Gutter Cleaning in Wichita – Best Gutter Cleaning – Gutter Cleaning Cost – When Should I Clean My Gutters
What if we told you that one simple trick could save you thousands of dollars and provide you with peace of mind worth far more? We will explain why you shouldn’t wait until fall to have your gutters cleaned.
Each year, we get calls from customers, always late in the fall, whose gutters are starting to sag or come loose due to the excess weight from leaves and debris clogging the system.
Fascia rot and falling gutters
A sagging gutter is not just an eyesore; it’s a liability. And home maintenance matters.
A little oversight on your part can lead to thousands in unexpected and potentially costly repairs.
How to Keep Your Home and Your Gutters Safe – Gutter Cleaning in Wichita – Best Gutter Cleaning – Gutter Cleaning Cost – When Should I Clean My Gutters
A clean gutter system is a functional, valuable gutter system. Furthermore, even a small amount of debris concealed in your gutter system is a problem. You shouldn’t wait until fall to have your gutters cleaned. The reason for this is simple.
Consider an avalanche. It starts with a falling rock. And a small problem uphill causes real havoc downhill.
This analogy is valid for your gutters.
For example, imagine your gutters are already one-third full before fall leaves begin to accumulate. At this point, you may not be able to see this amount of debris from the ground level. But this hidden debris is the small problem uphill, which causes real havoc downhill.
All of this debris compounds the stress your gutters put on the sides of your home. The fascia board upon which gutters attach is not rated to hold the extra weight of leaves, sticks, and muck that collects in your gutters over time.
Don’t Wait Until Fall and Why Regular Gutter Maintenance is Like an Insurance Plan
Gutter Cleaning in Wichita – Best Gutter Cleaning – Gutter Cleaning Cost – When Should I Clean My Gutters
Your home’s soffits and fascia anchor maintained gutter systems and can support a minimal amount of debris.
When you don’t get your gutters cleaned regularly, you’re likely to rack up incremental damage over time. This is why you shouldn’t wait until fall to have your gutters cleaned.
Gutters packed with debris can lead to problems like cracked and rotting fascia and soffits, which can put your home’s exterior at risk as well as leave your foundation open to bombardment from water. This overload of water can lead to costly damage and basement flooding.
Leaky, clogged or damaged gutters can also damage your home’s exterior paint, and repainting your house can cost thousands in unnecessary costs.
Compare all this trouble to the relatively small cost of protecting your gutters under regular cleanings with Gutter King Wichita.
Finding the Right Gutter Cleaning Solution
When you hire Gutter King Wichita, you’re getting a home services partner who cares about you and your home.
When we clean your gutters, we take care of removing and disposing of the debris and leaves at no added cost to you.
If your home’s fascia boards have damage as a result of your current gutter situation, we can help. In addition to seamless gutters and gutter repair, we perform fascia board replacements. Read on for more about why you shouldn’t wait until fall to have your gutters cleaned.
In addition, Gutter King Wichita can help you keep up with gutter maintenance this year so you can drop it from your to-do list. Just ask to be put on our recurring appointments calendar. We will give you a reminder call just before your appointment.
Don’t Wait Until Fall and How Gutter King Wichita Can Help
Gutter Cleaning in Wichita – Best Gutter Cleaning – Gutter Cleaning Cost – When Should I Clean My Gutters
All our work comes with the Gutter King Wichita Guarantee — your satisfaction is our number one priority. If you’re not happy, we go back to your home and make it right.
We are your full-service gutter professional and insured with proper business liability insurance to do work at your home. Furthermore, full-service gutter work is what we do every day. We are your number-one-rated gutter professional in Wichita and the surrounding areas.
See the Gutter King Wichita difference for yourself. Call 316-680-6708 for a fast, affordable quote.
Every home in the Wichita and surrounding areas should have gutters installed. Gutters are a necessary investment and serve several essential functions. On any structure, keeping the ground surrounding the foundation as dry as possible is critical. Rain gutters help control this problem by taking rainwater that falls on the roof and draining it away from the foundation. Wet soil surrounding the foundation can lead to severe structural problems.
gutter king wichita installs seamless guttering
Gutters Prevent Rot
Houses without gutters are more likely to experience wood rot on the fascia and soffit as water exiting the roof finds openings in the paint and caulking. Properly installed and maintained gutters keep water away from wood and funnel it to the ground or stormwater system.
