Levy & Son

Carbon Monoxide Leaks

admin — Wed, 02 May 2012 15:27:41 +0000

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.

Aldehydes – 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.
Health Symptoms – Carbon Monoxide poisoning causes headaches, dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath and light-headedness. To help relieve these symptoms seek fresh air immediately.
Dead 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.

Always have your appliances fitted by a certified and experienced professional
Have your appliances checked regularly, and have your vents and chimneys checked and cleaned on a regular basis
Always pay close attention to manufacturer’s instructions when using appliances
Never us fuel-burning appliances in enclosed and un-vented spaces
Never use a gas stove or oven to warm your home
Make sure you have high standard CO detectors around your home
Be 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

admin — Wed, 02 May 2012 15:20:20 +0000

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

admin — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 18:46:03 +0000

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.

Water heaters – tank vs. tankless

admin — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 18:43:37 +0000

Conventional storage tank water heaters have been used in commercial and residential applications since the early twentieth century. While most household electronics have taken great strides in terms of new technology and efficiency, the traditional tank water heater has not. Most consumers do not need a lesson in the inefficiencies and problems associated with traditional water heaters as we have all experienced them at one time or another. With energy costs continuing to rise and interest in household technology and environmental stewardship at an all-time high, the concept of “on demand” or tankless water heating has increased dramatically in popularity during the past decade.

The general premise behind a tankless water heater is to only heat water “on demand” as it is needed. This eliminates the need for a storage tank and dramatically increases energy efficiency. Almost every major shortcoming of a conventional water heater is addressed by a tankless system. When deciding between a tank water heater and a tankless water heater, most people take into consideration the convenience of not having to wait for hot water, not running out of hot water, along with, cost, efficiency and long-term maintenance.

The equipment cost of a tankless water heater is about the same as a high-quality tank heater, the difference in cost typically comes from the additional materials involved for installation.

Tankless water heaters have proven to be more efficient. 20-40% of energy consumed by a traditional tank heater is wasted as heat is slowly lost due to radiant heat loss from the storage tank. Tankless water heaters operate entirely on demand only when hot water is needed. Since there is no hot water storage, thermal heat loss is almost completely eliminated; you can reduce water heating costs as much as 50%.

With a tankless, you may have some additional maintenance, depending on the mineral content and quality of your water; you may need to flush your unit’s heat exchanger annually. It is also advised to install a sediment filter on your incoming water line.

Our skilled and professional plumbers can help you choose the water heater that is right for your home or business. We can complete your tank or tankless water heater installation efficiently so that you and your family can enjoy doing everything you need to do with hot water. We also perform tankless heater maintenance and repairs on all makes and models of heaters. Your complete satisfaction is our top priority.

Welcome to the Levy and Son Blog!

admin — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 18:06:37 +0000

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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