Month: January 2019

HVAC Purchase Advice Made Easy To Understand

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The method you use to cool and heat your home is very important. A well-maintained HVAC system is a must. Expect expensive repairs and discomfort if you let your HVAC system fail. Continue reading to learn more about what you need to know to keep your system running.

Before choosing an HVAC contractor, think of what you wish to have done. It’s hard for these contractors to give phone estimates without seeing the current system you have. They need to come look at the unit. Understand this information beforehand.

Clean the coils of your condenser fan each month. Except when you do superficial cleaning, you need to always make sure the power is off on the unit. Remove leaves and debris from the condenser outside.

Clean your outdoor condensers often. Things tend to pile up around these units, especially after storms come through, which could cause problems to your system. It can cause your system to malfunction by overheating.

Each spring, try cleaning the fan blades and coils on the condenser fan. For safety, always turn the power off first. Then, remove the grill, then remove the blades and begin the cleaning process of the blades and the unit.

Avoid showering your outdoor unit with grass clippings when you mow the lawn. Shoot grass the other way. If you’re blowing leaves, this same problem can occur, so make sure you move around the unit and blow the leaves away from it.

The HVAC unit in your home can become damaged from falling leaves. Make sure you clean out your fan grill often once nearby trees start shedding their leaves. The fan should have a clear path for air to come in. If it is blocked, your system will suffer.

If your condenser comes with oil ports, you should lubricate it yearly. You’ll see that the ports here are closed with a rubber or metal cap. Use a lightweight, detergent-free SAE 20 oil, putting 10 drops in each port.

Check your unit at least twice each year. The ideal thing to do would be to have it checked out in the fall and spring so you’re able to figure out if everything is ready for the cold and hot months. Even though it may seem as nothing is wrong with the unit, a simple inspection can prove otherwise.

If possible, your single pane windows should be replaced with double-paned ones. Double …

Tips To Ease Your Home Improvement Project

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Homeowners armed with the right information can conquer almost any home improvement project that they set their mind to. Before starting a new home improvement project, read this article for interesting insight and tips that will make the process more enjoyable and efficient.

A great tip for home improvement is to personalize any project you undertake. While this is a good idea, you should also make sure that each improvement is practical.

You can decrease energy costs and still have a well-lit exterior by switching out your always-on lighting system for one that is motion-activated. You can still turn it on manually if need be, and you can also adjust sensitivity on some models.

Small rooms are often gloomy, but you can change that! Get more light into the room! Open blinds, tie back curtains and clean the glass thoroughly. It is surprising that your room will look bigger if you use the natural sunlight. Be sure to clear up clutter and use light colors on the walls. Your tiny room won’t seem all that tiny anymore.

If you prefer an inexpensive type of flooring, you will prefer vinyl over stone or ceramic tile. In most cases, installing vinyl is easy thanks to pre-applied adhesive; the resulting floor surface is durable, strong, and resists water and wear. You have the option of buying vinyl flooring in tile or sheet format.

If an interior designer is too expensive for you, do some research to do the job yourself. You can find ideas online, in decorating books and magazines and on HGTV. A photograph from a magazine may be all the inspiration you need. They also often provide affordable project advice.

Anyone who owns a home can fix their own faucets which leak. You will save money – and your water reserves – if you take the time to fix the problem quickly. This will keep your water bill much lower each month.

All you need is a little PVC primer and cement in order to attach two PVC pipes together. You need to use these products only on your pipes because other cements or glues can cause the pipe to leak later. Additionally, there should be no water on the surfaces of he pipes.

Talk with your neighbor about drainage before you start a major landscaping project. Naturally, you want the water to go away from your yard. The best method …

Making More Use of Your Backyard

Editor

Whether your backyard is the size of a postage stamp or an acre, you may be stuck in a rut as far as how you use it. There may be some favorite spots where family members choose to hang out time and time again, and not necessarily together. The following ideas can help you make better use of your back yard and deck area.

Create a Dining Spot

Everything tastes better when served outdoors. Keep this in mind when rethinking your backyard. Whether you have a concrete pad behind the garage or one of those lovely elevated decks that gives you a view of the yard, you can make it beautiful and useful. Provide the area with a table and comfortable seating, as well as a serving area. If appropriate, make a space for the grill so you can also grill everybody’s favorites.

