Archive for November 7th, 2011

Saving Money at the Fuel Pump

Saving Money at the Fuel PumpGas prices have come down a bit recently from the highs of $4 and more per gallon. However it is only a matter of time before they go up again as the economy picks up and people start spending again. Every time I fill the car up, I groan at the cost of the gasoline. It is time to think about Saving Money at the Fuel Pump. It is time to make sure that I do everything I can to stretch a tank of gasoline as far as I can.

Even if you are driving a small car that get’s great gas mileage, it still is a bit of sticker shock each time you fill up. I just heard to-day that the avg cost of a gallon of gasoline has gone up by one dollar in the last year. That is a lot of money that is no longer available to your family, especially if you commute to work every day.

Saving Money at the Fuel Pump – Fuel Saver List

Here is a list of fuel savers that can help you get as much mileage out of a gallon of gasoline as possible:

  • Clean your fuel injectors
  • Make sure your tires have the proper air pressure
  • Change out the spark plugs, air filter and gas filter as per the manufacturer
  • Plan your trips so that you reduce trips for specific things
  • Car pool to work, team sports and taking the kids to practice
  • Avoid hard accelerations from a stop sign or stop light
  • Coast into stop points, to avoid coming to a complete stop
  • Drive at the speed limit

More Detail about Fuel Savers

Clean your fuel injectors. When fuel injectors are clogged or gummed up, modern engines do not perform efficiently. Ironically, this may actually lead to them introducing too much gas to the combustion chamber. Check you owner’s manual for any directions on the type of fuel injector cleaner to use. You may want to have the dealer do it for you.

Correct air pressure in your tires.  Filling your tires to the correct air pressure ensures your tires will move efficiently across the road. Importantly, use the air pressure recommended by the manufacturer, not the tire supplier. You can find this information in your owner’s manual or on the inside of the driver’s door.

Organizing your life is a good way to save money on gas. Organize running errands to avoid taking multiple trips a day to get things done. Every time you fire up that car, you burn fuel. Make a list of everything you need to accomplish and do it all on one trip.

Car Pool If you have kids, getting them to and from school, sports and the houses of friends can lead to a lot of time on the road. Save money for you and others, by  teaming up with parents to move the kids around in one car.

Car pool to work – This also provides huge savings and gives car poolers a chance to catch up on sleep or read the paper or even get some work done.

Large Gas Saving Techniques

Avoid hard accelerations from a stop sign or stop light. Every time you press the gas pedal to the floor and take off fast, you are burning much more gas. Leave a stop at a more normal level of acceleration.

Coast into stop points, to avoid coming to a complete stop. I see so many people accelerate from stop light to stop light and then hit the brakes hard. Coasting into a stop light, not only saves your brakes. This action also reduces the gas you use on leaving the stop light especially if it turns green as you arrive.

Drive at the speed limit-driving 10 miles an hour over the speed limit causes a severe reduction in your gas mileage. You might get there faster, but it is going to cost you a lot more!

Taking small steps can add up to a big difference. Following the above tips  should spend help you spend less time at the pump. For more gas saving ideas, click here.

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Cold Air Return Vents

Cold Air Return VentsThe location and number of cold air return vents is so important to the comfort of the homes occupants. Yet the design and the installation of these vents seems to be haphazard at best in many homes. My own home has two cold air return vents upstairs. There are two vents on the main level for a 2500 square foot home  with 4 bedrooms. These cold air return vents play a crucial role all year round for heating the home in the winter time and for cooling the home in the summer time.

Having sufficient cold air return vents and managing them properly can both make your home more comfortable as well as save you money on heating and cooling costs. Here is more information about them to help you manage your heating and cooling system with cold air return vents. The most important thing is to make sure that they are not blocked in any way.

Cold Air Return Vents – How They Work

Cold air return vents work on a forced air system. In other words you have a fan on your furnace which forces air through enclosed piping to hot air vents located in every room. It draws air through a enclosed system from every room in your home that has a cold air return vent. As a result the air circulates throughout your home cooling it in the summer time and heating it in the winter time.

If there is not a cold air return vent in a bedroom, the door should be left open so that the air can circulate. Three of our bedrooms do not have air return vents. These doors must be left open or the rooms will not heat properly and they certainly will not cool off either in the summer. The cold air return vent located in the hallway is the main return for the three bedrooms that do not have have cold air return vents.  If you want to save energy, simply shut off the hot air vents and close the doors to keep these rooms from being heated or cooled depending on the season. Never do this in a bathroom as the water pipes might freeze in the winter time causing the pipes to split and lots of water damage. The same applies on our main level.

