1800AnyTyme

DIY Plumbing Repair: Running Toilet Keeping you Up at Night?

Andy — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 19:54:12 +0000

We all know that sound, the water constantly running no matter how many times you kick it. It’s quite simple to fix so don’t let that annoyance bother you anymore. This Do It Yourself project will be beneficial for the years to come.

Preventing Drain Clogs

Andy — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 18:51:50 +0000

Prevention is the best cure, even when it comes to home drains. Clogged drains are best avoided by adopting everyday habits that reduce the chance of clogging, while performing more arduous drain cleaning tasks at regular intervals.

Save Your Drains from a Halloween Scare

Andy — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 23:48:26 +0000

What does plumbing have to do with carving pumpkins?

Believe it or not, Halloween can be a scary time for kitchen sinks and drains, garbage disposals and even toilets. No, we’re not talking about the consequences of an accidental overload on Halloween candy, but the misconceptions about dealing with pumpkin scraps. We put together a list of simple rules of thumb on to how to avoid clogged drains and avert serious plumbing disasters during the Halloween season.

Clogged Drain Health Alert

Andy — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 17:30:42 +0000

Keeping your drains clean not only saves you a headache by preventing an unpleasant drain clog, but it also protects you and your family from harmful bacteria, infestations of drain insects, and odors originating in your home’s drains and plumbing systems.

When a drain clogs, you can attempt to unclog the pipe with simple home solutions without calling a plumbing company, but it is always important to remember certain safety measures when taking on do-it-yourself plumbing projects.

Use Air Conditioning to Control Your Asthma

Andy — Tue, 18 May 2010 23:01:25 +0000

Here in San Diego it gets too hot in some locations to be without air conditioning. Not only does air conditioning make your body more comfortable, but it also helps with your breathing. This is especially important for people with asthma.

Air Conditioning Can Help Stop Sleeplessness

Andy — Tue, 11 May 2010 21:43:11 +0000

With the current societal pressures in today’s down economy, more and more of us find ourselves with sleep problems. Stresses cause us to be restless and toss and turn in our beds. Our daily lives give us enough to sweat about. It doesn’t help that the summer heat is rolling in and making our living spaces uncomfortably hot. Nobody wants to be tired, cranky and hot all of the time.

Install Programmable Thermostat for Energy Savings

Andy — Tue, 04 May 2010 20:48:30 +0000

Why Choose a Programmable Thermostat for your Air Conditioner and Heater System?

Attention homeowners! Did you know that most homeowners spend around 50% of their annual energy bill on heating and A/C? San Diego may well have a climate that borders perfection, but only few of us can tolerate those freezing winter nights and scorching summer days without smoothly functioning heating and air conditioning systems in our homes. One simple way to reduce energy usage in your home is to install a programmable thermostat that automatically adjusts indoor temperature according to preset times and temperatures. Your air conditioning and heating expenses should be reduced by more than 10% if the programmable thermostat is used properly.

Green Housewarming Gift Ideas

Andy — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 23:43:39 +0000

So you are invited to another housewarming party, but this time you don’t want to bring the traditional flower pot or yard gnome as a gift. Like the rest of the society you are learning the importance of living a green lifestyle and know it is time to share the knowledge. What better way then to spread the word than to get your friends an environmentally friendly housewarming gift to kick off the beginning of their new lives?

Spring Air Conditioner Maintenance Guide

Andy — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 23:08:05 +0000

Prepare Your A/C Unit Before the Heat Rolls In

Spring can be a hectic time for a San Diego homeowner, but the annual air conditioner check up should never be left out of the (endless) to-do list of maintenance chores of the responsible homeowner. Unfortunately, most of us wait until the first heat wave to crank the old air conditioning unit, and more often than not, an unpleasant surprise awaits those who procrastinate. Local air conditioning contractors are busy during the hottest months, so to get in on the most convenient service and best air conditioning repair discounts, time your service call between March and May.

