Each year, thousands of Arizona residents email or call Rosie Romeroβs radio show with questions about everything from preventing fires in their chimneys to getting rid of tree roots invading their sewer system. His goal is to provide answers that suit the specific lifestyle wherever someone lives in Arizona.
Q: I have a 4-year-old, high-quality air conditioner, and itβs almost impossible to cool down my home to 74 degrees. It seems to take forever. What could be wrong?
A: You probably should have a company other than the one that installed your original unit come out to verify that everything was sized correctly for the square footage of your home. In most situations, we find that air-conditioning units are oversized. But in your case, it could be that your unit is too small.
Q: I have two medium-sized mesquite trees in my yard that are causing foundation problems for my house. So Iβm planning to cut them down. But Iβm worried that they may re-sprout from the roots coming out of the stumps left behind. How can I prevent that from happening?
A: They probably will re-sprout if you do not dig out the stump or have it ground out. You can also dig all around the stump, cut it below soil grade, and then treat it with herbicide to kill it. But you have to use commercial-grade, full-strength herbicide.
Q: I recently moved into a newly remodeled house that has brand new toilets in the two bathrooms. The problem is that when you flush the toilets, the water comes back up to the normal level in the bowls, but then in a few minutes, it starts to seep away again to a much lower level.
A: We have seen this problem occur before in newly built homes or homes where remodeling was done in the bathrooms. Itβs often the case that the workers who did the tile work in the bathrooms have rinsed their tools off in the toilets rather than outside the house. As a result the thin set and grout on their tools has accumulated in drain lines and causes this problem. You need to have a plumber pull the toilets and check the drain lines; possibly your plumber should also run a camera into the line to see whatβs going on.
Q: I have just finished redoing my patio using concrete pavers. Now Iβm going to build a barbecue, and Iβm wondering if I should use concrete blocks or metal studs in building it. What would you suggest?
A: Iβd favor using concrete blocks because they will last longer. You should also put some drain holes into the bottom of the barbecue so that you can hose the whole area down once in a while to keep it clean and get rid of any dust and insects.
Q: I planted Early Girl tomatoes, and theyβve been doing well all spring. Except that recently, the ones at the bottom of the plant have started to develop brown spots; so when I pick them, I have to cut the brown part off each tomato. Why is that happening?
A: Thatβs a problem that is typical at this time of year for tomatoes homegrown in Arizona. Itβs called blossom end rot and the reason it happens is that tomatoes develop a calcium deficiency caused by overwatering. Gardeners here start to water more when it starts getting warmer outside, and as a result their plants become deficient in calcium. There are sprays that you can buy at nurseries to help reduce blossom end rot.
