Around the House: Older Stories
Every earlier Around the House post, newest first. For today's stories, head back to the main page.
Tech Brief: Locking Down Your Accounts, New Refrigerants, a Touchscreen Mac and a Drone Weight Gotcha
Happy Monday. Here's my quick roundup of the weekend's tech news that actually matters around the house. I skipped the studio gear and the big-money AI deals and kept…
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Clocks Fell Back: Time for a Quick Smoke Alarm Check
The clocks fell back an hour this weekend, and that makes it a great week to check the smoke alarms. It only takes a few minutes, and it matters: the NFPA says roughly…
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Space Heater Safety: The Rules I Follow Every Winter
When the first cold snap hits, space heaters come out of closets all over town. They're handy for a chilly home office or a drafty bedroom, but they're also behind a big…
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Emergency Heat: What the EM HEAT Setting Really Means
If you have a heat pump, your thermostat probably has a setting called EM HEAT, Emergency Heat, or just a little "E" on the screen. A lot of folks flip it on the first…
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Tech Brief: Furnaces as Backup Heat, a Drone Update Gotcha, Sleep Checks and a New Phone
Happy Sunday. Here's my quick roundup of this weekend's tech news that actually matters around the house. I skipped the stock market drama and the studio gear and kept…
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Tech Brief: Remote HVAC Monitoring, Hacked Freezers, Halloween Drones and New Gadgets
Happy Halloween. Here's my quick roundup of the tech news from the last day that actually matters around the house. I skipped the Wall Street numbers and the studio gear…
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Furnace Filters 101: Size, Timing and Which Way It Goes
If I could get every homeowner to do one thing this winter, it would be to change the furnace filter on time. A clogged filter is behind a big share of the no-heat and…
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Frozen Pipes: How to Prevent Them and What to Do If One Freezes
Georgia doesn't get many hard freezes, and that's exactly why frozen pipes catch people off guard. Houses here aren't always built with pipes tucked deep in warm walls,…
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Heat Pump in Winter: What's Normal and What Isn't
A lot of homes around here heat with a heat pump, and the first cold mornings of the year always bring the same calls. There's steam coming off the outside unit, it's…
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Tech Brief: Home Heating Trends, Drones, Sleep Tech and a Crypto Scam Warning
Here's my quick roundup of the tech news from the last day that actually matters around the house. I skipped the stock market chatter and studio gear and kept the…
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Carbon Monoxide: The Silent Winter Risk
Carbon monoxide is the one heating-season risk you can't see, smell or taste. It comes from anything that burns fuel, including gas furnaces, gas water heaters, gas…
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Why Does My Furnace Smell Like Burning?
The first time the heat comes on each fall, a lot of homes get a whiff of something burning, and a lot of people get worried. Most of the time it's harmless and goes…
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Furnace Short-Cycling? What It Means and What to Check
If your furnace kicks on, runs for a couple of minutes, shuts off, and then does it all over again, that's called short-cycling. It's one of the most common things I…
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Fall Furnace Tune-Up: What a Pro Actually Checks
A furnace that sat all summer has a lot of small parts that need to wake up at the same time. A fall tune-up is how I catch the weak ones before the first cold night…
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No Heat? 5 Things to Check Before You Call
The first cold night of the year is when my phone rings the most, and a good share of those "no heat" calls turn out to be something small. Before you call anyone, here…
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Why Dryer Fires Peak in Winter, and the Laundry Room Checks I'd Do This Weekend
The first cold snaps mean heavier loads: hoodies, blankets, flannel sheets, and the dryer running more than it did all summer. That's also when dryer fires start…
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Apple's New Thermostats, Refrigerant Top-Offs, and My Furnace Checks Before the First Cold Night
Heating season is here, and two stories from this week's tech news land right on your wall and in your yard: Apple is getting into thermostats, and the HVAC trade is…
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Get the Paperwork on a New HVAC Install, Plus a Family Rule for Scam Calls
Here's what caught my eye in tech this week that actually matters at home: a cloud tool that gives homeowners a written report on a new HVAC install, another sign that…
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Humidity, Mold and Your AC Drain: What a New Bill Says About Healthy Air
It was a slow news Sunday, so a few of these go back to Oct 21 to 23, and every story is dated. The ones worth your time: a new federal bill that treats indoor humidity…
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A Two-Minute Google Ad Check, a Smart Drone-Gift Tip, and Why Updates Reset Your Settings
A Saturday roundup of the tech news worth knowing at home. Google changed how it can use your connected Gmail and Photos data for ads, and the fix is a quick settings…
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