Spring has sprung. Is your A/C fit for service?

Brought to you by MyHealthyHouse.com

In 1758, Benjamin Franklin and John Hadley, professor of chemistry at Cambridge University figured out that evaporation of alcohol produces a cooling effect.  From there, the development of refrigeration evolved into a modern system that keeps our homes comfortable.   Spring is the time to ask the question "Is my A/C ready for another hot summer?"

A/C compressor/condensor

Now is the time to think about your A/C system before its too late.  If you disregard care of this system now, your chances of it failing are greater over the summer months.  Reach out to your HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) contractor in March or April at the latest.  Have them service your system now, before they get too busy dealing with neglected systems that fail this summer.  The fee for a typical service is around $75 per unit, plus the cost of refrigerant or additional repairs.  A typical service consists of cleaning the system, measuring for refrigerant levels and an overall system check.  A spring servicing can ensure against a breakdown when temperatures heat up and your reliance on a comfortable home becomes a top priority.  Consider a service agreement with your contractor.  An agreement like this can help ensure annual services and even give you priority treatment when something goes wrong.

The new 410A is better
for our environment

There are two important differences in the A/C refrigerants used in household systems.  You need to understand which type system you have because if you have the old stuff, you might have a bigger decision to make.  The older refrigerant is called Freon or R-22.  The newer 410A sold under the brands Puron, EcoFluor R410, Genetron R410A, and AZ-20, is a higher pressure refrigerant and not as damaging important ozone.  The phase out of R-22 began in January of 2010, so if you have an older R-22 system, you'll need to be considering replacement of the system pretty soon.  Otherwise, the cost of repairs or maintenance could be cost prohibitive.

If your HVAC system is more than 15 years old, replacing it will reduce your monthly energy bills simply because the newer system are required to meet higher efficiency standards.  Modern minimum SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) rating for today's A/C systems is 14 SEER.   Simply put, the higher the number, the more efficient.  For example by upgrading from SEER 9 to SEER 13, the power consumption is reduced by 30%  In most cases, replacing your old system will pay for itself in 8 years or less.

You A/C guy can be your best friend

When you find an A/C contractor you like, make them your favorite on your MyHealthyHouse.com profile under the "Service Providers" section.  When you do this, you can link that contractor to all the repairs and maintenance they do for your house.

Regardless of they type of house you have, there are some necessary tasks you will have to do stay on top of things.  Learn more and keep up with your house with a free My Healthy House.com profile.  Stay tuned and make your house the best it can be.  

If you have any comments or suggestions on how this blog can be improved including suggested articles or constructive criticism, please send us feedback.

© Healthy House, Inc. 2012

Ohght Oh! I gotta fix that before Mom gets back!

What do you do when you need to fix something quick?

True and personal story.  My wife was off on a ski trip this week and I was batching it with the kids (7 & 9).  I was making microwave popcorn last night and broke off the plastic handle opening the door.  She had been complaining about the crack on the bottom of the handle for some time but I put off the repair.  I did however do my due diligence when she began inquiring about what had to be done to fix the problem.  I found the replacement part online for about $125 but it was discontinued by the manufacturer and apparently no longer available anywhere.  The way the handle broke, I need to replace the whole door.  By the way, plastic is a bad idea when you have all that heat under the microwave oven.  Over time, it causes stress cracks.


Conundrum.  The old microwave oven was a cheap, white plastic one provided by the builder back in 1994 when our house was built.  I never liked the builder grade choices when we bought the house.  Over time, we've been replacing fixtures, knobs and other things as the break with better quality custom choices.   My wife and I had discussed a full kitchen redo including modern stainless steel appliances but now was not the time.  We had pretty much decided to replace all our 16 year old white appliances with stainless steel in about two to three years.  So my problem in making this repair was what kind of microwave oven should I choose to replace the original one and where could I get it before she returned the next day at 3 PM.

After sleeping on the thought, I began my research the next morning at 6 AM.  Since I couldn't get the replacement part, my only choices were to replace the oven with a similar cheaper white plastic for around $200 or go for the stainless for a hundred more.  I found what I wanted online at the major hardware stores but upon arrival at 8 AM, they informed me all they had was the cheaper white one.  Due to modern "Just In Time" inventory control measures and floor space constraints, they only showed some of the display models they carried and stocked only the cheaper frequently sold items in the stores.  If I wanted the stainless, I would have to pick it up from the warehouse Monday of they could have it shipped arriving Tuesday or Wednesday.   That just would not work.  I wanted my wife's return to be more than just a homecoming.  I wanted it to be a plus.  The plus is that I had the house clean and fixed the problem I created.  I decide to find a local scratch and dent store which opened at 10 AM.  After a leisurely breakfast with the kids, we stopped by the Giant Discount Appliances on North Lamar in Austin.  After walking the in the front door of the warehouse, I found the rack of "in stock" units right away.  No more than 30 seconds after walking in, Scott approached and asked if I needed help.  I told him I needed a cheap stainless steel microwave oven in perfect condition.  Expecting that they only carried slightly damaged appliances, he informed me of a new LG unit ready for pick up.  The price tag was $269.  I bought it on-site and after he explained the purchase policy, they were loading it up in my truck.  I was out of there in 20 minutes.  

