We went to the consumer expo on October 27 and spoke with several vendors who supply services like those we talk about in this column. These people are out there every day seeing the things people need repaired or replaced so they could give us a fresh perspective.
General Home Maintenance
We met with Larry Bernstein from Larry’s Home Maintenance. He was able to answer a few questions we have received from our readers. One reader asked where to get a replacement for the plastic lens that covers the florescent light in the utility room. We searched the internet for this lens with no luck. Larry has seen this problem a few times. He has looked and concluded that the lens is not sold separately. Larry simply buys a whole new fixture and replaces the old broken one. We had concluded that this was probably the quickest and best solution, but it was nice to have that confirmed by an expert.
Larry also sees lights that don’t work. This is usually a burned-out bulb or a failed ballast. If it is just a burned out florescent tube you can probably replace it yourself, but if you are not steady enough to climb a ladder Larry will do this for the cost of a service call, usually about $50. Larry can also replace the ballast if that is the problem.
We mentioned to Larry that we are frequently asked if any of the Woodchucks would come to their house to do small jobs like replacing smoke alarms, replacing burned out light bulbs, fixing squeaky door hinges, etc. None of the Woodchucks currently does that type of work. Larry routinely does those types of jobs and the costs he mentioned to us sounded very reasonable.
Air Conditioning and Heating
We next spoke with Rob Dillow and Bob Holcombe from Hampshire Heating and Cooling. They made us aware of some changes coming soon on air conditioners that will affect all of us. The government is phasing out R-22 refrigerant because of its contribution to ozone depletion. All the air conditioners in Sun City came with about five pounds of this refrigerant providing the cooling. R-22 will be totally phased out in 2020.
Refrigerant R-410A has been approved for use in new residential air conditioners. Because it runs at higher pressures the compressor has some design changes to accommodate these pressures. It is possible to put R-410A refrigerant into a system designed for R-22, but the higher pressure could put too much stress on the compressor.
If your air conditioner were to fail in the next few years you should consult with your heating and cooling contractor as there are several options, and some of them are not very good. Your best option may be to replace the whole air conditioner. If your furnace is over ten years old the best solution is probably to replace both the air conditioner and the furnace.
Rob also mentioned a furnace safety issue that he has repaired in a few Sun City homes. The earliest Del Webb homes were equipped with Carrier Furnaces. The high efficiency (90%) version of this furnace has a design problem with the heat exchanger that after about fifteen years can give off dangerous carbon monoxide gas. You should have an annual safety inspection with a carbon monoxide test. It would also be a good idea to put a carbon monoxide detector in the room with the furnace.
Window Warrantees
Next, we visited TJ at a Touch of Glass. She indicated that Simonton, who supplied all the windows for Pulte homes, has extended the seal failure warrantee for some but not all their windows from 10 to 20 years. This means the windows will be replaced free of charge, but you must pay for the installation labor. To check and see if your windows are covered call TJ at 847-265-1100.
For all Del Webb houses the window warrantees have expired, however there are some good discounts available from other vendors. If you have a seal failure call TJ for details.
Window Washing
We are often asked for recommendations on good qualified repair people. Since most of us Woodchucks do our own repairs we rarely see repair people and have no way to evaluate them. Two of us recently used Prime Window Cleaning to wash the windows in our houses. Pete Villa and his team did an excellent job. He charges $65 for any Sun City house to do all windows inside and out. Call Pete at 773-653-3900 to schedule a cleaning.
Hose Saving Tip
As winter approaches be sure to remove all garden hoses from the outdoor hose bibs as well as the hose bib in the garage. Drain all the water out of the hose before storing them. If you forget to do this be prepared to buy new hoses in the spring as water freezing in the hoses will damage them.
If you have suggestions for future tips or have questions about maintenance around your home submit them to ask.the.woodchucks@gmail.com.
