The rattling noises behind your walls may be due to moving water pipes. This type of problem can be caused by a water valve that has closed in your pipes. Once the water valve is closed, the water in your pipes will crash into the valve and cause your water lines to move. A rattling or banging noise in your household can be produced by pipes that are hitting wall studs, wires, or other water lines. If the pipe is not secured by a licensed plumber, it can become disconnected from its joints and cause water damage. Depending on the year your house was built, the pipes in your ceiling or walls may be integrated with air containers. An air container is a shock buffer that consists of a couple of pipes that are filled with air. The shock buffer is designed to provide resistance to movement behind your walls. To reduce or eliminate movement, the shock absorber converts the kinetic energy in your pipes into another type of energy. As the air containers behind your ceiling or walls become older, the air may start to escape. This causes water to fill the air containers in your plumbing system. Once the air containers are filled with water, the pipes in your house will start to produce a rattling noise. To fix this problem, deactivate the water in your household. Next, activate a faucet on the first and second floors of your home and allow the water to drain out. This will release the excess water from the air containers beneath your walls. As the water is flushed, the air containers will become filled with air. Next, turn the faucet on your first floor off and activate the water in your household. Please do not turn the faucet off on your second floor until it starts to drain water. If you need assistance with a plumbing problem on your property, give our team a call by phone at (703) 543-9649. We offer plumbing services to homes in areas of Virginia such as Arlington, Leesburg, Alexandria, Ashburn, and Centreville.

Cast Iron Sewer Pipes

Sewer pipes in older houses were assembled with cast iron. These pipes are popular because they are designed to resist the movement of dirt and land. Cast iron pipes are highly resistant to tree roots because they provide secure connections of sewage and water. On the other hand, a disadvantage of cast iron pipes is corrosion. Once this type of pipe reaches the end of its life cycle, rust will start to form in the interior of the pipe. If the corroded sewage pipes are not replaced, they will start to collapse beneath the ground. The only way to prevent a sewage leak and clogged drains on your property is to replace your cast iron pipes.

Clay Sewer Pipes

As the Vitrified Clay Pipes (VCP) or clay tile pipes on your property become older, cracks will start to form near the hubbed fittings. This type of ceramic clay pipe is produced with shale and clay. Vitrified clay pipes are commonly used in sewer mains because they are resistant to corrosion. These pipes should not be installed close to trees or bushes on your property because they ordinarily begin to leak as they become older. Once a leak forms in clay tile pipes, the surrounding tree roots will start to infiltrate the sewer pipes and cause blockages. To prevent a clogged sewer line, it’s important to hire a licensed plumber to inspect vitrified clay pipes each year. Give our staff a call at (703) 543-9649 to discuss the damaged clay tile pipes and receive assistance with a plumbing service.

Bituminized Fiber Sewer Pipes

Bituminized fiber pipes were a standard piping material that was used by contractors in the 1800’s. This type of Orangeburg pipe was eliminated between 1950 to 1970 because it is fragile. Bituminized pipes are constructed with sheets of wood and pitch. Orangeburg pipes were popular in the past because they are light and easy to install. Although this type of pipe is lightweight, it is susceptible to cracks and holes. To protect your property from the negative consequences of a sewage leak, it’s important to replace bituminized fiber pipes before a crack or hole forms. Give our team of emergency plumbers a call by phone at (703) 543-9649 to receive help with a broken sewer pipe. We offer trustworthy plumbing services to homeowners Alexandria, McLean, Centreville, Burke, Reston, and the surrounding areas of Virginia.

PVC Sewer Pipes

Most new houses are equipped with Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) sewer pipes. This is a type of plastic that is durable, lightweight, and easy to connect. PVC pipes are engineered to resist tree roots and water leaks beneath the ground. If you discover a sewage leak in your household, it’s likely that your PVC sewer pipes were not installed properly. On the other hand, medium to large earthquakes can cause the PVC pipes on your property to become cracked or disconnected. Give our plumbers a call at (7o3) 543-9649 to become familiar with our sewer pipe repair and plumbing services.

A standard furnace is equipped with a single heat exchanger that is engineered to maintain the flames and heat energy in the system. Once the heating process is started, a supply of warm air is circulated by a fan through the air ducts in your household. On the other hand, a small amount of heat energy is wasted when the water vapor in your furnace is distributed to the outdoors from the exhaust pipe. The only way to preserve natural gas is to purchase a condensing furnace. This type of furnace is integrated with a second heat exchanger that is designed to collect heat energy from the water vapor. Once the heat is collected, the water vapor is circulated through the chimney out of your household. Condensing furnaces are designed to preserve more natural gas and energy when compared to traditional furnaces. The average AFUE rating of this type of furnace is 90 percent or higher. To get help with a furnace replacement, give our HVAC technicians a call at (703) 543-9649 to receive a quote for a condensing furnace. We furnace and HVAC repair services to homes in areas of Virginia such as Oakton, Centreville, Annandale, Arlington, Reston, and Alexandria.