Lights and Shadows

You will want to provide some much needed shade in the summertime, using a UV resistant Fabric canopy, an attractive umbrella or a wooden pergola. By the same token, make sure to bring in some glowing strings of lights, lanterns and candles in fire-safe enclosures to add atmosphere and illumination to the space. Also be sure to include solar lighting in the surrounding garden or grassy areas so that people can stay safe as they move around in the dark.

Pump Up the Green

Spending time in the back yard is no fun if there are muddy bare patches or the grass is dead and scratchy. Take the time to fertilize, overseed or replace dead areas of lawn. Dress up the garden with some fresh plants and trim any trees so branches do not hang down into the pathway or impede movement through the yard. Choose flowers that do not attract bees or other insects that could keep the family from enjoying the yard.

Adding a horseshoe pit or tetherball pole might be a good idea as well. With a bit of elbow grease and creativity, your back yard and deck can become a place where memories are made and many happy hours are spent together.…

3 Times Your Chimney Liner Needs Attention

Editor

Your fireplace is likely a focal point of your home. Keeping the exterior looking nice and fresh is easy, but did you know that it is just as important to maintain the inside of your fireplace and chimney? Inside your chimney is a liner that serves to protect you and your home. Making sure it is kept in tip-top shape can save you in the long run. Here are some things to keep in mind to help prevent the need for chimney repair.

What a Chimney Liner Does

While a chimney made of brick and mortar may seem like it can stand up against the fumes from a fire, it needs protection to maintain integrity over time. Combustion fumes from a fire, or fumes from appliances like a gas furnace that vents through the chimney, could potentially seep through micro-cracks in the mortar, making an impermeable chimney liner key to protecting you and your family. An additional benefit of the chimney liner is providing additional insulation to prevent heat from radiating through the chimney to damage adjacent walls.

When To Replace a Chimney Liner

There are three specific times when your chimney liner should be inspected and possibly replaced:

  • You are having your chimney cleaned or inspected. The perfect time to evaluate your chimney liner is when you are having chimney cleaning Washington DC. Ideally, you would have your chimney swept each year before the start of the heating season.
  • You are changing your heating system. New appliances are more efficient but may have a greater effect on your chimney and liner. Checking with the manufacturers for their recommendations during a new appliance installation can save you a headache later on.
  • Your liner is damaged or old. Chimney liners take a lot of abuse and therefore have a limited lifespan. While the lifespan varies on the type on liner installed, keep in mind that most need to be replaced at least every 20 years.

Your fireplace is the highlight of your home and meant to be enjoyed. Keep these tips in mind to make sure you and your family can safely enjoy yours for years to come.…

This Great HVAC Advice Should Not Be Missed!

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HVAC systems are excellent at maintaining a comfortable temperature in your home no matter what season it is. Though most homes have HVAC systems, some need replacing or repairs. Understanding how to properly maintain your system will help you out when it comes to repairs. Following is some advice.

Before you call someone to help you fix your system, be sure to know what sort of system you have in place. Take a look at the system or the owner’s manual to find the name and model number. This makes sure your contractor will be sufficiently prepared.

If you are having issues with your HVAC, do a tour of your house before you call in help. Find out which rooms are hot and which are cold. That knowledge can help the technician figure out what is going on.

What do you need done? Know this before calling a contractor. A contractor will be hard pressed to provide you with an over-the-phone estimate if unfamiliar with your system. It’s even harder if you’re not able to explain what you’ve done. Know the right information ahead of time.

If you have units that are condensers outside of the home, keep them free of debris. Debris can pile up at rates that increase during rainy or windy weather, and this can foul up the inner workings of your system. Also, you are risking your system overheating.

Be sure to clean the fan blades and coils of the condenser fan. Before you get started, cut the power. Next, pop the grill off, put the blades out and start to gently clean them along with the unit.

Make sure clippings don’t get on your outdoor units when your mowing your lawn. Have the grass shoot in the opposite direction. When blowing leaves, do the same. Always take care when passing your HVAC units while moving leaves, grass or other debris.

Your outdoor HVAC units might suffer when your trees lose leaves. Make certain you are cleaning the fan grill often if trees nearby have leaves that are falling. The fan needs to be able to get proper air inside without any blockages, and extra blockage can later develop into more serious problems.

Put outdoor condensers in the shade. The air in the shade is cooler and can help save on energy costs.

Make sure you have your HVAC system checked at least twice a year. …