The flooded basement

Last year our basement flooded as a result of extremely high lake levels in our area.

Misery loves company, they say, and we had lots of neighbors who were miserable right along with us.

By the time the water was pumped out, we had major work ahead of us. We sorted through the personal items that had been stored there, separating what we could and could not salvage. We pulled up the carpeting and tore off the drywall from the workout room. And we purchased a commercial strength dehumidifier to eliminate the mustiness and the mold. But we knew that we needed professionals to assess and fix the damage to our HVAC system. Thankfully, our HVAC technician was available soon after we called him. He had been busy with other homes in the area, but confirmed our concern about the danger of a novice trying to fix a problem with electricity, gas and corrosion. Although the outside of the unit was dry, our technician found that some of the valves were corroded and needed to be replaced. Also, several of the electrical components had gotten wet and needed to be replaced. Thankfully, the blower motor wasn’t damaged, which could have been a costly replacement. He did insist that the pilot and burner orifices be replaced, and of course a new (and dry) air filter was inserted. Finally, our technician cleaned out the interior of the unit from some of the debris from the flood and dried everything out. By the time our HVAC repairman was finished, the bill was reasonable, given the extent of the flood. But our furnace is running great and the dehumidifier has done a good job of drying out the entire basement.

 

air duct

Pick your battles wisely

When you find a home that you want to buy, it’s important to pick your battles when it comes to home repairs.

While it certainly would be nice for the seller to fix every single home inspection issue before you put your money down, there are only so many repairs sellers are willing to commit to.

There may be a hundred little things that you might want fixed on the home, but you only have a set time to settle the deal. Cosmetic issues, for example touching up the paint on the deck, are at the top of the list to avoid asking the seller to fix. Remember, you are not buying a new home. But HVAC problems are repairs you can reasonably expect a seller to take care of. Heating and cooling systems have many moving parts that develop wear and tear, as well as dust and dirt buildup. When something goes wrong, it can go seriously and expensively wrong. Certified inspectors should check for carbon monoxide around the unit and inside the house. For gas-powered systems, special equipment is needed to check for gas leakages. The seller of the home may have documentation that the HVAC system has a high efficiency rating, but if components such as the flue pipe and draft diverter need repair, the system will not be running efficiently. And the condition of the ductwork, its cleanliness and air tightness, are crucial to the overall health of the system. So choose your battles wisely when negotiating the price of the house you want. Avoid the minor issues that are easy and less costly to fix. But hold firm on the major issues that could cost you thousands of dollars to repair or replace.

a/c repair

Cooling down a sunroom

I live in a very sunny area that has extremely hot temperatures almost all year long.

I love living in this climate because I don’t have to ever worry about cold winter weather.

I can’t even explain how much I hate being cold. I try to avoid it at all costs. However, I can’t stand when my house gets too hot in the summer. My house has a sun room off the back of the house and it gets really hot quickly in the sun room because of all the windows. I had to have an air conditioner window unit installed in the sun room because it was getting too hot inside the room. Thankfully, my husband works for a local HVAC company so he knows exactly what he is doing when it comes to heating and cooling the house. My husband also gets a great discount on buying HVAC equipment. We have been able to get all of the HVAC units we have had in our homes for practically nothing. We were able to get a brand new, high-tech HVAC system for over half of what it cost retail. I know that my husband doesn’t make that much money working for the HVAC company but I never want him to quit so we can continue to get discounted HVAC equipment for our home. I hope that he will be promoted inside the HVAC company but I really don’t ever want him to leave because I would hate to have to pay full price for HVAC equipment.
a/c corporation

House sitting for a rich family

I have been babysitting for the same family for about six years now.

I really like this family and I am so glad that they have kept me around all this time.

They are extremely wealthy and they pay me very well. I haven’t had to find another job because they take such great care of me. I know that the kids are starting to get older so I am nervous that they will not need me in the coming years and that makes me nervous because I don’t want to have to find another job. I love being at their house too because they don’t skimp on anything. Recently, they decided to replace the HVAC system because they decided the one they had installed last year wasn’t good enough any more. I thought that was such a rich person problem because my parents haven’t replaced their HVAC system in over ten years. I know that most families put off replacing their HVAC system because they are so expensive. I really hope that one day I will be able to make this kind of money and replace my HVAC system once a year, but I have a feeling that won’t be the case. I always tell my mom about the new things this family is buying and we have a good laugh about it, but maybe we are both just a little bit jealous that they have the kind of money you can just throw around!

portable space heater

Signs I need to upgrade my HVAC system

My husband and I have been going through some financial problems lately.

