Everyone wants to pay less to heat their homes, partly because there are no bragging rights for paying more than your neighbors do to heat their homes.

“Hey, how much did you pay last year to heat your home? That’s it, are you kidding me? We paid almost double that, and it was darn well worth it!”

Add that to your list of things you are likely to never, ever hear.

Speaking of lists, here are a few things to add to your list on ways to cut your home heating costs. Don’t already have one? Than the following will make terrific first entries:

• Keep shades and blinds open during the day on windows that face the sun, and close them as soon as the sun starts to fade.

• Buy and install a dual-direction ceiling fan and, in the winter, run it in reverse. That serves to force the heat back down into your living quarters, allowing you to feel perfectly comfortable at a lower temperature setting.

• Locate and seal all air leaks. Each house, they say, has enough of these that if they were to be combined, you’d have the equivalent of a hula-hoop size hole in your wall letting the heat escape. Good places to insulate include inside sockets and switches, inside outside facing walls, doors and windows, and your attic.

• Invest in one or more programmable thermostats so you can cut your heating costs while no one’s home but still have your home nice and warm upon your return.

• With whole-house zoning, you can warm those areas where you spend the most time, and turn the thermostat way back in rooms no longer frequently used.

Another sure-fire way to help keep your heating costs in line is with a heating system clean and check from Boden. Ours is a multi-point process that also helps your system run more efficiently and safely. It also leads to fewer repairs and a longer system lifespan. Contact us today for more information or to schedule service.

Even if you’re brand new to the whole home ownership thing, chances are you’ve already dealt with a plumbing “issue” or to. Either replacing or fixing something that was just plain bugging you, or engaging in something more extensive like a kitchen or bath upgrade.

Well, in our experience here at Boden Plumbing Heating & Air, there are two types of home owners: those who don’t even want to think about home repair problems until they happen, and those who want as much advance knowledge and warning as they can get so they can better prepare themselves for the disruption and expense to follow.

By virtue of the fact that you’re reading this blog, we’re going to assume that you’re the “I want to know” type, and we’re more than happy to oblige.

So here you go – a list of common water heater repair symptoms both here in Northern California and around the country:

• Not enough or not hot water at all
• Rust colored water
• The smell of rotten eggs
• Low rumbling or popping noise
• Higher pitched whining
• Water leaking around the base of the storage tank

Even if you’re the handy type, don’t go exploring troubleshooting on your own at least until you do the following:

• Turn off power to your electric water heater. Do this by turning off the circuit breaker or fuse powering the heater.
• For a gas water heater, turn the gas pilot control valve to “pilot” setting.
• Shut off the water supply.

Or, you can simply pick up the phone and give us a call: Boden Plumbing Heating & Air. We’ve been making sure families like yours have all the hot water they need, when they need it, since 1992. Our services include water heater performance and safety inspections, precision repairs, and new installations. Boden: how can we best serve you today?