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How Does a Tankless Water Heater Work?

. Posted by in • San Antonio
a shower that has been turned on with hot water coming from a tankless water heater

You might have heard your friends and family talk a lot about tankless water heaters lately. These are a newer type of appliance that can have many benefits for your household. But, before you decide to convert to a tankless water heater, it is good to know what you are getting into.

Regular water heaters work by heating water and then storing it until you are ready to use it. Tankless water heaters also heat up your water, but they work a little differently. These appliances are also called instantaneous or demand-type water heaters.

With a tankless water heater, the heating process happens when you turn on the tap. It is at this moment that cold water starts to flow through your home’s pipes to the water heater. This heater is typically located close to the place where you use it, such as near the sink. When water reaches the appliance, it … Read Full Post »

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Toilet Tank Not Filling but Water Is Running

. Posted by in • San Antonio
a toilet tank that isn't filling but the water is running

It can be confusing to find your toilet tank not filling but water is running. Why wouldn’t the tank fill up when the water is running like it’s supposed to? This is a problem because when the tank doesn’t fill, the toilet can’t flush. If you live in a house with other people, that’s a situation that needs fixing fast. Fortunately, it can be easy to diagnose this type of problem if you have basic plumbing knowledge.

This problem could involve one or several different components. Here are the different components of your toilet that could malfunction and cause this problem.

The Water Supply Line

If there’s a leak in the water supply line that runs to your toilet, the tank will still fill, just slowly. If the leak isn’t fixed, however, the tank will start filling more and more slowly over time. This is something that a plumber should look at as … Read Full Post »

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How To Prune a Crape Myrtle Tree

. Posted by in • San Antonio
a crape myrtle tree

Crape myrtles can be a gorgeous and relatively low-maintenance tree that will spruce up your yard. Not only are they drought tolerant, but they can also survive through humidity and high temperatures. However, homeowners can accidentally ruin these colorful trees if they are not careful. It is important to follow a few helpful maintenance tips to keep your crape myrtles healthy and beautiful.

For one, excessive pruning can ruin a crape myrtle. Only young crape myrtle trees need pruning, and these saplings should be pruned with great care. Cutting back too many or too few branches when the tree is young can make the tree unhealthy, unattractive and difficult to maintain once it gets older.

Before getting started, you’ll need to know what tools you need, the steps involved and what time of year pruning should take place.

Tools for Pruning Your Crape Myrtles

When the time is right, gather the tools you’ll need … Read Full Post »

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Why Are the Coils Frozen on My AC Unit?

. Posted by in • San Antonio
A white kitchen with flowers on the table

If your AC seems to be cycling on and off more often, running longer, blowing warmer air or in general not working well, it’s time to investigate. The sooner an AC problem is fixed, the better. When an AC stops working, it’s not only uncomfortable and inconvenient; it can be downright dangerous. When your AC malfunctions, you may wonder, “Are the coils frozen on my AC unit?” If you fear you have a frozen evaporator coil on your AC unit, it should be diagnosed quickly to avoid bigger and more costly problems.

By now, you might be wondering, what is an evaporator coil and what does it do? The evaporator coil is the part of the air-conditioning system that absorbs heat from the air inside a house. It is a series of U-shaped tubes filled with refrigerant and connected to the indoor components of the AC system.

Depending on the AC system, … Read Full Post »

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Is a Water Softener Worth It?

. Posted by in , • San Antonio
a sink and dishwasher that would benefit from a water softener because hard water is wearing down the appliances

Water softeners are valuable for many different reasons. They can lengthen the lifespan of your home’s appliances and prevent your family’s skin and hair from getting dry and itchy. Water softeners can also help prevent minerals from building up inside your pipes and water fixtures. Plus, they can reduce spots on glassware and soap scum in your sink and tub.

However, not everyone needs a water softener. You really only need one if you have hard water in your home. Otherwise, if your water is already soft, then using a water softener doesn’t have many benefits.

