The Worst Thing About A Home Fire? Most Can Be Prevented!

Of course, if you tend to be an optimist, that can also be the best thing about a home fires…as in, take steps to prevent an electrical fire now, and you can prevent a world of woes later on.

During a typical year, home electrical problems result in an estimated 90,000 fires which, in turn, cause untold injuries, loss of property…and worse. And the sad thing is, most of these fires are caused by electrical problems, and most of these can be prevented.


Specifically, most home electrical fires are caused by the misuse and poor maintenance of electrical appliances, incorrectly installed wiring, and overloaded circuits and extension cords. Electrical fires are more common during the winter months, especially in December and January when many homes are adorned – electrically and otherwise – with holiday decorations.

In the interest of your family’s continued safety, Rapid Service is pleased to offer you these fire prevention tips:

- Don’t overload wall sockets. If a wall socket is warm to the touch, it’s overloaded. If it’s not overloaded but still warm to the touch, have it replaced immediately. Same goes for light switches.

- Regularly check your appliance, tool, and extension cords for frayed wires, bare spots, gaps in the insulation, and broken or cracked sockets.

- Don’t put electrical cords under rugs, over nails, or in high traffic areas. Also, do not trap appliance or extension cords against the wall or under carpeting. Heat can build up and start a fire.

- Clean the lint filter in your drier after every use. Also, regularly check your exhaust hose to make sure hot air is escaping normally.

- Keep clothes, curtains and anything else that might burn at least three feet away from all electric heaters.

- When buying tools, appliances, holiday lights, and more, make sure they are approved by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or another independent testing facility.

- If a tool or appliance has a three-prong plug, use it only in a three-prong outlet.

For an added measure of prevention, Rapid Service can offer a safety check of your home. No matter how little the problem, we’ll find it, and show you how to correct it.

Just one more way we’re here to assist you… “Around the House.”

“Weekend Warrior”

So, You Don’t Think You Need an Electrician, Eh?

The shocking truth of do-it-yourself electrical work…when it’s okay, and when you really need to hire a pro.

Throughout our many years of service, we’ve seen some pretty bizarre stuff. After all, who hasn’t (at one time or another) attempted a small electrical repair on their own?

We understand the need. Heck, we even encourage it…provided, of course, you know your stuff, your limitations, and when you’re better off calling the professionals at Rapid Service for assistance.


Of all the repairs you’re likely to attempt, the one most fraught with potential danger is electrical wiring. Countless house fires result from poor wiring techniques, substandard materials, faulty extension cords, or defective electrical appliances. Why so much trouble? Because electrical wiring often seems simpler than it really is. Worse, even the smallest of mistakes can cause shock hazards that may not be evident until it’s too late.

Bend a wire, tighten a screw, wrap a little electrical tape? Go ahead, give it a whirl. Just don’t forget to turn off the power first!

Of course, wanting to do the job yourself, or even having a reasonable amount of ability, often isn’t enough. In many towns, there are limitations on the work an unlicensed person may do... even you! Hence the need and presence of electrical codes.

One of the primary reasons they exist in the first place is to prevent one small mistake can potentially endanger hundred if not thousands of lives.

Electrical codes also ensure consistency and uniformity, without which….well, let’s just it would be bad. Really bad.

Not sure what’s in the your local codes, or where to find them? Call us…we’ll be glad to point you in the right direction. In the meantime, we’d like to offer you this chance to save money on your next indoor or outdoor lighting project with the coupon available on our website www.rapidservicellc.com or by calling our office. Just our way of reminding you that a little “illumination” can go a long way.

See you next time…“Around the House.”

Nip The Drip - Some simple fix-its can save volumes

What seems like a minor leak may surprise you in the amount of water and energy lost. Some simple fixes can add up to some major savings. For example:

• Fix a leaky faucet, save 20 gallons a day
• Fix a leaky toilet, save 30 gallons a day
• Replace an old toilet with a low flush toilet, save 40.5 gallons a day
• Repair an outdoor pipe leak or broken sprinkler head, save 20 gallons a day
• Repair a leak around the pool or spa pumps, save 20 gallons a day

Obviously, those gallons add up over the year. A 1/32 inch size leak wastes 73,992 gallons a year. 1/8 inch wastes over a million gallons.

