 | I had the privilege to conduct the NHWA's Boot Camp training with Cameron James serving the region of Palm Springs CA . Cameron is a young man full of ambition and wants to start this business the right way.. He wanted to get practical and business knowledge and I have no doubt that Cameron has the right attitude and will be successful. Cameron completed 2 full days of 1-on-1 training going over her “specific” business needs, conducting onsite home watch inspections following the industry's BEST practices, and going through the NHWA’s curricula created by home watch business leaders throughout the United States and Canada. Cameron is now an NHWA “Certified Home Watch Professional”. This certification lets the public know of a Home Watch professional’s commitment to excellence, by upholding the highest standards in the Home Watch industry. I enjoyed teaching this class and I want to say CONGRATS to Cameron James!!! You have officially raised the bar for your starting company. JP Lalonde #homewatch |
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Yes, we are here again. It's time to think about protecting your exterior faucets, vacuum breakers and any exposed water lines. Many people say, ahh, don't worry about it, we never covered them. What they do not realize is when a house is vacant and not heated at normal temperature of about 70 degrees, there is less heat available through the walls to keep exposed faucets above freezing. In Las Vegas we may not have one night below freezing throughout the entire winter, but it only takes one cold snap to change everything. If your faucet freezes, it will start spraying water and cause a significant water leak. The repair cost can be significant if the plumber has to cut through the wall to repair the water line too. If the vacuum breaker freezes, it will no longer be able to seal the water line tight and prevent a leak. Actually I see the plastic cover splitting or breaking at or near the top screws. That is a sign of deformation and it will eventually fail and leak. The solutions for all of this are quite simple. The faucets and vacuum breakers need to be insulated. There are home made ways with an old towel and plastic wrap or you can use products that are designed for this and available at most hardware stores. The faucets can be protected by using an insulated cup or an insulated sock. The vacuum breaker can typically be protected using an insulated pouch which slides over the unit. Sometimes there are water lines coming out of the wall preventing the insertion of a pouch. In those cases, you have to be a bit creative and cover it with some thick fabric and cover everything with a plastic bag. (be aware, wet insulation is not working) Happy winter
 Vacuum breaker leak and frost damage (Home Watcher LV). Over the years, I heard many times, "Nothing ever happened in our condo while we were gone". That may be the case but the reality is different. During this week's visit to our client's condo, we found a bathroom floor flooded by water dripping from the ceiling. The problem is from the plumbing for the unit above and the repairs are underway. Walls, ceiling and cabinets are damaged. Just imagine if the owner did not have anyone check the condo for months. JP at Home Watcher LV #homewatch   
 The Southern Nevada Water Authority was talking about this for a couple years and now it is official.
From May 1 through Aug. 31, watering restrictions prohibit landscape irrigation between the hours of 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday watering also is prohibited. During the hottest hours of the day, water is often lost to evaporation from the heat and high winds. Water your landscape early in the morning, before sunrise, to reduce evaporation caused by wind and heat. Experts agree that running drip irrigation less frequently is much better for plants than daily watering. We will verify your irrigation timer to set the schedule according to the latest watering restrictions. JP @ Home Watcher LV. Yes, sometimes you get what you were wishing for. Unfortunately, the cost and timing is not right. Home Watching pays off. Who knows, perhaps you'd end up with a lake and a huge water bill. This is a water leak caused by a cracked plastic water supply line to the irrigation system. Fortunately the problem was found prior to significant damage to the property. JP @ Home Watcher LV #HOMEWATCH
This is a friendly warning for all the vacant property owners who are not able to or elect not to close the main water valve. Fortunately in this case, someone was home and heard this splashing noise in the laundry room. The washer hose connection had corroded over time and became weak. That morning was the end of its life. The hose popped out and the flooding started. Within a few minutes, there was water everywhere on the laundry room floor and quickly expanding to other rooms. The washer water supply valve was closed quickly to avoid a significant disaster. The bottom line is, close the main water valve when the property is vacant AND have a look at the washer hose connections at both ends. Any evidence of corrosion is a sign that the hoses should be replaced. JP at Home Watcher LV. #HomeWatch
Feedback sent to Evolve Vacation Rental Network about Home Watcher LV this morning.
I depend on him so much! He has been very easy to work with, responses quickly, and reports damage to my home as soon as possible. He is awesome. Thank you very much for the great feedback. It is much appreciated. JP at Home Watcher LV
 Here is the very typical and powerful burglar magnet.
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 Thank you for your ideas, support, feedback and business.
J.P. LalondeOwner of Archives
February 2020
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