This Weekday Update is packed with essential information for homeowners. HVAC pricing is on the rise, with potential increases of up to 30% due to a refrigerant change coming soon, making it a critical time to consider upgrading your system. Additionally, we delve into the recent recalls of popular household products, including battery chargers and travel mugs, highlighting safety concerns you need to be aware of. As winter approaches, we also discuss the importance of controlling humidity levels in your home to prevent mold growth and maintain a healthy environment. Tune in for practical tips and insights that will help you navigate these pressing issues this season.
Homeowners, prepare yourself for some critical updates as the demand for HVAC systems is about to surge. With new regulations coming into play regarding refrigerants, HVAC prices could jump by as much as 30% after January 1st. This episode of Around the House delves deeply into the implications of this change, urging listeners to consider making their purchases soon to avoid the price hike. Eric G. also discusses the various recalls of popular household items that could pose safety risks, including battery chargers and kitchenware that may cause burns or fire hazards. The episode highlights the importance of staying informed and proactive about home safety, especially as we approach the winter months where heating and humidity control become paramount.
In addition to product recalls, Eric emphasizes the need for homeowners to monitor and manage indoor humidity levels. As colder weather sets in, many may experience dry air, while others might find themselves dealing with excess humidity. The discussion includes practical advice on how to maintain a comfortable and safe home environment, such as using exhaust fans after showers and ensuring proper ventilation while cooking. Eric encourages listeners to invest in more robust dehumidifiers rather than relying on portable units, to prevent mold growth and maintain healthy air quality in their homes. This episode is packed with essential tips for maintaining not just the comfort but also the safety of your living space as the season changes.
Takeaways:
Be aware of the upcoming HVAC refrigerant change that could increase prices by 30%.
Multiple recalls on popular household products highlight the importance of safety in your home.
Monitor humidity levels in your home this winter to prevent mold growth and discomfort.
Invest in built-in dehumidifiers for effective moisture control instead of portable units.
Stay informed about product recalls by checking the Consumer Product Safety Commission's website.
Use inexpensive weather stations to track humidity levels and maintain a healthy living environment.
To get your questions answered by Eric G give us a call in the studio at 833-239-4144 24/7 and Eric G will get back to you and answer your question and you might end up in a future episode of Around the House.
We love comments and we would love reviews on how this information has helped you on your house! Thanks for listening! For more information about the show head to https://aroundthehouseonline.com/
Information given on the Around the House Show should not be considered construction or design advice for your specific project, nor is it intended to replace consulting at your home or jobsite by a building professional. The views and opinions expressed by those interviewed on the podcast are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Around the House Show.
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Host:
This is AROUND the house.
Eric G.:
Welcome to the Round the House show, the next generation of home improvement.
Eric G.:
I'm Eric G.
Eric G.:
Thanks for joining us me today and thanks for your patience with my cold that I'm fighting today.
Eric G.:
I hate this stuff.
Eric G.:
It's my second one this year.
Eric G.:
Never fun.
Eric G.:
And happy to get this midweek special out for you.
Eric G.:
It's going to be a little shorter because I've got to save my voice for a great interview that I'm doing later on today for a future episode that I can't wait to share.
Eric G.:
It's going to be a stunning one for you today.
Eric G.:
I wanted to talk about a few things for you and one of them is I'm seeing out there.
Eric G.:
First off, this episode is brought to you by friends at Monument Grill.
Eric G.:
Check them out@monument grills.com I am seeing the new H Vac prices that are going to be coming out with the new Freon change or the refrigerant change is technically not Freon, but the refrigerant change that's happening here on January 1st at midnight.
Eric G.:
Everybody is switching over government mandate in the US To a new refrigerant.
Eric G.:
I am seeing that things could go up as much as 30%.
Eric G.:
So they are making units all the way up to the last minute and then when they're gone.
Eric G.:
So if you're out there pondering a new H vac system, they're making these things for a little over an extra week and that thing will be gone and the new prices will be out.
Eric G.:
So if you're thinking about replacing yours, might be a good Christmas present for you out there.
Eric G.:
Take a look at the pricing and see and make that decision for yourself.
Eric G.:
I wanted to talk today about some of the recalls out there.
Eric G.:
There's a bunch of them out there that just flooded recently and we always do that here when stuff comes up.
Eric G.:
Here is one here.
Eric G.:
HTRC battery chargers recall due to fire and burn hazards.
Eric G.:
About 34,000 of those things and that's never good if you have kids.
Eric G.:
YOTO re announces recall and YODO mini speakers for children due to burn and fire hazards.
Eric G.:
They have a new full battery replacement kit available.
Eric G.:
There's about 251,000 of these.
Eric G.:
So serious issue.
Eric G.:
And of course, here's another big one.
Eric G.:
Stanley recalls 2.6 million switchback and trigger action travel mugs due to burn hazards, the mug lids Threads can shrink when exposed to heat and torque, so it can detach.
Eric G.:
And of course, pouring your hot drink all over you, that's not a good one there.
Eric G.:
Now here's a big one.
Eric G.:
Belkin's a pretty big brand out there.
