My mom is starting to get weaker now that she is in her 60s. Since my father has been out of the picture for years now, she relies on herself to do everything around the house whenever her neighbors don’t volunteer first. It’s hard when I visit and see my mom teetering on a ladder […]
Author: Phil
A house will get more money on the market with a newer air conditioner
When my parents passed away last year, they left me their house in their will. As much as I wanted to keep it, I live across the country and cannot afford to use it as a vacation home. I have been working less hours over the past year and have had to budget every single […]
You could get electrocuted working on a power supply for an HVAC system
When I was a kid, I used to play around with electricity without realizing the dangers. At one point I learned that I could cause tiny wires to heat up and melt by running a positive and electric charge from a power drill battery. It’s simply, you take two alligator clips and attach one end […]
I’m saving on my energy bills after getting light blocking curtains
It has taken me years to realize how much sunlight has been hitting my house during the late afternoon hours. The entire yard is illuminated and there isn’t much shade. This is in part why I’ve struggled to grow flowers and herbs in this environment. Between the constant direct sunlight and the large amounts of […]
My cooking habits leave my air conditioner filters smelling like grease and smoke
When I started to chart my expenses last year, I didn’t expect to see so much of my money going to eating out all of my meals everyday. I was spending close to $40 each day between meals and coffee, which is roughly how much I spent each week when I was broke in college […]
I put reflective foil insulation in my attic to lower my summer energy bills
I’m not looking forward to rolling into the summer season this year. Since I live in the south, it’s hot for most of the year unfortunately. This year we finally got discernable winter and spring seasons instead of 12 months of heat. Temperatures in January and February were as low as 45 degrees some days, […]
My smart thermostat automatically adjusts itself when the seasons change outside
Smart technology is beginning to envelope every industry that sells consumer products. I was amazed when I saw a smart refrigerator for the first time when I was browsing the appliance store for a new washer and dryer combo. When I bought my air purifier, the model I wanted also has the ability to connect […]
My house smells a lot better after replacing my old air conditioner filter
It’s hard maintaining a clean indoor environment when you have three dogs and two cats. It wasn’t always this way, but we got one pet after the next as we had children and our family naturally grew. We had one cat and one dog at the beginning, which were easy enough to handle between my […]
Too much sunlight coming indoors will heat up your house quickly
When I was a child, I wanted a house with wall to wall windows and skylights in the ceiling in every room. I loved everything about sunlight, regardless of the burns in the summer when we took trips down to the lake. It’s a cool look, but it’s not feasible in some climates. In places […]
In some places you can get a tax credit for installing a geothermal heat pump
This marks a turning point in my mindset towards the environment and my home’s energy efficiency and carbon footprint. I have decided that I have spent too many years not worrying about the impact that I have on the natural environment. This isn’t just about how I am with recycling and reusing things for multiple […]