Home Furnace on the Fritz? Try these 3 Tips!
Feel that chill in the Omaha air? Around here, that means it’s time for two things— Husker football and furnace tuneups! And while the Huskers never disappoint, sometimes our home furnace can let us down when we need them most…. If your furnace just won’t fire up this fall, we’ve got three quick tips any home handyperson can try to get it back up and running. (Or you can save yourself the hassle and just call the furnace repair team at Burton!) If you try your hand at these tips, with a bit of luck and a little elbow grease, [...]
3 Savvy Homeowner Tips For Keeping a Clean Garbage Disposal
Ever notice a…. questionable… smell coming from your sink? You clean and clean, but you just can’t seem to shake the stink? Chances are, your garbage disposal more closely resembles garbage than a disposal! Prevent odors from taking over your kitchen by following these three quick disposal maintenance tips: 1. Run the disposal often, even if it’s empty Did you know the blades of your garbage disposal can rust and get stuck in place? But running your disposal for a few minutes a week with a strong flow of cold water can stop this corrosion before it starts. The cold [...]
The Best— and Worst!— Time to Flush Your Water Heater
Dear Burton, I heard that you should empty out your water heater every so often, so sediment doesn’t build up inside. Before I tackle this project myself, is there anything I need to know? New Home Newcomer Dear Newcomer, Great question. You’re right that flushing your water heater periodically reduces the gunk that collects in the bottom of your tank. Over time, sediment from your water lines can flow into the tank, settle at the bottom, and slowly block the heating elements from doing their best work. Not only does this shorten the life of your tank because it [...]
Homeowner Hacks: Top Tips for a Clean and Clear Garbage Disposal
In a perfect world, your garbage disposal is a mean, clean, grinding machine. But without proper maintenance, over time, it’s likely to become your kitchen’s #1 source of noxious odors. If a stenchy (or subpar!) garbage disposal is doing your kitchen dirty, today’s Homeowner Hack is for you! We’ll be covering: How to fight even the worst disposal stench How to prolong the life of your disposal Three things to try when it just won’t turn on https://youtu.be/R9wR4uCNKqE Ready to DIY your garbage disposal like a Homeowner Hero? Let’s get to the hacks! As you use your disposal, all [...]
3 Signs Your Thermostat and A/C are Out of Sync
It’s a hot, sunny, Omaha afternoon. Your A/C has been running all day, but your home is feeling more and more like your own personal dry sauna…. You know something isn’t working right. But before you go blaming your air conditioner, take a closer look at your thermostat. If your home can’t keep its cool, watch for these three signs that your thermostat and HVAC system aren’t talking: 1. Your thermostat won’t turn on If your thermostat’s display has gone dark, it’s not telling your HVAC system when to turn on and off. Typically, a fresh set of batteries will [...]
How To Instantly Improve Your Air Conditioner’s Performance
Air conditioners are the true MVPs of summer. To keep your A/C running like a star athlete (and to lower your summer energy bills!), follow this easy checklist to optimize your system’s performance: Get a full system inspection and tune-up. A system inspection will reveal any leaks, cracks, or inefficiencies that could be costing you a pretty penny this summer. And the quick tune-up will take care of any minor repairs or replacements needed to improve your unit’s performance— before you’ve got a major fix on your hands. Clean your condenser unit. If your branches, bushes, or landscaping are crowding [...]
A Professional Plumber’s Best Tips for Choosing a Kitchen Faucet
A pull-down, single handle? A dual-handle with a separate sprayer? Commercial, motion-detecting, or pot-filling? When it comes to kitchen faucets, it’s easy to get lost in the jargon-weeds. If the thought of replacing your kitchen’s ol’ faithful has you feeling overwhelmed, you’re in the right place (and you’re certainly not alone!). Read on to learn how to rank and rate today’s kitchen faucets— from fancy high-tech taps to tried-and-true spouts— like a professional home plumber. First, consider your sink’s location The location of your kitchen faucet is the biggest determiner of the form and style options you have. Most faucets [...]
Burton Homeowner Hacks: The Easy Way to Maintain Your HVAC System
This time of year, your HVAC system is probably running almost around the clock to keep up with the hot Omaha sun. And all that extra effort can really tax your unit if you’ve got clogged or dirty air filters. One of the easiest things homeowners can do to maintain their system on their own (and avoid an A/C repair call) is to change their air filters frequently and make sure they’re installed correctly. If it’s been more than a month since you last replaced your filters, this hack is for you. We’ll cover why you need to change this [...]
How to Choose the Right Air Conditioning System
On a hot Omaha day, there’s nothing like the refreshingly cool, perfectly crisp breeze of an air conditioning system operating at peak performance. To keep your home comfortable all summer long, it’s important to choose the right size and type of A/C system. You know the phrase “one size fits all?” Well when it comes to your A/C, that couldn’t be further from the truth. If you’re building a new home or replacing your existing A/C system, here’s what you need to know about air conditioners: Permanent A/C systems come in three main types Central air conditioning: This system uses [...]
Why Hire a Professional to Install Your New Kitchen Appliances?
Dear Burton, We just bought a new dishwasher and I was planning on installing it myself. But I got to reading, and it says the warranty could be voided if I self-install instead of hiring a local plumber. Why can’t I just hook it up myself? - Handy at Home Dear Handy, You’re right about your warranty. If you install your own home appliances and anything goes wrong, you can bet that one of the first questions they’ll ask is who installed it. If installation wasn’t completed exactly by the book (and it’s a long book!), your [...]
Before You Book, Here’s How to Vet an HVAC Service
If you’re looking to hire an HVAC service in Omaha, how do you find the best one? Flip open the phonebook (if you’ve still got one of those), scroll through Yelp, or search “HVAC service near me” and you’ll find a hundred different HVAC companies in under five seconds! The options can be truly overwhelming. To help you pick the best local HVAC service that will get the job done right, for the right price, we’ve put together a handy guide to the main questions you should ask every potential service— and how they should answer them. So pick up [...]
What to Do if Your A/C is Running 24/7
Dear Burton, Lately, my A/C has been running constantly. The air temperature is comfortable, but the unit just doesn’t shut off. Should I call for an A/C repair, or is this normal for Omaha summer days? Cool but Concerned If your A/C runs 24/7 during the summer, that’s likely a sign that something needs to be repaired or cleaned. Even if your A/C seems to be working fine, it’s a good idea to call for an air conditioning service every year— before you fire up your unit for the first time. At Burton, our annual A/C preventative maintenance visit includes [...]