WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.480 --> 00:00:04.040 KFI AM six forty. You're listening to Dean Sharp The 2 00:00:04.080 --> 00:00:10.080 House Whisper on demand on the iHeart Radio app ray 3 00:00:10.320 --> 00:00:14.320 I AM six morting live streaming and HD everywhere on 4 00:00:14.439 --> 00:00:18.879 the iHeartRadio app. Dean Sharp The House Whisper with you 5 00:00:19.079 --> 00:00:23.079 live every Saturday and Sunday morning Saturdays from six to 6 00:00:23.120 --> 00:00:27.519 eight Pacific time, Sunday Mornings The Big Show nine to 7 00:00:27.640 --> 00:00:30.719 noon Pacific time. Hey, follow us on social media. We 8 00:00:30.760 --> 00:00:34.679 only do the good kind, uplifting, informative, inspiring social media. 9 00:00:34.840 --> 00:00:38.359 We're on all the usual suspects, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, x 10 00:00:38.439 --> 00:00:41.039 blah bahdah, bah bah bah, all of them. All of 11 00:00:41.079 --> 00:00:45.200 them were there at home with Dean. That's all you 12 00:00:45.240 --> 00:00:47.439 need to do. And you'll find us there and follow 13 00:00:47.520 --> 00:00:50.520 us and share the content with your friends and family 14 00:00:50.560 --> 00:00:53.079 along the way. And of course you know this very 15 00:00:53.119 --> 00:00:56.000 program is also what is known as The House Whisper 16 00:00:56.039 --> 00:00:59.920 Podcast that you can listen to anytime, anywhere on demand, 17 00:01:00.079 --> 00:01:03.679 hundreds of episodes, all searchable by topic. It is your 18 00:01:03.759 --> 00:01:07.239 home improvement reference library. And to top it all off, 19 00:01:07.799 --> 00:01:11.040 if you live well, if you live anywhere, and you 20 00:01:11.120 --> 00:01:13.920 feel like your home is in need of more personal 21 00:01:14.040 --> 00:01:17.920 house Whisperer attention like, Oh, I would really love to 22 00:01:17.920 --> 00:01:20.560 have Dean and Tina in my house staring at that problem, 23 00:01:20.640 --> 00:01:23.719 helping us figure it all out. Well, that can happen too. 24 00:01:23.799 --> 00:01:26.760 You can book an in home design console with me 25 00:01:26.959 --> 00:01:31.519 and the t Just go to house Whisperer dot Design, 26 00:01:31.640 --> 00:01:36.040 House Whisperer dot Design. All right, it is Saturday morning. 27 00:01:36.280 --> 00:01:40.040 We are live as always, and uh we're taking calls 28 00:01:40.239 --> 00:01:42.560 and going to the phones. I want to go back 29 00:01:42.599 --> 00:01:44.480 to the phones right now. Let me give you the number, 30 00:01:44.480 --> 00:01:47.040 by the way, because Saturday morning, there's always room for you. 31 00:01:47.319 --> 00:01:49.959 It's always room on Saturday morning to get on the 32 00:01:49.959 --> 00:01:52.480 air with me. The number to reach me right now 33 00:01:52.560 --> 00:01:56.400 eight three three two. Ask Dean eight three three the 34 00:01:56.480 --> 00:02:01.120 numeral two. Ask Dean eight three three two Ask Dean. 35 00:02:01.480 --> 00:02:04.480 It's just that simple. Give me a call. I'd love 36 00:02:04.519 --> 00:02:08.280 to talk to you about your home. Let's talk to Susie. Hey, Susie, 37 00:02:08.439 --> 00:02:09.080 welcome home. 38 00:02:09.639 --> 00:02:11.919 Huh Hi Deane, thanks for taking my call. 39 00:02:12.680 --> 00:02:13.439 Uh huh. 40 00:02:13.479 --> 00:02:17.080 So my family has had a rental property rental house 41 00:02:17.159 --> 00:02:21.360 for about fifty years, and over the last six years 42 00:02:21.360 --> 00:02:23.719 we did do you might hear my dog bark, We 43 00:02:23.759 --> 00:02:29.080 did do some remodeling, and the backyard has a slope 44 00:02:29.120 --> 00:02:34.960 to it, and now water has been intruding. And in 45 00:02:35.000 --> 00:02:40.639 the master bedroom we're getting molled. And we've had to 46 00:02:40.680 --> 00:02:43.800 take out the lower half of the wall and replace 47 00:02:43.840 --> 00:02:46.719 it twice. So I'm wondering if I should put in 48 00:02:46.759 --> 00:02:53.159 a French train. The gardener has readjusted the sprinklers so 49 00:02:53.520 --> 00:02:57.560 it wouldn't really hit the house the water. So my 50 00:02:57.680 --> 00:03:03.039 father put in stepping stones around own the uh, the 51 00:03:03.039 --> 00:03:06.800 the wall, the backside of the wall, and that worked 52 00:03:06.840 --> 00:03:09.479 for many years until I did this remodel and changed 53 00:03:09.479 --> 00:03:13.400 out the flooring. I've had some companies come out and 54 00:03:13.439 --> 00:03:16.080 they say, well, you need to have the air flowing 55 00:03:16.120 --> 00:03:18.759 through more, and that hasn't changed anything. 