Home Services

I’ll be honest. When I first heard the word “auxiliary” to describe heat, all I could think of is the women’s auxiliary club in town. It’s a term that I only recently heard in conversation. Most of us, after all, tend to focus on central heating or space heating. If you’re like me, you probably were wondering what on earth auxiliary heat is.

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.

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.

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.

Wasps are lean, mean, and ready to sting you and ruin your time in the garden. They wreak havoc on countless homeowners during the spring and summer. The average homeowner would do anything to keep wasps away. Understandably, many people struggle with how to get rid of wasps.

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.

Honeywell thermostats are recognized as some of the best heat control devices a home can have. They also happen to have a tendency for using auxiliary heat pretty heavily. The problem is that excess auxiliary heat use can be a drain on your heating bill and may even contribute to higher energy bills. So, how do you turn this feature off?

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?

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.

Central air is one of the most essential components of a clean and comfortable home. While it’s still viewed as a commodity, installing a central air conditioning system in new homes is pretty standard. However, if you have an older home and want to install one, this can prove to be difficult on your own.

Water heaters are fixtures that homeowners can’t live without. The days of bulky, cumbersome water heaters being the norm are long over, and now hybrid and tankless heaters have taken their place.

As the days get shorter and the nights long and cold, a reliable furnace becomes an essential fixture in the home. When the temperatures dip below freezing, your furnace is even a lifesaver. It helps keep you and your home warm, and with the assistance of your thermostat, you stay in a temperature-controlled environment throughout the winter months. So it might cause shock and alarm when you notice your furnace, instead of keeping your home warm, is blowing out cold air at night.

When you hear that a heater is “gas-powered”, it may come as a surprise when you find out that such a heater will not run without electricity. This article will explain why gas-powered heaters don’t run without electricity, and also some tips for what to do when the power goes out will be discussed.

Every tenant should understand what their landlord is responsible for. Landlords are supposed to act quickly when it comes to their responsibilities as per the rental agreement that you signed. This applies to everything from plumbing problems to air conditioner failure. Many renters have asked themselves the question: should my landlord pay for pest control?

Arachnophobia is one of the most common fears, and for good reason! You’d be hard-pressed to find a person who is happy to see a spider crawling around their house. Wondering whether the ant spray you have on hand will be fatal to these pests? Read on to find out!

Not all households are connected to a main sewer system that handles and treats all their wastewater. In the absence of that convenient service, households turn to using their own septic systems instead. Aerobic septic systems are among the options available and they cover the needs of numerous homeowners.

You might get excited when you see the words “heat included” on a rental sign. Heat and air conditioning can be some of the highest utility expenses when renting a home. Your excitement may change to confusion or anger when you move in and see that the thermostat is locked by the landlord. 

Insect infestations can happen in numerous locations in a home, and one space where insects mass is the crawl space. Crawl spaces are often cramped and hard to reach, which means addressing an insect infestation in this location can be a difficult task.

Frozen pipes are an expensive nightmare. Your pipes may unfreeze quickly, but the anxiety that they may burst is awful. So, how long does it take for pipes to unfreeze?

The sight of even just one brown recluse spider in your house can easily send you into a panic. Those emotions most likely come from decades of horror stories about brown recluse spider bites. So, are the stories true, and should I be afraid of brown recluse spiders?

With the new trend of DIY campers, many truck owners are starting to convert their truck beds into a bed. While blankets and a mat usually suffice for a few days, you may want to look into something longer term, like a mattress. But, what size of mattress should you get?

Copper pipe has been the go-to for plumbing because of its many great qualities. Copper pipes conduct heat well, allowing hot water to stay warm, and that makes them ideal for tub spouts. However, it can be frustrating when your tub spot’s copper pipe is too short and won’t reach.

Honeybees, even though they do great things for the environment, may cause a lot of harm in a short amount of time to your home. You could end up paying hundreds of dollars in repairs if bees are not eradicated or relocated immediately. So, who do you reach out to? Will homeowner’s insurance cover the cost to remove the bees?

Without central air, homeowners across the world would be out of luck during the spring and summer. Proper central air maintenance is necessary for it to run properly, and that includes maintaining the filters. So, why does your central air have two filters?

You come home ready for a nice shower.  After a few seconds in the shower, you notice something just isn’t right.  What could be going on in your shower or bathtub?  What could cause your shower to work poorly or not work at all?  How do you know if the diverter valve on your tub or shower is bad?

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.

There are few things more frustrating in the world than bed bugs and roach infestations. If not addressed properly, a cockroach problem can lead to serious health concerns, hygiene issues, and even the spread of diseases. Whereas, neglecting a bed bug infestation can result in major allergies, skin infections, costly remediation, and even a negative impact on your mental health.

Some people don’t realize the amount of havoc bed bugs can wreak on a home. In all fairness, many people go their whole lives without encountering bed bugs, so how would they know? However, there’s always a chance that you’ll learn just how much bed bugs can inconvenience you, even if it’s not your fault.

Talking about plumbing and drains, in particular, involves a host of letter designations. Figuring out what these letter designations mean and how to use them in drain and water plumbing can get confusing? Exactly what are J-Traps and P-Traps?

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.

If you’ve heard much talk about furnaces and their specific components, you’ve likely come across the term “blower.” The blower, or blower motor, is one of the most essential components of your furnace.

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.

Installing a refrigerated AC system always comes with some challenges. One of the greatest is finding the optimum place to set the condensing unit. Many small residential lots limit the places that a condensing unit may reside. Many times, these locations may be far from the HVAC unit and the condensing coil. The question of how far you can run an AC line set is critical to a proper installation.

