surrounding areas:

The information below is designed to provide how to increase the life of your heating unit and use them in the most efficient way, so that will save you money on future heating repairs in San Antonio. It is posted with the understanding that we are not offering advice that you do the heating or furnace repair yourself. If San Antonio heating repair expert assistance is required, the services of competent heating repair technicians in San Antonio are available 24/7 at our toll free phone number.

GAS HEATING
It was not heating until after World War II that transcontinental pipelines brought natural gas to nearly all parts of the United States, but since then upward of 35 million heating gas burners have been installed for home heating systems—twice the number that have oil heating burners. As a fuel, gas is more expensive than oil in many areas. But a gas heating burner is less costly to install than an oil burner: gas heat pollutes less than oil heat: and gas delivery does not depend on a truck’s ability to brave a blizzard. Most heating gas burners consume natural gas mixed with air in the ratio of about 1 cubic foot of gas to 16 cubic feet of air. The efficiency of the burner depends on the mixture, which a heating serviceman should adjust. Most other heating problems involve the pilot and its thermocouple safety device; this heating or furnace repair problems can generally be corrected by the homeowner.

How a gas heating works
When the contacts of a house heating thermostat close (page 300), current runs to a solenoid, opening up a diagram heating valve in a combination control. Gas flows (small arrows) from a supply line past a manual shutoff, through a heating manifold, then to tubes that mix it with air (broad arrows). The mixture goes to heating burners where ignited by a pilot. It makes heat that a heat exchanger turns to steam. Hot water or warm air; wastes go up a flue. The heating thermocouple and another solenoid stop gas flow if the pilot goes out.

Adjusting the heating pilot flame
A heating thermocouple (left and opposite, top shuts off gas if the pilot light goes out. But the pilot will not stay lighted if it is too low to heat the thermocouple. In many heating unit models the pilot flame may be raised or lowered by taking off the screw cap and carefully turning the adjustment screw on the combination control to regulate flow in the pilot supply line. Pilot reigniting procedures also varies they are on a metal tag attached to, or near. A-gas cock on the combination control. Over half the central heating systems in American houses are the forced-warm-air type-29 million units. Unlike hot-water and steam heating systems, a forced-air heating system uses no water, so there is no danger of burst pipes, no need for filling or draining. It warms and circulates air with a heating burner, a motor-driven fan—or blower—and a duct network.
Because it distributes warm air under draft, a forced-air heating system is more efficient than one that depends on the principle that warm air rises: it can send heat where needed and keep temperatures steady. So it provides comfort at lower furnace temperatures than its predecessor and burns less fuel. The heating unit or furnace may use oil or gas, a heating pump or an electric resistance coil. Most forced-warm-air heating systems humidify, or can be modified to do so and generally can be adapted to cool the house in summer. Cooling may be achieved simply by opening a panel to circulate basement air throughout the house or, more elaborately, by utilizing the ducts and blower in conjunction with a central air conditioner. Despite its versatility, the forced-warm-air heating system is so simple in construction and operation that the owner can deal with most of the problems that may occur.

How heating air circulates
The heating furnace, containing both the burner and the blower, is topped by a chamber called the warm-air plenum. This leads to a long main supply duct that feeds into branch ducts, which in turn supply openings called warm-air registers that release heated air into each room.
Dampers inside the main and branch ducts can be adjusted by lever handles to balance the flow, so that each register receives the desired quantity of warm air (page 312). Each register also has a damper to regulate air flow. Warm air flows upward from these registers (wavy arrows). Cooler, heavier air drops to the floor and flows through return air grilles to a return air duct leading back to the furnace. A small two-story house usually has one return grille per story. Larger homes may have return grilles in each room.

How a forced-air heating furnace works
Heating furnace, designed for a gas or an oil burner (not shown), circulating air enters at the bottom, where a filter traps dirt. The blower forces the air up into a compartment called a heating exchanger, which contains metal passageways heated to temperatures of several hundred degrees by combustion gases rising inside. The passageway exteriors heating the circulating air as the blower forces it past and on into the warm-air plenum of the network of ducts. A fan-and-limit control switches the heating blower off and on, and turns off the burner if circulating-air temperature rises too high. The combustion gases, which do not mix with circulating air, escape through a stack to the chimney. A forced-air heating system that included a heat pump would contain a second heat exchanger in the return air duct. The humidifier, which moisturizes dry air, also enhances the heating systems efficiency because people feel more comfortable at lower temperatures in moist air than in dry air. It operates on the same principle.

Professional Plumber’s guidance on the way to troubleshoot and take care of a electric or gas hot water heater

Water heater difficulties normally become very clear very quickly! A hot water faucet fails to summon hot water, you see dripping or puddles near the water heater, or the tank emits strange gurgling or popping sounds.

Though many gas utility companies will make a free house call to solve difficulties with a gas water heater’s burner or the gas supply to the tank, it helps to know how to solve basic outages yourself. For more difficult issues, contact a qualified local hot water heater repair person.

Typical water heater complications include a leaking tank, not enough hot water, water that is too hot, water that is not hot enough, strange noises in the tank, and discolored water. Most water heater problems are easier to diagnose and relatively easy to handle if you understand how they work. For more about this, see How a Storage Water Heater Works.

Note: Leaking natural gas can be dangerous. If you smell natural gas (it smells a bit like garlic) near the water heater, shut off the pilot light, close the gas shutoff valve, and call a plumber or your gas utility company for assistance. See our information on gas leaks.

How to Flush & Drain a Water Heater
Before draining and flushing your water heater, turn off the gas or electric power (depending on whether it is a gas or electric water heater) and let the water cool a little. Close the incoming water valve and attach a hose to the drain valve to run the water into a large bucket or to a drain or the outdoors.

Open the drain valve and open one hot water faucet somewhere in the house to let in air. When all water has drained from the water heater, turn the cold water valve on and off until the water from the drain runs clear. Then close the drain valve and the hot water faucet, open the cold water valve, and turn the water back on.

This is also a good time to test the temperature-pressure relief valve, which keeps pressure in the boiler from building up too much. Lift or lower its handle. Water should drain from the overflow pipe.

Water heater tips
* Always disconnect power to an electric water heater before working on it.

* Set the temperature control to about 150 degrees F. or lower if you have no dishwasher or if you have small children or elderly people in the home who might scald themselves for safety reasons.

* Do not work on an electric water heater if there is standing water pooled on the floor near the appliance. Shut off the circuit to the water heater and call a professional plumber..

* To minimize the energy it takes to heat the water, insulate your water pipes if they run a long way from your heater to your faucets. Also consider installing a point-of-use water heater.