Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Will My Home Insurance Cover Sewer Line Damage?

Sadly, most homeowner's insurance policies won’t cover sewer line repairs and replacements as they are often considered preventable. However, your provider might cover the damage if it's caused by a third party—like a contractor or tenant—or it was sudden and unexpected. We recommend scheduling regular professional maintenance to limit the effects of wear and tear and extend your sewer line’s lifespan.

Q: Which Water Heaters Qualify for a Tax Credit?

Natural gas, oil, and propane water heaters require an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency of at least 95% to qualify for a tax credit. Meanwhile, electric heaters need to have a minimum 2.2 Uniform Energy Factor (UEF). If you plan on getting a tax credit for your water heater, make sure you have a copy of the Manufacturer’s Certification Statement.

Q: What’s the Difference Between Drain Cleaning and Sewer Cleaning?

Drain cleaning involves treating the individual fixtures in your home, like your kitchen and bathroom sinks, showers, toilets, and washing machines. When all your drains run slowly, however, that suggests the need for different treatment—sewer cleaning. Sewer cleaning address clogs deeper in the line.

Question 1

Will My Home Insurance Cover Sewer Line Damage?

Answer

Sadly, most homeowner's insurance policies won’t cover sewer line repairs and replacements as they are often considered preventable. However, your provider might cover the damage if it's caused by a third party—like a contractor or tenant—or it was sudden and unexpected. We recommend scheduling regular professional maintenance to limit the effects of wear and tear and extend your sewer line’s lifespan.

Answer

Natural gas, oil, and propane water heaters require an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency of at least 95% to qualify for a tax credit. Meanwhile, electric heaters need to have a minimum 2.2 Uniform Energy Factor (UEF). If you plan on getting a tax credit for your water heater, make sure you have a copy of the Manufacturer’s Certification Statement.

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Excess pressure inside your water heater—likely stemming from tank sediment buildup or component failure—can cause your water heater to explode. If you have a gas unit, a gas leak could also lead to an explosion. By making proactive choices when it comes to plumbing maintenance, you can easily prevent these costly problems.

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Pouring boiling water down your drain may clear a minor clog, but this DIY fix is only effective to an extent. If you want to restore the full performance of your plumbing fixture, reach out to our team for assistance. We use specialized tools and techniques to safely and effectively eliminate even the toughest clogs with reliable hydro jetting services.

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Drain cleaning involves treating the individual fixtures in your home, like your kitchen and bathroom sinks, showers, toilets, and washing machines. When all your drains run slowly, however, that suggests the need for different treatment—sewer cleaning. Sewer cleaning address clogs deeper in the line.

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Your septic tank is designed to handle waste treatment on its own without any need for additives unless stated otherwise by the manufacturer. Many of the septic tank additives on the market also lack regulation, formal certification, and standardized testing, making it challenging to assess their effects. If you want to maintain the health of your septic system, we recommend scheduling regular inspections and maintenance. If you keep up with regular maintenance and have continued problems with your system, it may be too small for your household size or need to be replaced.

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Instead of buying ineffective treatments, you can follow these simple care tips to maintain your septic tank’s efficiency:

Get the system assessed and pumped regularly.
Don’t plant deep rooting trees and shrubs near your septic tank or drain field.
Don't flush anything but waste or toilet paper.
Limit your water usage.

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When your air conditioner or furnace malfunctions, you might immediately call for expert repairs, but there are steps you can take on your own before calling in a professional to try to fix the issue. Our B&L Plumbing technicians in Colorado Springs, CO, recommend:

Check your thermostat to make sure it is on.
Check to see if the light at the front of the furnace is green. If it is, continue to troubleshoot. If it’s red, then you need to call for repairs. Check to see if a circuit breaker was tripped.
Inspect the filter and see if it needs to be changed.
Make sure the furnace door is closed.
Ensure the vents are free of leaves and other debris.
If your air conditioner is acting up, check the condenser to see if it’s running.

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Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) is the ratio of cooling output of an AC over a typical cooling season, divided by the energy it uses in Watt-Hours. The minimum SEER for air conditioners is 13, but most modern units range from 13 to 21.

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Ductless AC systems are energy-efficient alternatives to forced-air cooling systems. When determining if this unit is suitable for your Colorado Springs, CO, house, consider the following:

Your home doesn’t have a central HVAC system or ductwork installed.
You want to heat or cool an area not connected to your central system, like the garage.
You want to install a system that doesn’t use ductwork.
You want to control the temperature in specific areas of your home.
You live in an area that doesn’t experience extreme hot or cold temperatures.

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If you have an aging AC system, it can be difficult to decide when to replace it. Our technicians have symptoms you can watch for, indicating if it’s time for an AC replacement. These can include the age of your unit (if it’s older than 15 years old) if it’s losing efficiency, and if it can adequately cool your house or building to the desired temperature. You should also determine how many repairs your unit needs. If it needs several repairs or a costly fix, replacing the unit with a newer model can be more cost-effective.

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When buying a new AC unit or furnace, you need to decide what size unit you need to heat or cool your Colorado Springs, CO, property efficiently. Some of the criteria our technicians use are the square footage of your property, the climate, the number of windows in your home or building, the quality of your insulation, the number of people living in the property, and other specific factors to your home or office.

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If your air conditioner is running but isn’t cooling your house, it can signal several potential issues, including needing more refrigerant. Schedule an appointment with our AC experts so they can investigate the problem and resolve it.