It’s one of the most appreciated home appliances, saving time, money and precious resources. The dishwasher is usually a low-maintenance device. If you’re like most people, you probably think it gets a good cleaning every time you use it – but that’s not the case. Food scraps, soap scum and grease can all conspire to [...]
All homes are equipped with gas and water emergency shut-off valves. They’re an important part of your home’s mechanical system, and it’s vital that you know where they’re located before an emergency occurs. What’s a Shut-Off Valve? A shut-off valve is simply a large knob you can use to turn off the water or gas [...]
If a tropical storm hits the Gulf Coast of Texas, the salt water can’t – shouldn’t – get to where we live. Unfortunately, flooding in this area of Southeast Texas is not an unusual event. If you are faced with in-home flooding, you’ve got a lot to deal with, and one of your issues may [...]
For a written exam, a teacher asked her class to “briefly explain hard water.” One conscientious student submitted this answer: “Ice.” Few substances are as soft as water. Nothing can erode a rock like water’s continuous flow or drip! Here are some obvious signs your home or commercial property has hard water; its mineral-infused strength [...]
For us, winter-to-spring isn’t such a big leap, weather-wise, but there’s something about spring that inspires us to clean closets, cabinets, and “freshen up” our homesteads following the waiting period that is winter. Spring maintenance and cleaning are simply what we do. Filters are First Spring maintenance for your HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) system [...]
It doesn’t matter if it’s a flood from overflowing creeks and bayous or if it’s a flood from a broken water pipe, as long as your family and pets are safe, it’s something you can handle. In fact, you’d almost be grateful if you suffered a laundry room flood rather than a whole-house flood; at [...]
Winter will continue to make a few attempts at the cold weather here in Southeast Texas, but for the most part, we begin thinking of summer right after spring break. Which leads us to think about our HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) unit. Most home- and property-owners schedule an HVAC maintenance “tune-up” in spring and [...]
There are so many reasons to upgrade your HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) that we don’t have the time – or energy – to list them here. Speaking of energy, an HVAC upgrade will save energy and lower heating and cooling costs, too. “Jeff Wilson replaced his HVAC system for the same reason most homeowners [...]
Hard water in your home can cause clogs, stains, and appliance damage. In Texas, you can have any mixture of minerals in your water, and you can tell what’s going on by the color of the stains. Here are ways to clean hard water build-up on bathroom and kitchen fixtures: Brown/black – manganese, other minerals [...]
Noises don’t bother some people; others have an aggravating sensitivity to noise. According to science, you might be a genius if noise really bothers you! Your ice maker makes a loud sound when ice cubes are released, your aquarium filter hums and all of us appreciate the music of Houston traffic during rush hour (7:00 [...]
Along with everything you do to keep your family safe and your home comfortable, it doesn’t seem fair that you should have to check product recalls as well as schedule annual dental, dermatology, veterinarian, HVAC maintenance, etc. appointments. You don’t have to check IF, when you purchased a product, you filled out the little white [...]
Perhaps 2017 is the year to do those property renovations you’ve been considering. You’ll want the best value possible for your project, and as you make your budget for your remodeling project, should you include a new HVAC unit to increase energy savings now or keep Old Faithful for a few more years? Review Your [...]
Okay, the pets are boarded, the plants will be watered, the mail and newspaper are on hold . What are you forgetting? The house! You should prepare your home for safety and energy efficiency while you’re away. 1. Electronics/Appliances These are your true energy efficiency hogs. Even when turned off, your electronics continue to drain [...]
Are you one of those people who are a bit over the top about the taste and purity of water? Don’t be embarrassed! Humble, Texas native Howard Hughes would only drink Poland Spring® water, and only from a specific bottling plant! Hard water often “tastes bad,” and we simply don’t want to drink it. But [...]
Short cycling is an HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) term describing a continuous on/off process. You air conditioning/heating unit turns on for about 1 minute. Then it turns itself off, resulting in an incomplete cycle. Most people realize a problem when they hear the unit kicking on and off frequently or notice their home’s air [...]
Ensuring your HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) equipment is clean and well-maintained is a very good way to save money, but you can also save on utility bills with your HVAC fan settings. Fan Choices: On, Off, and Auto You’d think that deciding whether or not to run your HVAC fan 24/7 or as-needed would [...]
The birth of a new year offers us an anticipation of good things to come; kind of like a “new life.” Conscientious people take healthful steps to extend their own lives, and diligent people do what is needed to extend the life of their possessions. If we helped you with a new water heater in [...]
Most of us have environmentally conscious lifestyles and indoor air quality (IAQ) is everyone’s business, not just HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) professionals. Here are some common causes of air smells, but when you notice an odor, use your other senses, too. Listen for unusual noises and look for water drips on your floor as [...]
Plumbers don’t repair or service washers. But where there’s water, plumbing problems can surface. You certainly wouldn’t want to miss out on the excitement of washing clothes every week, right? Seriously, your washing machine is one of your most important appliances, so here are some tips to help keep it clean and operating at 100% [...]
Plumber Thomas Crapper did not design the toilet. It was designed by Sir John Harington in 1596, who installed a working prototype in his godmother’s house, which happened to be the palace of Queen Elizabeth I. How many words do we use for “toilet?” If you’re aboard a boat, it’s called the head. In London, [...]