Leaky faucets are typically caused by worn washers or “O” rings. For something that basic, you may want to pull out the do-it-yourself book and attempt the fix yourself. Or, if you want to save time while you’re confident it’s done right, just call us. You might even combine it with an overall plumbing inspection while we’re there, which may save major costs down the road in preventative maintenance.

Your leaky toilet may be a simple fix too, if you’re mechanically inclined. However, it often indicates you need a new toilet. In fact, if your toilet is ten or fifteen years old, you’re probably better off replacing it with an efficient low-flow toilet. You can save over five gallons per flush, so the savings add up quickly. Also, you’ll get a better flush with a pressurized model. You can conserve even more water with a dual flush toilet. It has two flush settings, one for solids and one for liquids. Incidentally, if you avoid using the toilet as an ashtray or wastebasket, you can save 400 to 600 gallons per month.

Simply replacing your showerhead with a new efficient model drastically cuts water consumption from 500 to 800 gallons per month, while you still enjoy excellent shower power. Current energy guidelines recommend a 2.5 gallons per minute (GPM) rating. Placing aerators on three kitchen and bath fixtures saves 14 gallons a day, while retaining excellent water pressure.


Is the garden hose leaking? Seal the connection threads with thread tape. If it’s the hose itself that’s leaking, wrap it with sealing tape.

By implementing these simple ideas, you’ll be saving you and your community hundreds, possibly thousands of gallons each year. Imagine if everyone else implemented these ideas as well. You might want to share this article with your neighbors.

One more extra bonus when you fix those leaks – you’ll hear no more annoying drip drip drip.

If you decide not to "DIY", just give us a call or visit the Rapid Service website for your $25 Coupon toward any new installation or repair.

Lighting Controls

See Your Home In A Different Light ~ Advances in lighting controls add ambiance, convenience and safety

Light...it comforts us, warms us, brings us relaxation. Whether it is a ray of sunshine that filters through the window on a cold winter's afternoon, the dusky light that signals the end of day, or the soft light next to our favorite reading chair.



While there isn't too much we can do to brighten a dark stormy day out of doors, we can change the personality and ambiance of a room in an instant? And establish yet another mood just as quickly? It’s easy as the flick of a finger with today’s controlled lighting advancements.

In fact, lighting controls are the most cost effective way to change the aesthetics of a room. One control can illuminate several room personalities.

Just like painting or furnishings, room lighting brings out the decorator in you. By using dimmers in different combinations throughout the room, you can switch from dramatic to relaxing to functional to night lighting – whatever the moment calls for. And today’s remote control systems let you preset each lighting setting so you can recall it at the push of a button. Program the lighting at bright levels for cleaning, then a dim preset for entertaining. Click again for the perfect in-home theater setting. Preprogram an entire lighting plan that includes the bar, framed paintings, track wall lighting, the dining room table, even your plants.

Don’t limit your creativity to the living and dining rooms. You can switch your kitchen from a brightly lit meal preparation center to a comfortable gathering place for guests. (Isn’t that where everyone seems to congregate anyway?) Dim the cabinet lights for decorative china silhouette effects. Then turn up the brightness when you need to shed light on the selection. Use the same cabinet lighting principle in the living room and library too.


Controlled lighting is also a luxury when the family’s asleep. Lights can dim automatically throughout the house, while illuminating nighttime pathways in halls and stairs. It makes late night bathroom and kitchen snack trips so much easier and safer, plus you won’t wake anyone up with sudden bright lights. Multiple dimmer controls let you set the lighting from either end of the hall, or from other rooms. Need to check on the sleeping kids? Turn the dimmer up slightly before you enter so you won’t wake them up. You can even have different preset lighting for both sides of the bed – one for reading, one for TV.

Other household controls can handle even more tasks for you. For example, come winter, they can automatically reverse the ceiling fan’s direction and slow it down. You won’t forget to turn on the security night lights because they’ll go on automatically, and shut off at daylight. Speaking of security, if you come home late, the remote in your car can light the whole house upon your arrival – and alert the security system.

