ABC Blog
Austin

Featured Posts

Before You Bake: Is Your Heating Element Healthy?

. Posted by in • Austin

Check your oven’s health before the holiday season

Austin families are preparing for the holiday season, which often means cooking and baking for parties and family gatherings. Before you head into the kitchen this winter, it pays to be sure that you have all of the ingredients you’ll need to make dazzling cakes, cookies, and party foods. Of course, it’s also important to be sure that your major appliances are doing their part in your holiday preparations.

Is Your Oven’s Heating Element Causing Baking Woes?

There’s no doubt that baking is a science. After all, it takes the perfect combination of ingredients to make stellar baked goods. Excelling as a baker also means having the right appliances. While many professional bakers swear by convection ovens, most homeowners still use standard electric or gas ranges in their homes. Thankfully, you can still get great results with these types of ovens.

However, you do need to … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Deck Out Your Landscaping for the Holidays

. Posted by in • Austin

Let your great outdoors celebrate the season

Austin knows how to turn Christmas into a dazzling season, so why not put a special glow in your landscape this holiday season? Think beyond inflatable snowmen this year and turn your front yard into a holiday fantasy land.

Wrap the Trees

Threading lights through the trees always adds seasonal cheer to the front yard, but why stop at a few strings? Simple silhouettes of trunks and branches come alive when you wrap trees with brilliant strands of LED lights. Bottom-to-top trimming takes a little time, so you might opt for the easier effect of glittering icicles created from drapes of fairy lights. These tiny LED cousins are the size of rice grains, and their sway on an evening breeze brings magical life to the smallest saplings. Give tall evergreens and pines the full treatment with big, beautiful bulbs.

Trim the Shrubs

Shrubs might be short, but don’t … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

ABC and Dietz Memorial Team Up to Help Grieving Family

. Posted by in • Austin

When Tragedy Is Compounded by Opportunism

Every week, hundreds of Austin-area families welcome a new child into the world. The vast majority of these families experience unbridled joy at the occasion. Unfortunately, one family’s birth story recently ended in tragedy. After the death of Jessica Rodriguez, a young mother with deep roots in the area, her husband and extended family experienced a second pang of heartbreak when a scam artist made off with thousands of dollars in donations for a memorial to Jessica.

The Rodriguezes’ Story

Recently, an optimistic Austin family – the Rodriguezes – welcomed a beautiful baby into the world. Although the baby was healthy and vivacious, the young mother fell ill and died from complications of childbirth shortly after the delivery. Determined to persevere, the surviving family members banded together to raise funds for a memorial in her honor.

The Rodriguezes turned to Fallon Mouton, a local woman, to assist them … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Winter Ahead! Is Your HVAC System Ready?

. Posted by in • Austin

Ensuring that your heating system makes it through the Austin winter

When the chilly days of winter roll in, you don’t want to be worrying about your heating system. Keeping your home’s HVAC in top condition for the coldest months helps guarantee that you and your family stay warm throughout the season.

Getting Your HVAC Ready for Winter

There are several things you can do to prepare your heating system to tackle winter temperatures. One of the most important is to make sure that all components are clean. Start by cleaning or replacing the filter if necessary. Check the air vents to make sure that they’re allowing for proper flow. Blockage or restriction anywhere in the system reduces efficiency and can negatively affect the air quality in your home.

Blower doors should also be checked to determine if the seals are sound. This component of your HVAC system is designed to keep gasses from … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Simple Guidelines for Selecting a New Water Heater

. Posted by in • Austin

How to find the right model without paying too much

When properly maintained, your home’s water heater can provide a decade or more of dependable service. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. If your water heater is on its last legs and needs to be replaced, you’ll need to determine which type and brand of heater is right for your home. Here are a few guidelines that you should follow as you make your decision.

Selection Criteria

According to the Department of Energy, you need to base your water heater selection on several key factors:

  • The upfront and ongoing (annualized) cost of the device
  • The size and heating power of the device as it relates to the size and water use of your house
  • The overall efficiency of the device
  • The type of fuel used by the heater

Fuel Types

On the matter of fuel, it’s important to note that not all water heaters run on … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Are You Overwatering Your Lawn?