People Stay Dryer
Gutters prevent water from flowing off the roof and over entrances to the home and porch. They keep people dry as they enter and leave home. Even a light rainfall can create a sheet of water that runs off the edge of the roof.
Gutter King Wichita – Seamless Guttering
Houses Stay Neater
Water falling from the edge of a roof can splash dirt on the lower part of the exterior walls as it strikes the ground. It can harm flowers and delicate shrubs and break down mulch.
Gutters Prevent Erosion
Water that falls uncontrolled from a rooftop has to go somewhere. In heavy rain, a high volume of water flowing away from the house can erode the dirt around it. Dirt erosion can cause ponding in the yard, which can lead to muddy soil and damaged grass.
Gutter King Wichita is your seamless guttering professional.
Keep Foundations Stable
Water sitting near a foundation wall eventually works its way under the foundation, causing it to settle. The walls on the settled part of the foundation can then separate from the rest of the house.
Keep Basements Dry
The most important task of a gutter is to funnel water away from basement walls. Water that falls from a roof can saturate the ground near the foundation. Over time, the water will find its way down and through the foundation walls due to hydrostatic pressure. The result is cracking in basement walls and eventually flooding in the basement. Even without cracks, sitting water can soak through the basement wall and result in a buckled foundation and costly repairs.
Rainwater leaks from the outside and onto the basement wall, causing water damage.
Rotten fascia board and gutter falling away from roofline
Unfortunately, it’s no wonder fascia boards rot, and we see it all too often. For example, many times we are called after the damage is done and find a roofline pictured above. No one wants to think about the decomposition of your home, but that’s exactly what is happening if you do not perform routine and regular preventative maintenance.
Fascia Boards Rot
Why Rot Happens
There are three ingredients which create rot. For example, rot needs oxygen, warmth, and moisture. We can’t control the first two ingredients. In other words, we can’t remove oxygen from the air at the exterior surfaces of your home any easier than we can control the temperature of the air. But, we can control the moisture.
By reducing moisture in the rot equation, you can reduce the speed at which decomposition occurs in your home.
The Dangers of Rot in Your Home
Rot isn’t dangerous just because it looks bad! It is a big deal because it can spread and compromise the structural integrity of your home. Wood rot spreads to load-bearing walls or into locations such as your front steps, deck or porch. When this happens, there are dangerous life safety issues which can occur. A deck or porch can collapse. Or worse, a balcony or roof can collapse.
Furthermore, rot attracts animals and pests who will use it for food and shelter. For example, when there are microbes in and around the home, there may also be mice, beetles, or cockroaches. We don’t want uninvited animals and pests in our home, do we?
Common Areas of Rot
Rot can occur in many places around your home, not just fascia boards. For example, rot can occur on:
the foundation of your home
decks
siding
porches
steps
Routine maintenance can keep your home looking beautiful
The Good News!
The good news is that you can prevent rot!
Regular inspections, cleaning, and repair can increase the lifetime of your home
Fascia Boards Rot
At Gutter King Wichita, we can help you maintain a healthy home. We repair gutter systems, clean gutters, and much more. For example, when you hire us to clean your gutters, we also check your gutter hangers for deterioration and proper spacing. Furthermore, we check the slope and pitch of your gutters for proper alignment and water flow.
Clean gutters in the winter: Since we clean gutters when the temperatures are above freezing, we typically suggest that cleanings occur during spring and fall. In regions where freezing does not happen, cleaning gutters in winter is not usually an issue.
If you live in a cold-weather climate within the U.S., such as the midwest, fall quickly turns into deep winter. For many of us, that means more time spent at home, cozied up with a hot cup of coffee, while avoiding the crisp winter air.
If you missed cleaning gutters in the fall, you might have an issue going into winter. These issues are not always evident in the winter because your gutter is frozen, but during the first thaw, they’ll show. The excess debris in your gutters will create an icy mess within your gutter system.
Winter gutter maintenance is just as critical as any other season. What makes the winter period worth discussing is the level of safety involved. To learn more about clean gutters in the winter, please continue reading.
