How a whole-house humidifier can help your home
"Dear Ken: I have mostly oak floors in my home. During the winter, I hear a lot of creaking sounds. Could it be the floors? Would a humidifier help? —Donna…
Monitor your furnace to prevent a carbon monoxide leak
"Carbon monoxide is a natural byproduct of the fuel-burning process. That means that the gas is produced every time your furnace is operating. If everything is working properly, the carbon…
Dishwasher catches fire, couple was unaware of recall
"A Wisconsin couple says a Bosch dishwasher in their home caught fire, and they don't want anyone else to experience what they did. 'We moved in here assuming all the…
This Christmas tradition includes a decorated water heater
"Nothing says Merry Christmas quite like an old water heater decorated with lights and ornaments and dropped on your front lawn in the middle of the night. At least it’s…
HVAC company not returning your phone calls? Time to move on!
"Brenda Kutzler lives in York. She said her refrigerator was making a loud noise. "It just kept getting louder and louder and louder." Michelle Clark lives in Rock Hill. She…
Warning signs that indicate your furnace needs to be replaced
"The furnace is older than 15 years: A furnace’s age impacts its effectiveness. The average lifespan of a furnace is between 15-20 years. You may want to consider a replacement…
3 million dollar prize offered for development of better air conditioners
"Air conditioning units are harmful to the environment, according to a new report. The number of AC units may swell from 1.2 billion worldwide today to 4.5 billion by 2050–and…
Water heaters also being recalled due to fire hazard
"The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is recalling more than 616,000 water heaters made by A. O. Smith due to a fire hazard risk when the units are installed on…
Potential fire hazard forces Haier to recall thousands of top-freezer refrigerators
"Haier has recalled about 137,000 top-freezer refrigerators because of a potential fire hazard. An electrical component inside the refrigerator has been found to short-circuit, which could lead to a fire.…
Tips for avoiding furnace repair scams and shoddy contractors
"Get proof of insurance and licensing, a detailed, written estimate for the work to be performed, and get a second opinion. Watch out for high pressure or scare tactics that…
Saving money with a front-load washer vs. top-load
"High-efficiency, front-load washing machines use less water to get clothes clean—as little as 7 gallons per load. Plus their fast-spinning drums are better at extracting water, which shortens your drying…
Did your water heater break? Follow these steps
"First and foremost, turn the gas or the electricity off. Typically, your circuit breaker will have a switch that can turn the electricity off to the unit. For gas, there’s…