Many of us have experienced low water pressure or what is known as low flow in the home plumbing system, and it can be a real hassle. Daily activities, like showering, washing dishes, and doing laundry can be frustrating and can take extra time to complete when water flow is significantly slowed.

Key areas to check when the water pressure drops or fluctuates:

Plumbing Leaks

Leaks in a home’s plumbing system can naturally affect and reduce the water pressure throughout a home, due to the interruption of water flow as a leak pulls water from the system.

Mineral And Debris Buildup In Pipes and Aerators

Debris buildup occurs in the form of sand, dirt, and other pollutants and can enter the pipes of your home or business when a water main fractures. As water travels through a building, mineral buildups naturally occur in pipes from water deposits. Even small amounts of sediment can create a blockage in your home’s plumbing system. One way to address this is to clean the screen on the faucet aerators.

Corrosion Buildup Inside Piping

Steel and galvanized water pipe systems have a life expectancy of up to 20 years. Over the years, a pipe’s natural corrosion tends to block the flow of water in every system.

Malfunction of Municipal Water Supply

There are times when your water flow issues have nothing to do with water pressure at all, and it might have nothing to do with your own piping system. It could be caused by a malfunction in your area’s municipal water supply. Municipal water supply systems are subject to leaks, buildups, and other issues that affect the water supply and water pressure.

Water Softener

Your water softener is another place to look when there is low water pressure in the home or office. Water softeners can fail and backwash water softener resin beads throughout a home’s water pipes. As you can imagine, this can become a huge mess in the plumbing system as it can plug faucets, ruin toilet supply valves, and affect major appliances. A sudden drop in water pressure is a good indication the water softener is the culprit.

MARLIN SERVICES
Water pressure concerns? Call the professionals at Marlin Services
Call: 602-470-1040

When it comes to your air conditioning system in and around Phoenix, we all know it can eat your lunch in summer utility bills. The reminders can get redundant, however if you take action and utilize these tips, you can actually save money and energy this summer.

First and foremost, be sure to have regular maintenance performed on your AC equipment 1 to 2 times per year. Regular maintenance on your AC equipment keeps the equipment cleaned up, tuned up and running at its peak for the duration of the summer heat. When the unit is operating smoothly and at the highest levels performance – you experience the most comfort, savings and energy efficiencies. Now doesn’t that sound amazing?

Another performance enhancing activity is to replace the air filter every month. This is one of the easiest ways to help lower the energy consumption of your AC by 5-15%. Additionally, it helps keep the inside air quality cleaner and the home more comfortable year around.

Additional Tips for Air Conditioning Efficiencies and Savings:

• Install a programmable thermostat. Using a programmable thermostat properly can save approximately $180 per year in energy costs.
• Thermostat settings for summer are best set at as high a temperature as is comfortable, and control the inside humidity as best you can. For a lower cooling bill, keep as small a difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures as possible.
• Reduce air conditioning energy use 20-50% by switching to a new high efficiency air conditioner as needed.
• Seal ducts to improve the energy efficiency of your AC system – it can save 20% and even more.
• Keep lamps, TVs and other heat-bearing appliances away from your thermostat.
• Use ceiling fans to cool people – turn fans off when leaving a room. Fans save $$ since an AC costs much more to operate. When using fans raise the thermostat 3-4 degrees, depending on your comfort level.

Remember, for best AC performance, regular maintenance and repair on your AC equipment will clean up and tune up the unit for a season of smooth operations and energy savings.

Be cool and comfortable in your home!

MARLIN SERVICES
We know comfort – We are there for you – 24/7
Call: 602-470-1040

PREPARE YOUR HOME FOR VACATION

It’s always a good idea to perform your own seasonal home inspection as you move into a new season. When it comes to summer and summer vacations, you’ll want peace of mind in knowing your home is in tip top condition and that all repairs have been taken care of by professionals. Plumbing is one of those things that can easily be forgotten and go unchecked until there’s a major issue. With summer upon us, we want to share tips that can help keep your home running well and allow you to relax and enjoy the season and your vacation. Check these out:

• Check for water leaks indoors before you leave home on vacation. Key locations to check are sinks, showers, tubs and toilets for leaks, and be sure to have any leaks repaired before vacation. Also, check around major appliances for leaks and possible issues that need attention.
  
• Be sure to check for outdoor plumbing leaks as well. Perform a quick tour of your yard and checking all the water faucets, drip system, and pool plumbing too.
• Turn off water at the main shut-off valve, unless there’s reason to leave it on when on vacation.
• Toilets collect bacteria, and it’s a good idea to pour a half a cup of chlorine bleach into each toilet bowl before leaving on a trip.
• If you are leaving for a long time, have a neighbor or friend turn the water on and run the faucets at least once a month. They can also run the dishwasher and flush toilets to keep them functioning well and eliminate unwanted odors during your time away.

