Frank's FixIt

03/26/2026

For those of you that get their water from the North Wales Water Authority. They are doing a water main flushing between March 30 to April 3rd. If you notice any brown water, do noy use the hot water until you flush out the cold water supply and I would suggest an outside spigot that does not have an aerator on it. If you use the hot water before cleaning the dirty water, you will add sediments to your hot water tank which could shorten the life of the tank, especially since many people that I ask do not realize that they should be draining some water periodically from their tank.

03/03/2026

Wanted to post this info to hopefully speed up the response for repairs. My son, Kevin, has taken over the business. I am acting in a support role in case he runs into any difficulties but so far, he has been doing better than I was expecting. His cell number is 215-290-5374. If you need to schedule a service call, it is best to text him a picture of the model tag, the issue and your contact info with general availability.

02/23/2026

For any of you that have a newer heater whose byproduct is steam, make sure to clear the snow from the exhaust outside. If the heater does not detect air movement, the heater will shut down.

12/09/2025

Great way to keep your computer clean and running like new!

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11/07/2025

We are getting close to the end of grass cutting season so I thought that I would get this out. Either run your mower, leaf blower, chain saw, etc. until the gas tank/carburetor runs dry or add Stabilize to the gas. I prefer running it dry.

Also, test out your snow blower now especially if you forgot to run it dry at the end of the winter.

06/04/2025

Keep seeing a problem with top load washers that sense the weight of the clothes before starting the wash cycle. I was told that the EPA has regulated the amount of water a washer is permitted to use. This results in not enough water to properly wash your clothes.

Most sensing washers will fill three times before switching to the wash cycle. If you then pause the wash cycle and lift the lid, you will see that half of your clothes are sticking out of the water. These clothes only get wet through capillary action and do not get agitated.

The clothes should be floating in water when there is enough water. To achieve that result, you need to select the "Bulky" setting or on some models, the "deep water wash" feature.

I addition to properly cleaning your clothes, the agitation cycle will naturally balance your clothes in the tub so that when it changes to the spin cycle, your washer will not shake after the first 20 seconds of the spin cycle. Reducing the shaking will also save wear and tear on the gear case and support rods that help to stabilize the washer.

If these types of washers and been used too long with the incorrect water level, the support rods may be so worn that even with the correct amount of water, the washer may still shake. That repair is about $110 with me.

In the future, if looking for a new washer, I suggest buying one that lets you select the water level.

05/22/2025

This is not my usual type of post but thought it was important enough to share. I recently did an analysis on going solar and determined that, for me, it makes sense. I will break even in about 6 years, be helping the planet and add to my resale value. After 6 years, the system will eliminate most of my electric bill and as PECO prices increase, so do my savings.

My understanding is that the "Big Beautiful Bill" that just got approved last night will do away with the solar tax incentives. If I had not done the solar this year, that would have pushed my break-even point out much further and might have made me reconsider.

I would suggest that you do your own research to determine if your home's sun exposure makes sense for you. If you agree and would like to know which company I decided to go with, call me. If you then decide to go with the same company, they will pay me a referral fee of $500 for each referral which you could then start earning if you switch and refer others.

05/05/2025

Coming up to air conditioning time so I thought I would mention this. Just like on a refrigerator, there are coils that look like a radiator that need to be clean so that the system can cool the house down to the temperature set. This is the box outside with a big fan in it. To see how dirty yours might be, if not obvious, shine a bright flashlight down from the top at night. Then look through the outside, all around the box and observe whether you can see clearly through the fins attached to the tubes.

When these get dirty, they restrict the air flow need to cool off the freon being pumped through the system and that causes your compressor to work longer than needed. Hardware stores sell a foam spray that can assist in loosening the dirt but if you don't want to spend the money, you may be able to clean them fairly well with an outdoor hose. Use of a power washer is probably not advised because if you get too close, you could damage the fins. Doing this a few times during the season with extend the life of your air conditioner and save you on electricity cost. Some say that you should spray the foam on the inside as well as the outside but that requires turning the power off and removing the cover. The light test should determine if you need to do that.

04/03/2025

If you live in the Lansdale area, you might have received a notice from NP Water about backwashing their system and what to do if you experience cloudy water. I would recommend that if your water is cloudy, do not use a faucet that has an aerator or hot water. The dirt in the water may clog some aerators. You don't want to use the hot water because that would introduce the dirt into your hot water tank where it will settle on the bottom and as I find most people do not drain their tanks periodically, it may lead to an early failure of your tank. Use a faucet without an aerator or one of your outside hose connections instead.

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03/06/2025

Regular versions are great but the Pro version adds additional cleaning and protection aspects.

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12/03/2024

Found pictures and comments online about refrigerators using the newer freon R600a that are exploding. The cause has not been identified that I know of but based on my knowledge, I expect that this happens if there is a freon leak inside the refrigerator and when the defrost element turns on, the heating element ignites this newer, flammable freon. Based on the pictures that I saw, if you happen to be in the room when this happens, you will be seriously hurt.

I encourage all to look at the model tag on your refrigerator and determine if your model uses this new freon. If it does, contact the manufacturer to voice your concern and get something in writing about your correspondence so that if you experience this problem you will have documentation if you need to be represented by an attorney.

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