Pretty much every homeowner has a maintenance checklist that they follow to ensure that, no matter what season it is, their home stays up-to-date and their appliances are in prime working order. What many people don't realize is how important it is to check appliances out fully when you are buying a new home as well. 

Many potential homeowners just assume that the appliances in the home are of good quality and in great working order. This isn't always the case. In this blog, you’ll find a few of the top appliances you should inspect carefully before signing on the dotted line to secure your next home. In fact, getting a complete home inspection done by a professional is the best way to ensure that the house is move-in ready.

Your home’s structural integrity literally rests on its foundation. If you ignore a minor problem with your foundation, it could turn into a major catastrophe that could cost you thousands of dollars to fix. So you should be aware of the causes of foundation problems.

Hot Water Heater

While there may not be water service in the home, you can check that the water heater is in good repair. If there is water service to the house and the electricity is on, make sure that you let the water run until it gets hot, then check to make sure the water heater isn't leaking anywhere. If you're in doubt, you can call a reputable San Diego water heater repair service (or someone local to you) to check it for you. 

Refrigerator

Replacing a refrigerator is expensive, so if there's one in the home you're purchasing, you want to ensure it's in good working order. When checking out the appliances in the home you're purchasing, make sure that the fridge is cooling and freezing properly. Check for rust on the inside as well as the outside of the fridge and check for any possible leaks as well. It's also important to check the gaskets and seals to see if they're sealing properly. If the fridge has been maintained properly then you shouldn't have any problems with it yourself.  

Stove 

Another appliance that is extremely important to your well-being in your new home is the stove. Whether the stove in the home is electric or gas, it needs to be inspected carefully before the purchase of the home is finalized. An oven or stove that is faulty is not only expensive to replace, but it can also be dangerous as well. You want all the burners on the stove to be in good working order.

The oven needs to heat up properly and the clock and timer function should be in good working order as well. It's especially important to be careful when inspecting a gas stove, which is something that might be better left to the professionals.

Test the Outlets

While not an appliance, the outlets that you plug your appliances into need to be checked as well. The last thing you want is to purchase a home, only to find out later that only half of the outlets work. Non-working outlets aren't only aggravating, they can be dangerous as well, depending on why they aren't working. One of the best ways to check your outlets is by bringing your phone charger along for inspection. Test to see if your phone charger works in all outlets, and insist that the ones that don't work get fixed before you make a final decision. 

Take a Peek into the Electrical Panel 

Err on the side of caution and don't leave everything up to your housing inspector. Take a peek inside the electrical panel yourself when doing your own inspection. If the panel is messy, things aren't clearly labeled and wires are jumbled, it could be a sign that the electrical work on the house is messy as well. 

These are just a few of the appliances and other things you should check out before buying a new home. It's better to inspect these things now than have to replace them once you've moved in. 

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Any coffee lover knows that there are several ways to make an invigorating drink. You can brew it in a Turk, a coffee maker or an automatic coffee machine – an apparatus that frees the gourmet from the cooking process.

Every coffee lover who wants to enjoy a drink without the big labor and time, should think about buying this equipment.

They all have different ways of making coffee and appearance. In addition, many coffee machines must be washed every time after preparing your favorite drink.

But not many of us want to wash the entire kitchen every time after making coffee, especially if you live in a large private house.

The best option for home is a Nespresso coffee machine.

Nespresso machine is an ideal solution for those who want to spend a minimum of time servicing the device, but at the same time indulge in various types of coffee. Perhaps the main difference between such an apparatus and its analogues is the ability to easily prepare the first cup of one kind, and the second after it - completely different. Unless the varieties themselves can be selected only from the proposed Nespresso capsules. The principle of operation of such a coffee machine is based on passing hot water under high pressure through a coffee capsule containing natural coffee - roasted, ground and pressed. Therefore, the preparation of the drink takes so little time: you need to place the capsule inside the device, substitute the mug, press the button. And also does not completely stain the kitchen.

