On the Radio | 12.15.10

Is an On-Demand Water Heater Right for Me?

For a lot of us it just seems silly to heat water all day long in a big tank to dose it out just at the beginning and end of the day. On first glance it just makes more sense to use an on-demand water heater. Here is a brief checklist of some of the hurdles many of our clients have been struggling with over the last 5+ years and honestly it keeps coming back to installed cost and their expectations of "unending hot water." My experience - I have a conventional water heater in my home. I wish I had an on-demand water heater but it doesn't quite make sense in my home. I first stayed in a house using on-demand water heating in Japan a few years ago and loved it!

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On the Radio | 08.19.10

What To Do When A Carbon Monoxide Alarm Goes Off

Last night at 11:15 Kristin and the kids were asleep and I was sitting in my chair watching TV when all of the detectors in the house went off at once and a none too reassuring voice shouted, "Carbon Monoxide Alert...[repeatedly]." So what are you supposed to do then? Here's what we did.

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On the Radio | 07.9.10

Welcome to Summer

Today it is more than 90 degrees outside, and the funny thing about when it is this hot is that you all get really grumpy. Thankfully, by the time you read this it will be 10 degrees cooler, and hopefully we all will be a little more rational because the message I have for you today is a bit counter-intuitive. Here's the message: A properly designed house could have intentionally been DESIGNED to not be comfortable on days like today. What a shocking statement, can you believe that I said such a thing? I am a huge comfort snob yet I have modified my own expectations.

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On the Radio | 07.9.10

Beat the Heat

5 Tips to beat the heat in a poorly performing house:

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On the Radio | 06.8.10

2010 Fathers Day Gift Ideas

Okay, it's that time of year to put out our ideas for Fathers Day 2010.

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On the Radio | 05.5.10

Great Coverage of the Gulf Oil Spill

If you'd like to read great coverage of the current BP oil spill in the Gulf please enjoy this link below.

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On the Radio | 04.23.10

Why Pipes Gurgle Q&A

Q: Good Morning Ben, My son had a house built in Savannah Georgia and sent me this question. Thank you, John

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On the Radio | 01.23.10

5 Fire Safety Tips

On-air today is a follow-up from Pat's conversation with Chief, Jim Duval, Ada Fire Department

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On the Radio | 01.11.10

Shower Door Fix

Listener Response: "Good morning! I enjoy your show each week, and heard your comments this morning on replacing shower door rollers. Several months ago our shower door started to function poorly, and I found one of the rollers had worn out. I went to the local hardware and plumbing store to pick up replacements (as always in these situations, if one of a set wears out it's best to replace all of them) but searching the plumbing section alone and then with a clerk no shower door rollers could be found. On a hunch, I walked over to the "screen and patio door" area and, lo and behold, found a good stock of exactly the rollers I needed. Best of all, because these (shower door) rollers hadn't sold well to (patio door) customers, I got all four for less than I'd normally have paid for a single roller, though frankly they're not expensive even at full price. Fifteen minutes later, our shower doors opened and closed like new." Gary from Pearline, MI

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On the Radio | 12.9.09

Icicles on the Roof

Date: 12/5/09

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On the Radio | 11.17.09

About the ThompsonTrio

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On the Radio | 11.17.09

Where To Get Rid Of Unwanted Paints, Oils, and Other Toxic Products In your Home

Kent County's Household Hazardous Waste Program If you're a resident of Kent County, you can participate in the Household Hazardous Waste Program by setting up an appointment to bring material in during the week to one of the 4 centers, or by coming to one of the Saturday collection events listed below. No appointment is required for Saturday events. Be sure to review the list of acceptable items below before coming and note that latex paint, medical waste, pharmaceuticals, refillable propane tanks, ammunition and fireworks will not be accepted.

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