Month: September 2021

Even brand-new construction can have its plumbing issues, hopefully ones that aren’t severe like a toilet that’s running or a garbage disposal that’s already getting clogged. The same goes for a newly-purchased home, one that may have passed inspection for the major issues, but could still use a bit of care from a plumbing company that has an eye for detail. At Tioga Contractors of Bedford, TX, we’d like to be your plumbing company when you need help with your home, whether you just purchased it or you’ve been living in it for decades.

We can help in several ways, the first being fast response when you have leaks, clogs, and other potential or actual emergencies. Next, we’re here to inspect your plumbing and note areas that might need updates or that could cause trouble in the near future. And perhaps your favorite and ours, we can upgrade your fixtures, remodel your bathroom and kitchen, and provide other ways to make your home more your own, and up-to-date with all the wonderful plumbing improvements that are now available. After all, from voice-controlled and touchless faucet controls to in-line water heaters right by your kitchen sink, there are lots of ways our plumbing company can make your life more enjoyable as well as solve your troubles.

Master Bathroom Upgrades

Many homeowners like to have their own bathroom just the way they want it, with fixtures and decor that’s uplifting and enjoyable. These days, there are many great options that our plumbing company can install for showers that provide broader spray coverage and strong jets without using a lot of water, which makes the morning start well even before that cup of coffee. Modern raised sink bowls with touchless faucet controls save water and add convenience, along with avoiding the issues that twist-style faucet handles had. Paddle-style faucet controls are an excellent upgrade, and ceramic washers eliminate leaks and servicing that rubber washers once required. Some couples start the day together with dual sinks and vanities as well. Upgrading your master bathroom’s toilet is also a great idea, whether it’s with a bidet, pressure flush, or other water-saving and comfort features.

Leak Detection to Find Hidden Problems

Leaks in the walls or under the floor, including the basement, can be hard to notice in a routine inspection. If you suspect problems and observe signs over time such as a slight mold smell near walls or damp spots emerging, our leak detection equipment allows us to inspect the insides of pipes and listen for the ultrasonic sounds of leaks without breaking through the walls or floor, especially the concrete basement floor. If we confirm a problem, then we can also find the target location for repairs and catch it, likely before it causes substantial damage inside your walls or in your rooms.

Water Softener for Quality Water and Pipe and Appliance Longevity

Mineral levels in local water can cause corrosion in pipes and appliances such as water heater tanks, along with issues with scaling or mineral accumulation and poor shampoo and soap performance. Our plumbing company can provide water softener or filter equipment and maintain your existing equipment if it hasn’t been serviced recently. This can help avoid problems such as pipe leaks and premature water heater tank failure. We can also help maintain the water heater.

Water Heater Maintenance

Our plumbers can inspect and evaluate the condition of your water heater, replace the anode rod, check the pressure valve, and perform adjustments and maintenance as needed for good operation. If you don’t know the history of the unit, this can bring you up to proper standards of operation and help your water heater serve you well for the rest of its lifetime. If your home has a tankless water heater system, the serviced components are somewhat different but we’re glad to help with cleaning the vents, checking and cleaning or replacing the filter and heating element, making sure the control board and sensors are working properly and making sure you’re ready for another year of plentiful hot water.

A Few Plumbing Precautions

If your home doesn’t already have them, we highly recommend water hammer arrestors on your appliances to prevent plumbing and appliance damage, and a set of woven stainless steel hoses for your washing machine to eliminate concerns of rubber hose failure and flooding. These are common maintenance items that are very helpful in avoiding major trouble.

Frozen Pipe Prevention

In recent years, it pays to insulate and relocate pipes to avoid freezing, and to replace exterior hose bibbs and faucets with four-season ones. Our plumbing company does surveys of area houses to locate any risk of freezing pipes so they can be handled appropriately, or so the owner is aware that they should be drained and shut off in case of extra cold weather such as we’ve seen in recent years.

Water Pressure Check

High water pressure coming into your home can be rough on your pipes and appliances, and low water pressure is a sign of trouble that could lead to backflow that contaminates your home’s water supply pipes. Our plumbing company provides water pressure checks, pressure regulator valves if necessary and maintenance for these valves if present, and help with addressing low water pressure including identifying local water supply issues and boil notices currently in effect that you should be aware of.

Tioga Contractors of Bedford, TX, Your Professional Plumbing Company

Our team has some of the area’s top plumbers in various specialties, ready to serve you when you need a home plumbing inspection, quick check-offs on your faucet and fixture to-do list, leak detection and repair, and drain cleaning and sewer assistance. Our plumbing company looks forward to helping you with your new home or updating your long-time residence and providing you with expert plumbing in the years to come. Give us a call and get to know us.

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A drain cleaning service company provides a highly sought-after service year-round. The plumber that comes to a home knows all there is to know about pipes and drains. They go the extra mile to ensure their customers’ satisfaction by getting to know them and the schedule they would like to keep when it comes to cleaning their drains.

This guide is one that you’ll come back to frequently. It provides you with lots of inspiration about drain cleaning. Never needing to have your drains cleaned in the past puts you at a slight disadvantage. You can easily tackle the situation by learning all that you can by reading what we’ve written here. It gives you lots of advice to choose from so that you don’t have problems later on with your drains because you didn’t have them cleaned frequently enough.

How to Select the Right Company to Give Your Business to Right Away

There are several ways to find plumbers that do drain cleaning, including online resources and in-person options. You don’t need to venture outdoors to learn more about a company if you don’t want to do so. You can get onto an internet-enabled device and do a web search. What you can achieve in seconds online may take longer to do when you ask someone you know for advice.

