Carbon Monoxide Alarms Save Lives

A bill was signed into law in Colorado last year that mandated carbon monoxide alarms beginning July 1, 2009. Here are the basics of the law: it applies to new homes, homes that are sold, homes that are remodeled, and rental homes or apartments where a change of tenancy occurs after July 1, 2009. The alarms need to be installed within 15 feet of sleeping areas.

Here is a link to House Bill 09-1091, see it for complete details.

So what is carbon monoxide and why should we be concerned about it? Here are some facts from the article, Carbon Monoxide Questions and Answers.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a deadly, colorless, odorless, poisonous gas. It is produced by the incomplete burning of various fuels, including coal, wood, charcoal, oil, kerosene, propane, and natural gas. These products include malfunctioning fuel-burning appliances such as furnaces, ranges, water heaters and room heaters; engine-powered equipment such as portable generators; fireplaces; and charcoal that is burned in homes and other enclosed areas.

Because CO is odorless, colorless, and otherwise undetectable to the human senses, people may not know that they are being exposed. The initial symptoms of low to moderate CO poisoning are similar to the flu (but without the fever). They include:

• Headache
• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea
• Dizziness

High level CO poisoning results in progressively more severe symptoms, including:

• Mental confusion
• Vomiting
• Loss of muscular coordination
• Loss of consciousness
• Ultimately death

Symptom severity is related to both the CO level and the duration of exposure. For slowly developing residential CO problems, occupants and/or physicians can mistake mild to moderate CO poisoning symptoms for the flu, which sometimes results in tragic deaths. For rapidly developing, high level CO exposures (e.g., associated with use of generators in residential spaces), victims can rapidly become mentally confused, and can lose muscle control without having first experienced milder symptoms; they will likely die if not rescued.

As you can see, carbon monoxide can be very serious. I advise that even if this law doesn’t apply to you that you install alarms in your home. Some simply plug in to a wall outlet. A basic battery operated model can be had for less than twenty dollars. That’s a small price to pay for safety and peace of mind.

Philip

Beware of Furnace Fraud

The Denver District Attorney has sent out a warning to watch out for furnace fraud. Here is some of what he has to say:

Fraudulent contractors and furnace salespersons often use scare tactics. They may insist that you must buy a new furnace immediately due to leaking as and the potential of a catastrophic explosion. They may tell you that the "heat exchanger" or "combustion chamber" is cracked or has a hole. Or they may simply say that your furnace is too small and should be replaced with a larger one. If a contractor says you need expensive work immediately, don't panic. Keep in mind the following tips:

• All heating contractors are required to be licensed and to get a permit from the Building Department before doing any major work. Ask for verification of a license and the permit. To verify if a contractor is licensed in Denver call 720-865-2770 or go to www.denvergov.org/contractor_licensing
  

• Check out all contractors with the Better Business Bureau, by calling (303)758-2100 and your city Building Department before inviting a serviceperson into your home for an estimate or service.
  

• If you are told your furnace needs to be replaced, get a second opinion from a licensed contractor whom you have checked out with the BBB.
  

• Remember that once the old furnace has been removed, proof of its original condition is impossible to verify, making it difficult to recover your losses or to prosecute for fraud.

RESIST if a salesperson gives you a high-pressured sales pitch, especially if you are solicited at your door or by phone by an unfamiliar contractor.

This is good advice. As a handyman I don’t repair or replace furnaces. I do know of some good companies who do though. If you need a referral, give me a call.

Philip

Window Well Scenes

Recently I installed window well scenes for a customer. I was amazed how beautiful they were and how they changed the window well view. I guess anything would look better than the corrugated metal you usually see.

The scenes were easy to install. The metal had to be prepared and then Velcro was attached to the metal. The scene is then rolled out and stuck to the Velcro. There may be a little cutting to fit the window well size. A 100’ X 60” scene costs around $60. Depending on the condition of the window well and access, installation takes from 30 to 45 minutes.

The scenes are manufactured by a company called Sinergi. They are available at Lowes and I found another company in the Denver area called Window Well Art Company that also carries them.

Here are links to those companies:
Sinergi
Lowes
Window Well Art Company

If you have plain corrugated window wells, these scenes could make a huge difference in your basement view.

Philip

Procrastination

Sometimes when we put things off it ends up costing us a lot more in the end. I received a call on Wednesday from a customer who put off shutting down her swamp cooler. She was reminded when a passerby noticed water spraying from the broken water line on her roof. The Good Samaritan notified her and helped shut off the water.

Today I finished the job by disconnecting the water line, draining and covering the cooler. Next spring part or all of the water line will have to be replaced.

It’s never a good idea to ignore a needed repair if it involves water. In this case freezing weather caused a break. An ignored water leak will usually lead to damage that will cost more than the basic repair would have. Many other needed repairs follow the same pattern. A small repair overlooked leads to a bigger expense later.

