We recently received this reader question and hope some of our readers can help.
Any direction you can send me to make heads or tails of quotes for new natural gas boiler installation? Munchkin or Buderus? 95% efficiency vs. less efficiency? Hot water tanks that feed off the heat of the boiler? Estimates within a grand of each other so (gulp) the price must be in the ball park.
Attic fans are one of those brilliant inventions that you don't really notice until you don't have one. Growing up, my dad's house had an attic fan and it made all the difference when it came to keeping the house cool, even during the peak of summer.
But the real question is: if your home doesn't already have an attic fan, can you install one? And the answer is yes!
We consulted a step-by-step tutorial from Popular Mechanics, which touts the many benefits of attic fans: they help lower utility bills, increase your comfort within your home and, surprisingly, can also help your roofing materials last longer.
You can likely install an attic fan for about $100--not bad, right? First, you'll need an attic. After that, you'll need to study the area's ventilation. Popular Mechanics recommends a minimum venting system have 1 square foot of roof vent area for every 300 square feet of attic area.
This post is brought to you from the miserable land of no A/C. Yep -- after arriving home last night from the DeWALT tool launch (more on that soon), my husband confronted me with the bad news: our A/C is out.
Coincidentally, this is happening during the hottest weekend so far in Kansas City. We lease a loft, so I've got a call into our maintenance department. In the meantime, however, I decided to research common A/C issues and found a few tips that may help if you're experiencing a similar situation. Give these a try before you call in a repair person -- you just may save a bundle of money (and your sanity!)
1. Check your thermostat. Some thermostats are battery-operated, so switch out your batteries for fresh ones.
2. Check fuses and reset buttons. You can try resetting the air conditioner's fuse at your electrical box. Inspect your air conditioner to see if it has a reset button, which can also act as a fuse.
3. Patience. If your air conditioner isn't working after a power outage or a blown circuit breaker, turn everything off and wait 15-20 minutes. It takes about this long for an A/C unit to power back on after a tripped circuit. Then try powering everything back on and see if that kicks the air conditioner in gear.
A sudden heat wave has descended over Kansas City, which means many of us are firing up the air conditioners--for a couple of days, anyway. Before your A/C usage peaks during the summer months, there are a few things you can do to keep your air conditioner running efficiently. And if you do find a problem, you've got time to fix it before the temps are sweltering.
First up? Call in a contractor. It's a great idea to have your A/C unit inspected by a professional. A contractor will check controls, lubrication, condensation, thermostat operation and electrical connections, among other things.
Next, a DIY project: replace your filter. Some experts recommend changing your filter monthly during peak A/C usage, but that's up to you. Check it regularly, and if it's dirty, swap it out.
