Why is an Earthquake Gas Shutoff Valve Important for San Francisco Area Homeowners?
Why is an Earthquake Gas Shutoff Valve Important for San Francisco Area Homeowners? There is a lot to love about living in the San Francisco area, so we all take the threat of earthquakes as something of a trade-off. In order to minimize the damage that a large earthquake could have on our homes, we [...]
Is a Dirty Air Filter Hindering the Performance of Your Furnace?
Is a Dirty Air Filter Hindering the Performance of Your Furnace? Of all the things that homeowners can do to keep their furnaces running smoothly and efficiently, the most important one is checking and changing air filters on a regular basis. A dirty air filter is one of the biggest threats to the performance of [...]
How to Unclog a Shower Drain on Your Own
How to Unclog a Shower Drain on Your Own Have you been noticing a lot of water building up at your feet while you’re taking a shower? If so, you’re probably dealing with a clogged shower drain. The good news for San Francisco area homeowners is that if your clog isn’t too severe, there are [...]
What is a Good AFUE Rating for a New Furnace?
What is a Good AFUE Rating for a New Furnace? A new furnace is a big investment, and something that is likely to be in your home for more than a decade. As a result, it’s important to know everything you can before you choose a unit that’s right for your home. For homeowners in [...]
Why Should Bay Area Homeowners Consider Whole House Water Filters?
Why Should Bay Area Homeowners Consider Whole House Water Filters? If you’re looking to get clean and great tasting water at home, a water filtration system is an essential addition to your water supply. Sure, you could drink bottled water every day as an alternative to your tap water, but that gets expensive very quickly [...]
Use a Programmable Thermostat to Put Your Energy Savings on Autopilot
Use a Programmable Thermostat to Put Your Energy Savings on Autopilot In continuation of this week’s discussion on energy saving options for San Francisco, Palo Alto or East Bay area homeowners, we wanted to talk about programmable thermostats and how you can use them to easily cut down on your utility bills. A programmable thermostat [...]
How Can a Tankless Water Heater Help Save Energy at Home?
How Can a Tankless Water Heater Help Save Energy at Home? Homeowners in San Francisco–or nearby cities like San Mateo, Palo Alto, Orinda, Lafayette or Walnut Creek–have a number of different options when it comes to heating the water in their homes. One option that has been growing in popularity over the past few years [...]
Gifting – Thinking Outside of the Box
Gifting – Thinking Outside of the Box As December draws near, many of us are busy determining what holiday gifts can be easily purchased and conveniently wrapped up and decorated with some ribbon. This season, try to avoid making hasty purchasing decisions and buying a large quantity of merchandise that has been mass produced overseas. [...]
Why Your Home Should have Water Saving Fixtures
Why Your Home Should have Water Saving Fixtures Many people think of energy conservation as someone else’s problem — let other families worry about saving the Earth. Regardless of your beliefs about global warming, greenhouse emissions, and the world running out of fossil fuels, just about everybody’s ears perk up when the possibility of saving money [...]
Dual Flush Toilets Conserve Water for Bay Area Homes
Dual Flush Toilets Conserve Water for Bay Area Homes If you’re concerned about saving our natural resources (and if you aren’t, you should be), you may want to consider having a dual flush toilet installed in your Bay Area home. What exactly is a dual flush model? It’s a toilet that allows you to decide [...]
Identify and Fix Water Leaks Before They Do Major Damage
Identify and Fix Water Leaks Before They Do Major Damage Water leaking inside your home is not something to be taken lightly. If not addressed immediately, plumbing leaks could end up costing you thousands in repairs and you could be dealing with mold and permanent damage to your home. Does your wood floor have significant [...]
When Do You Need an Inspector?
When Do You Need an Inspector? If you’re having work done in your home by a plumbing or HVAC contractor, should you have the job looked at by a city or county inspector? The answer can vary, but in most cases it comes down to the contractor doing the work and the type of project [...]
There May Never be a Better Time to Upgrade Your Water Heater
There May Never be a Better Time to Upgrade Your Water Heater December 31, 2011 might mean New Year’s Eve to many people, but if you’re a homeowner in the Bay Area, you might want to think of it as the last day for receiving substantial saving on purchasing a new water heater and having it installed. The final [...]
Going, Going, Almost Gone: The Federal Energy Tax Credits
Going, Going, Almost Gone: The Federal Energy Tax Credits If you haven’t taken advantage of any of the federal government’s energy tax credits, you have a little bit of time left, but not much — they run out on December 31, 2011. If you’re one of the many people hoping they’ll be extended just as they [...]
Water Pressure Problems?
Water Pressure Problems? If you’re taking a shower one morning and suddenly come to the realization that your water pressure isn’t what it once was, it may not be your imagination — older houses can gradually lose their water supply capacity over time. If you move into a new or pre-owned home, it’s not unusual [...]
Ready for a New Garbage Disposal?
Ready for a New Garbage Disposal? A garbage disposal is one of those kitchen conveniences that once you start using it– you wonder how you ever did without. Dishes that you had to scrape off into a trash receptacle can now be simply rinsed in the sink and with one flick of a switch — all [...]
Autumn Means Furnace Maintenance
Autumn Means Furnace Maintenance The first day of autumn means different things to different people, but if you’re a Bay Area homeowner, it should mean it’s time to do some furnace maintenance as you get ready for the temperatures to begin dropping. Many Bay Area residents don’t have or use central AC so your furnace may [...]
Bring Your Shower Fixtures into the 21st Century
Bring Your Shower Fixtures into the 21st Century If you’re like many Bay Area homeowners, the shower fixtures in your master bath may have been installed back when even having a shower was considered a luxury. In those days taking a shower was often just a quick way to get clean without having to take time to [...]
How About some Outside Hose Bibs?
How About some Outside Hose Bibs? Whether you call them outside water hydrants or hose bibs, if you spend a lot of time working on your yard or keeping your vehicles clean, you know how handy they can be. If you’re constantly connecting hoses together and stretching them out around your yard, you probably also [...]
What Do You Know About Automatic Zoning?
What Do You Know About Automatic Zoning? How many times have you found yourself checking the thermostat because one part of your home always seems to be colder or warmer than everywhere else? If you have have a multi-level Bay Area home, your top floor may always seem to be warmer than the main floor where [...]
