Water Anyone - Let's give Brita Filter a try!

So continuing on my environmental slant, this week I decided to try one of those filters that fits on the end of your kitchen tap.  The box claims by drinking filtered water you can avoid buying and throwing away (or recycling) 750 bottles of water…so I’ll not only save the environment but loads of money too!  I’m up with that, especially in recession times.

Anyway, I got it home, opened up the box, spread all the parts out, and started studying the instruction booklet.  Turns out there are 2 types of faucet ends: threads on the outside or threads on the inside.  Of course mine was the type that requires more steps to install!

First step is to remove the aerator – the little screen thingy that makes your water bubbly.  If you have one of those rubber floppy things you use to open tight jars, first try wrapping that around it and grab and turn.  If it’s stuck, keep the rubber thing there (to avoid scratching the aerator, in case you want to use it again) and use a pliers over the rubber.  Or you could use an old dish towel instead of the rubber thing.

If your faucet has inner threads, you’ll next need to match up one of the adapters from the box to the size of your faucet.  Remember to put the washer in first, for a tight seal.  Screw it in hand-right.

The next step is to fit the filter base under the adapter and screw it on using the rotating collar.  This is a bit hard to grip, but the booklet has a tip where you rotate the base back and forth while tightening the collar – this works quite well!

Finally, you snap in the filter and you’re ready to start saving!  Turn the little lever to get filtered water (for drinking or cooking) or unfiltered water (for washing dishes, e.g.).  I found the flow volume is reduced somewhat when filtering, but I suppose that is the downside of saving the environment!  Enjoy!

----------------------------------------------- My Alexa Joke of the day -------------------------------------------

How did the Telephone propose to his girlfriend? 

He gave her a ring !

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Heat in the Place - We forgot the AC Unit!

Yesterday it was raining cats and dogs and I could swear I saw a cow drop down. But today the Sun is out to roast! And my poor A/C unit is struggling to keep up. Do you realise that of all the home maintenance chores around the house, we hardly ever get to the A/C Unit!

Here’s what you can do to keep your unit running smoothly and efficiently, between visits from your friendly neighborhood maintenance crew:

1. Go outside and inspect the drain hose or pipe outlet – make sure it is not clogged up with slime, and clear a path for the condensation water to flow down to a drain or to the street.
2. Where possible, place gravel (small rocks) along the path of the water, to keep algae and mold from forming – Yuck!
3. If the compressor unit outside is at ground level, make sure it has room to “breathe” – clear away any dust and debris from the grilles (make sure the switch is off first!), and don’t place barrels or other appliances nearby.
4. Inside, open the condenser unit, remove the filter screens, and brush them off outside, rinse, and let dry.

You knew this was coming - Broken Bulbs and how to dispose of them

Broken Light Bulb on Carpet

Ok...Ok...... It happened -- after all those light bulb changes I managed to break one of the bulbs, and not the old bulb, it had to be the new one energy efficient bulbs. ..... and if things could not get worse, it broke on carpet!

Did you know there was a special way to dispose of these bulbs. There sure is, as Camini remarked as she chuckled in the background, because they contain some powdery elements that you don't want to spread. So I pulled out my phone and did a quick search on YouTube. Half an hour later I knew all there was about cleaning up broken light bulbs, and some cute kitten videos. (You tube is addictive, you know!)

So here is the lowdown: (or is the hip term now Down Low? Maybe that's something different!)

1. Get a plastic grocery bag to collect all the debris, so you can tie it tightly and no slivers will escape.
2. Use rubber kitchen gloves (or garden gloves in a pinch) to pick up the larger glass pieces and place in the bag.
3. Use sticky tape, the widest you can find (like Duct tape or packing tape), turned inside out, to pat on the smaller pieces and slivers.  Unwind the tape and place in the bag.
4. If you need to vacuum the remaining glass slivers or dust, be sure to remove the vacuum bag afterwards and place in the bag with the other debris.  Or if the vacuum is bagless, empty into the plastic bag, wipe out the inside with a wet paper towel, and place that in the bag.
5. Tie the bag!
6. Finally, check with your local city or county for instructions on how and where to dispose of the bag.  In some areas you can simply put out with your normal trash.