Inspect the Flame Sensor

Our licensed technicians will connect a multimeter to the flame sensor to obtain an analysis of the heat output of your gas furnace. If your furnace is operating properly, the screen on the multimeter should display 1.5 to 4 uA. Some types of furnaces are designed to produce an output of 0.5 uA. Our certified contractors offer convenient HVAC repair services and will perform an inspection of the flame sensor to prevent failure during the winter season.

Clean the Gas Burners

The collection of dirt and debris in a gas burner will block the distribution of natural gas and oxygen in the furnace. The easiest way to remove rust and dirt from a gas burner is to use a rough brush. Use air to eliminate dust and contaminants in the interior of a gas burner. Once a gas burner becomes too dirty, it will take longer for the pilot light or electronic ignition system to ignite the gas. A delay in ignition will cause a large amount of carbon monoxide gas to build-up in the furnace. To stop a fire or gas leak, give our staff a call by phone at (703) 543-9649 to receive help with removing dirt and dust from the gas burners. We offer HVAC and furnace repair services to homeowners in locations such as Manassas, Alexandria, Reston, Oakton, and Arlington, Virginia.

Perform an Audit of the Combustion Process

The Carbon Monoxide (CO) rating of a furnace will range from 0 to 100 ppm during the heating cycle. To ensure it’s safe to operate your furnace, a licensed technician will perform an inspection of the CO rating of your furnace at the beginning of the combustion cycle. A condensing furnace will have a CO rating of 100 to 1,000 ppm when the system is activated. On the other hand, the CO levels of a traditional furnace will vary from 100 to 400 ppm. Once your furnace has been operating for 60 seconds, the CO rating will begin to decrease. An excessively high CO rating indicates an issue with the distribution of natural gas in your furnace. If a technician discovers an unusual CO rating, he or she will perform a repair to enhance the safety of your furnace. Call our team at (703) 543-9649 to receive help with determining the CO levels in your furnace. We provide fast emergency furnace repair services to households in areas of Virginia such as Leesburg, McLean, Alexandria, Centreville, and Arlington.

Measure the Gas Pressure

A gas furnace will need to produce a gas pressure rating of 3.2 to 3.8 in. wc to create a sufficient amount of heat energy for your household. To confirm the gas pressure of your furnace, a certified technician will inspect the meter to confirm the orifice is the correct size. If the pressure is too high or low, a technician will adjust the gas pressure to ensure the heating cycle is efficient and safe. The installation manual that came with your furnace will list the correct gas pressure for your system.

Low Supply of Oil in Compressor

Oil is designed to preserve the parts and components in a compressor. In addition, the oil in a central air conditioner is utilized to prevent high operational temperatures in the compressor. Once the supply of oil becomes too low, the interior of the compressor will become too warm and refrigerant will start to leak. It is not abnormal for the compressor to lose oil as it becomes older. The oil will start to deteriorate and leak as the air conditioner operates each summer. A low amount of oil will cause a resistance to form between moving parts in the compressor. To prevent broken parts, you should hire a licensed technician to inspect your outdoor condenser and compressor. A contractor will add new oil to your compressor to prevent it from overheating. Give our technicians a call by phone at (703) 543-9649 to discuss your air conditioning repair issue. We provide customizable air conditioning services to homes in Annandale, Alexandria, Burke, Leesburg, and Centreville.

Broken Expansion Valve

The expansion valve is a small valve that is connected to the refrigerant pipe. The refrigerant pipe is designed to distribute refrigerant from the outdoor condenser and compressor to the evaporator coil in your household. Once the refrigerant reaches the evaporator coil, it’s temperature and pressure will decrease due to resistance at the expansion valve. The expansion valve is integrated with a miniature orifice that is designed to inhibit the flow of refrigerant to the evaporator coils. If the compressor in your outdoor condenser box is not working, the source of the issue may be a blockage in the refrigerant pipes. Once the refrigerant line becomes clogged, the compressor and evaporator coil will not receive enough refrigerant to operate. The compressor will operate at a maximum capacity to restore the distribution of refrigerant in the system. If the compressor is not able to circulate the refrigerant, it will start to overheat and break. Are you having trouble activating your compressor and air conditioner? Give our team a call by phone at (703) 543-9649 to receive support. We offer trustworthy air conditioning and HVAC repair services for condominiums and houses in areas of Virginia such as Ashburn, South Riding, Arlington, Annandale, and Alexandria.