Heating

Rochester MN Home Inspector Recommends Cleaning and Maintaining Your Wood Burning Fireplace

There are many reasons to keep your homes fireplace and chimney clean and in tip top operating condition. A dirty chimney will reduce the effectiveness of a fireplace as a heat source. Severe neglect and lack of maintenance may result in a chimney fire. Chimney fires can lead to home fires.

Protecting Your Home During Severe Winter Weather

It’s the end of January, and with that comes cold, bitter weather here in the Rochester MN area. Higher energy costs, burst or frozen pipes, ice dams, chimney fires and power outages are just some of the hazards and inconveniences that winter can bring.

Home Inspector From Rochester MN Shares Ways To Save On Your Energy Bills

Each year, your average household can spend up to $2200 on energy costs. Our economy today is certainly challenging, and homeowners are looking for ways to stretch their monthly utility and household expenses.

Home Inspection Detects Hazardous Gas

On a recent home inspection near Rochester MN, I came across what appeared to be a blocked chimney flue. Both the furnace and water heater were functioning properly with nice blue flames. I was however getting back draft Carbon Monoxide exhaust from both appliances.

Rochester MN Home Inspector Discusses Eliminating Ice Dams

Ice dams can be a problem this time of year here in the Rochester MN area. Snow melts on the roof and freezes at the eaves leaving a dam. Continued melting will pool up behind the dam and has the potential to seep under your shingles, resulting in water damage to both the roof deck, as well as the walls and ceilings.

Blocked Furnace Venting Found During Home Inspection

The recent heavy snowfall and drifting brings one more thing that Rochester and Southeastern MN homeowners need to keep an eye on. Home owners with High Efficiency, direct vent furnaces and water heaters need to check to see that the venting has not been drifted over with snow or blocked.

Furnace Improvements Not Recommended By Home Inspector

Canned beans supporting oil burner found a home inspection

Canned beans supporting oil burner found a home inspection

The only can of green beans we have in the house… And they are way past the expiration date. I guess we'll have to run to the store. This home inspector thinks it would have been better for the home owner to have the furnace professionaly repaired by a qualified repairman.

Rochester MN Home Inspections Help On Energy Saving Doors

At first glance, an old leaky garage door may not seem like something that would contribute to your rising home utility bills, but just might be worth thinking about. A new, insulated garage door can reduce energy loss through the garage door by up to 71%.

Checking The Furnace Filter During Home Inspections

Replacing your furnaces air filter at regular intervals is the first step in keeping your furnace running properly. The furnace filter's main purpose is to keep soot, dust, pollens and other particle contaminants out of the air in your home. Clogged and dirty air filters result in your furnace blower having to work harder. This makes your furnace more costly to operate and will shorten its lifespan.

Rochester MN Home Inspector Shares Spring Cleaning Tasks That Can Save You Money

It's Spring and along with that comes the urge to make everything clean, fresh, and new again. Now is the best time to take care of some often-overlooked household cleaning tasks that can save you big dollars in the future. As a home inspector, I often see that some of the costliest repairs are ones that could easily have been prevented with simple maintenance steps earlier on.

Rochester MN Home Inspector Recommends Regular Furnace Filter Maintenence

How often should you change the filter on the furnace? Whenever it's dirty. And although it sounds a little silly, some of better filters get dirty more quickly and need to be changed more often.