Important Safety Resolutions to Start Your New Year Off Right

photo by Centennialplumbing.com

New year, new opportunities indicates weekly trips to the gym, carrots instead of candy and an opportunity to break bad habits. How about a resolution that goes beyond 2012 and keeps your children and home safe for years to come? This year, make it a priority to childproof your kitchen and clean beyond the countertops to keep your family happy and healthy all year long.

“Your kitchen never gets a day off,” said Doug Rogers, president of Mr. Appliance Corp. “Between hot appliances and sharp cooking utensils, kids can often be in danger of hurting themselves. Fortunately, homeowners can prevent most accidents by making a few simple adjustments and educating their children about kitchen safety.”

Follow these resolution tips from Mr. Appliance to keep your kitchen clean and your kids safe:

Refrigerator

• Keep items not safe for kids on higher shelves. Place juice boxes, apple slices and cheese sticks on the lower shelves for a healthy snack within your child’s reach.
• Soak refrigerator removable parts in the sink with warm, soapy water to remove stains from food spills to keep new produce as fresh as possible.
• Position refrigerator shelves to make it difficult for children to climb inside and close the door leaving your kitchen with a dangerous hide-and-seek spot.

Stove and Oven

• Turn pot and pan handles in and away from the edge of the stove so curious hands can’t pull them down.

• Remove oven racks and wash them by hand with warm water and soap to remove caked on food that can burn in your oven.

• Establish a “safety zone” marked by a small rug or area of the kitchen to keep kids several feet away from the oven while it’s hot.

Microwave Oven

• Wipe interior microwave surfaces with a mixture of two tablespoons baking soda and one quart water to remove food stains and keep your microwave clean for future use.
• Encourage children to use an oven mitt when removing a hot plate or bowl.
• Heat a microwave-safe bowl of vanilla extract for three minutes to give your kitchen a fresh scent.

Dishwasher

• Keep the dishwasher closed when you’re not loading or unloading. Sharp utensils inside can be dangerous to children.
• Create a “safety zone” when opening the door to a steam-heavy dishwasher to avoid burns from the hot steam. Teach children to wait for dishes to cool down before unloading.
• Give your dishwasher a fresh start to thoroughly clean your dishes. Remove food residue by running an empty dishwasher with a cup of white vinegar.

Most of these resolution tips can be accomplished in a matter of minutes and keep your home safe and energy efficient, too!  If you find a problem that you can’t handle, contact an appliance repair professional to help.

For recipes, appliance and energy tips, follow us on Twitter at @MrApplianceCorp and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MrApplianceCorp.

by Mr. Rooter

10 Tips to Prevent Frozen Pipes

If homeowners don’t winterize their homes before Old Man Winter arrives, he could bring a flurry of high repair bills as well.

“Frozen pipes can be a costly problem if proper precautions are not taken,” said Mary Kennedy Thompson, president of Mr. Rooter Corporation. “Often times, homeowners are unprepared when the winter weather hits.”

The best way to prevent frozen pipes is to take the necessary precautions now. It can save homeowners time and money later.

Mr. Rooter Plumbing has 10 simple tips that will help homeowners keep their pipes from bursting when temperatures plummet this winter:

1. Insulate pipes

• Cover faucets and exposed pipes with insulation or wrap thick towels around them.

2. Secure basement doors, windows and crawl space openings

• Caulk, seal and weather-strip.

3. Drain outside water lines

• Remove garden hoses from outdoor faucets, close interior valves that lead to outside hose taps and then open outside hose taps to drain.

4. Apply electrically-powered heat tape to pipes

• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions or call a plumber to do this.

5. Wrap water heater with an approved manufacturer’s blanket

• Use the appropriate type of blanket for your water heater

6. Open cabinet doors

• Allows heat to circulate and keeps interior pipes warm.

7. Keep faucets running

• Either a small trickle of water or constant drip is recommended when temperatures drop below freezing for more than 24 hours.

8. Do not set thermostat lower than 55 degrees when travelling

• Have a neighbor check during below freezing temperatures

9. Locate the main water shut-off valve

• Learn how to use it in case pipes freeze and burst.

10. Have a hair dryer handy if pipes freeze

• Heat pipe’s exterior with a hair dryer by applying heat slowly and moving constantly.

