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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.

LED stands for Light Emitting Diode. LEDs have been around for a long time but only recently have become effective in lightbulbs. They use little electricity and can last a very long time. LEDs (the diodes) are very small elements that must be combined to produce one bulb that has an equivalent light output needed for a bulb. In addition to the diodes there must be electronic circuitry to control them.

Energy Consumption – The energy consumption is similar to that of CFL bulbs and much better than incandescent bulbs.

Dimmable – This is awesome, See a demonstration in the video. This is a huge advantage over a CFL.

Instant on – Truly instant on unlike a CFL. Its just like the real thing

Long life – between three and ten times the life of a CFL.

Color – Great color temperature that matches perfectly with the old incandescent bulbs.

Safer – No mercury. Did you know CFLs have hazardous materials in them?

High initial cost – Prices vary. $30 and up is typical. Some home centers have some for $40 and $50 depending on the style and light output.

Shape/style – The initial LEDs have odd shapes and look a bit weird. We expect things to look more conventional as time progresses.

Reliability – We do not know much about longterm reliability yet.

(12¢/kWh)

(Continuous use, manufacturer supplied value)

(when used for

There are a lot of ifs and assumptions to consider such as whether an LED will last its rated hours, will their price decrease and prices for energy. If energy prices stay stable then eventually an LED will pay for itself. Right now its not a compelling case. Saving $20 over 11 years is just too hard to justify for such a big initial cash layout.

Watch the show to see the discussion and more conclusions.

The post Led Bulbs first appeared on The Handyguys.

The post Led Bulbs appeared first on The Handyguys.

In the latest episode, The Handyguys discuss several ways to unclog toilets.

Yes, you can use a typical plunger if you have a clogged toilet. It works most of the time. What do you do if the plunger fails? Don’t despair, try one of the other techniques discussed in this video.

A plunger is the most common method to unclog toilets. The Handyguys discuss this method in depth.

A toilet auger can assist when you have a really tough load.

Well… just watch the video.

The post How to Unclog Toilets first appeared on The Handyguys.

The post How to Unclog Toilets appeared first on The Handyguys.

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.

The Federal government mandated certain ethanol production increases for 2013 and beyond. That additional production of ethanol additive led the EPA to approve an E15 blend for automobiles (15% mixture of ethanol). Various consumer groups have come out against the new mandates.

AAA Says

“It is clear that millions of Americans are unfamiliar with E15, which means there is a strong possibility that many motorists may improperly fill up using this gasoline and damage their vehicle,” said AAA President & CEO Robert Darbelnet. “Bringing E15 to the market without adequate safeguards does not responsibly meet the needs of consumers.”

Consumers Unions Says, in regard to E15’s cousin, E85, in FFVs.

When running on E85 there was no significant change in acceleration. Fuel economy, however, dropped across the board. In highway driving, gas mileage decreased from 21 to 15 mpg; in city driving, it dropped from 9 to 7 mpg.

One major concern with E15 is its effect on older cars. Testing has indicated that damage can occur in vehicles designed before the wide use of ethanol. If you car was built before 2001, avoid E15.

The Handyguys discuss the devastation that ethanol wreaks on small engines. Ethanol attracts water, deteriorates parts and gums up carburetors. If you can’t start your mower, chain saw, string trimmer or other small engine, the cause is likely ethanol in the fuel. When you buy gas with ethanol, it is best to treat it with Sta-bil and never use gas more that a few weeks old in the small engine. Stale gas can be be disposed of in the tank of your car without issue.

One great alternative mentioned during the interview is to look for a product called TruFuel. TruFuel is a premixed gas/oil with no Ethanol. It’s perfect for engines that required a gas/oil fuel mix. Just make sure you buy the correct blend for your needs.

Discussions regarding ethanol would not be complete without pointing out that the use of what is normally considered food for people or livestock (other foods) causes food prices to rise. This is natural supply and demand. When the government diverts food into fuel (by use of subsidies for farmers) then there is less food. When there is less food, food prices rise. World poverty organization, Oxfam has said “We must stop the obscene waste of food including burning it as biodiesel in our trucks and cars.”

Listen or watch the interview for all the details.

The post E15 Ethanol Mandate first appeared on The Handyguys.

The post E15 Ethanol Mandate appeared first on The Handyguys.

A hammer drill, when equipped with a masonry bit, is designed for drilling into stone, concrete, brick or mortar. When a hammer drill operates, it rotates like a normal drill, and at the same time, has a forward, hammering, type action. Watch or listen to The Handyguys discussing when and why to use them.

You can buy a dedicated hammer drill such as the big rig Hilti Rotary Hammer that Handyguy Paul shows on the video. More commonly, people will use a drill that has a hammer setting. These multi-purpose drills are available corded and cordless.

A dedicated hammer drill, sometimes called a rotary hammer, is a specialty tool that is used when you have a lot of masonry drilling to do. It sometimes makes sense to rent these as the expense is often hard to justify for the average DIYer.

A corded drill with a hammer setting is useful when you have electricity nearby and you do not want to worry about having charged batteries. They also tend to have higher RPM and more power.

Cordless hammer drills are very handy when you do not have electricity nearby. The newest 18+ volt models have power that approaches corded tools. If you are not drilling hundreds of holes at one time, these cordless wonders are the way to go.