Central Air Conditioner Check List

Physically inspect the surroundings of the air conditioning unit. Cut down shrubs and weeds, along with other plants that have sprung up around the unit. This essential step ensures that the unit will manage to suck in sufficient amounts of outside air to cool and blow inside the house.
Turn on the air conditioning unit on the first day that the temperature hits 70 degrees in March or April, and let it run for about 60 minutes. Detecting problems and scheduling proper air conditioning repairs and even replacing a faulty unit will be painless when it is still relatively cool outside and HVAC companies are not running around from house to house tackling emergency calls.
Check the air filter, and change it if necessary. Some air filters may need to be replaced every year, whereas permanent air filters only require annual cleaning for optimal performance. In either case, dirty filters can create a multitude of problems for an air conditioner; the unit’s energy usage will increase, while the evaporator may even ice over when a filter is allowed to accumulate too much dirt. In addition to making sure the filter is changed or cleaned, go around the unit, picking out obstructions such as leaves or debris that may be blocking parts.
Freon level inspection: If the freon levels are low in the air conditioner, a leak is probably present and a freon recharge might be necessary to compensate the lost freon. Low freon levels significantly decrease the life of the compressor, the key component in any a/c unit, and overheating is likely.
Tighten screws. A yearly air conditioning maintenance routine also includes checking that all screws are tightly fastened.
Check Air Conditioner Thermostat operation. While this may sound obvious, you should also double check that the A/C thermostat is set on “cooling” mode, and the temperature is well below room temperature to automatically turn on the air conditioning unit.
Safe air conditioning maintenance: If you encounter a problem during the air conditioner test run and you have a hunch of what may be causing the malfunction, don’t fail to follow basic safety rules that apply to any home maintenance jobs. Cut off power to the a/c unit first, and never just hose down a unit; you will run the risk of electrocution.

How to Maximize Useful Life of the A/C Unit

If you run into problems that require professional air conditioning repair service, as an early bird you are likely to get the fastest and most attentive care from a local Heating and Air Company. Routine Air Conditioning maintenance is the most economical solution to guarantee cool air blowing through your house during the summer months, but if it is time to install a brand new unit, make sure to look into energy standards and tax incentives offered to homeowners who opt for environment friendly appliances.

Air Quality in Your Home

Andy — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:18:16 +0000

The majority of people do not know that indoor air pollution can often have much higher levels than outside. This is not good for people who suffer from allergies or asthma as these pollutants are the direct cause.

Read more on Air Quality in Your Home…

Energy Efficient Plumbing

Andy — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:31:10 +0000

While standing over your running faucet, do you ever think about what a shame it is to waste all of that cold water while you wait to feel hot water emerge? Sure you do. Not only is it entirely wasteful to nature, but also wasteful of your time.

Read more on Energy Efficient Plumbing…

Water Heater Energy Saving Solutions

Andy — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 01:15:44 +0000

Should you keep your old water heater or buy a new model to save energy?

If you’re not aware of what the bulk of your home’s energy use goes to, you may be interested to know that water heater tanks are a major source of energy waste in most households. Old homes are usually equipped with outdated water heaters that are close to retirement, but if you’re hesitating about making that big investment to buy a brand new one, you can still start saving money without installing a new unit.

Save Money By Switching to Energy Efficient Furnace

Andy — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:47:03 +0000

If your current furnace is malfunctioning or more than 20 years old, you should be looking into a new purchase. If you buy a new energy efficient furnace for your house, you will end up saving a lot of money on energy bills in the long run. Energy efficient furnaces are not as harmful to the environment because they require less fossil fuels to operate.

Electrical Mistakes

Andy — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:33:09 +0000

When you are experiencing a problem with your electrical wiring, you should always call in a professional. There are always those hard-core DYI types who think they can take matters into their own hands, but when messing with electricity, you are messing with danger. There a few common mistakes experts found that people have made when tackling electrical issues on their own:

Is Your Tap Water Safe?

Andy — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:31:15 +0000

Do You Realize the Importance of Consuming Purified Water Instead of Tap Water?

Tap water is filled with multiple types of impurities such as synthetic chemicals, toxic heavy metals, parasites, chlorines, chloramines, and thousands more compounds that can threaten your health. Consuming tap water on a daily basis can be devastating for your body.