About Major Appliance Repair

Being a homeowner can be a difficult task as not only do you need to make sure that the house is taken care of but also the appliances. What you need to understand is when to buy new appliances or fix the ones you currently have.
Appliance repair isn't a no-brainer if you are not a handyman by trade. Save yourself from home appliance disaster by knowing when to call in the pros.
Maintenance
The easiest way to keep your appliances in good working condition is to do regular maintenance on them. In addition to improving their functionality, this will also ensure that you can catch any problems before they result in a costly house call from a repairman. When considering appliances like your air conditioner, dishwasher or dryers, make sure to keep all the interior and exterior parts clean and free of dust. Remember to change or clean the filters regularly, as well.
Safety
Even if you take extra care to clean and maintain your appliances, sometimes parts will malfunction, or they will break. As a homeowner, there are certainly measures you can take to fix them yourself, but remember to put safety first. Always disconnect any appliance from its power source before examining it or taking it apart. When fixing appliances with high voltage, like microwaves, be sure to give a professional a call to avoid any unnecessary mishaps.
Specific Appliance Repair Issues
Here are answers to some of the most common questions regarding appliance repairs.
Air Conditioners
Heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems are usually composed of two parts, the evaporator coil, which is located above the home furnace, and the condenser unit, which is located outside. Repairs will need to be done by a professional on units like this because they are both sealed.
Dishwashers
Many times, dishwasher troubles such as an unpleasant odor, rust or a leak can be solved with a simple cleaning. However, if you can't fix the problem yourself, it is usually more cost-effective to buy an entirely new unit.
Dryers
Because of its design, clothes dryers are one of the easiest appliances to fix. However, before you pull out your tool belt or call a repairman, try troubleshooting the issue. Make sure the lint filter is clear, and try using the reset button if your dryer has one.
Washing Machines
In contrast to dryers, washing machines can be one of the most difficult household appliances to fix. Because they have so many movable parts, you may be left scratching your head if you try to figure out the problem with your washer. Save yourself the time and energy, and call a repairman if yours isn't operating properly.

Doing appliance repair can be a tricky task, so it's often advised to do it correctly by using the professionals. Sub-zero repair and wolf service can come hand-in-hand if you know where to look.

By Terry Philips 

Making Your Family Time Really Great

You hear a lot these days about "family time" and how important it is to invest in "quality time" with your whole family. Some folks are under the impression that in order to make your family times really fun you need to set up big planned functions. Although structured events are certainly unique and can be a nice way to spend time together, it is also crucial to keep in mind that unplanned events and casual activities can be the source of treasured family stories. Here are some tips you can utilize to help make the most of the family time you get to spend together, even if you do not often have time to plan special events.

Family-Oriented Road Trips

Years ago, it was common for families to take car rides together, simply to delight in the scenery, drop by to see relatives, or participate in some other inexpensive and yet enjoyable activity. As times get busier this family-focused activity is not seen as frequently. Relive the past by simply taking a little trip together with your family, perhaps once a month or even once a week. You can either plan an outing ahead of time, or just jump in the car and see just the road takes you. Flea markets, lovely parks, neighborhood events and festivals, and interesting galleries and museums can all be excellent points of interest and are often free of charge. Pack a picnic lunch in a cooler and take off for a day of great family fun. Make sure you pack your camera also to record the lovely sights you see, and also snap some shots of your family having fun. Exhibit a few of these photos in vintage picture frames once you return home to remind you of your trip.

Family Fun And Games

Getting your family together to play a game is also a great way to enjoy yourself at no cost. In fact, some families schedule a weekly game night, allowing a different member of the family to select the game that will be played each week. You can even throw together a few cost-effective treats, and perhaps make some yummy hot cocoa or some cold lemonade, and then simply have fun with your time spent together with your whole family. Make sure that the games you play are fun for everyone so that no-one will miss out on the fun. And if your children are several different ages, you might plan on having fun with two different games, one for all of the "big kids", and game for the little children.

Get Out In Nature As A Family

Investing time outdoors is a great way to combine exercise and quality family time. A stroll through a park, a day of rock hunting, or even bird watching in your very own backyard can be a lot of fun. If you take your camera along with you then you're sure to get some great shots of the scenery as well as your family having fun with each other, then when you get home you can make them look just right in wood picture frames that you hang on your walls. You will really enjoy spending time as a family, without the demand for a lot of preparation or expense.

