DIY Life

House fires are one of the most devastating accidents, and a home in our neighborhood was recently victim of a fire that started in their garage. Luckily, the young couple had a fire safety plan in tact and practiced it often. It sounds corny, but saves lives. View the below video for additional tips to keep you safe in the event of a fire in your home:


Keep in mind, although two-thirds of American households have a fire escape plan, only about a third of those have practiced it. Practice makes perfect. I know you're probably thinking, "I don't have time for that" or "Are you kidding? I have better things to do" but the truth is, you can't afford not to practice your fire escape plan with your family. Shoot for a memory refresh every six months. You'll be glad you did if a fire ever starts in your own home.

Be safe, DIY-ers!

Here's a noteworthy story I just spotted on the Reuters website, titled "Man blows up apartment spraying for bugs?" The New York Daily News originally reported the story about a New Jersey man who, while spraying insects in his apartment, somehow let the contents of the spray can ignite. (Spraying near a lit gas burner, perhaps?)

The mishap caused an immense blast that blew the windows out of the unfortunate man's kitchen. The explosion then started a fire that destroyed eighty percent of his apartment. The man, Isias Videl Maceda, was unhurt.

I guess the question mark in the title of the article indicates the incident is still under investigation, but I think it's fairly safe to say that whatever this gentleman was doing, he was doing it all wrong! The episode is a good reminder for all of us that chemicals -- especially those contained in aerosol cans -- must be kept away from heat sources.

[via Reuters.]

With skyrocketing gas prices, and the subsequently rising costs of food and what seems like everything else, most people just don't have quite as much room in their budget for vacations as they used to.

It's no surprise that staycation seems to be a major buzzword this year. This summer, my son and I are sticking quite close to home. If you ask my son, his favorite "vacations" of this summer may be the camping trips we've had in our own backyard.

I know it sounds silly, but there's something about setting up the tent and bringing out all the gear that's just thrilling for a kid. Even if the scenery is the same thing you see every day, somehow it looks new through the mesh window of a tent.

With a little creativity, you can make this no-cost activity actually feel like a vacation. Just think of the things you would do if you were camping away from home, then recreate the experience as much as possible. I'll share some ideas after the break.

Reminisce with me for a moment, if you will, back to your childhood, to when you and your siblings built and launched your own bottle rocket. How'd it go for you?

If you did everything correctly, your rocket probably took off with ease, and the display was celebrated with lots of hoots and hollers.

However, if you tried to elaborate on the directions, and came up with a creative way to watch your rocket fly a little longer, it may have ended badly, like it did for the two young men who won a Darwin Award honorable mention.

"Home, home on the raaange." Camping, campfires, and campfire songs are so much a part of the American summer. Kids especially love this stuff. "Can we go camping, Mom/Dad? Can we? Can we? Can we?"

Don't have the budget/energy/time to drag the whole family to a real campground? Consider building a stay-cation-style camp site at home. You can do this inside, or try setting up outside on the lawn or on your porch, deck, or patio. Invite all the kids' friends and make a party out of it!

Fake fire will be your centerpiece. I found suggestions on building a faux campfire at TheMeBuilders.com and at Cadvisor.com. This basically involves positioning a fan and some red-colored lightbulbs underneath your "campfire" (bundle of logs). A piece of colored silk scarf flickers and billows when the fan is turned on. Never, ever leave the setup unattended in case the bulbs overheat.

Building a strong, safe campfire is a crucial part of your successful camping trip. Most of us know the basics of camp fire safety: never leave the fire unattended, never use fuel starters, and never build the fire close to your tent. Where I always struggle is building a strong and lasting fire.

Love the outdoors offers full instructions on building successful campfires. They discuss the three types of kindling, outlining the most effective order in which to add each. Pay particular attention to their tips on safely extinguishing a fire.

Bring on the s'mores!

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Paslode, has announced a voluntary recall of about 86,000 "Tall Red" Fuel Cells. The fuel cells, used to power cordless framing nailers, can leak fuel, posing a fire hazard.