Even better, you can refer to the company’s website while on the internet and read reviews left by customers in Irving, TX. It’s a way of receiving an introduction to a drain cleaning service provider without calling them on the phone. You’ll have a very good idea of how the company treats you once you’ve taken the time to read through a site full of reviews. Some will be full of praise while others may have suggestions on improving a company’s services.

What Makes a Plumbing Company Incredible

Many things make a plumbing company ideal for working with today. The first is how it makes its customers feel. When you find a company that’s exceptional at what it does, you’ll know it from the second you give it a call. You feel the difference in how a customer-centered company treats you.

Things to remember when you hire a company for drain cleaning service for the first time:

  • The best companies are professional from the minute you first call them to inquire about their services. When you reach out to a company with your request for drain cleaning, you want to know that your call gets top priority. You don’t want to wait around for the plumber to clean the drains so you can stop worrying about clogs and flooding. There’s nothing worse than knowing you’ll have an out-of-town company without a working toilet or sink.
  • The plumber possesses knowledge and skills that can make your household run smoother. Get to know what they have to say about your experience. The professional makes it easier for you to avoid some of the biggest problems with drains and homes. Watching where your trees grow is imperative. It takes one root to destroy your water line by growing into a pipe and blocking a drain. As the roots expand, the pipe busts to make space for it to grow. It’s something that you don’t worry about until it happens. That’s why you should always prepare for a service call long before you need the service.
  • The company is more than willing to set you up with a schedule for regular drain cleaning. Get the help you deserve when you need it most thanks to the plumber who doesn’t let a single detail escape them. Drain cleaning service is something that everyone needs at one point or another. When you set up a regular drain cleaning service, you know what happens? You get to avoid many of the costly repairs that take place because people go through life unprepared. The more time you spend working with the best professional for drains, the better capable you are of detecting a problem with your plumbing before it grows in size.
  • The plumber gives you advice worth following, so you save yourself time and money. Worth its weight in gold, what a professional tells you to do about your drains is well worth the cost of a visit. They help you come up with ways to prevent future plumbing problems. In doing so, they make it, so you save lots of money throughout your lifetime.

What makes a drain cleaning service company in Irving, TX ideal? It depends on who you ask. When you reach out to a professional with your request for assistance with your drains, you’ll find that some companies stand out more than others. Their plumbers are exceptional t what they do and have the reputations to show for it.

Now that you know what makes the best companies in the area stand out, it’s time to reach out to the plumber of your choice for drain cleaning services. When you find that particular company that you can’t live without, you’ll tell everyone you know to use its services. Plumbers love it when you recommend them to your family and friends. Word-of-mouth advertising helps companies reach more people in less time.

Drain Cleaning Today Prevents Future Problems with Clogs

Tioga Contractors in Irving, TX makes your life easier by providing you with excellent drain cleaning services year-round. Call us at 817-252-4173 We provide emergency plumbing services for those times where you can’t wait until morning to contact us. Let us know what we can do to make things less stressful for you with our plumbing repairs.

When you invest in drain cleaning services, something important takes place. You can avoid many of the problems that occur with clogs and blockages in the future. You’ll easily tackle the issues that commonly take place in homes with drains with greater ease. Our plumbers provide you with sound advice that makes your life much easier to deal with going forward.

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Even what you can see of your home’s drain pipes looks a lot like a roller coaster ride, doesn’t it? There are specific reasons why your drain pipes roll, twist, tilt, and slide from floor to floor, and why they connect to rooftop vents and big sewer pipes in the ways that they do, with special access for servicing and controls for your water supply that become really important when you have drain problems as well as high-pressure leaks. At Tioga Contractors in Bedford, TX, our plumbers design, install, and repair these complex pipe structures and we understand the subtleties of how they work. When we’re installing new plumbing for remodeling or renovation, or chasing down a particularly elusive drain blockage, our experience as skilled plumbing professionals helps you get the most from your plumbing with the least amount of hassle.

Drain Power Is the Power of Gravity

If you want to find out how drains work without gravity, check out the design of toilets on the International Space Station. We’re fortunate to be able to count on wastewater flowing through our homes down the various pipes across and between floors and down to our home’s sewer line. Of course, it’s when there are blockages working against gravity that we start to have drain problems, as the water and waste flowing downward reach an obstacle and slow or stop. This can lead to water continuing on and waste building up into a clog over time, or just a general stop if the blockage is too big. Sometimes it’s more like a beaver’s dam, a mesh of materials that allows water to seep through but not much else, and slowly at that. If the blockage is organic, it may decay over time. If it’s plastic, thick wipes, diaper material, and the like, it’s going to need some help.

The Plumbing Vent’s Part

In addition to the downward flow of material, your plumbing system needs air to be pulled in through the vent for balance. If for some reason your vent gets blocked, it could resist the pull of gravity and not allow your wastewater to flow freely down until more air gets let in. That’s why our plumbers will sometimes look for a vent problem instead of just a clog down the line, because their experience tells them where in this complicated system to find the issue.

Helping Your Drains By Sticking to Organic

Ideally, what flows down your toilet should be toilet tissue and human waste. Everything else gets thrown out or composted. That means no wipes, diapers, Q-tips, cotton balls, or synthetic substitutes, no bulky food, especially rice or pasta, and so on. And definitely no kitty litter, especially the clumping variety. Remember, the toilet may look like a bigger opening, but it goes looping around inside as well, and things can get stuck, taking a plumber to dig around and break them free. The loops help protect against sewer gas escaping through toilets and drains, so they’re everywhere. Remember, just organic in the toilet and sink, and try to avoid grease and fats, too, since they make great clog material, especially with hair.