SAFELY CLEANING YOUR GUTTERS DURING WINTER
If you are the type of DIY homeowner, and you’ve taken on the responsibility to clean gutters in the winter yourself, that’s great. We applaud hard-working Americans who want to dive in and work on cleaning and maintaining their gutters themselves. With that being said, DIY gutter cleaning is dangerous, especially in the winter. The key to gutter safety is to stay off the ladder and get professional help. However, if you plan to clean your gutters yourself this winter, please be aware of the following dangers, and note our recommended safety procedures:
Remember that when you clean your gutters during the year, you’re likely picking out leaves, debris, and other matter with your hands. Although these leaves may be wet from rain, they are not frozen like snow and ice. Use a scooping device to fetch the ice and snow out of the gutters rather than your hand. Using your hand to retrieve snow leads to losing feeling in your fingers, which could make working on a ladder, or being on the roof more dangerous. And of slightly more minor concern, that type of exposure to snow and ice could lead to getting a cut on your hand if you are not careful.
Furthermore, bring another object to chip any icicles off the rain gutter while you’re up there. Your tool doesn’t have to be anything too special, just a device like a small hand shovel will do. And remember, you don’t want to use your hands, even with gloves, to remove snow, ice, and icicles.
With ice and snow in your gutters, you are likely dealing with it on the ground. Always use a ladder when attending to your gutters, and during winter, make sure to wear rubber-soled shoes to limit any slipping or sliding.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN YOU CLEAN GUTTERS IN THE WINTER
If you follow the safety protocols outlined above, you can feel a little better about the position you’re putting yourself in to clean your gutters during winter. Once you’re up there, make sure to inspect each of the following:
First, check for any apparent damage. Whether it’s a hole in the gutter, rotting, or a clog, make sure the damage gets noted and addressed immediately. This check should include cleaning gutters.
Then, check to see if any water is pooling. You don’t want any pooling water in the gutter system because that means it is compromised. After all, gutters are supposed to make water flow out of the gutter system.
Third, check to see if there is any seepage. Inspect all gaps and seams between the gutter and the fascia to see if water leaks.
Once you’ve had a chance to audit all of these aspects of your rain gutters, it’s time to decide how you want to address any issues and if you need to clean gutters in the winter.
Also, large trees can potentially damage your property during ice storms or high winds since the large branches or the tree itself can collapse over your house. Look to a professional to maintain and to plant trees that best suit your property. We highly recommend JoJacs Landscape and Mowing in the Wichita and surrounding areas.
GUTTER KING WICHITA: A TRUSTED FULL-SERVICE GUTTER COMPANY
What Can We Do in Freezing Temperatures?
Fascia and fascia wrap
Gutter & guard installations
What Can We NOT Do in Freezing Temperatures?
Cleaning gutters (due to freezing, it’s too cold to clean gutters)
Gutter guards on existing gutters (due to freezing, it’s too cold to clean gutters, which we do before installing guards)
Repairing or resealing existing gutters
If, after you’ve identified all of the issues with your rain gutters, you’re concerned about fixing the problems yourself, call Gutter King Wichita at 316-680-6708 and we can clean gutters in the winter. We are a local full-service rain gutter company, who has worked on more gutter systems during winter than we can remember.
If the issue feels complicated, like one of your gutters has an ice dam, we would strongly you to give us a call. During the most challenging season, a complex issue with cleaning a gutter is a recipe for disaster, and Gutter King Wichita has insured professionals ready for urgent maintenance requests.
Winter Preparedness Checklist for Home – Your home needs several types of maintenance at different times of the year. You can perform some tasks monthly, quarterly, or yearly, and just once each season. January or February is an excellent time of the year to check off the items listed below. Here are ten wintertime tips we hope you find helpful to preserve your home for the cold months ahead.
1. Check the Fireplace
For example, check for cracks on the chimney structure, as well as loose bricks or missing mortar. A wire-mesh cap should cover the top of the chimney to keep out critters, leaves, and rain. Also, check for creosote build-up in your chimney. Call a professional chimney cleaner if you’re not sure when or how to clean your chimney.
2. Drain Sediment From Your Water Heater – Winter Preparedness Checklist for Home
We do not know many people who do this; however, it most certainly can extend the life of your water heater by years. Sediment will collect at the bottom of a tank and create hot spots, which can cause the tank to leak. If you have an electric-powered tank, sediment can cause failure in the lower heating element. Therefore, experts recommend draining water heaters at least once each year.
10 Wintertime Tips
3. Clean Up & Donate to Charity
Winter months are a great time to go through your house and collect things that you or your family no longer use. So, put on your favorite music and place a plastic tub in each room.
