Cal-Pro Real Estate Inspections

Caring For Your Air Conditioner

Inspector — Sun, 29 Sep 2019 21:07:30 +0000

You have probably used your air conditioning quite a bit in the past months, and even though the weather is cooling down, there are still days when it feels good to have that cooling power available. Annual costs for running your air conditioning are not as high as they used to be as units are becoming more and more energy efficient. However, the units are still fairly expensive, so you should take good care of yours. If your air conditioning unit doesn’t have proper air flow, it could overheat and take damage. To prevent this from happening, you should replace the filter in the unit regularly. It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes and should be in a fairly easily accessible location.

You also should pay attention to the way the unit sounds, since a noisy unit could be a sign of a looming problem. Your air conditioning unit shouldn’t rattle when it is running, so having a professional take a look at it can save you a lot of money compared to replacing the unit.

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Where Does That Smell Come From?

Inspector — Sat, 14 Sep 2019 11:42:22 +0000

Your kitchen is usually associated with pleasant odors, but there are some things that need to be kept in check to make sure this doesn’t change. Your garbage is one obvious source of smells, but so is your garbage disposal in your sink. How can a garbage disposal begin to smell? Usually this is caused by organic matter that gets stuck on the blades and lodged inside, rotting and releasing odorous gasses. So, how do you keep that from happening? It is all in the way you use your garbage disposal.

One common mistake that many make is that they stop running the garbage disposal as soon as they dump the last scraps down the drain. Instead, you should leave the water running for a while to let the blades clean off. You should also be careful with fibrous vegetables such as broccoli, celery or rhubarb since the fibers can wrap around the blades and get stuck easily.

If you need to clean your garbage disposal, running a handful of ice cubes through the disposal will usually do the trick.

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A Better Thermostat

Inspector — Sat, 31 Aug 2019 11:55:28 +0000

Your thermostat is the heart of your HVAC system. It can control both your AC and your heat, and in that way, it also controls the amount of money you end up spending on your heating and cooling bills every month. Just a single degree difference can make a major difference in cost. Sometimes, it might even be the case that a faulty sensor in your thermostat ends up costing you money because of not reading the correct temperature.

If you have a very old thermostat, you definitely should consider upgrading to a digital thermostat. These are generally much more accurate than an old-fashioned thermostat, and they can have many additional features that can help you control your temperature much better. You could, for example, schedule times for the temperature to be set for a lower or higher setting, depending on the season, for when you are out of the house for work.

Lowering the temperature a few degrees at night will help you sleep better as well.

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Taking Care of Your Drain

Inspector — Sun, 18 Aug 2019 00:34:36 +0000

When your toilet all of a sudden starts backing up and the water level is rising, you will probably break out into a cold sweat and rush to turn off the water supply. It is not a pleasant experience, but what will you do next? Some will go straight for the cabinet under the sink and grab their favorite drain cleaner chemical and pour it down the toilet. This might seem like a very simple and easy solution, but is it really?

While these chemicals might clear your clog, they are also doing a lot of harm at the same time. While the potency of drain chemicals has been lessened in recent years, they still can damage your pipes. Drain chemicals will also do harm to the beneficial bacteria in your septic tank. On top of the damage they can do to your home, they can also be very harmful to the environment.

So, what are some alternatives? For clogs that consist mostly of fat and grease or soap, hot water poured down the drain can be very effective, and other clogs can usually be dislodged using a plunger.

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Where Does All That Steam Go?

Inspector — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 11:09:12 +0000

A hot shower can be just the thing you need after a long day, but it is not only loosening up your tense muscles, it is also releasing a lot of moisture into the air as steam. While you might not consider this when you step out of the shower into a steamy bathroom, you have just created an environment that can encourage mold growth and other water related damage. This is why your bathroom fan is so important. It is made to funnel out that steam from your bathroom to the outside of your home where it can’t do any damage.

A malfunctioning fan could quickly become a problem. If you hear your fan rattling when it is running, it might be time to look into replacing it.

The fan is not the only component to venting your bathroom, however. You also need ductwork that is straight and free of obstructions. The duct from your bathroom exhaust shouldn’t vent inside your attic, since this could cause water damage and mold growth there instead.