Manufactured in the United States, and sold from February 2008 through April 2008 by construction supply and home center stores and dealers for between $11 and $14, the "Tall Red" fuel cells are for use in Paslode cordless framing nailers. Please see the CPSC press release for date and manufacture codes.

Consumers are advised to immediately stop using the fuel cells, and to return them to the place of purchase for credit or a full refund. For more information, contact Paslode at (800) 222-6990, visit their website at www.paslode.com (PDF), or email the firm at productsupport@paslode.com.

One of the worst fates to befall family and home is a raging fire. The result can be a small as a nuisance clean-up job to the worst of all - the death of one or more family members. Having fire extinguishers close at hand can make the difference. But not all extinguishers are the same. Let's have a look...

• Type A: for use on paper, plastics, and wood.
• Type B: for use on gasoline, paint thinner, or other flammable liquid.
• Type C: for use on electrical fires.
• Type D: for use on flammable metals.
• Multi-class types: These are a combination of two or more of the above types. Often, these are the most handy to have around the home.

The key to using an extinguisher effectively is summed up as PASS.

• Pull the pin.
• Aim the nozzle.
• Squeeze the handle.
• Sweep the spray at the base of the fire.
  

Be sure all members of the family know how to do this. As cheap as fire extinguishers are, it wouldn't hurt to buy a few and practice so the reaction in an emergency will not be confusion and panic.

Warmly Yours, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, is voluntarily recalling about 200 Comfortplus Under Area Rug Warmers, due to the fact that the cord on the rug warmer can come loose from the plug and cause sparks or flames, posing a fire hazard to consumers.

Although no injuries have been reported, Warmly Yours has received two incidents reports involving the rug warmer. One report involved electrical sparks coming from the cord when it was pulled out. The other incident involved the cord catching fire, leaving burn marks on the area rug and on the floor.

Manufactured in China and in Canada, the cream colored rug warmers have a nonslip pad, tan nylon edging, and a black electrical cord. They were sold by Warmly Yours retail stores and flooring stores nationwide and various websites for between $200 and $600, depending on the various sizes.

Stop using the rug warmer immediately, unplug it, and return the cord to Warmly Yours using the pre-paid shipping labels the firm will provide for a full refund or a replacement product. For more information, contact Warmly Yours at (866) 369-0805 or visit their website at WarmlyYours.com.

The U.S. Consumer Product and Safety Commission, in cooperation with All-Power America, has announced a voluntary recall of about 64,000 Strike Force portable air compressors.

The motor on the compressor can overheat and ignite the protective cover, posing a fire hazard. The cover might not prevent internal components of the compressor from being touched, posing an electrical shock hazard. Although no injuries have been reported, the firm has received four reports of fires.

The recalled twin air tank compressors were manufactured in China and exclusively sold nationwide at Advance Auto Parts stores, and online at www.partsamerica.com, from October 2006 through December 2007, for about $90. The model and serial numbers for the recalled compressor are located on the compressor's housing.

Stop using the air compressor and return it to any Advance Auto Parts store for a full refund. For more information on the recall, contact All-Power America toll free at (888) 896-6881 or visit www.allpoweramerica.com, or www.advanceautoparts.com.

I've been neglecting laundry lately and as a result have piles of it taking over the upstairs landing. Today, I plan to beat the battle and run load after load until it's done. My dryer's usage is by no means exhaustive, but my poor planning does mean that it's overused in short spurts. I started wondering how this impacts the life of our dryer and furthermore, what added fire risk it might be subject too after such a long day. What causes dryer fires and how can they be prevented?

This article about clothes dryer fire prevention answers these questions, providing important information about how fires start and your steps to prevention. According to the U.S. Product Safety Commission, clothes dryers cause an estimated 15,500 fires each year, resulting in 10 deaths and 10 injuries. Many of these can be prevented.

