You might be wondering what all the hype is about flushing your water heater.  Every plumbing contractor talks about it but what is the reason everyone asks?  Flushing a water heater is important in extending the life of your water heater along with helping keep your utility bills under control.  As a water heater ages it gets buildup in it from hard water, minerals and any other solids that might be in the water.  This creates higher utility bills by the fact that the heat from the burner has to transfer up through the buildup to get to the water.  This takes extra gas and power to achieve the same end result.  On top of the added corrosion, wear and tear and the added cost to heat the water, as the minerals build up they cause your water heater to have less room in it for hot water.  This can all be helped by flushing your water heater out yearly and if you have extremely hard water or are on a well that has sand issues you may need to have your water heater flushed.  Flushing a water heater is good practice on the tank type water heaters and required maintenence on most tankless water heater.  If you have questions about flushing your water heater or what else is performed on a plumbing service inspection which includes flushing your water heater and checking for proper operation just give us a call or CLICK HERE to contact us via e mail.  

You should also check out the combustion air vents to the water heater if it is in a closet etc.  These vents whether in the door, floor or ceiling should be free and clear of debris, lint and anythign blocking the air. 

 Drake Mechanical can build just about anything you want when it comes to custom sheet metal fabrication.  If you are after a new metal roof for your dog house in Caldwell, how about a nice metal work bench top in Boise.  Have you ever thought about metal column wraps, or maybe wrapping a post out in your yard so that you can weed eat around it without cutting into the wood?  What about metal kitchen counters instead of granite or formica?  One idea is to install it, etch the metal and then seal it for a genuine custom look you wont see anywhere else.   Have you ever thought about lining the walls in your horse barn with sheet metal?  This helps with the horses chewing on the wood, durability and longevity.  Drake Mechanical can handle all of not only your ductwork needs but your custom sheet metal fabrication needs.  Just give us a call or drop us an e mail with the CONTACT US link and we will get you all fixed up and build whate

 When is the last time you thought about your washing machine hoses?  Probably not a thought that comes to mind frequently.  I know I don't spend a lot of time thinking about my washing machine hoses at home.  In talking with some insurance agents, one of the leading causes of flooding in homes is old washing machine hoses bursting or coming apart.  If you have old rubber washing machine hoses you might think about replacing them with new braided stainless steel washing machine hoses.  If you have braided stainless steel hoses that are well aged you might consider replacing them with new ones as well.  All hoses have rubber parts that can dry out, crack or have other problems and this can result in you coming home to a very wet home.  The washing machine hoses on the left are about ready to explode.  The hoses on the right are the kind we recommend for replacing your washing machine hoses with.  

We get asked this question all the time, "how much does a new furnace cost"?  There are a lot of ways to answer the question of how much a new furnace costs but there are questions that need to be answered in order for us to get to that cost.  There are a lot of things that we need to know in order to give you a price on a new furnace, things like what size does it need to be, is it a gas furnace or an electric furnace, is it an up flow furnace or a down flow furnace?  Along with that there are other factors that go into how much a new furnace costs, things like, what do you have for doors and windows, how many square feet, and so on.  Unfortunately we can not tell how much a new furnace costs over the phone.  We need to send a heating technician out to your home or office so that they can go over all these questions, look at the existing conditions and them put together an accurate account of how much a new furnace is going to cost to install for you.  If you still have questions on some of what it takes to put together an estimate and answer the questions how much does a new furnace cost just give us a call and we will get them answered for you.  The one nice thing is that once you get your new furnace, you will most likely be more comfortable, have a quieter house and save on your utility bills.

 Ever sat down and thought, "I wonder what a new air conditioner in Boise costs"?  Probably not, but if your air conditioner is wearing out or you are thinking about replacing your air conditioner with a new high efficiency air conditioner you are going to be asking sooner or later "How much does a new air conditioner cost"?  There is no easy way to tell you how much it costs to replace an air conditioner in a blog.  The only true way to give you an accurate cost of replacing your air conditioner is to have a trained HVAC technician come out and look at what the existing conditions of your air conditioner are.  There are a lot of variables when it comes to replacing your air conditioner.  From the  size of the air conditioner, the efficiency rating of the air conditioner you want, what is it going to take to install the new air conditioner, do you need to have a new evaporator coil installed and so on.  When assessing how much a new air conditioner costs in Caldwell you should never accept a quote over the phone.  Make sure your air conditioning contractor comes out to your home or offices and evaluates all of the variables and gives you an accurate quote.  If the cost to replace your air conditioner sounds too good to be true it most likely is.  If something seems fishy please go get a second opinion.  

