SayEducate

If you are planning to undertake any kind of project around the home, are you always certain the products you are using are safe? Recent recalls include Honda lawnmowers that can lacerate users, circuit breakers which have been proven to be fake, and outdoor benches which can break. Lots of products have been recalled over the years - could you being using something that is defective?

One way to verify whether your product has been recalled is to visit the CPSC or Consumer Product Safety Commission website. As an independent agency of the federal government, the CPSC is mandated to protect Americans “against unreasonable risks of injuries associated with consumer products.”

Hundreds of Recalls

More than 15,000 consumer products are subject to regulation by the CPSC, items which must meet acceptable safety standards. Some of the more recent recalls include:

• Hammer drills from the Robert Bosch Corp. The drill can continue to operate after the trigger has been released, posing a risk of injury to consumers.

• Fireplace gas valves from American Flame. Gas can continue to flow into the fireplace pilot light area after the switch has been turned “off,” posing a fire or explosion hazard to consumers.

• Table saws from DEWALT. The pivot bracket on the saw can separate which can misalign the blade and the fence and cause kick back. This poses a laceration hazard to consumers.

• Lock and Leash Locks from Master Lock. Red surface paint on the locks contains excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.

• Wall furnances from Rinnai. A gasket in the unit can fail, posing a risk of poisonous carbon monoxide gas leaking into the home.

• Tankless water heaters from Power Vent. Components inside the water heater may shift during transit, causing an air filter door switch to operate improperly. If the switch fails and the air filter door is out of place, the water heater could continue to operate and dust and lint could build up, posing a carbon monoxide poisoning hazard.

• Fluorescent ceiling light fixtures made by Lithonia and sold exclusively by Home Depot. A wire inside the light fixture could be loose, posing an electrical shock hazard to consumers.

Finding Recall Information Online

Quite a few of the products recalled have not resulted in injuries, but are listed because of the potential hazard of a particular problem arising. If you are planning to undertake any project around the home, a quick check of the CPSC website will help you determine if that saw, mower, lighting fixture, or other device has been recalled. If it has, the CPSC gives consumers clear instructions on what to do next, a step which usually involves contacting the manufacturer via a toll free phone number for guidance on how to proceed.

You can even subscribe for email alerts to have the CPSC notify you when a particular product has been recalled and you can subscribe to an RSS feed which offers the same type of information for you.

How has your summer been so far? Maybe a better question to ask is this one: how hot has your summer been? If you have central air-conditioning or even trusty window units, then your home probably is keeping you cool and comfortable even when outdoor temperatures swelter.

Your a/c unit, though a technological marvel, needs regular care and maintenance. Also, your home needs to do its part to keep the cool in and the hot out. Let’s take a look at some tips at how you can make your unit work efficiently and save you money on your electric bill:

Use A Programmable Thermostat — A timer can kick in at just the right time, bringing in cool air moments before you arrive home for the day and automatically adjust upward soon after you leave for work. By programming your a/c, you’ll cool your home only when it needs to be cooled, saving you money.

Change Filter — Help your a/c run efficiently by periodically changing the filter. A clean filter works in harmony with your unit; a dirty filter will cause it to work harder, using more electricity in the process.

Keep It Maintained — An annual maintenance of your unit will cost you around $125 but it will pay off in a unit that runs more efficiently, pollutes less, and lasts longer.

Improve Insulation — Is your home properly insulated? If it is, then your a/c unit won’t work as hard to bring you a cool house, but if it isn’t look for gaps around windows and doors, close up blinds and shades during the day, and keep doors open to all of the rooms.

Keep Them Free — Inside, you want your air ducts to be free of obstruction in order to deliver cool air to your home, but you’ll also want the condenser to be free of leaves, yard waste, shrubbery or any other obstructions which can get in the way.

Replace Your Unit — Older units are much less efficient than the ones available today. Contemporary units all come with a SEER rating — Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio — which determines how efficient your equipment works.  Some newer units can pay for themselves over time as they deliver energy savings for you.

Many people cannot imagine living without air-conditioning especially folks suffering from medical conditions, the very young, and the elderly. When summer heats weighs in you’ll want your a/c to respond accordingly — keep it in top shape and it’ll provide you with many years of indoor climate control.

Further Reading

All About Air Conditioning

Ten Tips on Buying a New Air Conditioner

Resources

Check Your Credit Report

Home Services — Contractors

Making Home Improvements

Fannie Mae, which is the informal name for the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) — a government backed business — announced last week that it had invested $20 billion during the first half of 2008 in multifamily housing in a bid to shore up that area of the housing market.

“Affordable rental housing is increasingly needed during this housing and mortgage market downturn. Fannie Mae is increasing our product offerings to provide additional liquidity to meet the changing market needs,” said Phil Weber, SVP of Multifamily at Fannie Mae.

Billions Invested In Housing

Fannie Mae’s effort helps to meet the sharply increasing demand for rental housing, by purchasing Small Multifamily Loans of up to $3 million, or $5 million in certain markets. These types of loans typically undergird a an affordable asset class consisting of properties that are located in urban areas near public transportation and serve working families.

Fannie Mae invested approximately $5 billion in Small Loans in the first half of 2008, a significant increase over 2007 mid-year production of $3 billion. The company rewrote the Small Loan Guide and restructured its multifamily business to improve execution. It also made available the Micro Loan product earlier this year, which increases liquidity for small balance multifamily properties with mortgage loan amounts up to and including $750,000.

Seniors And Our Military Benefit Too

Other investment areas for Fannie Mae being planned include Senior Housing and the purchase of bonds benefiting military housing. These bonds are used to renovate existing on-base housing and build new units, something members of our nation’s military forces desperately need.

Fannie Mae was founded in 1938 as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal program. At one time it dominated the secondary mortgage market until it was spun off as a semi-private corporation in 1968.

(Source: Fannie Mae)