. Posted by in • Austin

Stop drowning the grass and start practicing smart irrigation

Proper lawn care is all about balance. While it’s a good idea to give the grass a drink when it’s looking parched, overdoing it can lead to a host of problems that leave the lawn looking worse than before you watered.

Signs of Overwatering

How can you tell if you’ve been watering too often? One sign is the development of excess thatch. This layer of shallow-rooted plant material is routinely broken down on healthy lawns but can take over in the presence of too much water. Overwatering discourages grass from putting down deep roots, allowing thatch to thrive. Weeds that like damp areas may take up residence as well.

Watering too often promotes the growth of fungus which may appear as bright colors or brown spots. Dampness attracts insect pests that eat away at healthy grasses both above and below the ground, leaving unsightly damage … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Often-Forgotten Care Tips for Your Washer and Dryer

. Posted by in • Austin

Save money and stay safe by maintaining your appliances

The National Fire Protection Association reports that America’s washers and dryers sparked nearly 17,000 fires during 2010. The flames destroyed property worth over $230 million. Laundry appliances will operate more safely and last longer if you set aside time to maintain them. These care tips can prevent serious water leaks, fires, explosions, and clothing damage:

1. Inadequate dryer cleaning causes the majority of fires. People often check lint filters but neglect other components. It’s best to disconnect the exhaust duct every 12 months and remove any debris that has accumulated. Clean around the dryer’s motor with a vacuum cleaner.

2. Most importantly, remember to remove lint from the external dryer vent at least once every 180 days. Clean it more often if you have a large family. This will prevent lint fires and ensure that your dryer doesn’t overheat. You can find this vent … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

How Much Money Can You Save with a Heating Upgrade?

. Posted by in • Austin

Reducing Your Austin Area Heating Bill with a new HVAC System

Austin’s average low temperature might not get much lower than 41°, but this is still more than cold enough to need energy-efficient heating. After all, there’s no viable reason to purposefully pay more for your energy bill than necessary, and it’s also much more eco-friendly to take steps to reduce your energy consumption. Fortunately, there are many techniques that you can utilize to save money and adopt a green approach within your home.

The Perks of Upgrading Your HVAC System

Many people are hesitant to replace their HVAC unit because of the one-time cost that is associated with this process. Sadly, this shows a lack of forethought because the reality is that you can save enough money on your monthly bills to justify the expense within just a few years. In fact, any HVAC unit that is more than 20 years old … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Unexpected Bee Problems to Be on the Lookout for in Austin

. Posted by in , • Austin

Going Beyond the Sting

When was the last time you suffered a bee sting? For your sake, we hope that it has been a while. Although everyone learns to avoid direct contact with bees at a young age, it seems like these hardy pollinators just can’t keep their wings—and stingers—off of us. What’s more, you might be surprised to learn that bees cause lots of issues that have nothing to do with their ability to inflict pain.

Burrowing Carpenter Bees

If you’ve found some unexplained holes in the side of your house, you might be dealing with a carpenter bee infestation. Unlike honey bees, this species likes to burrow into wood and set up colonies in fully sheltered locations. The potential damage to your home may be further compounded by the presence of hungry woodpeckers that dig deep into your exterior walls in search of tasty larvae. The best course of action is … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Bobby Jenkins Spoke at AARO Rally to Promote School Attendance

. Posted by in • Austin

School Attendance Affects Everyone

Do you have kids? If you do, you understand how important the issue of school attendance can be. After all, every day a kid spends in school is a day they’re learning a new skill. It’s also a day they’re not getting into trouble out on the streets. Unfortunately, central Texas has a pretty serious problem with preventable school absences. That’s why Bobby Jenkins (pictured far left), the president and CEO of ABC Home & Commercial Services, recently spoke at an event to raise awareness of the issue.

Who’s Bobby Jenkins and What Did He Say?

As the president of ABC Home & Commercial Services, Bobby Jenkins inspires and guides the highly skilled employees and technicians who have worked for this family-focused business since its beginning. He’s also fully committed to the welfare and prosperity of folks across central Texas.

At a September 3 rally hosted by the E3 Alliance, … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed