Reliable Remodeler Blog » Electrical

Does your home meet miminum energy codes?

woodrow — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:24:55 +0000

Does your new or remodeled home meet the minimum energy codes for construction and design? If you’re like most consumers, Alliance to Save Energy (ASE) believes that you have no idea. Last fall, the nonprofit agency reported that energy bills in an average new home that doesn’t meet the minimums are consistently higher. In fact, they’re [...]

Does your home meet miminum energy codes? is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

How secure is your home?

woodrow — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 02:15:01 +0000

It’s my nature to surf the world of online home improvement blogs. There’s great information out there, including home improvement ideas if you’re rebuilding or going green. But I’ve yet to see a blog give any bandwidth to a discussion about home safety and security. Are we just numb to the same old ideas of [...]

How secure is your home? is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Federal tax credits for New Year improvements

woodrow — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 04:34:33 +0000

Now that 2011 has passed, many of the Federal tax credits offered by the government for new windows, insulation, doors, and other products for home energy efficiency remodeling have also drawn to an end. Even with these incentives gone, you should still consider evaluating energy efficient materials before making a purchase, or choose other green [...]

Federal tax credits for New Year improvements is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

How to choose the perfect light bulb

woodrow — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 17:22:21 +0000

Are all light bulb products interchangeable? Not so, according to Consumer Reports. The product evaluator and watchdog recommends that you match the replacement bulb to your lighting fixture. Even if you buy a bulb made for energy efficiency, using it in the wrong environment can shorten its life and negatively affect its performance. Selecting your bulb First, [...]

How to choose the perfect light bulb is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Record utility costs may drive us to energy efficiecy

woodrow — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 22:22:53 +0000

A new study shows that the price of electricity provided to American homeowners has skyrocketed over the last five years. Energy price research conducted by the USA TODAY shows that we’ve endured the longest consistent stretch of utility bill increases since the 1970s. Today’s average bills represent a $300 annual increase in electric bills over [...]

Record utility costs may drive us to energy efficiecy is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Smart green building devices that promote energy efficiency

woodrow — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 18:26:14 +0000

Have you heard about smart meters? A smart meter connects homes with the electric grid. It’s a two-way communicator that helps homeowners truly examine their energy use and make decisions about how to operate their appliances, HVAC systems, and lighting. Depending on your utility provider, your smart meter can help you determine the best hours (known [...]

Smart green building devices that promote energy efficiency is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Holiday decorating that adds value all-year long

woodrow — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 01:22:12 +0000

With Christmas just around the corner, why not consider making home improvements that decorate for the holidays and last for the entire year? One of my favorite improvements is to add exterior lighting that you can deck with light strings, vines, wreaths or bows. But this year, put in doorway lamps, entry overhangs, walkway lighting, [...]

Holiday decorating that adds value all-year long is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

HVAC home improvements: There’s an app for that

woodrow — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 23:36:36 +0000

If you’re reading this, you already have a remote means of controlling your HVAC at home as well as monitoring your security. Using a smartphone or computer with web access, today’s homeowner can log into a secure website to check if their doors are locked or to turn on their heat [...]

HVAC home improvements: There’s an app for that is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Last chance for tax rebates on energy efficient home improvements

woodrow — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 23:11:06 +0000

Homeowners have until December 31 to buy materials and install energy efficient home improvements under the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. Provisions of the bill, an extension of previous tax credits, mandate that you buy only ENERGY STAR-compliant biomass stoves, heat and air conditioning units, insulation, roofing, water heaters, [...]

Last chance for tax rebates on energy efficient home improvements is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Building trends 2012-2015: expect smaller, greener homes

woodrow — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 18:59:31 +0000

The American trend toward buying smaller homes – currently driven by the economy – will likely extend out to the near future. A builders’ survey conducted by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), found that new homes will average 2,152 square feet in size by 2015, some 10 percent smaller than single-family homes built [...]

Building trends 2012-2015: expect smaller, greener homes is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Fall is time to practice fire safety

woodrow — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 02:34:17 +0000

This week The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) released their annual plea for homeowners to inspect their residences for fire risks, make necessary safety improvements and prepare a family escape plan in the event of a fire. If you think this is a Pollyanna warning, you’re not [...]

Fall is time to practice fire safety is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

In the pink: Home improvement tools for women

woodrow — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 17:35:13 +0000

Out here in the West, it’s not uncommon to see a woman with a work belt going into the hardware store. My friend Sally thinks nothing about scaling a ladder to repair the roofs on her rentals. She’s as adept in operating a table saw as she is in handling a garden spade. Unfortunately, the [...]

In the pink: Home improvement tools for women is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Is it time to solar heat your swimming pool?

woodrow — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 00:10:28 +0000

Decks and fences make for fine summertime home improvement projects. If you want to add a pool, why not evaluate energy efficiency and home improvement ideas that offer returns on your investment at the same time? Take a second look at pool solar heaters. If you live in a climate warm enough to [...]

Is it time to solar heat your swimming pool? is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Swamp cooler fall maintenance, simplified

woodrow — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 20:32:42 +0000

When my family moved to the San Fernando Valley in the late 1950s, most homes came outfitted with evaporative swamp coolers. I remember that they worked fairly well until August and September when temperatures soared over 90 degrees. Then, it seemed, all that the cooler did was burn energy pumping water around the pads while [...]

Swamp cooler fall maintenance, simplified is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

New Phillips LED bulb excels in energy efficiency

woodrow — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 22:51:10 +0000

Energy efficiency in household lighting continues to advance in the green commercial marketplace. Royal Philips Electronics has launched sales of the world’s first light-emitting diode (LED) product designed to replace the conventional 75-watt incandescent bulb. The manufacturer claims that, in using only 17 watts of electricity, the Philips AmbientLED 17 produces 1,100 lumens of light. The [...]

New Phillips LED bulb excels in energy efficiency is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.