The control panel itself can add a decorative touch. Don’t limit yourself the common denominator styles at the big box hardware store. A wide range of colors, textures and finishes are available from the professional electrician. And you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how few changes to your current home’s wiring are necessary. In fact, we can enhance your home’s appearance in the process of upgrading your lighting system.

There’s one more controlled lighting advantage we can all appreciate – savings. By cutting down on all the bright lights, you’ll be also be cutting down on expenses, energy and your carbon footprint.

Now that’s bright thinking!


Visit the Rapid Service website for your $25 Coupon toward any new installation or repair.

The Eternal Question - Repair or Replace

We all know that everything has a life span, whether it is your automobile or your water heater. It is always our hope that the life span is long and trouble free but the day eventually comes when we have to admit this "thing" is just costing too much to keep it working as it should.

How many times have you taken apart that leaky faucet only to have it start dripping again a few weeks later?

With the first sign of trouble, most of us will opt for repair since it hasn't cost us too much in maintenance until now.

A couple of months down the road, another problem crops up. Using the same wisdom as we did a few months ago, we most likely repair it again.

Since you have probably been doing these repairs yourself without professional assistance, it may be more of an annoyance and an intrusion on your Saturday relaxation time than actual dollars out of your pocket so you have put up with the inconvenience.

Another few months pass and another problem pops up. It's about this time that we begin questioning whether we should continue repairing or if it is time to just bite the bullet and replace the whole thing. After all, there is a lot of truth to the old saying about pouring good money after bad.

When you are faced with this decision, we suggest you discuss it with a trusted technician. Talk to your Rapid Service plumber, electrician, or carpenter for an honest appraisal of your problem and a firm quote on the price to correct the situation.

In today's "throw-away" society, we find that many parts available to the average consumer are not really intended to be repaired. As an example, you can buy a replacement faucet at the hardware store that may get the job done in the short term but isn't really built for a 20 year life span.

We when encounter situations such as this, we will always recommend that we replace your failing unit with a high quality new model that we can warranty and stand behind in the years to come. It may be a few dollars more in the short term but you won't have to worry about it again for a long, long time.


It is our promise to you that we will always give you the best advice we can about repair versus replace. After all, we are faced with those same dilemmas in our own lives and we rely on the professions to offer the benefit of their expertise and experience, just like you do

Questions to Ask A Home Repair Contractor (Besides "How Much Do You Charge?")

Everyone in the service business cringes a little when people call and ask, "How much do you charge?" No, it's not because we charge too much. It's because, deep down, we know we cannot completely answer the question.

Most service firms will quote an hourly rate over the phone, but does that really tell you anything? What any home owner really wants to know is, "How much will it cost me to fix my problem?"

To answer that question, the service company needs to know

1. the exact nature of the problem, which cannot be described with certainty over the phone, and
   
   
2. how long it will take to fix it.

Quoting an hourly rate might seem to provide a rough estimate. Yet how often have you seen home repair jobs drag on for hour after hour with "the meter running"? Too many variables come into play, including the exact nature of the problem and the skill of the service technician dispatched to your firm. Some are more experienced and work faster than others.

With this in mind, I would like to suggest some other questions that you as home owners might wish to ask of the people you call for home repairs and service who quote you hourly charges over the phone.

• Can you guarantee a maximum price to do the job?
  
  Expect to hear a lot of stuttering and stammering with this one. Some contractors will laugh out loud.
  
  However, there are a few progressive contractors like Rapid Service out there who do quote exact prices, guaranteed, once they perform a diagnosis. Usually they charge a modest upfront fee for the diagnosis, though many waive the charge if they get the job. Nonetheless, it does remove the guesswork.
  
  
  
• Do you charge for time driving to and from a supply house?
  
  Some jobs might require only 15 minutes of labor to perform, but you'll see the service technician disappear for an hour or more to go pick up parts not stocked in the truck. Supply houses are some of the favorite hangouts of many service techs. Many serve free coffee and snacks to their customers, and it's a great place to catch up on the latest industry gossip. Rapid Service trucks arrive fully stocked and ready to work but if there is a special need on your project, you will not be charged extra for the technician to get anything required to meet your needs.
  