4. Prevent Outside Water Faucets from Freezing
Oh, the joy of going into your relaxing, cozy den only to discover wet carpet, soggy sheetrock, and water is dripping down the wall. We’re not pointing fingers here, but you should remove garden hoses from all faucets, including frost-free. The reason is that the water may not drain down properly away from the tap, and instead, it will expand in the fixture and pipe. And finally, when that happens, you can expect a water leak, costly repairs to the interior, and costly plumber services.
5. Prepare for Winter Storms
Unfortunately, there can be heavy ice or strong winds with winter storms, which cause power outages. Therefore, you should have plenty of bottled water, non-perishables, first-aid supplies, toiletry items, a phone charger for your car, and flashlights. Check out the CDC’s recommendations for cold weather preparedness.
6. Stop Ice Dams From Forming – Winter Preparedness Checklist for Home
Some homes are more likely to form ice dams than others. Ice dams are continuous chunks of ice that form along the edges of your roof. They’re no big deal when they’re frozen. But when outside temps warm up, water melting off the top will flow downward and pool behind the ice. This situation is when water will seep under the shingles. Eventually, the water will drip through and into the soffits, walls, and even onto your ceilings.
10 wintertime tips
7. Reverse Ceiling Fans
Winter = Clockwise, Slowest Speed
Summer = Counter Clockwise
It’s that easy! In the summer, you want the air pushing straight down on you to help cool. In the winter, you want a gentle updraft to push warm air, which naturally rises to the ceiling, down along the walls, and the floor.
10 wintertime tips
8. Protect Patio Furniture
You can extend the life of your patio furniture by taking a few winterizing steps. For example, you can apply a specialty oil finish on wood patio furniture and you can give aluminum powder-coated furniture a coat of automotive wax. After applying these protective coatings, dry thoroughly, then cover with a tarp.
9. Purchase Salt or Sand
Provide traction for family, friends, neighbors, and those delivering your packages, by stocking up on sand or ice melt. For those with north-side exposure, you may have sidewalk surfaces or driveways in shade. These areas are particularly susceptible to ice or black ice. In the photo, you can see the condensation is on only part of the sidewalk–the section which is closest to the house and the entryway. The reason for this is that the air warmed up quickly today, from 21°F to 52°F. The sidewalk in the sun is warmer than the sidewalk in the shade, therefore we have condensation. Furthermore, ice will form again on this sidewalk in a few hours, when the temperature drops below 32°F.
10. Clean Your Gutters
Clogged gutters in the winter are a particularly bad situation in this area because of the rainy season just around the corner. Your gutters must be free from leaf muck, sticks, pine cones, and leaves, in order to move water away from your home. If you haven’t already, call Gutter King Wichita to clean your gutters.
When a gutter overflows, it isn’t good. Gutters are designed to channel stormwater runoff from your roof into your downspouts. But when there is a problem, the water will spill over the sides of your gutters. Read on to learn how you can prevent rainwater damage to your home.
Water seepage
A few of the consequences to gutter overflow are:
a cracked foundation
basement flooding
fascia board rot
stained or discolored siding
landscape erosion
prevent rainwater damage
Now, for the details about how to prevent rainwater damage…
#1 Clean Out Your Gutters and Downspouts
At least twice each year, you need to climb up a ladder (or hire a professional) and remove the sludge, pine needles, twigs, and leaves. Furthermore, using a garden hose, run water through the gutters and downspouts. If there is a blockage, you may have to use a high-pressure sprayer to break it up.
prevent rainwater damage
#2 Install Gutter Guards
Generally speaking (though not always), it is important to cover your gutters with a product designed to keep solids out of the gutters. They are made from a variety of materials and different designs. While economical, many of the big box stores’ alternatives become plugged with debris due to the larger openings. And unless professionally installed gutter guards, they typically blow off the gutters during our Kansas high winds. Please check out our professionally designed and installed gutter guards. The cost of a permanent and superior product costs less than you may think.
prevent rainwater damage
#3 Check the Tilt and Pitch of Your Gutters
Check the slope of your gutters. If it’s flat, water will stand in the gutters and will not flow toward the downspouts. And if the slope is too steep, the water will splash over at the ends during heavy rain. Also, check your gutters’ pitch by using a level to make sure they aren’t tilting backward or forward.
prevent rainwater damage
# 4 Check Your Gutter Sizes
In homes with steep-pitched roofs, sometimes the existing gutters are too small to handle the volume of runoff that flows from the roof. Therefore, you may need to install larger gutters. Call us to learn more about our seamless guttering services.
