Picture this: It’s a sweltering Sunday afternoon, and you are taking refuge in your home office catching up on some paperwork. You are grateful for the cool air flowing through the registers. Suddenly the quiet hum of your air conditioning unit shuts off — and so does your desktop computer.

Half an hour later, your air conditioning turns back on as it should — but you’re on the phone with the Geek Squad about your fried computer.

What happened?

Chances are, you (and your computer) have experienced an internal power surge caused by your air conditioning unit.

Summer is on its way, and with it comes a spike in residential water use! In contrast to some parts of the country, we in the Chicago area are fortunate to have a plentiful supply of fresh water in the form of Lake Michigan, the world’s fifth-largest lake by area and seventh largest by volume. Because of this, we also enjoy relatively low water rates for a major U.S. city.

That said, water is by no means free, and when you tally up a gallon here and a gallon there, unnecessary water use can add up to a significant punch in the wallet, especially in the summertime. That’s why we thought we’d take a moment to share some of our favorite ways to save water at home when the outside temperature rises.

Last week Tom Mascari (President of Mendel Plumbing & Heating) sent me some very funny pictures from his treasure trove of photos... we think the Mendel Blog site is ideal to share them with you!

Plumbing Maintenance Tips to Save Time and Money

There are a lot of benefits to being a homeowner, of course, but there are a lot of responsibilities as well. One of the most important is to keep an eye on your plumbing to make sure little problems don’t turn into major issues. Here are a few plumbing maintenance tips that are easy to follow and might help you save a great deal of money.

In an economy with rising energy costs and a struggling environment, learning how to save energy is something everyone needs to do. From lowering your energy bills to reducing your impact on the environment, these tips will help you run a more energy-efficient home.