Cold air return vents at Ceiling Level

There are actually two air return vents in tandem at each location. One is located at floor level and the other is located at the ceiling level. In the summer time hot air rises and and is sucked through the ceiling vent, while in the winter time cold air falls and is sucked in through the floor vent. It is important to shut off the cold air return vent that is not being used. For example, shutting off the vent at the floor level during summer time will ensure that all of the hot air is drawn off the ceiling to cool the room quickly.

What If you Do Not Have Enough Cold air vents

If you can’t install a cold air duct back to the furnace from each room, you can sometimes fake it. You can install a cold air return register above the door from each room that connects to the hallway. The air flows through these openings from each room. The air flows across the ceiling in the hallway towards a larger cold air return that does extend to the basement furnace. This will work well for rooms that do not have a cold air return vent.

Homes with basements often find that they are very cold in the winter time. Usually this is because there is no cold air return vents installed in these rooms. Add vents at the floor level to draw off the cold air . You will see a significant difference in the temperature of the room.

Why Builders do not Install Enough Vents

There never seems to be enough vents in new homes. Basically they cut back on the number of vents to reduce costs. However if air is forced into a room it must have somewhere to go. A cold air return vent in every room, would ensure that these rooms would all be heated properly. Air distribution  in the winter and in the summer would improve.

Air also meets resistance and will take the easiest route. Many people find that rooms close to the furnace will be the hottest and coolest. Shutting off the return registers in these rooms will force the air to go to other rooms. Both cool and hot air will provide a more even heat around the home.

We appreciate comments on this post. Add your ideas about saving money as well as how to manage cold air return vents. Feel free to leave a comment to assist our readers.

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Txt Message Short Code Programs

Txt Message Short Code ProgramsLast year we wrote an article about this subject of short code programs because we had been personally exposed to this particular scam. We wanted to let people know about Txt Message Short Code Programs, what they were all about and why you should always review your phone bills.

Consumers should always review both your regular home phone as well as your mobile phone bill to check for these extra charges on your phone bill. They can be surprisingly large and add up quickly. In our case they were being charged every day and at a rate of $2 per message that we received.

If we had not stopped these text messages, that would have been over $60 added to our monthly bill for something that I did not want and never ordered. This is a scam and you should really pay attention to this issue if it happens to you. Your unlimited text message plan does not cover these charges.

If you would like to refer to the original post about this subject of Txt Message Short Code Programs, click here to read the 1st post we wrote on this particular subject.

Why Pay Attention to This Issue

Txt Message Short Code Programs

The reason we got so excited about this issue, is that we were being charged $2 for each text message we received from one company who was using the short code program. There was nothing short about it, only the text number. The cost was high, who wants to pay $2.00 for  a text message you did not ask to receive. In addition, the information provided was for some sort of sports related thing that provided current information, in real time. I never want to pay for this sort of thing , ever! Even if I was interested, it was not worth $2 per message unless perhaps I was into sports betting.

If you are ever hit with billing for Txt Message Short Code Programs, call your provider and complain. If you did not subscribe to the service, then they will usually write off the charges. They will provide you with the method to stop receiving more messages. Usually it is simply sending the word STOP by text message to the number that sent the original message to you. However we recommend that you check with your provider to be totally correct and to have the charges reversed.

When are they Useful

Txt Message Short Code Programs are useful in some situations. Such as your carrier sending free messages to you to provide information about their service. You will not mind these Txt Message Short Code Program messages. Since you do not pay for them and they can be helpful at times. Since they alert you to new features or services. Although it can be an aggravation when you receive these messages, at least you also do not have to pay for each one.

If you have had a problem with Txt Message Short Code Programs, tell us about your experience. Leave a comment. I am sure other readers will be interested. You may even save them a lot of charges on their monthly cell phone bill.

 

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Home Insurance While You are Away

Home Insurance While You are AwayMost people leave on vacation and really do not give a seconds thought about home insurance. While they are away or  coverage for their home all kinds of things can occur. If you are only leaving for a week, you are probably ok. However for anything longer than one week, you should really check with your insurance company re home insurance while you are away. Find out what they need you to do to maintain your insurance coverage on your home.

Some insurance companies will not cover homes that have been left vacant for specified lengths of time. They want someone checking on them to make sure that the furnace is working. They want to make sure that there are no water leaks or other damage. Refusing to cover a claim could be catastrophic. If you do have a claim, you will be happy that you made the effort to check with them first and followed their instructions.

Homes become vacant for many reasons.

