Year-round, your HVAC system works hard to keep your family cool and comfortable. Even if you own a new home or you’ve recently put in a new HVAC system, you can put a lot of wear and tear on it in just one season. If you’ve never experienced problems with your unit, you may be tempted to skip this year’s AC maintenance. Don’t do it.

Keeping up with regular maintenance is the single most important thing you can do to maintain AC efficiency and longevity. AC units are important investments and regular tune-ups help to ensure your home’s cooling system is cleaned and well-maintained.

How Often Should I Have My Air Conditioner Tuned Up?

You should schedule an AC tune-up once per year (twice per year if you have a heat pump!). Most have their AC tuned-up by a professional HVAC technician before the start of the cooling season in Fort Collins—ideally, between March and June.

To maintain optimal HVAC performance, you can also complete a few maintenance tasks on your own—like changing your air filter every 1–3 months.

Benefits of AC Tune-Up

Fewer repair calls

You don’t like coming home to a broken AC on a hot summer day, do you? We didn’t think so. Having your AC tuned-up at the start of the season will help a technician catch any issues before they become costly repairs (or leave you with a broken AC).

Lower utility bills

Want lower energy bills overall? Tune-up your AC before the summer. An HVAC technician can catch any bugs or wear and tear that may harm or cause strain on your system. When your system is strained, it’s working harder to cool your home—leaving you with extra energy costs.

Longer lifespan

With regular maintenance and care, an air conditioner should last between 10–15 years. Regular AC tune-ups are a proactive step toward keeping your system running closer to 15 (and not failing on you at the 8-year mark).

Good Guys Home Services: #1 for AC Tune-Up in Fort Collins  

Want to keep your home’s HVAC system running optimally? Choose Good Guys Home Services—the Fort Collins AC tune-up experts. You won’t have to fret about your cooling system’s performance ever again. Our HVAC professionals perform regular AC maintenance like tune-ups, inspections, cleanings, repairs, and more at the start of every season. Plus, we have raving reviews from neighbors and past customers all over Northern Colorado—take a look here.

We are here to help with all of your heating and cooling needs throughout the year. Contact us today to schedule a maintenance appointment or learn more about our HVAC services here. Want to chat with a technician? Give us a call today at (970) 818-8008—we can’t wait to speak with you!

We offer year-round HVAC services for heating, cooling, and more throughout Northern Colorado. Located in Fort Collins, we also serve the following areas: Loveland, Ault, Greeley, Denver, Windsor, Boulder, and Longmont, Colorado.

Bathroom and kitchen plumbing are notorious for becoming slow to drain over time—and it’s no doubt that toothpaste, shaving creams, and “garbage disposal” waste are to blame. Plumbing problems can be a real pain—thankfully, keeping up with preventative maintenance may help.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you didn’t have to deal with bathroom drain issues at all? Wondering how to clean and protect your bathroom and kitchen drains at the same time? Let’s discuss.

Keep These 3 Things Out of Your Drains

No drain problem is completely avoidable. At some point, you’re going to experience a clog or plumbing issue in your bathroom or kitchen. That’s just homeowner’s luck. However, there are steps you can take to avoid dealing with frequently clogged bathroom and kitchen drains—and it starts with keeping these 3 things out!

Fats, Oils, and Grease

Fats, oils, and grease (also known as FOG in the world of plumbing) are never good for your drains. You might think it’s fine to pour that extra olive oil or bacon grease down the garbage disposal—it’s liquid right? While FOG appears to be liquid at the surface, as it travels further down into your plumbing system, it may cool and solidify. Over time, the build-up of fats, oils, and grease can create a blockage and lead to minor plumbing annoyances.

Rice and Pasta

Similar to FOG, rice and pasta appear harmless on the surface. You might think to pour unused pasta or leftover rice down the garbage disposal—but wait! Pasta and rice can clog your drains over time, too. Even if you’re using your garbage disposal, you must remember that these foods expand when wet. Over time, these foods can build up and cause a blockage in your pipes that’s difficult to unclog.

Chemical Drain Cleaners

Another thing that’s important to keep out of your bathroom and kitchen drains? Chemical drain cleaners. While marketed to homeowners for easy, do-it-yourself drain cleaning, it’s not the smartest move you can make. You see, chemical drain cleaners are quite powerful and can actually do more harm than good. With highly caustic ingredients, these chemicals can—and will—cause erosion inside your pipes. Eroded pipes aren’t just a nuisance; they can lead to leaks, breaks, and major plumbing issues down the road.

Good Guys Home Services: Fort Collins’ #1 Plumbing Company

Are you cooking in a hurry? It can be tempting to treat your drains like a garbage shoot for unwanted food. Simply don’t have time to clean out the bathroom drains? You might turn to quick chemical products promising cleared drains in seconds. But some things can have potentially negative impacts on your home’s plumbing.

Before you take care of a drain issue yourself (and potentially damage your drains or pipes in the process), call Good Guys Home Services. We are #1 in Fort Collins for plumbing and HVAC. Give us a call today at (970) 818-8008 or fill out our online form to schedule your appointment.

