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Choosing Air Duct Cleaning Companies: A Guide

As time moves on, dust builds up in your air ducts. When your HVAC system cuts on, it will send all of these allergens back into your home. Not only can it trigger asthma attacks, but it can also lower the air quality in your house. 

The best way to save your sinuses is to hire quality air duct cleaning companies to take care of things. After they leave your home, you’ll notice a huge difference in terms of how your space feels and smells. 

Well, you’ll notice a difference if you hire the right business for the job. Keep reading for a list of things that you should be on the lookout for. 

Do Your Research 

The first rule of hiring an air duct cleaning service is to do your homework. You’ll want to do an entire background check before you let a company come into your house. 

Ask them how many years they’ve been in service. The longer they’ve been around, the better they’ll know how to tackle your unique needs. 

The Better Business Bureau keeps track of any complaints that have been filed against a company. So, checking with them can give you some valuable insight. 

Make sure that the business runs thorough background checks and drug tests on all their employees, and ask if they have workers comp and liability insurance. If they don’t, you could end up paying the hospital bills in the event something goes wrong. 

Ask for References and Check Out Reviews 

If you have family and friends that have scheduled duct cleaning in the past, ask them who they hired. Having a list of names will help narrow your search down a little. 

Remember that just because someone you know had good luck with a company, doesn’t mean you will. You’ll still want to look up online reviews for any business name they give you. No one can tell you what a company is really all about quite like previous customers. 

Keep in mind that satisfied clients don’t leave comments online that often. You might have to do some digging to find quality reviews. Most companies, including the professionals at larsenheatingandair.com/air-duct-cleaning/, have testimonials on their site that you can read as well. 

Get Everything in Writing 

Before the company sets into work, they’ll ask you to sign a contract. Well, they should ask you to sign a contract anyway. Make sure to go over it with a fine-tooth comb. 

On this contract, you should see a complete list of everything the company is going to charge you for. If the agreement doesn’t have this information, you’ll want to ask for it. The last thing you want is to get surprised with an upcharge later. 

Choose the Right Air Duct Cleaning Companies for Your Needs

If you don’t have air duct cleaning companies come out to your home, your indoor air quality will suffer. The dust that builds up can trigger allergies and asthma attacks. 

As you can imagine, that’s not healthy for you and your family. Protect your home by hiring the right company for your needs. For more tips that will help you keep your house in tip-top shape, feel free to explore the rest of our blog. 

5 Things You Should Check in Your Home if You Have Some Extra Time

You always remember to change your HVAC filters and clean your gutters, but there are many other household maintenance tasks that are all too easy to forget. If you’re stuck at home with some extra time on your hands, why not take advantage of the opportunity to catch up on commonly neglected home maintenance checks? Here are five things you should take a look at whenever you have a few hours to spare.

Smoke Detectors

Smoke detectors can save your family’s lives in a fire, so remember to test them once a month by pressing the tester button and listening for the alarm. If you can’t remember the last time you replaced the batteries in your smoke detector, now is a good time to do that too. Included in the manual, there will be instructions to check the battery level on your smoke detector.

Water Heater Valve

A busted water valve can cause more than just cold showers. If your water heater’s pressure relief valve fails, it can explode and destroy your home. All you have to do to test this important valve is raise and lower the test lever. Water should pour out of the drainpipe if the valve is functioning properly. If no water comes out, it’s time to replace the valve.

Rarely Used Drains

Do you have a guest bathroom or laundry sink that doesn’t get used often? It’s a good idea to run some warm water through them every so often to make sure they don’t get clogged from dried soap and mineral residue. If you find a blocked drain, call plumbing services to remove the clog.

Refrigerator Coils

The condenser coils below or behind your refrigerator keep it running, but they also get clogged with dust and dirt over time. Dirty coils reduce your fridge’s efficiency, causing food to spoil faster and your energy bill to climb higher. Unplug your refrigerator every few months and take the time to clean the coils with a vacuum cleaner attachment.

Garage Door

Motorized garage doors have an automatic reverse feature to prevent pets and small children from getting crushed under the door. However, this feature can sometimes fail with tragic results. Give it a test by sliding a block of wood underneath the door as it closes. The door should instantly go back up.

