Warm Up This Fall and Winter

Sitting in front of a cozy fire is usually a perfect pastime during the crisp fall weather that has desceneded upon Minnesota and the rest of the Midwest.  But what if you don't have a fireplace?   Many homes in the Midwest still don't have fireplaces, and many homes have wood burning fireplaces that often are neglected due to their high maintenance.

If you're like me, then your home sadly lacks a beautiful, crackling, fireplace.  In fact, my entire life I've never had the pleasure of cozy living room fireplace.  But that's going to change soon for me -- and it could for your fire-place-less home too.

Did you know that there are new gas fireplaces that require no additional venting added to your home?  It's true. All you need is a gas line run through your walls to where you'd like the fireplace to be.  These fireplaces are called Vent Free Fireplaces or Ventless Fireplaces.  They are a home-improver's dream.  They make installing a new fireplace much more cost effective.

The gas fireplaces that are on the market now are much more realistic looking than ever before; so even if you're really in love with real, log burning fireplaces, a gas fireplace could still do the trick.  

You can also build a hearth around it, guaranteeing it will be the focal point of your living room.

If your home is more traditional, you can add some built in shelves and bookcases on either side, making it look as if your fireplace has always been in your home.

Or maybe you'd like a beautiful mantel built above it to display Holiday decor, photos and family treasures

In today's beautifully designed and re-designed homes, it's not just living rooms that have fireplaces anymore:

Offices

Dining Rooms

Bedrooms

Even outdoors

If you decide that you'd like to have a fireplace (vent or ventless) installed in your home, why not call us to give you an estimate on running gas line to your new fireplace.  We are completely licensed in the State of Minnesota to perform such work and we can even hook up your fireplace when it arrives and test it to make sure there it is in working condition.

We'd be more than happy to run a gas line to a new fireplace and hook up the gas lines when your new fireplace arrives this fall or winter!

*All photographs courtesy of Decor Pad

What You Can Expect from Zell Plumbing & Heating

Maybe you've had a bad experience with a contractor in the past, or maybe you've heard a horror story of a repair gone horribly wrong from a friend or on the news.  It's sadly true that these types of stories and occurrences are all too often happening to homeowners around the Twin Cities and the rest of the Country.

At Zell Plumbing & Heating our goal is to restore faith in our industry by providing excellent customer service from start to finish.  From the moment you call our company, we will make sure your needs are taken care of with extraordinary customer service.  We will schedule your appointment for as early as possible or when it works for your schedule.  

When the plumber comes out to your home, he will inspect your issue and make sure that he correctly diagnoses your repair.  He will write up your work order and tell you the exact cost of the work to be done.  Once you've signed off on the work to be completed he'll get right to work.  We will lay down drop clothes to protect your floor and remove any garbage/packaging from your home when we're done. You're home will be as clean when we leave as it was when we came.  

Our plumbing technicians are extremely friendly and courteous.  We ask all our plumbers to treat  customers as if they were helping out a family member with a plumbing repair or replacement.  We are a family-run business and want our customers to feel that when they call one of our technicians out to their home.  

Our company offers over 40 years of combined knowledge and experience between our plumbers.  We can offer great, cost effective solutions to correct problems, repair plumbing or replace fixtures and appliances.  We make sure you are happy with the pricing estimate before we start, so you'll know exactly what to expect when the job is finished.  There are no hidden costs or fees, and there are no surprises.  You will know the cost, job details and approximate repair/replacement time before we even start.

We are put pride into our work because we are puting our name on your plumbing.  Zell Plumbing & Heating treats all our customers with respect and incredible service.  We want all our customers to have an excellent experience from start to finish.  

Call us today and we will restore any negative feelings you have about service in our profession.

Getting Your Plumbing Ready for Fall and Winter

Well it's that time again in Minnesota.....the leaves will start changing, the apple orchards are open and there's that crisp feeling in the air.  While fall is one of my favorite times of year for so many reasons, it's also a great time to get your house ready for winter (I know, I said the "W" word).

The number one cause of a leaky hose or burst line in the spring or summer is improper winterization in the fall before it freezes outside.

Did you know that you can rely on Zell Plumbing & Heating to remind you to winterize your faucets?  We offer a reminder service so that you can turn off and blow out your own faucets and lines outside, or you have the option of having us call you to set up a time to have one of our professionals come out and winterize for you.

It's especially important to have pool houses, sheds with spigots on them or other outbuildings that are not heated winterized.  We have the tools and expertise to make sure the job gets done properly so when spring is here again it's a breeze to use your outside water hoses, pool houses, sheds and other buildings.

If you'd like to have a reminder sent to you for one of our experts to call and schedule your outdoor water winterization, or if you'd like a reminder for yourself, please feel free to fill out the form with the link below:

SIGN UP FOR A REMINDER EMAIL OR PHONE CALL

Be sure to use our special fall coupon, too!

Tax Credits Extended

Did you miss out on last year's Energy Tax Credits?? You know, the program where you can receive free money from the government for installing more energy efficient appliances and building materials in your home.

If you didn't take advantage of this last year, 2011 could be YOUR year!

They have extended the 2010 Energy Credits for 2011 -- with a few changes, mind you, but you CAN still get your tax credits for this year and your Utility Provider has some rebate offers for you as well.

So how can you take advantage of this offer??

If you replace your current water heater with a new, energy efficient water heater in 2011, you can receive 10% back as a tax credit for 2011.  (maximum $300.00)

That's not the only way you can put a little cash in your pocket though -- Minnesota utility providers are also offering major incentives to the installation of energy efficient water heaters.  Check out the offers below:

Center Point Energy (2011)

 .62 EF Standard Water Heater  -  $70.00 CPE rebate

.64 EF Standard Water Heater  -  $85.00 CPE rebate

.67 EF Standard Water Heater  -  $100.00 CPE rebate

 Xcel Energy (2011)

.62 EF Standard Water Heater  -  $40.00 Xcel rebate

.64 EF Standard Water Heater  -  $60.00 Xcel rebate

.67 EF Standard Water Heater  -  $120.00 Xcel rebate

.80 EF Standard Water Heater  -  $200.00 Xcel rebate

.82 EF Tankless Water Heater - $400.00 Xcel rebate

That means if you install one of our new 98% efficient Eternal Hybrid Water Heaters in 2011, not only will you save on your energy bills, but you could potentially receive up to $700.00 back in your pocket.  At that rate, it won't take long to earn your money back on a smart purchase.

If you're looking for a good tank water heater, may we recommend a reliable Rheem model?  You can see the energy ratings right on their website, which will make it easier to calculate your savings. 

Welcome!

Welcome to Zell Plumbing & Heating's Blog!

This blog is dedicated to providing you with advice, ideas and new product reviews for your kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms.  We're so excited to be able to keep you up to date on a more regular basis!

We'd also like to use this blog to show off some of our own customer's home remodels in their kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms and other areas where plumbing is involved. 

Look for more to come!