Posts Tagged ‘repair’

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Has Time been Cruel to Your Basement?

February 20th, 2012

When you decide to make improvements to your home, odds are you are doing so for one of a few different reasons. Some people want to fix up the home in order to make it more attractive to buyers. Others want to make home improvements to make the home more functional, and still others make the improvements because of the damaging effects that certain problems can have on the condition of the space. The basement is a major target area for many homeowners. It has been estimated that up to 60% of homes in the United States experience water in the basement of their home. Water is destructive and could even harm your health if mold takes advantage of the plentiful water source in your basement.

Developing Problems Over the Years

Many homes develop water problems in their basements over the years. Originally the home may not have had any issues in this area, but time is cruel to the foundation of your home. What may be a small crack that doesn’t extend through the foundation can develop into a significant leak if given time. Rain water gets into these cracks and washes away layer after layer of concrete until suddenly water is seeping into the home. For other homes, simply being built in a low lying part of town is enough to give them 2 feet of water in their basement. Luckily, you can divert this water with the proper tools. » Read more: Has Time been Cruel to Your Basement?

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Posted in Home Improvements, Home Services, Plumbing

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The Only Way to Diagnose Your HVAC System

February 13th, 2012

So there you are minding your own business going through your daily routine when suddenly the furnace decides to call it quits. You fiddle around with the thermostat and check the filter but there aren’t any blatantly obvious problems to address. Unfortunately, it is not really a convenient time for the furnace to break down and you don’t want to spend your hard earned money on a technician, so what do you do? Most people will start by scouring the internet for tips, and other may call a company to get some advice over the phone. The only problem is that no matter what you won’t be able to get a definitive solution to your problem.

Trial and Error Diagnosing

Telephone conversations and internet searches are not even close to what a trained technician can tell by actually physically looking at your furnace. Many companies won’t even give you a diagnosis over the phone because they know they cannot be sure. The last thing they want is for you to run out, buy the wrong part, install it, and find out that it wasn’t the solution to your furnace problem. Furnace parts can be very expensive and the whole point of doing the repair yourself is to save money. Don’t throw your money away on the wrong parts or cause more damage to the furnace than there already is. » Read more: The Only Way to Diagnose Your HVAC System

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Posted in Air Conditioning, HVAC Repair, Heating, Money Saving

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New Year, New Home!

January 25th, 2012

The beginning of a new year is usually taken a symbol of new beginnings, and maybe 2012 can be a year of new beginnings for your home. We all have our to- do lists and if you haven’t done much to make that list shrink odds are it is just getting bigger. These problems are not going to solve themselves, and we need to be honest when it comes to our limits as amateur handymen and women. Take a moment to assess your list or sit down and compile one if you haven’t done so already. Don’t just look at what you think you can handle, consider everything that goes into a job before you ever take it on. Over reaching could increase the cost of the repair and hiring a handyman pro may be a better option.

Consider This Before Tackling a Repair:

  • Time: Many of the jobs on your list will take more than a day to complete, especially if you have no experience with the repair. Many of us only have a couple days on the weekends to work with when it comes to finding time for these repairs, and if you don’t have the time, you need to accept that you are never going to get these jobs done on your own. The pros will be able to check many of those repairs off your list in one day!
  • Tools: Another aspect of performing repairs in the home is the supplies that are needed to complete the job. Many of us don’t have power tools, painting supplies, and other basic tools of the trade, and renting or buying them could make doing the repair on your own pointless. Consider all of your costs before taking on a job by yourself. » Read more: New Year, New Home!

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Posted in Contractors, Home Improvements, Home Repairs, Home Services, Plumbing

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Furnace Outage Quick Fix

January 4th, 2012

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could avoid having to call a professional every time your furnace broke down? Well, in many cases there is little that you can do to prevent the need for a professional assessment, but there are a couple steps you can take on your own that may get the unit to kick on again. With any luck, you will be able to get the unit to heat the home at least until you can have a maintenance check performed. Most homeowners don’t realize that the majority of furnace breakdowns are caused by a part of the furnace needing to be cleaned. If you could get the unit to start up again, you could avoid the cost of an emergency call and schedule a cleaning for the unit instead.

Reboot Your Furnace

When the computer freezes up, the only thing you can really do is shut it down and reboot. Nine times out of ten this will solve the problem and this could also solve the problem with your furnace. Sometimes the system’s cycle is thrown off or maybe a breaker will pop and the unit will not kick on like it should. One of the easiest things any homeowner can do is shut the unit down completely, flip the breaker, and then turn the system back on at the unit switch. This is how you can quickly and easily reset the system, and sometimes it is enough to get the unit going. » Read more: Furnace Outage Quick Fix

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Posted in Boiler, Furnace, HVAC Repair, Heating, Maintenace, Money Saving

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Prevent Problematic Plumbing

December 5th, 2011

You would think that most homeowners know what they can and cannot put down the drains in their home, but you would be surprised by the crazy things we have found clogging pipes. Even if you have a garbage disposal attached to your sink, there are still certain items that should never be forced down a drain, and doing so could cause a costly plumbing repair. The holiday season usually means big business for plumbers across the United States. With all of the turkey, grease, and potato skins, it is no wonder so many homeowners find themselves with a backed up sink during this season, but it can all be prevented with a few proactive steps.

Watch What Goes Down the Disposal!