Although overlooked maintenance tasks are a great way to pass the time, you don’t have to wait for a pause in your busy schedule to tackle them. Consider adding these important home checks to your calendar so you never neglect them again.

Guest Post By:

Lizzie Weakley is a freelance writer from Columbus, Ohio. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors and walks in the park with her husky, Snowball.

4 Hot Tips to Eliminate the Cold Spot in Your House

Coming home to a warm and comfortable home at the end of the day is something that few property owners want to leave to chance. Even a heater or furnace that may be more than adequate for the rest of the home may still struggle to heat certain rooms and areas. A few helpful tips can make dealing with that pesky cold spot a much easier undertaking than you might think.

Heater and Furnace Repair

Faulty appliances are often the culprit when it comes to being unable to effectively heat an interior area, room or even a whole floor of the home. A maintenance call or service appointment can allow you to find and correct any issues that might be giving your trouble. Professional repair services can be an essential asset for keeping your heating equipment in good working order.

HVAC Upgrades

Just because everything is working correctly does not always mean your current HVAC setup is up to the job. Upgrading the system may be necessary, especially for older homes. When it comes to arranging an upgrade, the costs involved as well as other issues like having to deal with heater repair professionals like aggressive mechanical contractors can give an answer to the source of the cold spot. Working with the best contractors and service providers can take much of the hassle out of a new installation or system-wide upgrade.

Space Heaters

Small appliances can provide a more convenient, cost-effective and versatile way of heating the home. The addition of a portable heater can be managed without having to make any major purchases making it an ideal solution for those with limited funds. Your new heater can also reduce the workload of your household heater and may help to lower utility costs.

Insulation and Windows

Having plenty of heat will do you no good if it keeps escaping through the walls. Outdated window fixtures or inadequate insulation are common issues that can create big problems. Replacing insulation or upgrading to more energy-efficient windows are both projects that could be well worth the cost.

Ensuring effective and energy-efficient heating for the home can often require an occasional service call or repair appointment. The contractors and other professionals who can assist you with equipment purchase, installation and preventive maintenance are an important resource, although both options and the quality of the work provided can differ from one professional to the next. Doing business with the best service provider can make it much easier to deal with any cold spots within your home.

 

3 Common Casualties of Winter Wind Storm Damage

With the winter fast approaching, attention will shift to cozy fires and warm nutmeg to soothe the soul. At the same time, you will also wonder about the change in weather and how it will impact your home. The winter months can pack quite the punch in terms of wind, sleet, and even snow. It is the bitterly cold wind that can often do the most danger. No matter how well you prepare for it, there are still occasions where you simply must be ready for the worst. Planning for it will help you weather the storm, so to speak, that much more easily. Here are three issues that can commonly occur due to the fierce wind that blows in the winter.

Damaged Roof

Wind can cause many issues with your roof. To begin with, uprooted trees are often a concern. You might arrive home one day to discover a tree that has made contact with your roof. This will necessitate almost immediate repairs in order to salvage the structure of the house. Fierce wind can also dislodge some of the tiles on your roof. In that case, you will need to contact a professional in your area who can come in and get those replaced for you.

Siding Issues

Wind can also damage your vinyl siding in your home. This is something that you will really want to be mindful of. Your siding protects the interior of your home. It also helps a great deal with insulation. Wind can often tear away the siding or damage it to the point that it is no longer serving its intended purpose. Beyond that, damaged siding can be quite the eyesore. You will want to get it repaired or replaced as soon as possible.

Broken Windows

Another casualty of winter wind can be seen in your windows. Having storm windows is a great gesture, but even those are not immune to the fiercest of wind that can blow during the coldest part of the season. Broken windows obviously need to be fixed as quickly as you can.

These three casualties of winter storms happen more often than you would like to think. It is important to know how you will fix these should they happen to you. Planning for them in your family budget is a start. Just be ready for them, put a smile on your face, and get them fixed. At the end of the day, your home is your castle so you want to keep it that way.

Problems with Your Plumbing? Here’s 4 Easy Solutions to Common Problems

You might ignore the plumbing in a home or a business until you begin to have numerous problems, so you must learn how to cope with any issues that do occur. Here are four easy solutions for your plumbing problems that will make it possible to begin using the fixtures in the bathroom or the kitchen again.

