Tag Archives: Maintenance
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Airing out (and in) our houses
Posted on March 10, 2020 by mikew in Fix It & Use ItAir must get in. Air must get out. How’s it going in your house? I find that most new construction is not doing enough to ensure proper air exchanges. The air that we are breathing at the beginning of the week is often the same air at the end of the week. Who enjoys breathing […]
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Time Change, Time to Change
Posted on February 29, 2020 by mikew in Fix It & Use ItThe time change is a great reminder of some essential household maintenance chores. Here’s a list of twelve items: 1 – Replace the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. While you are at it, test these and push the button to make they are all working. These have an estimated life of about […]
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Garbage disposals are not garbage disposals
Posted on February 10, 2020 by mikew in Fix It & Use ItI have a complicated relationship with garbage disposals. These small appliances installed in kitchen sink drains are a helpful aid to those of us frequently on dish duty, but they often leak and can cause dishwasher issues. Hopefully this will help clear up a few misunderstandings about how to use them. First, garbage disposals are […]
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Checking out the “behinds”
Posted on January 20, 2020 by mikew in Fix It & Use ItThis is a home maintenance article so let me clarify that I’m referencing behinds in your house 🙂. There are a few behinds for you to check out as a home owner where issues can be addressed before they become major problems. Behind #1 – Furnace in the garage. In many homes this will be […]
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Roof Maintenance – plumbing vents
Posted on November 30, 2019 by mikew in Fix It & Use ItThere are open pipes sticking out of our roofs. And you might wonder, Aren’t holes in a roof bad? Not in this case. Let me explain what they are and then offer a suggestion for keeping these in good working order in the future. These are plumbing vents so that when you pull the plug […]
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Treating gut(ter) indigestion
Posted on November 10, 2019 by mikew in Fix It & Use ItSome of you started reading this with concern – I’ll give Mike one paragraph and he better not gross me out. Some of you have dealt with some intestinal issues and thought a home inspector’s perspective might be helpful. And still others of you enjoyed my play on words and hoped more cleverness was to […]
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The cost of clean breath
Posted on April 30, 2019 by mikew in Fix It & Use ItIn an ongoing effort to improve the air we breath I offer three cost options for improving the air we breath: #1 – Install an air scrubber. This must be installed by a licensed HVAC company like CM Heating in Everett – they were the ones to first introduce me to this. The cost at […]
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Heat Pump Maintenance in Snow Storms
Posted on February 20, 2019 by mikew in Fix It & Use ItWith all the recent snow fall, collapsing shrubs and broken tree branches, there has been a major maintenance issue with heat pumps. After we had 18 inches of snow the second weekend of February, it seemed like my heat pump was running too long and sounding a little strained. I peaked outside and was alarmed. […]
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What is a whole house fan
Posted on October 30, 2018 by mikew in Fix It & Use ItThere are two types I’ve come across… On hot summer nights my good friends have an interesting solution to cooling their house. Windows are kept open but their secret weapon is engaged when they flip a switch near their bed. A large fan turns on, metal louvers installed in their hallway ceiling open, and air […]
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Wide Clearance Required
Posted on September 20, 2018 by mikew in Fix It & Use ItThere are a few areas that require wide clearance for proper and safe operation. Be sure your electrical panel is kept accessible and clear of all storage. As a rule of thumb I recommend a 3′ by 3′ by 3′ by 3′ space in front, beside, above and below the panel. I had one inspection […]
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