Shakley Mechanical

  Drains can become clogged easily: Here's how to prevent that!  Any drain, whether it's located in the shower or the kitchen, is susceptible to clogging. Unfortunately, this phenomenon is quite common. With the right tips, you can drastically reduce the chances of damaging your drains.  Tip #1: Reduce Food Scraps  Drains are not made to process large amounts of food (or large amounts of anything, for that matter).  Before rinsing off your plate, it is wise to scrape off what you can over the trash can so that your drain is left to deal with the remnants it can effectively process. We recommend adopting this as a household rule, and if necessary, purchasing a drain strainer that will collect the food before it enters the drain.  Tip #2: Don't Rinse Grease and Fat Down The Drain  This is a tricky one. If you can't use your drain to dispose of hot grease, where does it go? First, you should let the grease cool down. Once it cools, it usually takes on a s...

Shakley Mechanical provides quality HVAC services in Ashland, Ohio. If your air-ducts have not been maintained or installed correctly, you may need to call a professional to ensure proper functioning. Often air ventilation and duct issues go unrecognized, but during this time of year, these problems may be easier to spot. For instance, you might be able to tell that there's a problem based on temperature changes in your home. This is a result of poor air quality. Here are some other signs of ductwork failure: Unpleasant Odors  If your home smells unpleasant, there could be multiple reasons as to why. One reason could be that there is an animal infestation taking place in your air ducts. Because home heating is regulated through the ducts, animals will often take comfort in these warmer areas. If you're detecting a strange smell, you may want to check your ducts for signs of unwanted rodents, birds, and critters. Drafty Temperatures  Chilly temperatures are often a symptom of l...

       As one of the most important appliances in your home, the furnace plays a vital role in helping you stay comfortable. Replacing a furnace can unexpectedly cost you up to thousands of dollars that you aren't prepared to pay for at the moment. It's worth it to stay on top of your furnace's condition so you can do the necessary preparation for when you need to replace the unit. In order to save you money in the long-term, here are a few ways to ensure that your furnace doesn't break  down at an inopportune time.      Seasonal Check Ups      It may have never crossed your mind to have a scheduled maintenance visit if your furnace works every time you turn your heat on. Getting a regular tune-up can help you avoid costly repairs, avoid emergency breakdowns, and allow your heating system to last a lot longer. If the furnace experiences a break down in the middle of the night or on a cold day of the year, you will be left scram...

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...

You are always looking for better, more environmentally-friendly ways to do things. You have a plastic bottle you reuse for your water, you faithfully separate your waste into recycling containers, and you compost the biodegradable waste. Why shouldn't your home be just as efficient? Shakley Mechanical is experienced with both Trane and ClimateMaster geothermal unit installation and maintenance. As we said in a previous blog, these geothermal heat pumps are extremely efficient. They can reduce your heating and cooling bills by up to 80%. These pumps provide: Home heating and cooling Water heating Radiant heating In this blog we are going to talk about Trane and their unique  EarthWise™  Geothermal System. A geothermal system works like a heat pump, only on a much larger scale. In cold weather, your home is warmed by heat brought in from the earth. During warm weather, your home is cooled by the movement of heat from your home back into the earth. With Trane, the...

Winter isn’t over yet! Over the last few days, we’ve experienced some frigid weather in the North Central Ohio area, and you’re likely running your heat at a higher temperature than usual. You might be wishing you didn’t have to spend so much just to keep your home or business warm. What if we told you that we could make this wish come true? While Shakley Mechanical offers traditional HVAC services, we are proud to also provide geothermal heating and cooling units to our customers! We have noticed that customers who choose the geothermal units have a significant decrease in their utility bills. Geothermal units also provide air conditioning, water heating, and radiant heating services. Installing a geothermal unit offers a more regulated heating and cooling supply! Call us today to learn more!  There are so many wonderful benefits to using geothermal units! In this blog, we’ll go over some of the most important advantages they provide: They save you money! We already ...

Winter temperatures can be incredibly harsh, especially here in Ohio. Sometimes, pipes can even freeze. In this blog, we’ll go over some suggestions to prevent your pipes from freezing. They’re simple things anyone can do! Prevent frozen pipes this winter with these great tips!  Let the faucet drip. Surely, you’ve heard this before. Leaving the water running keeps the pipes from freezing. This is because letting the faucet drip relieves any pressure in the plumbing system. When this pressure builds up, that’s what causes pipes to freeze. We recommend letting warm water drip during incredibly frigid temperatures. Keep the thermostat the same all day. You may be tempted to turn the temperature lower when you aren’t at home or maybe at night. When the temperatures are below zero, though, you certainly don’t want to keep switching the thermostat around. Leaving your home at one consistent temperature allows you to have peace of mind that your pipes won’t freeze. Close gar...

With the winter temperatures here to stay, furnace problems could be appearing. Some problems are far less in-depth than others, but regardless of the problem level, Shakley Mechanical wants to help take care of them for you. There are a few issues that we see reoccurring in commercial and residential heating systems . 1. Dirty Filters - A dirty filter is one of the leading causes of costly repairs being needed. The filter helps keep dust, mold spores, and other debris out of the furnace. When it is full, or just old, the filter no longer properly retains these particles which can lead to build up inside the furnace. A clogged furnace will eventually quit working, but leading up to that, your furnace will work harder to produce heat meaning higher energy costs for you. 2. Ball Bearings and Belt Wear - If you notice a strange noise beginning to sound while your furnace is running, a worn blower belt or worn bearings may be the cause. A blower belt will normally cause a high pitch...

Winter Home Readiness and Preperation While we're enjoying the final warm days of summer, it's important to think about the looming cool temperatures. We like to remind homeowners to switch their  home furnace  on before it's time to need it, even just for a few hours. This lets you know everything is in working order, and time to fix anything that isn't quite right. Sure, you'll be able to tell if it's putting out warm air but there's much more to check before winter sets in. There are a few things that should ideally be done before switching your furnace on for a trial run. 1. Change your filters - You'll want to be sure your furnace has new filters for its sake, and your own. A clean filter ensures that excess dust and dirt particles don't make their way into your furnace causing build-up. They also help keep dirt, dust, and other airborne allergens out and keep your  air quality  high. Filters should be changed continually ever 2-...