Odds are good that if you have a cell phone that cost you a few hundred dollars to purchase, the last thing that you want to happen is to allow it to be submerged in water for any length of time. Unfortunately, accidents do happen and most cell phone warranties do not cover water damage at all. Cell phones have recently been equipped with stickers both on the inside of the battery compartment and on the circuit board that change color when they have come into contact with water. These stickers also have been known to trigger when exposed to high levels of humidity, resulting in a number of people who have never let their phones come into contact with water being denied a claim on their warranty.
If you do happen to drop your cell phone into the kitchen sink or the pool, there is something that you can do to save your phone. Unless you drop the phone off into deep water and you cannot retrieve it in under about 20 seconds, you should be able to revive it.
The first thing that you should do is get the phone out of the water as soon as possible and begin drying the outside. It takes water a few seconds to get inside your phone since the new casings are pretty tight.
After you get the phone out of the water, remove the battery pack and set it aside so that it can dry separately. Remove your SIM card, if your phone has one, as well. These cards can be just as valuable as or even more valuable than the phone itself depending on what contact information exists on the card. You can put it into a bowl of uncooked rice; this will help draw out any moisture that might have made it into your phone. Let it stay in the bowl at least overnight before you put the battery back into it.
Once you put the battery back into the phone, try and turn it back on. If it does not work, plug the phone into a wall outlet in your home. If this works, then you just need a new battery and you should be able to get one of those as long as you are willing to spend the money to get a new one from the manufacturer.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Montana Flood Damage Cleanup
companies and
Water Damage Restoration companies across the united states.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Critical Steps You Must Take If Your Home Is Flooded
Investing in a home that is in an area prone to floods can be frustrating, especially after the home you just bought gets flooded for the first time. Having to dry out parts of the building or even the entire thing can be a long and tedious process and if you have not ever had to do it, you might not know how to go about it. There are a few different things that you need to do after a home has become flood damaged and precautions to take in case it happens again.
After flood waters have receded and you re-enter your home, you need to be certain that there is no risk of electrocution. All power to your home should be cut before you re-enter, because it is likely that there is still some standing water. There are also some biological risks that you take when you go back into a home or other building that has been flooded. There are all kinds of chemicals and biological hazards that tend to exist in flood waters and you should wear protective gear while you are attempting to dry out your home and thoroughly wash your hands before you eat.
Before you begin trying to do anything to the home, you should take a video camera and carefully document the damage done to every part of your home. Do this thoroughly and try not to miss anything because this will help you tremendously when trying to file an insurance claim on your damaged home.
You should start by removing any insulation in your attic that has become wet. This will weigh down on your ceilings and can cause them to collapse, because wet insulation is not only heavy, but no longer effective. Anything else in the home that is still wet should be removed and set outside to dry. Opening windows to allow air to circulate through the home is also essential and if you have hardwood floors, drying them out naturally is the best way to go if you do not want to cause them to buckle. Using hot air from heaters to dry your home out is not recommended at all.
Watch for mold beginning to grow in the home shortly after the waters have receded. Mold can start to grow in as little as 24 hours after something has come into contact with water or high humidity. This is another issue that you do not want to have to deal with after a flood, not only because of the damage that it can do to your home, but also because of the damage it can do to your health.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
New York Basement Water extraction and other states and cities such as
new york city mold remediation companies across the united states.
After flood waters have receded and you re-enter your home, you need to be certain that there is no risk of electrocution. All power to your home should be cut before you re-enter, because it is likely that there is still some standing water. There are also some biological risks that you take when you go back into a home or other building that has been flooded. There are all kinds of chemicals and biological hazards that tend to exist in flood waters and you should wear protective gear while you are attempting to dry out your home and thoroughly wash your hands before you eat.
Before you begin trying to do anything to the home, you should take a video camera and carefully document the damage done to every part of your home. Do this thoroughly and try not to miss anything because this will help you tremendously when trying to file an insurance claim on your damaged home.
You should start by removing any insulation in your attic that has become wet. This will weigh down on your ceilings and can cause them to collapse, because wet insulation is not only heavy, but no longer effective. Anything else in the home that is still wet should be removed and set outside to dry. Opening windows to allow air to circulate through the home is also essential and if you have hardwood floors, drying them out naturally is the best way to go if you do not want to cause them to buckle. Using hot air from heaters to dry your home out is not recommended at all.
Watch for mold beginning to grow in the home shortly after the waters have receded. Mold can start to grow in as little as 24 hours after something has come into contact with water or high humidity. This is another issue that you do not want to have to deal with after a flood, not only because of the damage that it can do to your home, but also because of the damage it can do to your health.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
New York Basement Water extraction and other states and cities such as
new york city mold remediation companies across the united states.
