Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Changing your Furnace Filter

Furnace filters remove dust and dirt from the air as it passes through your filter. Filters should be changed every three months to save energy and keep clean air circulating throughout your home.
Having dirty filters makes your furnace work harder and brings polluted air and toxins into your home. Long term problems include serious health risks to your family, a permanent breakdown of your furnace, or risk of a fire. Replacing your filters every three months reduces the risk of harm to your family and a future complication with your furnace unit.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Checklist for Homebuyers

Upon buying a new home approximately 44% of homebuyers do not inspect the plumbing system in the home. Within one year of purchasing the home they end up calling a plumber.
Checklist for homebuyers:
Bathroom
-Flush the toilet and check to see how fast the water goes down, and the pressure of the water.
-Press the tiles around the bathtub to check for loose or leaky tiles. If the area is soft there may be water damage.
-Stand over the toilet and rock back and forth, if the floor moves there may be rotting caused by past water damage.
-Check for spots or stains around the base of the toilet.
Water Heater
-Check for rust around the water heater tank.
-Check the date on the water heater. Water heaters over 15 years old, should be replaced. You can check the date by looking at the serial number. The first four numbers are the month and year.
Water Supply Piping
-Turn both the bath tub and faucet on at the same time. If there is a sufficient reduction in the water volume there may be calcium and mineral deposits, potentially meaning the pipes need to be replaced.
-Check over the exposed piping in the basement for stains or rusting.
-Be sure that the main line cleanout is accessible.