Home Services

Swamp coolers are great options to consider if your household is struggling against the oppressive heat. They can be a terrific addition to your home under the right circumstances. But in the middle of summer, one of the worst things is when your swamp cooler motor keeps shutting off.

Whether it be your stove, furnace, or boiler, old appliances simply cannot work at full capacity. Old HVAC systems must work much harder than they used to, but the results aren’t as good. For example, the typical furnace lasts 15 to 20 years.

A good functioning furnace is essential, especially in the colder months when you want to warm up your home to keep cozy. However, it can be frustrating if your furnace won’t cooperate. It’s pretty standard for furnace blower motors to have issues, but what if the blower motor hums but won’t start?

When people think about water heater upgrades, they tend to want all the bells and whistles. A well-running water heater means lower bills, better safety standards as well as piping hot water. What could be better than a well-ventilated water heater, right? If you are a home improvement fan, you probably are wondering what you can do. Is it possible to put a power vent on any water heater you could have?

Politics has become a hot-button item in the United States. Our country has never been so divided over political beliefs, and it’s gotten to the point that many people prefer to advertise which side their own. As homeowners, that’s generally okay. When you rent, things get different. Landlords don’t always like signs on their property. Can they remove them, though?

It is often overwhelming to return an apartment to its original state upon moving out. Making sure everything is back in order and clean is daunting. It may be particularly frustrating then, when you have finished cleaning the house and notice the lawn is dead. This begs the question, “Can a landlord charge me for dead grass?”

Spiders are one of the most common fears on the planet. Day to day, spiders generally do not pose life or death danger, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be risky. Understanding how to identify different types of spiders, like wolf spiders vs. brown recluse, can ease stress and spider-related fear.

Many homeowners hide keys to their houses somewhere in their yard. Whether kept under a garden gnome or a potted plant, the key isn’t as well-hidden as you think. This is such a common practice that many burglars know to check such spots for keys.

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?

Termites are a nightmare for any homeowner as they can quickly destroy a house. These invasive bugs multiply quickly and mature queens can lay up to 1,000 eggs per day. Even the wind can transport termites to your house. So, should I be worried about my neighbor’s termites?

Waking up in the middle of the night due to strange noises can be a frightening experience. In all likelihood though, ghosts are not the producers of those odd noises. Instead, what you may be dealing with are raccoons that have taken up residence in your attic.

Whether you’re buying a new house or reeling from a recent break-in, many situations call for changing the locks on your doors. The best times to change the locks include:

Living together is great until problems arise. You and your boyfriend are not getting along, and now he wants you to leave his house. You have nowhere else to go and can’t afford your own place. Can your boyfriend evict you from his house?

Buying a new home is a huge investment, and for most people, it’s the largest purchase they’ll ever make. When you put an offer on a new house, it’s wise advice to get a home inspection to protect yourself from unexpected problems and costs. But when you’re buying a new construction property, is it necessary to get a home inspection?

Water is one of those vital necessities that we all take for granted…until our access to it is cut off. With austerity measures in place throughout many parts of the country, it’s clear that water usage is starting to become a hot button issue. Landlords often pay for water, so are they allowed to tell you that you need to use less?

Your plumbing contractor tells you it is time to replace your old boiler. Now you face several decisions. The first decision that faces you is replacing your old boiler with a new high-efficiency condensing boiler or sticking with a more traditional non-condensing boiler. There are advantages and disadvantages to both.

Getting new furniture is fun and exciting, as is moving (depending on the circumstances). But, what if you have a sofa that’s 40-inches wide? The standard clearance for a door is 36 inches wide, so would the sofa even fit through that small of an opening? If you don’t have an alternative way to get the couch in or out, like through a sliding glass door, will this be a problem?

Air ducts carry warm and cool air throughout your home when you run your furnace and air conditioner. Over time, air ducts get caked with dust, debris, dirt, and pet hair. This can significantly reduce the airflow throughout your home and strain your furnace. 

Brown recluse spiders naturally love to hide in cramped, dark spaces, such as shoes. Slipping your foot into a shoe with a brown recluse spider hidden in it can result in harmful bites. That’s because brown recluse spiders react to physical pressure and often respond by biting. 

Your air conditioner is a real savior in the hottest months. One AC unit can turn a completely unbearable sunrise into a pleasant morning in bed under the covers. There is so much to be thankful for when it comes to having the modern convenience of temperature and humidity control. But sometimes air conditioners are very loud. In fact, an AC unit can get so loud, it is hard to concentrate on anything else. But how do you quiet a noisy air conditioner?