Kitchen Garbage Disposal Care

If you have a garbage disposal appliance in a kitchen, then you must understand how to use it correctly to avoid any serious issues. First, you must make sure that hard objects, including eating utensils or bones are not inserted into the device. Next, you should make sure that water is running continuously to wash the food debris through the drainage system. Last, you should avoid pouring grease or vegetable peelings into the garbage disposal because it can break the blades.

Know How to Cope with Toilet Clogs

You can avoid toilet clogs by understanding what you can flush safely. Do not place paper towels or makeup remover pads in a toilet. Choose toilet paper that is biodegradable to make it easier for the substance to degrade in the water of the toilet bowl or in the sewer lines. Keep a rubber-tipped plunger nearby so that you can grab it quickly when a clog does occur.

Proper Sanitation Treatments

When you have buildings with septic tanks, the items must meet the proper health and sanitation codes to avoid polluting the earth’s soil or groundwater. It is essential to have a current septic tank emptied, cleaned and repaired occasionally to prevent any contamination. With routine maintenance of the septic tank’s system, you can avoid having a major issue that prevents the usage of a building’s plumbing devices.

Keeping Hair Out of the Shower’s Drains

It is a good idea to keep hair from entering a shower’s drain because the strands can create a dense clog. The hair strands will combine with shampoo and conditioner, leading to a major plumbing problem. However, you can find devices for the shower’s drain that will capture the hair before it enters the underlying pipe. Make sure to clean this hair catcher frequently so that the shower stall or bathtub won’t fill up with water.

How to Learn More about Plumbing Repairs

You can learn more about plumbing repairs by reading books from your public library or by watching videos online. In some cases, you can enroll in a home repair class to learn more about fixing common household plumbing problems.

4 Often Overlooked Home Repairs That Can Save a Lot of Money

Owning a home is a huge responsibility. For one, a mortgage will probably be one of the biggest loans you ever take out. To protect that investment for your family, you need to reinvest into your home from time to time. This means performing regular maintenance on different home systems and performing repairs as needed. Below are four overlooked home projects that can end up saving you a lot of money in the long term.

Replace Old Windows

If a home has older windows, you should consider giving them an upgrade. Older windows tend to have significant gaps around edges. These gaps allow air to pass through. This allows heat to escape your home in the winter and heat to creep in during the summer. If you want to spend less money on your heating and cooling bills, upgrading to newer more energy efficient designs for windows is a must.

Pump Your Septic Tank

Your septic tank should be pumped of its contents every two to three years. Stick to two years if you want to be more cautious. If your septic tank isn’t pumped before it’s filled, its contents will back up into your home and your toilets will cease functioning. That’s a nightmare you don’t want to live through. Septic tank pumping services are well worth the price.

Install Insulation

One home project that can save you a lot of money in the long run is installing insulation. If your attic does not have enough insulation or the insulation you do have is old and damaged, consider installing new insulation.

That insulation will help your home retain heat during the winter so your heating bills are lower. It will also prevent damage to your home as well. Insulation stops heat from rising to the roof. If that heat doesn’t reach the roof, it can’t melt snow on top of your roof. That snow melt could cause a lot of moisture damage to your roof and even lead to mold breeding in your attic.

Repaint Your Walls

Lastly, another repair that could save you a lot of money is giving your home’s walls a new coat of paint. Doing so can actually increase your home’s selling price if you ever wish to put it on the market. Old paint can chip, fade and become ugly. Repainting also allows you rethink your rooms’ interior design so you can choose more pleasing and trendy color combinations.

Overall, a home is a big investment. Put some work into maintaining it and repairing problems as they develop. If you do so, you’ll save money by avoiding expensive problems in the future. You’ll also be able to protect your home’s value over time.

Is Your Home Ready for Fall? 4 Things You Must Do Before the Season Changes

Is Your Home Ready for Fall 4 Things You Must Do Before the Season Changes

Fall is a time when the leaves change color, football is back on television and the temperatures start to cool off. This is a good time to inspect your home and make sure that it is ready for the cooler and wetter weather typical of fall and beyond. Let’s look at some items that you should check before summer ends.