Water softeners work by removing unwanted minerals, such as magnesium and calcium, from the water in your home’s plumbing. Magnesium and calcium are both positive ions. The resin beads in a water softener hold negative sodium ions. As water flows through the softener, the resin beads in the water softener attract the minerals that need to … Read Full Post »

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How Much Compost Do I Need?

. Posted by in , • San Antonio
a shovel in a compost pile

Using compost is a great way to build a solid foundation if you are trying to establish a new lawn or to revitalize an existing yard or garden. The exact amount of compost you will need for your project depends on how you plan to use it. However, in general, if you are mixing compost into soil, then compost should make up no more than 25% to 30% of your mixture.

A basic formula to figure out how much compost you will need to make or buy is to first find the area of your yard by multiplying the length of your space by its width in feet. Next, use the guidance below to find out how deep the compost should be (in inches). Divide the depth by 12 and then multiply this number by the area of your yard. This will give you an estimate of how many one-cubic-foot bags … Read Full Post »

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What’s the Best Fall Fertilizer for Grass?

. Posted by in , • San Antonio
a well kept lawn

Fall is a great time to take care of your grass and prepare it for the cold winter months ahead. So, when spring rolls around, it can thrive once again. Fertilizing your lawn is an important part of fall lawn maintenance. The best fall fertilizer for your grass will contain extra potassium to help your lawn survive the cold.

Is fertilizing your lawn in the early fall really so important? In a word, yes. Applying the right fertilizer to your grass at the right time will help it strengthen and rebuild any roots that were affected by drought or heat over the summer. Fertilizing will also help kill off weeds and feed your grass the nutrients it needs leading up to winter. Furthermore, applying only as much fertilizer as your grass needs and at the right time of year will reduce the risk of fertilizer runoff that could pollute your local … Read Full Post »

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Why Is My Dryer Not Heating?

. Posted by in • San Antonio
a white dryer that is not heating

Have you started running your clothes through the dryer multiple times? Does it seem like your dryer isn’t even heating at all? If your dryer isn’t drying clothes as well as it used to, there are a number of things that could be causing this problem.

For one, your problem might not have anything to do with the dryer. If your washer isn’t working as it should, then it might not strain enough water out of your clothes before you transfer them to the dryer. When this happens, the dryer might need to run longer to dry out these sopping wet clothes.

Fortunately, there might be some easy fixes you can try on your own to get your dryer working again.

Simple Fixes

You can run into issues if you’re trying to dry different types of items at the same time. For example, towels and clothes. Most clothing items dry quicker than towels. If … Read Full Post »

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Yellow Garden Spider: Harmful or Helpful?

. Posted by in • San Antonio
yellow garden spider on a web

If you’re out in the yard and you come across a big, black-and-yellow spider, chances are good that it’s a yellow garden spider. This is a very common species of arachnid that’s found across the country. But, their large size and striking appearance can make almost anyone’s heart rate speed up a little. As soon as you see one, your first question might be, is a yellow garden spider harmful or helpful?

The good news is, this spider rarely comes indoors. And, as long as you don’t pick it up and handle it, it’s very unlikely that it will bite you. Even if you are bitten by a yellow garden spider, its venom isn’t harmful to humans—but it is to other pests, including flies and mosquitoes. Since spiders help keep pest populations down, all this puts the yellow garden spider in the “helpful” category. Still, many people aren’t big spider fans—especially … Read Full Post »

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Flour Bugs: Identification & Control Tips

. Posted by in , • San Antonio
a bowl of flour with bugs in them

There’s a wide range of bugs that you might find in the food in your pantry. They might invade food items and dried goods like flour, tea, nuts, seeds, rice, crackers, chocolate, dried fruits, spices, pasta and powdered milk. While most of these bugs won’t bite you or otherwise damage your home, they can ruin the food in your pantry. And, not to mention, they can be tough to get rid of if a population becomes established.

Sometimes, the problem can be dealt with by throwing away the infested package. However, if the infestation grows, the best way to treat these pests is to contact a professional. These pros have the experience needed to best identify what kind of pests are in your pantry. Then, they can help you understand your options for treating the infestation.

If you have found bugs in your flour, you likely have a lot of questions. But … Read Full Post »

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