The Handyguys Podcast - Working Together on that Honey Do List Home Energy Savings Tool tests

Energy Savings

Led Bulbs

LED Bulb

LED bulbs are the next generation of “green” lighting technology. The Handyguys talk about how LED Bulbs compare to CFLs and whether they are really friendly to the environment. http://youtu.be/A83Jmmr-jUo What is an LED bulb? LED stands for Light Emitting Diode. LEDs have been around for a long time but only recently have become effective [...]

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E15 Ethanol Mandate

Ethanol Mandate Corn Pump

The Handyguys talk about ethanol mandates with Institute for Energy Research expert Daniel Simmons. We discuss the negative impacts of ethanol on our vehicles, small engines, the environment and food supplies. http://youtu.be/hdWCErKR0jc Background on Ethanol Mandate The Federal government mandated certain ethanol production increases for 2013 and beyond. That additional production of ethanol additive led [...]

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Drought Lawn Care

Dormant Grass

Over 70% of the country has been classified as abnormally dry, or worse. What about the oasis in your own backyard? Lawn Care Do’s and Don’ts During a Drought DON’T Water your lawn at night. Grass left wet overnight, or for long periods of time, can encourage fungal diseases that cause discoloration. Water in the early morning so your [...]

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Lightbulb bans, government intervention and personal choice

Edison base Incandescent

The Handyguys discuss the government involvement in banning traditional light bulbs. Yup – The government has ‘outlawed’ the tried and true light bulb. Even after this podcast was recorded some representatives in congress have attempted to delay the enforcement of the ban. Despite their efforts it seems the ‘ban’ will be move forward. Its not [...]

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Last Minute Christmas List ideas

Christmas Montage

The Handyguys did a bit of virtual perusing of the isles of our local True Value. Each of us made a Christmas shopping list and then compared our choices in this entertaining podcast.  We selected some excellent practical gift ideas for the handyguy, handygirl or anyone else. You must listen to the full podcast for [...]

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LED Christmas Lights for Energy Savings

Colored LED Christmas Lights

Can you save some money using LED Christmas Lights? The Handyguys discuss LED, mini-incandescent and C9 and C7 Christmas lights. LED Energy Savings This podcast was inspired by an article Handyguy Brian read on the Fox News Website entitled Good Return on Investment: LED Holiday Lights. Are they really a good investment? Perhaps, perhaps not! [...]

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Does a 5 minute fan take 5 minutes to install?

Hunter 5 minute fan

Does a 5 minute fan take 5 minutes to install? The Handyguys find out. Watch this video to see if Handyguy Brian can beat the clock while installing a Hunter 5 minute fan. We picked up the ceiling fan and everything needed to install it at our local True Value. We were one of the [...]

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Tiny Houses discussed

Tiny house's can save you money

In this audio episode of The Handyguys Podcast tiny houses are discussed as well as the announcement of office hours on Facebook. Tiny Houses Handy guy Brian read an article about small houses which prompted the discussion. The original article is here.  The article talks about how the market for tiny houses is thriving due [...]

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How To Cut Metal, CFL Safety And Water Saving Flush Valves

CFL Bulbs

The Handygys discuss three topics on this audio podcast – what tools are used to cut metal, are CFLs safe in kids rooms and are water saving flush valves a good investment. Cutting metal From time to time homeowners need to cut metal. What do you use to cut metal? Paul grills Brian on what [...]

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Building A Shed And Led Light Bulb Opinions

Different colored sheds

We address a question about shed materials and foundations as well as briefly discuss LED light bulbs. Sheds The Handyguys received a call from Rick from Sawdust Chronicles and The Splintered Board podcasts.  He asked What materials are good for shed siding? Do I need a concrete slab for my shed? Great questions Rick. Materials [...]

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Energy Star Fraud And Basement Egress Requirements

Energy Star FAIL

The Handyguys cover two topics in this show. We discuss fraud, abuse and lack of accountability with the U.S. government’s Energy Star program and then discuss basement egress requirements. Energy Star Fail The Government Accountability Office (GAO) [sorry, said it wrong in the podcast] investigated the EPA and Department of Energy’s Energy Star Program and [...]

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Modern Appliances Stink, Quality Of New Appliances

Modern Appliances

The Handyguys discuss why modern appliances suck stink and briefly discuss how to fix a whirlpool GS6SHEXNL00 side by side refrigerator. The Handyguys are NOT appliance repairmen First off – The Handyuys are NOT appliance repair guys. We are just a couple of handy homeowners who have attempted a couple appliance repairs ourselves. Please don’t [...]

