Home Services

In many parts of the country, getting well water is a mandatory part of your daily lifestyle. Wells remain a major source of water for many households in America. However, if you have a well, you’re going to have to pump out the water that is in there if you want to drink something. To do this well, you will need to know how to prime a well pump. The question is, how?

The majority of individuals use a mortgage to purchase a home because it is a costly investment. However, obtaining a mortgage is a lengthy process that necessitates the existence of a source of income. So, that begs the question: Can you quit your job after closing?

The other night, a friend of mine came back to his apartment from a night out, only to see that the toilet had flooded. There was brown stuff everywhere, and he was horrified. I mean, most of us would be, right? He called up his landlord and asked who was responsible for this. The answer might surprise you.

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.

If you’re in the market for new HVAC appliances in your home, the sheer number of products can be overwhelming. There are a wide variety of reputable brands as well as products with varying efficiencies and styles. Rheem and Trane are two of the country’s leading HVAC manufacturers. 

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.

A clean evaporator coil ensures your  air conditioning system is working efficiently and effectively. Evaporator coils can collect dust, debris, and oils over time. It is crucial to maintain this element of your air conditioning system regularly.

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?

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?

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.

When you move into a new rental property the most important exchange between your landlord is not the keys, but the lease. Although your keys are needed to get into your new home it is the lease that makes it legal for you to enter.

The heat exchanger in your furnace is a group of tubes and coils. These tubes and coils heat the air that then shoots out into your home or workplace. There are many reasons why your furnace heat exchanger can go bad, and if this happens you need to act quickly.

When it comes to buying or selling a home, whether in Georgia or anywhere, there are quite a few things that you need to do. You need to acquire an estimate on any potential necessary work, and typically, you need an appraisal. But in addition to these things, is a termite letter required in Georgia?

Bed bugs are the true nightmare pest of both homeowners and apartment renters. The first sign of an infestation that most people see are the bites. These classic “three in a row” bitemarks freak people out. But, is it always a bed bug bite? What would it mean if it disappears in an hour?

For many homes, it’s impossible to have a conventional sewage system. The most common reason for this is the fact that sewage services don’t reach their property. There may be situations where a septic tank cannot be installed on the property do to logistical or geographical issues. Thankfully, there are plenty of alternatives to choose from if you’re facing this septic conundrum.

Are you getting ready to move? Or maybe you’ve finally made the decision to declutter the house. Now, you need boxes…lots of boxes. But you really don’t want to spend your hard-earned money, so where can you get boxes for free?

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?

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.

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?

You may notice that your home has some unwanted guests in the winter. Small, clear, white bugs in the house will likely cause you some concern. You may be surprised to find out that these bugs are called wood mites.

Your backyard is undoubtedly so much more than a fenced-in area behind your house. For you, it might serve as an extension of your living space, complete with cozy, plush lounge seating. Or perhaps you host dinner parties and BBQs with friends and family or enjoy frequent picnics. But when uninvited guests, like mosquitoes, show up, it can take a big bite out of your fun.

We live in a technological world with seemingly endless amounts of cloud storage. In turn, it has become almost impossible to lose important documents and treasured photos. But some documents and personal items exist in real life, not in the cloud, and they must be kept safe. This is where a fireproof safe comes into play. Every home should have a fireproof safe to keep valuable possessions safe. But what items should you keep in a fireproof safe?

Whether you’re buying or selling a house, it’s essential to have it appraised. The appraisal process is one wherein an appraiser checks certain aspects of your home to find its value. You may need an appraisal to buy a house, sell a house, or refinance it. No matter the reasoning, you need to understand how much it will cost to have your home appraised.

HVAC systems have become indispensable. After all, an HVAC system will provide cool air indoors when it’s hot outside, and then make a room warm and toasty when the temperature outside drops.

When I lived in a warehouse in Newark, we had a very serious mouse problem. As bad as it is to say, I actually got used to living with them because my “landlord” did nothing to solve the problem. Eventually, I found one dead on my bedroom floor and decided it was time to leave. Looking back, it’s pretty horrific. Was it even safe to sleep there?

Having animals in the attic is not only frightening to deal with, but it is an invasion of your home’s privacy. Sure, it may only be a furry critter, but animals stuck in your attic create noise disturbances as well as a sanitary risk. Most homeowners’ first instinct when they hear an animal in the attic is to reach for the phone and call a service to get it removed.

When you’re reading about gas meter issues, chances are that you’ve heard mention of a gas meter lock. However, you might not have actually seen a lock on your meter. If you’re like many people who are new to HVAC work, you’re probably wondering what the meter lock is, and how you should remove it. The scoop on this part of your meter reading might surprise you.

