Home Safe in Grand Rapids 15 Home Safety Tips

Home Safe  15 Home Safety Tips

by Bonnie and Terry Westbrook

Many accidents happen in the home.  In the winter months,

lots of time is spent in the home, so checking home safety issues makes

sense now. In an emergency you don’t have time to waste.

  1. Are electrical extension cords in good condition?
  2. Are electrical outlets overloaded?
  3. Do you know how to turn off the gas, electricity, & water in case of emergency?
  4. Are all floor coverings fastened down?
  5. Are open flames such as candles kept away from walls and curtains?
  6. Are fireplaces screened and protected?
  7. Do you have smoke detectors and have you checked the batteries?
  8. Do you have an approved fire extinguisher on each floor?
  9. Do you have emergency phone numbers–police, fire, doctor, utilities in a prominent place?
  10. Are firearms unloaded and locked up?
  11. Are unused electrical outlets covered or locked?
  12. Are open windows securely screened?
  13. Do interior doors have locks that allow them to be opened from either side?
  14. Are proper fuses used rather than pennies or substitutes?
  15. Are extension cords crossing heavily trafficked areas?

 

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The authors of the this blog write about Grand Rapids Real Estate,

the Greater Grand Rapids MI area, and what it is like to live in

West Michigan.  We believe: Grand Rapids is a Great Place to Live!

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Westbrook Realty Grand Rapids MI Real Estate

                          Contact Terry   616-292-7263

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National Assoc. of Realtors Announces New Homeowner Web Site

National Assoc. of Realtors Announces New Homeowner Web Site

For all of you that are not attending the NAR Convention in San Diego ,

a little peak at one of the Hot Topics. NAR has announced a new web site to

assist home Owners. It is still in Beta but you might like to check it out:

WWW.HOUSELOGIC.COM

You care about your home. The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

cares about home ownership. To help you become the best, most responsible

homeowner  you aspire to be, we want to provide you with free information

and tools you can use to make smart and timely decisions about your home.

This site has hundreds of home improvement ideas, tips, and advice from industry

experts.  Very user friendly and timely updates about home appliances, green

solutions, and home maintenance for  home-owners in all sectors of the U.S.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

The authors of the this blog write about Grand Rapids Real Estate,

the Greater Grand Rapids MI area, and what it is like to live in

West Michigan. Grand Rapids Michigan is a vibrant, growing

metropolitan area with a diverse business community, great medical

research & services, numerous universities, plus lively arts and

entertainment of all kinds.

We believe: Grand Rapids is a Great Place to Live!

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Westbrook Realty Grand Rapids MI Real Estate

Contact Terry   616-292-7263

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Warning: Change Your Thermostat Batteries Before This Happens To You!

Warning: Change Your Thermostat Batteries Before This Happens To You!

 

We have a vacant home listed. It is a nice house, clean, neat, 4 bedroom

two story home that I showed last Saturday.  It was a changed house

when I showed it again on Monday.  We had record setting low

temperatures here over last weekend and the batteries failed in the

thermostat.

                         NO HEAT!

 

                        Frozen pipes.

 

 

 

Needless to say, I rushed to the store, bought batteries, and got the

furnace going again.  I also turned off the water to try and eliminate

as much damage as possible.  When the house warmed up, sure enough,

a water pipe broke between the kitchen ceiling and the upstairs bathroom,

according to the plumber.

 So, the moral of the story is: If you have a vacant home,

change the batteries in that thermostat—don’t take chances!

This home had a 2 year old furnace and thermostat, so I

didn’t have a thought that the batteries in the thermostat

could fail.  Remember this tip is you are planning on an extended

vacation or going south for a month or longer. Replace

those batteries before you go.  It doesn’t take long in below zero

weather for your home to incur substantial damage.

 

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