We offer year-round plumbing and HVAC services throughout Northern Colorado. Located in Fort Collins, we also serve the following areas: Loveland, Ault, Greeley, Denver, Windsor, Boulder, and Longmont, Colorado.

Looking for ways to turn your carbon footprint upside down? Want to give back to the environment this Earth Day? Here are 5 eco-friendly home tips to help you reduce emissions, lower energy costs, and treat the environment with care—all from your home near Denver, Colorado.

Tip #1: Clean green.

Think about the next time you’ll pick up cleaning supplies. You might feel inclined to choose brand name detergent or disinfectant. Instead, consider going green. Even cleaning supplies come in organic and natural options these days. Switching to these natural brands will help you to avoid toxic substances and chemicals in your household. Plus, many of these products (like clean-up and disinfectant wipes!) are biodegradable.

Tip #2: Irrigate your lawn sparingly.

You want a beautiful, lush yard—we totally get that!—but consider how much your irrigation system really needs to be used to keep your lawn green. Optimizing this time by even just a few days per week can cut down on unnecessary water usage (and save you money, too!).

Tip #3: Fix a leaky faucet.

Is your leaky faucet not driving your insane? Then, consider another reason to fix it: you’re wasting precious natural resources. A regular water drip can add up to nearly five-gallons of wasted water per day. Have a plumber come in and fix it to help you save water!

Tip #4: Shorten your showers.

Another way to save water? Shorten your showers. If fixing a constant drip from a leaking faucet can save you up to five gallons of water per day, imagine what shortening your shower by only a few minutes could save. Crazy, right?

Tip #5: Install a programmable thermostat.

Being green and investing in new tech sometimes goes hand-in-hand. If you want to up your home’s energy-efficiency, consider installing a new programmable thermostat. These state-of-the-art devices will learn your heating and cooling habits to keep your Denver home at the optimal temperature. Plus, they can slash your summertime cooling bill by nearly 15%.

Programmable Thermostat Installation in Denver? Call Good Guys Home Services

Whether you’re looking to improving energy efficiency or just want to lower your energy costs, installing a new thermostat could be the answer to all of your HVAC woes. When you choose Good Guys Home Services near Denver, CO, you won’t have to fret anymore. We are here to help with all of your heating and cooling needs year-round and provide top-notch programmable thermostat installation service near Denver. Want to chat with a technician? Contact us today to schedule an appointment or learn more about our HVAC services. Or, you can give us a call at (970) 818-8008—we can’t wait to speak with you!

We offer year-round HVAC services for heating, cooling, and more throughout Northern Colorado. Located in Fort Collins, we also serve the following areas: Loveland, Ault, Greeley, Denver, Windsor, Boulder, and Longmont, Colorado.

Most homeowners (and even renters!) can agree that it’s always good to have a plunger around. Even if your home was built with state-of-the-art plumbing, mistakes happen and you want to be prepared. In the rare instance that you find yourself in a bathroom without a plunger, what do you even do? Can you remedy the situation without leaving an unmentionable surprise for the rest of your house? Yes, you can. Thankfully, there are a few popular methods for clearing the toilet without using a plunger.

4 Ways to Unclog a Toilet Without a Plunger

Method #1: Hot Water & Dish Soap

Locate a bucket or large tub. Fill it with hot water from the sink (just make sure it’s not boiling!) and pour it into the toilet bowl. Add dish soap and let it sit. The hot water and dish soap combination should help break down any unmentionables in your bowl in a half hour or more.

Method #2: Wire Hanger

Don’t want to wait? If your toilet is mostly clogged by paper, you can try using a wire hanger. Unwind it and stick it into the bowl to break up any solids manually. Avoid uncoated wire hangers as they might scratch your toilet bowl and leave unsightly marks.

Method #3: Toilet Brush

Own a toilet brush? Use it in the same manner as a plunger to assist your situation. Holding the handle, forcefully plunge the toilet. After a few pokes, you should be free and clear.

Method #4: Bleach & Dish Detergent

If all else fails, turn to strong chemicals like bleach and dish detergent to get the job done. Pour one to two cups of bleach into the bowl, then add dish detergent (preferably powder, but liquid detergent works, too!). Let it sit for 20 to 30 minutes, then flush.

Sometimes these methods work as a quick fix. Other times, you can find yourself in a bit of a mess. For major toilet clogs from foreign objects or repeated wear and tear, you may need the assistance of a professional plumber—in Denver, call Good Guys Home Services.

Good Guys Home Services: #1 in HVAC and Plumbing Near Denver, CO

When disaster strikes, choose Good Guys Home Services—the best Denver emergency plumbing service. We’ll get to you ASAP to help with any emergency plumbing needs. When it comes to repairing all aspects of your home’s plumbing system, choose the locally owned business that takes pride in living up to its name. Whether you need assistance while remodeling your home or need us during an emergency plumbing issue, you can rely on the experienced staff at Good Guys Home Services. Contact us online today or give us a call at (970) 818-8008.

We offer year-round HVAC and plumbing services throughout Northern Colorado. Located in Fort Collins, we also serve the following areas: Loveland, Ault, Greeley, Denver, Windsor, Boulder, and Longmont, Colorado.