Our Marshall Mechanical blog has MOVED!

Our blog has moved to our website so you can now find it at:

http://blog.marshallmechanical.com

See you there!

Need a Plumber in the RVA? Professional Plumbing Service starts with a call to Marshall Mechanical.

With over 20 years’ plumbing experience helping Richmond homeowners and general contractors, we provide our customers with a wide range of expert advice, quality service and plumbing installation services. We diagnose the work quickly and accurately, making it possible to provide our customers with a reasonable estimate before any plumbing service is performed. And, of course, we’re available 24/7, 365 days a year, for all your plumbing emergencies.

We install and service all types of plumbing faucets and drains, sewer systems, water and gas lines and hot water heaters. We also complete plumbing inspections in both existing homes and new construction.

Sewer Service. Our sewer service includes video inspections, repair and replacement of sewer lines, installation of fail-safe access cleanouts and all household drains, including those for washing machines. Our customers love our video inspections because we are able to give them an informed diagnosis of the problem, which they can see for themselves on the video screen, before we begin work. That way, there’s no waste of time and money spent guessing on what might be the problem – we know up front what needs to be done, whether a pipe is broken, a tree root is in the way, etc.

Remodeling. We install and repair all brands of faucets and we help you with recommendations for upgrades to existing fixtures and make provisions for new water lines for home additions. We provide all the plumbing services required for remodeling your kitchen and bath including installation of faucets, drains, toilets, appliances or other plumbing fixtures.

Water Heaters. We install and repair all brands and types of water heaters, including conventional storage and tankless water heaters. And we assist with upgrades and resizing requirements as needed by the homeowner.

Water/Gas Lines. We find and repair all water and gas line leaks, replace faulty lines, install brand new lines and reroute lines as necessary for home additions or other needs such as installation of pools.

Inspections. We handle all gas inspections for both residential and commercial buildings, as well as attic piping, and interior and exterior drains.

We recommend high efficiency and state-of-the-art Green Home plumbing products by Toto, Delta, Rinnai and Bradford White. We also offer plumbing products by State, Kohler, Moen, Grohe, Hansgrohe, Peerless, Elkay, and Eljer and many others.

Lastly, our uniformed plumbing service technicians are professionals. We use drop cloths on bathroom and kitchen floors and take care to protect your home while plumbing service is being performed.

Call the expert and professional Plumbing team at Marshall Mechanical today at 804.323.0189 for all your Residential and Commercial Richmond VA Plumbing needs.

All new buildings, starting in 2010, to be 30% more energy efficient, according to Alliance to Save Energy.

Historic Preservationists are becoming the true pioneers of the green building movement. The Alliance to Save Energy is calling for all new buildings starting in 2010 to be 30% more efficient.

Take a look at this Green Buildings video from the beta site, Clean Skies, The Energy and Environment Network. A great resource. If you can't play the video above, here's the link: Green Buildings cleanskies.com

Brought to you by Marshall Mechanical, your Richmond VA Green Building and Energy Efficiency Experts, for all your residential and commercial building HVAC and plumbing needs.

Want to learn more about energy efficient heat pumps, including solar?

We often receive questions about energy efficient products, particularly heat pumps. As you know, the Richmond summers can be scorchingly hot and extremely humid so it's important to keep your home cool and comfortable all year long with the right heat pump for Richmond area homes.

It's also important that you have the right products that fit your home size and give you the desired energy efficiency. A list of Energy Star qualified heat pumps are found on our website, including the first integrated solar-assisted residential heating and cooling system -- the Lennox XPG20 SunSource™ Comfort System.

If you want to know more about the Dave Lennox Signature® Collection XPG20 SunSource™ Comfort System, here are the energy efficiency specifications:

• Efficiency ratings of up to 18.20** SEER and 9.70** HSPF—can save you hundreds of dollars a year, compared to a standard heat pump
• Single solar panel—provides freely available renewable energy to offset the electric usage of the heating and cooling system
• ENERGY STAR® qualified—meets or exceeds EPA guidelines for energy efficiency
• This product qualifies for a tax credit under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.***

You can even download the full consumer brochure.

If you have any specific questions about the technical specifications or the energy efficiency of heat pumps, please call the Marshall Mechanical office at 804.323.0189. We would be happy to take your call and, if you'd like, set up an appointment to provide you with an analysis of your current HVAC system compared to newer, more energy efficient products, both from the standpoint of energy and cost reduction.

We're here to help you reduce your carbon footprint as well as to save you money each month on energy costs on your Richmond area home.

$28 million in Stimulus provides RVA Homeowners with Energy Efficiency Rebate of up to $2,000; Federal Tax Credits of 30% of purchases

If you caught NBC WWBT 12's new story this morning, you already know that Virginia is receiving $28 million from the Federal government to help homeowners become more energy efficient in the form of an energy rebate of up to $2,000. According to the news story by Laura Geller, if the stimulus program is successful, Virginia is apt to receive another $35 million.

These Virginia state rebates are in addition to the Federal Tax Credits we told you about earlier this year.

If you own an existing home, you can qualify for Federal Tax Credits of 30% of the cost, up to $1,500, in 2009 and 2010, for replacement windows and doors, insulation, roofs, HVAC, water heaters (non-solar) and biomass stoves. For HVAC, this means energy efficient air conditioners, heat pumps, climate controls or programmable thermostats, etc. Sure, up to $1,500 credit is really good but listen up.

Here's the unbelievable news... If you are a homeowner of an existing home OR if you are building a new home, Federal tax credits are available at 30% of the cost, WITH NO UPPER LIMIT for the following: Geothermal Heat Pumps, Solar Heat Panels, Solar Water Heaters, as well as small wind energy systems and fuel cells.

