Most Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania homeowners don't realize when their water heater is ready to fail. But waiting too long to replace it can result in disastrous and expensive flood damage to your home and possessions.

Here are five signs to look for to prevent an imminent water heater disaster.

1. Its age. The typical lifespan of a water heater serving a family of four is about seven to ten years. The more you use it, the shorter its life. If you're not certain of its age, check your water heater's serial number. It should include the year the unit was manufactured. If you're not sure, call us with the brand and serial number, and we'll help you determine its age.
2. The consistency of heating. If you are experiencing inconsistent hot water, or if you're unable to maintain a constant temperature, your unit is likely nearing the end of its life. 
3. Signs of leaks. Periodically check the floor under your unit for moisture. Older units often develop slow leaks that will worsen over time. 
4. Noises. As your water heater ages, sediment will build up and harden on the inside. You'll start to hear pops, rumbling or banging. These can cause cracks in the liner.
5. A change in the color of your hot water. Such changes could mean your unit is rusting from the inside. If you suspect rust (or sediment), you can check by carefully draining water directly from your unit.

IF YOU SUSPECT YOUR WATER HEATER MAY BE NEARING THE END OF IT'S LIFE, call us at 866-PERKOSKI (866-737-5675) to schedule a FREE no-pressure consultation.

If we determine that your tank is nearing failure, we'll show you your replacement options. If we determine that your tank is still sound, we offer some steps that will as much as DOUBLE your water heater's remaining life.

1. By draining your tank, we will remove much of the sediment that can lead to liner damage.
2. We'll also pull and inspect your water heater's anode rod. If it's nearing depletion, we'll recommend replacing it. The "sacrificial" anode rod is the single most important part preventing rusting of your hot water tank. Here's how it works:

Over time, tiny cracks will develop in your water heater's glass liner exposing the steel to corrosive elements. The anode rod is made up of a more reactive metal. When the tank is filled with water, an electrolyte process begins whereby the sacrifical rod is consumed to protect the exposed steel of the tank. As long as this more reactive material lasts, the steel will not rust. When it's depleted, the tank corrosion. A new anode rod will add years of service to your aging unit. NOTE: The anode rod inspection is FREE with your consultation as it is with your annual heating/cooling maintenence service.

Call us at 866-PERKOSKI (866-737-5675), or schedule online.

Some Important Advice to Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland Property Owners with Older ACs.

Prices for R-22 refrigerant (aka Freon) have risen sharply over the past few years. Here's why: A little over 25 years ago, the EPA ordered the gradual phasing out of R-22 as part of the international treaty (the "Montreal Protocol") aimed a reversing the thinning of the Earth's critical ozone layer. This thinning is responsible for dramatic increases in skin cancer and cataracts. 

The good news: Recent M.I.T. research confirms the fact that the notorious "hole" in the ozone layer has indeed begun to heal. 

The bad news: Air conditioner repair costs for older units will continue to soar as a result of the spiraling costs and increasing shortage of the R-22 refrigerant.

The 1990 Clean Air Act ended production in 2010 for new air conditioning units "charged" with R-22. Production of the refrigerant itself was immediately reduced by 75%. By 2014, that reduction had reached 90%. Now the pace of reduction has picked up. As of January 1, 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ordered an immediate drop from 51 million pounds to 22 million pounds, then to 18 in 2016, 13 in 2017, 9 in 2019, and finally zero U.S. production in 2020.

Although some R-22 is still being recovered and reclaimed from units we replace, the amounts are not nearly enough to meet demand. The resulting shortages have led to dramatic price increases. By 2016, the price for the R-22 refrigerant has more than quadrupled over it's 2010 level. By contrast, the price of the environmentally-friendly R-410A refrigerant that is used in today's air conditioners is currently at the same level Freon was in 2010.

Owners of older air conditioners need to take action now to protect themselves from these spiraling repair costs. (Unfortunately, you cannot replace R-22 with the R-410A refrigerant. The engineering requirements of the compressors is completely different.) Here then are Stan's recommendations:

1. Service your equipment every season. (ACs once and heat pumps twice a year). Although your air conditioner is a closed system, leaks do occur. Always a good idea for maximum comfort and efficiency, our precision tune-up will detect leaks early preventing expensive re-charges not to mention damage to the environment.
2. Schedule a no-pressure no-obligation consultation. Your Stan Perkoski's professional will help you select the right replacement for your goals and for your budget. You'll learn just what you can expect in savings with today's high efficiency environmentally-friendly replacements. You'll now just how soon you can expect your new system to pay for itself, what impact today's higher efficiencies will have on your electric bills, and what you may gain in family comfort.