56 00:03:19.639 --> 00:03:24.199 No, yeah, no, no, no, yeah. Okay, So you've got 57 00:03:24.199 --> 00:03:29.879 a sloping backyard sloping towards the house. Yes, okay, ye 58 00:03:31.000 --> 00:03:34.479 tell me, what do we know? What is the soil 59 00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:39.560 level outside the master bedroom wall? Or is it a 60 00:03:39.639 --> 00:03:42.639 raised foundation? Is a slab house? What are we on here? 61 00:03:43.759 --> 00:03:46.159 It's a raised foundation. So there's dirt under the house. 62 00:03:47.199 --> 00:03:50.439 Okay, So there's dirt under the house, and and and 63 00:03:50.520 --> 00:03:53.560 yet so have we have we got under there and looked. 64 00:03:53.639 --> 00:03:56.199 I mean, is it saturated? Does it get really wet 65 00:03:56.280 --> 00:03:58.199 under there under the master bedroom area. 66 00:04:01.360 --> 00:04:08.680 No, it doesn't seem to interesting I've had the first 67 00:04:08.680 --> 00:04:11.000 time that I have that it happened, I did have 68 00:04:11.080 --> 00:04:15.000 somebody go under the house and on the other side 69 00:04:15.159 --> 00:04:19.079 of the of the bedroom wall around the corner from 70 00:04:19.120 --> 00:04:23.959 the outside, there is a hose hook up there, but 71 00:04:24.040 --> 00:04:26.399 that doesn't seem to be the issue. It has something 72 00:04:26.439 --> 00:04:30.240 to do, I think with the sprinklers and then the 73 00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:34.240 waters going back. So I'm not sure what to do 74 00:04:34.319 --> 00:04:34.920 at this point. 75 00:04:34.959 --> 00:04:38.399 All right, So okay, next question, very important question. Do 76 00:04:38.480 --> 00:04:42.600 we know what relative to the floor inside. Do we 77 00:04:42.639 --> 00:04:46.439 know how high the soil is up against the master 78 00:04:46.519 --> 00:04:49.319 bedroom wall? In other words, is it level with the 79 00:04:49.360 --> 00:04:52.439 floor inside? Is it up actually a little higher? Is 80 00:04:52.480 --> 00:04:55.600 it below considerably? Where are we at there? 81 00:04:56.720 --> 00:05:03.639 I think it's higher, I think than the floor level. 82 00:05:05.079 --> 00:05:07.720 Oh okay, I'm not sure. 83 00:05:08.759 --> 00:05:12.839 Okay, all right, all right, Susie. Uh, there are there 84 00:05:12.879 --> 00:05:16.160 are answers to this question. And uh and I want 85 00:05:16.199 --> 00:05:18.920 to take it in a little bit more tail And 86 00:05:18.959 --> 00:05:23.399 there's your beautiful puppy doing his thing. Let me if 87 00:05:23.480 --> 00:05:25.519 if with your permission, can I pop you on. Hold. 88 00:05:25.560 --> 00:05:26.920 We're going to go to a break and when we 89 00:05:26.959 --> 00:05:29.560 come back, I'm going to try and address this issue 90 00:05:29.560 --> 00:05:31.920 of drainage. And I think you're right about the French strain, 91 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:34.480 but there may be something else involved as well. So 92 00:05:35.120 --> 00:05:37.800 let's deal with it in a way that will work 93 00:05:37.839 --> 00:05:39.920 for you and that others will understand as well. So 94 00:05:40.040 --> 00:05:41.000 can you hang tight with me? 95 00:05:42.079 --> 00:05:43.240 I sure can, thank you? 96 00:05:44.079 --> 00:05:47.040 All right, see you, hold on, everybody, hold on. We're 97 00:05:47.040 --> 00:05:50.519 going to figure out this drainage problem. I promise you. 98 00:05:50.519 --> 00:05:54.800 You are home with Dean Sharp the house whisper. These 99 00:05:54.839 --> 00:05:58.199 whisper at your service. It's an all calls Saturday morning, 100 00:05:58.360 --> 00:06:00.839 like we do. The number to reach me eight three 101 00:06:01.000 --> 00:06:04.519 three two. Ask Dean eight three three the numeral two. 