In this episode:
Kevin O’Connor, Richard Trethewey, Heath Eastman and Mark McCullough share some trades-related holiday nightmares from their own houses. Jenn Nawada discusses different Christmas fir tree species: Balsam, Frasier, Douglas and Concolor. Kevin explains how house fires spike in December and to use those decorations carefully because they can catch and burn quickly if candlesticks fall over. Richard explains what can and can’t go down a garbage disposal after big, holiday dinners; He also shows the difference between a 1-hp disposer and a 1/3-hp disposer. Heath helps a homeowner safely install a variety of Christmas lights. He installs a GFCI outdoor outlet and protects it with an expandable weatherproof In-Use cover. Heath secures an icicle string light set to the roofline using universal shingle/gutter light clips. Along the tree Heath protects extension cords with outdoor extension cord covers. To turn all the lights on and off at the right times, he uses a timer.
Picking a Christmas Tree
Roger Cook toured Evergreen Farm in Sterling, MA. They also provided the Christmas tree Jenn and Kevin referred to in the segment. Roger visits a local Christmas tree farm where several different varieties of trees are grown. Roger examines a Douglas Fir, Balsam Fir, and Concolor Fir (also called a White Fir), but ultimately he selects a Fraser Fir for its strong branches and unique coloring.
Where to find it?
Roger visited Evergreen Farm. More information on Christmas trees can be found at Massachusetts Christmas Tree Association, and National Christmas Tree Association.
How to Prevent Holiday Fires
Kevin travels to UL Laboratories to learn about preventing fires from holiday decorations.
Where to find it?
The UL-rated artificial tree Kevin saw can be found at most department stores. Expert assistance for this segment was provided by UL Laboratories.
The Dos and Don’ts of Kitchen Disposers
Richard shows Kevin what should and should not go into your kitchen disposer.
Where to find it?
Richard demonstrated which foods can and cannot go into a disposer on a Badger 1 Garbage Disposal. He also showed the high-powered, quieter Evolution Excel Disposal. Both are manufactured by InSinkErator and available at home centers and plumbing supply stores.
Outdoor Christmas Lights
Heath Eastman helps a homeowner install an outdoor outlet and safely install outdoor Christmas lights.
Where to find it?
In order to safely plug in the outdoor lights, Heath installed a GFCI outdoor outlet and protected it using an Expandable Weatherproof In-Use Cover, which is manufactured by TayMac. Along the roofline, Heath installed String-A-Long 300 Light Clear Icicle Light set, which is manufactured by the General Electric Company. To secure the lights to the roofline, Heath used universal shingle/gutter light clips, which can be found at home centers. Along the tree, Heath hung White Tube Snowflake Lights, which are also available at home centers. For the shrubs and the light post, Heath added 150-Light 4x6’ Net Lights, which are manufactured by Brite Star and available at home centers. The extension cords to connect all the lights together are just general outdoor-rated extension cords. To protect the extension cords where they come together, Heath enclosed them in Cord Protect Outdoor Extension Cord Covers, which are manufactured by Twist and Seal and available at home centers.To connect all the extension cords together and program them to turn on/off at the appropriate times, Heath plugged them into an Outdoor Stake Timer, which is also manufactured by the General Electric Company. Expert assistance with this segment was provided by Eaton and Eastman Electric. Original Air Date: Nov 22, 2020 Season 19; Ep.8 23:42
Products and Services from this Episode
Christmas tree farm:Evergreen Farm More information on Christmas trees:Massachusetts Christmas Tree AssociationNational Christmas Tree Association Expert assistance:UL LaboratoriesEaton and Eastman Electric Kitchen disposers:InSinkErator GFCI outdoor outlet cover:TayMac Extension cord covers:Twist and Seal Outdoor stake timer:General Electric Company Outdoor light sets:General Electric CompanyBrite Star
