Mission Valley Builders

Did you know that bath fixtures made before 1992 can waste up to 3 gallons of water each minute you spend in the shower? The shower and the toilet are the two areas in the bathroom where you can keep your money from going down the drain!

Take an empty gallon pale and turn your shower on full blast. Wait 2 minutes and check the pale. If it’s overflowing you’re wasting water! Change the shower head to a low flow model. Shower heads start at about $10.00 and changing it is a very simple task.

Plumbing leaks account for about 15% of water usage. It’s a good idea to check your toilet for leaks. Here’s how: Lift the tank cover and drop about 5-10 drops of food coloring into the tank. Now don’t flush yet! Wait about 15 minutes, lift the toilet seat and check the water color. A leaky toilet will show in the bowl as colored water and you’ll need to mend the leak.

Now for the most productive water saver! Just look into the mirror. Here are a few tips that you can use to help save water.

* When you brush your teeth, turn the water off.
* Toss trash into the waste can rather than flushing it down the toilet.
* Save 7 times the water by taking a shower rather than a bubble bath.

For more information on energy saving construction and green living contact Gary N Smith at www.garynsmith.net or call toll free at: 1-877-809-6139.

In our fact filled world we could use a few Energy-Saving Myth Busters. Do waste your hard earned money this winter. Consumer Reports’ Green Choices has a few tips:

Myth: Appliances and electronics don’t use energy when turned off. Many home appliances and other electrical products continue to draw power even after they’re turned off. In fact, the “standby power” accounts for about 8 percent of U.S. household electricity use, according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. To identify products in your home that may be drawing standby power and some practical tips for reducing it, read Is your home wasting watts?

Myth: Computer screen-savers save energy. Screen-savers are not necessary on modern monitors, and some studies show they actually consume more energy than allowing the monitor to dim when it’s not in use, according to the Climate Savers Computing Initiative, a nonprofit group started by Google and Intel to help combat climate change.

See the entire list of money saving tips here…



For more information on energy audits in Central MS contact Gary N Smith or phone toll free 1-877-809-6139.

If this holiday season finds you hanging out the Christmas lights and looking for ways to power them up please be careful. Follow these tips for safe extension cords use:

1. If an extension cord is not marked for outdoor use, use it indoors only. The UL label will tell you if it is OK for outdoors
2. Inspect the cord before you use it. Look for areas that are cracked or frayed. If you find any, dispose of the cord.
3. The appliance or tool that you are using the cord with will have a wattage rating on it. Match this up with your extension cord. Don’t use a cord that has a lower rating.
4. Don’t run extension cords through doorways, or through holes in ceilings, walls or floors.
5. Make sure the appliance or tool is off before you plug it into the cord.
6. Make sure the plug is fully inserted in the outlet.
7. Don’t remove, bend or modify any of the metal parts of the cord’s plug.
8. Don’t plug a three-prong plug into a two-hole cord.
9. You shouldn’t have to force a plug into an outlet.
10. If the plug is too loose in the outlet, the outlet may be too old and needs to be replaced.
11. Some cords are polarized; one hole on the plug is larger than the other. Match up the outlet and the cord.
12. During use:
    • Keep away from water.
    • Don’t use it when it is wet.
    • Keep it away from children and pets.
    • Don’t plug one extension cord into another.
    • Don’t overheat the cord. Uncoil it, and don’t cover it with anything.
    • Don’t drive over the cord. Don’t drag it on lay anything on it.
    • Don’t walk on it.
13. After use:
    • Remove it from an outlet by pulling on the plug, not the cord.
    • Store it indoors.
    • Unplug it when not in use.

US Consumer Product Safety Commission.

A study just released by ASHI-The American Society of Home Inspectors found that two-thirds of Americans said they would consider buying a foreclosed home, even though only two percent had ever done so. Brion Grant, ASHI president says:

“Foreclosed homes can sell for a fraction of their original worth, and may seem like a steal: A fixer-upper at a low price. There are plenty of good deals to be found on the foreclosure market, these homes can also harbor unpleasant surprises—including wild boars.”

What kind of problems should you look out for when dealing with a foreclosure?

• MOLD
• VANDALISM & BREAK-INS
• PARTING GIFTS
• WILD ANIMALS
• NEGLECTED MAINTENANCE

Advice for Buyers
Depending on the area, the seller might have already made some of the major repairs to a foreclosure. The key is to know as much as possible before buying anything—how much repair the house actually needs, and how much you can reasonably expect to put into it.

See the entire article here.

For more information about an ASHI home inspection contact Gary N Smith, Mississippi ASHI president at gary@garynsmith.net or toll free: 1-877-809-6139.