102 00:06:04.720 --> 00:06:09.720 Ask Dean eight three three to ask Dean anything about 103 00:06:09.800 --> 00:06:17.000 your home inside outside, from architectural uh lofty design concepts 104 00:06:17.040 --> 00:06:19.120 all the way down to you know, how do we 105 00:06:19.240 --> 00:06:22.519 keep water out of the master bedroom, which is what 106 00:06:22.680 --> 00:06:26.439 we're talking to Susie about. Susie, is he still with me? 107 00:06:29.519 --> 00:06:31.120 Did I lose Susie? Susie? Are you with me? 108 00:06:32.519 --> 00:06:32.680 Yeah? 109 00:06:32.759 --> 00:06:37.079 I'm here, okay, all right? So uh yes, I got you, 110 00:06:37.319 --> 00:06:42.759 I got you, Okay, so the question of this water 111 00:06:42.839 --> 00:06:45.360 intrusion that has messed up the drywall a couple of 112 00:06:45.399 --> 00:06:49.240 times in the master bedroom. From the outside of the house, 113 00:06:49.279 --> 00:06:52.920 we've got a sloping yard sloping towards the house, which 114 00:06:52.959 --> 00:06:58.920 is always a bit precarious. I uh, when whenever that happens. Uh, 115 00:06:59.600 --> 00:07:02.079 it's thing that we have to take very very seriously 116 00:07:02.199 --> 00:07:07.040 in terms of drainage and irrigation control on the outside 117 00:07:07.079 --> 00:07:09.319 of the house. So I asked a couple of questions 118 00:07:09.360 --> 00:07:11.600 right before the break. I'm just going to reiterate what 119 00:07:13.160 --> 00:07:16.079 the situation is. Not a lot of excess moisture underneath 120 00:07:16.079 --> 00:07:19.800 the house. She's got a raise foundation, so not a 121 00:07:19.800 --> 00:07:23.240 lot of excess moisture there, but a lot of moisture 122 00:07:23.319 --> 00:07:27.519 coming in through the wall underneath the wall. And so, Susie, 123 00:07:27.560 --> 00:07:31.240 here is my concern. A couple of concerns. Number one 124 00:07:31.839 --> 00:07:37.000 code the code for levels of soil outside a home 125 00:07:37.879 --> 00:07:41.759 versus the floor inside the home. When it comes to 126 00:07:41.879 --> 00:07:45.079 just open rough soil, the code is that there needs 127 00:07:45.120 --> 00:07:50.399 to be at least four inches of elevation drop where 128 00:07:50.439 --> 00:07:54.279 the soil surcharges the house on the outside than from 129 00:07:54.319 --> 00:07:58.240 your finished floor. So the soil level outside should be 130 00:07:58.279 --> 00:08:02.160 four inches below the the floor level of the home, 131 00:08:02.319 --> 00:08:06.439 including the master bedroom. That's number one, and that's really 132 00:08:06.519 --> 00:08:09.639 really key because moisture can build up in that soil 133 00:08:09.680 --> 00:08:12.480 and we never want to be in a situation where 134 00:08:12.519 --> 00:08:16.319 surface water has a chance to run in underneath the 135 00:08:16.360 --> 00:08:19.439 plate of the wall and get in, which it sounds 136 00:08:19.480 --> 00:08:22.240 like to me is exactly what's happening on some level. 137 00:08:22.560 --> 00:08:25.680 So that's number one. On a raised foundation, it's also 138 00:08:25.839 --> 00:08:29.759 really really important that we don't just run soil right 139 00:08:29.879 --> 00:08:33.799 up against the concrete stem wall that is the raised foundation, 140 00:08:33.960 --> 00:08:36.480 but that we put some waterproofing on the stem wall 141 00:08:36.559 --> 00:08:39.720 as well, which in older homes with raised foundations was 142 00:08:39.840 --> 00:08:43.120 rarely ever done. And so if you have a drainage 143 00:08:43.120 --> 00:08:48.720 and moisture issue, then then waterproofing the foundation is an 144 00:08:48.759 --> 00:08:53.320 important step along the way lowering the soil level, getting 145 00:08:53.360 --> 00:08:56.759 it away from anywhere near A third problem that often 146 00:08:56.799 --> 00:09:00.360 occurs is that older homes with stucco, Oh is it 147 00:09:00.399 --> 00:09:02.039 a stucco house or a sighting house? 