We’ll talk about how to clean capsule coffee machines later. At the same time, it is worth noting that the hand wash method works pretty well. Unlike ordinary coffee makers, which are preferably washed every day, the capsule coffee machine can be washed once every 1-2 weeks. She does not need to wash more often, since the machine is very slowly dirty and generally keeps its cleanliness for a long time. There are also special flushing capsules for these coffee machines that will do all the work for you.

The device is suitable for people who love modern style and conciseness, because such a coffee machine does not catch the eye and does not attract attention, fits perfectly into the interior and is suitable for a comfortable arrangement of space.

The manufacturers of these coffee machines made a whole line of  best Nespresso capsules. Caffeine-free varieties are available, different versions of espresso, Americano, lungo, latte, etc. For clarity, consider the possible varieties of coffee using the example of the popular manufacturer of capsular coffee Nespresso:

Best Nespresso capsules contain the highest quality traditional coffee that most coffee lovers enjoy.

1. The Espresso collection contains 7 Nespresso capsules of various intensities containing ground coffee.
2. Pure Origine Capsules As in the previous paragraph, Pure Origine capsules contain espresso.
3. The coffee in this collection of 3 Nespresso capsules can be traced back to where it was grown.
4. Lungo Capsules are used to create a taller beverage.
5. When making Lungo (“tall” coffee), approximately 2 times more water is used than in espresso.
6. De Caffeine Capsules are Nespresso special caffeine-free capsules.

There are 3 such capsules in the Nespresso collection. They give tastes of varying intensity.

Conclusion

The coffee machine is practical to use and ideal for home interiors. In addition, they have a huge set of active Nespresso capsules in which everyone finds something for themselves.

Is it possible or not to leave a small child alone? The question is complex. Children they are different. The character of the famous film was able to defeat the bandits alone, go to the store and travel around New York alone, gaining valuable life experience and new friends.

But very often children, when they are alone, unfortunately, get injured, get seriously injured or just spoil the appliances and furniture in the house. Therefore, of course, leaving children alone at home is undesirable. But still, you should have left the child at home.

We will analyze all methods of monitoring a child. A special GPS tracker helps to locate the child; it is also called a locator or beacon. This is a compact device in the form of a toy, bracelet, smart watch or sensor, which can be put in a backpack or attached to boots.

The simplest devices for children. If the child has disappeared from the field of view, the parent presses a button on the parent device, after which the child’s sensor makes a loud sound, allowing you to find the child. The range of the tracker is 50 meters. But if your child is older and able to independently move around the house and the area next to him. More “smart” tracking methods include automatic alarms on the child and parent devices if the child is removed at a critical distance (10, 20 or 50 meters, depending on the settings). The new generation beacons operate at a distance of 100 meters and indicate the direction to the “bug” if it has gone beyond a certain perimeter.

The most convenient option kids smart watch

Benefits

• Find the child at the moment and send the exact coordinates to the parents;
• Convey the route of movement of the child;
• Store the coordinates of certain places (for example, “school,” “circle,” “grandmother’s house”) and send notifications to parents when a child comes and goes there;
• Receive calls from your smartphone like a real phone;
• Receive “secret calls” from your smartphone, allowing you to calmly listen to what is happening around the child;
• Send notifications when the “panic button” is pressed if the child has problems.

Track the baby’s heart rate and turn on the alarm in case of critical indicators. The set of functions may vary from model to model. For example, advanced kids smart watch send you notifications if a child takes them off their hands this especially applies to freedom-loving teens. Or they signal with a built-in sensor that the child got into someone else's car and is going to leave somewhere

As already mentioned, of the watches in the GPS accessory for a child, there is only a shape and a dial. In fact, the watch case is packed with various electronics, the amount of which depends on how advanced your model is.

Inside the watch case there is usually a battery, a GPS module responsible for determining the location, and a SIM card with which data is transmitted to parents. The costs of paying her bill should be included in the home budget.