The first step to safely thawing frozen pipes is turning off water at the main water shut-off valve. Next, open the nearest faucet to allow water to drain as the ice melts. Now it’s time to use the hair dryer to heat the pipes, or you can wrap a hot, wet rag around pipes. Do not attempt to thaw exposed frozen pipes with an open flame, such as an acetylene torch. If you’re not a do-it-yourselfer or your pipes burst, call a qualified plumber.

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About Mr. Rooter^®:

“We’ll be available 24/7 to help those having a plumbing emergency. This can be a stressful time for homeowners, and we understand the urgency they feel.”

Established in 1970, Mr. Rooter is an all-franchised, full-service plumbing and drain cleaning company with approximately 300 franchises worldwide. Recognized by Entrepreneur magazine among its “Franchise 500” and Franchise Times Top 200, Mr. Rooter franchisees provide services to both residential and commercial customers. Mr. Rooter began franchising in 1974 and is a subsidiary of The Dwyer Group, Inc. For more information or to find the location nearest you, please visit our Web site at www.mrrooter.com.

by Nisha Sharma

Home improvements are a great way to bring up the property value of your house. However, there are some hazards that you should avoid when you are making improvements to your home. One of the biggest mistakes that people make when they are renovating their homes is over-expanding. When a homeowner over-expands their house, they tend to add more features than is necessary for basic living. Over-expanding and ensuring fire safety of a home not only costs a lot of money to complete, it can bring up the utility costs as well. Avoid over-expanding your home unless you plan on living there for a very long time.

Another hazard that people should avoid when making home improvements is changing the general architecture. If you have a stylized home –a rancher for instance- you should not be implementing modernized aspects such as doors or windows. When you go to sell the house, potential buyers could be turned off by this strange transformation. In the same vein as this, people should also avoid changing the function of a room in their home. Sure, turning a spare bedroom into a game room is fine, but leave your bathroom as a bathroom.

There is a major difference between a “do-it-yourselfer” and a contractor. If you have a leaky faucet or a spot on your floor, feel free to fix the issue. However, a professional should always do home improvements. If you are looking to expand a room, install a bathroom or rewire any part of your house, you should always have a professional complete the task. There are a lot of codes in residential living that you should be aware of. If not, you could be setting a fire hazard or breaking residential code.

If you do decide to make home improvements yourself or through a contractor it’s best to over budget than to under budget. One of the most frequent hazards of home improvements is under budgeting for a renovation. And under budgeting doesn’t just refer to money. Knowing the amount of time that your home is going to be in disarray is essential to keeping a schedule for your home improvement. This is why it’s best to go through a contractor. Contractors know how to keep schedules and will get your improvements done within that time frame.

Once the home improvements are done on your home, it is important to maintain them. Making sure that you are cleaning the gutters and checking for any termites in your improvement is essential to keeping your improvement in good standing. If you aren’t keeping up with your improvements, the work will be for nothing.

Home improvements are great for any home. They can expand the functionality of the house while giving you more of a return if you are thinking about selling the property. But if you are going to make improvements to your home, there are hazards you should avoid. Follow this guideline before you start your home improvements and you should see a great return on your initial investment.

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About the Contributor

My name is Nisha Sharma, I am the Editor for FireSafetyStore.co.uk. If you would like to find out more information about fire safety products, such as fire blankets, fire extinguisher, or for safety items around the home feel free to visit my site.

by Robert Wright

Radon Gas

There are a few changes coming in the next building revision. One of the changes will affect how some renovations are completed and all new homes are built.

Its all about radon gas.

You may not know you have a radon gas problem unless you test for it. Radon is an odourless, radio active, invisible, slightly heavier than air gas. It is naturally occurring in the ground. It is more pronounced in rock and rocky soils.

Health Canada has a great deal of information about what are safe levels of radon, how to test for it, and the health affects of radon gas.

The only way to confirm you have it is to test for it. Health Canada has approved various pieces of equipment for this purpose. The important part is, the test must run for a period of time. This is because you could have a low amount of radon one day and the next day it could be very high. Therefore to get a true understanding of how much you have is to account for these variations.

Radon can be removed from your home fairly easily. All you have to do create a negative pressure under the basement concrete slab. Unfortunately, this can get expensive to do after the slab is in place and no under slab piping is in place. Usually what is done after the fact; is to drill a hole in the slab, install a fan and ducts, seal all the slab to wall joints and floor cracks, and then hook up the equipment and ducts. The simple addition of pipe under the slab and ensuring that enough clear stone is under the slab makes the creation of negative pressure much easier and more effective.