When you’re a landlord, you make an effort to try to find tenants that will be respectful towards your property and pay on time. However, things don’t work out, even when you do your best to vet potential renters. Renters and landlords both have rights that need to be protected. That’s why Illinois has strict guidelines on how to evict a tenant in Illinois legally.

Your sump pump plays a valuable role in your home’s upkeep, helping prevent unwanted water from entering your house. Typically, depending on your location, a sump pump in good operating condition might kick on once or twice a day. You might hear a low humming noise when this happens, which is normal.

Getting all of your ducks in a row as a homeowner involves lots of inspections, particularly if you are seeking a conventional loan. Conventional loans sometimes have different stipulations than government-issued loans, leaving renovators and homeowners confused about what inspections are required.

Who wants to live in a filthy house with dirty floors? Most people don’t. But who’s responsibility is it to clean the carpets? Better yet, can landlords charge for carpet cleaning in a home that belongs to them? The answer may surprise you.

Whether you are building a home or remodeling an older home, you should understand drain configurations when deciding on plumbing. A licensed plumber is involved with the contractor or builder, but you should know what is up to code. Understanding the main differences between a P-trap and S-trap will help to ensure your home is a safe environment.

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?

You are currently dealing with one of the worst problems an air conditioning unit can have: a bad compressor. It’s been diagnosed, your repairman confirmed it, and you are upset. You should be. It’s a pricey repair, no matter what type of AC unit you own! Right now, you have to figure out the answer to a pressing finance question. Should you replace your compressor, or just buy a new unit altogether?

A lease between tenant and landlord can be a precarious one. The landlord sees the relationship as an investment, a means for making income from their property. For the tenant, it is a place to live and possibly a bridge to a better place in the future.

If you’re looking for your mobile home to count as real property, you may be required to have a permanent foundation. Having a permanent foundation will broaden your financing options and make selling your home a whole lot easier.

Buying a home is likely the most significant purchase you’ll make in your lifetime. It’s also a considerable investment and, for many, the place they want to set down roots and start a family. For these reasons, it makes sense to want a home inspection contingency in your home-buying contract. 

Mosquitoes have a way of ruining an otherwise perfect evening. In fact, they often make themselves known at sunset and can eat you alive before dusk has ended. There are all sorts of remedies to help prevent mosquito bites. Some of these methods work better than others, but as more and more information comes to light about harmful chemicals, you might want to find an organic and natural way to help keep mosquitos from biting.

All homes will require repairs at some point. As the homeowner, it’s your job to address the new issue that has emerged. But what if it’s a bit more complicated than that?

Many homes use gas, such as natural gas, for stoves, water heaters, and more. If your home uses gas, you may wonder how to tee off an existing gas line. This guide will show you exactly how to do that!

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.

True story: I’ve dealt with bed bugs at my apartment once. They were a nightmare, especially since I am allergic to them. Obviously, treatment was a major focal point of my life at that period of time. Bed bug infestations are brutal, but so is having to live without your stuff. How long does a treatment take before you can “move” back in?

It wasn’t until I owned my own home that I realized how coveted storage space is. Having an entire closet dedicated to a furnace seems like a giant waste of storage space. So, what about the attic? Could that be a practical place to install a furnace to save storage space on living floors?

There are few appliances that are as central to your lifestyle and comfort as a water heater. Everything from your daily chores, to your hygiene, to your level of comfort, is affected by how well (or not well) your water heater supplies hot water to your home.

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?

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.

The sight of mice in the home is enough to leave any homeowner with an uneasy feeling. It feels like an invasion of privacy and a health hazard, so it only makes sense to repel them however possible. So, do coffee grounds keep mice away?

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.

If you’re getting rid of your 50-gallon old-fashioned water heater and choosing to go with a tankless heater instead, congratulations! You’ll be saving a lot of space.

When adjusting your thermostat, you occasionally run into a situation where the numbers on the screen don’t match what you feel. At this point, it is only normal to wonder why your thermostat is not reaching the set temperature. With this guide, we will answer that question.

Asbestos is the last thing that a new homeowner wants to have to worry about. The word alone evokes the fear of health risks, limiting home value, and expensive removal. So, can you get a mortgage on a house with asbestos siding?

The internet is a wealth of knowledge. It is not uncommon to find yourself going down a blackhole of internet searching. There is no secret that online privacy is often a thing of the past. Spyware and web browsers often hold on to information without you even knowing. 

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.

Wells are a convenience and a staple in American homes for centuries now. The difference between the wells of days past and wells of today is the sophisticated simplicity of great well pumps. If you have a working well, you need a well pump, but what will it cost you?

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?

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.

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.

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.

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?

Raid is one of the biggest names in pest control, especially when it comes to sprayable poisons. The brand’s line of poisons are famous for being effective, but they’re also known for being (kind of) risky to people and pets. Spraying them in kitchen cabinets seems risky. So, is it even doable?