Home Systems Archives

The Straight Poo About Sewers

Honest Home Podcast, Season 1

Oh, yay! It’s time to talk about sewers! Because of Taro Gomi’s classic book, we all know that every home needs a way to manage waste. In this episode we talk about all types of sewers, what a sewer scope inspection will find, and talk about many gross and fascinating things. We also address the perennial question: What should I work on first in my new home??

Resources:
Fatbergs
Map of the St. Paul Sand Rock Sewers
Someone who has gone through the great effort to compile a history of sewers – totally neat rabbit hole (so to speak?)

Radon 101

Honest Home Podcast, Season 1

This week we talk about radon – what it is, where it comes from, how to measure it, and how to mitigate. The State of Minnesota recently enacted a law requiring licensure for radon measurement professionals, and as a part of that licensure, Christopher has to complete several hours of continuing education a year. In this episode he shares some of the things he learned at his last class.

Additional resources:

CDC Radon Facts
State of Minnesota Radon Resources
Our Radon Facts Page
Rachel Malmberg and A Breath of Hope

Central Air Unit Maintenance

Honest Home Podcast, Season 1

Hey, guess what? It’s hot and humid in Minnesota during the summer! Crazy, right?! Anyway, we know that routine cleaning and maintenance of things that we operate by pushing a magic button on the wall are tasks that slip by us all too easily, so we’re here to remind you of what you need to do to ensure your AC unit is in tip-top shape this summer.

For those of you who also appreciate visuals, we found a rather straight-forward video that covers some of what we discuss in the episode.

Electricity!

Honest Home Podcast, Season 1

Most of what we cover in this episode is: Electricity can kill you. Never hesitate calling a licensed electrician to handle the work for you. Having said that, we do cover some homeowner DIY basics – swapping out lights, switches, and outlets. We also discuss common electrical problems we’ve found on inspections.

Additional Resources:

Electrical test kit – including inductive voltage meter
All about GFCIs
Deeper dive into amps, watts, volts, and ohms

Our own personal W.hat T.he F.ail / homeowner problem.

Fireplaces, Wood Stoves, and Chimneys

Honest Home Podcast, Season 1

This week we dive into all things fire! Fireplaces, wood stoves, and chimneys all require regular maintenance in order to function properly and SAFELY! Now that the burning season is more or less over, this is the best time to have the fire-heat system in your home serviced. We cover the most frequent defects we find in chimneys and offer solutions for more efficient wood and gas fireplace heating.