FAQs

FAQs

R.A. Nichols Plumbing, Heating & Cooling is Family Owned and
Operated, Plumbing and HVAC Services to
Central Jersey

HVAC FAQs

Ductless HVAC technology offers many potential benefits for homeowners. Units can be zoned to maximize energy efficiency when cooling specific rooms or areas of the home. They provide a more energy-efficient alternative to traditional whole-home systems thanks to their design, the lack of energy loss via ductwork, and can help reduce heating and cooling bills. Overall, multi-zone ductless installations can be a strong option for homeowners seeking cost-effective and energy-efficient options for controlling the climate of their home. This technology is ideal for new home additions, converted attics and garages, outdoor guest cottages, and for retrofitting historical homes with no existing ductwork. A multi-zone system with several outdoor units also can be a viable and energy-efficient alternative to central air or heat pump, depending on the region.

The Daikin FIT HVAC system is the latest and greatest in home comfort control solutions. This compact, smart home solution for whole home heating and cooling features an inverter-driven compressor for precise temperature control to provide more consistent and energy-efficient performance. Featuring a low-profile design with incredibly low sound compared to traditional cube-style outdoor units, Daikin FIT gives you the control and comfort your home deserves. Contact R.A. Nichols Plumbing, Heating & Cooling today to schedule a free consult to learn more about the efficient, effective Daikin FIT solution.

The cooling efficiency of your heating and cooling equipment is measured by the SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) rating. This ratio represents how much cooling your system will provide for each dollar spent on electricity, compared to other systems. Higher SEER ratings represent more efficient systems. An HVAC unit’s SEER rating can range from 13 to 21, depending on a variety of factors. A SEER rating does not factor in the added efficiency that Daikin inverter compressors can provide when operating at less than full capacity.

The nominal SEER rating for your split cooling system may not be the same as what you were originally quoted. This is because seasonal energy-efficiency can be increased by upgrading the indoor unit to another unit of the same series. Your overall SEER rating is determined by the combination of equipment installed. Both your outdoor equipment (such as a heat pump or air conditioner) and your indoor units (such as the air handler or furnace and evaporator coil), contribute to the total SEER rating.

Regularly scheduled preventive maintenance is essential for your heating and cooling equipment. These sensitive systems work hard day-in and day-out to maintain your home climate. Continual operation – as well as frequent starting and stopping – can contribute to increased wear and tear on your home HVAC unit. Regular maintenance is essential for increasing the lifespan of your heating and cooling equipment, and it improves effective performance. Regular maintenance inspections can help identify major issues (including leaks, rot, soot, frayed wires, and corrosion) that can contribute to decreased performance and even equipment failure. Regular maintenance may also be required to receive the full benefits of your systems limited warranty. Schedule a preventive maintenance check with R.A. Nichols Plumbing, Heating & Cooling to ensure your equipment is operating in top condition and to help reduce future issues in your home heating and cooling equipment.

You should have your heating and cooling equipment tuned up by a professional annually in both the spring and the fall. If you have an air conditioner and heat pump, your service technician should inspect your fan, compressor, indoor and outdoor coils, and all refrigerant lines. For homes with boilers and furnaces, inspections should cover ductwork, pipes, dampers, valves, chimneys, registers, radiators, pumps, blowers, oil tanks, fuel lines, and all components of the boiler and furnace themselves. A full check of your systems is key for maintaining their performance in the summer and winter months and for maintaining the complete coverage of your systems limited warranty.

As your local Daikin contractor, R.A. Nichols Plumbing, Heating & Cooling is your go-to expert for all things related to troubleshooting for any brand of heating and air conditioning equipment. Specialized troubleshooting technicians are also available at Daikin Distribution centers across the nation – we will work with them to solve your issues. If additional assistance from the factory is needed to solve your situation, R.A. Nichols Plumbing, Heating & Cooling will contact our factory supported Service Manager(s) to ensure your problem is resolved.