Also, depending on the model, the watch may have a microphone and speaker for making and receiving calls, a Wi-Fi module and various sensors, for example, an gyroscope and a pedometer.

The watch also has a small built-in memory that allows you to store phone numbers and, in some models, the history of movements over the past few days. The dial of the watch is different: touch, made of shockproof glass or none at all.

Most models of children's GPS watches are equipped with a SOS button that a child can press when he feels dangerous. In this case, the parents will immediately receive an alarm, the coordinates of the baby and will be able to take action.

You can view data using a smart watch through the application installed on your mom or dad’s smartphone. In the simplest version, it contains a map for viewing the child’s movements, a movement log and notifications.

While there may be some talk about a future recession, you may be wondering if it is a good idea to get started in the construction business. Fortunately, the field is growing steadily, which is allowing people to work in the industry that they want. If you are considering starting this type of career, it is important to know how and when to get started. This will help you to work with the right clients to see which option is best suited to your needs.

How In-Demand Are Contractors?

Contractors and construction professionals are in high demand. This is because there will always be a need for professionals who can build and maintain infrastructure regardless of the current economy. Building your own construction business means that you can provide help to local homeowners and businesses, which can be beneficial in terms of the amount of revenue that you receive. The great thing is that the demand for drywall contractors and other construction services remains steady, so you can be working in the field of your choice without it being a problem.

How to Get Started

The best way for you to get started with your new business is to know what type of construction you'd like to do. There are many different categories that you can choose, so knowing what is right for you will help a lot. This is something that will allow you to feel confident in all that you've done, and it will allow you to make the revenue that you need and want to stay afloat. There are a lot of reasons for you to get started, but it is important that you know what you'd like to get involved with when it is most convenient for you. You can easily get going in a way that works for your needs, knowing exactly what you need to begin the career that will keep you going for years to come.

Understanding the Type of Work That’s Needed

There are many different projects that homeowners and business owners will have that you might want to consider for yourself. For example, you might choose to work construction projects that are specific to businesses. This means that you can work for stores, hospitals and other departments that allow you to do your job without fail. On another hand, you may want to consider working for homeowners and providing them with the work that they need for their homes or apartments. This is why so many are choosing to get back into the field themselves, and it is easier to do than you might think.

Now is the time to consider getting back into the construction industry. It is never a bad time to consider starting the career that you either need or want to make your dreams a reality. The most important thing to get started is to have the right education and tools. This allows you to get on the job without any problems coming up while it is being done. You will find that there are many different options for who you might want to work with once you've created your own business. Knowing what type of business or homeowner you'd like to work with when doing construction projects will make a big difference when it comes to actually providing the care that you need for them. You will enjoy the amount that you can receive when doing this type of work.

This’d be a good way to avoid Covid-19, American politics, and city existence overall.

Far North Wilderness Cabin, cc-licensed photo by JLS Photography, Alaska

It is currently very warm up here in Alaska, with temperatures reaching for 80° Fahrenheit in the interior. It is now that we year around northerners melt, and long for autumn. It is also the time of year that cabin doors stand open to let in the slightest breeze. Do the mosquito's swarm in as well? You bet they do - but we'd rather put up with the pesky bugs, than succumb to the heat.

*This cabin looks rather primitive – but when I took a peek behind it, I discovered two small solar panels and a very large LP bottle – so they have all the comforts of home.

Solar energy is everywhere. Families, business owners, and entire communities are adopting the technology. The number of systems installed has seen a steady rise around the world. The global solar market grew by nearly 30% in 2017 alone. The increase brought the world’s total capacity to over 400 GW.

There are many benefits to using solar at home. The Connect Electric team wants you to consider the following to ensure that your home is prepared for solar installation.

• Roof Surface Area

Your roof needs to have enough room to accommodate the number of solar panels required to power your home. If you don’t have enough panels, then your system won’t generate enough power to keep up with consumption.

If there isn’t enough surface area on your roof, you may be able to install a ground-level array. Alternatively, you could try a hybrid setup with part of your energy powered using solar and the rest relying on the grid.