148 00:09:02.240 --> 00:09:05.000 It sure isco okay. 149 00:09:05.320 --> 00:09:09.240 Older homes with stucco back in the day just runs 150 00:09:09.399 --> 00:09:12.639 the stucco just runs right down into the soil and 151 00:09:12.720 --> 00:09:15.080 doesn't have what we call a weep screed. The stucco 152 00:09:15.120 --> 00:09:17.919 doesn't stop above the soil line. What's yours like? 153 00:09:21.240 --> 00:09:24.559 Yeah, it just seems to go right down into the dirt. 154 00:09:24.679 --> 00:09:29.320 And now the stucco wall is starting to have that 155 00:09:29.679 --> 00:09:30.399 red mold. 156 00:09:31.519 --> 00:09:35.720 Yeah, yeah to it. Okay, So here's the good news. 157 00:09:35.840 --> 00:09:39.559 The bad news is we've got multiple little problems. Okay. 158 00:09:39.799 --> 00:09:42.919 The good news is it's all solveable. It's all solvable. Okay. 159 00:09:43.200 --> 00:09:47.600 So number one, stucco, everybody, Your stucco should not be 160 00:09:47.720 --> 00:09:51.200 running down the wall into the soil. Why is that? 161 00:09:51.759 --> 00:09:55.120 Because water? We know this water has such a strong 162 00:09:55.240 --> 00:09:58.679 surface tension. It's always seeking to go from areas of 163 00:09:58.679 --> 00:10:04.200 greater concentration lesser concentration, which means the porosity of your stucco. 164 00:10:04.240 --> 00:10:08.080 It's concrete, it's full of pores and air spaces. The 165 00:10:08.120 --> 00:10:11.600 porosity of your concrete. Water can climb a foot twelve 166 00:10:11.639 --> 00:10:15.679 inches up, percolating up inside the stucco before it gets 167 00:10:15.759 --> 00:10:18.559 too heavy, and then it wants to release and then vush. 168 00:10:18.759 --> 00:10:21.360 It releases into the wall, out of the wall, all 169 00:10:21.399 --> 00:10:24.799 over the place, and it's no good. We don't this. 170 00:10:25.039 --> 00:10:28.679 The stucco coming down into the soil is a bridge 171 00:10:29.039 --> 00:10:32.559 for moisture to climb up the wall and get into 172 00:10:32.559 --> 00:10:36.399 the house. So that's something that if it's a serious 173 00:10:36.519 --> 00:10:40.360 enough problem that you can actually call a stucco company 174 00:10:40.399 --> 00:10:45.039 and say, hey, cut my stucco at the proper level 175 00:10:45.080 --> 00:10:48.039 of the plateline of the house. Cut it there and 176 00:10:48.159 --> 00:10:52.519 install a weep screed that's a bottom finishing flashing that 177 00:10:52.600 --> 00:10:55.320 has holes in the bottom of it, so that when 178 00:10:55.320 --> 00:10:57.879 the stucco does get wet, the water has a place 179 00:10:57.919 --> 00:11:01.080 to drain out up above the soil of that's number one, 180 00:11:01.200 --> 00:11:04.159 cut my stucco up and get it out of the 181 00:11:04.200 --> 00:11:07.600 wet zone. Number two, the soil has to come down 182 00:11:08.120 --> 00:11:11.559 so that we are not surcharging soil up against a 183 00:11:11.639 --> 00:11:15.519 wall above the level of the interior floor, because the 184 00:11:15.600 --> 00:11:18.159 moisture is always going to try and find a way in. 185 00:11:18.639 --> 00:11:23.200 So we lower the soil level, we cut the stucco up, 186 00:11:23.720 --> 00:11:26.720 so now we don't have a bridge, and then yes, 187 00:11:26.879 --> 00:11:29.320 I would say, now without seeing the yard there there 188 00:11:29.399 --> 00:11:32.240 may be other solutions, but generally speaking, when there's a 189 00:11:32.320 --> 00:11:37.559 large amount of slope pushing moisture towards the house, I 190 00:11:37.639 --> 00:11:41.440 love the idea of shutting it down or capturing it 191 00:11:41.559 --> 00:11:44.960 with what we call a French drain. A French drain 192 00:11:45.559 --> 00:11:47.879 is a trench that we're going to dig next to 193 00:11:47.919 --> 00:11:50.960 the house. It's going to be just a few inches deep. 194 00:11:51.000 --> 00:11:53.480 It's a you know, it's not a canyon. It's just 195 00:11:53.519 --> 00:11:58.399 a trench maybe twelve inches deep or so, maybe fourteen 196 00:11:58.440 --> 00:12:02.159 inches deep, and in a few inches wide, eight to 197 00:12:02.200 --> 00:12:06.600 ten inches wide. This trench. Then, while we have dug 198 00:12:06.600 --> 00:12:09.440 that trench out by the way Susie and expose the 199 00:12:09.559 --> 00:12:13.480 concrete of the stem wall of the of the raised foundation, 200 00:12:14.080 --> 00:12:18.039 then we're gonna cover that stem wall with some elastimeric coating, 201 00:12:18.120 --> 00:12:23.399 