“They don’t make them like they used to!” Yeah, and they don’t let you fix stuff yourself either. Have you been to the store lately? “Yes we can fix it, but it would be better to buy the new ______.”
The Gang is joined by Jay Monday, “da boss” of The Cooling Plumbing Co (https://azcpg.com/) to talk about how we can maintain what we’ve got in an increasingly disposable world.
Episode Recap
FRIENDLY TAKEAWAYS:
- You can save money by fixing it yourself…if you know what you’re doing!
- Add years to the life of your AC unit with some simple maintenance.
- Before buying a home, get a professional to inspect plumbing and AC.
- It’s a Sellers Market in Arizona. Buyers, be smart!
Fix it Yourself or Replace It?
Want a date with Ryan? Steve’s offering a $200 dinner. What’re you waiting for, ladies?
People say they don’t make cars like they used to. That’s right. They’re better!
What about doing things yourself on your car. Steve recently had a customer come in to the shop and say his oil change was still 500 miles away. It’s not about miles only. It’s about time. Get that oil changed.
Things have become more complicated to fix these days. Do you repair your TV? No, you replace it. Now, there are still repair shops for many things, but normally we replace. Steve’s mom used to get the blender repaired. Do you repair a blender these days?
Felecia bought a juicer at the swap meet. It was broken, and Steve got it for $5. He was able to fix it, just like a transmission. On eBay, this’d go for over $100! That’s the lesson. Disposable may be fixable for certain things.
A guy came into the shop at Friendly. Steve told him the job was a 10-hour job. The guy said a Youtube video showed it could be done in forty minutes. The guy tried it and was back in the shop needing help.
For what it’s worth, duct tape is not the fix-all for all problems in your car or home! In fact, duct tape is a big red flag that something was not fixed the right way. You can tell good work when you see it. Like Jay Monday’s work. Check out the portfolio on his web site. Neat. Clean. Professional.
HVAC Preventive Maintenance
What are the biggest, most avoidable problems Jay finds in a home? Simple maintenance. It’s the same for plumbing and HVAC. Change those filters every month. Even in the winter. Keep the air conditioner serviced. But what about pipes? Jay just had a customer, selling his house, had an angle-stop burst and flooded his house. Jay had recommended he change that. It’s a simple, affordable fix. Restoration companies say 90% of their calls are from stuff like this. You can get a plumbing inspection from Jay. They’ll go through and adjust everything to make sure disasters aren’t about to happen, to save water, and to get rid of those odors.
Dave Drew called in. How do you know when to do repairs on the home AC system, versus having a pro do it? Jay says change your own filters. You can also spray off your coils (thumb-pressure water only). That’ll do so much. Other than that, only let a trained pro handle it.
What about R-22? Many companies are scaring consumers on that, trying to sell you a brand new system. Jay had a situation like that. The guy was adamant about replacing it because of the R-22. Jay showed him that the unit was working perfectly. Units can run 15-20 years with proper maintenance. The guy put that money into updating plumbing. Win, win.
The only reason to switch out a system because of refrigerant is if there’s a leak.
Inspections by a Professional Mechanical and Plumbing Company
More R-22. Felecia says homebuyers freak out over R-22. First, if you’re buying a home, bring out your HVAC/Plumbing contractor to do a real inspection. R-22 is like the blood of the system. Unless there’s a problem, and if you maintain the system, you’ll get 15-20 years out of it. So, don’t freak out over R-22.
Besides maintenance, what else can people do? Really, nothing. Schedule your plumbing and AC company to come out twice a year to do maintenance. Don’t try stuff yourself, not even the thermostat.
Jay Monday’s company can come out for an HVAC inspection for $75, and a Plumbing maintenance (hot water flush, etc.) and inspection for $125.
What about water softeners? You want water to be between 0 and 1 parts per million. The national average is 17. The lowest in Arizona is 34. That’s why you need a softener. Cities won’t do it because of the costs. So, it’s up to you to do a softener or a conditioner. A conditioner does the same work, but you don’t get that slimy feeling during a shower. Hard water is bad for your house. It discolors and ruins plumbing.
Local restaurants use filtering systems to create water like New York.
Drain water heaters. What about gas pipes for outdoor grills?
The Housing Market in Arizona is Out of Control!
Matt Watson wanted people to know about the home systems protection plan, which can help prevent systems breakdowns in your home. Jay can vouch for that program. It really helps homeowners avoid costs with catastrophic breakdowns, like with an AC unit. It can all be covered!
The housing market is out of control! Felecia has never seen a sellers market like this. The only difference between now and 2005 is that the buyers are qualified, no predatory lending. It’s crazy. They’re finding competition, big time. Felecia has to run her clients to see homes as soon as they pop up on the listings.
Ryan is seeing the same thing. Lots of prequalifications, and they’re putting in multiple offers. Inspections are becoming so vital, because sellers have the power. Remember, get your AC/plumber out to inspect those systems and units. It goes both ways, though, because buyers are educated and picky.
Rents are on the rise as well. There was an 8.4% increase in rent. Jay had a home inspector inspect a 10-year-old home, site unseen. When the new owner was cleaning the bathroom, she felt water on her knees. The whole house was flooded! The cleanouts were plugged up by Texas sage. The inspector should have caught that, but that’s what you get with an inspector who’s not a professional plumber. If you’re doing a landscaping job, you’ll want your plumber out to make sure plant depths won’t hit the plumbing.
Wrap Up
Until next week, Drive Friendly Arizona!
