Our trusty Toro Electric Snow Blower died during the first blizzard of 2015 that slammed us with 2 feet of snow. I originally thought I could repair it by replacing the broken blade, but unfortunately the motor had also reached the end of it’s usefulness. Fortunately, I was able to buy a new Snow Joe […]
Turn down your water heater to save energy
Posted on February 4, 2015 Written by 4 Comments
Many water homes have their water heaters turned up too high. Many health codes used to call for hotter temperatures for home water, to ensure that dishes and clothes got clean enough. However, science has taught us that in most cases, it is the act of rubbing the items, the agitation, that causes things to […]
Should I Replace My Windows?
Posted on October 16, 2012 Written by 3 Comments
Have you ever asked yourself Should I replace my leaky, drafty windows? When I talk to people about weatherizing their home, a very common thing that I hear is “I need new windows.” My first question, is “why?” There are reasons why windows need to be replaced, I once had one break off and fall out […]
Getting Rid of Fruit Flies Naturally
Posted on August 2, 2012 Written by 7 Comments
I hate fruit flies! They’re really easy to attract. Some fruit left a little too long, an escaped grape or blueberry, or just really hot humid weather and every day food. If you don’t want fruit flies to keep reoccurring, you must clean up the source. I find that once I figure out the main attraction, […]
Getting the Ants Out – Naturally
Posted on July 1, 2012 Written by 28 Comments
Ants make me crazy. I hate them. I hate them most in my house. I hate the thought of them walking around my house or through my cupboards. I put up with them outside, but I prefer them in small quantities. It used to be that when ants got into my house we’d buy poison […]
Uncle Johnny Explains Why You Should Switch to Paperless Billing
Posted on May 23, 2012 Written by Leave a Comment
Everyone gets and pays bills. Most of us receive and pay a LOT of bills. We’ve never addressed switching to paperless billing because frankly, it has always frightened Alicia. We don’t trust all those companies. Today, Alicia’s brother, better known as “Uncle Johnny” in our family, shares with us why we should switch to paperless […]
How Vacuuming Can Save Energy and Lives
Posted on April 17, 2012 Written by 11 Comments
Lint Clogged Dryer Vent at Alicia’s Folks This past weekend, I got to a project that has been bothering me for some time, I cleaned out the dryer vent at Alicia’s folks house. Clogged dryer vents cause FIRES, so either hire someone to clean your dryer vent or do-it-yourself (DIY). If you think this is […]
How To Clean & Deodorize Your Microwave Naturally
Posted on March 29, 2012 Written by 2 Comments
We had to replace our microwave because it was arcing. Our microwave had served us well for many years, especially considering it was a hand-me down from a friend who had remodeled her kitchen years back. Since we recently had a relatively new toaster oven fail on us, we looked for a microwave that will […]
Home Energy Efficiency – What is Your Home MPG?
Posted on February 12, 2012 Written by 3 Comments
Hopefully you are not actually driving your home, because RVs get horrible gas mileage. In all seriousness though, one of the challenges today is figuring out how to compare the energy efficiency of homes in a way that can be readily understandable by home owners and potential buyers or renters. For cars, the EPA’s miles […]
Comparing Site Energy vs Source Energy and Why You Should Care?
Posted on February 12, 2012 Written by 1 Comment
When we compare things like homes or cars to determine which are more efficient, better for the environment, greener, etc. it is important to make sure we are comparing apples to apples and using the right calculations. There are two forms of energy use that are often discussed when talking about buildings energy consumption: Site […]