It doesn't take much cost or planning to make the time with your loved ones a time that really does count, and that your entire family will always remember.

By Autumn Lockwood

Why Are There So Many Homeless People?

Homelessness isn't something that just happened overnight in the United States. It's existed here for decades, although many people have tended to look the other way when they passed a homeless person on the street.

A lot of people have assumed that if someone is homeless that he or she is either a mentally ill person who was released from a mental hospital, a veteran who could not cope with the atrocities of war, or a drug addict. Although there are people who meet these criteria, these are all stereotypes that just are not universally true.

In a survey conducted by the United States Conference of Mayors in 1992 it was found that 41% of the homeless population had been substance abusers and that 28% of them were mentally ill. Therefore, the majority of people who are without a home are neither drug addicts nor are they mentally unbalanced.

Many of them were, and are, people just like you and me.

Homelessness does not have any boundaries. It affects people of every religion, race, creed, and age.

Many of the people who are now homeless have just fallen upon hard times. We all know that the economy has been in the dumps for years, now, and that there is no relief in sight. So this should not come as a shock.

In its narrowest sense, the basic cause of homelessness is one's inability to pay for an apartment or a home because of an inadequate income.

People who have lost their jobs and have been found that it is very difficult, if nearly impossible to find another means of employment. It now takes an unemployed person approximately forty weeks to find a job. And if they receive unemployment benefits they are often not enough to cover expenses.

In addition, although unemployment benefits have been extended in many states to ninety-nine weeks, many people have already used up their allocation. In many cases, the amount that they did receive was not enough to keep a roof over their heads.

If you are living from one paycheck to the next then the reality is that you, too, may find yourself without a home at some point in the future.

As many as three and one half million Americans are homeless at some point in the year. Almost one third of these people are children. And more than three hundred thousand children are homeless on any given night.

And this is happening in the richest nation in the world. Perhaps the people who support Occupy Wall Street are right.

More than half of the people who have lost their homes are families with kids. And many of them found themselves in that situation because of some event or series of life altering events that were unplanned for and came by unexpectedly. Those are the primary causes of homelessness in America. It is not due to a mental or physical disability or some major traumatic event.

Most people become homeless because of the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, divorce, domestic violence, or family disputes.

Although mental illness is not the primary cause of homelessness, many of the people who find themselves living on the streets do suffer from depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, some untreated mental illness, and/or physical disabilities.

When someone is living on their financial edge (people who are close to the poverty level) what many people consider to be everyday occurrences could be enough to put them out on the street. Things such as a vehicle that breaks down, some unpaid parking tickets or a canceled automobile insurance policy could be enough to put them over that terrible edge.

For example, if a family is having a hard time keeping up with their bills and one of the members of the family contracts a serious illness, taking care of that person may deplete any savings that they have. And when their funds are depleted they could very well find that they are no longer able to keep up with the rent or the mortgage payments.

While politicians are bailing out banks who don't care about anything other than their bottom lines, many people are still losing their homes to foreclosure.

In addition, there have been devastating hurricanes and tornadoes that have destroyed homes or left them too costly to repair.

The newly homeless are challenged with trying to figure out how they will be able to return to their previous lives. As a stop gap measure many of them have turned to homeless shelters across the nation. They are hoping to find temporary shelter clothing, food and services in these shelters.

Homeless services have come to rely on homeless shelter software to collect family and individual information, track any progress that has been made, coordinate services and generate reports.

by Wendy Moyer

Hidden Home Hazards - An Ounce of Prevention

We only have to fall once, touch an electrical wire once, use a power tool improperly once or use the gas grill the wrong way once to spend the rest of our life in pain. Sadly, nearly 50,000 homeowners die unintentionally every year from hazards that are both hidden and obvious. Millions more suffer disabling injuries every year. In fact you are ten times more likely to die at home than you are at work. The old adage "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" when it comes to home safety cannot be overstated.

