Tuesday, September 9, 2014

NEST thermostat saving energy

Nest Learning Thermostat
The Nest Thermostat for Europe takes away the hassle of programming. Simply turn it up and down like a manual thermostat for about a week and Nest will take it from there, creating a personalised schedule that is refined over time. And with its built-in sensors, the Nest Thermostat knows when the house is empty so Nest’s Auto-Away feature can automatically turn down the temperature, helping to save even more energy.
For families that don’t have thermostat cables available in the wall, want to replace wireless thermostats, or just want to change where the thermostat is located, the Stand for the Nest Learning Thermostat is available to place Nest in a preferred location.
New Nest Energy Partners
Nest offers a variety of services to energy companies to better manage energy loads, keep customers comfortable, and help them save energy. Nest today announced three brand new partners in Europe:
  • Direct Energie in France – Serving approximately 1.1 million customers, Direct Energie is the third largest electricity and gas provider in France. For more information, visit www.direct-energie.com/nest.
  • Essent in the Netherlands – Serving approximately 2.5 million customers, Essent is the largest energy company in the Netherlands. For more information, visit www.essent.nl/nest.
  • Lampiris in Belgium – Serving approximately 400,000 customers in Belgium, Lampris provides natural gas and 100 percent green electricity. For more information, visit www.lampirisnest.be/fr.
Pricing and Availability
Availability and pricing for the Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest Protect: Smoke and Carbon Monoxide alarm will be announced later this month. To be first to learn when Nest is available in your country, go tonest.com/chose-your-country to register your interest. Because the Nest Thermostat connects to the heating system using high-voltage cables, professional installation is highly recommended. Nest will launch with hundreds of Nest certified installers at launch.
About Nest
Nest reinvents unloved but important home products, like the thermostat and smoke and carbon monoxide alarm. The company focuses on delighting customers with simple, beautiful and thoughtful hardware, software and services. The Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest Energy Services offerings address home energy consumption, and Nest Protect: Smoke + Carbon Monoxide helps keep people safe. Nest products are sold in the U.S., U.K. and Canada, and are installed in more than 120 countries. For more information, visit www.nest.com.

Nest Labs, Inc.

FREE Smoke Alarms offered to reduce fire deaths in LA

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Mayor Eric Garcetti Monday announced new Los Angeles Fire Department initiatives to reduce residential fire fatalities, including the availability of free smoke alarms at LA fire stations.
KNX 1070’s Claudia Peschiutta reports residents in need of smoke alarms can get them for free at any of the 106 neighborhood fire stations across the city.

LAFD Offers Free Smoke Alarms To Reduce Deadly House Fires

knx logo black LAFD Offers Free Smoke Alarms To Reduce Deadly House Fires
KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO
Garcetti and LAFD Chief Ralph Terrazas were joined by city officials and representatives of the American Red Cross and My Safe LA in front of a home along the 1500 block of West 36th Place that was destroyed July 29 by a house fire.
Officials later announced there were no functioning smoke alarms in the home.
The fire alarms will be available to the public free of charge courtesy of First Alert, a home safety company that donates 500 alarms every month to the Los Angeles Fire Department, according to officials.
So far this year, 20 people have been killed in LA in building fires, a number that Capt. Jamie Moore said was in large part due to a lack of working smoke alarms.
Among the victims is a 98-year-old woman who died from smoke inhalation in February after being rescued from a house fire in the 200 block of East 47th Place.
According to Moore, the elderly are especially vulnerable to potential fires.
“Those who care for them are really concerned that they have food and making sure that they get their medication, but they’re not thinking of emergency plans,” said Moore.
Under a new three-month expansion of the Smoke Alarm Field Education Program, firefighters will also canvas certain residential blocks throughout the city to provide smoke alarms, batteries, and fire safety education, as well as discuss the importance of a family escape plan in the event of a fire.
Click here for a list of participating fire stations.

Saturday, August 23, 2014

College Student Renter Warning

Some landlords are renting illegal and unsafe dwellings to unsuspecting college students. Just inspected a "duplex" that was an illegal garage conversion with several safety hazards. I suggest that you rent through a realtor or property management firm. That will give you some additional protection from illegal rentals.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

No Radon in Orange County or California? Think Again!!

CDPH Indoor Radon Program

The Indoor Radon Program, within the Environmental Management Branch, seeks to reduce the health risk from radon exposures by increasing awareness, providing information about testing, identifying areas of high radon potential, and promoting mitigation and radon-resistant construction.  

New!  Special Report 224 - Radon Potential in the Palos Verdes Area

The California Department of Public Health, in partnership with the California Geological Survey, is developing detailed radon potential maps for regions of the state. The latest map and report, covering the Palos Verdes region, has been released.  See all reports here.

What is radon?

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is odorless, invisible, and without taste.  It is released during the natural decay of uranium, which is present in most rock, soil and water. Its occurrence in the state is influenced primarily by geology; find out more about radon. 

Where is radon found?

Radon can be found throughout California because uranium exists in all rock and soil.  Although certain areas of the state are more likely to contain higher radon levels than others, radon is a house-to-house issue.  You may live in an area of low radon potential yet your house can have elevated radon but your neighbor's house has a low radon level. 
Radon, in its natural state cannot be detected with the human senses. The only way to detect radon is to test.  California residents can purchase low cost radon test kits,
Home Test Kits $7.95, to test their home.  The results of the test should determine if you and your family are at risk. 
Testing for real estate transactions must be conducted by a California certified radon tester.  If the tester is not on the service providers list, he or she may not be certified or registered with the Indoor Radon Program.  Certification and registration for service providers is a requirement in California;(Radon and Real Estate). 

How does radon enter into my house and what can I do?

As the radon gas escapes from the ground into the air, the lower air pressure inside your home draws the outside air in through cracks, seams and other openings in your home foundation; (How Radon Enters Into My House).  If you have elevated radon levels you can still fix your home.  The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) along with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) recommends that you fix your house if it has 4 picocuries per liter (4 pCi/L) or higher.  If you are building a house in an area of moderate or high radon potential, we recommend using radon-resistant building techniques. 

Why do I need to be concerned about radon?


Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer (PDF)Opens in new window., following smoking.  US EPA estimates (PDF)Opens in new window.that nationally 21,000 lung cancer deaths are caused by radon each year.   

Radon Gas Testers Must Be Certified in California

“California law requires all individuals providing radon services to be certified by either National Radon Proficiency Program (NRPP) or National Radon Safety Board (NRSB).  There are no professional groups that are currently exempt from this requirement, including Industrial Hygienists, Registered Environmental Assessors (REAs), and Licensed Geologists. “ California Department of Public Health

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Get Property Disclosures Before You Hire a Home Inspector

Sellers should provide you with a detailed disclosure of known defects, past repairs and upgrades before you hire a home inspector, or even make an offer for that matter. There is no reason for these items to be provided to you after an inspection, or an offer. This gives you a heads up on issues you will want your inspector to consider for you.

In Northern California, it is standard practice for the listing agent to have all this paper work ready for potential buyers when they first list the property. Sadly, this is rarely if ever seen in Southern California.


Saturday, July 26, 2014

Renters, Landlords, Property Managers and Mold


Attached is a summary video on the causes of unwanted moisture and mold growth in rental settings. Both unwanted and visible mold growth in living areas is considered unhealthy.

Mold in Rental Video