ADDITIONAL ITEMS VACATION REMINDERS:

• Before vacation, unplug small appliances, computers, TVs, lamps, etc., in order to save on utilities
• Make sure smoke detectors and thermostats have fresh batteries and are in good working condition.
• Leave emergency contact information for your house sitter. Be sure to include a list of names and contact information, including Marlin Services for Plumbing & Air Conditioning needs, your electrician, yard, pool service, and others – just in case.

Have a great summer and memorable vacation with family and friends. Enjoy the summer with your home in good working order.

 MARLIN SERVICES
We know comfort – and you can rely on us to do it right!
Call: 602-470-1040

STAY COOL WITH ENERGY-SAVING TIPS
It’s HOT in the Phoenix area and summer is officially upon us in a couple of weeks. Temps have been hovering in the low 100s lately and with these high temperatures we’d like to offer a few reminders for cooling your home and saving as much money as possible. As we crank up the air conditioning at home, keep these energy-saving tips in mind:

• First on the list is to check and replace those clogged and dirty air filters. It’s best to keep the filter changed once per month. This alone can help save AC energy by 5-15%.
• Regular maintenance on your air conditioning system by professional service technicians, like Marlin Services is your best insurance for a well running system throughout the season – and for the longevity of your equipment. Have AC maintenance and repairs completed at the beginning of the season to optimize your summer comfort and smooth equipment operations.
• Use your thermostat efficiently – save energy and money by setting your thermostat for the various times of day and night – adjust it up or down based on times when someone is home or away.
• Thermostat efficiency – consider using a programmable thermostat for ease of control and for best indoor comfort and savings. You can save as much as 10% per year on heating and cooling by simply turning your thermostat back 7°-10°F for 8 hours a day from its normal setting.
• Be sure to check your thermostat batteries
• Use your ceiling fans for additional air circulation and comfort in your home. Remember, ceiling fans cool people – not rooms. Turn on ceiling fans only when someone is in the room and turn them off upon leaving the room.
• Reduce the amount of humidity inside your home for best cooling efficiencies – use bathroom and kitchen fans as needed.
• Reduce heat from building up in your home on hot days by limiting stove and oven use when possible. Use window coverings to help limit the sun’s heat from entering the home during summer months.
• If your current air conditioner is 10+ years old and acting up often, think about having high efficiency equipment installed – as it can reduce your energy usage by 20-50%.

We hope these reminders help you achieve the highest level of comfort in your home this summer. Enjoy saving cash and energy at the same time.

MARLIN SERVICES
We know comfort – and we are at your service
when you need us – 24/7
Call: 602-470-1040

If you watched the video from World Plumbing Day 2015, which was March 11^th, you saw that California (and other parts of the world) are in crisis with their water supply. It’s a big story in the news these days and the water supply shortage is a big problem that will be difficult to solve. This crisis is a reminder to everyone, not just California residents, that we must be vigilant about water conservation now. Let’s not wait until it’s a crisis here in Arizona.

Check out this link for a very cool interactive display which shows you many simple ways to conserve water. Here are a few of these tips:

http://saveourwater.com/what-you-can-do/tips/

Here is a sample of just a few (and very simple) water conservation tactics. Be sure to check them all. You will be surprised at how easy they are to do:

• Kitchen: Collect the water you use while rinsing fruit and vegetables. Use it to water house plants.
• Bathroom: Turn water off when brushing teeth or shaving. You can save approximately 10 gallons/day.
• Outdoors: Water early in the morning or later in the evening when temperatures are cooler. You can save 25 gallons/each time you water.
• Work: Monitor your bill and water meter to determine unusually high use and possible leaks.

Be sure to check out all the tips on the interactive website. You may be surprised at how many easy changes you can make that will impact your water consumption.

Take a look at these videos and you will learn about the water supply crisis throughout the world. It is a good reminder for all of us to take efforts to conserve water.

Video message from the Chairman of the World Plumbing Council:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkBfuDHfNc4?rel=0]
Video: The Water Crisis is Here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLMn2P5q1ho&feature=youtu.be

Water.org
http://water.org/water-crisis/one-billion-affected/

For more information on how we can help you save BIG this season, contact us NOW: (602) 470-1040

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According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 43% of our monthly utility bills goes to heating and air conditioning. We are quickly approaching the warm summer months of Arizona. Which means, we are also approaching the months of our highest utility bills with the usual dread we feel at this time of the year.

