Home Services

The liquid line on your air conditioner is a big part of its proper operation. It is common for the line to become hot, and it is often due to it being dirty or underpowered. Follow along as we explore how you can cool down the liquid line on your AC.

A mouse may be small, but it’s the last thing you want to see in your house. Mice are cunning and find ways to enter your home by any means necessary to look for food. So, can mice get in through a dryer vent?

If you are like most people, you occasionally will want to turn your thermostat up or down a notch. When you do, you probably are going to expect your furnace to react to the switch fairly quickly. Sometimes, though, you might notice that your furnace isn’t as quick to react as it once was. Did you ever wonder what’s going on with that issue?

Termites are bad news for any homeowner, and they can cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage and repairs to your home. Hiring an exterminator to get rid of termites can be quite expensive, but it can provide homeowners with peace of mind. So, do termites come back?

One of the best ways to maximize the space in your unit is something you do before you move in a single box. Moving is often a hasty process, and it’s something you want to get done quickly. Still, a little bit of planning goes a long way.

Dealing with fleas is a nightmare, especially if you aren’t sure where they came from. You can find fleas in your apartment even if you don’t have pets, which can be quite confusing. So, can fleas travel between apartments?

When you face replacing the major components of your HVAC system, new technologies can offer some interesting options. Heat pumps have been around for years. With the introduction of the residential geothermal system, a lot of confusion has resulted. Many homeowners wonder about the differences between a geothermal and an air-to-air heat pump.

Taking a vacation is always an exciting endeavor, but it also can take a lot of planning. This is particularly true if you are a homeowner and are planning to leave your home vacant for an extended period of time.

Your home’s air ducts are an essential part of your comfort, especially during the peak of summer or the dead of winter. Understandably, it can be concerning to hear your air ducts sound much louder than usual. So, why are my air ducts so loud?

Nobody wants roaches in their home. But getting rid of them can be a challenge. So, who’s responsible for a roach infestation? And can you sue your landlord if they don’t fix the problem? Here’s what you need to know.

Depending on where you live, air conditioning may be a necessity rather than a luxury. Oppressive temperatures year-round could be impossible to bear with no air conditioner helping you out.

When I was about 20, I lived in a gutted warehouse in Newark for a while. I had no furniture and slept on an airbed. The place was so grimy, we still had bed bugs, rats, centipedes, mice, and roaches. When I told my landlord, he gave us bed bug powder. Did it work? Well…Let me tell you my experience and advice.

While termites can feast on living trees, they prefer dead ones. Dead trees attract termites who can devour them until they’re ready to move on to something else. In some cases, they move on to other trees whereas others move on to nearby structures. 

Depending on the water heater you have, it may use an igniter to ignite the gas. When you hold down the pilot switch on a gas heater and click the igniter button repeatedly, a small spark should ignite the pilot. However, if the pilot flame will not light after you click the igniter, you need to verify that a spark is happening inside the pilot.

You don’t have to spend a fortune to keep groundhogs out of your garden, especially if you have castor oil at home. Castor oil is one of the best natural repellents to stop groundhogs from eating your plants. Simply mix 1 part castor oil with 3 parts water in a spray bottle and stir it gently.

The Internet has become an essential tool in modern society. Wifi is available in even the most remote locations. Our phones are usually able to access the internet when wifi cannot. Landlords are now including the internet in rental agreements more than ever. It may confuse you then, if you find your landlord decides to turn off your internet one day.

Nobody wants to sit in a house full of hot, humid, and stuffy air, but many people have to. That said, you don’t need to put up with a stuffy house if you get to the root of the problem. So, why is my house so stuffy?

The sound of a mosquito buzzing near your ear is the last thing you want to hear before you fall asleep. This is because when you have mosquitoes in the home, you can wake up covered in bites. The itching alone is enough to drive a level-headed person crazy. If you struggle with these blood sucking insects where you live, you’ll want to do all you can to keep them out of your home.

Make reading this list of moving money-savers your first step on your relocation to-do list.

With the winter months coming fast, ensuring that your furnace motor stays in good condition is paramount. Because of this, it is good to be aware of what causes a furnace blower motor to go bad. Having this knowledge will prepare you for quick action should a repair be required.

Moving in with your significant other is a big step. This step is even more monumental when you are married to this person. When you and your spouse move in together there is much to consider. Before you start unpacking and popping open the champagne, however, consider you may need to speak to your landlord first.

