Here we go again!  Changing the clocks so that we can use more of the suns natural light to aid our daily functions.This always takes some adjustment but we do and move on with our lives.

The abrupt change can be used to remind us of things to check around the house.  One item is a battery verification.  Sure, we always check our detector batteries but what about flashlight batteries or emergency radio batteries or even the status of your cell phone batteries.  Don’t forget car batteries, tractor batteries, or the backup battery in your clock radio.  Any other devices have batteries in your life?  Good time to check them out.

Another seldom used device in your house is the water shut off valve.  They are located throughout your life.  Each sink should have two (hot and cold), the toilets all should have one, water heater, water softener, and of course the main shut off valve for the whole house.  Normally these valves are ignored…until they are really needed.  Then you really want them to do their job which is stop water flow. By exercising them (closing each one and then immediately reopening it) on this day, you ensure each one works and will work when you need it to do its job.

Often we ignore burned out or non-functioning lights until they become a REAL problem. Now is a good time to focus on these few lights by replacing them with good bulbs or maybe even a new fixture. 

This would be a good time to call your handyman. They could help check all your batteries,  make sure all the valves work, and suggest lighting changes that would be quick, cost-effective and look great in your environment.

Now is the time when people, organizations, companies,and governments create their master plan for 2012.  So why don’t you make a plan utilizing your handyperson, whomever that may be. Your spouse, kids, relatives, employees, or occasional fixer-upper all could benefit from your forethought and reasoning. You give them a chance to make their own schedule for the year that includes your needs.  When you need a break from the holiday routine, planning your tasks for next year provides an escape that gives a sense of accomplishment. 

Is this the year for a new kitchen or bath?  Time to replace the microwave over the range? How about replacing the range? Problems with the washer or dryer?  Tired of fighting with the stuck door or window?  Is that leak finally going to be eliminated? This the year to change the garage? The driveway? The cupboards? The basement?  What about that accent wall you like? Ceiling need recovering? New light fixtures? 3 Season porch? Enlarge the deck? How os the roof?  The siding? Front porch?  Sidewalks?

Make the wish list, then turn it into a plan of action.  This could be the year that long time agitation becomes a useful addition to your life.

A new customer had me replace the front door hardware just before they moved into their recently acquired house. The job done and working fine, it was time for the move to take place.  Imagine the surprise when the movers (or anyone else) could open the wide front door to move furniture into the house. “What did you do to my door?” she yelled into my phone.  Confused, I went to see this for myself.  Sure enough, the door was secured better than any dead bolt.  Removing the door hardware and examining the workings revealed nothing unusual.  Carefully I reinstalled everything and it worked fine.  The customer opened and closed it several times  and was happy.

Image my suprise when within a week, the call came that informed me tha door was once more securely closed.  That started a lenghty process of removing, rebuilding with other parts, reinstalling, everything works fine, leaving, then coming back because it was locked again.

“Take it out and I will take it back to the store where I purchased it.”  So I did.  The reply was “Nothing wrong with this hardware.  We have never had any complaints or returns.  Must be your installer.”

By now the customer is ready to fire me and demand her money back for the work accomplished.

So I went to the manufacturer of the hardware to ask for help.  Surprised again, the reply I heard was “You got one of those?  Bad design. Engineering is designing a fix and has a temporary fix which we will send you right away!” 

Even better than their word, within a week I received new inner workings.  Once installed, the door opened and closed 3 or 4 dozen times and was declared fixed.  And it has worked well ever since.

We have only a few consistent reminders for action better than the changes to daylight saving time. For example, this twice a year phenomena reminds us to change batteries in our smoke and carbon dioxide monitors.   Another task you might consider are the shut off valves throughout your house.

We ignore these valves until we need them to stop water flow.  Then we find they are stuck to the point of possible breakage in forcing the mechanism.  Preventing this is easy enough if we use the twice a year reminders.  At these times, turn every valve closed (or open if that is the function of the valve) and then reopen (reclose)  it.  This simple action keeps the valve working so that when you really need them, they will function as required. 

