Sometimes adulthood hits quickly and in the 21st century, practical skills seem to have taken a back seat. Whether it’s maintaining your home, taking care of your car or even learning how to be a great cook, these local fathers offer some expert “dad-vice” on navigating the challenges of everyday adulting. Step on into the world of fatherly “Insite” cultivated through years of hands-on experience in mastering the art of practical skills.
How to change the oil in your car
Blake Jennings — OnRamp
Do you dread that little light prompting you to ‘check engine oil’? Worried about going to the mechanic? Have no fear, Blake Jenning with OnRamp is here! This dad knows a thing or two about cars and how to take care of them!
How do you change the oil in your car?
“Research Your Car's Oil Requirements: in your owner’s manual, including the type and quantity of oil you’ll need, then you're going to need some tools that includes a wrench that fits your drain plug, a funnel and a catch-can or container big enough to catch all the oil coming out of your engine, which is usually four to 10 quarts as specified in your owner's manual. Grab a few old towels, too, for cleanup.
“Drain the Old Oil: It’s best to change your oil when the engine is warm. If you need to lift the car to get under it, use jacks and jack stands or ramps. Be very careful, don’t ever get under a car that’s only supported by the tire changing jack. Once underneath, place the catch- can under the drain plug and remove the plug to let the old oil out. It will flow better if you remove the oil cap on the top of your engine first. After most of the oil has drained, you're gonna find your oil filter, and you're going to remove that. You can use a big wrench if needed — it’s okay if the old filter gets damaged since you’re throwing it away. The filter can just be dropped into the same catch tank and let the oil come out of that.
Pro Tip: You can’t pour that old oil down the drain; you need to put it into gallon jugs and take it to an auto repair shop or parts store where it can be recycled.
“Replace Drain Plug and Oil Filter: Let all the oil drain for at least 10 minutes. Then you're gonna put your drain plug back on on the bottom of the engine, and you want to use a new washer. Tighten the drain plug carefully. You don’t want to over tighten it or you could strip the bolt, then install your new filter by hand according to the directions on the box your filter came in. Don’t grab the new filter with a wrench because that could puncture it. Once the filter and drain plug are both tight, then you're going to fill your car with new fresh oil. Look in your owner's manual to see how many quarts your engine takes, and start with one less quart than that. You don’t want to overfill! It’s easier to start low and then add a 1⁄2 quart at a time as you check the dipstick. Keep adding a bit at a time and checking until you reach the correct mark on the dipstick as specified in your owner's manual.
“Check Oil Level and Drive: You'll start the car and let it run for a little bit, turn it back off and check the oil again. Also, look below the car to make sure there’s no oil drips. If there are, you may need to slightly tighten the drain plug or filter ... and then you'll drive the car. I encourage people to go drive for a few miles and then bring the car back and look under the car and make sure no oil is dripping.”
Put some "hart" into your lawn
Justin Hart — Hart Lawn Care and Irrigation
Ah, Spring — the time when the flowers come alive and people begin to thrive! This is the time for outdoor picnics, baking in the sun, and even having gatherings in the backyard. But how do you maintain these incredible environments? Local dad, Justin Hart, has some tips for keeping your lawn pruned and pretty!
What is the process for making your grass go from meh to great?
“The process comes in several parts: mowing the turf short, removing clippings, aerating, soil enhancing, placing fertilizer, doing pre-emergent and post- emergent, insecticide, top dressing with sand and eventually leveling rake.”
What does pre-emergent and post-emergent do?
“Pre-emergent prevents seeds from germinating and post-emergent kills weeds that have germinated to ensure that your grass looks great.”
Do I need to buy an expensive lawn mower to keep my lawn looking fresh?
“Not at all, you can use the normal motorized one and follow the steps to make sure it looks great, and if you’re not satisfied call Hart Lawn Care and Irrigation and we can talk more about getting your lawn looking great for spring!”
How to keep your car clean
Jonathan Thomas — Snooks Mobile Wash and Pro Detailing
As people who are constantly on the go, it can become difficult to keep your car spotless, but Jonathan Thomas, owner of Snooks Mobile Wash and Pro Detailing gives us some information on how to keep that car squeaky clean on a budget!
What kind of brands should I be looking at when I want to detail my car?
“Honestly, you do not need to spend a lot of money when you are detailing. It can be as simple as going to the Dollar Store and buying some soap and rags and you can get the job done with that.”
What should you look for first when detailing?
“When you are getting ready to detail your car, make sure to get rid of trash inside, clean off your mats and look for stains, if there are any.”
Does the saying “dab, don’t scrub stains” have any truth?
“It depends on the stain. Depending how deep it is, you may only be able to get the surface stain with dabbing and will have to scrub to get the stain completely out.”
What to do when a pipe bursts
Marshall Allen — Marshall Home Plumbing Services
We all know Texas is notorious for its crazy weather. Marshall Allen, local plumber and dad of three, has tackled more than a couple of wacky plumbing problems in his life. He shares tips on the big one and how you can help save yourself extra damage when the pipes burst.
What should I do when I realize my pipe has burst?
“First, go out to your water meter, shut the water off to eliminate any further water damage or anything, and then try to figure out a base idea of the area where it is coming from. If it's right behind the wall, maybe have it exposed. The more you can do and prep for the plumber, the better off it would be because they're going to have to access that pipe anyways.”
Are there preventative measures I can take to protect my pipes?
“Flushing the water heater once a year is a really good start. I'd say doing an inspection is also helpful. Nothing crazy, but just take a peek under your cabinet, make sure nothing looks odd. Sometimes when things are leaking slowly, it'll start to have a green scale or whatnot.
“You can also check your house pressure with a gauge you can buy at Home Depot or Lowes or whatnot. I'd say around here, the house pressures are normally high, so reducing the pressure below 80 PSI is important. Basically just checking everything to make sure nothing looks off and there are no weird noises or anything.”
Be the boss of BBQ
Joey Lopez — Texas A&M University Professor
Joey Lopez, professor in the Communication and Journalism Department at Texas A&M University, not only educates minds but also stops hunger in its tracks with his mastery of the grill. Dive into Joey's tips and tricks as he transforms novices into barbecue bosses, one perfect piece of meat at a time.
What is the difference between smoking and grilling?
“Grilling is ready-to-make like hamburgers, hotdogs, fajitas, and steaks. Barbecuing is where you like to smoke meats, like brisket and pork ribs. You can grill ribs, but most people barbecue.”
What are three tips that you would say to a novice when it comes to barbecuing?
“You can barbecue with anything. The first thing is that you don't need fancy grills, you can use a Weber, or any entry- level barbecue pit. The other thing I would recommend is watching YouTube to learn about how to make a fire and learn about the different kinds of meats that you want to barbecue. If you have a favorite meat, pick that meat.”
What is the most rewarding part of barbecuing a brisket?
“The most rewarding thing about brisket is that people love it. Even if they don't want to eat a lot of it, they want to at least try it. I would say ribs are a favorite of people. Pulled pork is another one where people really like it. Of course, sausage people love sausage, but I think pork is a must-do in Texas with some salt pepper garlic rub. It just has a lot of pop to it that you're not used to because most people are used to Carolina- style pulled pork, which is like vinegar and a kind of barbecue that has been mopped, or drenched in sauce. It's just different.”