Fancy Junctions Like Your Garbage Disposal and Dishwasher

Sometimes the drain plumbing is connected in ways that take a plumber to figure out, like the connections between your kitchen sink, garbage disposal, and dishwasher, with a small vent up on your countertop to help avoid backup from one to the other. When those get clogged, you can get strange effects like sink waste popping up into your dishwasher. It’s important to call your plumber if that happens, or if you’re clogging the garbage disposal and running the dishwasher at the same time.

Backups Between Nearby Drains

Another time that junctions can cause strange issues is when you have multiple fixtures on the same wall, on either side such as in back-to-back bathrooms, or in the same room. You may find that a clog in just the right spot causes downward motion like flushing to push back up through another drain, and other misbehavior that can require a plumber to figure out. Remember the health issues involved in drain backups, and make sure that you avoid overflow which can damage the subfloor of your bathroom requiring significant work to repair.

Sewer Line Backups

Larger scale backups occur when your sewer line gets clogged, which can be the cumulative result of getting away with flushing wipes and other materials that made it down fairly clean pipes and then piled up in the sewer. There’s a lot of talk about how these problems occur on a huge scale in city sewers, and the work it takes to break up the piles of material and remove them from the sewers. When your sewer isn’t flowing freely, you may experience backup through your basement drains, which is a clue, especially if you have several down there and they’re all backing up. Problems can extend upward to other sinks and toilets if things get really bad. At the first sign of trouble, your plumber can use video inspection and other techniques to locate your drain and sewer issues and make a plan.

Drain Cleaning Service to Reset Your Pipes

A full drain cleaning service annually helps keep your pipes clear so that problems are less likely to occur. Our plumbers inspect, clean, hydro jet if appropriate, and otherwise clean out whatever has been gathering in your pipes. It could mean fewer drain backup visits later!

Your Plumbing and Drain System Experts in Bedford, TX

We’re Tioga Contractors in Bedford, TX, providing professional plumbing services, leak detection, and expert drain cleaning and diagnosis. Our plumbers have the skill and experience to locate the source of drain problems wherever they are and apply effective resolution so you won’t be stuck in an unnecessary cycle of repeated calls for the same drain. Give us a call today and get the best working on your home’s plumbing.

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Does your home have decorative electric features, automatic doors, shades, and windows, and other unique electrical components? Some are great conversation pieces or set the mood, like electric fireplaces, while others like electric windows can be convenient for many families and essential for those with limited mobility. There’s so much more to discover, once you start looking for ways to improve your home and make it safer with an electrician’s help. Tioga Contractors in Irving, TX combines creativity with electrical excellence to help homeowners make the most of their environment at home with lighting, access to electricity where it’s needed which is almost everywhere these days, upgrades to power sources and management, and protective devices that help make home wiring and power safer.

Electric Fireplace in Your Family Room

For a beautiful, realistic fire display and localized heat without all the wood chopping and chimney cleaning, an electric fireplace is a great addition to your gathering space where the family can gather and relax, especially on a chilly winter evening. Since the fireplace provides real electric heat, you can use it for comfort while you let the rest of the house drop down to good sleeping temperatures. Our electrical professionals can run the wiring and add a new circuit to your power panel if needed. If you have other comforts to enjoy such as a massage chair, let our skilled electricians install convenient power outlets nearby, rather than running cords to the wall which can create a hazard.

Video Projector and Flush Mount Audio Speakers

If you’d rather have your home theater equipment out of sight when it’s not in use, you can use a ceiling mount video projector, available in high resolution with bright pictures, along with an automatic screen, closet rack-mounted AV component collection, and flush-mounted sound that can be amazingly good, even supporting modern multipoint audio formats. Our electricians can do the wiring for you to support your systems with in-wall runs meeting electrical code for both power and low-voltage wires, spaced appropriately and terminated at the convenient wall or floor plates.

Automatic Window Shades and Windows

A popular part of smart home energy management, automatic window shades can keep the sunlight from heating your home during the day that requires more air conditioning power to fight it. They can also open wide for sun on chilly days, and of course, operate by remote control for those who enjoy or need the ability to adjust their environment without getting up. Power windows are also a great convenience for controlling ventilation and letting a few birdsongs in during morning hours, shutting to preserve your cooling during hot summer days. Our expert electricians can provide the wiring you need to support these and other special features, and add any circuits you need to support them.

Lighting Strategies, Indoor and Outdoor

Flexible, lower-wattage LED and other lighting systems provide great ways to illuminate your home and even control fixtures and bulbs remotely. You can easily arrange separate lighting for a reading nook in your family room, elegant lighting in your dining room, convenient workspace lights in your kitchen, and motion-sensing lights for your entryway. Outdoors, when you’re expecting guests you can provide accent lights on your home to guide them in, driveway and walkway lighting for safety, and wiring for a video doorbell as well. Our electricians can run weather-safe power to support your design.

Patio or Pool Power and Sound

Power on your outdoor spaces such as your patio, gazebo or pergola, and poolside is convenient but requires the specialized knowledge of a professional electrician to install properly. In-ground wiring should be properly enclosed with the correct type of wire, protected against moisture. Any outlets should have weatherproof covers and required GFCI protection to avoid the increased risk of shock when power and moisture are near to each other. Our electricians can also run audiovisual wiring to provide ambient sound by the pool or patio, and connections for outdoor video and sound gear to create a home theater under the stars.

Special Wiring for Home Offices

Remote work from home requires a lot of electronic equipment for most people, but a typical office space in a home doesn’t have much of the necessary wiring. Our electricians can install more outlets and quad units to double the wall plugs, helping you to avoid using extension cords and power strips. If you’re using power strips for surge protection, why not simply have us install whole-house surge protection and lightning arrestor? That way, your sound system, TV, and kids’ electronics are all included in the protection.

