Weekly Columns

     Dear Readers: If you're sleeping fitfully, it may be the heat leaking into the bedroom area that's bothering you. Even on what you consider moderate days, the attic space can get to 100 degrees or more, especially if you have a dark roof. Here are some ideas to keep you more comfortable.

     We usually think of attic insulation as a winter thing, but it also helps keep the house cooler in the summer. If you don't have at least 15 inches of blown insulation,...

     Dear Readers: It’s time to service the air conditioning system; this can be an every-other-year procedure at your house. Why? Our cooling season is so short here that our A/C systems aren’t especially overworked. Your furnace, however, is another story. If it goes bad, it can let dangerous fumes into your house, so it needs an annual check, clean and service. Incidentally, some HVAC companies will give you a special price—usually around $100 or so—if they can service both systems in one trip....

     Dear Ken: Someone wired our two basement bedrooms with no ground wires to the outlets. We now have our computer in the basement and feel we need a ground. Can we do this without tearing out the walls? Rick

     It's easier than you might think. The general rule is: if it has a three-prong plug, it needs to be grounded. This applies not only to your computer (the ground helps carry harmful static away), but also to big appliances with metal frames and certain power...

     Dear Ken: My smoke detector has started to go off when someone takes a shower.  It's wired into the electrical system. Should I replace it? Stu 

     The water vapor combined with dust may be fooling the detec­tor into thinking it senses "smoke". Older detectors do accumulate cobwebs and dirt inside; it sometimes helps to remove the cover and blow some canned air in and around the innards of the unit. But considering that you can get a new one...