Because of the growing awareness of radon and how common it is, the building code is changing. These changes are inexpensive to put in place as you build, but can be very expensive if they are after the fact installs. Once these parts are in place; at any time in the future, the remaining fan and hook ups can be installed to ensure radon is kept to a safe level.

This code change is cost effective and was brought into place with all of the involved parties coming to a solution that works – for all.

by Health Canada

Second-hand smoke hurts everyone and contains the same 4,000+ chemicals that are inhaled by a smoker. At least 70 of the chemicals found in second-hand smoke are known to cause cancer. These chemicals contribute directly to diseases like cancer, asthma, heart disease and emphysema — for smokers and non-smokers alike.

Some smokers try to reduce their family’s exposure by only smoking in one part of the house, using air purifiers, or even air fresheners. But if anyone is smoking in your car or home, you and your family are being exposed to second-hand smoke. Studies have shown that infants whose mothers smoked during pregnancy and those exposed to second-hand smoke after birth have an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Did you know?

• No level of ventilation will eliminate the harmful effects of second-hand smoke.
• Opening a car or room window may cause the smoke to be blown directly back inside.
• The harmful chemicals in smoke can also linger in furniture, carpets and curtains.
• Air fresheners only mask the smell of the smoke and do not reduce the harm in any way.
• Even air filters (air purifiers) cannot remove all of the cancer-causing agents.

Health Canada advises against using air purifiers that intentionally release ozone to “clean” the air. Ozone is a gas that can irritate your eyes, nose, throat and lungs, and is itself a major air pollutant.

Protect your family from the health effects of second-hand smoke by committing to making your home and car 100% smoke-free.

To learn more about this and other environmental health risks, please visit Hazardcheck

To order Health Canada publications, please visit Health Canada or call 1 800 O-Canada.

by Health Canada

Radon is a radioactive gas that is a part of our natural environment. But too much exposure to it can cause lung cancer. It’s actually the second-leading cause after smoking!

As naturally occurring substances in the ground break down, radon gas is released. Outside, it dissipates harmlessly. But in enclosed places like your home, it can seep in through holes and cracks in the foundation and accumulate to higher levels over time. It can then circulate throughout your home and you and your family are then exposed to radon without knowing it.

But there’s no need to panic. Almost every home in Canada has some radon, but concentrations vary from one house to another, even if they are next door to each other.

You can easily protect yourself and your family from radon by finding out if it is present in your home, and taking action to reduce it if the level is high.

Just follow these three steps:

1. Measure the radon level in your home
You can’t see, smell or taste radon, but there are radon detectors that can sense its presence and measure the level in your home. Buy a do-it-yourself kit at a hardware store or hire a measurement professional to do a long term test for a minimum of three months. Radon levels vary over time so long-term testing is more accurate.

2. Compare your level to the Canadian Guideline for Radon
If the radon level in your home is above 200 Becquerels per cubic metre (Bq/m³) then take steps to reduce it. If the radon level is between 200 and 600 Bq/m³ take action within two years; if the level is over 600 Bq/m³ take action within 12 months. Find out more here.

3. Reduce the radon level in your home
There are many ways to reduce your home’s radon level, including sealing the entry points where radon is getting in, such as cracks in the foundation and sump holes and increasing ventilation. The most common and effective method is active sub-slab depressurization, which is typically performed by a contractor.

To learn more about this and other environmental health risks, please visit Hazardcheck

To order Health Canada publications, please visit Health Canada or call 1 800 O-Canada.

by Health Canada

Mould is a type of fungus that is a natural part of the environment. It can also grow in damp areas inside your home where there is too much moisture from leaks or floods, and in areas of high humidity, such as where you shower or cook. It can grow on wood, paper, fabrics, drywall, insulation, inside walls or above ceiling tiles.

When mould finds a damp place to grow, it can contribute to poor indoor air quality and respiratory irritation or illness. But you probably already knew that.