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How To Caulk Windows And Where To Caulk Windows

With these types of windows there isn

The Handyguys discuss the the energy saving task of caulking windows. Announcements Before we discuss caulking windows we would like to remind our listeners and viewers of our recent video production on replacing a flush valve.  In addition, we will be re-doing our “Fixing a Dishwasher” video in High Definition for additional clarity on the [...]

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Fall Home Improvement Checklist

Win this toolkit. Click on the picture to learn how! Hint: ideal use of duct tape wins

How do you get your house ready for the Winter Season? Join the Handyguys in a not-so-methodical checklist for the winter season.  This is not your every day handyman (or not so handyperson) checklist.  We have some extras you may not see on other lists. Listen to the podcast as we discuss these items. True [...]

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Furnace Filters

Furnace Filters

Furnace filters are a critical component of your heating and cooling system. Make sure they are changed regularly. We discuss the myriad of choices in furnace filters in this podcast. The Handyguys group filters into three different categories, good, better and best. Whats best for one person may not be the best for another. The [...]

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Basement Systems Continued And Paint Removal

Saniflow Saniplus

Basement Toilet Installs, Water Saving Flush Valves and Dryer Vent Cleaning First off – The Handyguys begin by addressing a listener question. Julianne asks: Hi! I am considering purchasing a bi-level home. When you walk in the door, you have the choice of going upstairs where there is a kitchen, bathroom and 2 bedrooms… Or [...]

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Air-Conditioning Troubleshooting Checklist

Lennox AC unit

In this episode of The Handyguys Podcast we discuss air-conditioning. Air-conditioning is not something the typical handyguy or girl is familiar with. We turn it on and expect it to work as designed. What can we do if it doesn’t cool? Are there specific things to look for before calling in a pro to troubleshoot? [...]

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Fein Tools And The Smart Grid

The Fein Multimaster

The Handyguys start out discussing some tools for Fathers Day. Instead of doing a gift guide we decided to ask our twitter followers ( follow @handyguys ) what they would like us to discuss as a great fathers day gift for a handyguy. One follower said that her husband was eying up the Fein Multimaster [...]

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Faucet Installation Tips

Paul installed the Grohe Arden

The Handyguys upgrade their faucet hardware and provide videos to prove it! Many weeks ago we promised to talk about faucet installation. Brian recently installed a great Price Pfister Ashfield for his powder room.  Paul installed a Grohe Arden mini set in his master bathroom. But  before we can talk about basic plumbing and installing [...]

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Monitoring Your Power Consumption

The Box

A review of the Powercost MonitorTM A couple months ago, the Handyguys heard about a device that can tell you your current home power consumption and hourly cost for electricity.   The device is the Power Cost Monitor from Blue Line Innovations.   We contacted the company and got some units to try out.   Here [...]

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Mighty Putty Best Practices

Mighty Putty

The Handyguys discuss how to use Mighty Putty, answer a listener question and talk about Honey Do Lists. Thanks to Mighty Putty for sponsoring this episode. We have all seen Mighty Putty advertise on TV and all around the web. The Handyguys discuss how to properly use Mighty Putty to make sure your repair is [...]

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Can You Save 50% In Your Energy Bill With A Space Heater?

Heater

Can you save 50% with a space heater? The Handyguys discuss this and also discuss a listener question. Question: Jennifer had some questions about a door that wasn’t hanging straight. Her issue was that the screws were pulling out of the jamb. This is usually an easy fix. Unfortunately for Jennifer it wasn’t, as her [...]

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Energy Audits

Cold House

The Handyguys answer a listener question about PEX and then discuss home energy audits If you like our show please consider visiting for us in the Bloggers Choice Award, podcast category. The link is on the right hand side of our home page. The Handyguys answer a question from Tim: “Hi guys, I appreciate what [...]

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Saving Money While Heating Your Home

Insulation in wall

The Handyguys discuss ways to save money during this upcoming winter season. Part 2 of 2 on energy saving tips. Our first order of business is to respond to Phil’s followup question about replacing his rotted out garage doors.  Phil wanted to know if it is really worth buying insulated doors when the rest of [...]

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Preparing Your Home For Winter

winter house

A Handyguys listener recommends a show on preparing your home for the winter.  The Handyguys respond! First of all, thanks to Mike for sending in a request for this show.  He provided a lot of great ideas and insights.  We will discuss many of his suggestions in this show. Before discussing winter prep, the Handyguys [...]

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Organization Tips Including GreenSwitch and Closets

The Handyguys talk about two big topics in home improvement today: a house that is “green” and a house that is organized. First is a discussion of a new product called the GreenSwitch. GreenSwitch is a wireless system that allows you to control several electrical switches and receptacles with a single switch. This switch provides [...]

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