Kitchen Electronics

There’s a battle for kitchen outlets these days between smart displays for recipe reading, kitchen TVs, smart speakers, charging stations for phones, cordless telephone stations, and oh, yes, appliances used for cooking such as blenders and countertop cookers. Our team can come up with a plan to add outlets and circuits if needed, arrange and space them for convenience, and wire for wall mounting some items such as smart displays. As time passes, you’ll probably have more smart appliances to add to the mix, so why not get ready?

Smart Home Equipment and Panels

Throughout your home, smart speakers, video displays, and other smart home equipment help control lighting, get information, and communicate with the family. You can even answer your door and see who’s there with some gear, but it all requires a place to plugin. Let our experts provide the wiring and outlets for smart home equipment.

Your Full-Service, Creative Electrician in Irving, TX

Tioga Contractors in Irving, TX have the professional skills to handle even the high-power wiring you need for EV charging stations and shop equipment, along with the wiring skill to run your wiring for outlets, audio, video, and networks carefully, professionally, and out of sight. If you have a project in mind or need some ideas, give us a call and we’ll be glad to help.

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The home building boom in Hurst, TX and the Tarrant County area began in earnest in the 1950s, took off in the 1960s, and continued to peak until well past the turn of the millennium when it dropped off. How many in the first waves of these homes have upgraded their electrical wiring since then? What kind of wiring did they have originally? And how many homeowners in the area still have old wiring, fuses, and two-pronged outlets, no GFCI, and other remnants of the past? In many cases, step-by-step upgrades can at least add some important features such as grounded outlets and GFCI protection in kitchens and bathrooms, additional outlets in rooms with many devices needing power, and perhaps a switchover to circuit breakers from fuses. An electrical inspection is an excellent way to find out where you stand and what priorities are suggested for homeowners like yourself, and when you talk with one of our electricians at Tioga Contractors who serve the Hurst, TX area, they can offer ideas of how to actually improve your lifestyle with electrical upgrades, for example in ways other homeowners in the area have done.

Safety, Convenience, and Quality of Life

Electricity is a leading cause of home fires and has the ability to injure people who come into contact with it accidentally. It’s also a great source of convenient services from internet searches to dishwashing and cool induction stovetops. You can rely on our electrical service team to help you sort out the risks and dangers and make sure that you have easy access to power where it’s convenient for you. With electrical inspections, upgrades, and new installations for outdoor lighting, kitchen remodeling, and other exciting changes, there’s a lot our electrical team can do to help improve your quality of life.

Electrical Panel Upgrades

The heart of your home’s electrical system as well as its expansion and upgrade potential is your electrical panel. A typical panel has typically been designed to last for 25 to 40 years, but in modern times things are changing more quickly. Our electrical service team can tell you whether yours is up to date, has concerns that should be addressed, or still has fuses and really needs to be brought into the 21st century. There are two important considerations for your electrical service: ensuring that you have enough power coming into your home for all your needs and reasonable future expansion and making sure that you have enough space in your breaker box to add more breakers and with them, new circuits when you need them around your home. If you have specific power needs such as EV charging, workshop 240 Volt power, and backup power from a generator, our electrical service specialists can help you design your panel to meet those needs.

Wiring Replacement

There are several reasons that your wiring might need replacing, including outdated wires that are starting to show their age and risk short circuits and other hazards, the aluminum wire that may work fine, but is outdated and has many risks when spliced or used with modern outlets, and wires that were improperly installed such as 15 Amp wires handling a 20 Amp circuit. Our electrical service team can help address specific problems with your wiring as well as a general need to upgrade if your wiring is old and worn, affected by animals or other damage, or made of materials that including the conductor and the insulation that need to be replaced. Our electrical service experts may also recommend changes in wiring that are not up to code, for example, the unprotected wire that’s run outdoors or underground incorrectly, staple to beams, or otherwise risky.

Outlet Modernization

If your outlets only have space for a two-bladed plug, perhaps not even one that’s “polarized” with one blade slightly wider than the other, you’re probably doing all sorts of things to adapt. In the years since your home was built, electricians have been installing grounded outlets for safety and GFCI outlets where water is nearby to provide an extra measure of protection against electrical shock. The newest innovation is child-resistant outlets that open only if two blades of a plug are inserted, not a single piece of metal such as a knife. New outlets in recently constructed homes are also spaced about six feet apart, providing plenty of places to plug in for most families and attempting to reduce or eliminate the unnecessary use of extension cords. Some folks have been buying grounded outlets as replacements when their old outlets break but installing them with only two wires so the ground protection feature isn’t actually available. That can be confusing since three holes in an outlet means “don’t worry, I’m grounded.” It’s important that your outlets be truly grounded for your protection, and our team can take care of it.

Safety Features to Add

In addition to GFCI protection devices that sense current flow that could indicate someone’s getting a shock and shut off, there are many other features we can add to your home’s wiring. Two popular ones are a whole-house lightning arrestor and a whole-house surge protector, covering all your home’s circuits instead of just the devices plugged into one of those box-store power strips. New AFCI breakers detect “arcing and sparking” issues and shut circuits down for fire prevention.

For All Your Electrical Service Needs, Your Local Hurst, TX Professional Electricians

Tioga Contractors electricians provide residential and commercial electrical service and have extensive experience with upgrading electrical service for homes in the area, so we know what’s in the walls of construction that took place in the area during each decade. Let us bring your home up to the current safety and fire protection code, add features that you’ll enjoy, and prepare your available power and circuits to meet your needs and add value to your home. Give us a call and arrange an electrical inspection of your home today.