some waterproofing coating so that the concrete there doesn't absorb 202 00:12:23.519 --> 00:12:27.799 water unnecessarily. Then we're gonna pop a little bit of 203 00:12:27.799 --> 00:12:30.440 gravel in the bottom of this trench, and we're gonna 204 00:12:30.519 --> 00:12:36.080 lay in a horizontal drain pipe that has perforations in it, 205 00:12:36.120 --> 00:12:38.919 that has holes in it, and we're gonna it may 206 00:12:38.919 --> 00:12:41.679 have a sleeve, it may not. It's debatable, depending on 207 00:12:41.679 --> 00:12:44.000 you know, different people feel different ways about putting a 208 00:12:44.039 --> 00:12:47.720 cloth sleeve around it to keep mud from clogging it up. 209 00:12:47.759 --> 00:12:50.799 But the point is, if you embed that and then 210 00:12:50.919 --> 00:12:54.279 cover that in gravel, all the way up to the 211 00:12:54.320 --> 00:12:57.679 surface of the yard. Again, Now you don't have to 212 00:12:57.720 --> 00:13:00.320 expose the gravel on top. You could take a couple 213 00:13:00.360 --> 00:13:02.639 of inches of soil and cover over it so no 214 00:13:02.679 --> 00:13:05.679 one even knows it's there. But now that there's a 215 00:13:05.799 --> 00:13:09.879 void underneath, and it's totally walkable because the gravel is 216 00:13:09.879 --> 00:13:13.120 supporting everything. But now that there's lots of space in 217 00:13:13.200 --> 00:13:17.320 between that gravel, moisture, any moisture in that soil that 218 00:13:17.519 --> 00:13:22.159 it gets near that area will rush to that trench, 219 00:13:22.320 --> 00:13:25.440 go into that gravel area and be conveyed away by 220 00:13:25.799 --> 00:13:28.759 the pipe that's there. Of course, that pipe has to 221 00:13:28.799 --> 00:13:31.440 go somewhere, so you'll have to turn the corner with 222 00:13:31.519 --> 00:13:35.080 it and continue out. It could be completely flat, or 223 00:13:35.120 --> 00:13:37.639 if you've got room to slope it fine, tie it 224 00:13:37.679 --> 00:13:41.080 into other yard drains, or have it eventually emerge on 225 00:13:41.240 --> 00:13:43.440 the surface of the property at some place so it 226 00:13:43.480 --> 00:13:47.159 can drain off. But the goal is grab as much 227 00:13:47.200 --> 00:13:50.399 of that moisture that's coming towards the house, either divert 228 00:13:50.440 --> 00:13:54.759 it on the surface or capture it in this French drain. 229 00:13:55.200 --> 00:13:57.519 When you're all said and done with that, if you 230 00:13:57.679 --> 00:14:00.240 go those three or four steps, if you take all 231 00:14:00.279 --> 00:14:02.080 three or four of those steps. I guarantee you you're 232 00:14:02.120 --> 00:14:05.039 not going to be having moisture in the bedroom anymore. 233 00:14:05.080 --> 00:14:08.519 It's not about getting more air circulation. It's not. It's listen, 234 00:14:09.559 --> 00:14:12.120 we don't want to have to deal. Don't. Don't just 235 00:14:12.320 --> 00:14:16.440 constantly deal with the you know, with the symptoms. Get 236 00:14:16.440 --> 00:14:19.320 to the root cause, stop the water from getting near 237 00:14:19.360 --> 00:14:20.120 that part of the house. 238 00:14:21.440 --> 00:14:25.759 Got it. So the stucco company can handle the wall. 239 00:14:26.240 --> 00:14:30.799 But who would I use to put that French drain in? 240 00:14:30.840 --> 00:14:32.919 Would a landscaper do that? Or do I have to 241 00:14:32.919 --> 00:14:34.600 call it contractor yeah? 242 00:14:34.759 --> 00:14:38.720 No? Now very likely, very likely. You know a good 243 00:14:38.799 --> 00:14:42.679 landscaping company or the gardening company. They deal with this 244 00:14:42.759 --> 00:14:44.480 stuff a lot, all right. So I don't know if 245 00:14:44.519 --> 00:14:47.000 you've got a gardener or a landscaper, but you would talk. 246 00:14:47.080 --> 00:14:48.879 I would talk to them first. I'm like, hey, how 247 00:14:48.879 --> 00:14:50.759 do you guys feel about getting a French drain and 248 00:14:50.759 --> 00:14:53.840 put in there? My landscaper, my gardener. He's like, yeah, 249 00:14:53.919 --> 00:14:55.679 we'll do it all the time, no problem, they'll take 250 00:14:55.679 --> 00:14:56.360 care of it for me. 251 00:14:57.679 --> 00:15:00.519 Okay, sounds fabulous. I really for sure. 252 00:15:00.399 --> 00:15:04.320 Your help, Susie, So thank you so much for the call. 253 00:15:04.360 --> 00:15:07.840 I appreciate the call, insightful questions, problems. That's the whole 254 00:15:07.879 --> 00:15:09.759 idea of taking calls here on the show, so we 255 00:15:09.799 --> 00:15:13.200 can all learn together. All right, when we return more 256 00:15:13.240 --> 00:15:16.440 of your calls. Your Home with Dean Sharp, the House Whisper. 