How Your House Works: A Visual Guide to Understanding & Maintaining Your Home (Paperback)

by Charlie Wing (Author)
Key Phrases: beam frame, drain lever, trap arm (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Crystal-clear illustrations and explanations... It will quickly become the operator's manual for your house." -- SmartHomeowner magazine, 2007

"From toilet tanks to table lamps, this text tells you how it all works." -- This Old House magazine, December 2007, "Gifts for the New Homeowner"

"Crystal-clear illustrations and explanations... It will quickly become the operator's manual for your house." -- SmartHomeowner magazine, 2007

"From toilet tanks to table lamps, this text tells you how it all works." -- This Old House magazine, December 2007, "Gifts for the New Homeowner"

"Crystal-clear illustrations and explanations... It will quickly become the operator's manual for your house." -- SmartHomeowner magazine, 2007

"From toilet tanks to table lamps, this text tells you how it all works" -- "Gifts for the New Homeowner" This Old House Magazine, December 2007

Product Description
Why is my faucet leaking, my toilet running, or my dishwasher refusing to start? Can I fix it myself? What's causing the heating system to smell bad or the foundation to crack? Do I need an air filtration system? Is the new "engineered lumber" as good as conventional wood? These are just a few examples of questions homeowners face when repairs are needed, or when a new house or addition is being planned.

There's no question that it pays to be an informed consumer. Knowledge of your home's systems helps you control repair and construction costs and make sure the correct elements are being installed or replaced.

This book uncovers the mysteries behind just about every major appliance and building element in your house. Clear, "exploded" drawings show you exactly how these things should be put together and how they function - what to check if they don't work, and what you can do that might save you having to call in a professional.

The easy-to-understand pictures and explanations on every page get right to the point, helping you understand how things work, what can go wrong, and how to trouble-shoot a problem.

Virtually everything in your house is included:

• Electrical - circuit breakers and grounding, service, outlets, lamps and fixtures.
  
• Heating and Air conditioning - gas, electrical and oil - ductwork and piping, thermostats, central and window AC units, humidifiers and dehumidifiers, and air filtering systems.
  
• Plumbing - kitchen and bath fixtures, piping, water heaters, traps and vents, septic tanks, pumps and water softener systems - even sprinkler systems and swimming pool filters/heaters.
  
• Major household appliances - from kitchen to laundry.
  
• Foundation, framing, doors and windows - including issues like drainage and radon, types of framing and how it supports the house, and all types of doors and windows.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: R.S. Means Company (June 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0876290152
• ISBN-13: 978-0876290156
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,517 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #2 in	Books > Home & Garden > How-to & Home Improvements > Home Repair
  #6 in	Books > Home & Garden > Home Design > Remodeling & Renovation
  #10 in	Books > Home & Garden > How-to & Home Improvements > Reference

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book available on this topic!, December 22, 2007

By	Architect - See all my reviews

I bought this and two other "visual guide to your home" books from Amazon. This book is by far the best of the lot. I can't say enough good things about it. Here's why:

1. CURRENCY AND COVERAGE. Published in 2007, it's the most current title, and covers modern home fixtures better than the others. It's also very comprehensive in it's coverage

2. QUALITY. The diagrams and cutaways are highly detailed, and the best that I've seen - they're also full color, compared to the black and white in other books.

3. CLARITY AND ORGANIZATION. The explanations are straightforward and insight, with just enough detail to understand home systems.

4. TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS. Every topic includes a sidebar containing "Before hiring a professional" troubleshooting tips. They explain the 2 to 3 most likely problems with the system, along with the solutions. I just used this book to troubleshoot our malfunctioning garbage disposal. The troubleshooting tip was 100% right. I made the fix in 2 minutes and saved $180+ on the cost of replacing the disposal. The book just paid for itself 10 times over.

I have 30+ books on home building. This one has a special place on my bookshelf. If you own a house, buy this book. You'll thank me the first time you have the satisfaction of fixing something that goes wrong!

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book pays for itself!, October 12, 2007

By	Barbara Fairfield - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

What a great book! The fantastic detailed color illustrations are clearer than looking at the object itself. The very first day I had the book, I was able to repair a broken flush handle on my toilet. In my area a plumber charges $100 just to come to the house, so the book has already paid for itself four times. I'm giving the book as Christmas presents to all of my homeowning friends.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engineer, January 2, 2008

By	David Inman (Maine) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have numerous reference books but this is the first one to actually describe to me how the device functions. The "Before calling the...(technician)" feature was a brilliant idea and a potential money saver for most homeowners.

My son-in-law teaches middle school science and will be using this book for its wonderful schematics. My other reference books are stashed away on a bookshelf - this one stays on my desk where it is good and handy!