Life’s Lessons

It may be nice to enjoy the cool breeze of winter but remember that this extremely cold temperature could pose as a great risk for your home. Most households think that having a heating system is the only thing you need to survive the winter time. While this is a vital tool, there are several areas around the house that should not be neglected as well. The key to preventing a major home damage is to conduct a routine check up and maintenance. Have your checklist ready on the places that need to be examined, don’t forget to make notes and address the issues right away.

Start by checking your windows, doors and floors especially if it’s made of wood. The cold temperature could cause the material to split or crack. Replace door locks if needed and fix the loose floorings as well. Window panes that are damaged or broken should be replaced as well. Make sure that the air from the inside will not enter through small window openings.

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The house was vacant for more than 4 years. Before we moved, we requested for a reconnection of the water and power line. People from the water district suggested we hire a plumber to check on the water pipes for possible leaks before they will reconnect the line. Are they serious? How could we check for leaks when we have no water supply? So they re-opened the line. True enough, there is a leak. We requested our mason to send us a plumber to check on the pipes but the latter is not available. We just turn off the water meter at night to save water while the leaking pipe isn’t fixed yet.

In this part of the world, while we are dealing with leaking pipes, people from the other side of the world probably deal with frozen pipes during winter. It’s probably worse than having leaked pipes. But there are ways to prevent pipes from freezing. Probably it could help to do the following:

1. Apply electrically powered heat tape; this will ensure protection against frozen pipes in the coldest weather as long as the utilities are on. Apply the tape in a spiral pattern following the manufacturer’s recommendations regarding the distance between individual coils.

2. Warm the area with a heat lamp if all the pipes are concentrated in one small space.

3. Use foam rubber or fiberglass insulation to cover all exposed lengths and joints of the pipe if electrical solutions are inappropriate.

4. Secure the sections of insulation with tape as needed.

5. Prevent drafts of frigid winter air. Secure all crawl space openings or windows and insulate and caulk any cracks in the structure’s foundation.

I’ll try to keep those tips in mind. But for now I need the immediate services of a good plumber to check on our leaking pipes.

There are many new products that are being introduced in the market. Some are stuffs that I don’t really appreciate because my interests are not in line with it. But since I find it useful, let me write about it for those who are working out in gyms and athletes too. I am talking about the muscle stimulator. This helps for optimizing muscle potential before a workout or competition. Use it 10 minutes prior to activity and is especially effective for sports requiring speed and velocity. Many write their testimonies proving that the tagline of the company is true that is: Train smarter. Get stronger. Finish quicker. Recover faster.