WHAT'S UP THIS SUMMER

WHAT'S UP

STORM ISSUES

Worried about what's happening weather-wise?

Check here:

https://www.facebook.com/denisphillipsweatherman

https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/manatee/34208/weather-forecast/2243427

10/10/2024

Milton has come and gone and left a trail of damage and debris and power outages. So far we know Esplanade has power. Other communities are iffy. We will be doing as many post-storm checks as possible this afternoon. Communication is sketchy so we may only be able to text or email. Please be patient! Thanks!!!!

There are some great apps like "Hurricane Tracker" to well, track hurricanes...

HVAC Systems

Maybe it's the unusually hot, dry weather, the age of many homes here in LWR, changing technology or all of the above, but HVAC systems are having a tough time this year. Please double check with your HVAC company to find out what they recommend for your system. Most companies had been touting a cup of vinegar followed some time later by at least a gallon of hot water. More and more we are hearing that vinegar is "ok" but definitely needs to have the follow up flush. Otherwise it sits in the pipes and gets icky (highly technical term).

Bleach - we have heard bleach works well on our PVC pipes but it is really bad for the glue that holds them together. So, a bleach cleanse of the pipes needs a hot water flush as well.

Some clients use a solution from NuLine (Amazon) and another called "AC line" that can be found at Home Depot. They are added to the condensation line every few months as directed. No flush required.

Some HVAC companies just want you to add hot water (a lot) to the line.

BUT ASK YOU COMPANY ABOUT YOUR SYSTEM!! We follow your direction in what you want us to do for your system.

Garbage Disposals

We have noticed several garbage disposals are leaking. I am 100% sure this is not an epidemic, only a result of what we practice. Every time we go to your home, we run the disposal and check it. How many of you do that....ever? You might want to check every once in a while, down here and up there.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE

POWER SURGE

Unless you can testify in court that your home was hit by lightning, you probably experienced a "power surge." We have learned insurance companies treat the two very differently.

That brings me to the story about a client's home this year that had a power surge. One really really thunderous Saturday recently, a client's home in LWR lost power, their alarm went off (cellular backup), their HVAC system went down and their garage door opener burned out. Several GFCIs fried....Oh - and they had a gas leak. Seems a little power surge can create a pinhole in a gas line.....We and our clients spent hours and days getting the house back in working order. We will still need to keep track of what's happening as power surges create situations where some electrical elements may fizzle out over time, not just right away.

A whole home surge protector may have mitigated some of the issues. Contact your electric company to ask the cost of them adding one to your meter ($ monthly) or have an electrician put one on ($$$ one-time).