Here are four less commonly known facts about mould in your home that you will want to share:

1. Steam from cooking and showering can encourage mould growth in your kitchen and bathroom. Always use fans that ventilate outside when doing anything that creates steam.
2. Basement clutter creates a home for hidden mould growth. Tidy it up, and recycle or throw away whatever you don’t need.
3. Increases in allergy or asthma symptoms may be caused by mould in your home. Don’t forget that it can also grow inside walls, floors and ceilings if water damage has occurred!
4. You don’t need bleach to clean up mould! Scrubbing with water and dish detergent should kill surface growth. For hidden or large affected areas, you may want to contact a professional.

To learn more about this and other environmental health risks, please visit Hazardcheck

To order Health Canada publications, please visit Health Canada or call 1 800 O-Canada.

Hazardcheck is a new initiative by Health Canada to help spread the word about home safety from common indoor pollutants. The Hazardcheck campaign aims to provide Canadians with information on how to make their homes a safe and healthy environment.

Starting tomorrow, we’ll be featuring weekly articles from Health Canada on the Home Renovation Guide blog to help do our part in providing people with important information on how to protect the health and well-being of their homes and families. As “Canadians spend over 90% of their time indoors” and “children come into closer contact with the hazards in their environment than adults” it’s important for us to all know about the potential health impacts of common health hazards we all have a chance to come into contact with, on a regular basis. These common harmful elements are: mould, lead, radon, carbon monoxide, household chemical products and second-hand smoke.

As well as an online resource for families – a new section of the Health Canada website has been designed that includes informative articles and videos – there will also be live Hazardcheck events this fall, held at 121 Home Depot stores across Canada. Harzardcheck representatives will be on hand to answer questions and offer useful info as well as checklists that outline simple steps to ensure your home’s health. Rebates from the Home Depot will also be available on featured safety products such as: carbon monoxide monitors and radon test kits.

Keep an eye on the dates:  October 29th to the 30th and November 5th and 6th for events in your neighbourhood.

by Mr. Appliance

Everyday you take precautions to keep your family safe. You keep flammable materials in a safe environment, make sure all smoke alarms are working properly and teach your kids what to do in case of a fire, but what about the potential fire hazard lurking in your laundry room. Take a proactive step this National Fire Prevention week (Oct. 9-Oct. 15, 2011) by looking beyond chimney and into your dryer system to keep your family safe.

Mr. Appliance® recommends these tips to keep your dryer operating properly:

• Keep the dryer as lint-free as possible by cleaning the lint screen or filter before or after each load of clothes. Hire a licensed appliance professional to clean the interior of the dryer chassis and inspect the rollers, belt, motor and heating system every one or two years.

• Keep the exhaust duct in good condition by disconnecting, cleaning and inspecting the duct on a regular basis. If the exhaust duct opening outside the house is low to the ground, make sure to check it monthly for leaves, birds’ nests and other debris. If needed, have your licensed appliance expert to check it out for you and remove any potential fire hazard.

• Use semi-rigid or flexible aluminum ducting behind the dryer and smooth rigid metallic ducting through the wall to the outside vent. The exhaust should only vent to the outside of the house – never to the attic or crawlspace. It’s best to use a flap vent that will open when the dryer is in use and close when it is off. This will keep birds and other animals out of the vent and will keep the vent from getting clogged with lint as easily as it might with a mesh or grate vent covering.

• The vents should be as straight as possible, with all excess venting trimmed off. Twisting or crushing exhaust piping restricts the airflow.

• Try not to use screws to put your vent pipe together, because the screw shafts inside the piping collect lint and cause additional friction.

• Lint and debris in and around your dryer could be putting your home at risk for a dryer fire. The National Fire Protection Association estimates that in 2006, there were 17,700 home fires involving clothes dryers or washing machines resulting in 360 civilian injuries and 15 civilian deaths. The leading cause of dryer fires was failure to clean the appliance.

“Dryer fires are preventable with periodic maintenance to remove lint buildup inside the unit and the venting hose,” said Doug Rogers, president of Mr. Appliance Corp. “Following these tips and staying proactive will help prevent fires and potentially protect homes and save lives.”

To learn more about dryer maintenance, visit www.mrappliance.com.

