FAQ

Apex Plumbing, Heating, and Air Pros wishes we could give a quick short answer but per the Department of Energy a manual load calculation needs performed first and foremost to achieve this answer. This investment can range widely based off the type of contractor being used, condition and size of existing ductwork, the home build type, age of home, energy efficiency of the structure, temperature preferences throughout home on the different floors, length of time to stay in the home and lastly the client's financial situation. Apex Plumbing, Heating, and Air Pros will always tailor a whole home comfort option that can fit a client's budget.

Unfortunately, this is not a cut and dry answer like everyone wants. Heat pumps like all residential equipment MUST be sized properly and the duct system needs evaluated per the Department of Energy and E.P.A. states over half of contractors skip the needed step of a Manul J load calculation to properly size a heat pump and determine the replacement cost. There are 4 factors that need to be determined for the size of the financial investment to be discovered.

1. Technical requirements: size of home 1,2 or 3 story.
2. Code requirements: safety of permits being pulled so work is up to code and contractor is licensed.
3. Environmental choices: environmental choices, efficiency level, purity & freshness of the air you breathe.
4. People choices: commitment to 5 steps to 5 stars of service, morals, ethics & doing what's the right way not the easy way. Be like a panda bear on this one.... do whats is black and white. Don't be like a Koala and do the bear minimum.

All clients can expect a bio sent of all background checked Alex the Bear approved employees, so the customer knows exactly who is coming into their home and family's safe space. Technicians when arriving will clearly communicate expectations of service call so there is no "hidden charges" on the front end and take of pictures and videos of your equipment to attach to Apex Plumbing, Heating, and Air Pros' company state of the art software to customize solutions based off the client's needs and wants. Work will not be recommended that Apex Plumbing, Heating, and Air Pros employees wouldn't recommend to our own Grandma. Alex the Apex Bear will say choose our services so it's not " pandamonium.

Air conditioning is old technology now that has been perfected overtime delivering more energy efficient solutions leaving your home and family with better comfort. A pump that sits outside your home in a metal box cage is called a compressor. The compressor is like the heart of the human body that pumps a chemical liquid referred to as " freon" but the technical name of the coolant is refrigerant. This refrigerant leaves the box outside in two pipes made of copper and pumps into another box that sits usually in or on top of the furnace / airhandler. This box in lamens terms is a heat rejection coil aka " evaporator coil" and the refrigerant gets icy cold and the hot sticky air from the home blows across this coil and it not only cools the air but removes moisture. The cold freon carrying carries this heated air absorbed in the coil and goes in the copper lineset to the outside box and releases the heat absorbed inside at the outdoor unit and this process is continued until the thermostat is satisfied to the setpoint temperature.

There is one way of sizing an air conditioner properly and that is using a Manual J load calculation formula. Going based off square footage alone can be very suspect and leave you and your family out of comfort and thousands of dollars! Apex Plumbing, Heating, and Air Pros wishes to tell you that all contractors do this step of a Manual J load calculation but per the Department of Energy and the EPA it is actually skipped by a high percentage of HVAC contractors. Leaving a customer spending thousands of dollars only to find out their equipment is not properly sized causing poor or little to no performance, no energy savings and much shorter life span. Call a Alex the Bear approved professional to have this type of service performed because two bears can be POLAR opposite.

Quick rules of thumb can be a very slippery slope and leave customers let down. Simply putting " in the same size " or going based of square footage is NOT the way to determine this for any residential HVAC system. Having a Manual J load calculation performed can protect you and your family of this happening. The Department of Energy and EPA state that over half of contractors do NOT do this critical step. Alex the Bear even says don't leave your family's comfort to be unBEARable from quick rules of thumb.

Gas heat is much warmer and must be vented in metal or PVC flues to the outside of the home because of the combustion burning process. Electric heat is a cleaner form of heat with no chance of producing carbon monoxide because there is no combustion process. Electric heat is a very dry heat so make sure if you have type of heating system to see if your home qualifies for a whole home humidifier system.

