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Many homeowners become complacent about home security because they feel they have nothing worth stealing. What they fail to realize is that the majrity of burglars have no way of knowing escatly what is inside any home. Most break into a house, expecting to be lucky.

Given enough time, a burglar will tear into a house, ripping apart upholstery, breaking up cabinets, and even pulling pictures from the walls, looking for saleable items. These cost more to repair the damage than to replace the stolen items.

Only a small percentage of burglaries are the result of careful planning and execution by seasoned professionals. The majority of break-ins are done alone or with a partner also in dire need of money.

The tips below are nothing fancy like installing an ultra hightech motion detector that shoots laser. They are just common sense put together to at lease deter home theft.

1. If you are away from home for long periods you might want to consider having a house sitter drop by at different times. It also is a big help to have a trusted neighbor who spends most of the time at home to watch over your house.

2. You can also set up props to create an illusion of activity around the house. Objects like a children’s bike, pairs of dirty shoes and slippers, any invaluable object that suggests activity.

3. Remember to stop all deliveries if you intend to be away for a long period of time. Have a trusted neighbor pick up mail everyday or clean the garden for you.

4. Your home should never be totally dark at night. You should have lights regulated by timers or photosensitive activators to have them lit up on specific times.

5. Install a home burglar alarm. Depending on the system it may be the type that comes with lights that help distract burglars and wake up neighbors or it can also be the type where it is connected to a nearby police station’s system.

6. If you have valuable things inside that you cannot bring, hire a professional guard from a reputable company, they cost a bit but the feeling of having someone guard your house 24/7 is quite good.

7. Lastly, still the best deterrent against burglary is a network of vigilant neighbors. Although, this is not always true for people living in cities where everybody minds there own business.

Well-designed fan motors have sealed bearings so that they require no lubrication or maintenance. However, vibrations sometimes can cause the screws on the blade mounts or motor housing to work loose. That results in noisy fan operation.

The remedy is simple: Tighten any loose screws with a screwdriver. Do not overtighten. Before turning on the fan, spin the blades by hand to be sure they rotate freely.

The rotating blades usually pickup dust and dirt, so periodic cleaning is a must. Clean the blades and housing with a mild detergent. Do not use abrasive agents because they can mar the finish. It’s also a good idea to protect wooden fan blades with a light coat of furniture polish.

Two of our previouse articles talked about “Home Protection from Termites” and “Termite Infestation” but how do you pinpoint a termite’s actual location or nest? Having a detective’s eye would really help, you just need to observe keenly, patiently and try to think like a termite!

Sometimes you can see termites at work boring into your woodwork. You may also be able to see the tunnels and galleries that they create. Most of the time, however, you will not see anything. That’s because these pests work within walls, below floors, and above ceilings, attacking structural members that are out of sight and not readily accessible. So, it’s possible to have termite infestation and not be aware of it. That’s why it’s a good idea to have your home inspected periodically by a professional pest control operator.

While termite eradication is a job for a trained professional, the homeowner can do some things to make his home less inviting to termites: Eliminate wood to ground contact wherever possible. That means that wooden posts should rest on concrete blocks and wooden steps should be supported by a concrete slab.

Termites thrive in moist soil. Make sure that the soil around your house is graded properly so that all rain water is carried away from the foundation. A moisture barrier such as polyethylene film will help control moisture on your home.

Don’t forget to remove any wooden debris, including scrap lumber, tree limbs, tree stumps, dead trees and even sawdust from around the house.

Most of us tend to take electricity for granted. Whe we flick a switch, we expect the power to be there. We expect that power to be safe and constant. That is not always the case, especially here in the Philippines where almost everyone can be an electrician and will claim to know everything when it comes to electical work. Power often fluctuates with surges or drops in voltage. Your house wiring also can have problems that can be a threat to your personal safety. That’s why it’s important to know how to test the circuits in your home.

Making electrical tests sounds complicated and expensive, but it’s not. You can buy a few simple testers that are easy to use for less than Usd20 (Php600).

You can start with a circuit analyser, which is a small gadget, almost the size of an electrical socket adapter. It can be purchased at most home centers or electronic supply stores. You use the circuit analyser by plugging it into any wall outlet. Lights/LED in the instrument will light in different patterns to reveal in any problems exist in that circuit. For example, the analyzer will tell you if the circuit is improperly grounded or if the hot and ground wires are reversed. Either of these can give you a nasty shock.

We often assume that plugging a three-pronged plug into a socket automatically grounds the appliance. That is not always the case because the outlet may not have a ground connection. A circuit analyser will show this. You should check all the outlets in your house, particularly those in the kitchen and the bathroom.

You’ll also want to buy a circuit tester. The circuit tester is basically a bulb with two test leads that is used to indicate the presence of electricity. If for example, you want to replace a wall switch, the first step is to shut off the power to the circuit (never work on a circuit until you are certain that the power is off).

To use the circuit tester, grasp the leads by the plastic collars - do not hold the metal tips - and make three tests. First, touch one lead to the screw erminal holding the black or hot, wire and touch the other leaad to the metal junction box or the green ground screw. For the second test, touch one lead to the white, or neutral, wire screw terminal and the other to the ground. For the final test, connect one lead to the black-wire screw terminal and the other lead to the white-wire screw terminal. If the bulb lights during any of those tests, the circuit is hot, and it’s not safe to proceed with the repair.

Another piece of testing equipment that can help save time and money is the continuity tester. It tells whether or not a circuit is complete - whether a switch or wire has broken internal parts. The continuity tester has its own power supply so make sure that power in the circuit is off when you use the tool. The tester has a metal probe on one end and a wire with an alligator clip on the other. You can use it to test switches, wires, and fuses. Use it to isolate malfunctioning components systematically and end trial-and-error replacement. The circuit tester also can be used to check newly installed wiring. Use it before you turn on power for the first time. It will tell you if any shorts must be repaired before the circuit is activated.