To help ensure your swimming pool is clean and clear for your family and friends to enjoy, focus on two areas:

• Maintaining or adjusting the chemical balance of the pool water.
• Removing debris and foreign particles from the swimming pool.

The chemical balance of swimming pool water cannot be maintained by adding pool chemicals only when we remember to. Pool water needs to be tested on a regular basis and adjusted in accordance to the results. The most common chemical used is chlorine. If used in large quantities, or if not maintained properly, chlorine may irritate the eyes and skin of swimmers. A swimming pool owner should also be aware of the proper maintenance instructions for the chemicals and follow the manufacturers’ instructions when applying chemicals to the pool.

To remove unwanted substances from your swimming pool, many rely on a water circulation and filtration system. Regular brushing and vacuuming of our swimming pools helps ensure a minimum of foreign material in the pool water. In addition, you also need to clean the filter itself and replace the filtration medium when necessary. A swimming pool filtration system uses the same basic principle of passing water through tiny channels. Particles larger than these channels are trapped and separated from the main body of the water. This process continues until all of the channels are blocked. At his time, the filter must then be cleaned and the cycle repeated.

Debris and suspended matter usually find their way to the bottom of a pool and may need to be removed by vacuuming.  You may want to consider vacuuming as part of your regular maintenance. The swimming pool vacuum operates in a similar manner to the common household vacuum, except it draws water through the vacuum head instead of air. There are two ways this may be accomplished:

• One method employs a jet of water supplied by a garden hose to power the suction which draws the dirt into the head to be trapped in a cloth bag.
• The other method uses the suction power supplied by the filter which draws the debris and suspended matter from the pool floor for removal through the filter. When there is a considerable amount of debris to be removed, the filter valves should be adjusted so that the vacuumed water will bypass the filter and run to waste.

Don’t feel overwhelmed. Let QwikBids get you the service professionals who can take care of this or any other project you want done. QwikBids providers are already prescreened. In addition, you can remain anonymous until you choose a company with the best fit!

Only trim the brown drooping fronds on your palm.  Do not trim off the ones that are still green; the tree needs them to collect sunlight to create chlorophyll for growth and best health. To prune palm trees the key care factor is that only the palm knows when a frond needs to be pruned off, and that is when it is dying (yellow or brown). As each new leaf opens, it will take the place of a dying leaf. The palm knows the exact amount of fronds needed for a healthy Palm Tree. When Palms reach their ultimate height, the fronds will decrease in size and the palm trees will decline and die. As a new frond emerges, the oldest frond dies. The age that a frond may attain will be determined by many factors including size of mature palm trees and number of fronds produced.

• Fertilizing established palms is an important way to keeping them vigorous.

• In Arizona, nitrogen is the most commonly deficient nutrient; when it’s missing, the older fronds turn yellow or pale green.

• Some palm trees show Magnesium deficiencies; causing a yellow band on older leaves, with central vein remaining green.

Remember, discolored leaves on your palm trees do not recover. Therefore, preventive fertilization is best.  Your palm trees will look more attractive when they have adequate nutrients.

Discover the difference!  Request multiple bids for the services you need – at no cost – and you may remain anonymous. Go to www.QwikBids.com today. Service providers compete for your business, and when the job is completed and you give feedback, QwikBids will donate $10 to the charity or non-profit of your choice.

According to ENERGY STAR, a typical contractor maintenance check-up should include the following:

• Change air filters on a regular basis. Dirty filters reduce system efficiency and increase costs.
• Check furnace system controls and thermostat. This will insure that the starting cycle is working properly so the unit keeps you comfortable when you are home and saves energy (and money) when you are away.
• Tighten the electrical connections and lubricate all HVAC moving parts. Faulty electrical connections and lack of adequate lubrication can reduce the life of the unit components. An improperly operating system can also cost you in the increased amount of electricity you use.

• Make sure the condensate drain is working properly. Not only can a plugged drain or pipe cause water damage, it can also affect the humidity levels in your home.
• Clean the evaporator and air conditioning coils. Dirty coils can cost you money. They reduce the system’s ability to cool the home so it must operate longer, leading to higher energy bills. Longer operating times also reduce the system’s life and increase the amount of energy needed to operate.
• Check air conditioner refrigerant level. Too much or too little refrigerant will affect system efficiency, increasing energy costs and system life.
• Make sure blower components are properly adjusted. ENERGY STAR? Guidelines indicate that airflow problems can reduce system efficiencies by up to 15 percent!

Don’t let the heat get to you.  Look no further than QwikBids for your licensed service professional.  Licensed professionals are ready to bid on your requests at just a moment’s notice.  

Also, visit http://www.azcommerce.com/Energy for Arizona state rebates, energy programs, and upcoming energy related events.

