Let’s say the furnace you have now is just about done. It’s been a long, comfortable ride, but repair bills are mounting, and the fire is slowly dying…so to speak. Now that you’ve decided to replace it (hypothetically), you’re wondering about which direction to go in – a high efficiency model that promises huge energy…
How to Increase Indoor Humidity
Ready for one of life’s little ironies? Okay, here it is. When people complain about the summer heat, it’s often not the heat that’s bothering them – it’s the humidity. Ninety degrees and dry is pretty comfortable. Ninety degrees with 90% humidity – most would agree – is miserable. When temperatures begin to moderate, you…
Holiday Cleaning Shortcuts
It’s the most wonderful time of the year – sort of! After all, “wonderful”, in this case, includes traffic coming to a standstill here and there. Packed malls and downtown shopping areas. Pushy shoppers who see nothing wrong with cutting way ahead of you in line. Oh, and don’t forget, your relatives coming in from…
How to Heat and Cool a New Room
When planning an addition, there are numerous T’s to cross and I’s to dot. There’s also HVAC to contend with, as in, how you plan to heat and cool the new sunroom, converted attic, master bedroom suite, and so on. You have three basic options on how to move forward. Let’s have a look. Use…
What Does a Heat Exchanger Do?
Let’s say you’re the lead runner in a two-person relay race. Your objective is to run as fast and smartly as you can before effecting a smooth handoff to your teammate. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, not when you remember that this handoff takes place while you’re running at full speed and your teammate is…
Problems Caused by Dry Air
Let’s say you’re nearing retirement or know someone who is. They hate the idea of leaving friends and family, but they’re making the big move to Arizona anyway. Reason? To leave high humidity behind and enjoy all that nice, dry desert air. Uh, really? Indoors or out, dry air has its own fair share of…
Home Maintenance Skills That Save You Money
A Chinese proverb states “Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he’ll eat for a lifetime.” Well, while not everyone fishes, they still benefit from learning and practicing at least a few home maintenance DIY tasks – the kind that can give you a nice…
How to Get the Most from Smart Home Living
Constant advancement in smart home automation makes life increasingly easy to manage, cut your home energy costs, and live safer and more securely. Smart home technology refers to any combination of devices, appliances, or systems that connect into a common network that can be independently and remotely controlled. The result in a “connected home” with…
The Benefits of Air Duct Insulation
Your air duct are equally important as the equipment used to heat and cool your home. If fact, the most expensive, top-of-the-line heating and cooling system won’t work to its full potential if the air ducts are poorly designed or improperly installed. Yet even if all the boxes are checked, uninsulated ductwork could result in…
Home Improvements You Won’t Regret
Here’s a scenario you might be familiar with. You’ve scrimped and saved, researched and planned, and now it’s finally time to take that long-awaited family vacation. You can’t wait to step inside the resort with its ocean view, 6 swimming pools, and beach-front cabanas. Except when you arrive, you discover that your view is of…