Here are a few:

  • Vacation – short
  • Extended vacation
  • Transfer to somewhere else
  • Fire damage
  • New home construction

In many cases someone who is being transferred to another city or country for a temporary period may decide to leave their home vacant or try to sell their home while they work elsewhere. People who go on vacation may leave their home and do not have anyone check on it, or just have the neighbors keep an eye on it while they are away.

Do You have Home Insurance While You are Away

Your existing home  insurance company MAY OR MAY NOT be willing to continue to provide home insurance or may refuse a claim if you have not had someone monitoring it while the home is vacant. Many of the mainstream home insurance companies will not provide home insurance for a home that is left vacant or even rented to a tenant.

Check With your Home Insurance Company

Before you make any decisions regarding your home, check with your insurance company first to confirm they will continue to provide insurance cover. Either way you need to have your building insured for liability and also damaged from some of the basic perils that may occur. You should also appreciate that limited cover is available for your building so you should take this into account if you are doing any financial planning.

Home Insurance companies may require someone to actually go into the home once a day during the winter. This is to ensure that the heat is still on and that there is no break in the water lines. Some insurance companies will continue to cover a home with a once per week check if the water is turned off and drained from all of the interior pipes.

Example Of Insurance Claim While You are Away

A friend of ours was off in Florida for the winter when a pipe broke in his home due to an electrical malfunction. The furnace stopped working and the pipes froze. Water gushed out everywhere causing $90,000 in damages to his home. He had to have all of the floors redone and much of the house repainted. Fortunately for him his son was going into the home on a biweekly basis and found the water break. Even an hour of water running can cause a lot of damage! The insurance company covered him in this case, however he had to prove that his son was actually checking the house on a biweekly basis. Can you afford a $90,000 claim if your insurance company does not cover the damage.

Mortgage companies for instance require a minimum level of insurance associated with any mortgage they may make available to you. With a bit of help you will be able to find several quotes for your unoccupied building. Customers should also confirm what kind of security or how often the property needs to be visited to maintain your insurance.

When you do arrange for someone to check on your home make sure they can be counted on to actually go in and check. They really should keep a record of when they go in and confirm that the furnace is working etc. This suggestion is just to be on the safe side as far as claims are concerned.

Comments are welcome about having home insurance coverage while you are on vacation! For more information on vacant home insurance, click here.

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Hardwood Floor Installation guide

Hardwood Floor Installation guideInstalling a hardwood floor properly will help to make it secure so that it does not have many squeaks when you walk across the floor and ensure that it lasts a long time as well. There are various methods to install a hardwood floor ranging from floating, staple down, and nail down to glue down. In addition preparation is important. The sub floor should be nailed down or preferably screw nailed down to the joists underneath so that there are no squeaks from the support floor.

Some people will even install a second sub floor to provide extra strength and avoid any squeaks in the floor altogether. This is probably the single most important step to take to avoid a squeaky floor. Some people will go as far as screw nailing another layer of half inch plywood on to the original floor to provide a really solid base. Before you take this step, some planning is required.

Planning the Installation

Review all locations where there are doorways and locations that interface with either carpeting, marble or tile. Consumers will want to avoid causing a significant surface level difference. This can be a great place for people to trip and fall. Adding the second level of plywood to firm up the floor also raises the floor by 5 /8’s of an inch and will make matching to other floor surfaces in other rooms a challenge. There are various tools and supplies available at the do it yourself department stores to help in this regard. If you are hiring an expert installer to install your floor you may get some ideas from this person as well.

Hardwood Floor Installation guide

The first step is to get the installation instructions as provided in the user’s manual provided by the manufacturer you purchased the hardwood floor from. Read the manual carefully and prepare a plan for your floors layout. We also recommend taking advantage of courses that are offered, usually for free at local stores who are selling hardwood flooring. They understand that people want to save money and will try doing it themselves. They would like to get the sale of the flooring and they also want satisfied happy customers. These free courses go a long way to obtaining a sale and also ensuring that the customer is satisfied with the floor after installation.

Floating hardwood floors are the easiest method for floor installation.

The first step in installing a hardwood floor is laying out an accurate reference line. There are a number of tools you can use to simplify the process.

  • Pneumatic Floor Stapler (rented)
  • Air Compressor ·Power Miter Saw
  • Pneumatic Finish Nailer
  • Drill and Bits
  • Table Saw(or Circular Saw)
  • Basic Carpentry Tools

Buy the Tools

These tools are sure to simplify the entire process of  the hardwood floor installation process. These tools can be purchased if you are doing a large job. Or in most cases they can be rented for several days or weeks depending on how long you need the equipment. There is a trade off between renting and purchasing which really is linked to how much floor you will install. Also how long it will take you. A friend of mind likes to take his time and will purchase most of the tools. He can take his time and not worry about returning them when not in use. When he is finished, he often sells them if they are no longer needed.

