Garage-Door Maintenance

• A garage door is one of the largest moving objects in a home, therefore, it is important to keep it properly maintained.
• In order to prevent damage such as rusting, which is caused by foreign matter adhering to the door, the garage door should be wiped down with a soft cloth twice a year. Use a mild household detergent that has been diluted with water.
• To protect the finish of a garage door, apply car wax. This will help repel dirt and moisture.
• Check for broken or bent components, and lubricate all moving parts of the door with a light household oil.
• Lift cables at the bottom bracket button and hinges. Lock hardware where surfaces turn or slide. Lubricate steel rollers. Do not lubricate nylon oil.
• Inspect the bottom weather seal on a garage door. This is called the rubber astragal. If it is cracked or broken, replace it by taking off the old gasket and sliding a new one into place.
• Doors equipped with automatic door operators can cause serious injury or death if not properly adjusted and operated. To ensure safe operation of these doors, test the sensitivity of the operator’s safety reverse mechanism once a month. Here’s a way to ensure the safety reverse mechanism is operating correctly: With the door in the up position, place a roll of paper towels on its side directly in the path of the door. Close the garage door. When the garage door reaches the paper towel roll, it should reverse and rebound back up into the open position. If the door crushes the roll of paper towels, then the door is out of adjustment. Refer to the owner’s manual of the garage-door opener for instructions on how to properly adjust the safety reverse mechanism.
• All screws and nuts on bolts should be tightened every six months. Make sure that the slide lock does not extend past the end stile of the door when it is in unlocked positioned.
• The door should open and close easily. With the proper adjustments, the door will hang into the opening 4 to 6 inches. If the door is difficult to open but falls closed, or if the door is difficult to keep closed, contact an authorized dealer to make the proper adjustments. Springs are under considerable tension. Do not attempt to make any adjustments yourself.

   Code of Ethics  

We promise to show up on time.

We promise to be friendly and courteous.

We promise to treat your home as if it were our own.

We promise to provide you with a detailed written estimate before we start your job.

We promise not to leave your job until it is finished to your satisfaction.

We promise to leave your property cleaner than when we arrived.

Q: What kinds of plumbing emergencies could possibly occur?
A: If a water pipe were to break in the house, a homeowner should know where the main water shut-off is located so they can terminate the water at that point. Normally  in las vegas this is located outside the front of the house in the sidewalk and is usually marked water.If a homeowner cannot find it because it is not exposed and accessible, we suggest calling the local water department (you find that phone number on the water bill statement).

In the case where the water leak is at a specific plumbing fixture, the best approach is to shut off the water immediately at that location. All plumbing fixtures, including toilets, sinks and basins, have shut-off valves located under the fixture against the wall. If a bathtub or shower is leaking, it is necessary to shut the water off at the main water shut-off and call Mechandyman!                                                                                                                    

        A leaking water heater can be shut off at the top right pipe leading into the water heater. For safety reasons, the gas must also be shut off at the water heater; that valve is usually found on the gas piping at the lower left side of the water heater.

Q: What if I smell gas and suspect a leak?
A: If you have an idea where the smell is coming from, such as a water heater, stove, oven, gas dryer or furnace, you can turn the gas off at the appliance. These valves are located within three feet of the appliance on the gas piping system.

Gas valves, called gas cocks, have a straight blade-type handle and are on when the handle is parallel with the pipe and off when the handle is perpendicular to the pipe. Therefore, only a 1/4 turn is required to turn gas cocks off.

If you have no idea where the gas leak is coming from, it is always best to turn the complete system off and call the gas company. The main gas shut-off valve is located on the inlet side of the gas meter. In most cases, this valve is on the vertical pipe left of the meter. It is necessary to use a crescent or pipe wrench to turn this valve off, again, making the handle perpendicular to the pipe with a quarter turn. You may want to hang a crescent wrench next to the main valve to avoid searching for the tool in an emergency. If you have any questions about the location of the gas main, call your gas company.