The average homeowner expects home safety to be delivered through the safety features of the products they purchase and engineering design of the home-building and fire codes. However, more than 75% of all injuries are the result of our behavior-the decision we make to use a chair for instance, rather than a ladder to change a light bulb. Chairs are designed for sitting on not standing on and using the right tool for the job is one of the simple ways to prevent an injury. To get a sense of our inability to recognize hazards and make good decisions just watch an episode of "America's Funniest Home Videos".

Falls, electrocution, fire, chemical exposure and other hazards are all present in the home. Those homeowners that die every year likely did not get up at the start of the day thinking about how unsafe their home is and the actions they need to take to make it safer. To combat the hazards that a home presents we must work on improving our safety mindset which consists of our knowledge and attitude. Once our mindset is improved good behavior will follow. We need to seek-out resources to help improve our hazard recognition skills and then routinely and proactively inspect our home to keep the hazards in-check. To really hit safety out of the park the entire family must be part of the solution. Kids and adults need to be committed to practicing safety and watching-out for each other. If the old adage that "safety is just common sense" were true, then maybe so many homeowners wouldn't die every year.

One of the easiest ways to start to practice safety at home is to apply our workplace safety knowledge away from work. Nearly every employer delivers some form of safety message whether it is about disaster preparedness, first aid, fire drills or other specific hazards. In fact global companies such as DuPont and Owens Corning have very active off-the-job safety programs. These programs demonstrate the value of the employee by caring about their wellbeing, and that of their family, away from work. The goal is to develop safety awareness into everything that we do whether it's driving, playing or living in our home. Unfortunately it only takes one lapse of judgment to find ourselves having a really bad day.

"Preventing Home Accidents", the book, educates the homeowner on how to take charge and ownership of practicing safety in their home. Build your safety knowledge by learning hazard recognition skills and using checklists for improving your home's safety condition. For more information about home safety, the book and to order go to:http://www.danshomesafety.com/thebook.html

By Dan Hannan

Why Most People Consider Bunk Beds

After a tiring day, majority of people would like to rest to the privacy and comfort of their rooms. Individuals can lie around and relax in their beautiful comfy beds. It's not a surprise why beds are one of the very famous and very useful furniture of the house. Different individuals are potty about different choices available. However when selecting a bed, majority will consider the design, the comfort and the space it save. These days, a lot of people will go for bunk beds, especially for children's bedrooms.

A bunk bed is your perfect choice considering space efficiency. This form is simple, yet offers ample of advantages. What is a bunk bed? These are space saving options that allow one bed to be supported above the other, through a particularly designed frame. The bed frame is stable enough to support the beds so the two individuals can lounge comfortably and with satisfaction in the same perpendicular space.

Making use of a double-deck bed is an excellent way to make best use of a bedroom's area. This type of bed has a ladder, for you to reach the top bunk. This ladder can be attached to the frame or it can be separated. You can see lots of these beds in children's bedrooms, colleges and universities residence halls, trains and ships.

There is also a type of bunk that is popular for children nowadays and it is the one that comes with a tent. This type is known as tent bunk bed. This kind is identical to the ordinary bunk bed or double-deck, only that it has a fabric material covering over it. This fabric covers the entire frame and this additional fabric is mainly for artistic purposes, this type is great for children.

Though this type of bed is mostly seen in kids' rooms, there are also adults and teenagers love using this kind of bed. Numbers of teenagers find it irresistible as there are various styles and colors to choose from. Apart from the fact that it saves your bedroom's space, it is the kind of bed that makes your room more enticing.

Bunk beds are very ideal for every home, particularly if there are two people sleeping in a single room. Both of you will surely have a good night sleep. You can find many varieties in most stores but online shops are the best place for price shopping.

By J Smithers

Space Planning Of An Older Home

It is incredibly rare to find one's self in a completely ideal real estate situation. The wear and tare of time can be quite unkind to homes yet those classically built models just seem to appeal to many of us. Beyond that the aesthetic of a place remodeled in some time between the 50's and the 80's could look to some like a faded museum piece, heck even the 90's have not aged terribly gracefully in the intervening decades. No one is looking to gut their entire home and start over but sometimes it seems like the only way. The style of the times marches on and when it comes to owning a home it would seem silly to not give it your all in an attempt to have the best possible place to live.