Always ask the tool renter to show you how the equipment works. Also follow all of the safety precautions to avoid any injury. They also rent heavy duty extension cords for this equipment.

Also make sure you learn all about the hardwood floor cleaning tips. Installing is only half the job over the life time of the floor. If a hardwood floor is kept clean of dirt and grit it will remain shiny and new for many years. Remove your shoes at the door and vacuum often to remove all floor grit.

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Solar Power Solutions for the Consumer

Solar Power Solutions for the ConsumerThe DC to AC inverter converts the DC electricity into AC electricity. AC Electricity is the kind of electricity used to power the appliances in your home.This web site is aimed at finding solutions for consumers to use in their homes and one of the first things we have come to realize is that it is not easy to find solutions that are easy to find and easy to implement.

One web site we read compared buying a solar solution to buying a car. Would you design the engine, the transmission etc or do you go in and purchase a car with a few identified options that are easy to figure out? The latter of course and that is one of the things that is currently wrong about solar panel solutions.

Most consumers do not understand anything about kilowatts, power, current, converters from DC to AC  and so on. What is needed in the industry are solutions for customers to chose from. Perhaps standard configurations that deliver solution’s that consumers and homeowners are looking for. In much the same way that a furnace is sold with sufficient heating capability for a 2500 square foot house, a solar panel installation should be sold in such a way that an installation could replace all or a percentage of your power usage.

Solar Power Solutions – How Many Panels Do I Need

I have no idea nor do I really want to try and figure this out. Even if I was given a formula to use, the average consumer like me is not going to be confident that they are making the right calculations. What are my alternatives?  Hire an expert which costs money as well and I am still not sure what the final solution is that I need. Just look at the picture on the right with all the different sizes ! With such new technology you can be sure that what you buy today will be updated and changed within 6 months.

How would I mount these on the roof and is this the right location to put them in? What is the optimum direction to face them towards and do I need to clean them once and awhile or are they maintenance free. I really do not want to get up on the roof very often to clean these things. I can only assume that dirt and grime that accumulates on the surface will cause the amount of power they generate to decrease over time.

What is a DC to AC Converter?

The DC to AC inverter converts the DC electricity into AC electricity, the kind of electricity used to power the appliances in your home. This is the same power that you can sell to the commercial power provider in your area or at least this is what many web sites say.

Were should this inverter be installed; are there any cooling requirements; special mounting requirements; electrical inspections required; approvals from the company providing power before you can connect to the grid? Devices such as these come with various power capacities . What size do I need to accommodate the amount of power that I am generating? This is an example of a component that must be sized to fit the system that you are installing.

Do I need a Controller

Apparently using an optional charge controller with a DC circuit breaker is required to manage the charging of batteries that can be used for backup purposes. The controllers use DC power from the solar modules to charge the battery bank. Do the controllers  protect the batteries against overcharging and what happens at night? Will the batteries then discharge back through the solar panels?

Who Wants batteries

This were the solution issue really comes to a head. What problem am I trying to solve?

  • Solar power generation for backup in case of electrical system failure?
  • Alternative power generation to reduce my electrical power cost
  • Generating income by selling power to the electrical grid
  • All three solutions?

Depending on the answer, I will need batteries especially for the backup solution. As a result you have to have something to store the power in if you want a backup solution. As a result that usually means batteries somewhere in the basement. They need to be designed, sized,  purchased and  maintained! Who wants that in your home?

Solar Power Solutions – Installation

This is not an easy thing to install. For example first you must install the solar panels somewhere. They usually go on the roof, which means you risk roof damage. Hence wiring and cabling must then run down from the roof to the basement. Or wherever you are installing the inverter, the batteries and perhaps connecting to the electrical grid.

The wiring must be installed and inspected by an electrician. While the roof installation should be installed by experts who are not going to wreck your roof.

Conclusion

As we research this topic to find out more information, it is obvious at this time that the solar generation solutions for consumers is just getting started. There are not a lot of simple solutions for the average consumer. We have not factored in prices as of yet. But since the industry is still in it’s infancy, this usually means that prices are not anywhere near commodity type pricing.

Comments are welcome and help with finding solutions for consumer related installations. for posts about solar power solutions, click here.

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