It took me about an hour to pull the old unit off the wall and install the new one.  All in all, when Momma got home, she was not only surprised but very happy.  Her only comment to me was "I love it but it doesn't match any of the other appliances."  My reply, "I guess this is the official start of our kitchen remodel."  Now If I can just put off the whole remodel until I have enough cash to pay for the whole thing, We'll be in good shape.  Till then, she is happy just knowing I can take care of business in crunch time.

Regardless of they type of house you have, there are some necessary tasks you will have to do stay on top of things.  Learn more and keep up with your house with a free My Healthy House.com profile.  Stay tuned and make your house the best it can be.
 

If you have any comments or suggestions on how this blog can be improved including suggested articles or constructive criticism, please send us feedback.
 

© Healthy House, Inc. 2009

 

Cleaning your home's gutters downspouts

What a bother you say?

Besides keeping you from getting drenched when stepping out the front door, rain gutters do lots of good for the overall health of a house. Functioning gutters can prevent erosion around the foundation, siding and exterior doors from deteriorating. Gutters can save a house from the damaging effects of water. 

However, they do require regular maintenance. Chances are, if you have gutters you probably don’t clean them out often enough. If you notice vegetation growing in your gutters, then you are waiting far too long. Here are some of the problems that occur when gutters are left clogged for extended periods of time:

• Water damming occurs which can cause damage to eaves and soffits
• Water can leak into the house and cause damage to walls and flooring
• Mosquitoes can breed in the standing water.  Remember, mosquitoes pass diseases to humans.
  
• Dry leaves in gutters can be a fire hazard, especially when fireworks are used, or in areas prone to wild fires
• Deterioration of gutters occurs, which cause leaks and eventual failure

Frequency of cleaning out gutters is different for every house. Determining factors include:

• The proximity of trees to the roof line
• The type of trees
• Slope of the roofing

For houses with trees within ten feet of the roof line, gutters will need to be cleaned out twice a year at a minimum. In some cases gutters may need to be cleaned out a couple times in fall alone. Even if there are no trees around, gutter cleaning may still be required, especially on houses with asphalt shingles. Over time these shingles loose their granules and eventually these granules make their way into the gutters, and can cause the damming effect of added weight and prevent proper drainage from the gutters.

Cleaning your gutters from a ladder or the roof can be extremely dangerous. In most cases, this task should be left to a professional. Think first about the down time and cost of a broken leg or arm before taking on any dangerous jobs around the house. Often the cost of hiring this job out to an expert is substantially less then a potential injury might cost you.

There are some products available that homeowner can use to reach lower gutters.  Most of these tools simply attach to the end of a garden hose so the water spray can push the debris out.
 

Frequency: As needed (usually late spring and fall)
Difficulty: medium difficulty with higher risk of injury (ladder or rooftop)
Tools Required: Gloves, hose, ladder
Completion Time: One to two hours

Regardless of they type of house you have, there are some necessary tasks you will have to do stay on top of things.  Learn more and keep up with your house with a free My Healthy House.com profile.  Stay tuned and make your house the best it can be.
 

If you have any comments or suggestions on how this blog can be improved including suggested articles or constructive criticism, please send us feedback.
 

© Healthy House, Inc. 2009

OK, my faucet is dripping. Now what do I do to fix it?

Water conservation always translates to money savings. 

When you see a drip at a faucet you are seeing money go down the drain. One seemingly minor dripping faucet can lead to hundreds of gallons of water loss per month. Did you know a home's sink faucet dripping 1 drip per second looses 5 gallons/day and 2,082 gallons/year. When a drip develops it’s very important to have it fixed immediately. Dripping faucets are often caused by the cracking and failed rubber seal in the fixture. In some cases this rubber seal can easily be replaced.  When you go to the hardware store, you will have to know the faucet manufacturer or bring in the old washer to match it up. If you feel confident, you can try this repair but is plumbing is not your skill, we recommend hiring a plumber to correct this problem. If you do hire a plumber, it might be best to simply replace the faucet instead of fixing it.  It's going to cost you a couple hundred dollars for the plumbers time.  If you do attempt this repair or any plumbing for that matter, always be sure to turn off the water supply.


Frequency: When necessary
Difficulty: Requires some know-how
Completion Time: 15 minutes

Regardless of they type of house you have, there are some necessary tasks you will have to do stay on top of things.  Learn more and keep up with your house with a free My Healthy House.com profile.  Stay tuned and make your house the best it can be.  

If you have any comments or suggestions on how this blog can be improved including suggested articles or constructive criticism, please send us feedback.

© Healthy House, Inc. 2009