Each year, thousands of Arizona residents email or call Rosie Romero’s 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 was told about a sealant that can be injected into air conditioners. I have a small Freon leak in my AC so I’d like to know if a sealant will fix the leakage. I’ve been replacing about a pound of Freon every year.
A: Freon is a refrigerant that is no longer used in manufacturing air conditioners. Although you can still replace the refrigerant when it leaks out of an older unit, federal regulations say AC repair workers have to try to find the leak and fix it first. During these repairs, a dye is often injected into the coils though the process might not work that well. Eventually, you’ll probably find it might be more economical to buy a new air conditioner .
Q: I have a 5-ton, 6-year-old air conditioner compressor located right outside my master bedroom window. When it runs, it’s really loud. Can I move it about 10 to 15 feet away from the window? It’s in a shady spot, but the new location would be sunnier. Would that affect its performance?
A: It would probably cost about $1,500 to $2,000 to move it, partly because you have to pump it down to remove the refrigerant and move the copper lines. The amount of shade that the unit gets will not affect its cooling power. Newer air conditioners are getting quieter to operate , so it may be time to consider a newer, quieter and more efficient unit.
Q: I have five new Texas Mountain Laurel trees that were just planted near my house. They had great blooms this spring, but I was told these trees are susceptible to caterpillars. So how do I keep caterpillars away from them?
A: As you know, these are fabulous trees that have huge wisteria-like clusters of blooms that smell like bubble gum. They’re very heat-tolerant and slow growing. But they are also the favorite meal of caterpillars that can show up in spring or summer. When they appear you need to use thuricide or a similar biological insecticide .
Q: I have granite countertops in my house, and in one area where a seam runs from front to back, the slab near the sink seems to have settled about a 16th of an inch lower than the slab on the other side of the seam. Can this be fixed?
A: Someone might be able to fix it, but that repair person has to be an expert or the countertop could break. Workers can’t grind it down; they probably have to push one side up instead. It would be easy to damage the slab, however, in trying that.
If the counters are fairly new, you need to get the original contractor in to look at it.
Q: I want to spread Bermuda grass seed in my backyard so that I can turn my goats loose on the grass to feed on it? What’s the best time to do that and can seed get old and go bad?
A: The best time is about now when the low temperatures are about 60 and the highs are about 90. Bermuda seed has a long life, but if you’re planning to pasture goats on the grass, you might think about buying pasture Bermuda seed instead of turf Bermuda.