Q: What should I do about an overflowing toilet?
A: First, turn off the water at the valve under the toilet. If it’s a case of too much paper or other matter causing a stoppage, a plunger should work. If the toilet is not operating because the sewer is stopped up, a homeowner can help prevent overflowing by opening their sewer clean-out (located outside the building) to relieve the pressure on the system. Then call   Mechandyman !             

Q: What if I don’t have a sewer clean-out?
A: It’s important to understand that the sewer line is the main drain which receives the waste from all plumbing fixtures in the house. When this pipe is stopped up, every plumbing fixture will be affected. Water seeks the lowest level and any water permitted to enter the plumbing system at a higher level, such as a kitchen sink, will back up at a lower fixture, such as a toilet or shower. So when this happens, do not allow any more water to run into the system from anywhere in the house until you have had Mechandyman clean the sewer line.

Q: What if my garbage disposal doesn’t work?
A: If the disposal makes no noise when you turn it on, press the reset button located on the bottom of the unit.

If it makes a buzzing noise but doesn’t operate, turn the unit off. Look inside and see if there is a spoon or other object inside. Usually, a small object such as a pull tab from an aluminum can, apricot pit or coin is jamming the blades and needs to be dislodged. Before putting your hand or anything else into the disposal, unplug it. A broom handle usually works very well as a prying tool to free the blades from their locked position. Try inserting the handle at an angle, catching a raised portion of the cutter blade, and using leverage to turn it clockwise or counter-clockwise. If that doesn’t work, call Mechandyman                                                                         Q: What if my faucet is running too slowly?
A: If both hot and cold water are affected, probably the aerator is congested with rust and corrosion Which is a common problem in las vegas due to the hard watter. The aerator is located on the end of the faucet spout to introduce air into the water as it come out of the faucet to prevent splashing. On newer faucets, it also restricts the water flow to conserve water.

Try unscrewing the aerator by hand or with a wrench. Disassemble all the parts, being especially careful to lay the parts out in the order they are removed. Clean the rust or corrosion from each part and reassemble in exact order. If that doesn’t work, the problem is in the faucet or the plumbing piping system and you need to call Mechandyman.

Before You Call:

1. Tall lamps or anything taller than your child that can be pulled over should be taken out of the child’s reach or be blocked off with furniture so that your child cannot get near it.

2. Poisons should not be kept under the sink, regardless of whether or not the cabinet is childproofed. Poisons should always be kept in upper cabinets, out of your child’s reach.

3. Magnets on refrigerators are not a good idea. If they fall on the floor, your child could put it in his or her mouth and choke on it.

4. When cooking, all pot handles should be turned in so your baby does not reach up and pull the handle. If possible, use your back burners first.

5. Hanging cords from answering machines, phones, lamps, and appliances should be out of your child’s reach.

6. Always keep the VCR\ player out of reach so your child cannot put his or her hands into the mouth of the tape opening. Keep a tape in the VCR to prevent your child from putting little fingers inside.

7. Wall hangings should never be put over the crib. If your child pulls it down, nails could come loose and fall into the crib, not to mention having the glass break in the crib.

8. Mobiles should be removed when your child is 5-7 months old. Children can pull the mobile down and the little strings from the mobile can be wrapped around your child’s finger and cause injury.

9. Cords to blinds should be lifted high out of reach of your child. Children can pull the cords and could be accidentally strangled.

10. Turn your hot water down below 120 degrees to prevent scalding.

11. Pet doors should be blocked off so your baby does not go through the door. Babies tend to follow animals outdoors.

12. Tablecloths hanging over the edges of the tables can be pulled down and everything on top can fall on your child.

13. A baby must never be left unattended-even for just 30 seconds-outside or in a bathtub.

14. Your garage must be off limits to children.

15. Do not use tacks or staples to secure electrical cords to walls. They can fall or be pulled out and swallowed.

16.always fence off and secure swimming pools from children.

28. If there are any electrical subpannels in your home  INSTALL A LOCK ON THEM!

Some people have a higher tolerance than others for dirty air, but it affects everyone. Children whose respiratory system is still developing are at greater risk of asthma or allergies if they are exposed to many airborne contaminants.