#5 Install Splash Blocks
Runoff water in roof valleys typically travels too fast to drain into gutters and will splash over and onto the ground. A splash block attaches at the corner of a gutter system, at the roof valley. This diverts water into the gutters. To install, drill holes into the splash guards and gutter, install rivets inside the holes, and permanently fasten the splash guard to your gutters.
Trees and clogged gutters are typically a pair. There are many reasons why.
Trees are an essential source of oxygen in our environment; they can filter the CO2 emitted by vehicles. And they provide habitats and food for a vast number of animals. Trees are beautiful components of the natural landscape of any property, adding harmony and peace. However, you need to be thoughtful when planning placement and type of tree.
How to Manage Trees and Clogged Gutters
The type of tree and its location determine different aspects that should be considered by homeowners. For example, the distribution of shade, how the tree will function in your yard and, the frequency of maintenance. To make your lives easier, we gathered useful tips to help prevent clogged gutters. Here’s a look:
Careful Planning
Before planting trees, you need to be thoughtful about some aspects that may interfere with your roof, utility lines, or foundations.
trees and clogged gutters
Also, large trees can potentially damage your property during heavy rain or high winds since the large branches or the tree itself can collapse over your house. Look to a professional to plant trees that best suit your property. We highly recommend JoJacs Landscape and Mowing in the Wichita and surrounding areas.
Tree Maintenance
Non-maintained, leafy trees and rain gutters don’t mix. Specifically, the reason is that when leaves and twigs land in rain gutters, they can clog and damage your gutters, especially during the rainy season. For this reason, you need to have trees maintained and trimmed so that they do not touch your home, gutters, windows, etc. If your trees are close to power lines, we recommend you look for the help of tree service or the electric company, and they will trim them for you.
Regular Rain Gutter Maintenance and Gutter Guards Installation
As part of your yard maintenance, rain gutter system maintenance is just as important. Regular gutter cleaning will prevent costly damage to your foundation and prevent water intrusion into your basement.
Additionally, in many situations, gutter guards are a great option to keep your rain gutters free from most debris. Although they may still need occasional blowing, this is minor compared to cleaning gutters, which are full of weedy growth, insects, and sludge.
Gutter maintenance is important for many reasons. Gutter neglect over a long period of time is expensive. Your home’s foundation and structure is affected by clogged or neglected gutter systems. Learn more with the information below.
Repair Any Damage
Regular gutter maintenance will ensure repair on damaged gutters. Additionally, damaged gutters add weight to your gutter systems and will eventually destroy fascia boards. Rain gutter systems will support so much weight before they fail, whether they fail by leaning or becoming detached!
Get Ready for Winter!
As we move into winter, gutter maintenance is more important than ever. You’ll want to be sure that your gutters are in good repair and clean. The frigid winter months can bring winds, precipitation, and extra debris into your gutter system. Keeping your gutters in good condition while we go December, January and February will give you the confidence that they will not become weighed down by additional fall debris remaining in your gutters.
Clogged Gutters Will Damage Your Home
When it comes to home maintenance and repairs, there are few things worse than clogged gutters. Why? The costs of repairing damage from clogged gutters far outweigh the cost of merely maintaining them well. At Gutter King Wichita, we care about the health of your home. Give us a call at 316-680-6708 to schedule a fast, affordable quote.
Maintain Gutters and Clear Away Summer Storm Debris
Now is the time to have your gutters cleaned, if you haven’t yet cleared away summer storm debris. Gutter maintenance is more important than ever, and you want clean gutters before leaves begin to fall. That summer storm debris is heavy, clogs drains and will contribute to rain gutter damage.
Protect Your Home’s Foundation with Regular Gutter Maintenance
The purpose of a gutter system is to lead stormwater away from your foundation. Foundation damage happens when water pools near the foundation of your home. The best thing to prevent foundation damage is to keep your gutters clean. Besides, a clogged underground yard drain system will lead to flooding your yard, which also leads to pooling water at your foundation. Gutter King Wichita is your Gutter Maintenance expert in Wichita and the surrounding areas.
Taming the Leaves to Maintain Gutters
Your gutters are only functional when water can flow through them. This is why gutter maintenance is important. Keeping the leaves at bay is an essential objective in fall gutter cleaning. Wet leaves can weigh down your gutters and potentially damage the fascia on the side of your home. Fascia repairs are expensive and preventable. An obstructed flow can cause issues like water pooling around the base of your home.