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Not every power outage is a regional one or even citywide, though the area has seen some serious ones in recent years. More often, power outages are localized, affecting a few dozen or a few hundred customers and the result of problems at a transformer or substation where power is distributed to several neighborhoods. Your home is still dark, though, and repairs can take some time. At Tioga Contractors, our electrical service customers in Hurst, TX and other local areas can have a generator on standby in their backyard, ready to automatically switch on and provide power to keep their homes comfortable and running normally whether the outage is for hours or days. With the growing popularity of automatic backup generators for homeowners across the country, manufacturers have been adding remote monitoring, self-testing, and other features to make these small power plants more usable by homeowners whether or not they’re the hands-on types.

A Range of Generator Capacities

Generator capacities are measured in kilowatts or kW. Home-based models that our electrical service installs can be as little as 5 to 7.5 kW for essential residential needs, up to 20 or 22 kW and beyond for full replacement of your home’s incoming power lines, including your AC. These are units that are permanently installed and connected for automatic operation, there are manual units generally designed for portable use, supplying less than 1 kW. They can be used, but with different connection arrangements and important safety concerns to consider such as not running generator engines in or near your home or garage, and using only approved home wiring connection methods or weatherproof extension cords.

Transfer Switches

Using a transfer switch to substitute your backup generator for commercial power is the safest and most common way to connect backup power. Our electrical service provides the proper wiring and manual or automatic transfer switch device, allowing you to make the switch to generator power manually, or sit back and relax as the automatic switch identifies the loss of power, starts the generator, and switches your home over to backup power. With automatic power transfer and modern generator systems, you often have access to a rich assortment of features including status monitoring, repair and maintenance scheduling based on the calendar or identified unit needs, and smartphone app access to the monitoring information. Our electricians can help you take advantage of these generator features in addition to installing your system and automatic transfer switch.

Installation Process

Permanent installation of your backup generator requires the experience that our electrical service offers because once the footing is placed and the unit installed, it can be costly to address installation issues such as proper placement to limit engine exhaust risks, sound and vibration reduction, and neighborhood or community requirements. Better to get it done right the first time, and our electrical service has installed backup generators in many communities around the DFW area, so we know how to get the design, placement, and paperwork correct as well as take care of the technical details. Installation usually involves a concrete pedestal where the unit is mounted, along with wiring to your home’s electrical service and the transfer switch, because the unit will require power to keep the battery charged and ready to start the engine. You’ll probably want to run a network connection for some models that have hardwired networking capability, otherwise wireless is common. Then there’s your fuel supply.

Fuel Source

While small generators can run on gasoline or even their own set of batteries, most units that supply your home or small business use diesel, propane, or natural gas. Natural gas, when available, is convenient because there’s no tank that needs to be refilled. Diesel also has concerns about long-term storage and degradation of the product. Our electrical service team can provide information on local options for fuel sources, and during maintenance visits, the fuel system is part of the overall status check.

Operation

In most cases, your backup generator system will be configured by our electrical service team to start automatically and provide the power your home needs until commercial power returns. If your generator is designed to handle only part of your home’s electrical needs, we’ll either provide appropriate wiring to separate the loads, that is the equipment, lighting, and other devices that need power during an outage, and make sure that only they are connected to backup power. Some generator manufacturers are providing new ways to manage loads using controllers connected to individual devices such as the refrigerator and stove to connect and disconnect them according to your priorities. While your system is operating, if you have monitoring capabilities, you can check on your system’s status from indoors, an advantage during, particularly stormy weather. When commercial power returns, your system will disconnect and shut down.

Maintenance

The key to backup power is a well-maintained generator system. Our electrical service team performs expert maintenance, testing, and periodic checkups for your backup generator. They check and replace items as required, including filters, oil, spark plugs, and starting battery, make sure the internals of the unit are clean and in good shape, and your fuel supply is clean and flowing correctly. They’ll check engine operation, including occasional full runs to ensure it reaches the proper temperature and operates smoothly for a period of time. Some generators now include a self-test option that performs a short activation, starting the engine and monitoring operation for ten minutes once a week or some similar schedule. Maintenance is for the longevity and mechanical and electrical reliability of your generator, giving you peace of mind when power fails.

Backup Power for Your Family’s Lifestyle in Hurst, TX

At Tioga Contractors in Hurst, TX, our electrical service team has you covered for backup power. Ask us about our generator installation, maintenance, and repair services and the right units to meet your family’s power needs when your area has lost commercial power. Call us and learn more.

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Water lines are among the most-valued essential parts of the plumbing system because they carry clean water from the main municipal water supply into your household in Euless, TX.

Clean water is for cooking, drinking, washing dishes, laundry work, and almost all hygienic chores. The water lines are the input of your home’s plumbing system because they bring water in while the drainage system takes the water out.

Freshwater is the lifeline for the human body and makes life comfortable. However, the water lines are susceptible to damages and problems similar to other plumbing fixtures and fittings, hence the need for water line repair services to ensure peak efficiency of the pipes. Continue reading to find some of the causes of water line damage.

Corrosion

The water line can easily get damaged due to rusting. Steel pipes are more susceptible to rust if exposed to environments with high concentrations of mineral salts and ions.

The most common cause of corrosion is hard water coming from the municipal main water supply that has magnesium and calcium sulfates, carbonates, and bicarbonates.

Water lines buried underground can also rust if the surrounding soil has water, gases, and properties that support the corrosion of metals. The corroded pipes can lead to more plumbing problems, such as cracked or burst pipes.

So, corrosion can cause mild or severe plumbing issues that will need the skills and expertise of water line professionals to stop leakages and replace the corroded part of the pipe with plastic or concrete pipes, which are resistant to rust.

