Author: TDC.Admin

With the weather warming up in West Texas, you’re probably ready to crank the cool! That applies to your A/C, but not to your water. You want hot water for bathing and cooking year-round… even when it’s hot outside. In this post, we’ll look at a question that’s gripping homeowners in need of new hot water heaters – is it time to go tankless?

LOWER UTILITY BILLS

Tankless water heaters produce lower utility bills than their traditional counterparts. The reason is simple – traditional tanks require electricity to keep water in the tank hot continuously. The tankless unit just cranks up the electricity when you turn on the faucet!

LONG LASTING

Tankless water heaters should generally last twice as long as traditional tank water heaters. Tankless water heaters can last up to 20 years, saving you money in replacement costs.

INSTANT COMFORT

Do any of your faucets take too long to heat up? Whether it’s in the shower or doing the dishes, you want hot water now! Tankless water heaters instantly heat up to make your water hot fast. As mentioned above, that’s also good for efficiency.

LESS MAINTENANCE

A tankless system requires less maintenance than a traditional tank. Hot water heaters should generally be maintained every six months or so, but a tankless system can go 4-5 years between checkups. Even here in West Texas where hard water is a problem, a tankless system only needs to be maintained about once a year.

SAVE SPACE

A 40-60 gallon tank takes up a lot of space. They’re typically 5 feet tall and take up an entire closet. A tankless water heater is typically only about 2 feet tall, saving lots of space.

WE CAN HELP

If you’re interested in looking into tankless as an option, contact The Darville Company. We’ve got experts that can help you decide what you need and can maintain your hot water heater, regardless of the type. Call us today at 432-580-9675. The Darville Company is the Higher Standard.

In previous posts, we’ve discussed the dangers of neglecting your drains. This applies to drains in your kitchen, bathroom sinks, or even in the tub. The most obvious maintenance is keeping some of the worst offenders out of your drain. That means keeping it clear of things like soap scum, hair, coffee grounds, and cooking grease… even if you have a garbage disposal! In this post, we’ll offer some simple drain cleaning and maintenance tips you can use to keep your drain flowing!

FLUSH YOUR DRAINS

As frequently as ONCE A WEEK, you can flush your drains. All you need to do is pour boiling water down each of your drains. Pour half a pot down the drain, wait about 5 minutes, then pour the rest. The steaming hot water will help clean some of the gunk and grime out of your sink and pipes to help water flow more smoothly. This is especially good for melting thick grease that can cause backups.

ENZYMATIC CLEANER

Every month or so, flush your drains using an enzymatic cleaner. You can find these products online or at most general hardware stores. These products use special combinations of enzymes to effectively “digest” and further break down any residue in your drains.

GARBAGE DISPOSAL

If you have a garbage disposal in the kitchen, occasionally put a couple of ice cubes in the drain and run the disposal. That will help clear out some of the hard-to-reach gunk and sharpen the blades on the disposal.

THE MAGIC POTION

Chances are pretty good you experimented with baking powder and vinegar in a high school chemistry class. It’s a fun little experiment, and, when used on your drain, it will really help keep it clean. Just pour about half a cup of each down the drain, then chase it with hot water from the tap.

FOLLOW UP

Follow these simple drain cleaning and maintenance steps, and you should be in good shape. If not, you know who to call. The Darville Company is always ready to respond to your plumbing needs. Give us a call today at 432-580-9675 or schedule an appointment online. The Darville Company is the Higher Standard.

A leak in your home or office can be daunting. What can be even worse is if you’re not sure whether or not you have a leak, or how bad it is. Worse still, how bad could it be? Leaks often start in walls, ceilings, or floors, causing damage you don’t even know about for months. In today’s post, we’ll take a look at some easy ways to tell if you have a leak, and what you can do about it.

WATER BILL HIKE

Your water bill is bound to ebb and flow throughout the year. For example, it’ll likely be higher in the summer when you’re watering your lawn more often. But a sudden, consistent increase in your monthly bill could be a sign of trouble. Compare your bill to the same month the previous year. If it seems a lot higher, you may have a leak.

TICKING WATER METER

Tick, tick, tick could mean drip, drip, drip. If your meter is ticking, even when you’re not using water, you probably have a leak. Don’t forget it could be under a sink, in the ceiling, or even on an external sprinkler line.

HOLY MOLDY

Mold and mildew can also be a sign of a leak. Damp spots on your floors, ceilings, and walls can turn to mold if they stay wet due to a leak. A musty smell can mean that mold or mildew is behind a wall and can’t be seen. Unfortunately, if you can’t see it, it’s unlikely you’re doing anything to clean it.

CRACKS IN FOUNDATION

Seeing a crack in a wall or ceiling can cause one of the worst feelings for a homeowner. In most cases, they are actually nothing serious, but they could be. A home will naturally settle over time, and that could cause some cracking in the drywall. However, big or newer cracks that seem to appear overnight could be due to leaky pipes.

