F.H. Furr's Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical Insider Blog

Summer! Just the word brings feelings of freedom, relaxation and excitement! Although some of us remain busy during these warm months, most are able to escape for awhile on a vacation that we’ve anticipated since the last one ended. As you sit at your desk with visions of palm trees, swimsuits and beaches dancing in your head, something sinister may be at work back at your home! During the year, as you are working towards your summer vacation, your A/C unit is working too. Unfortunately if you’ve neglected to have maintenance performed on your unit, it’s been working overtime collecting dust and dirt. This makes it less efficient and costs you more money in utility bills. Not only that, but there’s a greater chance of a system breakdown, which could cost you hundreds! If you find yourself in a predicament with a broken air handler, chances are, that vacation money you’ve been hoarding is going to go straight into a new unit. If that thought scares you, it might be time to get your system maintenance and inspection before disaster strikes! 

What's Lurking in Your Crawl Space?

What is a crawl space? It’s not a term that you’d know off the top of your head, but the fact is, it’s a part of your home, and it has the potential to be extremely harmful. A crawl space is located beneath many houses, is generally very small, and is only tall enough to “crawl” through, hence its name. These spaces have room for pipes to run, allowing easy access should the pipes need to be serviced. Unfortunately, the spaces are located very near to the ground, and their floor is generally made up of dirt. Here are some questions you need to ask yourself to discover the truth about your crawl spaces:

Dust is common in every home. There’s no way to escape it, it’s just a part of life. With Spring Cleaning right around the corner, you’ll be seeing your fair share of dust bunnies hidden beneath the beds! In this day and age, most of us don’t have time to dust every day, yet, have you noticed an unusual amount of dust in your home? Are layers of dust plaguing your furniture, appliances and floors, even after you’ve just dusted? This is a sign that there is a problem with your home’s indoor air quality that you might not be able to see. Here are three causes for uncommon amounts of dust in your home:

Fairfax homeowners expect their insurance to cover any disaster that their home might throw their way, but the harsh reality is that insurance only covers the very basics. When it comes to household inconveniences, there are three issues that most home insurance policies don’t cover.

The garbage disposer in your home might be a small part of your home's plumbing, but boy, is it important! Ever experienced a clogged disposal? Your sink fills up with food and grimy water and pretty soon you’ve got a pile of dishes that can’t be washed! Most of us like to keep our sink area clean and sanitary, especially since it’s where the food is often prepared, so it’s a good idea to keep up with maintenance on your garbage disposer. Here are a few do’s and don’ts when it comes to your disposer, along with tips for free*ing up simple jams.

A Sump Pump...what a charming title. You’ve probably heard the name, but some of us may not have clue what they are or what they do for a home. In some cases, you might not know about them until they break down and stop working. The reality is, these machines keep our homes from flooding by removing groundwater that accumulates around your house. Any potentially harmful amounts of water get sent away from the home to a storm drain or dry well. However, not all of these pumps are the same, and it’s important to choose the right option for your Northern Virginia home.