How Your House Works: A Visual Guide to Understanding & Maintaining Your Home - Softcover

Wing, Charlie

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0876290152 ISBN 13: 9780876290156

Publisher: RSMeans, 2007

Synopsis

Why is my faucet leaking, my toilet running, or my dishwasher refusing to start? Can I fix it myself? What's causing the heating system to smell bad or the foundation to crack? Do I need an air filtration system? Is the new "engineered lumber" as good as conventional wood? These are just a few examples of questions homeowners face when repairs are needed, or when a new house or addition is being planned.

There's no question that it pays to be an informed consumer. Knowledge of your home's systems helps you control repair and construction costs and make sure the correct elements are being installed or replaced.

This book uncovers the mysteries behind just about every major appliance and building element in your house. Clear, "exploded" drawings show you exactly how these things should be put together and how they function –  what to check if they don't work, and what you can do that might save you having to call in a professional.

The easy-to-understand pictures and explanations on every page get right to the point, helping you understand how things work, what can go wrong, and how to trouble-shoot a problem.

FEATURES:

Virtually everything in your house is included:

• Electrical – circuit breakers and grounding, service, outlets, lamps and fixtures.
• Heating and air conditioning – gas, electrical and oil - ductwork and piping, thermostats, central and window AC units, humidifiers and dehumidifiers, and air filtering systems.
• Plumbing – kitchen and bath fixtures, piping, water heaters, traps and vents, septic tanks, pumps and water softener systems – even sprinkler systems and swimming pool filters/heaters.
• Major household appliances – from kitchen to laundry.
• Foundation, framing, doors and windows – including issues like drainage and radon, types of framing and how it supports the house, and all types of doors and windows.

About this title

About the Author

Charlie Wing has written or co-written more than 20 books on home repair and improvement, including plumbing, painting, and tiling; additions and new home-building; and home energy efficiencies. An MIT graduate, he was founder and editor of Smart Homeowner magazine, and developed and hosted a national PBS series on home remodeling. He has been a guest more than 400 times on home improvement radio and television shows, including the Discovery Channel and NBC's "Today Show."

Edition details

• Publisher: RSMeans
• Publication date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0876290152
• ISBN 13: 9780876290156
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 152