We will collect the refrigerant from your old unit and send it to a recycler. Unfortunately some disreputable contractors will release these harmful chemical into the environment.

Call 866-PERKOSKI (866-737-5675) to schedule your maintenance service and/or no-pressure consultation.

Always test your AC system early even before the heat arrives. It's the surest way to know that comort will be there when you do need it. Problems are most likely to appear after your system has been idle for months. You want to identify problems and get them fixed now. It never fails that when temperatures first soar, our phones start ringing off the hook. Test now and avoid the rush if your system will need repair.

Give Mom something really special this year, a luxury shower head. We're discounting shower accessories 20% now through Mother's Day. We offer rainfall, massage and hand-helds. Give us a call at 866-PERKOSKI (866-737-5675).

Our customer, Durelle Lester of Rock Hall, MD called in deparation. He'd just received an $800 water bill. We were able to locate and repair a leak in a water supply line buried underground. Because his home was on the shore of the Chesapeake Bay, over 70,000 gallons had leaked unnoticed. We expected to help our customers save water during National Fix-a-Leak Week, but one this big one was a lot more than we expected. NOTE: Check out Mr. Lester's testimonial.

Or call us at 866-PERKOSKI 866-737-5675

But $9,000 per month is exactly what you'd be paying if your water company billed you at the same rate as the cheapest bottle of water.

What more fundamental right than affordable clean healthy water in your home? But high quality water is no longer something to be taken for granted. More and more people are turning to bottled water. But bottled water comes at a cost -- not just to your budget but to the environment as well.

Consider the facts:

• ​Nearly 44% of bottled water's cost goes to bottle production and transportation.
• It takes a weekly convoy equivalent to 37,800 18-wheelers to transport and deliver bottled water.
• It takes more than 15 million barrels of oil annually to produce the water bottles used by Americans, enough to fuel some 100,000 cars.
• Of nearly 30 billion bottles sold annually, nearly 86% end up as garbage or litter.

Save Money / Save the Planet / Save Your Back with the convenience of clean water at your tap for mere pennies per gallon! Never lug heavy water bottles home again.

Ask Stan about about low cost/low maintenance water filtration for your kitchen sink or for your entire home. We will provide a FREE water evaluation and make recommendations based on test results.

Call 866-PERKOSKI (866-737-5675) or
 

Really . . . you can CUT energy costs while increasing your winter comfort with these important energy-saving tips from Stan.

One of the most frequent winter heating complaints we hear is of room temperature swings. One minute a room feels too cold; the next it's too hot. This often results in "thermostat juggling." This NEVER solves the problem, but IT ALWAYS WASTES ENERGY.

Here are two steps you can take to improve your family's comfort and your home's energy efficiency. You and your family will actually FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE AT LOWER THERMOSTAT SETTINGS:

1. During the colder months, set your ceiling fans to run counter clockwise. Then run them on the slowest speed when you're in that room. This will keep warm air from pooling on the ceiling and keep it circulating. Remember, hot air rises.
2. If yours is a high-efficiency system with a variable speed blower, set the fan to run continuously. This will improve circulation and keep temperatures stable. Unlike standard speed blowers, these run slowly and ramp up gradually as needed. Their DC motors consume a small fraction of the energy consumed by standard blower motors. The result: less noise, more consistent heat and more energy savings because you're less likely to fiddle with that thermostat.

Don't have a system with variable speed but interested in learning what higher efficiency can mean to your family's comfort and budget? Schedule a no-cost no-pressure no-obligation consultation today.

Squirrel Threatens Cape Cod Family

No, marauding squirrels are not terrorizing New England. But our friend Lincoln Stubbs did find one recently when he investigated a deadly carbon monoxide leak in a customer's furnace. Yes, it had curled up inside the homeowner's warm chimney and died.

If Lincoln had not discovered this when he detected deadly carbon monoxide (CO) fumes during a routine preventative maintenance check, the outcome may have been tragic. Carbon monoxide is the leading cause of poisoning in the U.S. Even low-level exposures are dangerous to your family's health. Carbon monoxide induced headaches and respiratory symptoms are often mistaken as winter colds or flu viruses even by medical professionals. Infants and the elderly are especially at risk to such low level exposure.