Regardless of how it gets into our home, we source the water that we use to drink and bathe through groundwater. The thing is that the water picks up soluble bits of the ground as it passes through and into our pipes.

When it is working properly, your furnace is capable of making your home comfortable in even the coldest of temperatures. The process requires several components coming together at once to produce warm air that blows throughout your home.

Reversing valves are some of the more important small parts of an HVAC system, especially if you run a heat pump during the winter. During the winter, reversing valves have a tendency of getting locked into place. This makes it very difficult for the valve to adequately do its job. If your valve gets stuck, don’t get frustrated. Get good at loosening it up instead.

The rental market is beyond difficult right now. There are very few properties available, and rental prices are skyrocketing. As a renter, you need to act quickly when you find a rental that you can afford. One thing that throws a wrench in the process is a previous landlord who doesn’t respond to a reference request.

Hissing sounds coming from your boiler may sound bizarre, but there is nothing to worry about. Some people refer to it as a “whirring” sound, but a hissing sound doesn’t indicate a problem. Hissing or whirring sounds typically appear when a boiler first turns on.

When you have a negative experience with a landlord you may be highly motivated and excited to find a new place. Perhaps you have even found a great new spot to live, but the new landlord is asking for a reference. Even if you were a good tenant, you may ask yourself, “Can a landlord give a bad reference?”

If you have ants coming out of your bathroom sink, you’re obviously going to want to get rid of them right away. Even the highest-quality sinks can leak, which not only will waste water and cost you money over time but will also bring about a whole bunch of other issues. This includes unwanted visits from pests like ants, which is what we’re talking about here.

A burglar alarm is essential to basic home security. Statistics show that 60% of burglars avoid homes with a burglar alarm, indicating they are effective. Today, burglar alarms are quite affordable, especially if you buy a basic system without smart features. 

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.

Condensate pumps remove water from your HVAC system, unless they aren’t working properly. This key component temporarily holds water and then pumps it out when it reaches a certain level. Excess moisture can accumulate within air ducts when the condensate pump fails.

The stigma, to us, seems as old as the creature. An “evil” bat is considered an ominous sight. A colony or “cauldron” flying over an old, haunted mansion at night is what we see when someone mentions bats.

The only time having a mouse in your house is okay is in a Dr. Seuss book (unless you keep one as a pet). Otherwise, it’s safe to say you don’t want mice in your home. But what if you start to see some of the little critters hanging around your abode? Certain smells repel mice; for example, mice hate lavender.

Your furnace is a complicated piece of equipment. There are a variety of components within that run in tandem with one another to ensure that your home can remain comfortable and warm even when temperatures are below zero.

As a homeowner, you’re already used to dealing with repairs and maintenance projects throughout your home. That said, it should come as no surprise that issues can arise with your furnace, too. A furnace can be a life saver during the cold winter months, which is why it’s important to ensure it is working properly. That means you can count on it to blow hot air through your home when you need it and to shut off when you don’t. So, what should you do if the furnace won’t turn off at all?

If you live in a house with an HVAC system, you can enjoy all sorts of benefits. From its centralized heating and air conditioning system to its clean filtered air, the bonuses are plentiful. But HVAC systems are quite pricey to repair, and even most costly to replace. So, you want to make sure your HVAC system lasts as long as possible, and stays in top condition. The best way to ensure this is to stick to an HVAC preventative maintenance schedule.

Call a pest control service right away when you find a hornet’s nest. They have the knowledge, skills, and gear to safely remove a hornet’s nest. Experienced pest control professionals can approach and remove hornet nests without making the problem worse. 

In this crazy modern day, it seems like almost every single necessity is skyrocketing in price. This includes water. With water beginning to get scarce in certain parts of the country, it makes sense to take a look at ways to trim your water bill. One of the most common rumors mentioned among home improvement circles is that a bad water heater can cause a spike in your water bill.  Are you wondering if the rumor is true? We got some news for you…

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.

You had a small plumbing repair to make, such as a broken supply valve under a sink.  You followed all the guides and turned off the main water supply valve.  With the repair complete, you opened the main valve.  Now there is no water pressure at the sink where the site of the repair.