Gutter maintenance is important for many reasons. Gutter neglect over a long period of time is expensive. Your home’s foundation and structure are affected by clogged or neglected gutter systems. Call us at 316-680-6708 to schedule a fast, affordable quote on gutter cleaning, gutter repair, gutter guards, or new seamless gutters.
1. Choose the correct ladder. Use a fiberglass ladder if there is any chance of contact with electricity. Choose a sturdy ladder with slip-resistant pads.
2. Inspect your ladder. Be sure there are no loose bolts, cracks or corrosion.
3. Never stand on top of a ladder. Make sure your ladder extends three feet above the landing.
Gutter Cleaning Costs and 10 Things a Homeowner Needs to Know to solve problems, save money, and improve your home. Not every home’s a fixer-upper, but all houses need occasional repairs and maintenance. Below are 10 things a homeowner needs to know.
1. Clogged Gutters Can Destroy a Home
They really can. We have seen it.
Here are just three ways clogged gutters do big damage:
An overflowing gutter creates pools of water at the foundation. These pools of water will penetrate cracks and pores in the concrete foundation. When the foundation deteriorates, water may make its way into the basement ceiling, walls, and flooring.
Clogged gutters are heavy! This weight pulls the fascia away from the roof structure. Consequently, this allows water to enter the attic and drip down into the interior. Or worse, it can saturate attic insulation and trigger toxic microbial growth.
Overflowing gutters lead water down the exterior walls of your home. Siding is not always completely waterproof and cannot resist continuous water flow. Water will seep behind siding and penetrate exterior wood sheathing. Eventually, the water makes its way into your home. And when this happens, it could saturate your interior wallboards and again, facilitate microbial growth in your home.
We are here for you. Prepare your home for Spring by ensuring your gutters are free of debris and in good shape before the rain sets in.
Gutter Cleaning Costs
“How much does it cost to have my gutters cleaned?” Call us at 316-680-6708, and we can give you a quote while we’re on the phone with you within a minute or so. Typically, we charge between $80 and $250, depending on the size and other factors such as if you have gutter screens and if the property is two or three stories, etc.
2. Utility Lines Can Kill – Call 811 Before You Dig
Call 811 before you dig
Before you install a fence, plant a shrub, install a pond or anything landscape related, call to have the underground utility lines marked. Hitting an underground line can cause serious harm or even death. Remember, know what is below; always call 811 before you dig!
gutter cleaning costsss
3. If a Pipe Bursts, You Need to Know the Location of Your Main Water Shutoff Valve
The main valve is the one to stop most plumbing catastrophes, such as a burst pipe. A homeowner needs to make sure everyone knows where this valve is located and knows how to turn it off.
You need to carefully turn the handle several turns to fully close a gate valve
This ball valve is open when the handle aligns with the pipe. To close it, turn the handle clockwise 1/4 turn so that it is at a right angle to the pipe
In warm climates, the main water shutoff is typically outside, attached to a wall or underground.
In colder climates, the main water shutoff is typically in the basement. There is also a “curb stop” shutoff that requires a special tool to operate.
gutter cleaning costs
Gutter Cleaning Near Me
“Where is gutter cleaning near me?” Gutter King Wichita! You’ll see for yourself the reason why we continue to leave our customers incredibly pleased, referring us to their coworkers, friends, and family. In addition, our work is 100% guaranteed, and your complete satisfaction is our goal. Call us at 316-680-6708 for a quote!
4. Hot Water from the Kitchen Faucet Can Scald Your Hands
A water heater set too hot is the reason why thousands of children arrive at the hospitals each year with serious burns.
Temperature dial on a hot water heater
The best temperature for your hot water is 120 degrees F. Although most water heater dials do not have temperature labels, you can check the temperature with a thermometer. Run hot water for at least three minutes. And then fill a glass. Using a thermometer, check the temperature. If the water is above 120 degrees, adjust the dial, wait a few hours, and check once again.
gutter cleaning costs
5. A Dirty or Missing HVAC Filter Will Cost You Money
When you set your thermostat to warm up your house, a couple of things happen. For example, a heat exchanger or electric coil activates. And then air pushes through the furnace with a blower fan and is heated by the exchanger. And finally, in a clean system, this air goes through the evaporator coil and into the supply ductwork.