This more commonly water leak can be a sign of lack of maintenance, something internally needs cleaned or adjusted. On the same note a water leak can be a VERY expensive repair so the best thing to do is call a professional and have them diagnose it and hopefully catch the leak while it's a small inexpensive fix before being ignored, neglected and becoming several thousands of dollars fix. Some water leaks can also be due to a refrigerant leak and this needs to be addressed in a very timely manner, so it does not damage the furnace.

Yes and no let Apex Plumbing, Heating, and Air Pros explain. The immediate answer is yes however if the system is not properly sized for the home and ductwork a new system can actually cost you more money in lack of lower utility bills. That being said with a properly installed Apex Plumbing, Heating, and Air Pros system you and your family will enjoy years of better allergy, temperature, allergy and moisture control with lower utility bills and much better comfort throughout the home.

There is a couple ways to do this. One way is to detach the thermostat from the wall and pull out the batteries if they are in the thermostat and which Apex Plumbing, Heating, and Air Pros does NOT recommend doing this as it could lead to an unnecessary service call. The more user-friendly way & Alex the Bear approved way is to locate the circuit breaker in the electrical panel that controls the furnace and turn it off for 5-10 seconds and then turn back on.

No. We offer free, no-obligation estimates without any gimmicks.

We offer same-day service. If you have an emergency, we’ll prioritize your call.

Yes! We offer a 5-star guarantee. If you’re not satisfied, we’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you are.

Plumbing problems never arise when it’s convenient and they usually disrupt your day. If the problem is in the kitchen or bathroom, it’s likely one that requires fixing immediately. However, before you make that call to your local plumbing company, try some of these tips first.

• Boil Water: You can flush out many minor clogs with boiling water. Remove the standing water in your sink or toilet, then boil water and pour it down the drain and wait.
• Use a Plunger: Remember that plungers work on all drains, not just toilets. Fill the sink or toilet up to ¼ full and then put the plunger over the drain and work it for a few minutes to see if it dislodges the clog.
• Baking Soda & White Vinegar: Another home remedy for fixing clogs is to use baking soda and white vinegar. After you remove the water from the sink or toilet, put baking soda and white vinegar down the drain. Wait about 15 minutes to see if the clog has been removed.

If you’ve tried everything but still have a clogged drain, call Apex Plumbing, Heating, and Air Pros for thorough, effective drain cleaning.

Whether you’re putting a water heater in a new home or upgrading a broken one, you want to be sure you get the right size for your family’s needs; otherwise, you will end up getting frustrated. Here are a few tips for choosing the right water heater for your needs.

If you’re using a typical tank-style water heater, you can estimate how big a tank you need by the number of people in your house. For example, if you have 1 to 2 people, look for a water heater capacity between 23 and 36 gallons. If you have 2 to 4 people, choose one between 36 and 46 gallons. For 3 to 5 people, choose a tank that holds 46 - 56 gallons, and for five or more people, look for a tank that’s over 56 gallons.

If you’re still not sure which size is right for you, call us and let us help find the perfect system for you.

Read our online reviews to find out what others are saying about our work.

Your septic system should run for years without issue; however, only if you are careful and follow these simple tips.

• Don’t use antibacterial soap and cleaners because the additives in these products will kill the necessary bacteria in your septic tank. If the bacteria in your septic tank dies, it loses the ability to break down organic waste and you end up with a mess on your hands.
• Don’t use chemicals or additives in your septic tank because, like the soaps, these products can kill the necessary bacteria in your tank.
• Consider short showers instead of baths. When you take a bath, you introduce a large influx of wastewater into the system at once when you drain the tub, which can displace waste being broken down by the bacteria. Taking shorter showers solves this problem.
• Make sure you have your septic tank regularly pumped out. Depending on your usage, you should plan to do this every three or four years.
• Avoid using garbage disposals because the waste they introduce into the system lacks the required bacteria to break it down. If the waste isn’t broken down, it could lead to clogging.