This is in addition to the Virginia State rebate on energy efficiency just announced, of up to $2,000. As soon as the details of the stimulus rebate are posted on the VA Stimulus website, we will post again to give you that link.

Marshall Mechanical is experienced in installing Geothermal Heat Pumps by WaterFurnace and is a WaterFurnace HVAC dealer right here in Richmond VA. WaterFurnace has helpful information on their website to educate the home owner about using the 30% tax credits.

Like to know more about what the U.S. Department of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has to say about the Return on Investment of Geothermal Heat Pumps? You can read the full article right here. What you need to know is that while the installation price is of a geothermal unit is higher than that of traditional air-source systems of the same heating and cooling capacity, the additional costs are returned to the homeowner in energy savings in as little as 5-10 years. System life is estimated at 25 years for the inside components and 50+ years for the ground loop.

At Marshall Mechanical, we are your Richmond VA Green Home and Energy Efficiency experts. We will help you navigate through the Virginia State Stimulus Rebate for Energy Efficiency and we will help you get the paperwork right to apply for the Federal Tax Credits. Most of all, we will work with you one-on-one to take the time to answer all your questions about what HVAC units or programmable thermostats are best for your home. We can even give you a estimated calculation of Geothermal heat pump monthly savings for your home in just minutes.

Your Richmond area home is an investment. Let us help you maximize it. Call Sean Cantrell or Mike Smith at 804.323.0189 today to help you take advantage of the Virginia energy efficiency stimulus rebates and Federal tax credits. And then enjoy your comfortable home and your energy savings for years to come.

You can’t control the Richmond VA summer heat but you CAN control your energy costs.

With temperatures rising and energy costs continuing to soar, there are a variety of steps you can take to cut the expenses of cooling your home this summer.

"Cooling and heating equipment use more energy than any other appliance. This inevitably shows up every month on the energy bill, but it’s important to remember that energy costs can be controlled," said Sean Cantrell, owner of Marshall Mechanical.

Annual Maintenance

One step to control energy costs is to schedule annual maintenance checks to make sure your unit is running efficiently. Most cooling systems require very little owner maintenance. However, operating dirty cooling equipment can result in an unnecessary loss of efficiency and can damage the furnace. You play a vital role in making sure your cooling system continues to operate at peak performance.

High Efficiency Cooling Equipment

If you’re in the market for a new cooling unit, consider purchasing a high efficiency model. They can help reduce your energy costs as well as conserve our natural resources. When selecting an air conditioner or heat pump, pay close attention to the SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio). This is a measure of cooling efficiency for air conditioners. The higher the SEER, the higher the savings. The minimum SEER rating is 13.

Zoning

Zoning can drastically lower your heating costs. With zoning, you no longer have to pay to heat or cool areas of your home that are rarely used. You won’t have to heat or cool the whole house just to make one room comfortable. Zoning divides your home into separate comfort areas, which are heated or cooled based on your needs.

Programmable Thermostats

Programmable or setback thermostats can make a big difference in energy consumption. These thermostats deliver maximum comfort, efficiency, and energy savings. Setback thermostats are used to achieve the temperatures you want throughout your home. For example, if you’re going to be away, you can set the whole house at an energy-saving temperature to avoid heating an empty house. If you have setback thermostats, you can program them to have your living areas comfortable when you arrive home.

To find out more about reducing your Richmond VA cooling costs, call Sean Cantrell or Mike Smith at Marshall Mechanical today at 804.323.0189.

Is it too hot and your air conditioning isn't working? Or got a water leak and need a Richmond plumber? Are you remodeling your kitchen or bath?

No matter what the Richmond summer brings you as far as air conditioning or plumbing problems or service needs, Marshall Mechanical has the answers. We're available 24/7 for HVAC or plumbing emergencies and we offer same day water heater replacement and guaranteed next day HVAC service in the RVA and surrounding counties of Hanover, Henrico and Chesterfield.

At Marshall Mechanical, we're dedicated to solving your Richmond air conditioning or plumbing problems, quickly and easily. When you're having trouble with any of your HVAC systems or need a Richmond plumber in a hurry, our technicians will assess the situation and walk you through what is necessary to fix the problem as soon as possible. And we often will give you a temporary solution, like a window air conditioning unit for your bedroom, to help you stay comfortable while we take the time to fix the problem right.

• If you require a new HVAC system, an additional system, or if you're planning to remodel, a member of our sales team will come out to your home or business for an on-site consultation at your convenience, offering you options for high-efficiency and high-value systems that will save you money each month on both your cooling as well as heating bills.


• We even have options such as the industry's first solar assisted heat pump by Lennox and we're installing the first one in the Central Virginia area, which is one family's first step toward living off the grid!


• Or we can explain the benefits of the WaterFurnace geothermal energy heat pump, which is "The World's Greenest Heating and Cooling Systems."

• And we'll explain how you can may qualify for Energy Efficiency Federal tax credits too.
  

And our expert plumbing team, led by master Richmond plumbers, will replace hot water heaters, upgrade faucets, fixtures and toilets, clean drains, even install gas lines and appliances. And you can call us for big jobs, like water line and sewer line replacements too. We are here to service all your Richmond cooling and plumbing needs throughout the summer.

So for all your Richmond Plumber and HVAC needs both now and year round, please call Mike Smith at 804.323.0189 to schedule a service appointment today. Remember, we're available 24/7 for any cooling or plumbing emergencies so you can easily protect the investment you've made in your home or business.

And, yes, we service commercial HVAC design, build and maintenance clients too.