He just got laid off from work and he hasn’t been able to find a new job yet.

I don’t make a lot of money either because I stay home with the kids most days. On the days that I am not home with the kids, I work as a waitress at a local seafood restaurant. I don’t make a ton of money, but it still helps house with the bills. For the past couple of weeks since my husband lost his job, we have started to notice small signs that our HVAC system isn’t working the way it should. However, we have been ignoring all these signs because we don’t have the money to pay for an HVAC company to come out to the house and look at our HVAC system. I know that we really need to have an HVAC company come out to the house because our HVAC system has been making terrible noises every time we turn on the air conditioner. It is the middle of the summer so we need to have the air conditioner turned on as often as possible. However, the noise our HVAC system is making is almost unbearable. I think I might call a local HVAC company next week just to see how much it would cost to have them come out and service our HVAC system. I really don’t think I can deal with this noise for too much longer.

a/c serviceman

Planning budget for HVAC project

My wife and I have been living in the same house for about ten years now.

We really don’t want to move because we have already put in so much work into remodeling the house already.

However, there are still things that need to be done around the house if we want to sell it one day and actually make a profit. We knew moving in that we would have to do work around the house. However, we didn’t know how long all that work would actually take or how expensive it would be. So, we did all the home improvement projects pretty slowly so that we didn’t break the bank. The next thing on our list is to have the HVAC system upgraded. We have known that having the HVAC system upgraded would be one of the more expensive projects, so we saved it for last. We wanted to make sure that we had a budget in place before we began the HVAC upgrade. My wife made us a planning budget so that we could save up the right amount of money for the HVAC upgrade. Now, that we have the right amount of money saved we are going to start calling local HVAC companies for quotes. We called a couple of HVAC companies while we were planning the budget, but now we need real numbers so we can get started on this new project. It’s so important to make sure that you plan properly for home improvement projects!

 

 

cooling and heating provider

The moist basement

Last year our basement flooded as a result of severely high lake levels in our area! Misery prefers corporation, they say, as well as we had lots of neighbors who were miserable right along with us.

By the time the water was pumped out, we had major toil ahead of us.

My fantastic friend and I sorted through the personal items that had been stored there, separating what we could as well as could not reclaim. My fantastic friend and I pulled up the carpeting as well as tore off the drywall from the workout room. And we purchased a commercial strength dehumidifier to eliminate the mustiness as well as the mold. But we knew that we needed professionals to assess as well as maintenance the damage to our Heating as well as A/C system. Thankfully, our Heating as well as A/C professional was available soon after we called him. He had been tied up with other homes in the area, however confirmed our concern about the danger of a novice trying to maintenance a concern with electricity, gas as well as corrosion. Although the outside of the equipment was dry, our professional found that some of the valves were corroded as well as needed to be updated. Also, several of the electrical components had gotten wet as well as needed to be updated. Thankfully, the blower motor wasn’t damaged, which could have been a extravagant updatement. He did insist that the pilot as well as burner orifices be updated, as well as of course a new (and dry) air filter was inserted. Finally, our professional cleaned out the interior of the equipment from some of the debris from the flood as well as dried everything out. By the time our Heating as well as A/C repairman was finished, the bill was reasonable, given the extent of the flood. But our boiler is running good as well as the dehumidifier has done a fantastic task of drying out the entire basement.
ventilation

The wet basement

Last year our basement flooded as a result of severely high lake levels in our area, misery loves supplier, they say, plus my associate and I had lots of neighbors who were annoyed right along with us.

By the time the water was pumped out, my associate and I had major work ahead of us.

My associate and I sorted through the personal items that had been stored there, separating what my associate and I could plus could not reclaim. My associate and I pulled up the carpeting plus tore off the drywall from the workout room. And my associate and I purchased a commercial strength dehumidifier to eliminate the mustiness plus the mold. But my associate and I knew that my associate and I needed professionals to assess plus service the harm to our Heating and A/C system. Thankfully, our Heating and A/C worker was available soon after my associate and I called him. She had been busy with other homes in the area, however confirmed our problem about the danger of a novice trying to service a problem with electricity, gas plus corrosion. Although the outside of the component was dry, our worker found that some of the valves were corroded plus needed to be substituted. Also, multiple of the electrical components had gotten wet plus needed to be substituted. Thankfully, the blower motor wasn’t harmd, which could have been a extravagant substitutement. She did insist that the pilot plus burner orifices be substituted, plus of course a current (and dry) air filter was inserted. Finally, our worker cleaned out the interior of the component from some of the debris from the flood plus dried everything out. By the time our Heating and A/C repairman was finished, the bill was adequate, given the extent of the flood. But our furnace is running great plus the dehumidifier has done a good task of drying out the entire basement.

