Shakley Mechanical

      Most people underestimate the value of having good, solid piping and structure in their homes. Ultimately, having a good understanding of plumbing and the problems that come along with it can help you greatly in the future. Winter is here to stay and frozen pipes are bound to become an issue in many homes across the country. Stay ahead of the curve with these tips on how to prevent or at least minimize the damage that can be done to the plumbing.      Holiday visitors can add extra strain to a home's plumbing system. Cooking a slew of meals in the kitchen likely results in lots of grease and food being thrown into the disposal or sink drain. Holiday guests also equate to more showers and baths as well as extra toilet flushes. This all adds up to a potential plumbing disaster. Pipes clog because of gradual build up of grease, hair, soap and food particles. It doesn't take much to cause an emergency.      1. Try to avoid pouring fats or cooking oil down the drain. Liquid fa

 Winter is steadily creeping up on Ohio residents and it's that time of year to be thinking about your furnace. How long have I had it? Do I need to get it replaced? Why is it so cold one day and boiling hot the next? If you're asking these questions to your self, or you have an imaginary friend on your should speaking it to you, either way you should look no further than Shakley Mechanical to put your mind at ease.  Discover which type of furnace you nee today!     Before purchasing a new  furnace, you need to decide what type of furnace you need. There are three types of furnaces: single-stage, two-stage or a modulating furnace.  A single - stage furnace is either always on or off. This means that it's always pumping at the hottest air at the highest velocity possible. It is quite noisy though and it is known to be very inconsistent with it's temperatures  So if you have a finished basement or thin walls, this may be a deterrent for you. On the flip side, it is on the

You go to turn on the heat and your house just isn't getting warm like it used to. That furnace has been in the house longer than you have, so it looks like it is time to replace it. Buying a new furnace is a big investment, but there are ways to save some money, both now and in the long run. First, you need to decide between a singe-stage or two-stage furnace. A traditional single-stage furnace runs the burner at full blast and shuts off until heat is called for. It costs $500 less than a two-stage furnace, but the trade-off is lower energy efficiency, hot and cold spots, and inconsistent temperatures. A two-stage furnace has a high and a low burner setting. It normally runs on low unless full blast is needed. It costs $500 more than a single-stage unit, but it delivers consistent heat, which means fewer drafts and temperature swings, and is quiet and energy efficient. Another way to save money is to find out the right size of furnace for your home. You may actually need a smaller

Summer is in its waning days, and the air is turning cooler. You might have actually turned off the air conditioner and just let it stay at the ambient temperature in your home. But before you say "see you later" to your central air unit, it needs a little TLC in the fall. Here are some tips to care for your unit so that when warm weather arrives again next year, it'll be in tip-top condition to work efficiently. 1. Clean out the area around the unit.  During the year, bushes can start to grow towards your unit, leaves can blow in, or small twigs can get lodged in places, causing its efficiency to be affected. Clear debris from around the unit and keep vegetation at least 2 feet away. 2. Call in the pros. Once a year, have a licensed professional perform a full inspection on your air conditioning units. This will involve cleaning and flushing the condenser coils, draining the pan and drainage system, vacuuming the blower compartments, and checking the refrigerant and mec

We use plumbing every single day, oftentimes in more way than one. Despite the importance and prominence of modern plumbing in our lives, many people don't know very much about it.Shakley Mechanical strives to educate our clients on plumbing, how it works, and the best ways to care for your  residential and commercial plumbing . Are you interested in knowing more about your plumbing? If you answered yes, here are a few little known facts about  modern plumbing. 1. If you have a leaky faucet that drips just twice an hour, in one week you will have wasted OVER one gallon of water. 2. There is a long time saying that if you are in the Southern Hemisphere, water will flow the opposite direction of here in the Northern Hemisphere. This is false! Water is free moving and can flow in either direction wherever it is in the world. 3. Standardized plumbing can be traced back to around 3,000 B.C. to the Indus River Valley civilizations. 4. The flushing toilet wasn't invented until 1596 by

One of the most common calls plumbers get is to "get rid of this clog." So this blog is here to help you know what not to put down your drains so your pipes will run clean and you won't have to call a plumber ! Your toilet is the last thing you want to have clogged and backed up, so avoid flushing these things: Baby Wipes Cotton Swabs Feminine Hygiene Products (even if they say they are flushable) Paper Towels and Facial Tissues Diapers Medication Kitty Litter Cleaning/Disinfectant Wipes Your garbage disposal is something that is so useful, you can sometimes forget that it does have limitations. Many of these things will gum up the gears (or break them), clog your pipes, or stick everything and the rot will cause a horrible smell! These things are a "no go" when using your disposal: Grease & Oil Rice, Pasta, Anything That Swells Egg Shells Non-Edible Food Items Animal Bones Harsh Chemicals Fibrous Vegetables like celery, asparagus, etc. Coffee Grounds  This