Deadly carbon monoxide gases are odorless and colorless. The only way to protect yourself is by:

• Installing a working carbon monoxide detector in your home.
• Scheduling an annual safety check by your heating professional at the beginning of every heating season. (This important service is included with every Stan Perkoski's pre-winter maintenance tune-up.)
• Checking your chimney or furnace flue throughout the year to be sure that the cap is firmly in place.

Call us now at 866-737-5675 or schedule your maintenance service now.

Remember, a FREE water heater safety and life-extending inspection is included with every furnace maintenance service.

Fall pollen is in the air. In the early part of the season, it's blooming weeds; later grass pollen starts to fly. Here are a few tips to bring relief to the allergy sufferers in your family:

1. Control your home's humidity 
   and with it some of the most virulent allergens.
   
   Mold & Mildew. Although generally confined to damp areas like basements, crawl spaces and bathrooms, their spores are dispersed in the air and can infect your entire home.
   
   Dust mites. These microscopic creepy-crawlies thrive in high humidity. They live in mattresses, upholstery, carpets and other home fabrics. Their waste products and dead body parts are among the most irritating triggers to allergy and asthma.
   
   Frequent vacuuming; weekly washing of bed linens and mattress covers in hot water; and replacement of heavy drapery, rugs and carpets with hard surface window treatments and flooring will control dust mites, but by far the best solution is to control your home's humidity. Where humidity is kept below 50%, these creatures dessicate and die.
   
   Stan has high humidity solutions including advanced air conditioners and heat pumps with built-in humidity controls as well as professional dehumidifiers that can either operate as stand-alones or be incorporated into your home comfort system. These offer triple the performance of standard dehumidifiers with less than two-thirds the operating cost.
    
2. Keep doors and windows closed even on the most inviting fall day.
   Rather let your air conditioner continue to run even when temperatures are moderate.
   
   Nothing is more natural than the desire to throw open windows after a hazy hot and humid summer. But for the allergy sufferers in your life, this just means more red noses, scratchy throats, wheezing and labored breathing. Keeping your air conditioner running will circulate your home's air through its air filter. With the fall's moderate temps, the cost will not be burdensome.
   
   Those with high efficiency systems have the added advantage of a two-speed compressor and variable speed blower. In fall, these systems run at lower more energy-efficient speeds. And because of the efficiency of their DC powered blowers, fan can be set to run continually for maximum air circulation and filtration even when cooling is not required.
   
   ALWAYS CHECK YOUR FILTER EACH MONTH AND CHANGE IT WHEN DIRTY. This will not only keep your homes air clean, but it keep your system running efficiently. If you have not done so already, sign up for Stan's FREE monthly reminders.
    
3. Consider upgrading your air filter.
   
   This is NEVER SOMETHING YOU SHOULD DO YOURSELF! The "high efficiency" filters sold in home centers and hardware stores WILL obstruct the airflow so critical to your comfort and to your system's energy-efficiency. The consequences are grave including damage to expensive compressors and fan motors. 
   
   Stan has solutions designed to have minimal impact on airflow. These include 95% efficient media filters and the revolutionary AccuClean^TM which captures 99.98% of allergens including dust, pollen, pet dander, dust mite allergens, mold spores, cooking grease, and tobacco smoke. AccuClean is the best whole-house air cleaner, PERIOD! 8X more effective than the best HEPA room appliance. 100X more effective than standard 1" filters or ionic typre room appliances.
    
4. Consider adding the active TEK(TM) 2000 Ozone-FREE state-of-the art air scrubber to your system. This low maintenance unit is installed in your ductwork or plenum to treat all air circulating through your home comfort system. It utilizes tested ActivePure(R) technology to "significantly reduce odors, visible smoke in the air and to treat contamination on surfaces. It is proven effective against:

• Bacteria & viruses
• Pet odors
• Cooking odors
• Mold spores
• Tobacco smoke
• VOCs (volatile organic compounds) found in household cleaners, insecticides, upholstery & carpet treatments, and in the engineered materials used in furniture & cabinetry.

Here's how it works.

5. Keep pets away from allergy sufferers. As much as you love them, pets bring in plenty of outdoor allergens -- especially this time of year. Their dander is also an irritant. Obviously the best solution is to keep them out doors, but if that's not possible, you should maintain at least one pet-free room (preferably a bedroom) where your allergy sufferer can find relief.
6. Change clothes and shower when you come in from outdoor activities. This time of year, even a short walk or time spent in the yard can cover you with allergens. These can then be tracked through the home and deposited on furniture. 

These are just a few tips from your friends at Stan Perkoski's home services. To learn more, schedule a No-Pressure No-Obligation Consultation with your Stan Perkoski's professional.