257 00:15:17.799 --> 00:15:21.080 You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from 258 00:15:21.200 --> 00:15:27.639 KFI AM six forty. Welcome KFI AM six forty live 259 00:15:27.720 --> 00:15:31.039 streaming and HD everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. You're Home 260 00:15:31.360 --> 00:15:34.480 with Dean Sharp, the House Whisper. Welcome Home, Welcome to 261 00:15:34.519 --> 00:15:36.879 the show. I'm glad you're with us. We're talking all 262 00:15:36.919 --> 00:15:40.159 things home today. We're taking calls as we do now 263 00:15:40.200 --> 00:15:44.320 on Saturday mornings. It's an all call Saturday morning, and 264 00:15:44.840 --> 00:15:46.440 I'm going to go back to the phones. I want 265 00:15:46.440 --> 00:15:48.519 to talk to Tricia. Hey, Tricia, welcome home. 266 00:15:49.799 --> 00:15:53.320 Oh thank you, Jean, and good morning. It's a beautiful day. 267 00:15:53.360 --> 00:15:55.799 It is, indeed, even though it's cloudy and I think 268 00:15:55.799 --> 00:15:58.559 it's starting to rain outside, but you know what, it's springtime, 269 00:15:58.679 --> 00:16:02.799 so I'm embracing it. How can I help you, Well. 270 00:16:02.559 --> 00:16:05.080 You know, I'm always looking to save a couple dollars, 271 00:16:05.360 --> 00:16:08.759 and my power bill right now runs between about thirty 272 00:16:08.759 --> 00:16:12.159 to forty dollars a month, and that includes gas and electric. 273 00:16:12.919 --> 00:16:16.320 Now I have your basic water heater. It's a forty 274 00:16:16.360 --> 00:16:20.120 gallon tank, and I live alone. It's just me. I 275 00:16:20.120 --> 00:16:23.360 don't even need that big heater, the water heater. But 276 00:16:23.440 --> 00:16:27.039 my question is, I went on vacation and I forgot 277 00:16:27.080 --> 00:16:30.840 to put I put the water heater on vacation mode, 278 00:16:31.200 --> 00:16:33.799 and I forgot to take it off vacation mode. This 279 00:16:33.840 --> 00:16:37.240 is like maybe four five months ago and it's been 280 00:16:37.279 --> 00:16:40.279 on vacation mode. And I'm thinking, am I damaging my 281 00:16:40.399 --> 00:16:43.120 water heater by keeping it that low? Should I turn 282 00:16:43.120 --> 00:16:49.039 it up? I'm very happy with the water that comes out, thoughts. 283 00:16:51.960 --> 00:16:53.919 So you're happy with the water that comes out of 284 00:16:53.919 --> 00:16:55.679 the water heater on vacation mode. 285 00:16:56.480 --> 00:16:57.000 Yes, sir. 286 00:16:57.200 --> 00:17:01.039 I'm just like it's perfect. I mean, it's it's great. 287 00:17:01.279 --> 00:17:03.399 I mean, I'm happy. I'm in the shower, I'm out 288 00:17:03.440 --> 00:17:05.960 of the shower, in the bathtub, out of the bathtub. 289 00:17:07.119 --> 00:17:09.559 It's great. My dog's happy when I bathe them with 290 00:17:09.640 --> 00:17:12.359 the I mean, I couldn't be happier. But I'm thinking, 291 00:17:12.440 --> 00:17:15.200 am I damaging my water heater? I just replaced it 292 00:17:15.559 --> 00:17:19.759 about two years ago, and that water heater lasted thirteen years, 293 00:17:20.079 --> 00:17:20.920 but I had it on. 294 00:17:21.079 --> 00:17:23.599 I had it on the lowest, but not vacation mode. 295 00:17:24.200 --> 00:17:27.240 Okay, yeah, so you're a person who doesn't need the 296 00:17:27.400 --> 00:17:29.519 you know, scalding hot water coming out of the water. 