The hammer drill setting is NOT for driving screws and should never be used when driving screws. Many people confuse hammer drills with a completely different tool called an impact driver. An impact driver uses an impact type action to increase rotational drive. Rotational impact excels at driving screws, lags and nuts but does nothing related to drilling. Don’t use an impact driver for drilling of any kind. Impact drivers are only for screws, lags, bolts and nuts.

After watching this video, make sure you check out one of The Handyguys earliest audio-only show where we discuss drills.

The post Hammer Drills: When to use them and why? first appeared on The Handyguys.

The post Hammer Drills: When to use them and why? appeared first on The Handyguys.

In this episode of The Handyguys podcast, The Handyguys discuss Ipe Deck Maintenance, how to clean it and keep it looking awesome.

Brian’s Ipe deck looked great when it was complete. Eighteen months later, it was looking a bit dirty. The wood was still in perfect condition, no checking, no splits or splinters, it was just a bit dingy. After a bit of maintenance, it looked great again.

To keep the deck looking new, it will take some annual maintenance.

The Handyguys recommend the following maintenance procedure for all decks:

As needed, thoroughly clean and re-oil the Ipe deck. This may be once a year or every other year depending on how much sun you get. Over time, the re-oil step will not be needed as often.

Ipe deck cleaning solution:

Use a scrub brush on a long handle and thoroughly wash the deck with the cleaning solution. Rinse thoroughly and let dry completely.

Thanks for watching or listening. Make sure you subscribe so you do not miss any of our upcoming shows.

The post Ipe Deck Maintenance first appeared on The Handyguys.

The post Ipe Deck Maintenance appeared first on The Handyguys.

There are hundreds of toolbox choices on the market. The Handyguys discuss the big and small, soft and hard, tool specific or generic toolbox choices in this video.

These types of toolboxes are very common when you only need to carry around a few small tools. The Handyguys like their Bucket Boss system for carry tools to the job but they also find use for a ‘normal’ small toolbox.

Blow-mold tool specific tool cases are loved or hated. Many people will discard them, others can’t live without them. Both Handyguy Brian and Handyguy Paul keep these tool specific tool cases around for when they need to protect the tool during transport.

Some tools come with soft cases but you can also buy soft sided toolboxes. Soft sided toolboxes are lighter and easier to pack in the trunk of a car. There are tons of sizes, styles, colors and features. Click on the picture to see a bunch of them.

As your tool collection grows or as the complexity of the project dictates a more varied tool collection, it may be nice to have one large, rolling tool kit that contains all the tools needed for the job. Just be careful. Some rolling toolboxes can be TOO big. Make sure it fits in the trunk of your car if needed or that you can actually lift it when its full.

Thanks for reading, listening and watching. If you like our content please do not forget to subscribe  You can sign up for our email list and be notified of new shows by subscribing in YouTube, iTunes and many other places. If you have a question for The Handyguys, then drop us a line. All our contact information can be found on our contact page.

The post Toolbox Choices first appeared on The Handyguys.

The post Toolbox Choices appeared first on The Handyguys.

It doesn’t happen too often but it CAN happen – smoke alarm but no smoke. Yes, your smoke alarm can go off when there is no smoke. One possibility is dust.

The Handyguys discuss how to deal with a “smoke alarm, no smoke” situation cause by dust.

The post Smoke alarm no smoke – What to do first appeared on The Handyguys.

The post Smoke alarm no smoke – What to do appeared first on The Handyguys.

Installing a faucet and water filter doesn’t need to be hard. In this new video from The Handyguys, we show you the basic steps to installing a faucet and water filter.

In this video, The Handyguys install the new Pfister Pasadena Kitchen faucet featuring:

The Handyguys also add The Filtrete High Performance Drinking Water System with Maximum Filtration Plus with the following features:

Installing a faucet and water filter required only basic tools and the ability to read directions. If you take your time, you can upgrade the look of your kitchen and also have filtered water when you want it.

The products used in this production have been provided by their respective vendors. However, the opinions of The Handyguys are entirely our own and we have not been paid to make positive comments.

The post Installing a faucet and water filter first appeared on The Handyguys.

The post Installing a faucet and water filter appeared first on The Handyguys.

Handyguy Brian’s garage is a disaster. He has a mix of recycled cabinets, homemade shelving, pegboard and cheap, rusty metal shelves. In this episode, The Handyguys discuss garage organization and show off their new set.

Here are a few of the advantages of using Redline’s Garage Organization offerings discussed in this video:

A cabinet layout is drawn based on your needs and the space you have.

Go to http://www.redlinegaragegear.com/ and click on “Win a custom workbench”

The post Garage Cabinets & Garage Organization first appeared on The Handyguys.

The post Garage Cabinets & Garage Organization appeared first on The Handyguys.

In this episode, The Handyguys try out electric snowblowers, discuss advantages of electric over gas snowblowers, and why they may be the right tool for a homeowner and why they might not be the right tool for some people.

If you want to try one of these Toro Power Curve electric snowblowers for yourself, head on over to Amazon and pick one up.

Toro has provided The Handyguys products used in this evaluation. However, the opinions of The Handyguys are entirely our own and we have not been paid to make positive comments.

The post Electric Snowblowers first appeared on The Handyguys.

The post Electric Snowblowers appeared first on The Handyguys.