About Mr. Appliance:
Mr. Appliance is North America’s leading appliance repair franchise system. Established in 1996, its franchises provide full-service residential and light commercial appliance repair. Mr. Appliance has more than 150 locations throughout the United States and Canada and is consistently ranked among the top home service franchises by Entrepreneur magazine and other industry experts. Mr. Appliance is a subsidiary of The Dwyer Group, Inc. For more information, visit www.mrappliance.com.

by Service Experts

Furnaces and other types of heaters are, by their very nature, a potential fire hazard. They use either fuel combustion or electricity to heat up air in the home. Fire Prevention Month is October, a good time to emphasize fire safety and furnace maintenance in your home and with children.

About Fire Prevention Week

Fire Prevention Week was originally created to commemorate the tragedy of the Great Chicago Fire, which started around 9am on October 8th, 1871*. The Great Chicago Fire burned over 2000 acres (more than 4 square miles) in just 27 hours, killed over 300 people and left 100,000 homeless. The fire devastated 17,000 structures and left over 34 blocks of the city in ruins. Fire Prevention Week is now observed in the US and Canada during the week of October 9th each year, which is designated as Fire Service Recognition Day.

On the 40th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire, the Fire Marshals Association of North America (FMANA) chose to observe the tragedy so that the public could be informed about the importance of fire prevention. In 1925, then U.S. President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed the first national Fire Prevention Week as October 4-10. He noted that in the previous year some 15,000 lives were lost to fire in the U.S. Coolidge’s signed proclamation stated: “This waste results from the conditions which justify a sense of shame and horror; for the greater part of it could and ought to be prevented… it is highly desirable that every effort be made to reform the conditions which have made possible so vast a destruction of the national wealth”.

Furnace Safety is Fire Safety

Furnaces typically use fuel during the combustion process to create flames. The fire then heats the air that a blower circulates throughout the home. If a furnace is improperly maintained or not operating properly, the combustion process can create Carbon Monoxide gas (CO) which is vented through a flue pipe to the home’s exterior. There are three primary dangers related to improperly maintained furnaces.

The first risk is Carbon Monoxide gas leaks. A secondary risk is the furnace not venting properly to the outside of the home. Finally there could be problems with wiring or electrical components that may lead to safety issues in older or dirty furnaces. All models of furnaces are designed to operate extremely safe, but heating equipment should have regular maintenance performed in order to help eliminate the potential for CO problems or other potential fire hazards.

Here are a few suggestions for making use of our Fire Safety Month around the house and involve your entire family.

• Put safety tips in a lesson plan. If you’re a Sunday school teacher or educator of any kind, take five of your favorite tips and turn them into a one-week family care plan. Just provide students with five of the tips, and have them write two more of their own.

• Teach children to create an emergency escape plan after reviewing the home safety video. An emergency escape plan is simply figuring out the quickest escape route to the nearest exit (door or window) from any room in the home. Having a secondary escape route from living areas like kitchens and living rooms is also a good idea to document. Then ask each child to draw a home floor plan indicating the paths to the nearest exit and put it up in their bedroom or on the refrigerator.

• Involve children in shopping for home safety items using the safety tips as a guide. Print the tips and take your children to your local department or home improvement store. While purchasing such items as rope ladders, fire extinguishers and smoke alarm batteries, explain what they are for and how to use each. When you get home, have the children put the items in their proper location.

Is Your Home Really Ready For Fire Safety Month?

The furnace is your best friend when the cold of winter sneaks up. But without proper care, that same warming companion might be a safety hazard.

Follow these helpful tips to keep your house safe:

• Go Cordless: With all our gadgets these days, extension cords are seemingly everywhere. Just make sure “everywhere” isn’t near your furnace. Placed too close to a heating unit, the cord could melt and start a fire.

• Mind the surroundings: The area around a heating device gets, well, hot. Make sure nothing flammable is around heating elements. That includes newspapers, rags, holiday decorations or clothes.

• Be efficient: Don’t use a gas range to heat your home. It’s inefficient, ineffective and can be a huge fire safety risk. A hot, unattended burner is a sure-fire ticket to the emergency room. Especially in a house with children present. Flame first, then gas: If you have a gas heating unit, be extra careful. The gas can spread quickly, so light your pilot light first before starting the gas.

Call a pro: There are some fire safety issues you can prevent. And there are some best left to the pros. Before winter arrives, schedule a Safety Inspection with a NATE-certified Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning technician. Not only will they make sure your furnace is safe, they can also tune it up to maximize energy efficiency. For more information visit serviceexperts.com.