Nice Home Live

This is a tale of how I learned – again – how important it is to do preventive maintenance on a house. I certainly want to keep everything in good working order, but sometimes I slip up.

Photo: Massachusetts Dept of Environmental Protection

Just as the heating season started in earnest I noticed an odor that seemed to be coming from the basement. I ignored it for a day or two, thinking it would pass, as many smells do. By the third day I couldn’t ignore it any more. I went down to the basement and noticed a little oil around the fittings on the hose from the oil tanks to the furnace. The drip pan was full. I emptied the drip pan, wiped up the oil, and spread kitty little to absorb any oil that night have spilled onto the floor. Read the rest of this entry »

When it comes to a central heating system, most people don’t really know how it works. And many don’t care. As long as they’re warm when they need to be – settling down on their sofas and chairs on winter evenings – why would they?

Photo: USDAgov

But some of us feel a little safer in knowing the basics and it can be surprisingly confusing. Read the rest of this entry »

Nowadays, air conditioner has become a necessity for a lot of people. Imagine working in a room during the sweltering summer months and you will get the picture. Air conditioners have made working easy as it is easier to work in a cool condition than to suffer lethargy because of the heat.

Photo: Polygon Homes

Air conditioners played an important part in many aspects. For one, working in businesses and office buildings without it will mean disaster as the people will not be able to work efficiently. It is very important to keep some machines, like computers, to keep them from bogging down. If the computers will not last long without it, picture the havoc it can create for people who are dependent on it for living. Studies have shown that there is a connection between depression and the heat of the summer. This condition is called Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. Also, few people can sleep when the temperature is greater than 90 degrees. Sleep can be very difficult, miserable, and sweaty when it is hot. It is for these reasons that when an air conditioning bogged down, people tend to panic. Air conditioning repair can be done by a repairperson, but it helps if you have some knowledge on how to do simple repairs and maintenance yourself. Read the rest of this entry »