05/18/2026
Any HVAC people out there? I got an outrageous estimate to repair my boiler. I mentioned that the condensate trap sludge in it may be why the boiler won’t start up. Is it possible he’s onto something, or should I try cleaning this strap first and see what happens? Peter Rodriguez: Honestly, that thing needs cleaning. What brand is it? If that trap plugs, it could destroy the burner or more. Has it been serviced annually? And when I say needs cleaning, I mean the heat exchanger and the trap – all part of the deal with condensing boilers. Richard Reams: I would suggest letting a qualified boiler company do your repairs unless you want to potentially make things worse. As many of you asked to see the inside of my home, here are a few photos. Plus a couple of the garden. I’ve added a few more photos. I have an acre of wildflower meadow I made about 10 years ago. Plus, I thought I’d show you what I do to my beams – all from the garden. Nina Ortiz: Your garden is giving royal castle mixed with Alice in Wonderland vibes – love itttt. Barbara Jass: This is absolutely stunning; the garden is beautiful. 💚 My husband and I, and his family, are renovating the original farmhouse on his family farm. We believe this shorter section on the left is from 1701 – it was one of the original Quaker settlements from William Penn. The construction crew is here this week… When they started to fix the wall and roof because it had failed, and the wall was splitting, they started to unveil the brick, which was an orange soft brick that basically turned to dust as they touched it. Making them have to take out a good bit of the wall and rebuild before doing the roof. I am just learning about this because my knowledge of old homes is more so Victorian (1800s); I’m totally out of my element with 1700s. I would love to expose this brick under the stucco, but they are saying it’s not possible because of the softness of the brick. Opinions on ideas for the future? Leaving stucco? Changing to a siding? The right side was built in the 1850s… We thought that brick may be better, but we pulled some stucco, and that is also orange and soft. 😑
