With the holidays nearly upon us, our schedules are about to get busier, our lives are about to get more hectic, and your home is more than likely about to experience a problem. That last thing may be the most concerning to the average homeowner: with so much going on, who has time to get something repaired or replaced? However, just because the holiday season is here doesn’t mean that wear and tear make your home take a break from getting fixed. In fact, the added use the average home sees during the colder and more activity-packed holiday season actually makes certain problems more likely.
In this blog, we’ll talk about four different facts that contribute to problems with your home around the holiday season. If you want to stay ahead of these problems, read on!
Winter means colder temperatures, and colder temperatures mean people all across the northeast fire up their heaters to try and stay comfortable. However, your heater will only work well if your home is able to contain the heat, and the average home loses the vast majority of its heat through air leaks found in places like your doors and windows.
Under normal circumstances, these openings are insulated via weather stripping, a flexible rubber or plastic part that bends to create a tight air seal. Over time, this seal decays and forms cracks that allow air to escape. Even a small air leak can cause a dramatic change in your indoor temperature in a shorter amount of time, and that means more cycling, more energy used, and more money out of your pocket. Before the weather gets too cold, take this opportunity to check your weather stripping around your home and replace any locations where it has become damaged.
This comes as a shock to most people, but this is 100% true! The reason: garbage disposals. While those who host Thanksgiving celebrations and festivities at their homes do sometimes encounter problems with things like toilets, faucets, or drains, the overwhelming majority of the calls are for garbage disposal problems. And here’s the other thing that surprises people: the overwhelming majority of garbage disposal issues are preventable.
If you want to avoid a garbage disposal nightmare this Thanksgiving, be careful what you put down the drain. Avoid stringy foods like asparagus or corn husks, starchy foods like potato peelings or pieces of bread, or fatty foods like grease or oils, often which come from meat dishes. If you’re ever in doubt, simply throw it in the trash and toss the trash in your main bin. You’ll be far happier not having to deal with a pesky clog or jammed garbage disposal on Black Friday.
The National Fire Protection Agency has found that holiday lights or decorative lighting are responsible for an average of around 150 house fires per year, equating to nearly $9 million in damage. While faulty lights or cheap manufacturing on some lights does account for some of these issues, many of these fires are started due to outdoor lighting issues. Using electricity outside is safer today than it has possibly ever been, but it’s still not a risk-free activity.
If you’re going to be doing outdoor decorating, make sure your decorations and your extension cords connecting them to power are all outdoor-rated. Never use an indoor extension cord for outdoor use. Also, make sure your lights are on a timer so they don’t run all night long. This not only saves you energy and releases you from the hassle of remembering to plug them in and turn them off but also prevents extended hours of use from possibly causing one to spark a fire. Finally, never staple holiday lights to your home—staples can have sharp edges, and sharp edges can penetrate through wire shielding, creating a short that sparks a fire.
Just because your heater is shut off for the summer doesn’t mean that it’s going to stay in the same condition. As the days go by, wear and tear will still slowly set in and make it difficult for your heater to function optimally. This wear and tear is notorious for causing breakdowns in systems the first time the heater comes back on after being dormant for the summer season. When you first fire up your heater, parts are often stiff from not having moved in some time, which causes strange noises, smells, and generally inefficient operation. Do yourself a favor this winter: before you fire up your heater for the first time, have your system professionally maintained. Your system and your wallet will both thank you.
Whether it’s a plumbing problem, heating and cooling repair, or an issue with your water quality, trust EnviroSafe Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning, and Water Treatment to get it resolved! Contact us today.
