Each year millions of people throw away money trying to heat or cool their homes.  There are a lot of great ideas and articles about making a home more energy efficient.   One idea that is rarely talked about is the Thermostat. This should be the first step in energy efficiency, since this is the tool that tells the A/C or heating unit to kick on and off. 

We met Tim from Greenspoint temp controls at a jobsite.  He saw us testing some power tools and we started talking.  Tim works mainly on commercial properties, but he says the same information he told us applies to homeowners as well.  We bought Tim a cup of coffee from the jobsite canteen truck and picked his brain a little.  Below are a couple good ideas he told us.

Occasionally, test your thermostat by using a thermometer to test the accuracy of the thermostat.  Put the thermometer next to the thermostat for about 10 minutes and compare the two readings.  If they are within 5 degrees, you thermostat is working fine.  If they are over 5 degrees apart, either the thermostat needs to be changed if electronic. If It is Mercury based, it needs to be recalibrated. 

Most people make the mistake of lowering their thermostat too much at night.  If the temp is more than a 10 degree swing, this can actually cost more money than you think you are saving.  In the morning the furnace now has to work hard in order to get the heat back up past the 10 degree mark.  Also, if the temperature outside will be close to zero or below, don’t lower the thermostat that night as this will really cause inefficiency.

Check you thermostat’s position in the room.  Even it it has been there for a while.  Maybe the installer made a mistake and didn’t install it in the correct location, or maybe something was added later that might give a false reading.  Check by your thermostat to make sure there is not a draft from somewhere.  Also, make sure there is nothing hot around the thermostat, like a TV or radio. These items can give false readings.

If you do find out that the thermostat needs to be replaced or you need to change locations, this can be done very easily.  If you need to relocate the thermostat, make sure you check the owner’s specifications on each unit.  All you will have to do is run some new wiring to the location of your choice.  This will take some time and work, but it can be done.  If you are replacing your old thermostat, this to is easy.  Most thermostats have two pieces, the head (Body) and the base.  The head is the actual unit you see on the wall with controls.  The base is the part that is screwed onto the wall.  Remember to turn off the power to that thermostat first. 

• First remove the thermostat head which is usually just snapped onto a base. 
• Second, remove the screws from the base that are attaching the base to the wall.  Now you should see four wires, Red, White, Green and Yellow, but this can vary.  Mark each wire if they are not color coded. 
• Before you remove the wires, place a piece of tape over the core of the wires to hold them against the wall, so they do not fall back behind the wall. 
• After this is secure, you can remove the wires from the base. 
• Next, place the new base in place where you want it.  Make sure it is level.  Now with a pencil, mark the spots where the screws will go.  You can drill holes for the new screws.  If you are going through drywall, just remember to use anchors when you screw the new base in place.
• Once the base is in place and the wires are attached, you can now snap the head back into place
• You can now program the new unit for your home.

Tip

If you are going to have people over, lower the thermostat temp by 5 degrees.  Bodies give off heat, so a lot of bodies around will create  good heat build up. 

Dewalt is launching their new TrackSaw that will be released this November.  We haven’t tested this new saw, but it looks like Dewalt is going after Festool’s Guide Rail system and dust collection.  As the name suggests, the TrackSaw follows a track to help you make a perfectly straight cut every time.  According to Dewalt the cut will produce splinter free cuts which makes sense once you see how the track lays right by the cuts. 

With this saw you can make beveled cuts, cut on inclines and more.  The tracks come in a variety of sizes and you can always join them together.  The saw is a 12 amp 1300 watt motor, variable speed (Corded) and has an anti-kick back mechanism.  The saw is avaliable in a corded or cordless version.  Both have a plunge system in place, so you can start your cut from any point.  This system weights in at 12lbs.  On the bottom of the track there are two friction slips which means you do not have to clamp the track down and damage your project.  Again we haven’t tested this TrackSaw, so we are not sure how well it holds especially if it is cold out side or a little damp.  You can replace the top or bottom strips if they wear out.  Again we do not know how long the strips last before they need replacement and at what cost. 

As we get more information from users, we will update this post about the Dewalt TrackSaw

 You can see Dewalt Video and other Information at Dewalt TrackSaw

If you have been thinking about buying a new work truck, now might be a great time.  Times are tough right now, the economy is having a hard time and business is slow, but if you can take adavanage of the huge saving, you might want to take a look.

Automakers are having the toughest times right now, they can not move inventory and especially pickup trucks.  Below are the most recent truck sale in the U.S.