Living rooms and bedrooms are easily remodeled with some new upholstery, updated wallpaper and paint, some fresh furniture and the latest in entertainment electronics. These rooms can have a vintage feel without feeling entirely out of time with your current moment. New window treatments can help define the space exactly as you see fit, defining the flow of light into a room is a great way to make a home your own without completely remodeling the whole room. Interior designers are a great help in advising with these areas of the house. You might be shocked at how their expertise can open up your own sense of how best to lay out your room.

Bathroom and kitchen redesign of course are much larger projects and for one reason or another will likely seem more prescient to a new home owner buying a long dormant "fixer upper." This is because the use of loud tiles and jarringly blaring colors in these rooms was so prevalent for so long and now seems as out of time as outdoor plumbing. Plumbing of course is the other problem in these areas where sink, toilet and tub replacement become major considerations when redesigning is discussed. Here too though an interior designer can take the reins or help you to rethink your home without having to break the bank. A custom bathroom is not as far out of your price range as you may think, you simply have to be wise about the choices you make and confident that you will want to live with them for a long time.

Fixing up your new home should not be stressful though inevitably it will be. With the help of an interior designer and a leisurely attitude you can make the most of your space and your money. Making sure that you have the proper space planning will be rewarding for years to come so not rushing in is advisable for your future and your sanity.

By Mark Etinger

Fantastic Tips For A Great Moving Day

Moving to a new home can be a very exciting time but there is so much to do but with proper planning, this can be a less stressful event. Making a checklist and facilitating advance arrangements would be a very smart and effective way to ensure a smooth transaction.

The cost of any relocation will vary and will depend on what the variables will be. Some folks have Storage Facilities and will need to get their belongings. This cost savings will help with the new place of residence and will make the new location a little bit more familiar.

Packing up personal belongings can be a chore but this can also be an opportunity to do some advance spring cleaning. Some like to hire movers to assist in their movements as this would be a sure way to get the job done quickly and efficiently.

Making preparations for telephone service and deciding which new number to select is just one of the many things that need to be taken care of promptly. Other features that need attention would be the electricity, garbage and water. Unlike an apartment, these new items will need to be addressed as soon as possible.

Change of address for mail service can be done as soon as one is aware of the date of the relocation will be. This is a rather simple task as one can post date mail service to the new address at any time. This is one of the most convenient ways to make a change. Some like to enlist in a P. O. Box instead which does come with a small fee depending on what size the individual selects.

Hiring professional movers for any movement would be a great idea as these seasoned professionals know exactly how to get things done in a timely manner. This would be ideal for those who are short on time or have physical limitations. These firms have folks who can come out and pack, transport and unpack the client's belongings if they so desire. This of course comes with a fee but if the individual is willing this can be done quite efficiently.

Another exciting feature of moving would be to get some new furnishings for the new home such as washer and dryer or television's and stereo equipment. There are always reasons for new furniture but in this particular situation, this would be a pleasure to fill a new room or better yet several new rooms with great new furnishings.

Moving day is generally filled with mixed emotions as leaving a great apartment for a beautiful new home has it's ups and downs. Leaving a home where one has built memories can sometimes be unsettling, but careful selection of a new place can be just as rewarding. More space or a better location can make all the difference in building new memories especially if this is a new event like a marriage or new baby. Sometimes it's just a matter of getting more space and building that new library or gaining great weather with a new pool.

By Adrianna Noton

Families Learning Together During Job Loss

If we learn something during such a difficult time as job loss, it must be worth sharing! Have a few days off to catch your breath and then:

* Continue a routine of getting up at a reasonable time each day during the week, even if your children don't need you to get them off to school and go to bed at a reasonable time as you did when you were working. Don't think of it as time off.

* Have the right mind-set. This isn't a time when you are unemployed, with nothing to do, but rather in between jobs when you are reassessing and investing into your future. Make this a time to read some self-help books or The Bible where you can focus on what you can do, rather than what you can't. Cultivate a spirit of thankfulness for what you do have, rather than what you lack- and look after it!

* Broaden your outlook and reassess whether you want to stay in the same profession as before or try something new. You might need to take some new qualifications, in which case you will need to decide and look around to see whether you will be going for a job where you can train at the same time as working or take time out to train.