Check for Nests of Any Kind

While there may not be any wasps or bees flying around this late in the year, it is a good idea to check for nests. If you see any, it is a good idea to knock them down as it increases the odds that they don’t come back next year. You should also spray for bees, ants and any other pest that may try to make a home in your home.

Organize and Clean the Garage and Shed

As the weather gets colder and wetter, dirt can easily turn into mud that gets tracked into your house. If you have old grass clippings or other debris in the garage or shed, it can turn into sludge or otherwise decompose, which can lead to a nasty smell. It may also attract insects looking for an easy meal. If you own a lawn mower, make sure to clean it and store the gas securely before putting it away for the fall and winter.

Have Your Roof Inspected

Even a slight amount of water damage can wreak havoc on your home. In many cases, water leaks from the roof and flows throughout the entire home. Inspecting your roof and having it worked on by a professional, such as one from Berwald Roofing Inc, can prevent water damage from becoming a major issue. It can also prevent damage caused by insects and exposed roof decking.

Get the Furnace Inspected Too

The summer months are the perfect time to have your furnace inspected because demand will be low. This means that you can get someone to look at it in a timely manner and for a lower price. Many contractors offer service packages that provide seasonal inspections for a flat fee, and repairs may also be covered with a service package.

The fall season is considered to be a transitional one. While it won’t be cold and snowy for another couple of months, you know that winter is coming sooner rather than later. Therefore, now is the best time to get your home ready for the changing weather conditions. If you aren’t up to doing this work yourself, don’t hesitate to call a professional as soon as possible.

Water Worries: How to Quickly Fix Leaky Pipes in Your Bathroom or Kitchen

Water Worries: How to Quickly Fix Leaky Pipes in Your Bathroom or Kitchen

If you notice that a faucet is leaking in the kitchen or bathroom, it is imperative that you take care of it as soon as possible. If allowed to linger, it could cause water damage throughout the house in addition to the water making that annoying sound as it falls from the pipe to the floor. What can you do to fix this issues in an affordable and timely manner?

Tighten Them First

It is possible that your pipes just need to be tightened with a wrench. In a matter of seconds, you could have the issue resolved permanently with the tools that you have in your home. If you aren’t sure how to tighten a pipe, you can watch a tutorial or have a friend or family member help you. Remember, you want to go to the right to tighten and to the left to loosen a pipe or any other object.

The Pipe May Need To Be Replaced

There may be a crack or fracture in the pipe that may be allowing water to leak out of it. Some companies, such as Clearwater Plumbing, realize that if that is the case, you need to replace the section where the leak is. Even if the problem is a minor one at the moment, it is important that you take care of it before winter as the cold temperatures could cause small cracks to become complete breaks in the pipe.

You May Be Able to Tape the Leak

The use of sealing tape may help stop a leak for a few hours or days. Ideally, you will then call a plumber to take care of the issue as the tape is no substitute for repairing or replacing a leaking pipe.

Check the Temperature in the Room

In some cases, your pipes may not be leaking at all. They could just be collecting condensation because the room is too hot or humid. To fix the issue, you may just need to find ways to improve air circulation as that will help to get rid of excess moisture in an easy and efficient way.

If the pipes in your bathroom or kitchen are leaking, there is probably a simple fix to resolve the issue. However, don’t hesitate to call a plumber if you aren’t sure what the problem is or if you have tried other remedies that haven’t worked. Regardless of how minor the problem may appear, it could lead to major issues in the future if not addressed quickly.

Plumbing Blunders: What to Do When Your Home Has a Water Leak

Plumbing Blunders What to Do When Your Home Has a Water Leak

Almost every person has dealt with a water leak in their home at some point. A high number of homes and apartments that have suffered from water damage in the past are mostly due to leakage in their plumbing systems. Whenever you discover that you have a water leak at home, you must call a plumber. However, there are a number of things that you can do before the plumbers arrive to prevent any further damage. Here are some important tips on what to do when your home has a water leak.