What can you do to keep your bill low while staying cool at the same time? Here are some tips for simple steps you can take to help control your utility bill during the summer months:

• Set your programmable thermostat at 78 degrees when you are at home but raise the temperature a few degrees when you are not at home and during the hours you sleep. You can see a 5-15% savings per year.
• During the warm months, skip stove-top or oven cooking to remove an indoor heat source. Use your outdoor BBQ grill or the microwave whenever you can.
• As always, keep your air filters clean by replacing them regularly (once a month is ideal).
• If it’s time to replace your older A/C unit, look for a high-energy-efficiency ratio, or EER, or an Energy Star-qualified unit. Higher EER ratings mean a more efficient air conditioner.
• Run your appliances in the evening. Appliances produce heat, which causes your air conditioner to work harder.
• Only use your ceiling fans when you are home. They circulate the air and are more efficient than your air conditioning, but leaving them running all day while you are not at home does not help cool your home. It only adds to your electric bill.
• Close your drapes and shades during the day when the sun is shining.
• Seal the leaks in your home where cool air may be escaping.
• Clean leaves and debris from the area around your outside unit so that it may run as efficiently as possible.
• Install your air conditioning unit in the shade because it uses more energy when it is in direct sunlight.
• If you are purchasing a new air conditioning system, make sure it is the right size for the space you will be cooling (and heating). A system that is larger than you need will translate into higher utility bills.

As you can see, many of these steps are easy to incorporate into your daily life. These simple steps do not infringe on how comfortable you will be and do not take a tremendous amount of effort.

Stay cool and keep your utility bills low this summer!

For more information on how we can help you save BIG this season, contact us NOW: (602) 470-1040

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You’ve heard it before. You have probably heard it many times. We say it all the time. You may even be tired of hearing it.

Be sure to change your air filters regularly! There are many good reason to do it.

One of our customers recently told us this story – she was at her doctor’s office because her allergies were in full swing. The doctor mentioned one of the simple things she could do at home to help relieve her allergies is to make sure she changes her air filters every month. It’s true and we were happy to hear that her doctor recommended this. We have been telling this to our customers for a long time.

Some people have already started using their air conditioners and with A/C weather right around the corner, here are some great reasons to regularly change your air filters:

• It’s easy!
• They are inexpensive, particularly when compared to the cost of a repair to your system when dirty air filters may have contributed to the problem.
• It is one of the few DIY procedures a homeowner can perform that substantially and immediately impacts your system’s performance and efficiency.
• Your air flow will be restricted with a dirty filter, which causes the blower motor to strain. This piece of equipment is an expensive component if it breaks down.
• The service life of this component will be decreased and need replacement earlier than it should if cared for properly.
• Your utility bills will increase if your A/C system must run longer due to restricted air flow.
• It is good for the air quality in your home. As mentioned above, especially during allergy season, a clean air filter will help keep airborne particles from circulating indoors.
• A clogged filter can cause accumulation of dust in your ducts. You then may need a duct cleaning as a result.
• A dirty filter may cause mold to grow.
• You are doing your part in saving the environment. When the A/C needs to run longer due to a dirty filter, you are using more energy and therefore, wasting energy.

With the warm Arizona summer not too far away, you want to be sure your A/C is running at its best and at the same time, running efficiently to help control your utility bills.

Go now and change your air filters!

For more information on how we can help you save BIG this season, contact us NOW: (602) 470-1040

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How Do You Calculate SEER?

Do you even know what that means, even if you do know how to calculate it?

Cooling BTUs and the amount of electricity a cooling unit uses per hour are crucial when determining a unit’s SEER ratings. An inefficient unit will have less cooling capacity/power (indicated by the cooling BTUs) and use up more watts of electricity per hour during the summer.

And buying the proper size unit for the size of your home is vital. If you purchase a unit that is more than you really need (in other words, too big), you are merely spending more money than necessary and it will not cool your house better or more efficiently. Read more on the subject of the correct size unit for your home here: https://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=roomac.pr_properly_sized.

Back to the question – How do you calculate SEER?

BTUs/hr x 1,000 hr  /  Watts/hr x 1,000 hr  =  SEER

Simply stated, SEER stands for the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. This is a measure of any cooling system’s cooling efficiency over the course of a season of use – be it an air conditioner or heat pump. That is, how efficiently the system cools your home.

Frigidaire’s air conditioners and heat pumps offer a range of efficiency options – all the way up to 25.5 SEER! This means that there is a cooling system that suits any budget or need. An air conditioner may cost more if it is a higher SEER, but you will have a greater potential to save money on utilities if you install a cooling system with high SEER ratings, in the long run.