It is wise to request the water line contractor to upgrade all your water pipes from metal to non-corrosive pipes if you can afford it to avert having issues arising from rust.

Poor Installation of Water Lines

Poor installation could damage water lines in the long run. If a quack did the initial installation of pipes, you might need a water line repair contractor later in life because of the plumbing issues that arise from poor installation services.

A trained water line professional knows the appropriate sizes of fittings and materials that will make your pipes serve you for a long time without issues such as leakages due to mismatch.

Tree Intrusion

Trees planted close to water lines can cause tree intrusion issues. The tree roots are susceptible to penetrate old, fractured, or cracked underground pipes, causing more damage to the water lines and other plumbing fixtures in your house as the roots continue to extend.

The encroaching roots might start by contaminating the water flowing to your kitchen and bathroom, making it dirty. The unclean water is a sign of trouble in the pipes, which should compel you to call for water line repair services as soon as possible.

The plumbers will skillfully investigate the source of the issue and make a quick diagnosis for the repairs. The best solution to the problem will be to move the water pipes away from the tree or cut down the tree to prevent plumbing problems that might lead to a lack of water in your household.

The hired water line repair experts will use their knowledge and experience to advise you on the best permanent solution to tree encroachment problems that might save the tree you cherish and safeguard the much-needed water lines.

Freezing

Another cause of water line damages in your home in Euless, TX, might be frozen water pipes due to cold weather. Low temperatures make the water in the pipes expand, and with more pressure, they crack and burst open as the water continues to freeze.

Burst pipes are dangerous as they can cause severe water damage to your home, leaving you with costly repairs of structures, mold removal, and replacement of things damaged beyond repairs.

Contacting water line repair experts on time to handle the frozen pipes and other plumbing issues like burst pipes will help combat the flooding and water damages.

They will start by closing the main water supply, identify the frozen pipes, thaw them, and finally replace any damaged water pipes. Alternatively, you have to prepare for the winter season by having the water line repair professionals winterize and insulate all the water pipes that are likely to freeze due to low temperatures.

Mineral Deposit Build-Up

Households that receive hard water from the municipality can face mineral deposit issues in the water lines as time goes by. Hard water has magnesium and calcium particles, which build up in the pipes causing clogs.

If you are the type that does not hire water line repair contractors for maintenance and yet you receive the hard water, your pipes will accumulate a lot of mineral deposits that will build pressure, leading to cracks.

The fracture will eventually cause burst pipes that can flood your home. Therefore, contracting the repair technicians at least twice a year will save your water lines from clogs, leakages, cracks, and bursting pipes.

High Water Pressure

Waterline damages can also be due to high water pressure. The optimal water pressure appropriate for households in Texas should be way below 60 pounds per square inch.

Extremely high water pressure can make water pipes burst to cause unimaginable issues that might cause an arm and a leg to fix. If you notice the water pressure is too high, don’t hesitate to contact the nearest water line repair expert to diagnose and repair the problem because it might be due to a faulty pressure regulator.

But, if the high pressure is coming straight from the municipal line, the plumber might close the main water supply to your home as they report the problem.

Contact Us for Professional Services!

It is without a doubt that water lines are essential in your home and should always run smoothly. However, if you encounter any issues arising from the water pipes, call Tioga Contractors in Euless, TX. We are a full-service plumbing company with experienced water line repair experts that will solve all your water line issues and other plumbing problems.

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You rely on hot water for many daily tasks. Without hot water, you cannot shower, wash the dishes and clean your house properly. Also, if you have a washing machine or dishwasher in your home, these appliances won’t function properly if you have no hot water.

The best way to prevent a complete water heater breakdown and avoid a major disruption in your household is to schedule an appointment for water heater repair immediately after you suspect there is a problem. If you make the call right away, the issue can be repaired before it gets to the point where a repair isn’t possible.

If the water heater in your Bedford, TX home is experiencing any o the following issues, call a plumber specializing in water heaters right away.

#1 You Have No Hot Water

If you aren’t getting any hot water from the faucets and showerheads in your home, it is because your water heater isn’t keeping the water in the tank heated. If the water heater cannot do its job, you should schedule an appointment for water heater repair.

There are a few possible issues why your water heater isn’t keeping the water in the tank heated. Before you schedule an appointment and waste money on a service call, there are a few things you should check. If your water heater runs on gas or oil, make sure that the pilot is lit. In addition, make sure you have fuel in your oil tank or propane tank, and if you have gas from the city supply, make sure your bills have been paid. If you have an electric water heater, make sure it is getting power and that a circuit hasn’t tripped. If everything checks out, call a professional in water heater repair.

The most common reason why your water heater isn’t doing its job is faulty heating elements. If the heating elements aren’t working, the water in the tank won’t get hot.

When you call a professional in water heater repair, they will determine if the issue can be repaired or if replacing the unit is the best course of action.

#2 The Water Is Lukewarm

If you allow the hot water to run and it doesn’t get any hotter than lukewarm, there is an issue that may need to be checked by a plumber specializing in water heater repair. Before you call a plumber, check the setting on the water heater’s thermostat. It is recommended that you keep the thermostat set to 120 degrees. If it is set much lower than that, adjusting the temperature could solve the problem. If the thermostat is set correctly, schedule an appointment for a repair.

If the unit’s thermostat is faulty, the water won’t get as hot as you would like. There could also be a faulty heating element. If just one heating element is working, the unit won’t be able to heat the water adequately, resulting in lukewarm water coming from the taps in your home. A professional in water heaters can inspect the unit to figure out why your water isn’t getting hotter than lukewarm.

#3 You Keep Running Out Of Hot Water

Nothing can ruin your day more than running out of hot water in the middle of a shower. If this is frequently happening, there could be an issue with your water heater.