WET SPOTS

If areas around the sink, tub or toilet are continuously wet, you likely have a leak. Inspect them carefully to determine if there’s an issue.

The Darville Company can help determine if you have a leak, and if so, we can help you get it repaired. Call us today at 432-580-9675. The Darville Company is the Higher Standard.

Like all home improvement projects, major plumbing work costs time and money. At the Darville Company, we know how valuable these things are to you and your family. That’s why it’s important to know exactly what work is necessary, especially if you’re considering a major overhaul like replacing your plumbing system. An all-new system can be a large investment, but it could save you from major damage should something go wrong.

In this post, we’ll take a look at some of the things to look for when making the decision to replace plumbing.

KNOW YOUR PIPES

Depending on the age of your home, different materials may be used in the plumbing piping throughout your home. If you’re not sure what kind of pipes are used, you can always find out by looking at the inspection report from when you first purchased the home. Each type of pipe has a lifespan:

Copper – 50+ years

Brass – 40-45 years

Cast Iron – 75-100 years

Galvanized Steel – 20-50 years

PVC Piping – indefinitely!

Even if your home’s age doesn’t come close to the lifespan of some of the pipes, you still have to consider things like pipe joints and fittings, as well as mechanical components. Compromised pipes can lead to leaks – or worse.

WARNING SIGNS

If you notice your pipes cracking or leaking, that’s an obvious warning sign. Corrosion around fixtures is also a red flag. Other signs: wet baseboards, water behind the toilet or sink, damaged flooring, or rust-colored corrosion.

Low water pressure can be the result of multiple problems. A rattling sound from your sink, combined with low water pressure can be a sign of blockage in pipes that may indicate the need for repair.

REPAIR OR REPLACE PLUMBING

Blocked pipes or faulty fixtures don’t require full replacement. Generally, a major repair is one where walls need to be removed in order to access the problem areas. This is why some homeowners invest in new plumbing at the same time that they refurbish their kitchen or bathroom.

If you’re considering replacement or repairs, The Darville Company can help. Call us today at 432-580-9675 or schedule an appointment online. The Darville Company is The Higher Standard.

Like with most home maintenance, taking care of your drains is important to help prevent future problems. Sometimes there could be an issue below the sink that you can’t even see. By the time you realize there’s a problem, it could be too late. You can avoid issues and expensive repairs by practicing routine maintenance, and prevent putting money go down the drain.

DRAIN CLOG PREVENTION

The most obvious evidence of issues with your drains or pipes is a clog. Here’s a quick list of items that you should keep from going down any drain.

• Hair
• Coffee Grounds
• Soap Scum
• Cooking grease

Even if you have a garbage disposal, any of these items could clog up your drain. Some could even damage your garbage disposal. In the bathroom, keep hair and soap scum out of sinks and tubs. You can get a shower drain protector online for $10 or less. Keeping those drains clear will make a big difference in preventing clogs.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

The first and most obvious way to identify a clog is a slow drain. If water is draining at a slower than normal speed, you probably have a clogged drain. It’s easy to tell just by looking. Another way to spot, or should we say “smell,” a problem is a bad odor coming from your kitchen or bathroom drain. That indicates that food or other debris is stopped up, rotting, and stinking up the place! Finally, if you hear gurgling from your drains, or your toilet is backing up instead of flushing, you know you’ve got a problem.

WE CAN HELP

If your drain performance is going down the tubes, give The Darville Company a call. We have the knowledge and experience to help you with all your plumbing needs. Call us today at 432-580-9675 or schedule an appointment online. Darville is the Higher Standard.

Hard water is a problem here in West Texas. The Darville Company offers a variety of solutions. Two of the most popular solutions that we offer are water softeners and reverse osmosis systems. Though they produce similar results, there are some differences between these two systems. In this post, we’ll explore the differences to see which one is right for you.

REVERSE OSMOSIS (R.O.)

Reverse osmosis purifies your water, while water softeners soften your water. The R.O. process is basically an advanced filter. By running your water through a semipermeable membrane, reverse osmosis systems filter out contaminants and minerals. R.O. systems are typically installed for single-faucet use, most often underneath the kitchen sink. R.O. focuses mainly on improving the taste of water used for drinking and cooking.

WATER SOFTENERS

So if R.O. takes the bad stuff out of your water, water softeners put the good stuff in. Water softeners actually add negatively-charged ions to the water. The ions attach themselves to the sodiums and potassiums that make the water hard. The ions breakdown the deposits, minimizing the effect they have on your water. Water softeners are usually installed on your water tank, so they will soften water throughout your home.

USE BOTH?