I highly recommend !! Andrew was very professional, respectful, and knowledgeable. He explained what needed to be done and even took pictures to show me and then provided me with the cost. He took his time and made sure everything was done properly. Andrew is a fantastic… Read more
I used envirosafe two years ago when I bought my house, they have been excellent from the moment I called them. Gage and Micheal were the technicians that came to my house to service my water softener system and these guys were awesome. They answered every question and… Read more
Andrew was absolutely professional and worked diligently to find a balance with the boiler system. It is very difficult system because one boiler heats four apartments. Andrew and his helper put new air pressure gauges on the radiators and made sure that all the radiators were… Read more
Andrew and Shawn were friendly, knowledgeable, informative and very genuine. Air was in the lines they needed bleeding and maintenance so that my heat could be properly working for the winter season. It was a pleasure having these gentlemen service my boiler so that me and my… Read more
I had a great experience with them today! Yesterday I realized our water heater wasn’t working. The trouble shooting was beyond my experience. I called them and the dispatch was helpful and had two technicians arrive within a couple of hours. The technician(s) were very… Read more
EnviorSafe came out to my home to repair a busted water pipe due to the cold weather within 3 hours of me calling them. Andrew, the technician who came to my home was very professional, knowledgeable and friendly and did a great job at a very reasonable cost. I highly… Read more
We have a well and our resin tank is over 16 years old. We thought the resin tank was failing. Fred and Sean showed up on time and were great. after inspecting the resin tank in only need maintenance, they did an amazing job. They were honest, very personable and the price was… Read more
I was referred to this company by my sister who had service done at her home for the first time. I called to get a repair/replacement (plumbing:overflow panel) tub wouldn’t drain out.One thing I love about the company, they were initially more concerned to fix the less cost… Read more
Jake and Marquan are excellent, and if you get either of them to provide service to your home, they’re both very professional, as well as great to converse with. The work done was handled properly, and I now have an all electric water heater with a tank, that is going to save… Read more
Avery was the technician that came out to service my softener system. super polite, very informative, and very quick. super friendly and made my first experience well worth it. will definitely be repeating business!
This is my second time using this company. I found them by luck (googling for someone that works with water softeners). Both times Gage our technician came to the house and repaired our water softener, replaced the pipe going from our well to the bladder and also fixed a leaky… Read more
I had Mike and Avery install a water softener and an RO system on my water system. From the very first visit I’ve been impressed with their knowledge, experience, professionalism and disposition. It’s been a long time since I’ve been impressed with any home service people. But… Read more
We used Envirosafe for several different projects from HVAC and a new boiler/hot water heater to replacing almost all of our plumbing lines. We did a few projects at a time over several months and the whole time Envirosafe was great to deal with. They made the process so easy,… Read more
Jake was very thorough, communicated and explained everything throughout the service process and was very professional. Even offered to clean around ac unit outside of service, all of this in the rain! Would definitely recommend Envirosafe to a friend.. ask for Jake! He’s great!
Avery stopped out to conduct our yearly maintenance on our water treatment system. He is a phenomenal employee. Not only was he training a newer employee, but he took the time to show me some things about our system that I did not know. His customer service and both guys over… Read more
We have always had a good experience with EnviroSafe. Bryan provided excellent service with our air conditioning repair. He was extremely knowledgeable and responsive to our needs.
Our relationship with EnviroSafe began in July, from installing a brand new unit, to a challenge with our dishwasher and more recently a hot water tank issue. Each and every representative we have dealt with has been professional, knowledgeable, timely and accommodating… Read more
I have used Envirosafe on several different occasions. Most recently I used them to tune up my boiler prior to the winter season. He discovered some leaks in a few other pipes related to my heating system and was able to fix it the same day. Would recommend for anyone who is… Read more
Envirosafe meets all our water and plumbing needs. They respond promptly and arrive prepared. Fred Perry is one their friendly hard working knowledgeable technicians who gets the job done with a smile and thoroughly explains the service. Envirosafe is our go to company for… Read more
From the original phone call where we were provided same day service, to Jeff and CJ arriving when they said they would. The whole experience was excellent. Jeff and CJ diagnosed and repaired the problem quickly and efficiently. We would use Enviro Safe again.
First, Emma was the greatest assistance in guiding me regarding service, scheduling and follow-up regarding addressing my problem with my heater. Next, Nate came the same day and diagnosed and repaired the problem quickly and efficient. Lastly, both individuals were so… Read more
Fred and Calvin showed up on time, were great communicators regarding our plumbing issue, possible options, the state of our repair during the job, and how much it would cost. They were friendly, conversive, and efficient in completing the job. Can’t recommend them highly enough.
Pleasant experience. Everything went as planned. All employees were courteous and professional especially Chris, Jake, Devin and the first technician whose name I can’t recall. Job well done
My technician was Jeff H. from Envirosafe. He was terrific. He fixed my problem and also spent time checking everything out. He was knowledgeable, kind and helpful. He asked if I had questions or needed anything else addressed. I only wish every service tech was this helpful… Read more