Programmable thermostats offer a more accurate and efficient alternative to traditional mercury thermostats. Smart solutions empower homeowners to program their thermostats to meet their temperature needs throughout the day without ever having to touch the thermostat itself. Powerful apps are available for many solutions to empower remote control of your home climate. With the right programming, you can fully automate your home temperature routine for your convenience and comfort. Some smart home thermostats can help you save energy and may alert you or your Daikin contractor of potential problems with your system.

While a standard air filter will do the basic work of keeping your ductwork and system clean, it will not improve your home’s indoor air quality. Many homeowners rely on media air cleaners to solve this problem. A media filter is situated between your main duct return and the blower cabinet to improve a standard air filter’s removal of dust and particulate matter by up to seven times. Beyond this, an upgraded pleated media filter can even remove viruses from the filtered air. Whatever solution you decide upon, you should always match your air filters to the capacity of your HVAC blower. To ensure optimized performance and air quality, we recommend replacing disposable filters monthly or cleaning reusable filters monthly as well.

Daikin is committed to providing high-performance HVAC equipment. Filters for your Daikin unit use high-quality materials not found in retail stores’ disposable filters. Because of this, replacement filters for Daikin equipment may only be available from certified Daikin contractors. Remember that some Daikin filters can be washed by hand in cold water for reuse.

R.A. Nichols Plumbing, Heating & Cooling is your most effective and reliable source for Daikin parts and equipment. We will ensure that your parts are properly identified to supply you with accurate, cost-effective and timely orders for your system.

Your system will be configured based on many factors, including your home’s square footage, type of insulation, surface area of windows, geographic location, duct size, and more. R.A. Nichols Plumbing, Heating & Cooling will complete an exhaustive in-home load analysis to help identify which combinations and configurations of equipment are best suited to heat and cool your home. In general, one ton of air conditioning can cool between 300 and 800 square feet of a home. Our licensed and certified heating and cooling technicians will complete a thorough evaluation of your home’s heating and cooling needs to right-size your equipment for optimal performance.

Daikin provides a standard factory limited warranty that covers parts that fail due to parts defects during the prescribed warranty period. Labor is not covered by the warranty. Check your warranty certificate (included in your homeowner information packet), for more information specific to your products’ model number, serial number, installation date, and more. We register all Daikin equipment we install with the Daikin Corporation to ensure your standard – parts warranty is active. If you have misplaced your warranty certificate, please contact R.A. Nichols Plumbing, Heating & Cooling for help with that information. The R.A. Nichols Plumbing, Heating & Cooling Complete Comfort Care Plan includes a warranty for ten years of parts and labor on your Daikin heating and cooling equipment.

Daikin products are known for their dependable performance and are one of the longest-lasting lines of heating and cooling products on the market today. Life expectancy for specific equipment models is affected by a variety of factors, including the completion of regularly scheduled routine maintenance.

Plumbing FAQs

From emergency plumbing services to slab leak repair, we’ve gathered a list of frequently asked questions. We have you covered whether you’re thinking about what sort of plumbing repair is ideal for you or need to know when to schedule your next inspection.

Follow our piping guide below to discover what sort of plumbing material you have in your home:

  • Copper: Copper pipes were used in most homes built between the 1970s and early 2000s. When they're new, they're a golden brown color, but over time, they turn to a deep rust or brown color. Copper pipes can last up to 50 years.
  • Galvanized Steel: Pipes that are gray in color are most likely constructed of galvanized steel. This material is less expensive than copper and was commonly used in houses up until the 1970s. When builders discovered that it only lasted for around 40 years, they stopped using it as much.
  • PB (polybutylene): "PB2110" is the most popular marking for this piping. These flexible pipes are usually gray, although they may also be black or blue.
  • PVC (polyvinyl-chloride): White plastic pipes are most often seen beneath kitchen and bathroom sinks, where they serve as drain pipes.
  • PEX (cross-linked polyethylene): Plastic tubing that is usually white, red, or blue and is used to indicate hot and cold pipes. Because of its flexibility, plumbers employ this material often.
  • Cast Iron: This pipe has a black finish and was in widespread use from the mid-1960s to around 1970.

