Around The House Archives - Page 2 of 27

I Finally Bought A Smart Thermostat

March 19, 2019January 10, 2019 by Money Beagle

We have a programmable thermostat that came with our house when we purchased it. The thermostat is a Honeywell, and it’s worked pretty well. I have always heard about a smart thermostat, but have resisted for a variety of reasons. I was waiting for the perfect set of circumstances to upgrade. Guess what? Every box on my list got checked, so I’m now the proud owner of a smart thermostat.

We were happy to wait. Sometimes delayed gratification is worth it, especially when we found a thermostat that meets all of our needs!

Our Ecobee 3 Lite Smart Thermostat

The thermostat I decided upon was an Ecobee 3 Lite. I saw as a sale item in last month’s Costco ad, and started doing some research. I was happy to see all of the benefits that it offered. The items below are precisely what we were looking for in a smart thermostat.

Alternatives To Raking Leaves

March 1, 2019November 6, 2018 by Money Beagle

Fall is in mid-swing. Shorter days. Cool days and nippy nights. Beautiful colors. Falling leaves. Cider mill trips. Hay rides. There’s a lot to love. One thing that many do not love is raking leaves. But, I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to! There are alternatives to raking leaves. Here are some of the different things you can do, and why they might be beneficial.

Can You Ignore Your Leaves?

When leaves fall, they eventually break down and basically turn back into dirt. I’ve always thought that process is pretty amazing. It is, if you think about it, right?

Our 2018 Fall To-Do List

March 19, 2019October 11, 2018 by Money Beagle

Fall is here. We definitely enjoy the cooler weather. We’ve already had a great cider mill experience. We have a fridge drawer full of apples from picking. It’s a great time of year. Although summer is my favorite season, fall is a great time. But, it’s not all fun and relaxing. There is work to be done! Here are some items on our fall to-do list.

Paint Swing Set

It’s been at least seven years since I last painted the kids swing set. It definitely needs it. This will honestly probably be the last time it gets painted. It’s a wood set and water always breaks down wood. Still, maybe this will get at least a few more years until they naturally grow out of the set.

9 Tips To Take Care Of Your Roof

March 4, 2019September 24, 2018 by Money Beagle

We replaced our roof a few years ago. It cost us a lot of money. Chances are if you own a home for a long period of time, you’ll have to replace the roof. Once you do, you’ll want to keep it lasting for as long as possible. With winter just a few months away, give your roof some attention. A few easy tips and you can extend the life of your roof. This can save you thousands in the long run. Here are some tips to take care of your roof.

Inspect It Regularly

I don’t get up on my roof regularly. However, I do walk around and check things out regularly. I will look things over every spring. After a big windstorm, I always walk around. So far I haven’t noticed any problems, which is great. However, if there did happen to be a problem, early detection and repair is key.

How Many Trips To The Hardware For A Small Plumbing Project?

March 20, 2019June 13, 2018 by Money Beagle

One of the joys of having a nearly 15 year old camping trailer is that things break often. Recently, we discovered a minor drip from the interior water system. The drip was from a section of plumbing that was replaced just last year, so I was well familiar with the process. Or so I thought. This is the story of how many trips to the hardware it took to fix one drip!

The Broken Part

Near the hot water tank in most RVs, there’s a whole series of valves and connections. This is so that you can bypass the hot water heater when it comes time to get things prepared for winter. Last spring, several sections of pipes and valves broke. This included the supply line into the water heater.

DTE Insight v3 Review: A Big Step Back

March 4, 2019June 11, 2018 by Money Beagle

Like many power companies, our local company rolled out smart meters a few years ago. These smart meters are in constant communication with the power company. Benefits for this include real-time monitoring capabilities and the elimination of meter reads. Drawbacks are, according to some, increased exposure to RF radiation as the communication takes place. Like it or not, they are here to stay. Our company, DTE Energy, made it really cool. They came up with a device called an Energy Bridge and an app called DTE Insight that allowed real time monitoring of your usage. They recently rolled out DTE Insight v3. Here’s my review.

Energy Bridge and DTE Insight

The Energy Bridge and the DTE Insight app went hand in hand. With the app, any electric customer could monitor their usage. It provided breakdowns by day, week, and month. You typically had access to your statistics after a day or two. With the Energy Bridge device, it moved this up to real-time. This device had a data connection that you plugged into your home router. It paired with your electric meter, and you could view your usage in real time.