FAQ

  • General

    • How Can I Save Money On My Utility Bills?
      • Having your equipment serviced and cleaned annually really does help. Dirty equipment runs hotter and harder which causes it to use more energy as well as wear out the equipment faster.
      • Another suggestion is to change to a programmable or wireless thermostat. When you have the temperature change automatically to a more efficient setting when you are gone and then a comfortable setting when you are home. There are a large variety of thermostats out there that can give you a wide range of how many programs you can enter depending on your needs. If interested in a wireless thermostat some utility companies are currently offering rebates for those. If you want to change out your thermostat please give us a call and we can help you with that.
      • Changing the filter on the equipment. Having a clean filter helps the unit run a lot more efficient. The more efficient the equipment runs the less energy it will require to do the work.
      • Check your registers. If they are covered or closed that will cause your air flow to be less efficient, which will actually make you unit work harder.
      • Sometimes, just upgrading your units to a high efficiency furnace and air conditioner will greatly help. Please contact us if you are interested in changing to high efficiency units.
    • Can I Close Registers In The Rooms I Don't Use In Order To Get Better Air Flow In The Rooms I Do Use?

      The short answer is no. If your equipment is sized correctly for the size of the house it takes all rooms into consideration. You can close them slightly so to decrease a little bit of the air but if you shut them off completely you will cut down the air flow. This can lead to a variety of problems including causing your AC unit to freeze up, the blower motor to go out, and generally your unit running more frequently which wears it out quicker. We recommend running your blower in the “on” position to help mix your air and even out you whole home. If you have an older furnace with a standard efficiency motor we recommend upgrading your furnace to a high efficiency blow motor.

    • What Can I Do If My House Is Too Dry During The Winter?

      The best way to deal with a dry house is to install a whole house humidifier. We sell Aprilaire and Honeywell Whole House Humidifiers. They attached right to your duct work to keep you comfortable all year long.

    • Does My Water Heater Require Any Maintenance?

      Most manufacturers recommend you drain your water heater annually to help flush out any minerals that have settle in the bottom of the tank.

  • Thermostat

    • How Often Should I Change The Batteries On My Thermostat?
      • We recommend that you change them at least once a year. We suggest do them the same time you are changing your smoke detector batteries. Or if your low battery light comes on, whichever comes first.
    • What Is The Best Thermostat?
      • That completely depends on your needs.

      If you are interested in changing your thermostat out please give Oehl Plumbing Heating Electric & Air Conditioning Inc a call so we can help you with that.

      1. Some people are happy with a non-programmable thermostat where they manually adjust the temperature every time they need to.
      2. A lot of people prefer the programmable thermostats. There are many options of programmable thermostats that give you a variety of times that you can set it to change the temperature on a set schedule. This helps lower your utility bill by changing the temperature when you are not home to use it.
      3. The new "things" are the wireless thermostats. These are nice because they are programmable, usually have an app that you change link to your phone to change the temp, and now there are some that learn your living habits and changes things accordingly. This also helps lower your utility bill by changing the temperature when you are not home to use it. Also, there are currently rebates available from certain utility companies if you do decide to switch to a wireless thermostat.

  • Filters

    • How Often Should I Change My Furance And AC Filter?
      • That really depends on the filter; there are many sizes and styles. Some can last up to 6 months while others are only designed to last 30 to 90 days. You also need to keep in mind how your environment affects your filter. Examples of this include number of people living in the house, pets, smoking, etc. We recommend checking your filter every month and changing when needed. If there is any doubt we suggest changing it. A clean filter is a very vital part of keeping your unit running efficiently.
    • What Filters Should I Buy?
      • The first thing to consider is the size. If you buy the wrong size it will not fit properly and it will allow air to flow around it. The second thing to consider is the density. You need a density that will stop hair and dust particles to move through but not block the air flow.

  • Furnace

    • How Often Should I Have My Furnace Serviced?
      • We recommend it get serviced and inspected every year. We suggest doing this in the fall before it gets cold. There are many parts to a furnace that can get dirty or worn out, which can cause failure when you need it most.

  • Sump Pumps

    • How Often Should I Have My Sump Pump Checked?

      We recommend getting it checked every spring before the rain starts.

    • Do I Need To Have A Battery Backup Or A Water Flow Style Backup Sump Pump?
      • We recommend a battery backup as we can lose power during large storms. It is always a good idea to have a system in place to prevent damage to your home especially if you have a finished basement.
      • A water flow backup system is a good idea for communities that have a water tower. The reason behind this is if the power goes out you should have plenty of water to operate this system. But when cross connection to a city water utility you must have a R.P.Z. backflow system installed. This will also need to be tested for an annual fee and submitted to the local utility company.
    • Advantages To Some Sump Pumps
      • Most have alarms that will let you know that something has failed to help alert you of an issue, hopefully before your basement floods
      • Some systems can even dial up to 5 phone numbers to let you know that there is an issue. We recommend if you have this feature to include us on your call list so we can come and check it out.
    • How Often Should I Replace A Battery Backup On My Sump Pump
      • We recommend they get replaced every three or four years.

  • Air Conditioners

    • How Often Should I Have My AC Serviced?
      We recommend having your AC serviced and cleaned annually. We suggest in the Spring before it gets too hot. You AC unit take a lot of abuse from the elements and should be checked every year.
    • Do I Need To Cover My Outside AC Unit In The Winter?
      This depends on your area. Covering your AC unit can help keep outside elements like leaves out. Something you need to keep in mind is that it also keeps the moisture in. Excess moisture can cause the unit to start to rust which will cause the unit to wear out quicker.
    • How Often Should I Charge My AC Unit?
      Your AC should be a sealed unit so it should never need to be charged. If you need to have it charged there could possibly be a leak. The correct charge is vital to the life and efficiency of the AC unit. Please call us today if you think you may need to be charged. We will look over your unit and discuss the best options moving forward.
    • How Can I Tell If My AC Is Froze Up?

      If there is ice on the AC coil or the outside unit.

    • What Do I Do If It Is Frozen Up?

      If you notice your AC is frozen up, shut off your AC unit and leave the fan running on your furnace. Then call us to schedule a repair appointment.

  • Garbage Disposals

    • Garbage Disposals Quick Reminders:
      • Make sure you are running plenty of water while running the garbage disposal
      • They are designed for when you are scraping plates and small amounts of food
      • They are not designed to handle all types of foods
      • Most drain backups are during the holidays when people host family gatherings and try to put too much food through their garbage disposal
    • What Are Some Food That Should NOT Be Ran Through A Garbage Disposal:
      • Pasta
      • Egg shells
      • Vegetable and potato peelings
      • Celery
      • Bones
    • My Garbage Disposal Is Not Working:
      • There is a reset button usually on the bottom of the garbage disposal. Things that cause it to shut down:
        1. Getting old
        2. Not enough usage
        3. Overloading it
        4. Overheating it
      • If this happens regularly it is time to look into getting a new garbage disposal. Please give Oehl Plumbing Heating Electric & Air Conditioning Inc a call to get a new garbage disposal installed.
    • Ways To Clean My Garbage Disposal:
      • Fill the garbage disposal up with ice and running it will help clean the blades and the inside of the garbage disposal. After doing this it is a good idea to fill your sink up with water and run your garbage disposal while draining, we recommending doing this step a couple of times.
      • Cut an orange in half, then put it in the garbage disposal without the water running. The reasoning for this the acid in the orange gets rid of unwanted odors and smells as well as leaving it nice citrus smell. After doing this it is a good idea to fill your sink up with water and run your garbage disposal while draining, we recommending doing this step a couple of times.
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