Managing Home Maintenance Costs

In March 2013, we wrote a post about the new Yike bike, invented by an engineer in New Zealand.  You can read the full post by clicking on the following link, click here.  We came across another interesting article about this new and unique bike. We wanted to post some of the comments that we read and listen to about this bike.

The cost was about $2400 Canadian. The rider in the city of Ottawa Ontario Canada was turning lots of heads as people saw this bike for the first time.  It is so much different than any other vehicle on the road. Many people were wondering what was, operated and what it was like to ride.

Yike Bike in Ottawa

The big question that was posted in this particular article was what kind of vehicle is this new bicycle classed as and would it be allowed to be driven on bicycle paths. The original writer of this latest article asked the question, but a bylaw officer whether this bike would be allowed on bicycle paths in the city of Ottawa.  The answer was quite surprising since this is obviously a two wheeled bicycle with power.

He reviewed all of the bylaws that the city of Ottawa has and came to the conclusion that this place a call is closer to a motorcycle than it is to an actual bicycle.    It is electrically driven, has brakes, lights, signal lights, and can fold up into the size of a small suitcase.  This vehicle was actually closer to a motorcycle that was to bicycle.  Motorcycles are not allowed to be driven on bike paths and therefore this new Yike bicycle would not be allowed on bicycle paths at the present time in the city of Ottawa Ontario Canada.

New Bylaws

The city planners are going to have to enact new bylaws for this bike. But it will take another year or two of review and assessment before they will get around to doing that. In the meantime this writer will continue to use his bike on the city’s roads. Wearing all of the proper safety gear such as a bicycle helmet, and proper clothing.

The neat thing about this bike called the Yike bike is that it folds up into a small suitcase. Which can be carried in the trunk of your car carried into the office or even onto the train for commuting in another city.  Like all vehicles that do not have protection for the writer, riding in inclement weather may not be that safe.  We will keep watching for more posts about this particular invention they came from New Zealand.

With the cost of energy going up all of the time, many people are asking the same question. Should I close vents in unused rooms and try to reduce the amount of energy used to heat their homes?  Depending on the method of heating your home shutting off the heating system in a room or closing a vent in a room can decrease the amount of natural gas, heating oil, or electricity that is used through the winter, however, there are several items to verify before you take this step.

The first is to make sure that there is nothing in the room that would suffer from not being heated. Any plants should be removed particularly if they are susceptible to the cold.  Some plants are quite sturdy and will go into a dormant state until it warms up again. They take less water as well so you will need to reduce the amount of water you give them.

Should I close vents in unused rooms – Water Pipes?

The other major reason that can be a problem when you shut off the heat is water pipes that could freeze as a result of not having a room heated. Water pipes too bathrooms etc are typically installed inside walls that are on the interior of the home. These pipes are kept warm by both rooms on either side being kept at a reasonable temperature well above freezing. Some water pipes are installed inside exterior walls and are kept from freezing by only the room that they are in. If this happens to be the room that you decide to turn the heat off i.e. close a heating vent or turn off the electrical heating system for that room, there is a real possibility that the pipes located in the exterior wall could freeze solid if the outside temperature goes below 32 degrees.

Avoid Water Pipes Freezing

If the pipes are full of water and they freeze, the water expands as it turns to ice. It cracks the pipe allowing water to leak out and damage the walls, floors, and rooms below the leak. This can be a major expense in damage if the leak is not dealt with quickly. Some insurance companies will not cover these damages either in situations where the heat has been turned off and the water pipes have not been drained.

Bottom line if you are concerned that frozen water pipes could do a lot of damage in the winter when a room is not heated, do NOT turn the heating system off or close a vent. The damage in dollar terms can be extensive and it is just not worth taking the chance. Your potential savings will be wiped out.

During the summertime, this same room can be left alone and not cooled to save some energy. Closing vents and not cooling the room will not result in any damage. Remove any plants which might suffer from higher temperatures.

Save

Would you purchase a Temperature sensitive concept tire? That has a white rubber sidewall strip that changes color when the temperature gets below 7°C or 44F? Apparently this is the point at which you should consider changing from all season tires or summer tires to winter tires. Some governments have even mandated this change to snow tires for safety reasons.

Canadian tire is partnering with the research and development organization ARTS to introduce a Temperature sensitive concept tire. It tells you when it is time to install your snow tires. If the temperature goes below a specific value the walls of your tires will turn white. This is to let you know it is time to install your winter snow tires on your car.

Temperature sensitive concept tire – How it Works

Apparently when it gets but below 7°C it is time to replace your summer tires with winter tires. This is the best time to be prepared for the coming winter season. Many people wait until the first snow fall which usually means it is much colder than 7 degrees. The rubber in your tires is not providing the traction you need for these conditions. In addition you now can avoid the winter rush to have snow tires installed.

As the temperature becomes lower, a tire with hard rubber provides less traction in snow conditions and cold wet conditions. Even though all season tires are designed for all seasons, a car driven with winter tires, which has softer rubber will provide much better traction in winter.

Temperature sensitive concept tire – Still in Research

This tire design is still in the concept stages with the research company and Canadian tire Corporation.  Unfortunately, many people prefer not to have white walls on their tires and this may be the one marketing factor that will delay the introduction of this particular concept tire.

Canadian Tire is trying to shift the time that consumers install winter tires on their cars. Most wait until the first snow fall. Then they rush into the tire shop to make an appointment to have their tires changed. There are usually long wait times, frustrated customers and employees who work long hours.

In addition, it is already too cold for summer tires to be driven safely. Once it snows and the snow stays on the ground summer tires will not deliver the traction that is needed for winter driving conditions. If Canadian Tire is successful with this concept, they contribute to safer driving for consumers. Which means fewer accidents overall. They will also even out the workload somewhat. Consumers with tires that change color will get the jump on other consumers. They will not have to wait for hours until a mechanic can get to their car and change the tires for them. They can save time and money!