Berkeys Blog

Berkeys Provides TOTO High Efficiency Toilets (HETs) TOTO leaves nothing to chance when it comes to design. They embrace holistic design principles because performance, quality, functionality and ultimately, customer satisfaction, are just as important as aesthetics. Backed by precision engineering and global manufacturing, TOTO’s toilets simply perform and look better than the competition. A TOTO high efficiency toilet such as the Drake® Toilet, 1.6 GPF with Insulated Tank has the following features:

• Saves 20% water over 1.6gpf toilets
• Sleek high profile two-piece design
• Double

Since the origin of the toilet in the late 1800’s, engineers have endeavored to design commodes to use significantly less water per flush. They’ve been successful. Early models used 7 gallons of water per flush. Later, water volume decreased to 5 gallons per flush, and then in the 1980’s, the standard became 3.5 gallons per flush. Finally, in 1995 the National Energy Policy Act (H.R. 776) went into effect and mandated 1.6 gallon flush toilets for the entire United States, compelling engineers to design ... Continue Reading »

HCFC-22 (also known as R-22) has been the refrigerant of choice for residential air conditioning and heating systems for more than forty years; regrettably for the environment R-22 contributes to ozone depletion (mostly from leaks). R-22 is also considered a greenhouse gas. The manufacture of R-22 creates a by-product (HFC-23) known to contribute to global warming. R-22 is going to be phased out over the coming years as part of an agreement to end production of HCFCs; therefore, manufacturers of residential air conditioning systems are offering equipment that uses ozone-friendly refrigerants; however, homeowners may be misinformed about how much longer R-22 ... Continue Reading »

The plumbing profession is open to anyone who takes time to study the appropriate codes, serve an apprenticeship, and pass state licensing examinations. Unfortunately, some “plumbers” aren’t really plumbers, and hiring them can put your family’s safety at risk and cost you more money in the long run. Beware of these situations:

• Unlicensed Home Handymen – a home handyman may be able to handle some plumbing tasks, such as unclogging a drain or repairing a leaky faucet, but if the job requires anything more demanding, such as repairing a gas leak, you’ll want

Air conditioners and heaters account for about 40% of the average family’s utility bills. In the cities Berkeys serves, including Frisco, Plano, Richardson, and Flower Mound, most of those costs go towards cooling a home; consequently, your home’s air conditioning system impacts your electric bill. Here are some ways to reduce the cost of running and maintaining air conditioning equipment:

• If using paper/fiber filters, replace them every month.
• Have a technician service your home’s system at the beginning of each cooling season to find small problems before they become big ones.
• Install a programmable thermostat

Can you believe it? We let our air conditioning systems go without a tune up while we buy $5 compact fluorescent light bulbs to save less than $10 per year on our electric bills? Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) save energy and help the environment. That’s good. But tuning up your air conditioners helps you be green and save green much faster. This year Berkeys is on schedule to perform more than 10,000 air conditioning tune ups, saving our customers more than $1 million dollars on their electric bills. That’s an average of more ... Continue Reading »

All homeowners in Grapevine and Southlake will experience plumbing problems at some point. The old adage, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," certainly applies here. Whether plumbing problems in Grapevine and Southlake are large or small, you may be able to avoid them entirely when you have annual plumbing tune-ups, which includes an inspection of plumbing systems inside and outside your Grapevine or Southlake home:

• Operation of all under-cabinet water supplies
• All exposed drain lines for leaks
• Check and adjust toilet flush
• Proper installation of water heater
• Water pressure
• Garbage disposal
• Tub and shower drains
• Outside hose bibs for leaks
• Clean-outs for

We have experienced record-breaking heat this summer, and nearly every city in the Dallas-Fort Worth area has found it necessary to enact water restrictions to conserve water. We can avoid these measures in the future if more people learn ways to conserve water at their homes. Conservation not only saves water for everyone, but those who participate in the effort also benefit from lower utility bills. Repairing leaky faucets, toilets and water pipes is the most effective conservation practice you can have, and fixing small leaks before they become major problems is preferable, as well as cost effective. A small drip ... Continue Reading »

Since we have had nearly 60 consecutive days of triple-digit temperatures in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, this summer reminds us that a good air conditioning unit is a necessity for health, as well a item of comfort. If your system does not cool your home effectively, or uses too much energy because of its age or poor quality, it may be time to consider purchasing a new air conditioner. It is important to select the right size unit for your home. If it is too small, it will not adequately cool the area. However, if it is larger than necessary, it ... Continue Reading »

The ideal time to select a plumber is not when you are experiencing a plumbing emergency. If you have a serious leak or some other urgent plumbing problem, you may just hire the first plumber that answers the phone instead of making a wise choice. It is a good idea to do some research and inquire about plumbing services in your area before you have to make a hasty, sometimes regrettable, decision. Even if you never have a plumbing emergency, you should hire a qualified plumbing service to check your heating and cooling systems before using them every season to ... Continue Reading »