Category: Services

Although there are now at least 5 different types of tow vehicles, the modern towing truck has come a long way since 1916, when a garage worker named Ernest Holmes was confronted with the problem of pulling a car out of a local creek. A creative thinker, Holmes and six other men used blocks and ropes to remove the car, and this led Holmes to design and create the trucks that still bear his name.

Boom Trucks

Although they are often used as towing trucks, boom trucks are not specifically designed for towing, and many of these trucks are also used as utility company bucket trucks and heavy-duty construction company vehicles. Those that are used for towing have an added adjustable boom winch that is used for recovering vehicles from culverts and ditches. These are also used in vehicle recovery in any area in which it would be unsafe for vehicle back up to, such as ledges or cliff facings where a vehicle may have crashed through highway guard-railings and gone over the side.

Hook and Chain

These were the most commonly-used towing trucks in the industry for many years, and are still in use, as they are safe for towing older vehicles. Unlike other tow vehicles that have hydraulic equipment to lift up the wheels of passenger cars and trucks, a hook and chain tow truck has a hook in the shape of the letter “J” (these are also referred to as “J-Hook tow trucks”) that is attached to an axle of the vehicle. Once the hook is attached, the tow operator cinches up the hook’s chain with a winch, and the front of the vehicle is lifted up onto its two front or back wheels onto a couple of rubber slings, when it can be safely towed.

Wheel-Lifts

This type of towing truck evolved out of the necessity to safely tow newer models of vehicles, whose non-metal bumpers, driving systems, and other components were sometimes damaged by hook and chain tows. These towing vehicles lift cars and trucks by either two wheels, or by all four, and the process is facilitated by a large, hollow, metal cradle that fits around the wheels. This cradle system is attached to metal “arms” that slide up under the vehicle and around the tires. These arms also have chains and bars for securing the vehicles. The operator then activates the lift that lifts up the vehicle and allows it to be towed.

Flatbeds/Rollbacks

This type of towing vehicle has the entire back of the towing truck outfitted with a flat bed which can be hydraulically inclined and/or moved to ground level. A passenger car or truck can then be driven onto the bed, or, for disabled or wrecked vehicles, power-winched up onto the flatbed. This process is done by a vehicle’s tow loops hooked to the flatbed’s winch chain. For vehicles without tow loops, the operator hooks the chain onto the frame or another sturdy part of the vehicle. Once winched or driven onto the bed, the flatbed is returned to level, and the vehicle is secured with additional chains before towing.

Integrated/Self-Loaders

These vehicles are often used by companies or individuals who specialize in repossessions, and are frequently referred to as “Snatchers” or “Repo Trucks.” They are light-duty trucks with the boom and wheel-lift combined into one unit, and these are also used to tow illegally-parked vehicles to impound yards. These trucks are equipped with vehicle controls inside the cab, so that a driver can quickly pick up a vehicle without getting out of the truck; facilitating rapid and safer repossessions and faster tow-aways. Additionally, there are flatbed/wheel-lift units, and a variety of other integrated recovery and/or towing vehicles.

What ever you service you need, from wrecker service to towing there are a lot of towing services to choose from, from cheap ones to very expensive ones, so do your research, don’t go with the first company you find. Towing trucks are most often operated by private companies, and are used for everything from emergency road service for passenger vehicles, to police and government impounds and repossessions.

Having difficulties unclogging a toilet? Not all backed up toilets will require a call to your plumber. Almost all clogged toilets can be fixed by you, with little to no cost. Here are a few tips to help you unclogging a toilet.

Tips To Unclogging A Toilet

Unclogging a Toilet Mechanically: Usually you will be successful unclogging a toilet simply with a plunger. Try utilizing a force-ball plunger first. If that does not remove the blockage, you will want to try a snake or toilet auger. These are a bit of a pain to use, but at least can be rented hourly at your local tool rental or hardware store.

Unclogging a Toilet With Chemicals: For more stubborn blockages, you may need to resort to using chemicals. I would advise using common household chemicals first before choosing the more expensive, and possibly damaging, commercial drain cleaning products designed for unclogging a toilet.

