Chimneys can be made of brick or wood. The flue keeps the gasses of the furnace, water heater, or fireplace from getting in contact with the chimney. The above video shows that the visible clay tile flue liners are only above the chimney. We do what we can to view inside the flue liner to …
You likely wish to protect the things you love. And you probably like your home a lot. Years may pass without experiencing any weather-related damage to a home. Don’t fall into a lull and assume no natural threats to the property exist. The elements can turn wicked without warning, and you must prepare yourself for …
What Are the Biggest Causes of Damage to a Home’s Exterior? Read More »
The sewer lines bring the waste water to the public sewer line or the septic pit. This pipe does belong to the homeowner until it meets with the city sewer system. In this photo we found a problem before we even put our scope into the pipe. If you focus on the middle of the …
From the outside it was a beautiful looking home. Underneath we found a bunch of termite damage along gravity defying construction practices.
Most of the homes in the Chicagoland area have below grade areas such as basements and crawlspaces. Since these areas are below grade, any water that gets to these areas needs to be pumped out of the area and properly disposed. Sometimes it is easier to answer a few of the more common questions I …
Sometimes we get a home that has many issues and do get overwhelmed. This house had a few things going on with just the service wire alone. When I look up and see the exposed conductors, I get a bit nervous. This is not a simple repair. The service entrance cable does need to be …
We found this garage furnace with the vent turned downwards. All vents, vent connectors, and flies should flow upwards. Heat rises and there should not be anything that will restrict the flow of the dangerous gasses that need to be discharged to the exterior. This was an HAVC company that installed this furnace. Most HVAC …
This photo was taken inside the sump pit. The pipe that brings water into the sump pit is no longer discharging the water INTO the pit. The water has eroded the earth around the pit. Since this is near the footing and foundation wall, if left untreated, it can take its toll on the structure. …
Recessed lighting goes by a few different names such as down light, can light, canister light, and pot light. Pot light is mostly used by our north-of-the-border neighbors in Canada and not so much here in the United States. There are two different types of recessed lighting. Insulation Contact (IC) rated Non-IC rated IC-rated housings …
Many people are subsidizing their bills with solar panels and other renewable energy solutions, but that’s just the beginning. With the green movement currently in full swing, more and more people are becoming more environmentally conscious. There are a variety of ways we can reduce our carbon footprint, but instituting renewable energy sources into our …
How Renewable Energy is Impacting HVAC Solutions Read More »