Before you schedule an appointment for water heater repair, you should think about how much hot water your family has been using. If someone new recently moved into your Bedford, TX home, your hot water demand will increase. The same is true if you recently installed a dishwasher or washing machine. If this is the case, your water heater isn’t broken; it just isn’t big enough to keep up with your hot water demand. You can install a unit with a larger tank or a tankless water heater that provides hot water on demand.

If your household circumstances haven’t changed, you will need to make an appointment for plumbing repair. When sediment builds up at the bottom of the tank, there will be less room for water storage, which could be the reason why you run out of hot water frequently. A professional in water heaters will determine if the water heater can be fixed or if you need to have a new one installed.

#4 Discolored Hot Water

Discolored water coming from the taps in your home is cause for alarm. If the water has a brown tint, there is likely rust contaminating the water. If your hot and cold water is discolored, your pipes have likely corroded and need to be replaced. If only the hot water is discolored, you will need to contact a professional in repairs.

When sediment builds up in the water tank, it can break apart, contaminating the hot water. It is not safe to use contaminated water; therefore, you should call a professional in water heater repair right away.

#5 Strange Sounds

A banging sound coming from the water heater in your Bedford, TX home is not normal, and you should call a plumber specializing in water heaters immediately.

When large pieces of sediment build up in the tank, they can bang against the sides. If you allow the problem to persist, the sediment can crack the water tank, causing a flood in your home.

It is best to call a professional in water heater repair as soon as the banging starts.

#6 Poor Hot Water Pressure

Poor water pressure is a very frustrating issue. Without adequate water pressure, simple tasks that require hot water will take longer than necessary. Also, your appliances that rely on hot water won’t function properly.

Poor hot and cold water pressure often signifies a leak in the waterline. If it is just the hot water pressure that is poor, the problem is with the water heater.

When sediment builds up in the unit, it can clog the water lines. A plumber specializing in water heater repair can try to clear the water lines, which will solve the problem. If the issue is severe and the waterlines cannot be cleared, you will have to replace your water heater.

#7 Moisture Or Leaks

There should never be moisture or water pooling around the water heater. If there is, it is an emergency, and you should call a professional in water heaters.

If there is a loose or disconnected hose, the water was spray from the hoses, causing moisture in the area. If you allow the problem to persist, you will have limited hot water, and water damage and mold growth are possible.

If there is water pooling around the unit, there could be a crack in the tank, which could flood your home.

When you schedule an appointment for water heater repair, the plumber will inspect the unit to find the source of the moisture so the issue can be resolved.

If you need to schedule an appointment for a repair, call Tioga Contractors. We are a family-owned and operated business that has been serving customers in the area since 1953.

If you have an issue and call when we aren’t open, we offer emergency service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

To schedule an appointment for water heater repair or any other plumbing service, give us a call at Tioga Contractors today.

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Many homeowners love solving problems in their homes on their own. However, it is worth noting that although there are some home improvement projects that you can handle on your own, you should never consider DIY when it comes to issues touching on your home’s electrical system. Whether you have a broken electrical appliance or damaged electrical fixture, you need the help of a professional electrician in Euless, TX such as Tioga Contractors. This is because handling some electrical issues on your own can be illegal and even lethal. Therefore, although some electrical jobs may seem deceivingly simple, here are some reasons hiring a professional is worth the money.

Safety

As you already know, handling high voltage electrical power is extremely dangerous. A single mistake could lead to severe electrical shocks and even electrocution. Of course, these are not problems you would like to deal with in your home. Therefore, for the sake of safety alone, it is imperative for you to hire a professional to help you handle every electrical issue in your house. Professionals have the necessary skills and experience to handle electrical issues without putting you and your family in danger. They also have the right gear and tools to ensure that nothing goes wrong. Last but not least, professionals know what needs to be done to ensure that your electrical system does not pose any serious safety hazards now and in the future. In other words, they will comply with the highest safety standards, and they will not leave exposed hanging wires or loose connections that might set your house on fire or hurt your family in any other way.

Licensing

As mentioned above, electrical jobs are not easy at all. A professional has to undergo many years of education and on-the-job training to be able to diagnose and fix a wide variety of electrical issues. It is only after this rigorous training and passing a series of tests that an electrician receives the license to operate. Therefore, if you are not a licensed electrical professional, there are a lot of things you don’t know about your electrical system, and therefore, trying to fix it on your own is going to be a big gamble. In fact, trying to fix some electrical issues on your own, even in your own house, could be illegal unless you are a licensed electrical professional. Therefore, if there are some property damages resulting from an electrical fault caused by your DIY electrical repair, your home insurance might refuse to cover the cost of fixing them.

Experience

Electrical jobs are technical in nature, and therefore, in addition to training, electricians need years of experience to do them correctly and efficiently. In fact, the skills of a professional will only get better with time as they get exposed to more and electrical problems. With experience, professionals are able to easily diagnose the various electrical issues you might be facing and offer effective, long-lasting solutions. They are also swift at their work, and therefore, an issue that could have ended up costing you a whole day or even several days might cost them only a few hours to fix. As such, it makes sense to hire an experienced electrician because their experience will help you solve your issue more expeditiously and consequently have more time for more important issues in your life.

Save Money

While some people try DIY projects as a way of passing time, others are purely trying to save money. However, when it comes to electrical matters, trying DIY can have the opposite effects. In other words, you might end up losing your money and spending more than you thought for several reasons. For instance, if you make an error with the wiring, you can end up damaging your electrical and electronic appliances. Besides, if you or your relative gets hurt when trying to fix an electrical issue, you might end up spending more on the necessary treatment. Last but not least, faulty wiring can cause a fire, which can lead to severe property damages. Therefore, by hiring a professional electrician, such as Tioga Contractors in Euless, TX, you can end up saving money indirectly.