A common problem many homeowners deal with during the onset of winter is the prevalence of dry air. Similar to excessively humid air, dry air can cause significant discomfort and trigger certain health conditions. To combat the onset of dry air, homeowners have enlisted the help of whole house humidifiers.

For the uninitiated, knowing the difference between propane and natural gas may be confusing. There are different units that can use different types of gas and mixing the two needs to be understood before implementation.

Bed bugs can be a pain. Once you have them, it can be very hard to get rid of them. Luckily there are pest management professionals who can help you clear the bed bugs out of your home. After the exterminators have treated the affected area, is it safe to sleep in your bed?

Whether you’re buying or selling a home in Chicago (or the suburbs), you never want to move forward without getting a home inspection. These inspections let you know exactly what you’re getting into before you finalize the purchase – allowing you to ask the seller to make repairs and/or back of the deal, if necessary.

As someone who has over 100 posters in their apartment, I understand the need to nail up a new painting to a wall. However, landlords don’t like seeing their walls look like Swiss cheese. That’s why most landlords have a policy of charging for nail holes or fining tenants for excessive holes. Ever wonder what those fees can be?

Plastic pipes are more prone to cracking up; thus, copper-based tubes are the go-to pipes for plumbing applications owing to their ability to withstand corrosion.

In finding the best water heater company, both Rheem and AO Smith are easy contenders for the top. Both of them have a couple of hundred years of experience under their belts. They have also produced an impressive line of products. But when comparing the two, which of these water heater companies is the best?

Imagine a situation where you just installed a water heater, but you found a mobile home that is much more in your price range. You don’t want to lose the value you put into this water heater, but you also can’t use it in your mobile home. When it comes to a mobile home water heater vs. regular heater, the two have significant differences.

If your toilet is leaking, it can quickly create a disaster in a bathroom. Not only can a leaky toilet create a problematic situation in your bathroom, leading to mold and mildew, but it can be costly to waste water, which can cause sky-high utility bills. Luckily, most toilet leaks are easy to identify and simple to repair, requiring just a few standard tools that most DIY homeowners have.

Whether you’re moving into your first home or you own an apartment complex, you’ll need a working water heater. Until it comes time to install one, you may not even realize how often you use it.

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.

Is there a drastic difference between the temperatures in the upstairs and downstairs of your house? If this is something new, you must be confused about why it is happening. After all, we all want to be able to expect what the temperature of a room will be before stepping into it. There’s nothing more frustrating than thinking you’ll have a peaceful sleep in an air-conditioned room only to find it’s more like a sauna instead.

A blower motor that works in A/C mode and not heat mode is a perplexing problem. Diagnosing these kinds of problems can be a challenge for a homeowner. Before you call an expensive repair technician, there are some things you should check yourself.

Connecting to the main sewage line from your house is a convenient and modern way to handle wastewater. Not only is it convenient, but it requires very little maintenance to keep a secure connection from your house to the city’s wastewater treatment plant. To secure a strong connection, a common plumbing component called a sewer tap is used.

Nobody wants to navigate a sea of spider webs when they go through their garage. However, that’s the reality for many people with unmanageable spider problems. So, why are there so many spiders in my garage?

Wasps are often misunderstood and feared creatures. While they are effective pollinators and beneficial to your garden, most people want them as far away as possible. When you see dozens of these flying and stinging bugs swarming around you on your property, you’ll want to do something about it, and fast. 

No one wants to deal with leaky pipes; it wastes water, makes a mess, and just looks bad. But, when you have connections that use fittings and threaded pipes, you can inevitably end up with leaks. Primarily, leaks occur because no one used the proper sealant (or no sealant) during installation or the sealant’s worn out.

One easy way to reduce the likelihood of spider and other insect infestations is to reduce the amount of clutter in your home. For one, clutter can attract small insects that spiders eat. 

Air conditioners will no doubt play an important role in your home. When you live in hotter climates especially, going without air conditioning means a very sweaty experience. But choosing the right unit is key as well.

It’s hard to feel comfortable at home when you constantly hear flies buzzing around. This problem won’t fix itself, and it can even get worse if you don’t discover the cause and find a solution. You’re not alone if you’re confused about why your house is infested with flies.

A sewer cleanout isn’t something that everyone is familiar with. In fact, many homeowners are unfamiliar with what a sewer cleanout is, what it does, where it’s located on your property, and how much it costs to install one. Oftentimes, a sewer cleanout only becomes a relevant topic when something goes wrong.