The article will elaborate on proper installation, dryer placement, vent cleaning, and hazard recognition. Lint is your biggest contributor to dryer fires. It isn't all caught in the lint trap, and can accumulate on the heating element if it's not maintained regularly. First and foremost, clean the lint trap after each load. You will also want to periodically clean the surrounding areas with a vacuum, collecting any build-up. Finally, have thorough maintenance done every couple of years in order to keep your dryer running safely and efficiently.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and L G Sourcing, Inc. have announced a recall of approximately 90,000 Portfolio Incandescent Torcherie Lamps, due to the fact that a short circuit in the lamps' wiring poses a fire hazard. Although no injuries have been reported, L G Sourcing has received two reports of lamp fires.

The recalled lamps were manufactured in China and sold exclusively by Lowe's retail stores nationwide from March 2005 through October 2007 and sold for $17. Please check out the CPSC press release to see if you have a recalled lamp.

Stop using the recalled lamp immediately and take it back to any Lowe's retail outlet to get a full refund. For more information, you may contact L G Sourcing toll-free at (866) 916-7233 or visit www.lowes.com.

Spotted on the Snopes messageboards: instructions on how to fireproof your Christmas tree. Say the authors of the instructions, "traditionally we take a dead tree not properly prepared, set it in our homes and wrap it with electric wires. What an invitation for a fire!" Hmm, I thought, making sense so far... Sounds interesting. So I did a few searches and found that this "recipe" is up on a bunch of other websites. Like this one, for instance.

Here's what you do:
1) Fill a two gallon bucket with hot water to within one inch of the top.
2) Add the following ingredients: two cups Karo syrup, two ounces of liquid chlorine bleach, two pinches of Epsom salt, half a teaspoon of Borax, and one teaspoon of chelated iron (found at gardening supply stores). Stir the mixture thoroughly.
3) Saw at least an inch off the base of the tree and stand it in the bucket of solution. At which point, I'm guessing, the bucket totally overflows, spilling bleachy syrup goop all over the floor, so probably best to do this outside! Leave for twenty-four hours.
4) Set your tree up in its stand as usual and fill the well with some of the solution. Top up as necessary.

Frankly, I'm dubious. Yet curious, too. Does it work? I mean, I can't imagine it being much help in stopping the tree from burning. Fact of nature: when flame meets needle, burning happens, right? But, you know, testing it out would make a great science experiment!

In response to possible fuel tank leakage, Billy Goat Industries Inc. has voluntarily recalled Billy Goat MultiVac outdoor vacumms. The manufacturer indicates that the fuel tanks on the machines can crack, leading to possible fuel leakage near hot engine parts creating the hazard of fire or explosion. No incidents have been reported to date. The recall affects approximately 1,600 units.

If you have a Billy Goat which is black and green with the product name printed on the collection bag, you can locate the product model number on a label located directly below the height adjustment crank on the left side of the vacuum. To find out if your Billy Goat is affected by this recall you can reference a list of the appropriate model numbers on the original Consumer Product Safety Commission press release.

Please discontinue using your Billy Goat and contact the manufacturer for a fuel tank replacement. You may contact Honda at (800) 426-7701, or you can visit the company website at www.hondapowerequipment.com.

If the temperature is cold and you're not running water regularly, there is a risk that your water meter will freeze. This instructables post teaches us how to thaw a water meter. I'm sure some of you will see a subtitle with the word fire, and be that much more interested, while others would rather steer clear. The author warns that the instructions involve the use of fire, so make sure that you use appropriate caution, and only apply these instruction to a water meter. If you're still interested, read on for the materials, and check out the full post for the instructions and pictures.

What you'll need

1. Channel lock pliers
2. Vice grip Crescent wrench
3. Lighter
4. Newspaper
5. marshmallow
6. Stick
7. A friend to help out

You can fix this yourself unless the meter is actually cracked in which case you'll need to call the water company for a repair or replacement. In very cold conditions, it is suggested that you leave a very light stream of water running through the night to avoid freezing.