The evaporator coil has a bunch of tiny air passages that make it work correctly. Therefore, if these are blocked, you’re gonna get cold. Not only will the dirt and junk restrict airflow, but it will also limit heat output. And unless you just turn off your furnace altogether, your HVAC system will have to run longer to reach the temperature you set on your thermostat. And the longer it runs, the higher your utility bills.
A very dirty filter
Your HVAC technician should service your unit once yearly. However, the filter of your HVAC unit tends to get dirty every month. This means that you will either need to call your HVAC every month or check it and change yourself. Although it depends on what type of air filter you use, you need to change it every one to three months.
Check the condition of your filter and change monthly if:
you have pets or
a large family or
your unit is used six months a year to year-round
there is a smoker in the house
you live on a gravel road or in an area with high winds
Change the filter immediately if:
the filter is warped or bent from blocking airflow
there is evidence of microbial growth on the filter
To change the filter:
using a marker, write the date of installation on the filter frame
turn off the unit
follow directions for your unit, to install the filter in the proper airflow direction
also, make sure the filter frame does not bend when you install
replace the lever, seal, or door
gutter cleaning costs
Best Price Gutter Cleaning
6. Stop a Running Toilet
A toilet flapper
The most common cause of a toilet running is a worn flapper that no longer seals properly. In other words, if this flapper leaks, water will seep into the bowl.
To check the flapper: Open the top of the toilet. Use something long like a yardstick to press lightly on the flapper. If the sound of running water stops, you know that the problem is related to the flapper.
However, before you bother to replace it, run your finger around the opening that the flapper rests on. Mineral deposits on the rim will prevent the flapper from sealing. In that case, remove the deposits with an abrasive scrubber. If this does not fix it, replace the flapper.
7. Potato Peels and Garbage Disposals are Not Friends
Potato peels belong in the trash, not the sink
Some foods do not grind down easily and will clog your sink, jam your disposal, or ruin it altogether. Furthermore, you risk flooding your kitchen and basement ceilings if you try to plunge a clogged sink! Do not put these items into your garbage disposal:
grease will solidify and clog the drainpipe
bones and pits can dull the blades, jam the disposal, or get stuck in the drainpipe
potato peels have a huge amount of starch that can clump up and form a thick paste
glass, paper, metal, and plastic can dull or jam the disposal blades
gutter cleaning costs
8. A Small Puddle at Your Water Heater is Never Okay
Do not gamble on your water heater. Water heaters sometimes leak from the drain or relief valves, which are easy to replace. But if a leak is coming from the tank, watch out.
A water heater with small puddles of water
Most leaks come from the hot water tank itself. If the tank leaks, there is a problem. For example, it is likely that one of the components has sprung a leak and caused water to slowly leak out and pool at the bottom of the tank.
Usually, the cause of this is sediment build-up inside the tank. If you leave the sediment long enough, it will begin to crack and rust the steel tank, eventually leading to a leak.
A leak from the tank itself almost always means the water heater will need to be replaced. In this scenario, you can contact a professional plumber to investigate further.
Left alone, a damaged tank will eventually rupture, and then you have an instant flood. It might take months or just days for a leak to become a flood—but it will happen. So, do not gamble; replace that ticking time bomb now.
9. A GFCI Outlet Only Needs to be on a Circuit–Not in Every Bathroom or Kitchen
Ground fault circuit interrupt (GFCI)
Do you know that sometimes all bathroom outlets and one or more exterior outlets are powered through a single GFCI located in one bathroom or elsewhere, such as in a random basement room? The GFCI needs only to be in the CIRCUIT. Not in every bathroom or at every sink. For example, we found several homes where the GFCI in the basement powered the exterior electric outlet near the front porch AND the three bathroom outlets.
If there is an outage, locate all of your GFCI’s and push the reset button. That may be all you need to restore power.
10. Do Not Cut Down a Tree “Just Because”
Before deciding to cut down a tree on your property, consider the risk. Even small trees can fall awkwardly and cause damage to your house or your neighbor’s property.
A split tree trunk
The tree above is split down the trunk and would likely damage nearby structures if not removed. Sometimes cutting down a tree is required; however, always thoughtfully consider your options.
DO hire a professional tree service to examine your tree and provide options that best suit you and your needs. Furthermore, the longevity of your tree depends on the trimming, pruning, and canopy maintenance. A tree must have proper care from the beginning to provide you with beauty and shade. Also, the shade from a tree ultimately decreases energy bills.