  • Bones: Turkey bone, chicken wings, ribs, and any other animal bone that may be left over after a delicious meal need to make its way into the garbage can and not your garbage disposal.
  • Pasta and Rice: Putting pasta or rice down your garbage disposal has got to be the easiest way to impact your sink. We have pulled out full sections of piping that are literally packed with noodles that had expanded and backed up the sink. The homeowners assumed the garbage disposal could chop them up into small enough pieces but even small pieces of pasta swell with exposed to water. » Read more: Prevent Problematic Plumbing

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Posted in Home Repairs, Home Services, Plumbing

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Wood Floors and Moisture Don’t Mix!

November 23rd, 2011

Many homeowners that are looking to add value and beauty to their home add wood floors to one or several rooms. This is a wise investment for many and could end up increasing the selling price of the home down the line. However, if you don’t keep these floors in good shape, it could have an opposite effect. Repairing wood floors is much more costly that simply protecting them from damage in the first place. Moisture and lack of moisture are a couple of your wood floors biggest enemies and unless you can maintain proper moisture levels in the home, you may find yourself spending more than you wanted just to maintain or repair this large investment.

Moisture Levels and the Changing Seasons:

  • Summer’s Moisture: The summer months in most areas of the states are plagued by extremely high humidity. This is the kind of moisture that can creep in between your floor boards and cause warping, discoloration, and rot. A fully functional central air conditioning system can remove this humidity from the home if used on a regular basis during the summer. You could also consider a whole house ventilation system coupled with a dehumidifier if you do not want to invest in central air conditioning. Either way you will be able to bring the humidity level down to a tolerable and safe level. » Read more: Wood Floors and Moisture Don’t Mix!

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Posted in Air Conditioning, Air Quality, Heating, Home Improvements, Home Repairs, Home Services

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Taking Your Boiler Out of Hibernation

October 12th, 2011

Boiler owners across the nation are getting their systems ready for the winter season. Many have already have their yearly maintenance checks performed, but if you haven’t allowed the unit to run for several hours, you could be missing a common problem that could disrupt your comfort once the really cold weather begins to set in. The typical cleaning of a boiler doesn’t involve this particular system check, and unless you have had this problem before, you may be baffled as to the cause. The problem usually manifests itself as one or two radiators or baseboards that just don’t get hot. Everything may look like it is running properly, but before you run out and start replacing the radiators you need to bleed your boiler first!

Why Don’t My Radiators Work?

            When you shut down the boiler for the summer, some systems, especially older units, will develop air pockets. These gaps in the water flow cannot pass through the boiler and therefore, the water in that part of the system will not be heated and the room that the radiator or baseboard is in will not get warm. You have to eliminate these air pockets and the way to do this is by bleeding the system. » Read more: Taking Your Boiler Out of Hibernation

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Posted in Boiler, HVAC Repair, Heating, Maintenace

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Outdated Duct Work

October 10th, 2011

So you are purchasing a new HVAC system for your home, and you have already found the perfect furnace and air conditioner to replace your old outdated units. You have the systems installed, but once you really start using them, you don’t notice much of a difference between the way the old units worked and the way the new systems work. Sure the energy bills are a little bit lower, but did you really get the return on the investment that you were expecting? If not, the problem may not be with your new systems. The problem is probably located in the most commonly neglected portion of the HVAC system: the duct work.

Assessing the Ducts

            The duct work is more important most homeowners think. Sure, the ducts may not have any fancy gadgets, but their ability to transport air effectively is crucial to the efficiency of your heating and cooling systems. If the air they are conditioning cannot get to the target rooms effectively, you will pay more every month for wasted energy that could have been saved by simply caring for this part of the system. The first step towards getting your ducts working the best that they can is to have them inspected by a professional. A true pro can give you an honest assessment of your ducts, and if they can be salvaged, the repair job is simple. If some parts need to be replaced, it may take a bit more effort, but it is necessary to complete so you can get the most out of your new heating and cooling units. » Read more: Outdated Duct Work

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Posted in Duct Cleaning, Furnace, Go Green, Home Services, Insulation, Money Saving

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Protect Your Family, Home, and Health

October 5th, 2011

Heating tune-ups help prevent breakdowns and potential hazards, and a through furnace cleaning done correctly can save you money and time, and it can also improve the efficiency of your current system. What we don’t know, can hurt us, and this is defiantly true when it comes to the condition of your furnace heating system. Most people never think about their heating unit until it breaks down. This is due to the fact that most gas furnaces are very reliable, and they are often kept “out of sight, out of mind.”

Catastrophic Failures

The problem is, despite its reliability, a catastrophic failure of your furnace could occur at any time, and that failure could result in a gas leak, fire or carbon monoxide poisoning. The only way to prevent that type of disaster is with regular inspections of your heating system. » Read more: Protect Your Family, Home, and Health

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Posted in Boiler, Consumer Protection, Furnace, Heating, Maintenace, Safty

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Put a Stop to Reoccurring Furnace Problems

September 26th, 2011

Every year as the weather turns colder and people turn their furnaces on for the first time and many discover that the unit doesn’t work. After all it has run for most of the previous winter along with the entire summer without being tuned up, so you have to ask yourself, “What did I expect?”

Preventing Inconvenient Breakdowns

How can you prevent this unexpected and inconvenient situation from continuing to happen? Its simple, just have regular maintenance preformed on your furnace and air conditioner every year. According to industry leading experts, regular maintenance of your equipment extends the life of the systems, helps to prevent untimely breakdowns, and allows them to use less energy. All of this adds up to having a system that is saving you money while it keeps you warm. » Read more: Put a Stop to Reoccurring Furnace Problems

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Posted in Boiler, Furnace, Heating, Maintenace

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