Your water heater’s pressure relief valve is there to help keep you safe and reduce the risk of having your heater burst due to excess pressure. When you replaced your valve, you expected it to help keep your boiler safe. Instead, it just started to leak, right after you switched it out. Feeling a little lost, and wondering what gives? You aren’t alone there.

Central air conditioning is a modern commodity and it’s hard to get comfortable when it isn’t working properly. HVAC system problems can be overwhelming and even expensive, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing. So, why is your central air conditioning line freezing up?

Random unwanted sounds can really take away from an otherwise relaxing afternoon at home. Sometimes these unwanted sounds can even come from our houses themselves. Water pipes can make a variety of unwanted sounds when they are not operating properly. These pipes can even make noise when the water is not running.

Heavy rain and storms can cause several problems for your home, and many homeowners dread a flood in their basement. Not only can heavy rains damage your plumbing and foundation, but heavy rains can also cause a sewer backup to occur, creating a whole slew of additional problems.

Homeowners need to be knowledgeable and careful if they want to keep their septic tanks in good condition. The things you know could help save your household’s septic tank from unnecessary damage. Among the things worth knowing is the distance separating your septic tank’s lids.

Water heaters can be found in virtually all homes and businesses these days, and this is mainly because humans need access to hot water many times throughout a single day. Knowing the ins and outs of how water heaters work is very beneficial, as you’ll never be without hot water and your system will last a long time.

True story: I have a bedroom that has been slightly marked up. I tried to wash it, and the paint literally wiped off on my cloth. It happens. This led me to realize that I needed to get a touch-up on my wall’s paint job. To a point, I was scared that I’d have to cover the charge for the paint. Did you ever feel like you’re stuck in my shoes?

The most important question to consider before selling is why you want to do it. Do you have good reasons, or are you just eager for a change? Are you running out of space, or do you just need to declutter?

Heating your home with water and a boiler is not all that common in the United States.  However, this type of heating, called hydronic heating, is quite common in other areas.  In some cases, hydronic heating can be an efficient means of heating your home.  If you have a 2000 square foot home, what size boiler do you need?

Bed bugs can make you feel uncomfortable at home, and they can stick around for longer than you may think. Even without a host, bed bugs can survive for up to a year in some cases, and many even survive treatment. So, should you throw your mattress away after bed bugs?

No one loves to pay rent. Often many of life’s stresses stem from a monthly rent payment. When you gather the money and finally get the payment to your landlord out on time you may feel a rush of relief. That relief may be short-lived, however, once you see that your landlord has refused to accept your rent payment.

Having been in a trap house-like apartment before, my heart sinks when I see small bugs that look like cockroaches. I actually double-check them to make sure that I don’t have a family of cucaracha in my casa. It’s actually kind of crazy to see how many bugs look like cockroaches. Wondering what the most common ones are?

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. 

For many homeowners, there’s no worse indication of an unkept or filthy home than an infestation of pests – like ants. If you find ants inside your house, it’s highly likely that you also have them outside. Depending on the type of ant that you have, you may have to tackle nests or mounds to prevent them from getting inside. Though, for the majority of ant infestations, this isn’t a problem.

Copper pipe has been the go-to for plumbing because of its many great qualities. Then about 25 years ago PEX pipe started to become more popular in the US, thanks to its ability to withstand pressures and temperature changes in domestic hot and cold systems.

Nobody can blame you if you do your best to avoid stinging insects this spring and summer. That includes mud daubers, which many people mistake for common wasps, but they’re different. So, what attracts mud daubers to your house?

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.

Water supply is not always plentiful in all parts of the country. In some places, service is unreliable and there’s a chance you’ll be greeted by a lack of running water in the morning.

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?

Nobody should have to live with a rodent infestation. But who’s responsibility is it to get rid of mice? And if it’s up to your landlord, can you withhold rent until the problem is fixed? Here’s what you need to know.

In order to heat your home properly, your furnace has several components that work in tandem with one another. When those components do their jobs, the air that gets sucked into your furnace is heated and then blown back out into the home.

If you ask anyone who’s hip to the jive, going green is important. Everything from water conservation to creating new ways to be energy efficient is on the table. That’s why more people are starting to look at unusual ways to save money on the basics. That’s why people are starting to install hot water recirculating pumps. But, are they really worth it?

Sewer lines are responsible for taking the used wastewater away from our homes and directing it to the local municipal treatment plant. Sewer lines are just like any other pipe and usually have liquid coursing through them. However, cold temperatures and harsh winters can make it difficult for liquid to move through the pipe without freezing.

Many online retailers let you provide specific instructions for deliveries. For example, you can request they put the package in a specific location so that it’s out of the sunlight. Include a note and ask them to drop the package off in a discreet location at your house. 

All homes and most businesses can’t do without a water heater, and this is because hot water is needed in homes and businesses for a variety of reasons. There are different kinds of water heaters available in 2021, as the days of 50-gallon-tank heaters being the norm are long over.

A sump pump that runs continuously is the most common reason for sump pumps overheating and breaking down. If you discover that your sump pump is always running, address the issue promptly. This will prevent further damage to the sump pump and your basement.

During the 1970s, asbestos was banned due to the serious health risks of inhaling the fibers. Older homes and buildings may still have asbestos, and the material needs to be removed. If you find out that your rental unit has asbestos, you may be wondering if you can sue your landlord for asbestos exposure.