Congress reinstated the 2011 residential energy tax credits for 2012 and 2013. This means that if you installed any of the energy efficient products covered by the program last year, or if you install any of them this year, you can claim up to $500 credit on your taxes. (more…)
As you start thinking about new landscaping for your yard this spring, keep in mind that the plants you choose can affect your water usage. Choosing plants that have low water requirements means your plants will stay healthy with normal amounts of rain, and if there are dry spells, you’ll water less often. (more…)
Toilets are a major source of a wasteful use of water in a home. Toilets often can have a very slow leak that is almost undetectable, but can significantly add to your water usage. Most toilet leaks are due to the need for a new flush valve or floater. These repairs are easy to do....
After a long, cold, damp winter its good to do a spring checkup of your plumbing. If you have a plumbing service contract with Summers & Zim’s call us at 610-593-5129 to get your service scheduled now. If you don’t have a service contract, here are some tips for things to look for. Check gaskets...
Remember that smell in high school when you opened your gym bag? That’s the origin of the name “dirty sock syndrome” for your home. But for your home it isn’t dirty socks that cause the odors. Most lingering odors in homes are caused by pets (the dog bed and cat litter box) or by cooking...
Stink bugs are a menace. And they could be an even bigger menace to you this spring if they’re in your heating system. In cold weather stink bugs look for warm places to stay, and they love heating systems. Sometimes there are so many stink bugs they can block the ductwork. They also get trapped...
Carbon Monoxide (CO) is an odorless gas that can cause severe health problems or even death. CO is produced by the process of combustion. Therefore, we can encounter CO in much of our everyday lives. You will find that CO is generated by items such as gas appliances, furnaces, water heaters, automobiles, charcoal grills, generators,...
Leaking water heaters, washing machines, and dishwashers, or overflowing toilets, can cause a lot of damage to floors, ceilings of rooms below the leak, plus the furniture and carpet in those rooms, before you get the water turned off, the water cleaned up, and the plumber arrives to fix it. That’s why it’s smart to...
The saying "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" is right on target when it comes to having a service contract for your plumbing and HVAC. At Summers & Zim’s a service contract means that all your equipment gets checked and routine maintenance is done so you don’t have to worry about...
Did you know that just .04 of an inch of dust on your heating coil can reduce the efficiency of your heating system by 21%? And, if that amount of dust builds up on your fan the loss of efficiency is almost 50%. With spring just around the corner it’s easy to think you can...
