One of the worst casualties of winter is frozen, cracked and leaky pipes. You try your hardest to prepare for the frigid weather by having your furnace tuned up and utilizing your whole home humidifier, but sometimes your plumbing doesn't receive the right amount of attention it should. This winter, use some of these great tips to help keep your plumbing running smoothly all winter long.

We have mentioned some of these tips before, but we are mentioning them again because they are that important and easy to forget.

• Pay attention to the weather , This sounds a little obvious, right? But how many times have you neglected to check the weather and wake up to freezing temperatures, ice and snow without properly preparing for it? It's probably happened more times than you'd like. Avoid being surprised by bad weather by checking the weather before you go to sleep. Whether you look at an app on your phone, a website on your computer or watch the local news, just make sure you're aware of any bad weather headed your way.
• Leave the water running , We have mentioned this tip a few times, but it's the easiest way to avoid frozen pipes in the winter. If you leave a steady trickle of water running in your kitchen sink and bathroom sinks you'll be in excellent shape when the temperatures drop. This will reduce the pressure in your pipes, keeping them from freezing and cracking.
• Go the extra mile , Don't forget to open up the cabinet doors under your sinks to allow heat from inside your home circulate around the pipes. It seems like a silly extra step, but it could make the difference between hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of damage or no damage at all. Also, be sure to use insulating faucet covers, rags or trash bags around your outdoor faucets. This is a step most people forget. Disconnect your hose and store it in your garage or basement until the weather warms up.
• Plan ahead , If you're planning on taking a trip during the colder months you'll want to tell your friends, family members or neighbors who are watching your house to be mindful of all of these tips. You don't want to come home from a relaxing vacation to frozen, cracked or damaged pipes.

All of these tips will help you save money and give you peace of mind about your plumbing throughout the winter. These tasks are easy to complete and almost anyone in the family can help! Don't let Mother Nature get the best of you or your home. Stay a step ahead by avoiding frozen pipes all winter long. If you have a plumbing emergency call us at 317-291-4909 or visit our website.

Give Chapman Heating, Air Conditioning, and Plumbing, to provide plumbing services for your home today

When you hire a service technician to perform work on your HVAC system you're essentially inviting a stranger into your home, and that can be kind of scary. How do you know if they will do a good job? Do they have the proper training? How much training did they receive? All of these questions can leave you feeling uneasy. Choosing a company that is NATE certified will ease your mind and answer many of your questions. Why should you hire a NATE certified technician? Keep reading.

What is NATE?

NATE stands for North American Technician Excellence. NATE is the nation's largest non-profit certification organization for heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration technicians. NATE offers certification tests for installation and/or service in one or more specialty areas.

How does one become NATE certified?

Anyone interested in obtaining NATE certification may take the tests by contacting a NATE-approved testing organization and paying the appropriate testing fees. NATE's certification tests are comprehensive and consist of real-time scenarios in air conditioning and refrigeration. The technician must have enough experience to understand various systems and rectify the heating and cooling complications. The classes to prepare for NATE Certification focus on the full spectrum from basic to the latest HVAC technologies employed in the industry.

Why is a NATE certification important?

If you need work performed on your furnace or your air conditioner is broken, you want to hire a professional who will get the job done right the first time. Choosing a company that is NATE certified ensures you are going to work with technicians who are well trained in fixing any HVAC device. The certification test is not easy, so completing the program means each technician will leave with enhanced skill levels.

At Chapman Heating and Air Conditioning we pride ourselves on being NATE certified. We want you to know that we deeply care about the quality and skill level of each of our technicians to ensure you are getting the best possible service. To learn more about the NATE certification program, visit their website. To schedule your next appointment with Chapman, give us a call at 317-291-4909 today.

