New Year’s resolutions for your home
New Year’s is a time to think about resolutions for your home.
MetroCreative
New Year’s is a time to think about resolutions for you home. Photo credit: MetroCreative
MetroCreative
MetroCreative
New Year’s is a time to think about resolutions for you home, including making sure you have adequate security for your computers.
MetroCreative
MetroCreative
Make cleaning and inspecting your chimney part of your New Year’s resolutions for you home.
MetroCreative
Installing and testing smoke alarms should be part of the New Year’s resolutions for you home. Photo credit: MetroCreative
The place you live will always be special so make sure you take care of it. With the New Year upon us, it’s a good time to think about making resolutions for your home.
Several instructors at Fayette County Career and Technical Institute in Georges Township offered suggestions for resolutions to practice in your home in 2019:
Smoke alarms
This topped the list for several instructors.
Lawrence Rossi, electrical construction instructor, said, “My very first resolution would be to install smoke detectors. If I already did, I would put fresh batteries in them and test them. And I would make a resolution to do monthly tests on my smoke detectors.”
Rossi explained smoke alarms/detectors do not work efficiently after so many years. For best results, he advised following the manufacturer’s instructions.
The National Fire Protection Association reports on its website, “Smoke alarms that are property installed and maintained play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries.”
The association recommends installing smoke alarms on every floor of your home and replacing them every 10 years.
LED lights
“For energy savings, I would consider starting to install energy-efficient LED lighting,” said Rossi.
The U.S. Dept. of Energy reports on its website, “Quality LED light bulbs last longer, are more durable, and offer comparable or better light quality than other types of lighting.”
The department also reported, “Residential LEDs – especially ENERGY STAR rated products – use at least 75 percent less energy, and last 25 times longer, than incandescent lighting.”
Breaker box
A breaker box is a metal box containing circuit breakers or fuses that control electrical current in a home.
Matt Howser, building construction instructor, advises, “Flip your breakers in your breaker box to make sure none of them stick or that there’s any condensation that would make them stick.”
Howser said condensation is especially possible in older houses that have a lot of moisture in the basement. He considers older houses those with stone foundations.
And with winter here, Howser recommends, “Make sure you have plenty of salt for your sidewalks.”
Furnace
Robert Hawk, HVAC instructor, said, “The biggest thing people forget is checking the filters on their furnace. It’s one of the biggest causes of service calls. Filters can get clogged and that causes the furnace to shut down.”
Hawk said filters should be changed two to four times a year.
“I tell people to change them when you start your air conditioner and when you start the furnace,” said Hawk.” If there’s dusty conditions, you should change them more often, such as doing dry wall or construction in the house.”
In addition, Hawk advises having a carbon monoxide detector in the home.
“You should have one on each floor,” said Hawk. “If you’re heat exchanger gets a hole or crack in it, it can release carbon monoxide into the house. Install them or change the batteries if you have them. Some are good for 10 years and then you throw them away.”
The U.S. Dept. of Energy explains, “Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can be lethal in certain doses. The gas is produced any time fuel is burned and can harm people and animals. To help prevent carbon monoxide poisoning indoors, weatherization crews test furnaces and stoves for gas leaks and install alarms for smoke and carbon monoxide in the home.”
Chimneys
Terry Motchar, masonry instructor, said, “Have your chimney inspected or cleaned or both. They can get creosote inside and start a chimney fire.”
Even if you haven’t used your chimney in a while, get it inspected, Motchar said.
“If you’re planning on using it, I definitely would. You never know what could have ended up inside,” said Motchar. “You’re better off playing it safe.”
Motchar also recommended, “Check the damper if you’re not using your fireplace and make sure it is closed.”
The Chimney Safety Institute of America notes on its website, “An annual chimney inspection performed by a qualified professional can help prevent carbon monoxide intrusion and chimney fire. These inspections can also identify potential system issues to address before they become costly.”
Home computer security
With continued reports of hackers breaking into computers, the new year is a good time to make sure you are practicing safe security measures for your home.
Melanie Dean, information technology instructor, said, “Make sure you have anti-virus software on your computer and make sure it’s up to date. I recommend AVG. it’s free and pretty easy to use.”
While this protects against viruses, Dean also advises adding protection against malicious software, referred to as malware.
“I would use SpyBot. It will scan for and protect against malicious software,” said Dean. “It can come in through emails or be downloaded from a website. Adding this is like double protection.”
Dean said people should be careful of their computer passwords: “Don’t use common words and change your passwords frequently. Make them complicated. Use uppercase, lowercase, numbers and symbols if you’re able.
“And the last thing I recommend is if a bank or Amazon or some other business contacts you via text or email, these are scams,” Dean said. “You would be giving information to people – your identification. These businesses will not contact you. Just ignore the texts and emails. If you do think something might have been comprised, contact the company yourself.”
The U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security advises on its website, “Pay close attention to the URLs of websites you visit. Malicious websites sometimes use a variation in common spelling or a different domain (for example .com instead of .net) to deceive unsuspecting computer users.”
In the kitchen
Julia Harhai, culinary arts instructor, suggests, “Organize your spice rack instead of throwing all your spices in a drawer.”
This allows you to find a spice more easily, use spices before they become old and avoid duplication – how many of you have bought a spice only to come home and discover you already had it?
Harhai also offered advice to improve the life of your wooden cutting boards.
“You can sand it down and put a vegetable oil on it. This refinishes it and you’re starting clean,” said Harhai. “You have almost a new cutting board.”
Finally, Harhai suggests using all-natural cleaners in the kitchen.
“Meyer’s Soap is an all-natural alternative to abrasive cleaners,” she said, noting the company makes products with seasonal scents. “And it’s earth friendly. It’s good for the environment.”
Starting a new year is always a good time to take a look at your home and address safety issues and improve your energy efficiency.
Select one or more of these tips to have a happy and healthy 2019.