My Smoke Detector Is Too Sensitive: Fix It Without Removing It

My Smoke Detector Is Too Sensitive: Fix It Without Removing It

Last spring I got a call from a homeowner in Draper — nice older rancher, recently remodeled kitchen that opened into a hallway. She was furious. Her smoke detector had gone off three times that week: once when she boiled a pot of pasta, once when her teenager took a long shower with the bathroom … Read more

Why Your AC Struggles in Summer (And How to Fix It)

Why Your AC Struggles in Summer (And How to Fix It)

Last July, I got a call from a homeowner in a newer subdivision — let’s call him Greg. His two-year-old AC unit was running constantly, the house wouldn’t get below 78°F even at night, and his electric bill had jumped nearly $90 from the previous summer. When I pulled up to his house, I spotted … Read more

Why Your Home Feels Stuffy: CO2 Levels You Should Know

Why Your Home Feels Stuffy: CO2 Levels You Should Know

I’ve been doing home performance assessments for over fifteen years, and I still remember the call that changed how I think about indoor air quality. A young couple in a newer, well-insulated townhome had been complaining for months about chronic fatigue, morning headaches, and what they described as “brain fog” that lifted every time they … Read more