Ceiling fans are definitely a necessity these days and although they can't change the ambient temperature, the flowing air can have a cooling effect by speeding up the rate by which your perspiration evaporates from your skin, hence the cooling feeling when your directly in the path of the fan. 

Depending on the size of your ceiling fan, energy consumption can be between 15 to 30 watts on low speed, 30 to 50 on medium and 50 to 100 watts on high. A typical Florida home has 4.3 ceiling fans and consumes about 800 kwh per year to power these puppies. A central AC uses 2000 to 5000 watts for the same size home.


Choosing the right ceiling fan depend on the size of the room. Blade spans vary from 24" to 80". For room under 75 sq.ft. you want a ceiling fan that's 36 inches or smaller. 75 sq.ft. to 144 sq.ft. consider fans 36" to 42". 144 sq.ft to 225 sq.ft you might look into fans spanning 44" to 50". 225 sq.ft to 400 sq.ft you're looking at a ceiling fan 50" to 54". Large rooms with high ceilings there are lengths from 60" to 80". Large fans are as much about size and function in meeting the requirements of a large area. Since ceiling fans don't actually decrease room temperature, as stated earlier, install them where you spend the most time. Good spots are in a family room, bedroom or kitchen dining area.

Control options vary as well. You can go old school by using the ominous pull chains as most of us remember. Wall switches that control lighting and fan separately (make sure your wiring allows this). Newer versions of ceiling fans come with wireless remote controls. FYI, there are retro fitted remote controls you can add to older ceiling fans. Space considerations have to be accounted for since the control unit has to be placed inside the fan housing. All in all ceiling fans can make summer bearable when you don't have central AC. And that's OK with me since southern California heat is not that bad to begin with.

What's going on under the sink? Several problems can come from garbage disposals. To begin with, there is a lot of water going through this machine and no matter how well you take care of it, it won't last forever. Metal pieces will eventually rust. Seals will eventually break. 

But here are a few tips to understand this workhorse. Leaks coming from the garbage disposal can due to several possibilities but for the most part it's the seal that separates the main drive from the blades. While the seals can be replaced, it is usually cheaper to replace the unit when considering part costs and labor costs.

As I mentioned before, there is a lot of water going through the unit. Prolonged use will begin to rust the metal pieces in the garbage disposal. The flange that attaches the disposal to the sink itself may have come loose through years of use and vibration. 

I have found everything from egg shells to dinnerware to bottle caps to glass and everything in between inside the blade area. When a piece of foreign objects get stuck between the blade disc and the wall of the garbage disposal, the motor will seize causing it to hum and trigger the on-board circuit breaker and stops power for reaching the motor. If this happens to you, unplug your disposal, clear out any debris in the unit. Using a hex tool provided with the garbage disposal, you insert the tool at the bottom of the unit and turn until the disposal motor moves freely. There is also a reset button under the disposal to restart the unit. If repairing or replacing a garbage disposal is out of your comfort zone, Max Handyman can help.