Top 10 Pickups Sales Figures
Year-to-Date (YTD) Sept. 2008 pickuptruck.com

Ford F-Series
392,698 -26.9% YTD
September 2008: 32,727
September 2007: 56,065

Chevrolet Silverado
370,502 -22.5% YTD
September 2008: 50,428
September 2007: 52,480

Dodge Ram
196,058 -29.0% YTD
September 2008: 20,812
September 2007: 30,100

GMC Sierra
133,811 -14.9% YTD
September 2008: 18,744
September 2007: 18,445

Toyota Tacoma
117,313 -13.4% YTD
September 2008: 9,176
September 2007: 13,996

Toyota Tundra
115,026 -20.4% YTD
September 2008: 7,696
September 2007: 19,571

Ford Ranger
54,815 -4.6% YTD
September 2008: 3,915
September 2007: 4,019

Chevrolet Colorado
44,884 -24.2% YTD
September 2008: 3,359
September 2007: 5,598

Nissan Frontier
40,873 -19.4% YTD
September 2008: 1,534
September 2007: 5,480

Nissan Titan
29,900 -41.3% YTD
September 2008: 2,872
September 2007: 5,193

All of these trucks are having great rebates and deals right now.  So not only are they dealing with bad sales and a bad market, these manufacturers need to sell their ‘08 inevntory as the ‘09 trucks are hitting the market.  This makes the perfect storm or perfect time to get a truck if you can. 

Tylertool.com is having a sale on their Milwaukee VS Deep cut portable bandsaw model number 6232-6.  This retails for $545 and the sale price is 229.95, but if you use coupon code tt110720, you get an addtional $20 off for a total price of $209.95.  They are also having a sale on their Makita and Dewalt portable band saws.  The Makita, model number 2107FK comes with a case and is on sale for $295.  The Dewalt, model number D28770 is on sale for $320.05. 

We stopped by our friend Jim’s jobsite the other day.  Jim, or Jimmy as we call him works for a very large construction firm in the Chicago area.  As we started to talk, he mentioned how he had to yell at one of his workers for safety concerns.  It seems this guy was more concerned about getting the job done quickly instead of safely.  This worker put up a ladder on uneven ground, with the wrong angle. In addition, he didn’t have the right height.  Worst of all, this guy wasn’t even an apprentice. He was a journeyman who has over 20 years of experience.  Maybe he wasn’t thinking, or maybe he felt to safe, but either way it was dangerous.  After talking a while Jimmy wanted us to write a short hand out that he could give to his workers at their morning safety meetings.  We wrote a nice piece for them and got great feedback, so we decided to add it here on our website.

Before we get started we need to get down to some basics so we are all on the same page. First, lets start with terminology. If you all ready know the terms, you can skip down to the next paragraph. 

Butt or heel - Bottom end of the ladder, the end that is placed on the ground.

Dogs or Pawls- Device attached to the inside of the beams of the fly section used to hold the fly section in place after it is raised.

Fly - Upper section of an extension ladder, the part that is raised into the air

Footpads- Rubber swivel parts attached to the butt of the ladder

Halyard - The rope used to raise or lower the fly section

Rail- The two lengthwise members of the ladder beam

Rung - Cross members that provide the foothold for climbing.

Tip - Very top of ladder

 (Click on picture to make it larger)

Some of the types of ladders are: Single, Folding, Extension, Combination, Step and more, but these are the most common. 

Before we get started you always want to do a quick check of the ladder to make sure neither the aluminium, fiberglass or wood is defective and causes the ladder to lose its integrity.  You never know what has happened when your not around.  Maybe a co-worker borrowed the ladder and then threw it on the ground when they were done, maybe your kids knocked it off the wall and didn’t want to tell you, maybe another contractor knocked it over and forgot to mention it you. You just never know.

Before you every lift or place a ladder, always look to see what might be above.  Look for obstacles such as electric lines or anything else, don’t just raise a ladder without looking. Next, you always want to place the ladder on even ground.  If there isn’t any even ground, put a piece of plywood down to make your own level ground.  Make sure the plywood is wide enough to make a difference. 