  
• Who will be doing the work?
  
  Sometimes it will be a master mechanic with many years of experience. At other times, though, it could be a youngster with less than a year under his belt - maybe even an apprentice filling in during an absence. Who does the work has a lot to do with how much you end up paying when rates are quoted on an hourly basis. With Rapid Service, you can rest assured that an experienced, licensed, and insured tradesman will complete the work.
  
  
• If the problem persists or reappears after your mechanic leaves, will you come back to fix it at no extra charge - immediately?
  
  Most companies will answer yes to this questions, but watch out. Most labor guarantees extend only a month, which is not very long when you think about it. Also, call-backs tend to be the lowest priority when service firms get busy. When you choose Rapid Service as your contractor of choice, you can be confident that we stand behind our work and will be here next week, next month, and next year if you have any questions or concerns.
  
  
• Can you show me proof of a license and insurance, both general liability and worker compensation?
  
  This is a big one. Most people don't realize that if an uninsured worker gets injured while working in a home, the home owner can be held financially responsible.
  
  On the flip side, in some states where licensing is required, a home owner is not obligated to pay for any work done by an unlicensed contractor.
  
  All of Rapid Service's technicians are licensed and insured with many years of experience. Don't hesitate to ask for proof of both from our people.
  
  
• What time will you show up?
  
  Most service companies can't pinpoint their time of arrival closer than "morning or afternoon." This can get expensive if the home owner has to take off a full or half-day of work.
  
  Progressive service companies like Rapid Service can many times pinpoint within an hour or two when their service technician will be at the door. We will call to before the technician's appointment to confirm the time and let you know we are on the way and when you can expect us to arrive. If he or she does get delayed, we will call with an updated time of arrival.
  
  
• Another useful gauge of a service firm's value is if there is even anybody available to answer these questions.
  
  Many contractors try to do business using answering machines, promising to return calls at some undetermined time. This isn't much help to someone who needs an emergency repair right now. When you call Rapid Service, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, you will speak to a real live person, not a machine. You can have confidence that your needs are a priority with us.
  
  Also, how many of you have had this experience - you call one contractor and leave a message on an answering machine. Then you call someone else to do the work who is available at the moment.
  
  A day or two later, the contractor with an answering machine calls you back. You inform him that you had someone else do the job. Then he asks, "How much did he charge?" You tell him, and then the guy says, "You got ripped off. I would have done the job for half that price!"
  
  Reminds me of the old story about the customer who goes into a store to buy a toaster. The owner rings up a $25 sale.
  
  "That's outrageous!" the customer complains. "A store down the street sells the same toaster for $15."
  
  "Well, why didn't you buy it there?" asked the owner.
  
  "Because they're out of toasters."
  
  "Heck," replied the owner, "when we run out of toasters, we only charge $10."
  
  Let the buyer beware.
  
  
  
  

CARBON MONOXIDE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning has been one of the more under-publicized household hazards until two recent events put it in the spotlight. One was the accidental death in September 1994 of tennis star Vitas Gerulaitas, who succumbed to CO while sleeping in a rented home. The other was an ordinance that went into effect October 1, 1994, in Chicago requiring CO detectors in all residences heated by any fossil fuel burning equipment - in effect, all except solar or electrically heated homes. The Chicago law was in reaction to a tragedy that occurred in 1991 when a family of 10 was wiped out by CO poisoning from a faulty furnace installation.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission says that "at least" 250 people are killed each year from CO, a very conservative estimate. The American Medical Association says it's more like 1,500 people a year, with another 10,000 or more taking ill.

There is a lot of uncertainty because CO is tasteless, colorless and odorless - undetectable except by sophisticated gear. Also, the main symptoms of CO poisoning - fatigue, headaches, dizzy spells and nausea - resemble those of the flu and many other common illnesses. Thus CO poisoning is easily misdiagnosed, and people can succumb to it with very little physical discomfort, almost like falling asleep. (Early news reports treated Gerulaitas' death as mysterious and were filled with speculation about drugs or foul play.)