First, empty the toilet bowl of water with a cup. Just leave enough in the bottom of the toilet bowl to cover a force-ball plunger. Squirt about 1/4 cup of dish detergent into the bowl and allow it to sit there. Pour 1 gallon of boiling water carefully into the bowl. Wait 10-20 minutes. The dish soap you added earlier will help lubricate the now hopefully disolving blockage. Plunge approximately 10 times to ensure the drain is completely cleared, and then flush.

Commercial Products: Always read the instructions of any commercially prepared drain cleaner. Rubber gloves and a mask are also advised. Add the recommended amount of cleaner into your toilet bowl and wait the allotted amount of time. Continue plunging until the drain blockage either dissolves or breaks free. Be sure to also keep following the directions provided and even when dealing with a stubborn blockage, never use more than their recommended amount.

If your problems persist, it’s now time to call an toilet unclogging expert in your area.

Air conditioning equipment is generally of three types. Whatever your type may be would be easy to establish and once you have established what type of equipment you have at the home or office you can search a company that specializes in that equipment.

Usually if you are in a large building you are likely to have a centralized ducted air system. This type of system works by circulating cooled air around the building. You may also have a centralized fluid based system. In such a system-cooled fluid usually water is circulated around the building to lower the temperature.

You may also have a wall mounted or window type or portable decentralized air conditioner if you are in a smaller office. You will easily be able to distinguish if you have central or decentralized air conditioning by just looking at your equipment or vents. Whatever system you may have on your premises it is important that you get the right air conditioning repair company to service it.

You must also remember that all systems need maintenance irrespective of the size or strength of the air conditioning equipment. Air conditioners are machines that are built to last for long times and they can take a lot of things without complaining but they do have their limits and its best if those limits are not tested because a pinch of maintenance in time is worth pounds of repair at a later time.

If you are a business whether large or small you need to be sure that you take on board a fully competent removal company to ensure safe delivery of all your computers, stationery and furniture. Computers and IT equipment are very fragile and must be transported with the utmost care. This is where professional Oxford removal companies should be at the best, most will come fully prepared after an initial visit to assess what requirements they will need.

Most UK removal companies will provide their own packaging techniques to ensure safe and secure transit but with computers and IT equipment they tend to use static free packaging to ensure safety.

Some Oxford removal companies also provide additional services such as storage facilities. This can be a very effective measure when moving large amounts of equipment or in the event that you need to safely store your property until you have finalized your new home. Removal companies within the Oxford, Oxfordshire tend to offer you a full range of services to ensure that your move is problem free and is as efficient as possible.

The birth of a child, weddings, graduations are but a few of the moments in life that you never want to forget. How many times have you looked at a family portrait and gone back to “those days”? There is no doubt that photos are the stuff that holds memories. But do you hire a professional photographer or do you take the photograph yourself? DIY enthusiasts will certainly support the latter because they are always in the best position to catch the special moments. When those fun and quirky moments suddenly occur, by all means take the picture.

However, there are a number of reasons for hiring professional Honolulu photographers. Let’s take a look at some of them. Perhaps the most important reason for hiring a professional photographer to take a photograph of your family, newborn, pregnancy, graduation or wedding is that these are precious memories and you want them immortalized in the best possible images. These are moments that simply cannot be relived. Capturing the best possible images means that you can always look at those pictures and smile warmly because they are perfect. These photos are time machines that take you back to the “good old days”.

A professional photographer has experience and training that you don’t have. Building photography skills takes years of hard work and practicing. The photographer you hire will have invested a lot of time and money receiving training on how to create the right compositions and ensure the perfect lighting, in order to create a stunning image gallery for you to choose from.

An expert photographer also offers fresh eyes. He or she will look at your family in a unique way and offer solutions and suggestions that you may not have thought of. This will result in great angles and compositions that you may have never imagined. When it comes to photography, a fresh pair of eyes is always welcome in order to get the best possible pictures.

Lastly, the professional photographer will take your photos using professional equipment. A career photographer invests in various lenses and cameras to use for creating different images. In addition to that, he has all the necessary equipment needed to process and frame the photographs that he takes. If you want your photos to come out perfectly, you are better off hiring a professional to take them.