297 00:17:29.839 --> 00:17:33.079 We're opposite. That's when it comes to that. I always said, 298 00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:35.400 you know, I have a tankless water heater. It comes 299 00:17:35.440 --> 00:17:38.200 factory pre set at one hundred and twenty degrees and 300 00:17:38.240 --> 00:17:41.039 I always find the override code too, so I can 301 00:17:41.079 --> 00:17:45.119 set it up to one hundred and forty. Because I 302 00:17:45.240 --> 00:17:49.519 was hot water. I love it. But hey, no, So 303 00:17:49.640 --> 00:17:53.039 the answer to your question, very simply, Trisha, is is no, 304 00:17:53.160 --> 00:17:57.279 you're not damaging your water heater vacation mode. Vacation mode 305 00:17:57.599 --> 00:18:02.160 is just low. It is. It's low, and it does. 306 00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:03.920 Do you live here in southern California. 307 00:18:04.920 --> 00:18:08.680 I'm in Carlsbad, so I'm you know, with San Diego County. 308 00:18:09.079 --> 00:18:11.319 Yeah yeah, yeah, so yeah, yeah, so you're here in 309 00:18:11.359 --> 00:18:15.559 sokol And you know, vacation mode doesn't even really apply 310 00:18:15.720 --> 00:18:20.160 to us out here too much. So vacations just everybody understands. 311 00:18:20.240 --> 00:18:22.519 Vacation mode setting on a water heater is simply this, 312 00:18:22.920 --> 00:18:26.880 you know, is that you are setting the water heater 313 00:18:27.720 --> 00:18:31.000 all the way down to its lowest setting, so that 314 00:18:31.960 --> 00:18:37.200 while you're away, it is it's keeping the water warmish, 315 00:18:37.359 --> 00:18:40.880 but it's not overdoing it. Uh. And the whole reason, 316 00:18:40.920 --> 00:18:44.319 I mean, honestly, in all honesty, Uh, if you live 317 00:18:44.359 --> 00:18:50.359 in southern California, we rarely have ever experience freezing temperatures, 318 00:18:50.400 --> 00:18:53.680 and if if we do, it's for a day and 319 00:18:53.720 --> 00:18:57.440 then we move on. And I don't want everybody don't 320 00:18:57.440 --> 00:18:59.440 don't sue me when I tell you this, but I 321 00:18:59.440 --> 00:19:01.160 mean a lot of us we can just turn our 322 00:19:01.200 --> 00:19:03.960 water heat. If you live in a warm climate, you 323 00:19:03.960 --> 00:19:06.000 could just turn your water heater off when you go 324 00:19:06.039 --> 00:19:08.400 on vacation and come back and just fire it back 325 00:19:08.480 --> 00:19:13.279 up again. Vacation mode is really for everybody who lives 326 00:19:13.279 --> 00:19:16.640 in a place where you may be going away during 327 00:19:16.640 --> 00:19:19.880 the winter months and you may get freezing temperatures, and 328 00:19:19.920 --> 00:19:23.759 what you don't want. Everybody understands that understands that if 329 00:19:23.799 --> 00:19:28.720 water freezes in your pipes, it expands. Water expands when 330 00:19:28.759 --> 00:19:31.960 it freezes, and as a result, in a closed system. 331 00:19:32.319 --> 00:19:35.880 If the water in your pipes freeze, then you it 332 00:19:35.960 --> 00:19:39.079 will expand against your pipes and often will burst pipe 333 00:19:39.480 --> 00:19:42.880 open and create a leak, and so vacation mode is 334 00:19:42.920 --> 00:19:45.720 the lowest setting on your water heater. It's usually fifty 335 00:19:45.759 --> 00:19:50.319 degrees and it will just barely keep the way you know, 336 00:19:50.359 --> 00:19:53.240 it keeps the water above freezing so that the pipes 337 00:19:53.240 --> 00:19:55.440 don't freeze while you're on vacation. And if you happen 338 00:19:55.519 --> 00:19:59.160 to like that setting, great, It's just it doesn't there's 339 00:19:59.200 --> 00:20:01.759 no special it's not a special thing where the water 340 00:20:01.799 --> 00:20:05.559 heater is working differently. It's just the lowest. It's just 341 00:20:05.640 --> 00:20:06.519 the lowest of low. 342 00:20:06.599 --> 00:20:10.359 That's all good to know because the next level is 343 00:20:10.400 --> 00:20:14.160 turning it off and I'm a little bit I get 344 00:20:14.200 --> 00:20:16.440 scared with the gas, you know, turning it off and 345 00:20:16.440 --> 00:20:18.960 then turning it back on again. So I just like, 346 00:20:19.039 --> 00:20:20.960 you know, what if I put it at the very level. 