Warranty

As mentioned above, even trying to fix your electrical issues on your own is not necessarily free. You still get to spend some money and time on it. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that the issue you are dealing with will be completely solved by your repairs. Therefore, you risk spending more resources on the same issue a few days or weeks down the line. To avoid such an issue, it makes sense for you to hire a professional. Professionals offer warranties for the jobs done, and therefore, if the issue reoccurs in the foreseeable future, your electrician will be willing to fix it without charging you anything. The effect of this is that professionals commit themselves to provide high-quality services to protect their bottom line.

The Bottom Line

Overall, it is apparent that if you have an electrical problem in your house, you should never try to fix it on your own unless you are a licensed electrician. This is because the risk of losing money, getting hurt, and even damaging your property is quite high when it comes to DIY electrical projects. Therefore, you need to be in touch with a qualified electrical professional who can help you solve any electrical issue in your house. If you are looking for a dependable electrician in Euless, TX, Tioga Contractors is an excellent company to consider. Tioga Contractors is a licensed electrician services provider, and you can count on us to deliver high-quality services. Feel free to contact us today for more information about our company and services.

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Electricians are professionals that are absolutely essential for modern life in Irving, TX. We all need services from electricians, although we don’t always think about this fact. Many people don’t think about electrical repairs or maintenance until something goes wrong, which is not ideal. It’s much better to plan ahead and schedule regular appointments for routine maintenance, but sometimes problems can’t wait and you need an electrical service right away.

Electric Heaters

If you decide to buy a space heater, make sure you only purchase models with labels verifying they were tested in recognized laboratories. Always read the manufacturer’s instructions and owner’s manual carefully. A space heater should only be used as supplemental heat. They aren’t intended to heat an entire home. One-third of home fires and out of every five deaths as a result of residential structure fires are caused by space heaters. Make sure smoke detectors in your home are working correctly by replacing batteries and testing the alarm regularly.

Inspect the heater cord before you use it each year. Look for cracks, broken plugs, and any other damage. Make sure the connection is secure when you plug it in. Loose connections are dangerous and may start a fire. Don’t use the heater if anything looks like it could be damaged or worn out.

A space heater shouldn’t be left unsupervised. Turn the heater off before leaving the room or going to sleep, and try to keep children and pets away from the heater. It’s also a good idea to keep heaters out of high-traffic areas because they’re a tripping hazard. You should also plug space heaters directly into an outlet, not a power strip or extension cord. Space heaters can cause overheating in extensions cords or power strips that can lead to damaged electronics or even a fire.

A modern space heater should have multiple safety features, including a tip-over switch, a sensor for overheating, and a touch sensor. These features are meant to keep your home and family safe, but you shouldn’t rely on them. Safety features can fail just like anything else. If you think the safety features on your heater may not be working, contact an electrician for repairs or replace the heater with a new one. A lot of things can go wrong with space heaters, including motor overloads, faulty thermostats, and blocked registers or blowers. Other problems, such as broken fuses or other components may not be as obvious.

The wattage determines how much heat your space heater can produce. Most heaters produce between 400 to 1,500 watts, although you should be able to adjust the output. Space heaters are not efficient heat sources. They aren’t even certified by the Department of Energy’s EnergyStar program. If your household is relying on a space heater because the main heating system isn’t working, your electrician may be able to help.

Air Conditioning

Many residents of Irving, TX use air conditioning more often than heating every year. Hot weather is more common than cold temperatures, although we have to deal with both. Whether you have central air or a window unit, air conditioning is a vital aspect of many of our homes. Indoor heat and humidity can become uncomfortable fast without air conditioning, especially in hot summer months. Air conditioners and HVAC systems rely on electricity, so an electrician may be your first call if something goes wrong.

Hot Water Heaters

Hot water heaters are one of the most frequently used appliances in a home. We use hot water every day for all sorts of things. Many different things can go wrong and leave you without hot water. Electric-powered models have thermostats that may need to be adjusted periodically or replaced if they stop working correctly. Call your local electrician if you find yourself with no hot water or insufficient hot water to meet your household’s needs. Refrigerators are another type of essential appliance.

Refrigerators

Problems with refrigerators can be inconvenient, expensive, and even a health risk. If food isn’t kept at the correct temperature, it can spoil and you’ll have to throw it all away. This can be especially expensive if a refrigerator stops working after a trip to the grocery store. If food is kept cool, but not quite cool enough, it can go bad slowly and cause food poisoning before anyone realizes a problem exists. There are lots of components inside a refrigerator, and a problem with any of them can interfere with proper function. Call an electrician or a repair technician if you think there might be anything wrong, even if the refrigerator still seems to be working properly.

Washing Machines

Washing machines can run into issues too. We usually notice that a washing machine isn’t working correctly as soon as a problem occurs. A malfunction can result in a washing machine that doesn’t fill with water, that fills with water but doesn’t agitate the clothing, or everything could be fine right up until the spin cycle is supposed to kick in. If the spin cycle doesn’t work, you could be left with soaking wet clothing to deal with. Never put clothing that is still soaked and dripping into a dryer. That practice would very likely end with a broken dryer as well. The problem with a washing machine may be electrical or it may be something else. If the machine won’t even power on, it’s more likely an electrical problem that an electrician can help you with.

Call Tioga Contractors in Irving, TX, if your appliances aren’t working correctly or you suspect that something is wrong with your home’s wiring. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, and the electricians at Tioga Contractors are always happy to answer questions and inspect your home. Emergency service is available for problems that can’t wait for business hours.

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