Beware Of Water Damage Caused By Frozen Pipes
If you have just moved into a new home or even if it is just a rental, if you are planning on spending the winter there, it might be a good idea to remember to wrap any water pipes that you can gain access to. Most people who have owned a home for a while know all about this necessity, but if it is your first home, you might not think about it until it is too late. Well, it is likely that your parents mentioned it to you when you were younger, but you did not understand fully why they did it.
So, why wrap them? When the temperature outside falls below around twenty degrees Fahrenheit, the water pipes that are in your basement, under your sink, or outside exposed to these temperatures can become frozen and will burst. This will not only cause your water bill to go up if you do not notice this right away (and you should, unless you are away on vacation), but also cause water damage to the inside of your home depending on which pipe was ruptured.
Any pipes that you can reach easily should be wrapped up in some kind of insulation and if you can manage to get warm air to any of these pipes, it is a good idea to do so. Keeping the pipes above freezing is not too difficult if you have some good common sense.
The first thing to do is to open your bathroom and kitchen cabinets so that any heat inside your home can reach the water pipes inside. Even if your home is not being heated by a central heat and air system, you can still use space heaters to get this benefit as long as you are careful not to place them close enough to the cabinets for them to catch fire. Careful placement of space heaters is essential if you do not want to start a house fire. Use space heaters with caution.
It is also advised to leave a tad of water running in most faucets during the wintertime; even though your water bill may be a little more every month, but it might be a good idea to do this, anyway. The cost of repairing the water damage a busted pipe can cause far outweighs the little bit of extra you might pay each month during the winter by leaving a little water running all the time.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
New Jersey mold inspections and other states and cities such as
north carolina mold inspections companies across the united states.
So, why wrap them? When the temperature outside falls below around twenty degrees Fahrenheit, the water pipes that are in your basement, under your sink, or outside exposed to these temperatures can become frozen and will burst. This will not only cause your water bill to go up if you do not notice this right away (and you should, unless you are away on vacation), but also cause water damage to the inside of your home depending on which pipe was ruptured.
Any pipes that you can reach easily should be wrapped up in some kind of insulation and if you can manage to get warm air to any of these pipes, it is a good idea to do so. Keeping the pipes above freezing is not too difficult if you have some good common sense.
The first thing to do is to open your bathroom and kitchen cabinets so that any heat inside your home can reach the water pipes inside. Even if your home is not being heated by a central heat and air system, you can still use space heaters to get this benefit as long as you are careful not to place them close enough to the cabinets for them to catch fire. Careful placement of space heaters is essential if you do not want to start a house fire. Use space heaters with caution.
It is also advised to leave a tad of water running in most faucets during the wintertime; even though your water bill may be a little more every month, but it might be a good idea to do this, anyway. The cost of repairing the water damage a busted pipe can cause far outweighs the little bit of extra you might pay each month during the winter by leaving a little water running all the time.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
New Jersey mold inspections and other states and cities such as
north carolina mold inspections companies across the united states.
Taking Care of a Fireplace
Lots of people have fireplaces in their homes, but keeping them clean and smoke free takes some maintenance and effort on the part of the homeowner. The fireplace will not maintain itself, even though there are some fireplace cleaning logs on the market these days. These will not completely replace a professional cleaning, though, so you should have one of these done at least every year or two.
You should also have the proper tools stored next to your fireplace and these are available in many different materials and types. Cast iron is a good and durable material, but fireplace tools are also available in brass, pewter, nickel, and etcetera. There is a large selection on the market and you will surely be able to find what you are looking for.
A fireplace blower can help build up the fire and add more heat to it. You have probably seen one of these before and it can be a real help when first starting to build a fire.
Fireplace tongs can be used to move around logs that are obviously too hot to pick up with your hands and this is necessary, since the logs will not always be exactly where you need them to be to get the most heat and longevity out of the fire.
A fireplace poker can be used to stir around coals and spread them so that the heat is more evenly distributed. This helps larger logs catch on fire faster than they normally would.
A shovel is used to clean out the ashes that are left after a fire is out and a small broom is necessary to keep the area immediately outside the fireplace cleaned up.
If you are having problems building a fire that does not spill smoke back into the room, you need to make sure that nothing is blocking the chimney on top of the house. Leaves, bird nests, and sticks can clog it up during the spring, summer, and fall and make it completely unusable.
Using the correct wood is also important; logs that are freshly cut and have a lot of moisture still in them will smoke instead of catch fire. Use logs that are dried out and try to store them in a place where they will not get wet.
Start the fire slowly by building it up with paper and small sticks at first to get the chimney warm. Warming up the chimney is important so that the air inside it becomes warm instead of cold. Cold air pushes the warm air and smoke down and back into the house.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Chicago Water and Sewage Extraction and other states and cities such as
North Carolina Water and Sewage Extraction companies across the united states.