347 00:20:21.000 --> 00:20:23.240 And I grew up in Buffalo, New York, and we 348 00:20:23.359 --> 00:20:26.319 used to drip our pipe, you know, we should drip 349 00:20:26.319 --> 00:20:29.160 the faucet when it got really really cold, like in 350 00:20:29.160 --> 00:20:33.039 the seventeen degree weather. So yeah, so I'm familiar with 351 00:20:33.160 --> 00:20:34.119 bursting pipe. 352 00:20:34.279 --> 00:20:37.240 So yeah, so yeah, that's exactly why you drip, yess 353 00:20:37.240 --> 00:20:39.960 why you drip the faucet so that the water has 354 00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:42.599 a place to expand so it keeps it just trickling 355 00:20:42.640 --> 00:20:45.039 a little bit. So there's all these tricks. But vacation 356 00:20:45.160 --> 00:20:48.200 mode is a great setting in a modern water heater. 357 00:20:48.240 --> 00:20:51.200 And hey, if you like the temp, there's nothing weird 358 00:20:51.240 --> 00:20:53.720 about it other than it's just low. It's just low. 359 00:20:55.680 --> 00:20:58.039 A lot of money. I think. People laugh at me, like, 360 00:20:58.079 --> 00:21:00.559 how much is your problem? Like thirty dollars me, it's 361 00:21:00.559 --> 00:21:04.440 a little high, and they're laughing at me like what, well. 362 00:21:04.240 --> 00:21:06.079 You know what. I applaud you for that, Trisha. I'm 363 00:21:06.119 --> 00:21:07.880 just not coming over to your house for a hot shower, 364 00:21:07.920 --> 00:21:08.880 that's all. So it's all. 365 00:21:08.960 --> 00:21:12.440 It's good, Tris. 366 00:21:12.559 --> 00:21:13.440 Thanks for the call. 367 00:21:14.519 --> 00:21:16.319 Thank you to have a wonderful day. 368 00:21:16.359 --> 00:21:19.480 You and Tina, you two, my friend, Thank you so much. 369 00:21:19.559 --> 00:21:23.480 All right, See this is such a lovely lady. Uh 370 00:21:23.839 --> 00:21:26.279 more of your calls. When we return your home with 371 00:21:26.400 --> 00:21:29.480 Dean Sharp, the house whisper. I r Hi Dean Sharp, 372 00:21:29.559 --> 00:21:34.400 the house whisper with you on this lovely spring Saturday morning. 373 00:21:34.599 --> 00:21:38.640 Welcome home. Thanks for joining us on the program. It 374 00:21:38.720 --> 00:21:41.319 is a privilege. It's an honor to sit and talk 375 00:21:41.359 --> 00:21:44.799 to you about your home, that most precious place, the 376 00:21:44.839 --> 00:21:48.079 holy of holies, the ground zero of your life home. 377 00:21:48.440 --> 00:21:51.359 That's wherever it is that you live. Whether it's a condo, 378 00:21:51.480 --> 00:21:54.759 a cottage, a castle, matters not to me. I'm here 379 00:21:54.759 --> 00:21:56.720 to help you take it to the next level so 380 00:21:56.759 --> 00:22:00.000 it can be the very best home it can possible 381 00:22:00.119 --> 00:22:03.640 ble be for you. It is an all call Saturday morning, 382 00:22:03.759 --> 00:22:06.680 as is our growing custom here, and so I want 383 00:22:06.720 --> 00:22:08.480 to try and take at least one more call. I'll 384 00:22:08.519 --> 00:22:11.000 also tell you about what's going on with tomorrow's show, 385 00:22:11.039 --> 00:22:15.599 but first let's talk to Julie in Anaheim. Julie, welcome home, 386 00:22:16.640 --> 00:22:20.960 Good morning, Dean. How do I find a good, reliable handyman. 387 00:22:23.960 --> 00:22:29.039 That's a really good question, really good question. So there 388 00:22:29.039 --> 00:22:32.240 is there are some places around these days thanks to 389 00:22:32.599 --> 00:22:37.039 the Interweb and stuff like that. First of all, I 390 00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:41.319 would always ask a friend's family acquaintances, Hey, do you 391 00:22:41.319 --> 00:22:45.200 have anybody who you trust? Because personal referrals are just 392 00:22:45.440 --> 00:22:48.559 still the gold standard for this kind of thing. There's 393 00:22:48.720 --> 00:22:52.519 nothing that replaces in the end, you know, a trusted 394 00:22:52.559 --> 00:22:56.039 friend telling you, oh, this is this person is fantastic 395 00:22:56.079 --> 00:22:58.359 for this and and then you go that way. But 396 00:22:58.400 --> 00:23:02.039 if you are shy of those referrals, then a couple 397 00:23:02.079 --> 00:23:05.559 of places online would be Uh, they all have the 398 00:23:05.599 --> 00:23:09.720 word task in them. Uh a air tasker, air tasker. 399 00:23:09.759 --> 00:23:11.920 Did I get that right? Did I get yeah? Air 400 00:23:12.039 --> 00:23:16.359 tasker dot com is a is a website that you 401 00:23:16.400 --> 00:23:19.680