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

From the Publisher

A must-have reference for every homeowner, handyman, and contractor - for repair, remodeling, and new construction.

From the Author

After observing neighbors, friends, and family through decades of home ownership, I'm convinced that most of today's homeowners live in a perpetual state of anxiety. The log cabin with a privy, a fireplace, and a bucket for hauling water has been replaced by homes with sophisticated wiring, plumbing, and appliances. What happens if something goes wrong? No wonder we live in a state of fear. While school has taught math, foreign languages, and computer sciences, we don't have a clue how our furnace, refrigerator, or even kitchen faucet works. This is an expensive omission in our education. In metropolitan areas, the minimum charge for a plumber or repair person to come to your home is about $150. In fact, repair services are now so expensive that the leading consumer magazine recommends replacing, rather than repairing, appliances over five years old!

Repair requires understanding how things work. Many repairs are surprisingly simple. These two principles are what led me to create this book. I hope that it saves you many times $150 and relieves some of your homeowner anxiety.

Edition details

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