D'Spain Sales and Service Blog : Archive for September, 2015

Is R-22 Refrigerant Still Available?

Tuesday, September 29th, 2015

The cooling industry has been under mandates since the early 1990s to make air conditioning products more environmentally-friendly. One of the biggest aspects of these mandates is phasing out the use of R-22 refrigerant, most often known by its brand name Freon. Since discovering that Freon emits a great deal of greenhouse gases, changes have been underway to permanently phase-out the chemical. While it is still currently available, it will no longer be available after January 1, 2020.

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3 Things That Will Happen After Your Air Conditioner Is Professionally Maintained

Monday, September 28th, 2015

Our daytime heat isn’t slowing down all that much in Helotes, but our evenings are relatively comfortable. But the bottom line is that most homeowners are still needing their air conditioning systems around the clock, and we have a long cooling season here. The fall equinox reminds us that another season is upon us, but more importantly that it’s time to once again maintain our properties, and this includes the bi-annual maintenance of your air conditioning system.

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When Was the Last Time Your Generator Was Maintained?

Monday, September 21st, 2015

You have a whole home generator for a reason: to keep your home safe, secure and operational during a power outage. For some, keeping the power on is critical for medical reasons. But you may not have the power you need if your generator hasn’t been professionally maintained, and that isn’t good for you or your home. The electrical experts at D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc., are here to help with all of your electrical needs, including generator maintenance. If it’s been more than 12 months since your generator in Fredericksburg has been properly maintained, then it’s time to give us a call.

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Too Much Lime Scale on Your Faucets? It May Be Time for a Water Softener

Monday, September 14th, 2015

Many homeowners and ranch owners in our area use water that comes straight from a well. Well water is just as healthy as municipal water, and some people prefer it over municipal water because they don’t like some of the treatment additives that are in municipal water. One of the reasons municipal water is treated is to reduce the effects of high mineralization. As water travels over rocks and through the ground, it picks up mineral ions. These ions are fine for you and me, but when highly mineralized water runs through your plumbing, the mineral ions can attach to the pipes and water outlets, forming a hard, white crust known as scale. When enough scale builds up in your pipes, around your faucets and on your shower heads, the water flow can become restricted, causing systemic problems.

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What Is a GFCI Outlet?

Monday, September 7th, 2015

Like all other systems in the home, residential electrical systems have come a long ways since their inception. One of the problems with older electrical systems is that many were never grounded properly. Ungrounded electrical outlets and connections can be very dangerous and cause serious harm to both the inhabitants of a home and the home itself. Newer homes – those homes built in the 1970s and forward – typically have grounded outlets, but many houses built prior to that do not. A grounded outlet is a special type of outlet known as a GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) and it helps keep your home and you safe from electrical shock.

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Ways Zone Control Is Good for Both Heating and Cooling

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2015

Have you gotten so frustrated with the battle over the thermostat that you’ve considered putting a lock box around it? Finding a single setting to make everyone in your home happy is pretty much impossible – but not when you have zone control in your home. A zone control system allows everyone in your home to enjoy the temperature of his/her choice in each zone, ending the battle over the thermostat and taking the stress off your HVAC system as the thermostat switch goes up and down. But to understand how a zone control system helps both your heating and cooling, you need to understand what the system is and how it works.

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