In homes with forced-air heat, indoor air becomes very dry without a duct-mounted humidifier, so they're a pretty common accessory with minimal but important maintenance needs.  Most homeowners know that the humidifier water panel needs to be replaced every heating season.  But what happens if you forget to replace the water panel?

We recently found out.  I went down into the basement to get some tools and noticed water on the floor near the basement air handler.  Since it hadn’t rained recently (and our basement doesn’t get wet from rainstorms) I figured that something had to be going on with the humidifier waste pump, humidifier itself or (worst case) the air handler’s heating coil which passes air over a hot water coil from the boiler.

I was in my home office last week, when I heard a rustling and scratching sound that could only be a bird or squirrel in the chimney.  It was right on the flue damper.  While it was tempting to ignore it, and let the critter die in the chimney, this is neither humane nor when I thought about it, the least smelly option.  (Who wants a decomposing squirrel in the chimney?)

Since I had no idea how to proceed, I called in the experts.  Using the contractor locator on HomeESP, I plugged in my requirements and within an hour had two calls from qualified animal removal experts.  One asked for a $275 fee, the other was $125 to $175, depending on whether or not they had to climb the roof.  I don’t always go for the lower price, but in this case I got a better feeling on the phone from the lower bidder (All About Bats & Wildlife of Norwalk CT).

After my initial call with the owner of All About Bats (where we agreed we'd wait and see if the squirrel indeed could climb out of the chimney), it seemed that the noise had abated – did the critter get out?  

You get what you pay for.  It’s as true today as it’s ever been.  When you buy an inferior product, it will cost less at the outset, but often has a short warranty.  Sometimes a lesser brand will add a long or lifetime warranty to improve its image and ability to sell its products, which can make a purchasing decision a little more complicated.  Buying a product with a lifetime warranty can mean a higher cost at the outset, but provides a measure of comfort and reduced total cost of ownership over time.  Higher quality can mean lower cost, when you take a long view.

Recently we had three product failures that required us to make a claim on lifetime warranties.  Here’s what they were and what we experienced:

Child’s trundle bed frame from Charles P. Rogers.  We have a Marseilles iron trundle bed that is 10 years old.  A weld on the headboard broke as a result of years of kids bouncing on the bed.  The tab that holds the headboard onto the frame rails separated from the headboard.  The people on the phone at Charles P. Rogers were very nice, service-oriented and helpful.  They pledged to honor the warranty and gave me instructions to drop off the frame or ship it (at my cost).  It took me about six weeks to get around to shipping the headboard, and they actually called me to find out if I still needed service.  Finally, I got my tools and took the bed apart, and after  $100 or so in packing and shipping expense and about a week and a half later, the headboard was returned, major (kid inflicted) paint chips touched up and with a bottle of touch up paint.  I feel compelled to give this company an “A” for overall performance and good customer service experience.  http://www.charlesprogers.com/

Down comforter from The Company Store.  Linens manufactured in this catalog merchant’s La Crosse, WI facility are covered by a lifetime warranty.  Our seven-year-old down comforter’s fabric became brittle over the summer and ripped as we made the bed one morning.  A call to The Company Store 800-number (800-323-8000)

Just like HomeESP on Facebook for your free entry to our Nest Learning Thermostat giveaway.  The Nest team includes Tony Fadell, who led the team that created the first 18 iPods for Apple, so you know this device is a pleasure to use.

The Nest Learning Thermostat is a $249 value, and we're giving it away free when we get 100 new likes on Facebook.  Ten seconds of your time could equal big savings on heating and cooling - and a very cool Nest Learning Thermostat for free!

If you heat your home with oil, you might still be well advised to lock or cap home heating oil prices for the 2011-12 heating season.  Prices from our recently selected oil company are up $.22 over the last three weeks, exceeding the $.20 per gallon cap premium we paid in only a month since we made our commitment.  According to the Energy Information Agency blog post on Oct. 12, home heating oil prices are headed for a record this heating season.  And that prediction was before the succession of Saudi royalty was disrupted with the death of a West-friendly next in line prince (never mind what's going on in Libya and elsewhere in Africa).