* Find one or two websites where you feel comfortable to look for a new job each day and buy your weekly local paper to also apply, if you find anything suitable.

* Keep communicating with your family, to keep them in the picture so that they can support you and go through this with you as a team. Tell them about the new things you are learning. Refuse to lay blame at anyone's feet or to speak negatively about your situation to your family without a positive plan. They will then be ready to celebrate with you when you find something new.

* Keep track of your feelings, ensuring that you don't take them out on your family. This could be a good time to try boxing, running or some other sport where you can release any feelings of frustration, anger or failure and benefit from the positive energy that sport gives you. Meditation and prayer are also helpful to bring a sense of peace and calm, especially when fear and panic are lurking at the door.

* Push yourself to get out into the community amongst people, where you are more likely to find open doors, inspiration and opportunities. Maybe your son's football team could do with your help or the local charity shop. Voluntary work is always a good way to enhance your CV as well.

* Spend some time bringing your CV up to scratch, looking for tips and help to make it better than before.

* Don't be put down by well-meaning suggestions to try this or that when you know that it isn't what you are looking for. Understand how hard it is for other people to know how to react in this situation and just appreciate their concern and support.

* Think outside of the box and be prepared to get to where you want to go professionally by a different route to what you might have expected. The world is changing and sometimes by changing with it we find our niche.

* Don't be tempted to believe that you will happier doing nothing, but maintain a love for work with the creativity and passion that this means. Set an example to your children, that you can run after your passion and dreams when they don't fall in your lap and show them that you know that hard work and sacrifice bring great rewards. They will certainly be watching and learning from you and will take the lessons they learn with them.

* Allow this time to develop your patience, perseverance and hope for a great future.

Christine Hulme loves writing about ways in which we can "live well" in a difficult world. She believes in creating a safe place in a healthy family environment, from which she believes we can go out and accomplish great things. She has an NVQ3 In Early Years Care & Education, is a Party Plan Consultant and loves cooking, arts & crafts, music, guitar, singing, walking, swimming and sharing these things with others.

Job Security For Site Managers With The CSCS Profiled Route

by Christine Hulme

Marriage and Family Tips: Financial Involvement on Both Sides

In wedlock, there is usually one person who is responsible for managing the finances of the family: paying bills, savings accounts, budgeting, etc. Often, the other spouse even does not know very much about the financial state of their family. As long as he or she can shop as usual, there would seem to be no problem. However, this approach can backfire especially if some problems arise in the family's finances. Blaming the problems on one party would not be fair. For better money management and family bonding, involvement of both the husband and wife is important. Here are some tips you can do to get your spouse involved in your family's money management.

1. Hold regular financial meetings - Discuss your spending and saving activities with your spouse regularly. Once a week is an ideal periodic schedule. During the meeting, you both will review the budget, consider new purchases, expenditures and income, and adjust them to suit the balance report.

2. Decide the budget together - Once a month, it is important to agree on the family's budget together. Generally, a family will have a fixed budget that is more or less the same every month. However, you or your spouse may have certain unusual needs he or she would like to plan to do in the next month. Taking input from both sides in this case is central for making financial decisions for your family.

3. Take turns in paying bills - If previously your husband or wife is the only one who handles the bill paying, sharing the responsibility is very beneficial. You can do it by taking turns paying the bills once in a month (e.g. you pay the bills this month, your spouse does then the next month) or you can delegate your spouse to pay some of the bills while you do the others, thus splitting the task.

4. Let your spouse manage some area of the budget - Although working together, one spouse will still be a "leader" in the family's management. This means that he or she will have a larger responsibility in managing the budget. Sharing the burden won't hurt at all. Let your spouse entirely manage one or more of the budget categories.

5. Be transparent in using financial software - Often, a husband or a wife use specific software to record the family's financial records such as savings, spending, and budgeting. Sharing the password will permit the other spouse to log into the account and the resulting transparency is significant. Not only can he or she learn about the family's financials, he or she can also determine the budget for the family.

To build trust between spouses, financial transparency is a must. Find more tips and guides about marriage and family by visiting our website.

By Titis Jatmiko