Common Questions/Troubleshooting

Common Questions/Trouble Shooting

Some things may happen in your home that require an immediate response from you before an expert can arrive, or that you may be able to troubleshoot on your own without needing an appointment.  Below are a few helpful tricks and how-to’s to help minimize any potential inconvenience to you or damage to your home.

 

***IMPORTANT FREEZE WARNING****

The forecasted low temperature for our area beginning Thursday night is near single digits and remains below freezing until Sunday when it is only forecasted to reach 34*. In addition, winds are expected to average between 20 and 30 mph on Friday. Please make sure you are prepared for any potential power outages by stocking up on non-perishable items, water and blankets. Also winterize your outside hose bibs by closing inside valves and leaving open outside to drain completely. Frozen exterior hose bibs are a non-warrantable items so make sure you know how to prepare these for the pending weather. PLEASE STAY SAFE AND WARM!

 

CHANGING AIR FILTERS

Changing the air filters is routine maintenance that should be done every 3 months for optimal performance of your HVAC Unit. Below is an instructional video on how to change your air filter.

 

WATER SHUT-OFFS

  • Individual shut-offs for sinks, toilets, dishwasher, fridge, laundry, hose bibs
    • Sinks – individual shut offs for hot/cold under each
    • Toilet – cold water line shutoff coming out of floor/wall behind toilet
    • Dishwasher – line with shutoff is under kitchen sink
    • Fridge – water line is behind the fridge when you roll it out safely
    • Laundry – H/C lines in wall have shutoffs
    • Hose bibs – each has an individual shutoff either under a sink or at the water heater
  • Main shut-off for whole house – Water heater and at water meter
    • Main whole house shut off is in garage near the water heater
    • Water heater has a specific shutoff
    • Main water shutoff (between street & house) is in ground under the cover in the front yard or driveway

GFIs/BREAKERS

  • GFI resets for bathrooms and kitchen
    • Kitchen – when outlets trip look for GFCI reset buttons on outlets and/or on labeled breakers
    • Baths – All bath outlets are daisy chained to one bath wall GFCI reset outlet/breaker
  • How to reset Breakers – Breaker panel is usually in garage, or possibly in basement
    To reset a breaker it Must be force to the outside all the way to reset it fully, the push it back toward the middle of the panel

 

PILOT LIGHTS

  • Fireplace – If you have a gas fireplace, turn gas knob to Pilot position and hold down for up to a minute to bleed air out while pushing the start button repeatedly. If you cannot get it started turn knob back to the off position.
  • Water Heater – If you have a gas Water Heater, there is a cover on the front bottom that can be removed and you will see a looking glass. Look to see if the pilot light is on. If not follow the instructions on the water heater to start the pilot. If you do that and it still doesn’t work please refer to the emergency contact card and call the plumbers.

 

GARAGE DOOR

  • The pull string at the opener disengages the chain from the motor allowing you to manually operate the door in the case of a power outage

 

For heat advisories

Sustained temperatures in the 90’s are expected this week. Below are tips to not only keep your loved ones safe, but to make sure your AC does not die from exhaustion!

• KEEP IN MIND, your home’s Air Conditioner is sized for 92 degree days. The system’s are Engineered to cool your home up to 20 degrees cooler than outdoor air. If your AC is typically set at 71 degrees or lower, your AC might be struggling to keep up with temps in the low 90’s.
• Keep your blinds CLOSED. This keeps the sun’s rays out and will help your AC sustain the desired temperature.
• Pick a temperature and press HOLD on your thermostat.
• Turn your fan setting to ON instead of auto. Keeping your Blower on will help circulate air better also helping your AC from overworking.
• If you have overhead fans, leave them ON to help circulate the air in your home.
• Keep doors and windows CLOSED, including garage overhead doors leading to interior of home, to prevent flow of warm air from entering.
• Since your AC will be working overtime, you will need to REPLACE YOUR FILTER more often. Check it during the weekend to ensure your filter is not restricting air flow.

Stay safe, stay hydrated, and make it a great week!