As you can see, R.O. and water softening systems are slightly different. The good news is that you can use both together to maximize the water quality in your home. Treating the water with a softener before it even gets to the reverse osmosis system will make the R.O. filter last even longer. Using both systems will provide the best-tasting water for drinking, while still providing soft water for bathing, which is also good for your pipes, faucets, and other water-based appliances.

CALL US

Lucky for you, The Darville Company has state-of-the-art options for both reverse osmosis and water softeners. Call us at 432-580-9675 to make an appointment. The Darville Company is the higher standard!

Aging or leaky air ducts can have a major impact on your HVAC unit’s efficiency and the air quality in your home. Allowing extra air can make your air less clean and leave a layer of dust throughout your home. In West Texas, we have enough dust on the outside – we don’t want it on the inside!

OUR AIR QUALITY SOLUTION

The Darville Company offers a solution: REME HALO. The REME HALO system is designed to filter air while it’s still in the ducts. The experts at The Darville Company install the REME in your HVAC system, so by the time the air gets to your living spaces, it’s clean and ready to keep you comfortable! It’s great if you’re looking for a way to reduce the impact of allergies on those in your home.

HOW IT WORKS

The REME HALO works by sending ionized hydro-peroxide into the air. The chemicals will attach themselves to dust, bacteria, viruses, mold, or anything else that causes a bad odor or discomfort from your air supply. Your air filter then captures the molecules that the hydro-peroxide collects.

Your filter will fill get full quickly, but this means that the air that is getting through is clean. Any unhealthy particles that do make it through the filter will be broken down by the chemicals and cleared from your home. You’ll need to change your filter more often, but you’ll notice the difference with cleaner air in your home. The hydro-peroxide is all-natural and totally safe.

FLU SHOT FOR YOUR HOME

The Darville Company experts are fully trained to properly install the REME HALO system. Just like the flu vaccine protects you from getting sick, we believe the REME HALO is a flu shot for your home. If you’re ready to improve your air quality and reduce dust and allergies, call The Darville Company today at 432-580-9675!

Do you know what ZIP in ZIP code stands for? What about SCUBA? You are probably familiar with these terms, even if you don’t know what the letters stand for. At the Darville Company, we know all about HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning), but we deal with other acronyms, too. One of those is the MERV Rating.

WHAT IS MERV?

MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. The MERV rating ranges from 1-16 and is assigned to HVAC filters. The number represents a scale that measures the filter’s ability to remove particles from the air moving through your system. These particles can be between .3 and 10 microns in size! We’re talking things like dust, pollen, cigar smoke, and some particles you can’t even see. Most home filters have a MERV rating between 7 and 12, while a filter in a place like a hospital is more likely to be rated between 13 and 16. 

It’s important to know that a HIGHER rating, is not necessarily a BETTER rating. What’s important is that the rating of the filter matches the output and the power of your HVAC. The unit and the filter need to work together to create maximum efficiency and comfort for you!

CHANGING FILTERS

As with any kind of filter, your air filter needs to be changed occasionally. Filters with higher MERV ratings need to be changed a bit more frequently. You can change air filters on your own, but it may take some know-how to make sure you get the right one. The Darville Company has the experts you need to make sure you pick the right filter to fit your system. Give us a call today at 432-580-9675. The Darville Company is the higher standard!

ANSWERS

If you’re still wondering, ZIP stands for Zone Improvement Plan, and SCUBA stands for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. Give us a call today!

Here’s a story from a friend of The Darville Company:

“I remember when I first moved to Odessa years ago. I was all moved into my new apartment (they were a lot cheaper back then). After getting situated, I realized something was missing. My fridge didn’t have an ice maker. When I told the ladies in the office, they said, “Honey, you’re not from here, are you? You wouldn’t drink the water around here or make ice with it.”

Luckily The Darville Company has products that can help.

HARD WATER

Hard water is a reality in West Texas. There’s not a ton you can do to prevent it from damaging your home. 

Scientifically speaking, water is H2O. But “hard” water is created when that H2O mixes with minerals on your way to coming out of your tap. About 85% of all U.S. homes are said to have hard water, though in some areas, it’s worse than others. The Permian Basin is one of those areas.

THE SOLUTION

So if playing with the science of your water is the problem, then there must be a scientific solution, right? RIGHT! Welcome to the world of water treatment. That’s the process of purifying your water, by taking out many of the minerals that cause it to be hard.

WaterTech offers a variety of ways to combat hard water, with its line of water conditioners, softeners, and reverse osmosis products. Some, like the REIONATOR PRO and SOFTMAX PRO focus on filtering your water for use in showers and sinks. Others, like the RO PUREPRO, make your water better tasting and safe to drink. This is exactly what our friend needed when they moved to Odessa!

HOW WE CAN HELP

The Darville Company is proud to offer the full line of WaterTech Pro Series products for sale or rent. Give us a call and schedule a consultation with one of our experts to begin the move to better water. The Darville Company is the higher standard! Call 432-580-9675 for an appointment today!