Eric G.:
And they are recalling portable wireless battery chargers for smart watches due to fire hazards.
Eric G.:
So that's a problem.
Eric G.:
There's only about a 4,000 of those.
Eric G.:
So it's a small one.
Eric G.:
And then, boy, I tell you what, you start to see a lot of fire hazard ones out there.
Eric G.:
Net Zero recalls high bay LED light fixtures due to fire hazard.
Eric G.:
These are the ones go on a drop ceiling.
Eric G.:
So those are an issue.
Eric G.:
About 16,000 of those.
Eric G.:
Anker Soundcore lithium ion battery powered Bluetooth speakers recalled due to fire hazard.
Eric G.:
Sold on Amazon.
Eric G.:
So if you see that anchor speaker, about 70,000 of those.
Eric G.:
And here's another one that's sketchy.
Eric G.:
Dorel home furnishings recalls Dorel wall beds due to serious impact and crush hazards.
Eric G.:
Wall beds can detach from the wall and fall into those nearby, posing serious impact and crush hazards.
Eric G.:
So the other last one on this list here today that I was like, ooh, this one's sketchy New Cosmos USA recalls combination natural gas and carbon monoxide alarms due to failure to alert consumers to the presence of natural gas and to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Eric G.:
I've had this happen on other brands, so this is something got to be careful with about 26,000 of those.
Eric G.:
And that is its own issue.
Eric G.:
There a lot of these different recalls out right now.
Eric G.:
And something to consider.
Eric G.:
Govee Life and Govee Smart electric space heaters recalled due to fire and burn hazard imported by govee.
Eric G.:
And the last one here is Wolf appliance recalls dual fuel ranges with infrared griddles due to burn and fire hazards.
Eric G.:
About 44,000 of those.
Eric G.:
Easy place to find out more information onto these.
Eric G.:
If you go, oh, I think I've got one of those.
Eric G.:
Go to cpsc.gov recalls and you can find that information right there.
Eric G.:
Now that we're getting into the winter months, I wanted to talk about higher humidity in your home.
Eric G.:
Now there are places in the country where you get real winters and you have probably low humidity.
Eric G.:
That can be something where you're like, man, there's no humidity in the air.
Eric G.:
And it's, we're shocking ourselves.
Eric G.:
We have low humidity or well under 30% in the home and all of a sudden you're just miserable in there.
Eric G.:
Everything's dry that's not comfortable and some.
Eric G.:
So in that situation you might need to Add a little bit of humidity to the space.
Eric G.:
Now, there's a lot of different ways to do that from putting up.
Eric G.:
Put on a nice boiling pot of water to add some humidity into the room.
Eric G.:
But if you've got too much humidity, which can happen this time of year, especially in areas that are kind of where you're in the 40s and 50s, but you've just got too much humidity and you're not freezing outside, but everything's getting above 60%, well, things you can do, one is make sure you're running your bath Fans at least 20 minutes after you get out of that shower.
Eric G.:
Make sure those bath fans are going all the way outside.
Eric G.:
Second of all, always use your vent fan when you're cooking in the kitchen that's going all the way outside.
Eric G.:
And then make sure that you don't have any issues.
Eric G.:
If you have a basement or crawl space, you don't have any flooding issues down there and that you've got that under control.
Eric G.:
Now, if you are getting above 60% humidity in your house pretty constantly in certain times of year, you're growing mold.
Eric G.:
So you want to make sure and get that dialed in.
Eric G.:
So in some cases like that, you could talk to your H Vac tech and put in a dehumidifier hooked into your H Vac system.
Eric G.:
Or if you've got a basement, you could put one down there and spot treat that area.
Eric G.:
If that's the more humid area.
Eric G.:
And you don't want to get those little tiny portable ones you pull around that you pick up at Target or Home Depot, those just don't get the job done.
Eric G.:
They're good for small, little tiny areas.
Eric G.:
They're good for apartments.
Eric G.:
They're good for that, really.
Eric G.:
You want to put something that's built in and to be able to get that dialed in.
Eric G.:
And then the other trick here is too, is if you got stuff in the basement that's stacked up against the wall or something like that, keep that pulled away so you get airflow behind it, because you can grow mold behind those boxes, behind those totes, behind that stuff.
Eric G.:
So don't have anything leaning on the walls as well.
Eric G.:
And that will keep that mold down.
Eric G.:
And that's a great tip for keeping that from unhealthy air.
Eric G.:
And just, you know, we've talked about it before in the show, but one trick of mine is to get, if you know where those humid areas are, maybe it's the basement, maybe it's outside the bathrooms.
Eric G.:
Wherever it is, just go get one of those inexpensive weather stations that have the outside inside, and you could put that in two spots and check your humidity anytime you want.
Eric G.:
And that way you'll know you got the mold under control before it starts growing.
Eric G.:
All right, guys, we have a great show coming up this weekend.
Eric G.:
No best dubs right now.
Eric G.:
We're going to have some great shows coming up here, some great interviews.
Eric G.:
Lots of new stuff coming up on the show here over the holidays.
Eric G.:
So we'll keep you jammed up with new information coming at you all holiday long.