Chapman Heating, Air Conditioning, and Plumbing, your source for qualified hvac repair and installation contractors

We know what you're thinking. It's cold and I want to get warm fast. So while you're busy making sure your furnace is in tip-top shape and you're using a humidifier to balance out the dry air, you might have forgotten about your plumbing. Oh yeah. Your plumbing is going to need just as much tender love and care as the rest of your home maintenance. Icy morning showers, frozen or cracked pipes, flooding and leaks are just some of the many plumbing issues that happen when the temperature drops. Avoid these issues with some of these winter plumbing tips.

Leave Water Running - If the weather channel predicts negative temperatures or a snow storm you need to take preventative measures. Make sure the faucet in your kitchen or bathroom is dripping slightly to reduce pressure in the pipes. A slow trickle is best, not a stream. Be sure to use insulating faucet covers, rags or trash bags around your outdoor faucets.

Keep Your Pipes Insulated - Leave some of your cabinet doors under the sinks in your kitchen and bathrooms open to allow heated indoor air to circulate around the pipes. You can also use foam padding sleeves to guard your pipes during the colder months. Exposed plumbing should be kept warm! Don't forget about those pipes in the basement or unused areas of your home. You don't want frost to accumulate or cracks to develop.

Don't Forget the Outdoors , When freezing temperatures hit you definitely want to disconnect water hoses from faucets. Drain the hose and bring it indoors if you can. You also need to close the shut-off valve on the pipes that lead to your outdoor spigots. When spring decides to arrive, roll the hose back out.

Spread Out Your Showers , Not having hot water during the winter is just the worst. Eliminate this issue by spacing out showers by 10 minute intervals. This will help maintain hot water and water pressure for everyone in your house. If you decide to turn up your water heater, make sure you keep the temperature below 125 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent burns.

These are just a few tips to help get you through the freezing cold months without any plumbing issues. Still have questions? Call Chapman Heating and Air Conditioning at 317-291-4909 or visit our website today.

Give Chapman Heating, Air Conditioning, and Plumbing, to answer all your plumbing needs

No. Replacing only the outdoor unit will lower the efficiency of the unit. In fact, you can lose up to 15% of the unit's efficiency! Even worse, your system may fail sooner than normal and most manufacturers' warranties will be voided. You should always replace the indoor cooling coil with the outdoor unit.

Give Chapman Heating, Air Conditioning, and Plumbing, to provide air conditioning services for your home today

Just in case you forget to check the weather app on your phone, or perhaps step outside, you'll notice it is pretty dang cold. As the weather gets colder, the air gets much drier. Have your hands and lips felt cracked or chapped lately? Well that's because of the lack of humidity in the air. A lack of humidity doesn't just wreak havoc on your skin, it also wreaks havoc on your home. Here's why you need a humidifier for winter.

Humidifiers Keep You Comfortable

The dry air will take a toll on your health and your home. Dry air just makes you feel colder. You might not realize it, but because you sweat all the time, you're losing moisture and feeling colder. So what do you do when you're feeling cold? Crank up the heat! That's a great solution until you receive a massive electric or gas bill at the end of the month. Humidifiers will help save you money and keep you feeling great all winter long. When used correctly, humidifiers can help to alleviate dry skin, chapped lips and nose bleeds. The most basic explanation of how a humidifier works is it pumps moisture back into the air using water vapor. This leaves you feeling more hydrated and your wallet a little fatter. It's estimated that having a humidifier will save you around 10-20 percent on your heating bill.

You Need a Whole Home Humidifier

We compared whole home humidifiers and portable humidifiers in a previous blog post, but we can't stress enough how great whole home humidifiers are. This type of humidifier connects directly to your HVAC system and delivers moist air through your existing air ducts. That means it reaches every room in your house with equal, even comfort! It's easy to use and won't need to be replaced every other year like a portable humidifier.

This year, don't let winter get the best of your or your home. Humidifiers will keep you feeling healthy and comfortable, and will also keep your home looking beautiful. For more information about humidifiers call Chapman Heating and Air Conditioning at 317-291-4909 or visit our website today!

Chapman Heating, Air Conditioning, and Plumbing, carries a full line of high efficiency furnaces. Contact us to recommend the best services to your home