Increased levels of contaminants in the air can even affect the well-being of fully developed, healthy adults. The higher the level of contaminants in the air, the quicker a person can reach their tolerance level. Then the contaminants could start to damage their respiratory system and their general health. Significant reduction of contaminants in the home can help the body recover from constant exposure to contaminants outside the home. We like to say this reduction in the stress to our respiratory system can be compared to a good nights sleep for a tired athlete.

HEPA is a filtration standard created by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. HEPA stands for “High Efficiency Particulate Air”. Some providers refer to HEPA as “High Efficiency Particulate Arresting”. Both terms refer to the same technology. HEPA filter media is proven to be 99.97% efficient @ 0.3 microns (a micron is 1/1,000,000 of a metre or 1/25,000th of an inch). Due to their extremely high efficiency, HEPA filters have become widely used in medical, electronic and industrial applications. In particular, HEPA is the air purification method used in operating rooms, clean rooms, space research and isolation chambers.

HEPA filters are composed of a various sized borosilicate fibers, which are pressed together to form a netlike structure with openings large enough for air to pass through but too small for most particulates.

HEPA air cleaners are effective in controlling:
• Household dust;
• Animal dander;
• Pollen;
• Bacteria; and
• Dust mite feces.

Good HEPA air cleaners incorporate activated carbon and/or zeolite for odor and gas control, in addition to particle removal.

Carbon Volatile Organic Compound (V.O.C.) Blankets:

Like Carbon Pre-filters, the Carbon Inner Blanket is placed in the air purifier as an additional purification media. It is a form of charcoal which has the ability to remove impurities from air, gas, and liquids. When various impurities come into contact with the activated carbon, the constituent molecules become trapped in tiny capillary passages on the surface of the carbon in a process called adsorption. Due to differences in molecular structures, some impurities are more readily adsorbed than others.

Carbon/Zeolite V.O.C. Cartridges:

V.O.C. cartridges can also make up part of the cleansing capability of the air purifier.  These cartridges capture contaminants the same way as a Carbon Blanket, but they use solid carbon and zeolite pellets which have a comparably larger surface area. This makes V.O.C. cartridges the filter of choice for situations where V.O.C. removal is a prime objective.

Since HEPA filters coupled with additional air cleaning capability have a very high air resistance, they cannot be installed directly in-line in a Heating and Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system.
Instead, whole house HEPA filtration systems must be installed in a by-pass configuration using a separate blower motor system.

Figure 1.0 HEPA Whole House Filter By-Pass Configuration

Because HEPA units work on the air exchange principle – air is cleaned by continually pulling air from the room into the filtering/cleaning device and exhausting clean air – their effectiveness is determined by calculating the number of air exchanges per hour in a given area.

The greater the number of air changes in a home that occurs, the cleaner the air. To calculate air changes per hour (ACH) for your particular home and particular HEPA unit you can use this formula:

One air change occurs in a room when a quantity of air equal to the volume of the room is filtered by the HEPA filter unit. Air change rates are units of ventilation that compare the amount of air moving through a space to the volume of the space. ACH is the volume of air (usually expressed in cubic feet) moved every hour divided by the room volume (also usually expressed in cubic feet).

Airflow is usually measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM). Your HEPA filter blower will have a CFM rating assigned to its blower. This is multiplied by 60 minutes to determine the volume of air filtered through the unit per hour (in cubic feet).
To calculate room volume (in cubic feet), multiply average room height (in feet) by the room area (in square feet). Room area is the room width (in feet) times the room length (in feet).

ACH = airflow per hour/room volume =CFM X 60 minutes/cubic feet

It is important to be aware of how air contaminants can affect our health and to adopt corrective measures that will improve indoor air quality in our homes. Whole House HEPA/air cleaners and filtration systems are one alternative available to the homeowner to positively affect their homelife environment to reduce:

• Particulates (air pollutants that have mass): like dust, dander, pollen, and cigarette smoke
• 2) Volatile Organic Compounds (V.O.C.s): which are gases from chemicals that are released into the air by various household materials and liquids.
• 3) Bio-Burden: the amount of biological material in the air, living or dead. Dead material can cause allergic reactions, living material can cause allergic reactions some can cause disease.