• Roof Integrity

Your roof needs to be strong enough to support the added weight of solar panels and the wires and equipment they need. If you identify damaged or weak points on your roof, now is the time to repair them. This should be done before installation to preserve structural integrity. 

• Net Metering

If you plan on hooking up to the grid or using net metering to earn money back, make sure you know what is required for your region. Some areas may have fees you have to pay. You should also find out how long hook up will take so you can plan accordingly.

• Home Optimization

You should take steps to manage your electricity consumption before installing a solar system. The first step is to replace any old or malfunctioning appliances with energy efficient models. Look for those that can handle your household workload while offering the highest efficiency possible. 

• Reduced Consumption

Along with buying new energy efficient appliances, you should also take steps to reduce your daily consumption wherever possible. This includes things like only running the dishwasher or laundry when there is a full load and turning down the temperature on your water heater. Turn lights off in unoccupied rooms and install a programmable thermostat to control indoor temperature.

• Solar Financing Options

The initial cost of installing solar panels goes into the thousands of dollars. Now is a good time to look at your financing options. If you have enough cash to pay outright, then that is the easiest option. Otherwise, you may be able to lease your system or obtain a loan.

Don’t forget to check for local and federal tax incentives that can further offset the cost of your installation.

• Gutters and Rain Runoff

Anything placed on a roof can interrupt the flow of water into gutters and off the structure. Make sure this is accounted for prior to installation. Talk to your installer to figure out how rain runoff will make it to the ground without pooling or damaging equipment or your home.

Doing your research now can help you plan a smooth, hassle-free installation. Contact Connect Electric if you have questions about what you need to do to switch to solar energy.

partnered post • cc-licensed image by Michael Coghlan

Solar panels can generate enough electricity to power entire homes and businesses. They are one of the most popular choices for renewable energy. One of the most appealing things about solar is that it requires minimal effort to use. You don’t have to do any heavy-duty maintenance to keep your home running.

Of course, that doesn’t mean there is nothing to be done. You should still take steps to ensure that your array remains in good working order. Most solar systems have a lifespan of 20 to 30 years. Connect Electric wants to help you keep yours working for as long as possible with the following care and maintenance tips.

• Check Tree Growth to Prevent Shade

There may be no blockages when you install your solar panels, but that can change over time. Trees grow over the years. Their branches will reach further and eventually, one may end up along your roof. When this happens, it can cast a shadow that reduces the amount of sun exposure your panels receive. This will lower energy output.

Keep all trees trimmed back from your roof. You may need to hire a professional to handle this if your home is two stories or more or if you aren’t comfortable climbing a ladder. Removing branches also reduces the risk of storm damage.

• Monitor Energy Production and Consumption

Many manufacturers include technology to monitor solar production and energy consumption. This can provide insight into how and when your household uses most of its electricity. It’s helpful information if you want to try to reduce consumption and increase surplus energy that can be fed to the grid for credit.

Monitoring performance will also help you identify a problem if one should arise. If you notice a sudden spike in consumption, check your wiring, electronic devices, and appliances for a problem.

• Clean Your Solar Panels Yearly

Most solar panels should be cleaned at least once a year. This will vary depending on the environment where you live. Some places may require more frequent cleanings. Make sure you adjust your schedule accordingly based on how much dirt and debris ends up on the surface of the panels.

You should try to clean from ground level if you can. You may be able to spray water with a garden hose onto the roof to rinse the panels. If you can safely access them, then a bucket of water with a soft sponge or cloth can work as well. You do not need to clean the wiring under the panels, only the surface.

• Schedule Maintenance During Cooler Hours

Remember to schedule maintenance during the cooler hours of the day, especially if you plan to get close to the array. The surface can become very hot in direct sunlight. It is best to work in the early morning or toward evening when the sun isn’t at its peak.

Connect Electric can help you keep your solar panels working for years. Contact us to discuss your needs or to request professional maintenance for your array.

partnered post • cc-licensed image by Eli Christman