If there is a repair you have been ignoring? Give me a call and we can discuss it. You might find out that it will be less expensive to repair that you expected. In any case, you will know what you need to do.

Keeping these thoughts in mind will save you money in the long run.

Philip

Overcharge

An elderly customer called me a couple weeks ago. She wondered if I could be with her when she met with the representative of an electrical company who had done some work for her. She felt she was being taken advantage of. She also explained that the electrician told her that she needed new smoke alarms without ever looking at the ones she already had.

The company is called Mister Sparky Electric. It’s related to One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning and Benjamin Franklin Plumbing.

The issue that had her attention was that she was being told that it was now the law that she had to have a Carbon Monoxide Detector on her furnace. She put down a deposit on the unit that was going to cost around $500. After talking to her daughter and doing some research she found out that it was not the law and the units that Mister Sparky was selling were not even ready for sale yet. This made her angry and suspicious.

The three companies mentioned above are the type that advertises "No Surprise" Straightforward Pricing. What this means is a guy comes out, looks over the job and then gives a price. If you accept it then you sign a contract. It sounds good but what I keep coming across with many companies like this is the price they give seems excessively high. That’s not to say they don’t do good work, it just costs a LOT! A way the company drums up business is by offering “free” electrical inspections.

My customer cancelled the Carbon Monoxide Detector and said she would not be using this company any longer. She showed me the bill from the previous work and I was astonished at the charges. Here is what I saw: After doing an “inspection” the electrician determined she needed her whole house surge protector replaced. Contrary to the claim of pricing being up front, he replaced it and told her after. He also replaced three circuit breakers.

The cost for the whole house surge protector was $258. You can buy the surge protector for under $100 retail. That means the labor charge was over $150. The installation consists of disconnecting and reconnecting a few wires – maybe a ten minute job. The cost for the three circuit breakers was $251. The circuit breakers probably cost under $10 dollars each and about five minutes to replace. To me that is an excessive charge.

He also told her she needed a GFI on her kitchen outlets. He was going to charge $169. The parts would have cost $15 to $25 and maybe fifteen minutes to install. She was wise to turn down the job.

The truth is that most people have no idea how long these jobs should take or what the parts actually cost. They trust the company because the “troubleshooter” recommends them.

In my Handyman business I am fair and honest with my customers. If someone wants an upfront price I will take all possibilities into consideration when I give them the price but would consider it unethical to charge them two or three times what the job is worth.

The lesson is to look beyond shiny trucks, spiffy uniforms and well-known names. Find service people who do good work for a fair price. When you call The Handymen, I guarantee you will get both.

Philip

Would You Like $1000?

Would you like an extra $1000? Then be careful who you hire for service work. That’s what one of my regular customers learned today.

I received the call last Friday. Would I be willing to clean out a sump pump pit? It seemed that an odor was coming from the pit. It was located under the basement bathroom vanity that may need to be removed to get access to the pump.

When I arrived this morning I heard more of the story. They had called a plumber (AppleTree Plumbing) who told them the pit needed to be cleaned out but it seemed the plumber didn’t want to do the job. He also told them if the pump needed to be replaced it would cost $1200.

When I took a look at the sump pit I could see that it wasn’t very deep and the vanity wouldn’t have to be removed; that was good news. I removed the sump pump from the pit and found out there was a cement pad in the bottom of the pit. That was good because it keeps the pump out of the mud. There was a small amount of debris in the pit but not more than a handful.

I tested the pump and found out it wasn’t working. I picked up a new one and soon had the pit back in working order. The smell was probably coming from stagnation because the old pump didn’t work.

A new pump cost about $100 and with labor the bill was a little over $200. By calling me, my customer ended up saving $1000.

It hear this type of story on a regular basis. Companies take advantage of a customer not knowing what is involved in a job and how much it should really cost. Of course what they do is not illegal but I don’t think it’s ethical. I understand that when a job is bid there is a cushion built in for unforeseen circumstances but I think the difference between $200 and $1200 is what most of us would call a rip-off.

The lesson here is to be careful who you hire. It really means a lot to have a workman who is honest and cares more about helping you than making a quick profit.

Philip

Shower Head

Are you happy with your shower head?

For very little money you can change your shower head to one you are really delighted with.

I have two types in my home. Upstairs I have the massage type with an extension hose. With a turn of the dial on the head it can be changed from a refreshing rain to a pulsating massage. The extension hose is great if you want to wash down the tub walls and even reaches down if you are sitting in the tub.

Downstairs where some of my kids take a shower I have an extreme water saving model. It only used 1.6 gallons per minute. That’s about half of a regular water saving model. That really helps to save water during long showers.

The super water saver model shower head costs about $13. The type with extension hose and massage head ranges in price from around $30 on up to $60. There are also a lot of other choices in conventional and not so conventional shower heads.

You can see many different shower head possibilities at your local home improvement store. Installation is usually very simple. I’ll be glad to give you a hand with that.

Philip
303-232-3347