There's a good blog post here on HomeESP which goes into details about how to make a selection of a home heating oil company.  It's definitely worth calling three or four companies to get the best set of prices and cap / lock features for your situation and preferences.

If you want to reduce your cost of home heating and cooling, there's no more effective way than with a programmable thermostat.  Our daily deal for the Honeywell RTH6350 can't be beat.  It's an easy-to-install and easy-to-program thermostat for almost any kind of heating and cooling (except electric baseboard).  You'll see it elsewhere for its list price of $59.99 or maybe on Amazon.com for $53, but no one comes close to our daily deal price of just $35.99 including FREE shipping, handling and 90-day trial of HomeESP Premier.

Home improvement is one of those areas where the consumer is at a disadvantage: the contractor knows the value of each element of the project and where the agreement favors him over you; but you, the homeowner don’t.  You have to take it on faith that the bid is a fair value, includes everything (there won’t be any surprises) and provides you with reasonable protection.  Even if you get two or three bids, it can still be daunting to pick a contractor.  You can check references, pick the middle price, go with your gut instinct – and still not be sure the contractor you select has made you a good offer.

HomeESP Premier Members can have up to three bids reviewed by our own Bruce Woolf, expert kitchen and bath designer, builder and general contractor, and blogger on our Ask the Contractor page of HomeESP.  He’ll check your bid for completeness, price, terms and conditions and more.  After reviewing your bid, he’ll provide you with specific advice as to how to negotiate with your contractor, questions to ask, what to watch out for and more.  It’s like having a friend in the business!

Not a HomeESP Premier Member?  Just visit this link and sign up.  Contractor Bid Review is a core benefit of our membership organization for homeowners, and we’d be pleased to help!

One of the most amazing things that occurred during our kitchen renovation was how quickly we were able to sell our old cabinets, countertops and appliances.  We put an ad on Craig’s List and within a week all was sold, and at good prices totaling more than $2,000.  But for home or apartment remodelers on a budget, there’s a more reliable resource (at least if you live in Connecticut, New Jersey or Pennsylvania): Green Demolitions.

In three warehouse style showrooms, they offer professionally removed kitchens, new and used appliances, furniture and more.  Savings on complete kitchens can be more than 75 percent off the price when new.  Cabinets are selected for condition and style, so you’re sure to find a wide range of possibilities.  And since new stock comes in every day, if what you want isn’t there today, it’s worth checking back a few times a month – especially if you want to save money on your renovation. 

Here in the Northeast, we have a lot of homes which rely on heating oil instead of natural gas for heat.  While many of us stay with the same oil company for years, there are sometimes good reasons to change home heating oil companies, including a poor service experience, lower price for oil and differences in the financial products offered to fix or cap the price of oil.

For us, it was a customer service interaction which caused us to look for a new home heating oil provider.  We were unhappy with a service to our boiler, and in the discussion to resolve the issue, decided that this was the last year with our current home heating oil supplier.

Changing home heating oil companies is easy, but there is a lot to consider beyond the lowest delivered price:

We're very excited to announce that HomeESP Premier Members now qualify for a $100 rebate for energy-saving projects!  And it's easy to get, too.  Nearly any permanent installation that contributes to energy savings qualifies, as long as the total project cost is $300 or greater.

HomeESP will pay you $100 for any project that results in lowering your energy usage in your house.  Energy saving projects which are eligible for the $100 HomeESP Rebate include, but are not limited to, installing or replacing:

• New energy efficient windows
• Intelligent controls for your boiler
• Boiler, hot water heater, air conditioning or heat pump with more efficient models
• Programmable thermostats
• Insulation in  walls, attic or basement
• Solar electricity and/or hot water panels
• New appliances which are Energy-star Qualified

All you have to do is be a Premier Member in good standing for more than three months, start and complete your project, and provide details to document your new energy-saving installation.  And if you find your contractor via our contractor locator, we'll add $25 to your rebate, for a total of $125 cash back!