Plumbing issues are all too common. Even in newer homes, clogged drains or a water leak may appear when you least expect it. These are the most typical plumbing issues, whether you're living through repairs or an older home, or simply buying a new house and want to be prepared:

  • Clogged toilet
  • Clogged bath or shower drain
  • Garbage disposal blockage
  • Lacking hot water pressure
  • Running toilet sewage smell in the house
  • Sewage odor in your house from a blocked sewer line
  • Backed-up sewage system
  • Low water pressure
  • Leaky faucets
  • Leaking pipes
  • Water heater repair issues

When it comes to little blockages, you may be considering how a do-it-yourself remedy would work to unclog your pipes. However, DIY drain cleaning methods are never a full solution to plumbing issues. Drain snaking your drain with a wire hanger and pouring strong chemicals down the sink is one of many do-it-yourself drain cleaning techniques. Your drains are an important component of your home that must be treated with care and accuracy.

Although pouring Drano down your drain may seem appealing, a number of home remedies for drain cleaning can be ineffective or worse, harmful. At-home techniques for drain cleaning entail too much guesswork that only masks your plumbing concerns rather than resolving them all at once. Snaking your drain on your own only reaches surface clogs and blockages, not deeper ones within the pipe that are causing the actual issues. In addition, chemical drain cleaners include hazardous chemicals that form slime and sludge in your pipes, which can remain there for long periods of time. Instead of attempting to fix your plumbing problems yourself, contact us immediately.

Your plumber will utilize a non-toxic Hydro Jetting treatment to clean your home's plumbing system. Schedule a hydro jetting session for your house every two to three years.

We recommend a high-pressure water jetting procedure, which does not use chemicals. Our team can clean out blockages, debris, and tree roots by forcing water through your pipes at nearly 4000 PSI. Debris is blasted with a pressure of almost 4000 pounds per square inch, allowing wastewater and waste to flow freely through your plumbing.

Clogged pipes can be a real pain in the neck. Whether it's a slow-draining tub or a major blockage in your main sewage line, getting to the source of the problem straight away will aid minimize further damage. The easiest approach to avoid clogged drains is to keep an eye on what goes down your drains and toilets. Here are a few tips:

  • When using the garbage disposal, use cold water.
  • If there is no garbage disposal, a drain strainer should be used.
  • Grease or oil should not be poured down the sink.
  • To rinse away grease from dishes, run hot water after they've been washed.
  • Drain stoppers in the shower and bathtub should be removed to prevent blockages.
  • Flush down any loose items, such as toilet paper, using the toilet.
  • Every two to three years, inspect your septic tank and pump it if necessary.
  • Coffee grinds, bones, grease, fruit peels, and other fibrous items should not be put in garbage disposals.

Although it would be nice, plumbing problems don't just happen during normal business hours. When leaks and blockages occur on weekends or in the middle of the night, you must decide if it is an emergency. Each homeowner will ultimately determine what constitutes an emergency, but our checklist may assist:
Is it only one faucet, drain, or shower that's having trouble? Is the problem confined to just one pipe and will wait until Monday morning? Can you turn off a water valve to stop the issue? If you can temporarily stop the problem, wait until regular business hours to call the plumber. Is the water still flowing? Call an emergency plumber if your water is entirely turned off (and not a municipality problem). Is there flooding in your home or outside of it? If a leaky pipe or water main break causes flooding inside or outside of your house, you're dealing with an emergency.

Water leaks can be tough to detect if your house is constructed on a slab or your pipes run underground. The following are the most common indicators of a water leak:

  • Floors that are wet or sponge-like
  • The monthly water bill suddenly rose by a large amount.
  • You hear the sound of running water coming from the walls
  • Water pressure is low.
  • One area of the yard is greener than another.

If you have any of these problems, call your local plumber for leak detection assistance.

When a water pipe beneath your home's slab bursts or leaks, it is known as a slab leak. An underground pipe leak can cause the soil to get saturated, resulting in the slab shifting or sinking. A spot repair method is the most frequent way to fix a slab leak. If old or damaged piping under the slab requires re-plumbing or relocation, a pipe bursting or pipe relining method may be recommended.

