Picture Rocks Cooling Heating & Plumbing Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Tucson’

6 Clues that Your Water Heater Needs Repair

Monday, February 24th, 2025
hand-held-magnifying-glass

Don’t wait until you end up in a cold shower when you’re in a rush to get to work one morning! Pay attention to the signals your water heater gives you. Get it the service it needs before it has a complete breakdown. Here are the top clues that your water heater needs repair. When you notice any of these, it’s time for help from a qualified plumber!

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Are Heat Pump and AC Repair the Same?

Monday, January 27th, 2025
hand-holding-old-tools

You might know that an air conditioner and a heat pump are similar. But they can’t be exactly the same, can they? What does that mean for their care? Do they require the same maintenance? Do heat pumps and air conditioners show the same signs of problems? Do they need the same repairs? Mostly, yes, but there are some details to be aware of.

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Dust & Mold & Mess, Oh My! Time for Duct Cleaning?

Monday, January 13th, 2025
dust-on-an-HVAC-vent

No matter what time of year it is, no matter whether you’re running your heating system or your air conditioner, you always rely on one critical part of your HVAC system: the ductwork! All the air passes through it, all year long. 

The heated or cooled air whooshes along the ducts and comes out your vents, and with it comes … what? Well, whatever is lurking inside your ductwork. Dust, mold spores, and other contaminants can make it so that your air isn’t nearly as fresh as it should be. Duct cleaning can solve that problem!

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What’s Wrong With Liquid Drain Cleaner?

Monday, December 2nd, 2024
graphic-of-u-bend-of-blocked-pipe

Let’s imagine that you’ve been noticing a sink draining more and more slowly lately. Especially during the holiday season, you might be asking even more of your plumbing than you usually do. It’s entirely likely that your slow sink will get worse, or even become completely stopped up, before the new year. So what will you do? Go out and buy a bottle of liquid drain cleaner? No! Don’t do that! Why not? Give us a moment and we’ll explain.

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Signs of an HVAC Duct Leak

Monday, October 21st, 2024
HVAC-technician-working-on-ducts

One of the things homeowners rarely think about is their ductwork. It’s out of sight and, all too often, out of mind. But it has a bigger impact than you might realize! If you haven’t been paying attention to your ducts, it’s always a good idea to have them professionally inspected to see what’s going on in there. And sometimes, there are signs you can spot which indicate that there’s definitely a problem.

HVAC duct leaks are all too common, caused by anything from nibbling rodents to stray home improvement nails and screws to simple deterioration with age. What happens if your ducts are leaking? And what are the signs of an HVAC duct leak? We’ll explain everything.

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All About Ductless System Maintenance

Monday, September 23rd, 2024
ductless-air-handler-blowing-cold-air

All air conditioners require maintenance!

All heat pumps require maintenance!

This is true whether they are central systems which lead to ductwork or mini splits, also known as ductless systems. But these systems are not the same.

Do ductless systems have different maintenance needs from central air conditioners? What does ductless maintenance involve? Here’s the lowdown.

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Amazing Advances in AC Efficiency

Monday, September 9th, 2024
hand-drawing-a-house-on-a-chalkboard-with-the-words-energy-management

As you look around today, you see hybrid cars that get more than fifty miles per gallon of gasoline. There are electric school buses. Light bulbs now use a fraction of the energy of the incandescent bulbs of days gone by. Technology keeps improving, and it is helping us to cut our energy use and thus our bills. This is also true in HVAC technology.

Today, air conditioners are required to be more efficient than ever before. And this is possible because manufacturers can make them more efficient now! What amazing advances in AC efficiency have made it possible for air conditioners to use less energy while working better than ever? Check this out!

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Could Your Kids Be Causing Your Plumbing Problems?

Monday, August 12th, 2024
kids-in-a-bathtub

Slow drains. Clogged drains. Frequent attempts to clear them with plungers and drain snakes. Kids complaining that the sink is blocked again. Does this sound like your house? If so, we’ve got some helpful pointers for you. Those kids could be causing the problems with your plumbing! Here’s how to get those drains cleared up and keep them that way.

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What’s That Smell? Your Air Conditioner Needs Repair

Monday, June 17th, 2024
child-pinching-nose-closed

Sometimes, an indication that your air conditioner needs repair will be obvious. For example, if it’s simply not turning on, or if it turns on but shuts off almost immediately, you’ll be overheated and desperate for a qualified technician to figure out what’s wrong. And if you hear a terrible grinding or clattering sound, you’ll be certain that something needs repair, even if you don’t know what.

One odd indicator of AC problems that’s often overlooked is odor. Your air conditioner should never make a noticeable smell. If you do smell something, it’s a sign of a problem. What’s wrong? Here are some clues.

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How Much Water Can a Plumbing Leak Waste?

Monday, May 20th, 2024
a-drop-of-water-falling-from-a-faucet

When you’ve got a catastrophic plumbing leak, and water is spraying or gushing out of a fixture or a damaged pipe, you know you have a serious emergency on your hands. And it’s clear that if you don’t address it immediately, your home will be severely water-damaged, and your water bill will be through the roof.

But what if you have a smaller leak? Can you safely ignore it? After all, a few drops of water won’t do much damage, will they? Actually, the water from a plumbing leak can add up surprisingly quickly. How much water can your minor plumbing leak waste? What should you do about it? We’ve got answers for you.

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