For the safety of your family and your pets, you should have you well water tested. Having the water tested is something that takes little time and effort on your part, but can be very important for the health and well-being of the loved ones in your home. Independent...
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The Importance of a Home Inspection
Is your dream home a sweet dream or a potential nightmare? So, you found your dream home. Do you know what you are really buying? Many cases of disappointment and financial ruin could have been avoided with a simple, but comprehensive pre-offer home inspection. A licensed home inspector can...
Furnaces
Furnace efficiency. Today, new furnaces are generally between 80-96% efficient. If a furnace is 96% efficient, it simply means that 96% of the energy that goes into the furnace is converted into heat. Older furnaces or furnaces that are in homes that are 15 years old or more, can...
Winter Home Checklist
Here’s a great list of tips you can use as a check list of “to-do” items this winter. Install extra insulation. Install plastic sheets on windows requiring extra protection from the wind (kits are widely available at hardware stores or home centers). Add weather stripping around doors if necessary....
No Cost Energy Solutions
There are lots of things you can do in and around the house to help save on energy that cost little or nothing. Here are a few ideas for you to try. Thermostat temperature control. A common misconception associated with thermostats is that a furnace works harder than normal...
Dryer Fires
Be safe with your dryer. In 1997, according to the United States Consumer Products Safety Commission, there were 16,800 residential fires reported and responded to by fire departments where the source of the fire was the clothes dryer or vent. These fires caused $97.3 million in damage, 430 injuries,...
Spring Checklist
Here’s a great checklist to follow every spring to be sure your home is in great shape and your family is safe. Replace your furnace filter. Clean the kitchen exhaust hood and air filter. Check your electrical system. Always have a multi-purpose fire extinguisher accessible. Make sure the light...
Dishwashers
Shopping for a dishwasher? Think about one with a stainless-steel tub. Many dishwasher manufacturers now make–or are introducing–models that have durable stainless-steel tubs. These can’t compete in price with models utilizing plastic tubs, but they are quieter, easier to maintain and more efficient during drying cycles because the metal...
Cleaning Your Gutters
Clean your gutters. During a rainstorm, gutters route runoff from a very large surface–a home’s roof-to where it can drain away from the house. By doing so, they protect siding, windows, doors, and foundations from water damage and help prevent flooding in basements. To do their job, gutters and...
Ice Dams
They may make for a pretty winter scene, but ice dams are damaging. Ice dams occur when a snow-covered roof over the attic is warmer than the eaves—the overhang of a roof. If the roof is warm, it will cause the snow to melt and run under snow along...