The average lifespan of a water heater is 8 to 12 years. Maintaining your device on a regular basis will aid in the unit's longevity. Drain the water heater once a year if you have a traditional tank to remove any sediments and minerals that may accumulate at the bottom of the tank. Call your local plumbing company for water heater repair or replacement services for assistance with this.

The ideal water heater temperature is determined by a variety of things. The EPA recommends a range between 120 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Too cold of a temperature and bacteria can grow, posing a threat to your family's health and safety. If the temperature is set too high, you'll waste energy and risk scalding burns from the water if it's used excessively.

Clogged toilets are an annoyance to your house and can lead to serious health issues if waste isn't disposed of correctly. If your toilet isn't working, try one of these methods for unclogging it:

  • Plunger: Plunge the plunger several times around the toilet drain to seal it. If the plunger doesn't work, try a plumbing snake.
  • Plumbing Snake: A plumbing snake, sometimes called a drain snake, may be used to remove a clog from the toilet drain.

If none of these suggestions work, and the water from the toilet is not releasing, contact your local plumber immediately.

It may be time to replace your toilet if you have continual problems with it. A few indicators that it's time to replace your toilet are as follows:

  • Constant clogging
  • Several flushes needed after each use
  • Age (toilets over 10 years old aren’t energy efficient)
  • Leaks that continue to occur

When using a trenchless sewer repair method, we can finish most sewage line repair work without digging. Traditional sewage repair generates a double cost to homeowners due to the necessity of repairing the sewer line as well as dealing with yard care, driveways, and floors. Our experts can solve your plumbing issues while reducing damage to your property with trenchless sewage line repair.

Common trenchless sewer repair types include:

  • Pull-in-place lining
  • Inversion lining
  • Epoxy coating

Each of these processes has its own set of standards and pricing scale.

Tree roots that enter your plumbing can cause substantial damage if left unaddressed for an extended period of time. Tree roots may penetrate below ground pipes, disrupting the flow of water and waste to and from your home. Try one of these solutions to avoid tree root damage:

  • Tree Removal: If the tree continues to be a problem, have it cut down by a professional arborist. Because of the small amount of labor required to repair your plumbing on a daily basis, the cost of tree removal will be insignificant in comparison.
  • Root Barrier: Install a root barrier around each new tree by digging an 18 to 24-inch trench circling the root zone and filling it with dirt. The roots of the trees will not be able to invade your pipes as a result of the barrier.
  • Routine Plumbing Maintenance: Every two to three years, have your camera inspected to catch invasive roots. You may detect minor plumbing problems before they become costly repairs.
  • Sewer Line Cleaning: The usage of hydro jetting to clean your pipes is a green method of pipe maintenance. The high water pressure can cut through obstructions, waste, and tree roots.

Broken pipes are one of the most frequent homeowner insurance claims. If the damage was unavoidable, most insurance companies will cover leaks or burst pipes. To prevent broken pipes or leaking appliances:

  • Caulk and seal tubs and showers fully.
  • Examine for leaking faucets indoors and outside.
  • If you reside in a cold region, insulate your pipes.
  • Visually inspect the hose of your dishwasher or washing machine for cracks and tears on a regular basis, and replace as needed.

Follow these pipe insulation steps to avoid frozen pipes:

  1. Before installing insulation, run the heating cable along the pipes to keep them at a consistent temperature. The wire will maintain the pipes at a constant temperature.
  2. Examine the outside of your house for any visible cracks near the foundation or basement. Cracks should be filled using spray foam or caulking.
  3. To prevent your outdoor faucets from freezing, turn off the water valves. Allow any extra water to drain before then cover the faucets with an insulating dome to prevent ice from forming.
  4. Open the cabinet doors so that the warm air in your house may reach the pipes beneath your sinks.
  5. Have your Plumbing system inspected annually to avoid it from breaking down during the winter months. Extreme cold may put a strain on your pipes quickly.
  6. Allow your faucet to drip a tiny bit of water slowly. Running the water somewhat will assist avoid frozen pipes.

Our experts are here to assist you with keeping your house in excellent working order. We'll assess the issues, talk about the issue, and offer straightforward solutions to get your property back to normal right away. For all of your plumbing needs, contact us today!