 Commitment to satisfaction doesn’t show itself every day, but at QwikBids, things are a little different. We believe that through registration with us, Service Providers are stating the obvious, “We’ll do whatever it takes to not only provide quality, but competitive pricing as well.

It came as no surprise then, a consumer was so impressed with their contractor they just had to let us know; and so, QwikBids wants you to know too!

“MS” writes, [The company I chose] “was fantastic. They were prompt, clean and did a fantastic job. We had several schedule changes and they were willing and able to accommodate us at the very last minute. I would recommend them to anyone who needs perfect craftsmanship at a very competitive price.”

Keep them coming consumers!

QwikBids is more than happy to share these experiences with our readers, Service Providers, and of course, customers who use our unique system to get the job done right!

In addition to being the busiest time of year, the holiday season is the most popular time to entertain and make merry with family and friends.  Seek out decorating inspiration that’s simple, yet adds warmth, cheer and style to your home!  Some simple ideas to make your home more festive…

• Holiday Greenery:  Add holly berries, evergreen boughs, and pine roping to banisters, doorways and centerpieces.  Fill a large bowl with colored glass ornaments for tabletops and mantles.  Easier still, faux evergreens are great looking, re-usable, and easy to find at craft stores.
• Holiday Scents:  Use pine, gingerbread, sugarplum or peppermint scented candles or potpourri.  Even grocery stores offer candles and “plug-in’s” with seasonal scents.
• Holiday Table Wrapping:  Linens, placemats or runners add holiday flair to tables.  Turn functional items like chairs, doors, banisters and plant containers into decorations by “wrapping” them in fabric and bows.  Buy green, gold, red, blue, or silver linens without holiday themes and think about all the other occasions in which you can these!
• Holiday Sparkle:  Use bead strands and candles to create a holiday glow.  String the beads on light fixtures or over window treatments and watch them twinkle!
• Holiday Sounds:  Have a diverse selection of festive holiday tunes to set the mood for a party – or even for yourself!

Decorate and Forget It!

The most important part of the party should be spending quality time with family and friends.  Keep the holiday displays on the mantle instead of the dinner table so you won’t need to re-arrange for every meal.  Get your decorating done early and simply, so you can sit down and enjoy the season!

Amy Wolff, CID, is nationally certified in the interior decorating profession through Certified Interior Decorators International (CIDI). 

By Guest Author Amy Wolff, C.I.D.

When you are starting a new design project, the first thing you must do is assess the bones of your space.  The bones of a room are the shape and details that are a part of its structure.  Unless you are remodeling, there are limits on what you can do with the shape and architectural interests of a room.  The best thing to do is to enhance the positive elements, and downplay the negative elements.

The bones include the ceiling, all walls, archways and shapes of doorways, doors, built-ins, fireplaces, moldings and baseboards, and unusual elements such as stonework or tongue and groove walls.

We must also consider the function of the room to determine which features should be embellished, accented, hidden, or played down.  Many homeowners find this easier to do with the help of a professional.

The very best way to begin a good diagnosis of a room is to remove most of the furnishings.  Of course, it is often not feasible to remove the furnishings from your room – but sometimes just removing the accumulated accessories and then rearranging as you bring them back into the room helps.  Don’t be afraid to seek the help of an interior decorator who can see things with a “fresh eye,” ask the right questions regarding how you want to use the room, and even provide a project plan that will enhance the function, feel and look of the room.

If you are starting a new design project for a room, and you are not planning to remodel the space, you will have a better result if you remember this: The bones are there to stay, and you must design or decorate with the bones in mind first.

For the sake of training and learning, QwikBids staff will follow a bid request by a customer from start to finish. More and more, we are seeing consumers catch on to the QwikBids idea, and what a difference it has made for them. Simplicity is king!

A consumer had a frustrating leak in which they tried to remedy themselves. Now, QwikBids encourages consumers to save the extra buck in these hard times by doing it themselves if it is feasible. But this consumer was done trying to deal with the problem (maybe more important things to do?). Here was the description of the project:

“Problem 1:  Flexible line underground which has many drip lines off it keeps getting leaks. We fix one leak and it leaks further down the line. There does not appear to be a pressure control on the valve. Need pressure reducer installed at valve and 3-4 feet of tubing replaced near end of line. Must remove granite/dirt and replace in both areas.

Problem 2:  Another valve is leaking either around the solenoid or the valve lid.  Probably needs a part replaced.”

An irrigation leak in the Valley, especially during this time of year, is definitely a problem. So of course, the consumer wanted it bid on quickly and the project started right away. Within a few days, we were happy to see a consumer that realizes the value of QwikBids. He wrote, “Quick response. Fixed my irrigation system the next day. Used good quality parts that will last. Went above and beyond by checking the whole system and setting timer. Very nice and knowledgeable gentleman.”

Need we tell you more? It speaks for itself! This consumer also chose to donate $10.00 Arizona Animal Welfare League (awarded to the charity of choice because of feedback to the provider).

