Do you ever wonder if you heard your front door or garage open and then begin to panic that someone is in the house? Or, maybe you’re the parent of young children and worry that they may have slipped out of the house unsupervised. With an entry alert installed at your front door, back door or garage, you can be notified each time someone enters or exits the house.

Use Entry Alert to Greet Visitors or Warn of Intruders

A wireless entry alert has a small transmitter that mounts to any door and a portable receiver that plugs into any electrical outlet. When the door is opened, a signal is sent to the receiver and the person’s arrival (or departure) is announced by a musical tune or chime to greet visitors. Seniors living alone (especially those with hearing impairments) will appreciate getting these notifications when visitors have come or gone.

Read the rest of this entry »

The primary reason to get a driveway alert is to detect when a vehicle or person enters or leaves your driveway, but there are a lot of other ways you can use your driveway alert. Driveway alerts are detection systems that have two main components – a sensor that gets installed next to the driveway and a receiver that is located indoors. When something or someone passes by the driveway sensor, it sends a signal to the receiver which emits an alarm in the form of a chime, beep and/or flashing light.

Driveway alert sensors can be wireless or hard-hardwired. The wireless versions are the easiest to install and some models are now available with solar-powered sensors so you don’t have to worry about changing batteries. Read the rest of this entry »

Seven Things You Can Do With a Freeze Alarm

Installing a temperature sensor alarm (also called a freeze alarm) is a good way to protect your vacation home from temperatures that are too high or too low, but did you know that some freeze alarms can do a lot more than just monitor temperatures? Some functions require the addition of a simple accessory like a sensor, while others are conveniently built right in.

If you want to protect your vacation home or primary residence, or even your RV or boat, here’s what a multi-functional freeze alarm (like the “Deluxe” model by Control Products) can do for you:

Read the rest of this entry »

Early spring is a good time to check your home for normal wear-and-tear and to look around for damage caused by the harsh winter. Here’s a checklist of home maintenance items that can be reviewed in a weekend. If you discover any problems, it’s a good idea to take care of repairs now before they become big ticket items.

1. Check roof and gutters — Interior water damage often originates at the top of the house on the roof, so grab a ladder and check your roof for missing or broken shingles. While you are up there, inspect flashings and joints around chimneys and skylights. Bring a bucket with you to scoop out leaves and branches that are clogging gutters and valleys and finish by flushing gutters and downspouts with a garden hose.

Read the rest of this entry »

If you want to be notified when there’s activity on your property but you don’t want to invest in an expensive home security system, an outdoor motion sensor installed in a strategic location is an effective way to receive alarm alerts. You can use an outdoor motion sensor to be notified when a vehicle has entered the driveway, when someone unexpected is at the front door, or when a burglar is attempting to break in.

There are several types of affordable outdoor motion sensors. Some units are stand-alone and wireless, which makes them easy to install and operate. Choose an outdoor motion sensor based on what you want to monitor and where you want to install it.

Driveway Alarms Detect Arrival of Vehicles or People

A driveway alarm is a monitor that sends out an alert when a vehicle or person enters your driveway or property. Most systems use chime, beep and/or flashing light alerts. Other systems can be set up to automatically activate surveillance cameras and sirens, as well as interior or exterior lights, which are especially useful for people with hearing loss.

Read the rest of this entry »

There are many reasons for a basement flood, including poor lot drainage, blocked gutters, clogged downspouts, and cracks in the basement floor and walls. Events like heavy rains or melting snow are common causes of a basement flood, but so are broken washing machine hoses and blocked sewage connections.

What’s the best way to protect your home from the costly damage of a wet basement?  You should start by making repairs inside and out to minimize your home’s vulnerability to flooding. If the water table around your home is high or your lot has poor drainage, you may need to install a floodproofing system that includes a sump pump. To receive alarm alerts at the first sign of water in the basement, get one of these “early warning” devices so you’ll have an opportunity to fix the problem before extensive damage occurs.  Here is an overview of sump pump systems and “early warning” devices that you can install to prevent flooding and protect your basement:

Keep Basement Dry with a Sump Pump

Basements prone to flooding should be equipped with a sump pump that mechanically draws water out of the basement and away from the house. Sump pumps range in horsepower and the pumping capacity varies accordingly.  Generally speaking, the higher the horsepower, the more gallons per hour it will pump. ABS Robusta sump pumps, for instance, come in ¼ hp, ⅓ hp and ½ hp. A sump pump distributor or manufacturer can help you select the right size pump for your basement.