You should also have the proper tools stored next to your fireplace and these are available in many different materials and types. Cast iron is a good and durable material, but fireplace tools are also available in brass, pewter, nickel, and etcetera. There is a large selection on the market and you will surely be able to find what you are looking for.
A fireplace blower can help build up the fire and add more heat to it. You have probably seen one of these before and it can be a real help when first starting to build a fire.
Fireplace tongs can be used to move around logs that are obviously too hot to pick up with your hands and this is necessary, since the logs will not always be exactly where you need them to be to get the most heat and longevity out of the fire.
A fireplace poker can be used to stir around coals and spread them so that the heat is more evenly distributed. This helps larger logs catch on fire faster than they normally would.
A shovel is used to clean out the ashes that are left after a fire is out and a small broom is necessary to keep the area immediately outside the fireplace cleaned up.
If you are having problems building a fire that does not spill smoke back into the room, you need to make sure that nothing is blocking the chimney on top of the house. Leaves, bird nests, and sticks can clog it up during the spring, summer, and fall and make it completely unusable.
Using the correct wood is also important; logs that are freshly cut and have a lot of moisture still in them will smoke instead of catch fire. Use logs that are dried out and try to store them in a place where they will not get wet.
Start the fire slowly by building it up with paper and small sticks at first to get the chimney warm. Warming up the chimney is important so that the air inside it becomes warm instead of cold. Cold air pushes the warm air and smoke down and back into the house.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Chicago Water and Sewage Extraction and other states and cities such as
North Carolina Water and Sewage Extraction companies across the united states.
Easy Ways To Maintain A Smoke Free Fireplace
Quite a few homes have fireplaces, but not all of them are fit to be used as they are because they have not been cleaned in so long that when you do try to use them, it fills the house with smoke. This can do a lot of damage to the inside of the home, including ruin the paint on your walls, your curtains, and discolor your carpet. It is also a health risk, since breathing this in is not good for anyone, but the elderly, people with allergies, pets, and children are especially affected. Fortunately, though, in most situations you can make a fire that will not smoke up your house without much trouble as long as you follow a few rules.
The damper of your chimney needs to be open before you do anything. Burn some paper or other easily combustible materials in the fireplace, because you want to warm the chimney up. Cold air in the chimney is will push the warm air down and cause the smoke to fill up the room.
Open up the windows in the house and make sure that there is enough air circulating to ignite the fire. A home that is insulated well might not have enough of a draft to allow the wood to catch on fire.
You should also have some fireplace bricks underneath the grill to add some more air circulation to the process. More draft in the fireplace will make it easier for the fire to ignite.
The top of the fireplace also needs to be cleaned out regularly, since anything that gets stuck in it like leaves, sticks, bird nests can keep the smoke from being able to escape and so it floods back into the house, which is exactly where you do not want it.
You should also have the fireplace cleaned by a professional cleaning service if possible, since a layer of creosote is likely built up on the inside of the chimney. This is a tar-like substance that results from burning wood in the fireplace and if your chimney has not been professionally cleaned before and you have lived in your house for many years, then it is time for it to be. Creosote can catch on fire and cause the whole house to burn down, so having it cleaned out is essential.
To keep your fireplace functioning the way that it should, you need to know how to use it and take care of it and by the time winter gets to you, you will be able to enjoy your fireplace once again.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
New York Sewage Damage Clean-up and other states and cities such as
North Carolina Water and Sewage Extraction companies across the united states.
The damper of your chimney needs to be open before you do anything. Burn some paper or other easily combustible materials in the fireplace, because you want to warm the chimney up. Cold air in the chimney is will push the warm air down and cause the smoke to fill up the room.
Open up the windows in the house and make sure that there is enough air circulating to ignite the fire. A home that is insulated well might not have enough of a draft to allow the wood to catch on fire.
You should also have some fireplace bricks underneath the grill to add some more air circulation to the process. More draft in the fireplace will make it easier for the fire to ignite.
The top of the fireplace also needs to be cleaned out regularly, since anything that gets stuck in it like leaves, sticks, bird nests can keep the smoke from being able to escape and so it floods back into the house, which is exactly where you do not want it.
You should also have the fireplace cleaned by a professional cleaning service if possible, since a layer of creosote is likely built up on the inside of the chimney. This is a tar-like substance that results from burning wood in the fireplace and if your chimney has not been professionally cleaned before and you have lived in your house for many years, then it is time for it to be. Creosote can catch on fire and cause the whole house to burn down, so having it cleaned out is essential.
To keep your fireplace functioning the way that it should, you need to know how to use it and take care of it and by the time winter gets to you, you will be able to enjoy your fireplace once again.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
New York Sewage Damage Clean-up and other states and cities such as
North Carolina Water and Sewage Extraction companies across the united states.
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