Selling or buying a new home can be exciting! It’s the start of a new chapter in your family’s life. However, it can be stressful, especially when it’s unclear which party is responsible for what. For example, when it comes to paying for a roof replacement, who is responsible to pay for it?

A dirty AC condenser cannot properly transfer heat as it’s supposed to. Once this happens, the condenser will stay hot, and cold air won’t circulate throughout your home. Not only does this render the system ineffective, but it can also cause long-term damage.

It’s hard to go through life without smelling a dusty furnace. This common smell is nearly unavoidable because of how much dust comes into contact with a furnace. Air filters and ducts get filled with dust and debris, and that’s unavoidable.

Your bedroom is your personal sanctuary, and the place that you let your guard down after a long day to get a quality night’s rest. However, if you have mice infesting your home, it can be hard to unwind when you’re wondering: “Will mice come near me while I sleep?” Anyone who’s ever had a mice problem knows the uncomfortable feeling of laying in bed and hearing those tell-tale scratching sounds in your walls or the ceiling above your head.

Painting your apartment can instantly freshen the space. But you have to be careful not to break your rental lease. In some cases, a landlord will let you paint. In other cases, they won’t. So, can you paint apartment walls or not?

Is there anything worse than discovering cockroaches in the property you’ve just moved into? If this is the situation you’re currently experiencing, you may be wondering what your best course of action is. You’re probably also curious about whether your landlord was obligated to tell you about the roaches before you signed the lease.

Anytime we move into a new rental property, development, or complex, there are certain things we must figure out. These are the everyday and routine aspects of life. That includes taking out the trash and knowing what day and how trash pickup works. It is the daily routine of checking mail and learning when mail runs and how the mailbox system works. That can include questions such as does the landlord have to provide a mailbox key, or is that the tenant’s responsibility?

Air ducts produce popping sounds because of several problems, such as poor insulation. That said, popping sounds don’t always necessarily mean that something is wrong with your air ducts. For example, popping and banging sounds are more common in rectangular ducts than in circular ducts.

Like it or not, your heat pump is going to run into common issues from time to time. They can be easy to fix depending on the issue or they can be a precursor to larger issues. Being able to identify those issues is of the utmost importance.

If the flame sensor on your furnace is broken or faulty, you may be looking for a temporary solution. Those who live in especially cold areas of the country rely on their furnace to keep them warm during winter months. Since your flame sensor is a safety device, when it’s not working properly, your furnace will not operate.

If you live in a warm climate, you’ve likely had at least one unfortunate interaction with fire ants. These tiny red ants are aggressive and fast, which means they can quickly climb onto your body, and bite it relentlessly. These bugs not only cause painful bites, but they can also create all sorts of issues on your property. If you have fire ants in your yard, you’ll want to find out ways to get rid of them for good.

When it comes to national protections, few things are as sacred as mail. It’s considered to be a federal offense to deface a mailbox. In fact, even opening another person’s mail can be a reason to get arrested. Mail is super private. That’s why many people tend to be worried about a landlord’s right to peek in your mailbox.

When you live in a cold-weather climate, your furnace becomes one of the most important tools at your disposal during those cold months. Your insulation can only keep so much of that cold out before your furnace needs to intervene and warm things up.

Mice are a common household pet but can also be wild in your house as well as outside. The house mouse is the most commonly encountered and economically significant of all the rodents. It has, for some years now, also become a very popular household pet.

Hidden cameras are ultimately among the biggest privacy violations that you can experience. Spy cameras have become so small that you can find them in everything from smoke detectors to light bulbs. That said, the average person still struggles with how to tell if a light bulb is secretly a camera.

The piping in your home or business will, for the most part, do its job quietly and efficiently. That is so long as it has been properly installed first. There are many aspects to the installation process, part of which is choosing between a pipe coupling or pipe union.

The rights between landlords and tenants with regards to rental properties has been constantly evolving over time. The changing attitudes towards tenant and landlord responsibility make determining who pays for what particularly challenging.

Water heaters are essential in modern homes, but they are as prone to problems as any other modern commodity. Nothing is worse than when your hot water tank won’t fill up when you need it most. So, why is your hot water tank not filling up?

When you're used to your house smelling a certain way, unexpected odors can throw you off guard. It’s easy to tell yourself it’s probably nothing, but you may be wrong. That’s why it's important to know the most common weird house smells you need to worry about.

