Helpful Hints

• Air Conditioning
• Battery Back Up Sump Pumps
• Drinking Water Filtration Systems
• Drain and Sewer Cleaning
• Faucet Repairs and Installation
• Water Testing

Helpful Hints

Air Conditioning:

Semi-annual service will pay for itself in savings in energy and repair costs. The most important thing to do on your own is to change air filters frequently. Programmable thermostats are beneficial and we can teach you how to program them. If your system won't run, check that the red emergency switch is on and check the breakers in the electrical panel. Check the blower door to be sure it is in place engaging the emergency door switch. Check the thermostat settings and batteries. If the inside blower fan and/or the outside compressor fan won't run now or both do and there is no cooling, we need to diagnose whether the problem is electrical, mechanical or the refrigerant charge.

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Battery Back Up Sump Pumps:

If you live in an area where power outages are frequent and the basement is prone to flooding, these systems can save the day. Like anything else, though, they need to be tested and maintained on a periodic basis, otherwise, they may only be giving you a false sense of security. The best systems function effectively when your primary AC pump has no power and they alert you they have cycled then proceed to recharge the DC deep cycle battery afterwards. We have installed these for years and have learned a great deal about their capabilities.

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Drinking Water Filtration Systems:

Also known as R.O. or Reverse Osmosis are the best filtration systems available. These systems are highly effective in making a major reduction in undesirable contaminants such as pesticides, lead compounds, volatile organics, and chlorine. The best advise is to change the filters periodically as the manufacturer suggests. Poor water flow can be caused by clogged filters, kinked lines or a storage tank with no air charge. Many people have trouble getting filter bowels not to leak. Usually greasing the O-rings helps to make them seal. In general, the pre and post filter should be changed every six months and the R.O. membrane should be changed every two years or when necessary.

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Drain and Sewer Cleaning:

Many self-help remedies are available for drain cleaning, but few are effective. For showers, bathtubs, and bath sinks, hair and toothpaste can only be cleared effectively with a hand snake. However, sometimes the restriction my simply be cleared from a pop-up or from the drain inlet once a strainer is removed. Laundry sinks are similar with the blockage being the synthetic fibers in lint. Kitchen sinks are easier to try to keep clear than to unclog. Letting a full sink of hot water empty down the drain every couple of weeks can help flush out particles of food. With all of these drains, plungers are most often ineffective since the water just rises in the vent pipe. We find the best way to clear a kitchen sink drain is with a cable drain machine which uses an electric motor to spin a cable coiled in a basket. The cable is pulled out and sent down the drain to spin and knock apart debris which can then be flushed away with water. Main line blockages can be difficult to remedy. First one should know if they have a septic or are hooked up to city sewers. Everyone thinks pumping a septic tank will resolve all problems, until the tank fills and backs up again. A blockage could be in the line to the tank, the inlet baffle, outlet baffle, distribution box or leach field. The main sewer line should have clean out access plugs at intervals from the house to the street. Opening these caps can help determine where the blockage is. Sometimes the municipality has problems with blockages in the street, and they are usually helpful to diagnose this. Cleaning a main sewer line usually requires a professional sewer cable machine.

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Faucet Repairs and Installation:

Due to the number of different designs it is not possible to specifically address faucet repairs and installations. Some words to the wise, avoid gray plastic supply lines known as CPVC. In one case, we saw a burst line cause over $70,000 in damages to a house. One well-kept secret is that newer faucets often have a life-time warranty on parts and manufacturers are eager to send them out for free.

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Water Testing:

Our office can test water hardness, chlorine, pH and total dissolved solids in parts per million. Hard water is water saturated with minerals which cause all kinds of problems such as soap curd forming on tiles, laundry soap not dissolving and cleaning, water heaters liming up, glasses not coming clean in dishwashers, hair and skin not getting clean. Water softeners remove these mineral ions and greatly improve the quality of the water. Chlorine in city water can be greatly reduced by a whole house carbon filter system or a point of use R.O. drinking water system. Well water is more likely to have pH problems. When water is acidic, green stains occur along with pinholes from the pipes corroding from the inside out. Neutralizers are highly effective but must be serviced annually to replace the dissolved media. Testing for total dissolved solids is a way to check an R.O. membrane. The membrane should reject 90% of the dissolved solids or more. Well water can be tested for coliforms by the local municipality usually at no cost. Fecal coliforms cause havoc with the digestive system. If present, a special filter with an ultraviolet light can be used to sterilize them. Nowadays all well water must by law undergo a thorough test for numerous volitale organic contaminants at the time a home is sold. This must be done by a private certified lab.