Noisy or out of balance ceiling fans usually don’t get used and could be dangerous when they are used.  Spring and fall are the most common times to pay attention to these fans because the direction of rotation changes from a cooling  to warming air flow.  Every time a change should take place, the question ”Which way should the rotation be for this time of the year?” gets asked again.  The answer is “Counterclockwise to put cooling air directly below the fan and Clockwise to pull the cool air under the fan to the ceiling”.

Some fans have the rotation switch as an up and down motion which matches the air flow direction.  Up on the switch means the air moves upward and down means the air moves downward.

Note that while the fan is running, it reaches an equilibrium state of air flow.  When a downward flow is produced, someone sitting or standing under the fan will feel a flow of air that seems cooler.  This doesn’t mean the air is lower in temperature.  The moving air will produce a cooling effect on a person, but not on an object.

Similarly, the upward air motion during the winter season pulls the air from below, pushing it to the ceiling.  This displaces the warmer air at the ceiling (warm air naturally rises) pushing it down to help warm the room.   The equilibrium situation provides for a constant air flow, making the heating more efficient.

An unbalanced fan can be corrected through the use of a blade balancing kit from your local hardware or big box store.  Instructions are included with the inexpensive package ($5.00).  Be sure to follow them closely and use all speeds of the rotation

Since all the outlets in your house are the three prong grounded type, you confidently attach any appliance  knowing you are protected.  Sadly this may not be the case.  But you can verify for yourself with the purchase of an inexpensive tester at any hardware store.

These testers look like a plug without the wires.  Instead there are lights on the end indicating the condition of the outlet.  The label on the tester outline the possible configurations.  When the lights tell you the outlet is wired properly, confidently use it.  Check the rest of them in the house and know all are working correctly.

If any are not wired correctly, have a qualified person help change them.  Getting them correct will make you safer and make it easier to sell your house.

Exterior lighting gets the brunt of the weather. This results in lighting fixtures losing their luster as an “eye-catching” highlight of your house.  Warm weather time naturally makes it easier to make changes to keep the house looking great and allows the addition to the functionality of  your exterior lighting.  The hardest decision is yours in finding the “look” you want your house to deliver to guests and passersby.

Post lights illuminate the sidewalk, the driveway, or another entranceway to your property.  They set the stage and make the statement announcing what is to come.  And they do this day or night, so consider the statement they create as it leads to the additional lighting/decoration attached to the house .  Establish a theme and carry the idea throughout the exterior of the house.  Also keep in mind that this suggests what is to come as one enters the house.

Consider the artistic look of your lighting selection as it supports the exterior of the house.  Colonial, modern, spanish, italian, greek, mid-eastern, oriental, english,…. whatever is the architecture of the house, the lighting supports or gives the finishing touch to the look and feel.  Gold, nickel, brass, white, silver, black,…. should blend or support the metal of the house (door hardware for example).  This doesn’t mean they should match but they should compliment the total image.

Functionality also should be considered.  Motion sensors built into the light (or lights) allow the illumination to increase as people or cars approach.  Daylight level sensors turn lights on and off so that your outside always has a warm inviting look.  The combination of the two sensors save electricity and keep guests, invited or not, easily seen approaching the house.

Once you make your selections and purchase them, installation is usually a direct retrofit (with the power turned off).  If you’re uncomfortable with these changes, an electrican or handyman can easily make these changes and give the house a new appearance ready to last for years.

   Heavy rain and power outages seem to go together.  If your basement uses a sump pump to keep the ground water level below the floor, then you need to protect your belongings by keeping the pump powered during power outages.  This is accomplished by using a portable generator or installing a battery backed up sump pump in parallel with your existing pump.

A reasonable sized portable generator can be obtained for less than $1000.  It would need to be fueled and started, then have cords connected to the devices needing power such as a sump pump.  Additional fuel needs to be on hand should power be out for a long period of time.  This approach has the advantage of allowing for power to refrigerators and other devices.

A battery backup sump pump can be had for a couple hundred dollars plus installation.  Correctly installed, it will maintain a battery until it is needed through slow charging.  When power is lost AND the a water level in the sump reaches a defined level, the system will automatically pump out the well to the outside.  You need not be present and you need not worry about flooding  the basement again.

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