Toolbelt Tips - Home DIY Blog

Carbon Monoxide Detectors A Must

Everyone has smoke detectors but only a few seem to have the carbon monoxide detectors, this silent killer is just that silent.

Some of the symptoms are:

• Headaches, fatigue, nausea, weakness, confusion, disorientation or dizziness.
• If one of your alarms has gone off, find out if it is your smoke detector or carbon monoxide detector.
• If it is your carbon monoxide detector have everyone exit the home to get fresh air, get medical attention immediately.
• Open the windows and make sure any appliances or devices that may give off carbon monoxide such as furnace, boilers or chimneys are shut off.
• After the house has been cleared of carbon monoxide have a technician come to check the fuel burning appliances and chimney.

In the fall of 2008 just such a thing happen to families in Ontario, Canada.  A connection to the web sites about this tragedy is shown for your viewing.

http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_29791.aspx

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2008/12/15/ot-081215-co.html?ref=rss

This tragedy happen due to a blocked chimney the following web site gives information on chimneys.

http://www.fireplaces-fireplaces.com/chimmeys_Carbon-Monoxide.htm

There has been a complete explanation on the subject on the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation web site.

http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/maho/yohoyohe/inaiqu/inaiqu_002.cfm

A complete article on carbon monoxide detectors can be found on the web site About.com: chemistry.

http://chemistry.about.com/od/howthingswork/a/codetectors.htm

Or at:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/health/carbon-monoxide.html

The smoke and carbon monoxide detector can be purchased at Walmart its web page will show its cost.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=1586928

Also the above is at Sears in Canada:

http://www.sears.ca/gp/product/B000FJN2XI?searsBrand=core

The above detector can be purchased at:

Home Depot:

This should be on your list of one of the must have items.

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Freezing Pipes

There is nothing worse than the cost of the damage of frozen pipes, when you could have done a more inexpensive ways of preventing it.

We have all heard the things to do to prevent freezing pipes, when the temperature drops into the low 20’s.

• Keeping the temperature no lower than 65 degrees in the house
• Insulating any exposed pipes
• Leaving the cupboard doors open below the sinks at night
• Leave the cold water faucet dripping (these are the faucet on the exterior walls).
• The shutting off of the water to the outside water faucets
• The disconnecting of your outside water hoses from the faucet heads

There may be some people that unfortunately did not do these simple things, if you have experienced the slowing water flow from freezing pipes, the following web sites will be of great assistance.

The number one thing that all web sites will tell you is to not use propane torches or open flames on the pipes, as this heats the pipe to quickly and may cause it to burst.

http://www.oldhouseweb.com/how-to-advice/thawing-frozen-pipes.shtml

http://homerepair.about.com/od/plumbingrepair/ss/thaw_frzn_pipe.htm

http://www.newsday.com/features/home/ny-ny_cbtms_20030306-149jan27,0,3004309.column

http://www.remodelingmyspace.com/plumbing/plumbing-how-to-repairs/how-to-prevent-avoid-thaw-and-repair-fix-frozen-water-pipes.htm#fullarticle

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Winter-Energy Saving Home Tips

Trying to keep your home comfortable with the weather and temperatures what they are is hard at the best of times.

Simple things like closing the horizontal blinds and curtains at night will help to hold the cold out and the heat in.

One other thing that you can do is to install electrical outlet sealer to all of the electrical plugs and outlets that you have on to the exterior walls of your house inside. This easy to install and stops cold air flow through these outlets.  These can be purchased at any hardware and some dollar stores.

Some of the U.S.A. outlet:

Lowe’s:

Aubuchon Hardware:

In Canada:

Home Hardware:

There are however a lot more things that can be done to save energy in the home. A video showing all the energy saving things that should be checked can be found on the Lowe’s web site. 

It is an instructional video on what to check for to reduce energy lose. You will find to the right of Most Popular heading, the heading View All, when you click on View All a total of 43 videos will appear.  If you go to number 42 which is Winter Energy Tips, this video is very informative in helping you in reducing your lose of heat from your home. There is also a View Instructions button which enables you to get the printed instructions.

If you are interested in further energy saving ideas, Lowe’s has an additional web page on this subject.

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=pg&p=/MiddlePageFiles/middleEnergyCenter.html

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Checking Your Exterior Water Faucets

First you should make sure you have shut off the water to the exterior water faucet.  You will find the shut off valve inside the house fairly near the exterior water faucet.  After shutting the water supply off, you can then open the exterior water faucet letting the excess water to drain. This is to insure that the faucet head will not be damaged by freezing water expansion. You can purchase a cover to insure that no cold air travels into the house freezing the pipes. 

There is a cover that works as an insulator and can be purchased to cover the exterior water faucet. One is called a “Thermwell Outside Faucet Cover” and this particular cover can be purchased a Lowe’s.  Most hardware stores carry either this product or something along the same lines.

Or you can make your own by wrapping the faucet head with cloth material and covering that with a half gallon milk jug.  Remove the top portion of the milk jug cutting to fit, simple but effective.  Make sure it is secured for the winter.

To many times we ignore these simple things and do not realize there may be a future problem, until we start hearing running water. 

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Building a Swallow’s Bird House

If you don’t like mosquitoes and other flying insects around your house and backyard in the summer, this maybe just the project for you.

With the economy the way it is, this may just be the Christmas project which would be cheap and quick to do.

This could be done with leftover pieces of wood, then completely paint and add a little decorative work (like painting on flowers or leaves). This would make for a nice Christmas gift for yourself or family member.

For measurements and instructions go to the following web site.

http://familyfun.go.com/decorating-ideas/gardening/feature/famf0602_proj_birdhous/famf0602_proj_birdhous.html

Plans for Tree Swallows and Eastern Bluebirds can be found at.

http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/wildlife/ndblinds/treeswal.htm

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