Go to QwikBids today for the project you have either been putting off or the repair that needs to be done quickly!

QwikBids encourages all consumers and service providers to write in about their experiences with us. So when a consumer called in to the corporate office this morning, it was a pleasant surprise.

Erin Gort, an Account Specialist with QwikBids, took the call. Erin says the consumer, who remains anonymous per QwikBids Privacy Policy, wanted to let us know how his experience was going and had a few questions. “I’ve received compliments over the phone before, but never to this extent,” she says. “He stated how much he loved our concept. He was pleased that we were so much easier than the Yellow Pages because service providers and quotes came to him.”

The consumer, Erin tells me, had 6 service providers bidding on the project, giving him many choices.

The consumer went on to tell Erin that he found QwikBids in an Ahwatukee Foothills News newspaper article and thought he would try QwikBids out. “He said after his experience with us, he is telling everyone, how it works and how easy it is,” Erin adds.

When I sat down to speak with Erin more about the consumers and service providers, she was all smiles. “Everyone I’ve talked to loves the concept, whether it has been a consumer or registered provider,” Erin says of QwikBids. “It’s really working and catching on!”

If you’re a regular reader of ours, you have realized by now that QwikBids stands behind the greenest ways of saving energy, not to mention environmental preservation. No, we’re not over the top with it, but we do believe every single person has to play at least a small role in making things better for our environment. 

Having softened you up with that piece, we would like to touch briefly on heating your pool. No, we’re not speaking of the electric or gas type of pool heaters. We are constantly exploring ways in which to avoid those resources, so this brings us to solar water heating. Now before you cast in the myth of being too expensive and stop reading, you may want to rethink this technology rather than dismiss it. Point is, employing this feature to your pool system, knowing what we know, would be a smart idea.

Let’s start with some of the benefits. We know that energy is saved and pollutants are eliminated, but how about extending the swim season when the system makes the pool 10 degrees warmer? You’ll get more out of your investment. A good tip when the water gets too warm: Simply run the solar heating system at night.     

When it comes to cost for a new solar heater and its maintenance, opinions widely vary. But for the purpose of reducing greenhouse gasses, it is the best. The pollutants created to generate electricity (if you were to use an electric heater) and pollutants from gas heaters, are very significant. These two facts alone should be enough for anyone to consider renewable energy.

To get started, it would be best to get a specialist. They intimately know the fundamentals of pool plumbing, and how a solar heating system will perform best when installed. The installer will size the pool to get the approximate square footage of the water’s surface area. This will determine the square footage of the solar collector needed to efficiently heat the water. Other factors, such as region of the country, whether you cover the pool when not in use, and whether the pool is in the shade all or part of the day are also considered. The installer will then determine the best place to mount the collector, which is best installed at a 30 degree angle east or west of due south.

Don’t feel overwhelmed. Let the professionals at QwikBids get you the service professionals who can take care of this or any other project you want done precisely and in a timely manner. QwikBids’ providers are already checked out for you, from licensing and insurance, to references and background. Plus, you remain anonymous until you choose the company with the best fit!

There are many pesticides out there that will take care of common household pests, but today we’d like to explore natural pest control and the different ways we can avoid strong chemicals. Many companies, including the larger ones still utilizing chemicals, are offering this service too.

The use of natural pest control is becoming popular as we move into the go-green era. The awareness that harsh chemicals have an effect on our environment and health has grown enormously. Federal, state, and city governments (as well as schools) across the nation are shifting to Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The program’s goal is to reduce or eliminate pesticides altogether. The data collected over the years is painting a picture that illustrates health hazards to humans, animals, and desired insects. In 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey released Pesticides in the Nation’s Streams and Groundwater. The survey, conducted between 1992 and 2001, highlighted that over a billion pounds of pesticides are being used annually. Much of the pesticide ends up in the nations waterways, and is linked to cancer, neurological disorders, and birth defects. The study also indicated profound impacts on the environment.

As mentioned previously, more and more pest control professionals are offering a healthier way to control our pests, and it is not only limited to the home. If it’s a garden you are trying to rid of forage-eating insects, there is a unique way professionals and environmentalists alike are suggesting with more frequency. The use of other insects seems to be the newest trend. Take ladybugs, for instance. They eat the aphids and mites that are a problem in most gardens. But beware of the ants. Ants must be controlled because they will defend the aphids against the lady bug. The problem, experts say, is that the results are not as promising if the ladybug is purchased and relocated. It is best to promote the habitation, as well as being cautious with insecticides that may kill them. As you all can imagine, the praying mantis is also a beneficial insect to any garden.

Locating pest control professionals that offer natural alternatives on the QwikBids site is a breeze. Place your bid request today to get started on a pest control regimen that would not only benefit your health, but also our fragile ecosystem and environment.