 Are you shopping for a new water heater?  I bet you are wondering how much a water heater costs?  This is a very valid question and we all wish we could just tell you over the phone how much a water heater cost.  We understand that you get frustrated about having to have a plumber come out to your home just to tell you what a new water heater costs.  There is a legitimate reason for this.  When we send a technician out to your home they look at what it is actually going to take for material and labor to remove your old water heater and install the new one.  We at Drake Mechanical believe in accurate pricing of all our jobs and making assumptions over the phone is not a good practice to get you that accurate pricing on what a water heater costs.  The last thing we want to do is to give you a price over the phone and then come out to your house and then find out that there was some confusion over the phone and you actually need a different water heater or something doesnt meet code.  That just makes you the customer mad at us because it is not what you were told over the phone and that is not what Drake Mechanical wants.  We as a team from the office to the techs want to come out and give you a fair, accurate and up front water heater quote in person so we can go over all the different water heater options and what water heater will work best for your family and save you the most money on your water heating utility bills.

 Are you paying too much for furnace filters?  Furnace filters are generally an inexpensive yet very important item in your home or office.  Furnace filters keep your furnace and your house free of dust and debris.  We see all the time where people purchase filters at the big box stores and are paying 4-5 times more than what you can buy furnace filters from Drake Mechanical.  If you need custom sizes we can have those made up for you as well typically on the same day you order them.  If you need furnace filters just give us a shout and start saving money today.  Just because it has Honeywell's name on it does not mean it is any better, typically they are still a MERV 8 filter.  We can even have furnace filters delivered right to your door at no extra cost when you buy a case minimum of 1" thick filters and a half case with 4" filters.  If you have any questions on furnace filters just give us a call at 208-362-6200 today. 

 Do you have a water heater? That is probably a silly question…. Most people do, does your water heater already have an expansion tank on it? If not you might find your water heater suddenly leaking. Municipalities in the Treasure Valley are changing out old water meters in homes and offices for new water meters that have check valves in them. This has a direct effect on your water heater. When the water inside of your water heater gets hot it expands, with the check valve in the water meters you need to have an expansion tank or there is no place for the water to expand to other than out of the temperature and pressure relief valve on your water heater. This will cause the T&P valve to drip and eventually cause it to permanently leak. This is easy to prevent though so don’t worry, this expansion can be absorbed with the proper size expansion tank installed on your water heater.

Are you considering doing some home improvements?  If you are you should always use a licensed contractor for the work being done.  Whether it is electrical, plumbing, HVAC or even certain building projects licensing is required by the state of Idaho.  A journeyman license or business license does not substitute for an electrical, hvac or plumbing contractors license.  There are reasons for this licensing and the primary reason is for you and your families health and safety along the publics health and safety.  Whether it is a water heater, furnace, new faucet or drains we would like to ask you to please hire someone that is trained, certified and knows the code requirements and inspection requirements.  Licensed contractors have been to the proper schools, passed exams based on the code requirements, along with have met the proper bonding and insurance requirements that protects you if something does go wrong.  If you are not sure what the licensing requirements are check with the Idaho Division of Building Safety.  If you are unsure whether or not the company you have called has a license just ask them for their contractors license number.   You can also visit the Better Business Bureau for more information on hiring contractors for your home improvements or service work.  A lot of work done by contractors requires inspections to be performed by the associated city or the state of Idaho.  If you are unsure about whether work performed needs to be inspected that is information that you can get from the Division of Building Safety or your contractor as well.  We hope this information helps with your decision when you are hiring a contractor to do work for you.  Whether it is Drake Mechanical or another licensed contractor we just ask that you choose wisely.

Drake Mechanical's Idaho Licenses

Plumbing - PLB-C-12769
HVAC - HVC-C-1334