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Another Source For Your Water

Inspector — Thu, 18 Jul 2019 01:12:20 +0000

If your water supply was shut off or contaminated, what would you do? Most of us would be in a difficult situation, and that is why there are those that try to be prepared for such an eventuality. While it seems like water is available everywhere, this is far from the case. Most water sources you can find are not fit for human consumption, so that is why using rainwater is an ideal solution. In most parts of the country, you would be able to live off of the rain that comes down, as long as you have a system in place for catching and storing it that will keep it from getting contaminated.

It is important to make sure that the water being collected is not running across a surface that has lead paint or bird droppings on it. You should also filter and treat the water if you are planning on using it for drinking and showers. Water that you want to use for washing clothes or flushing toilets doesn’t need to be as carefully treated.

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Could Exercise Equipment Be Harmful?

Inspector — Sun, 30 Jun 2019 12:39:26 +0000

If you have exercise equipment at home, you probably appreciate the availability of equipment whenever you feel like exercising. This gives you the flexibility that a gym doesn’t offer. There are, however, quite a few accidents that happen in homes that are related to exercise equipment every year, so you should take a few precautions, especially if you have young children at home.

If you use weights or dumbells, don’t leave them sitting out on the floor, since this will be a tripping hazard. Don’t ever let your children play around with equipment that they are not used to, and don’t allow them to spend time by themselves in the exercise room, since they could hurt themselves.

Exercise equipment that is motorized, such as exercise bikes and treadmills should have a shutoff so that they can be easily stopped, but can’t be started up accidentally. If you do allow your children to use the equipment, you should always be monitoring them.

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How Are You Wired?

Inspector — Mon, 24 Jun 2019 23:22:09 +0000

In many older homes, you will find that the wiring system is far from up to code. While it might feel like electricity has been around for a very long time, there are some homes still standing with wiring systems that were installed before modern, safe techniques were used. You could find aluminum wiring which could pose a potential fire hazard, or you could even have knob and tube wiring, which is a danger especially when you want to update your wiring. Many electricians today are unfamiliar with this type of wiring, and because of this, they might make mistakes when trying to upgrade your electrical system.

Even if your wiring is fairly modern, it could be that it isn’t up to handling the load that you put on it, causing tripped breakers or brownouts.

Whenever you have problems with your electrical system, it is wise to consult a licensed electrician to make sure that you don’t make a dangerous situation worse.

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Keeping Mold Away From Your Bathroom

Inspector — Fri, 31 May 2019 01:30:17 +0000

In your bathroom, there will always be some moisture. There are too many sources of water to completely control them all. You have water coming from condensation, from wet towels, possibly from a leaking pipe and steam from when you run hot water. With all of this water, there is a high likelihood that you mold could start growing in your bathroom. What can you do to prevent it? There is no way to keep mold spores away. They are basically in the air everywhere, but you can do your best to keep them from finding a good place to grow in your bathroom.

If you have any leaky pipes, you should immediately fix the problem. This might require the help of a plumber unless you’re somewhat handy yourself.

You should also avoid letting wet clothes or towels sit in a pile for a long amount of time. It might be necessary to get them out of the bathroom and hang them somewhere to dry.

It is also very important to have good ventilation in your bathroom. If possible, open up a window to get some airflow, but if not, make sure your bathroom ceiling fan is functioning.

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When Lightning Strikes

Inspector — Sun, 26 May 2019 22:36:06 +0000

Lightning has enthralled and fascinated man for as long as history has been recorded. Even though we know a lot more about how lightning is generated and behaves, we still don’t have control over the damage it can wreak. Chances are pretty slim that you will be hit by a lightning bolt, but lightning can cause a lot of secondary damage that can pose a danger to you, as well as, to your home.

One way in which you can have damage from lightning is when lightning strikes and causes a power surge that will fry your electronics. This is why you should unplug valuable electronics when there is a lightning storm nearby.

It is also possible that lightning could hit a tree nearby, causing it to either fall down on your home or catch fire which could spread to your home. To protect yourself from this, you might want to clear out trees that are close to your home, especially if you live in an area where lightning is common.

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