Annual home inspections

Having your heating, AC, plumbing and electrical systems checked once a year will help you understand minor problems before they become major repair projects. Call a professional Raleigh HVAC technician, plumber or electrician to do a thorough check on your home’s systems to make sure everything is running smoothly. If not, they will be able to make minor fixes for you before problems get out of hand and become expensive to fix.

Fix plumbing and piping leaks

Your Raleigh plumber will check for leaks as a part of your annual inspection, but there are also ways you can inspect for plumbing leaks on your own. Take a look under cabinets to make sure pipes aren’t leaking, turn valves on and off to make sure everything is working properly and keep a close eye on your water bill. If your bill is unusually high, it probably means you have a plumbing leak somewhere in your home. Have all leaks fixed immediately to make sure you don’t waste money on wasted water.

Install a programmable thermostat

Or have one of the professionals at Progressive do it for you! A programmable thermostat enables you to maintain a comfortable, reliable temperature in your home while also increasing the efficiency of your home’s heating and air conditioning system and allowing it to function properly for longer. According to the MSN Money article, installing a programmable thermostat can save you $180 a year on heating and air conditioning bills by more accurately regulating the temperature of your home.

There are lots of ways to save energy at home, but it’s best to get the facts before making a lot of changes. A home energy audit will determine where energy is being wasted in your home and what you can do to fix those problem areas.

Take a look at this article from HowStuffWorks.com to learn about DIY and professional energy audits. After you’ve determined where energy is being wasted in your home, give Progressive a call to help you fix the problems!

What can Progressive do to help you conserve energy? Our Raleigh HVAC division can replace your old heating or air conditioning system to a newer, more energy-efficient model. Our Raleigh electricians can fix energy leaks around electrical outlets, and recommend and install energy-efficient home appliances. Our Raleigh solar technicians can help you make big changes with a solar water heater or photovoltaic solar panels.

Are you ready to save money by conserving energy? Give Progressive a call today!

So this year, along with the usual list of resolutions, add this list of plumbing, HVAC, solar and electrical changes you can make at home to help the environment:

Resolution 1: Check your home for leaks in plumbing and piping. Or, call us to help! Leaky faucets, pipes and other plumbing fixtures can be an enormous waste of water.

Resolution 2: Use your dishwasher and clothes washing machine and dryer efficiently! Only run loads when these appliances are full – this will save gallons of water (in the case of the dishwasher and clothes washing machine) and lots of energy (in the case of the clothes dryer).

Resolution 3: Consider solar energy. There are more solar alternatives than just a rooftop solar array (though those are great). You can go solar with a solar water heater too! Contact Progressive’s solar division to learn how we can help your household switch to solar.

Resolution 4: Adapt to the climate, don’t make the climate adapt to you. Sure, turning up the heat in winter and cranking up the A/C in the summer makes sense. But it also uses a lot of energy. This year, don’t depend on your HVAC system to do all the work. Throw on a sweater if you’re cold; open the window and make a cold beverage if you’re hot.

Resolution 5: Turn off the lights and other electrical appliances when not in use. Ok, you’ve been hearing this your whole life. But have you ever made it a habit? Turn off the lights when you leave the room, unplug the blender when you’re finished with it, unplug your phone charger when it’s not in use, etc.

Resolution 6: Get creative! Reuse water from washing vegetables to water your houseplants. Open the blinds for light instead of turning on the lamp. Put a bucket under a leaky faucet to collect water to use for other purposes. Thinking of new ways to conserve water and energy can be fun, promise.

• If your windows have curtains, leave them open during sunny days to take advantage of the sun’s heat. At nighttime, close the curtains to insulate your home from the chilly outside air as much as possible.
• Most of heat loss happens through windows. Consider installing storm windows or specialized insulating windows to avoid losing too much warmth from your home.
• Have a programmable thermostat installed. Program your heating system to a low temperature during times you’ll be away, like during the workday.
• Make sure heat isn’t leaking out of your house through cracks.

Try these tips and you’ll be on your way to a cozy (and cost-effective) home.

Do you have a profile on Facebook? We’d love to connect with you — check out the Progressive Plumbing and Piping Facebook page! We offer helpful links to all kinds of home maintenance information. Have a do-it-yourself plumbing question? Want to know the latest solar energy news? We try to keep you updated on it all at our Facebook page (in addition to random pieces of plumbing humor).

We’ve been handling Raleigh plumbing since 1983. Now the home maintenance name you trust has expanded to serve your air comfort needs. We’re happy to now provide Raleigh heating and air conditioning services through our Progressive Heating and Air division.

Our HVAC experts will provide the same quick, dependable service you’ve come to expect from Progressive. Emergency? Don’t sweat it. You can call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

We service and repair all major brands of air conditioners and heat pumps. So next time you have a air comfort concern, don’t get overcharged by a big national chain. Call your locally owned and operated resource for home maintenance. Call your friends at Progressive.