Eric Berger

How to keep your home running efficiently all year round

As a homeowner, I just want things that are supposed to work, to work. I’m not particularly handy, so when something breaks it always frustrates me. Even worse, if there’s a plumbing problem, it can damage a home. Or if the AC breaks down in August, heaven help us all. Frankly, there’s never a convenient time for a major system in your home to break down. In today’s sponsored post from Reliant, we discuss one option to address this.

Reliant has created a package to help protect your home from potential AC, heater and plumbing issues. The idea behind the Reliant Home Maintenance Package is to alleviate the stress of the homeowner who relies on their major home systems to perform all year long.
For $249 a year, a homeowner can enjoy the benefits of a full plumbing inspection once a year, two seasonal air conditioner or heater tune-ups per year.

The details of each inspection are as follows:

Heating Tune-up (October – November)

  • Inspect and test the gas valve
  • Inspect and test the pilot light (manual or electronic)
  • Visually inspect the heat exchanger
  • Check flue for proper ventilation and clearance
  • Inspect and test the electrical disconnect
  • Check amperage readings on heat strips
  • Verify proper wiring size on heat strips
  • Inspect and test the electrical power switch
  • Inspect blower motor for proper ventilation
  • Check the evaporator drain line
  • Check the overflow pan drain line
  • Inspect all air filters
  • Inspect and test thermostat

Plumbing Inspection (January – February)

  • Check the water pressure
  • Visual inspection of faucets for leaks
  • Visual inspection of toilets and tanks for leaks
  • Check the drain speed in bathtubs and sinks
  • Visual inspection of shower pan
  • Inspect flexible hoses/water supply lines to: Toilets, sinks, washing machine, dishwasher, refrigerator, water heater
  • Drain and sewer line inspection (if accessible)
  • Water heater: Check temperature, inspect venting system, ccheck water and gas connection, inspect drain and pan piping

AC Tune-up (March – April)

  • Inspect condenser coil
  • Clean and clear debris
  • Inspect all electrical connections
  • Adjust the system for optimal cooling
  • Check for refrigerant and oil leaks
  • Check the expansion valve and coil temperatures
  • Check refrigerant levels
  • Check condensation drain
  • Run the cooling cycle
  • Inspect and test the thermostat
  • Inspect all air filters
  • Perform a wash-down of the condenser coil

Although such a service cannot fully guarantee there will be no unexpected problems with your home, it can often find problems before they happen. There is nothing worse than waking up in the middle of the night to rain showers falling onto your bed. Which has happened to me. When the water heater burst about a decade ago in the attic.

A clear and crisp Thanksgiving lies ahead for Houston

It’s chilly this morning across Houston, with lows in the low 40s for inland areas, and low 50s closer to the coast. For most of this week we can expect continued fall-like weather thanks to a series of cold fronts. The Thanksgiving holiday should see near perfect fall-like weather.

Monday

Houston will see a mix of sunshine and clouds today, which should keep high temperatures in the upper 60s for the most part. Monday night should be about 10 degrees warmer than Sunday night, as southeasterly winds return to the area.

Monday morning is one of the chilliest we’ve seen in Texas this fall. (Weather Bell)

Tuesday

As moisture flows back to the area, humidity levels will tick up some—but the region won’t have too long to warm back up before another front arrives. Highs on Tuesday should reach into the mid-70s, but the bigger question is whether we’ll squeeze out any showers later during the day, or overnight hours. For now, it seems like most of of the rain showers will occur offshore, or immediately along the coast. There is about a 30 percent chance of some light rain for inland areas. Lows Tuesday night will reach into the low 50s for inland areas, and low 60s along the coast.

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Three more warm days until fall returns to Houston

Houston faces three more warm days before a cool front knocks us out of this warm weather pattern and into much more fall-like conditions for most of next week. The forecast for Thanksgiving remains about as clear as gravy.

Thursday and Friday

We’ll see some possibly foggy mornings each day, and then warm days with highs of around 80 degrees. We can’t rule out some scattered, light rain on Thursday afternoon, but chances of this are pretty small. Nights will be muggy, with lows only falling into the upper 60s. On Friday southerly winds could be fairly gusty across the area.

Not much, if any, rainfall is expected between now and Tuesday morning. (NOAA)

Saturday

A cold front is coming on Saturday, but the day will start out warm, and highs will probably reach about 80 degrees for most of the area. I’d peg the front’s arrival at sometime in the afternoon for most of the city, with it perhaps moving off the coast around sunset. Some scattered showers are possible with the front’s passage, but any accumulations should be slight. A northerly wind will bring immediately cooler and drier air into the region and overnight lows should fall to around 50 degrees.

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A front reaches Houston on Saturday, cooler for Thanksgiving week

Perhaps you’re traveling out of town via an airport. Perhaps you’re having 30 family members over to your home. Perhaps you just want to toss the football around in the back yard, as is customary on Thanksgiving. Whatever the circumstance, weather matters during Thanksgiving week. And for now, it looks pretty festive for Houston—rather than an 80-degree sweat fest that we’ve had in some recent years.

Texas is warm this morning, and will remain so until the weekend when a front moves through. (Weather Bell)

Wednesday through Friday

Houston’s weather will gradually warm up to end the work week, with overnight lows rising from about 60 degrees in the city on Wednesday morning to the upper 60s by Saturday morning. Mornings will see at least some patchy fog due to muggy air and near dead calm winds. High temperatures will remain pegged at about 80 degrees, with partly to mostly sunny skies. Can’t entirely rule out a few light showers later this week, but I’d bet heavily against rain for most people.

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