CO is given off by incomplete combustion of flammable fuels such as natural gas, oil, wood, coal or kerosene. Common household appliances such as furnaces, boilers, water heaters and stoves are all potential sources of CO gas. All of these products are designed with elaborate safeguards and under normal operating conditions all the CO produced from combustion will be harmlessly vented to the atmosphere.

Poor venting, due to leaks or blockages in the vent system, is the most common cause of CO build-up in the home, followed by cracks or corrosion in a furnace's heat exchanger. Here are some danger signs and steps you can take to minimize the danger:

* Most important, have your furnace or boiler regularly inspected, at least one a year, by a licensed, competent heating professional. The technician should check all connections to flue piping and vents for cracks, gaps, rust, corrosion or debris. Likewise the inspection should cover the combustion chamber and heat exchanger for cracks, holes, metal fatigue or corrosion, as well as the filters and filtering system for dirt and blockages. Debris should be cleared off the burner and safety switches tested.

* A yellow, lazy-looking flame in a natural gas furnace indicates inefficient fuel burning, and consequently higher levels of carbon monoxide. An inefficient oil furnace will give off an oily odor - but remember, you can't smell CO itself.

* Chimneys and vents ought to be inspected regularly for blockages caused by debris, animal nests or cave-ins. Also beware of cracks and holes. Inspect fireplaces for blocked flues, excess soot and debris.
* Be sure all vents are properly installed - including those leading from the clothes dryer, water heater and wood-burning stoves.

* Never use an unvented space heater indoors. Never burn charcoal inside and do not use your gas stove as a heater. When cooking, keep the oven door closed.

* Avoid running both a furnace and fireplace simultaneously for long periods of time. This can create serious backdrafting that prevents CO gas from exiting the home.

* Never install a boiler, furnace or water heater in an airtight enclosure.

* Look for the following signs that may indicate CO problems - streaks of soot around the service door of a gas appliance; rust spots on flue pipe, boilers, furnaces or water heaters; excessive moisture on basement windows, which may indicate poor ventilation; generally stale air throughout the house, another sign of poor ventilation.

* DO INSTALL A UL-APPROVED CO DETECTOR. The UL standard requires home CO detectors to sound a warning before CO levels reach over 100 parts per million (ppm) over 90 minutes, 200 ppm over 35 minutes or 400 ppm over 15 minutes. These warning should allow the average person to safely evacuate the premises. (CO levels over 200 ppm lasting for 90 minutes can cause headaches in healthy adults. At 300 ppm the healthy adult may experience drowsiness, at 400 ppm might collapse and 500 ppm exposure could result in brain damage or death.)

Approved CO detectors are now available for around $50 or less. They are similar to smoke detectors in both appearance and installation. The best place to install a CO detector is near bedrooms. Don't install one in the boiler or furnace room the garage or the kitchen, where it may go off in reaction to temporary elevated levels of CO.

Cheap CO-detection patches that sell for under $10 are not of much use. These devices are based on chemical reactions that change the color of a spot in the presence of elevated CO. They register many false positives and tell you nothing unless you are looking at the spot for a telltale change of color. What you need is an alarm that alerts you to danger as soon as it arises and wakes you up if you are asleep.

What do you do if the alarm sounds? Vacate the house quickly, opening doors and windows as you leave in order to provide ventilation. Then contact a local emergency service crew - usually the police or fire department - for advice. Depending on your community, they may have a CO measuring device on hand to take a reading inside your home in order to determine if it is safe to move back in.

Keep in mind that the act of ventilating your home may make it safe for immediate occupancy but won't fix whatever generated excess CO in the first place. As soon as possible you need a professional inspection of all possible CO sources. This should be someone equipped with CO measuring gear able to detect concentrations as small as 5-10 parts per million. The measurement test should be conducted over at least a 24-hour period.

It is possible for a CO alarm to be triggered by a single unusual incident that presents no lasting threat. However, if one ever goes off in your home, you won't rest easily until you take all the precautions possible to safeguard yourself and love ones.

Visit our website at rapidservicellc.com for a $25 coupon that can be used toward any repair work or new installation.