Investing in Efficiency Can Save Money –

Although the techy details aren’t as important, it is always good to know why a high-efficiency unit will have a higher SEER ratings. A more efficient system will have more power behind it while using less electricity. This is why investing in a high-SEER system can pay off in utility savings over the life of your HVAC system. Your cooling unit will use less energy and give you more power. Old, inefficient units from the past may only be rated at 10 SEER. This means that simply upgrading to a budget-friendly 14-SEER air conditioner or heat pump, which is the minimum SEER rating required by the government for the Southwest United States, can have money-saving performance benefits when installed correctly.

We are always ready and available to answer any questions you may have on this subject. The hot summer weather is just around the corner. Be prepared with the best knowledge and don’t overspend if you don’t have to.

For more information on how we can help you save BIG this season, contact us NOW: (602) 470-1040

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Water conservation is a “hot” topic these days, as many states in the U.S. face water shortages. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has worked hard over the past couple of years to instill the belief in everyone that we need to take conserving water seriously. They have developed strategies and driven federal water efficiency requirements to get people to make water conservation a way of life.

Did you know the population of the United States has doubled over the past 50 years? And our need and use of water during this same period of time has tripled! (Source: EPA)

In past blog posts and social media posts, we have talked about leaky faucets and leaking toilets and it’s always shocking to hear how much water is wasted in the average household every year. That wasted water translates to two very important things – wasted resources that are already becoming scarce and higher water bills.

Here are some great plumbing and water conservation tips that will help you do your part in conserving water and helping our country stay ahead of the curve:

• Don’t use excessive amounts of detergents, bleach or chemicals that may kill the natural bacteria in your septic system.
• Use biodegradable soaps and detergents.
• To prevent excessive watering of your lawn in the summertime, purchase an inexpensive spring-loaded timer which attaches directly to your outside faucet. This will prevent overwatering in case you forget to shut off the sprinkler.
• Water pressure in your home above 60 pounds per square inch is harmful to your plumbing system and will cause excessive water usage. Contact Marlin and schedule a twelve point plumbing inspection check which includes a system pressure test. If it exceeds 60 pounds, consider installing a pressure reducing valve that will limit the water pressure within your home.
• Check your water meter during a period of time when no water is being used. Make a note of the meter reading and check it 8 to 10 hours later. If the meter has moved, there is an indication that you may have an undetected water leak, which should be corrected.
• Leaky toilets consume more than 40% of your total water usage. Installation of a new toilet flapper and fill valve will keep your toilet running efficiently.
• Conserve energy by checking the temperature setting on your water heater. It should not be above 120°F or medium setting on older models.
• Replacing an old shower head can save up to 7.5 gallons of water per minute without sacrificing full spray action at low or high water pressures.
• A leaky faucet that drips once per second can waste more than 8 gallons a day. That’s 3,000 gallons per year!

These all are very simple steps on the road to water conservation. Everyone can do it!

For more information on how we can help you save BIG this season, contact us NOW: (602) 470-1040

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The holiday season is here. We have two more weeks of friends and family coming to visit during the Christmas season and helping to ring in 2015 on New Year’s Eve. There are family dinners and parties still to come. Lots of fun. Lots of people. Lots of time in your home.

Be ready with a well-running heating system. You do not want to have a heating or air conditioning emergency with a full house or in the middle of a holiday party.

Here are some things to be aware of, which will help keep things running smoothly:

• Regular Maintenance Check-Up – If you haven’t done so already, call Marlin Services for your regular preventive maintenance and inspection of your heating system to make sure it is in good working order.
• Replace Your Furnace Filters – As we always say, replace your filters each month. This will allow your furnace to breathe easier which helps the system work most efficiently.

• Dust – By dusting, there will be less dust particles traveling through your home’s ductwork and spreading throughout your home. Be sure to wipe all exposed surfaces with a dry rag.
• Set Your Programmable Thermostat – Turn down your heat during times that you are not at home (like during the work and school day) and while you are sleeping at night. During times you are at home and awake, set the temperature back up to comfortable level.

• Open and Unblock All Heating Vents – Be sure all heating vents are open and unobstructed by furniture, gift boxes, and Christmas trees and decorations for example.
• Check for Leaks – Check all areas that are known for leaks in homes. You want to check around all doors and windows to see if you feel a draft. Also check electric wall plugs and switches. All can allow cold air into your home. Weather-stripping, caulk and pre-cut foam gaskets for switch plates will all help prevent leaks.
• Turn the Heat Down – With the oven and stove going “overtime” during the holidays, take advantage of the heat generated in your home during this time. No need to run unnecessary heat if you can avoid it.

These are simple steps and can make a big difference in your holidays and keep your family time and friend’s time worry-free.

For more information on how we can help you save BIG this season, contact us NOW: (602) 470-1040

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