Welcome to the Levy and Son Blog!

March 1st, 2012

Thank you so much for visiting our blog. We are launching this blog as a way to communicate directly with our site visitors, customers, and vendors. Our goal with this blog is to offer quick and easy access to educational material, expert examples and opinions as well as specials and promotional offers. Please subscribe to be notified of new posts and information.

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Levy & Son
11024 Indian Trail DallasTX75229 USA 
 • 972-241-8655

Carbon Monoxide Leaks

May 2nd, 2012

Carbon Monoxide is a deadly toxic gas undetectable by smell that can harm or kill animals, plants and people. Most people don’t realize how many items and appliances within the home can be the source of carbon monoxide pollution. The most common appliances are fuel burning heaters, such as furnaces, water heaters, butane or gas heaters, stoves and gas ovens, central heating systems, and refrigerators. When using the appliances it is good to be in a well ventilated or spacious area to reduce chance of Carbon Monoxide poisoning.

The best defense against Carbon Monoxide poisoning is to have working CO detectors installed throughout the living space of your home. While Carbon Monoxide is undetectable by smell there are still some helpful ways you might be able to detect a leak within your own home.

  • ŸAldehydes – This toxic gas is detectable by smell and gives the sensation of a metallic taste in your mouth after exposure and indicates Carbon Monoxide is likely present.
  • ŸHealth Symptoms – Carbon Monoxide poisoning causes headaches, dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath and light-headedness. To help relieve these symptoms seek fresh air immediately.
  • ŸDead Plants- Dangerously high levels of Carbon Monoxide are most likely present if your plants die suddenly or are withering.

Here are some basic rules to apply to your living arrangements to help reduce Carbon Monoxide poisoning.

  • ŸAlways have your appliances fitted by a certified and experienced professional
  • ŸHave your appliances checked regularly, and have your vents and chimneys checked and cleaned on a regular basis
  • ŸAlways pay close attention to manufacturer’s instructions when using appliances
  • ŸNever us fuel-burning appliances in enclosed and un-vented spaces
  • ŸNever use a gas stove or oven to warm your home
  • ŸMake sure you have high standard CO detectors around your home
  • ŸBe aware of the symptoms of carbon monoxide poison in case of exposure

If you would like to protect your home and install a Carbon Monoxide detector, Levy & Son can help. Request a consultation today and Levy & Son will come to your home and educate you on where CO detectors should be located in your home. Give us a call now and we’ll be happy to come out and assist you in keeping your home safe.

Slab Leaks and Repairs

May 2nd, 2012

Do your hear water running in your home, yet none of the plumbing fixtures are being used?  It is a good possibility you have a water leak under your home’s concrete slab foundation. Most homes 10 years or older have this common problem.  Slab leaks can become a very serious problem requiring a complicated repair if not attended to immediately.

Water leaks under slab, slab leaks, sub-slab fresh water leaks occur when water pipes below the foundation break from the ground shifting, defects within the pipe or the age of the copper pipes. Some ways to detect a fresh water slab leak is water protrusion from the slab or ground, noise of running water in walls or at fixtures, hot spot on flooring, consistent water meter movement, high water bill, or foundation movement.

At Levy & Son we employ highly skilled, experienced, licensed professional plumbers with video cameras, line tracking equipment, listening devices, and sound magnification equipment to help them locate the exact problem of any piping below ground, concrete, or other paved surface to find concealed leaks. Thickness of the concrete foundation and depth of the piping are critical factors in the difficulty that is encountered sometimes in location of the leak and making necessary repairs. Before any foundation work has been performed it is necessary to conduct a static test on the sanitary sewer system. This is done by simply plugging the home or building’s sewer, filling the line with water, and monitoring the level. If the water level appears to be dropping, which would indicate a leak, an isolation process is performed with the use of a camera and plugging sections of the system while monitoring the level. Also testing of the water supply system would be conducted.  This is done by pressurizing the system, temporarily turning off the water supply source, and monitoring the pressure gauge. If pressure loss is indicated, isolation is performed with compressedair, sound detection equipment, line tracing equipment, and water pressure. At Levy & Son we perform these tests both before and after the repairs to make sure the job gets done right the first time. If you feel you have a leak call us before its too late. Don’t delay call Levy & Son today!

 

Monitoring carbon monoxide

March 11th, 2012

A carbon monoxide detector or CO detector is a device that detects the presence of the carbon monoxide gas in order to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless compound produced by incomplete combustion. It is often referred to as the “silent killer” because it is virtually undetectable without using detection technology. Elevated levels of CO can be dangerous to humans depending on the amount present and length of exposure. Smaller concentrations can be harmful over longer periods of time while increasing concentrations require diminishing exposure times to be harmful.

CO detectors are designed to measure CO levels over time and sound an alarm before dangerous levels of CO accumulate in an environment, giving people adequate warning to safely ventilate the area or evacuate. Some system-connected detectors also alert a monitoring service that can dispatch emergency services if necessary.

Carbon monoxide detectors are widely available and can be installed by the experts at Levy and Son. These devices can either be battery-operated or AC powered (with or without a battery backup). Battery lifetimes have been increasing as the technology has developed and certain battery powered devices now advertise a battery lifetime of over 6 years. Some smoke detectors are equipped with an internal rechargeable battery backup that recharges when the detector is receiving AC power. All CO detectors have “test” buttons like smoke detectors. CO detectors can be placed near the ceiling or near the floor because CO is very close to the same density as air. Levy and Son will complete a full home or business evaluation to help you determine which unit and location(s) are best for your home or business.

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