When you hear “money pit,” do you instantly think of the comedy classic starring Tom Hanks and Shelley Long? (If not, it’s worth a peek for a lot of laughs -- or maybe a cautionary tale if you’re house hunting.)

Plumbers grease is used in lubricating and protecting plumbing fixtures. Also referred to as faucet grease, since this is its most common application, it helps to lubricate O-rings and swivel points.

You should flush your water heater at least once per year. However, many people flush their water heaters every 6 months. That’s especially a good idea if your home has hard water. Your water heater will quickly become full of sediment if your water supply has a high mineral content. 

Imagine drifting off to sleep at night and hearing scurrying and scratching sounds. It’s undoubtedly unsettling, to say the least, when you know you have critters living within your walls. Understandably, you want to know how to get rid of rats in the walls and ceilings once and for all.

There is nothing more annoying than a leaky fill valve in a toilet. Leaking fill valves are also water waters that can run up your water bill significantly if ignored. When the time comes to replace a leaky fill valve in your toilet, which fill valve should you chose, the Korky or the Fluidmaster?

You know that buying a home is likely the biggest purchase you’ll make in your lifetime. But the cost extends far beyond the purchase price of your new house. Before you jump into home ownership, understand the hidden costs to make sure you’re not biting off more than you can chew.

If you are in the middle of a breakup, one of the first things that you might want to do is move out of the apartment you shared with your ex. Or, you might just want a second home. It’s cool. The hard part is finding a new place to live while your name is on the lease. Let’s talk about what it takes to get a second apartment and the decision to break your lease.

Pianos are a staple of many homeowner’s decorative tastes. Not only are they gorgeous and add class to the room they are in, but first and foremost, pianos are powerful instruments. Just like a car needs an oil change to keep running smooth, a piano needs regular tuning to stay sounding its best.

Furnaces are designed not only to warm your house and make it comfortable, but also to be as safe as possible. One of the safety functions every furnace has is a flame rollout switch, which will trip and stop the furnace when something is wrong. You must reset the flame rollout switch to make the furnace work again, but some homeowners wonder if they can bypass it.

Standing water can be a scary sight if you find it near your septic tank, especially it hasn’t rained recently. Septic tanks are necessary for many homeowners, but they can pose a health risk if something goes wrong and it overflows. So, why is there water around your septic tank?

Since mice have the ability to squeeze through spaces as small as a nickel, it’s important to carefully inspect the interior and exterior of your home for holes. Even one small hole in the wall can result in a major infestation over time. To prevent mice from infiltrating your home, repair large cracks or holes and fill small ones with a combination of steel wool and caulking compound. This makes for an effective plug to seal small openings; however, “what grade steel wool is recommended?”

Nothing can make a home feel comfortable quite like a reliable HVAC system. Sometimes, that means that you need to upgrade to a new thermostat or add one. Can you have two thermostats and one AC unit?

According to a report by the National Fire Protection Association, 92% of home structure fires involve clothes dryers. For people trying to install a dryer vent in a tight space, this statistic can be incredibly concerning. This guide will help you avoid many potential fire hazards.

Having a second level in your home is a bonus for most people who want more room and privacy. But what about heating and cooling your upstairs? Heating seems to be no problem since heat rises. The problem is, during the summer, how do you increase airflow to the second floor?

You rely on your air conditioner to keep your home cool and comfortable when it’s hot and steamy outside. But what happens when your house is humid with the AC on, leading to excess moisture in the air? Isn’t your AC supposed to take care of that?

Every component of your HVAC system affects its performance and your comfort at home. That even applies to small parts such as furnace filters that many homeowners overlook. So, does furnace filter thickness matter?

Whether you’re a renter, homeowner, or business owner, pests are a nuisance that you must eliminate. Pests can include anything from bed bugs to snakes to rodents and everything in between. The two most common ways of getting rid of pests are either by doing it yourself or by hiring a professional. If you opt for the professional method, you’ll likely hire a pest control company or an exterminator.

Are you considering upgrading your air conditioner? A variable-speed air handler can make a huge difference in the comfort of your home. But before you choose a model with a variable-speed air handler, let’s go over all of its pros and cons.

With all of the components within a furnace, it only makes sense that some of them will wear down and simply stop working eventually. Being able to recognize the signs of failure and implement a fix can save thousands in the long run and even keep your furnace working for far longer.