Recently, we had a problem with our garage door. The mechanism that makes it open and close with just the push of a button stopped working. Now, we could have just forgotten the dang thing and started operating the door manually, but this thing has one simple job to do:…
Have you ever heard that old cliche that folks like to throw around: There’s more than one way to skin a cat? Now that I think about, it’s kind of a morbid saying, really. I love cats, and I’d never ever hurt one. But I actually think about that saying…
When the leaves start falling, we begin looking for ways to keep our homes cozy and comfortable without spending a fortune. And the best place to start is with the furnace. In order to have reliable, energy-efficient heating for winter, there are a few tasks you want to complete before…
Steve in Sacramento is worried about the purity of his water. He asks: “I listen to a lot of podcasts because it’s an easy way to keep myself entertained while I’m doing other things, whether I’m at home cleaning up my house or at work filing some paperwork. It’s actually…
When it comes to saving money on your utility bills by making your home as energy efficient as possible, most folks that I talk to tend to focus on their air conditioners and furnaces, asking me all kinds of questions about things like smart or programmable thermostats. Those things are…
Have you ever had your friends recommend something to you so often that you eventually started to just tune them out? I bet you’re nodding right now, because, hey, we’ve all been there. I think for some homeowners this has actually become the case—at least a little bit—with home energy…
Growing up, my dad used to have a subscription to this magazine called Consumer Reports. The magazine evaluates products and gives people info that they can use to make sure they’re getting the most value for their hard-earned money. There was a time when my dad hardly bought anything without…
One simple truth about plumbing is that there are no good leaks. If water is escaping from somewhere in your plumbing system, you’ve got a leak—and that’s a problem. Leaks can damage surrounding areas in your home that aren’t supposed to get wet, and they can really run up the…
Pumpkin spice lattes, football, shorter days and colder nights — it’s that time of year again. Fall is in the air. Use this time to take care of some important home maintenance projects before winter sneaks up on you. Save money, prevent disasters, and live more comfortably by following these…
I’m going to be completely honest here for a second: I just don’t know all that much about computers. Now, I can use mine just fine, of course. But when it comes to keeping up on all the latest apps and programs and other gizmos? I’m just not the best…