So there you have it!  Next time I'll be more careful!

----------------------------------------------- My Alexa Joke of the day -------------------------------------------

How many Software Engineers does it take to change a light bulb? 

None -- that is a Hardware problem!

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Energy Saving Bulbs - Reducing the cost of the electric bulb

Woke up this morning, and before I can smile at the rising Sun, everything was bright! Yes of course the visiting nieces and nephews left all the lights on last night. While lying on bed, and shaking my head (I do that a lot), it dawned on me that I have some of the most decorative, but inefficient light bulbs. And they burn out often!

Every few days I keep hearing an ad on the radio about energy-saving bulbs, and with a recession at hand, I think these old bulbs should go. I visited the ever popular Massy Stores, Peake's and Tan Yuk engineering, and eventually found some affordable energy-efficient bulbs. The salesman also talked me into purchasing a bulb changer (see photo, upper right).

Still excited when I returned home, I went full steam ahead and started changing all the bulbs. I felt good, because not only am I saving on the cost of energy, but also doing my part to save the planet. And since they last longer, I won't have to worry about changing them for a while.

There are many green solutions that can be utilized in our home that can assist in the overall reduction of greenhouse gases. Light bulbs are a start; solar water heaters is another good project. A handyman is needed for that ambitious project.

----------------------------------------------- My Alexa Joke of the day -------------------------------------------

Why was the middle ages sometimes called the dark ages? 

Because they had so many knights!

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Rainy Days ahead - Doing our part to prevent floods

We are in the middle of March, but it seems like those April showers are coming much earlier than expected. 

Today while looking for things to do around the house, I ventured outside, and while it seemed as if I had everything under control, my eyes glanced at the drains. I shook my head left and right and repeated several times. The rain washed down garbage from the higher areas upstream. As citizens we must do our part to reduce litter, and keep our waterways clear. This practice can prevent the spread of diseases as well as minimize flooding when the June cloudbursts come down!  It took about 15 minutes, a standard shovel and a large garbage bag did the trick. The drain is all cleaned now. 

The drains in your area getting out of hand, call the regional corporation and report it. Or call a handyman today and let him help you get them clean! Tell us your drain stories.

----------------------------------------------- My Alexa Joke of the day -------------------------------------------

Excuse me waiter, this coffee tastes like mud? 

Yes Sir, it s fresh ground!

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The Rainy Season is almost here - How about some clean guttering!

Ooh la-la!  Rain came early this year! Wonderful March downpours. The smell of the light rain on hot asphalt or freshly cut grass brings back memories of weekends at camp.  While sitting enjoying the rain, I suddenly remembered the guttering.  That’s right – it’s that time of year. 

As the rainy season approaches I need to start on some basic chores around the house. A quick search on YouTube gives me some hits on cleaning the guttering.  My adventure begins!  I open up my adjustable ladder and asked Camini to hold it for me, while I climb up to have a look at the guttering….

OMG, horrible!  Looks like it was never cleaned.  I see some green – make that black-brown – mouldy stains with some leaves and parasite plants well embedded into it.  Beyond making it look nice, it is a good idea to clean your gutters regularly to avoid backups which could cause roof and even wall damage.

For a thorough gutter cleaning, you will need: a garden trowel, ladder, buckets, rope, garden hose & nozzle, and gutter sealant. First set up your ladder at the high end (away from the downspout).  Removing any leaves, dirt, twigs, and any other debris. Flush out any other dust or slush with the hose, controlling the flow and speed of water as necessary with a nozzle (or use the old manual thumb method).  Note any locations of leaking, usually at the joints.  After letting the gutter dry for an hour or so, spread gutter sealant on any leaking joints to water-proof the gutter.

My roof was simple, so I got the major stuff out without too much effort.  However some buildings and homes can be a bit large and may need the services of the experts. Check out the handyman page for a listing of them.

Call a handyman today and get a solution that can improve the quality of your days! Or send me some pics of your guttering adventures to feature here.

----------------------------------------------- My Alexa Joke of the day -------------------------------------------

Where do you take a Sick Boat? 

To the Dock!

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