 

a/c installation

Cooling down a sunroom

My buddy and I have been able to get all of the Heating, Ventilation, plus A/C units my buddy and I have had in our homes for practically nothing.

I live in a actually sunny section that has severely overheated temperatures almost all year long. I care about residing in this weather conditions because I don’t have to ever worry about cold winter time weather. I can’t even explain how much I dislike being cold. I try to avoid it at all costs… However, I can’t sit when my house gets too overheated in the summer, and my house has a sunlight room off the back of the house plus it gets undoubtedly overheated abruptly in the sunlight room because of all the windows. I had to have an a/c window component installed in the sunlight room because it was getting too overheated inside the room. Thankfully, my fiance works for a local Heating, Ventilation, plus A/C business so he knows exactly what he is doing when it comes to heating plus cooling the house. My fiance also gets a great discount on buying Heating, Ventilation, plus A/C equipment. My buddy and I have been able to get all of the Heating, Ventilation, plus A/C units my buddy and I have had in our homes for practically nothing. My buddy and I were able to get a brand new, high-tech Heating, Ventilation, plus A/C system for over half of what it cost retail. I know that my fiance doesn’t make that much currency toiling for the Heating, Ventilation, plus A/C business however I never want him to quit so my buddy and I can continue to get discounted Heating, Ventilation, plus A/C equipment for our home. I hope that he will be promoted inside the Heating, Ventilation, plus A/C business however I undoubtedly don’t ever want him to leave because I would dislike to have to pay full price for Heating, Ventilation, plus A/C equipment.

space heater

Teaching with no ac

I realized last week that I have been teaching for fifteen years now.

I knew that it had been a long time but that was the first time I had counted in a really long time.

I have been at the same school for the entire fifteen years and I really do love all of the people that I get to work with everyday. I feel lucky because not many people get to say that. However, in the past month things at the school have really taken a turn for the worse. Our entire HVAC system stopped working in the school so all of the classrooms have been so hot. It is the middle of the summer and it is miserable. The school doesn’t have the money to replace the entire HVAC system all at once so they gave all the teacher a air conditioner window unit for their classrooms. However these air conditioner window units don’t do too much when the outside temperature is over one hundred degrees. I have been sweating through my clothes everyday and I have even spoke to the principal about getting the HVAC system fixed. Many parents have complained about the lack of a HVAC system in the middle of the summer months, but I just don’t think the money is there to replace the HVAC system. I hope that they can figure out something, because this is really getting out of hand and I don’t want the parents to keep getting upset with me about it.

local business

Planning a wedding

I have been planning weddings for as long as I can remember.

I went to school for event planning and then started to intern at a local wedding planning company.

Since that internship I have broken off on my own and started my own event planning company. We plan many events and do much more than plan weddings, however the weddings have and always will be my favorite. I don’t normally work closely with brides anymore because I have employees that stay in contact with them for me. I tried to make a manual for my employees about everything you need to do to prepare for planning the big day. I have a whole chapter on heating and cooling in the manual. I can’t stress enough to my employees about the importance of have the HVAC system in the venue on the correct temperature. You don’t want to bride sweating or the guests shivering. It is a perfect balance when working with heating and cooling. I always tell my employees that they need to call the venue ahead of time and make sure the HVAC system is working. The last thing we need is to have a wedding planned and on the big day the HVAC system has stopped working. This has happened to me before and I really try and avoid it happening again at all costs. Many people don’t realize how much the HVAC system plays into the day of the wedding. I really hope that my employees take me seriously when I say this.
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Tenant neglects the HVAC system

I have several properties that I own and rent out to students or small families in the area.

  • It is a nice way to make a little bit of extra money each month on top of what I make at my other job.

I normally and very trusting on my tenants and don’t do a credit or background check, but after an experience I had with a current tenant I am going to start right away. I have a young girl living in one of my small houses and she seems like a nice normal girl. However, she has completely destroyed the heating and cooling system in my house. I went over to look at her washer and dryer last week when I noticed that the air conditioner filter hadn’t been changed. I asked her how often she was changing the filters and she just looked at me like a deer in the headlights. I knew that she had never changed the filter on the air conditioner and I was immediately worried. When I opened up the HVAC closet I saw a giant puddle of water on the floor. This only happens when the line is clogged because the filter hasn’t been changed correctly. I tried to be nice and explain to her what happened, but she started to get really defensive with me. She got really angry and said she was going to sue me for blaming it on her. Right then I knew that this wasn’t going to work out and she needed to move out right away.

heating maintenance