Shutting Off the Water

As a homeowner it might be best to call a professional such as those from The Clean Plumbers to help with your water pipes. Immediately you discover that a water leak at home, you must act quickly. You should shut off the water going into the appliance or room where you have detected the leak. If there are any electrical appliances connected near the water leak, switch them off and unplug them immediately. You may consider shutting off your circuit breaker depending on the magnitude of the water leak. If the water leak does not subside, you should turn off your chief water valve located in the garage, yard or basement.

Eliminating Water Pressure in Your Pipes

In order to reduce the amount of water leaking in your home, turn on both the hot and cold levers of the lowest spout inside your home either on the first floor or basement. The same should be done on the faucets found in the uppermost floor. This allows air to enter into the pipes and allows them to drain their water via the lever (mostly yellow in color) opened on the house-side water meter. The water will drip for about 10-15 minutes and then slow down if it was leaking from your finished ceiling. If the dripping persists, shut off the water meter using the street-side lever.

Wrapping the Leaking Pipe

As the water pressure in the pipes will have been eliminated, you can use a tape product to wrap around the leaking pipe to act as a temporary fix as you wait for professional services. If the tape is wrapped correctly, it can stop the leakage for a while before the plumbing repairs are done. A rag can be used to wrap the pipes to stop water from being sprayed all over and instead direct it to a bucket or drain.

No homeowner wishes to contend with a water leak in their home. However, in the event that it happens, all the above steps will be useful in controlling a water leak before professional plumbers arrive. They are preventive measures against water damage in your home.

 

Problems Caused To Homeowners By Storm Water Drain

Your backyard is flooded and the reason for this is that the stormwater drain is blocked and not letting the water through.
Storm Water Drain

How messy does that sound? Especially, when it’s the rainy season and the stormwater drain is still blocked, you can imagine the situation you will be in. So, before the monsoons come by, and the nightmare comes true, it’s time to take action and get the drains fixed. You can try fixing it DIY style. However, if all self-methods fail then, you must call in the help of a professional plumber to help you get things done smoothly and fast.

Here, are some tips for you to try to unblock your stormwater drain. Try them and get rid of the hassle as soon as you can.

Tips to unblock the stormwater drain

Storm Water-Drain

  • Storm water drains are pipes that connect pipes from the roof to sumps in the garden, which then discharge water into the water table or curb in the street. They most commonly block due to tree roots, dirt, and silt lying in the pipes. It’s pretty hard to clear the pipes by your own. So, there is a need to call in a professional to do the work.
  • Get a full inspection of the stormwater drain to understand the real cause of the blockage. The gravity of the blockage will determine the repair it requires. Stormwater drains usually, block due to fallen leaves, debris, or grime build-up or because of a collapsed pipe. If the stormwater pipe is cracked, you can restructure it by application of plaster.
  • When you call in the plumbers, ensure that you instruct them to bring along a high water pressure drainage machine, as they are the best drain cleaners and absolutely perfect for this kind of situation. High water pressure drainage machines utilize high-pressure water to remove any dirt, leaves, and silt caused in the storm water pipes. Any other conventional methods aren’t as suitable.
  • You can also use hand rods to remove any obstacle that is causing the stormwater drain from being blocked. Hand rods can help to drive any dirt particles hooked to the lining of the pipe. A high-stress water jitter is especially used for pressurized cleaning of any debris that would not budge otherwise.
  • Another way to clean the pipe is by using the electric auger, which chews through any kind of dirt present inside a pipe blocking its way. The strong blades of the electric auger propel into the blocked pipe taking away any obstruction present.
  • Get your stormwater drain regularly check and maintain it. A little precaution does not hurt anyone. Keeping a regular eye out for problems can keep you worry-free of the problems coming to you unannounced. Keep in touch with your local plumber and call in every six months to check the functions of your drain. A little bit of cleaning and repairing every now and then will save you a lot of money in the long run.

Conclusion

Clear any type of blockage in your stormwater pipe at the earliest possible way to prevent damage to your property. Unlike clearing a block in your regular drain, unblocking stormwater pipes is not easy. You must understand this gravity of the situation before you move forward to make any effort to clear the block yourself. Your drain cleaners are not going to work here and you will need proper tools and some amount of technical know-how for clearing the block or blocks in the stormwater pipes. If you are unsure, please call a plumber and save yourself from further damages.

 

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