We have a video below that illustrates how to set up a ladder, but a quick run down will also help.  First, remember to always lift with your legs and not your back.  If you are placing an extension ladder up by yourself, let the wall be your friend.  Put the butt of the ladder where the ground meets the foundation and lay the ladder on the ground with the fly section down.  Next, start at the tips and lift up.  You can then grab the first rung and start walking the ladder up by grabbing the next rung and so on.  With the ladder against the wall, it will not slide.  Once the ladder is all the way up, walk the bottom of the ladder out while the tips rest against the structure.  Your goal is to get about a 75 degree angle.  One way to check is to put your feet at the butt and put your arms straight out, shoulder height.  If you palms touch that rung , with your arms completely straight and no bends at the elbow, then the angle is fine. 

When you are walking up the ladder don’t take to much stuff.  If you have to make a couple of trips, then do it.  Remember to always have three contact points with the ladder.  Each hand and each foot is considered a contact point.  So if you have nothing in your hands, you can walk up using the rungs.  If you have something in one hand then you need to slide you hand up the rails without removing them. 

Ladder Tips

• If you have to work around electricity on a ladder, do not use an aluminium ladder, because it  conducts electricity.  Also don’t use a wood ladder that has lots of metal, or a damp wood ladder. We all know electricity and water don’t mix.
• If you are working next to a door, put an “Out of Service” sign up or let others know not to use the door.  You can even leave it open, but you still have people walking around not paying attention, so you need to make others aware somehow.
• On the jobsite, you should always be with someone else when working on high places, but if you are by yourself, tell a co- worker, or if at home let a family member know.  Give them a time you should be done, that way if something happens, at least someone will get to you shortly.
• When walking up a ladder, turn your tool belt around so it doesn’t snag on a rung and throw you off balance.

For home users only

• If you are dropping tools on your folding ladder, put a bungee cord around the fold down section and put your tools under the to hold them tight, just remember to take them off before you fold up the ladder, so they don’t fall on your head.
• On the top of your folding ladder, you can glue a magnetic strip to hold screws and nuts in place so they don’t fall off

Here is a quick video on how to raise a ladder.  It is junior ladder training, but if you take a couple minutes to see the basics, it could save time, aggravation, and most important maybe your life.  Notice how they do a one man ladder raise using the base of the wall.

Dewalt is launching its new 1/2″ stud and joist drill which is model number DWD460.  According to Dewalt the drill is built to drill large holes in wood using hole saws, ship auger bits and self-feed bits. 

One interesting feature Dewalt has provided on this drill is a Bind-up Control™.  This feature provides increased user control in bind up and stall situations.  Anyone who has had a powerful drill bind up, knows that this new feature, if it works correctly, will be nice.  By the sounds of it the Bind-Up Control senses stalls and binds and then adjusts the motor’s torque to make the drill manageable.  A user will know this by an indicator light. 

Over all this drill seems like a work horse.  It has an 11 amp motor.  There is a two speed variable control that is 0-300 and 1-1300 RPM.  As you would expect this drill has an adjustable bail and side handle, plus anti slip grip.  According to Dewalt it has a knuckle guard for hand protection, but again we haven’t seen this drill, so we can no comment if this knuckle guard is a gimmick or practical.

Tylertool.com is having a sale on their Porter-Cable C2002R RECONDITIONED 150 PSI, 6 Gal. Compressor.  After discounts and other offers the price is $103.34.  The retail for a new compressor is around $300.  The normal price for this reconditioned compressor is $123.34, but if you use coupon code tt103120 you can get this for the price of $103.34

The Makita BMR100R Reconditioned 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless FM/AM Job Site Radio is on sale at Tylertool.com.  The price for the jobsite radio is $69.95, but you can use their coupon code tt103120 and the price falls to $49.95.  We know some people don’t like reconditioned tools, so they also offer a new Makita radio for $89.

Dewalt announced their new deep cut band saw model number DWM120.  We haven’t seen any pictures yet, but it looks like this is trying to compete with Milwaukee’s famous portable band saw.  As we can see the big difference is the amps.  The Dewalt band saw puts out 10 amps, while the Milwaukee puts out 5-6 amps.   Another difference is the cut.  The Dewalt will cut 5″ x 4 3/4″ while the Milwaukee cuts 4 3/4″ x 4 3/4″. 

One nice feature of this portable band saw is the variable speed dial, which will allow a user to adjust the speeds for the material they are cutting.  The SFM is 100-350.  Changing the blade seems to be easy and you can do it yourself without having to take the saw in. 

This band saw weights 15 lbs which is 2 lbs less than the Milwaukee.  There is also an LED mounted on the saw to help make a straighter cut.

One item we do not know is while some portable band saws are self lubricating and others are not, we are not sure about the Dewalt portable band saw.  If anyone knows this, please let us know.