Read the rest of this entry »

A home security system is a smart way to protect your home and property, and a wireless DIY home security system has many advantages compared to a dealer-installed hard-wired system. Home invasions are a real threat — according to the FBI, there were over 1,900,000 burglaries in the United States in 2010, of which 73.9% are associated with residential properties. If you are beginning to shop around for a home security system, here are some good reasons to pick a wireless DIY system:

Less Expensive

Today’s wireless DIY home security systems give you state-of-the-art technology at incredibly affordable prices. For instance, a complete “starter kit” like the Skylink SC-10 — which includes a control panel and two sensors – can be purchased for under $100. More advanced systems such as the feature-rich WisDom Wireless series, which come with additional sensors and can be programmed for multiple zones and partitions, start at $199. In comparison, a dealer-installed hard-wired alarm system averages $1,500 for a 2,000-square-foot home (depending on the equipment and layout of your home), plus monthly monitoring fees that may range from $29.95 to $41.95.

Easy to Install

Read the rest of this entry »

If you like the idea of opening the door to a pre-heated or pre-cooled vacation house when you arrive, then you are definitely a candidate for a remote thermostat! There are many types of remote thermostats on the market today — some can be controlled by simply calling the telephone number at your vacation house and others which are Internet-enabled can be controlled from your PC or smart phone. Here are five good reasons why a remote thermostat should be the next upgrade to your vacation home:

1. Allows remote temperature control from anywhere

With a remote thermostat, you have the ability to adjust the temperature in your vacation house before you get there from virtually anywhere. If you are a skier with a winter retreat, imagine the comfort and convenience of arriving to a warm cabin versus having to wait hours for the bone-chilling cold to subside? In warmer climates, a remote thermostat gives you the ability to pre-cool a vacation home that is equipped with central air conditioning.

2. Saves on energy

Read the rest of this entry »

Loss of heat, power outages, isolation, hypothermia and dehydration are serious concerns for seniors during the winter, so we’ve put together some practical home safety tips to help them prepare for the long, cold months ahead.

“Fuel up” – Have the furnace checked by a HVAC professional and get the chimney and flue cleaned.  Early in the season, schedule a delivery of home heating oil or propane and monitor fuel levels as winter progresses. When levels fall below a quarter of tank, schedule a fuel delivery.  Financially-strapped seniors may be eligible for state aid to purchase heating fuel.  Go to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website for information on state and utility-funded energy programs.

Get an alternative source of heat – Power outages can last for days in the winter so it’s imperative that seniors have an alternative (non-electric) source of heat, such as a wood stove, kerosene heater or efficient wood-burning fireplace.  Always have an adequate supply of seasoned wood or kerosene fuel on-hand. Remember that deadly carbon monoxide fumes are emitted when burning wood and kerosene, so make sure the area is properly ventilated and a smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector is installed nearby.  Better yet, consider installing a multi-function monitoring system with an auto-dialer, like the Sensaphone 400, that automatically sends telephone alerts to family or friends if there is a smoke or toxic gas emergency.

Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re looking for some original gift ideas, look no further. Here’s a list of clever and useful DIY gifts that are all priced at under $100!

Gifts Under $50

Washing Machine Shutoff Hoses by FloodSafe – This is a simple, non-mechanical solution to protect against the catastrophic water damage caused by broken, brittle washing machine hoses. When the FloodSafe washing machine connector hose detects an excess flow of water, the flow of water is automatically turned off. Needs no electricity, batteries or other power source. Every washing machine owner on your list will appreciate a set of FloodSafe hoses. On sale now for $21.99.

YardGard Alarm for Gates, Windows and Doors – If you’re looking for a unique gift for parents of young children, give them a YardGard Alarm so they can monitor unsupervised children or trespassers coming and going into their yard, pool area, house or potentially dangerous areas. The alarm alert sounds an extra loud 120 dB siren. Kit includes hardware for mounting on gates, doors and windows. Special holiday sale price is only $35.99.

Read the rest of this entry »