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Stuff Every Homeowner Should Know

Owning and fixing a home: maintenance, safety, energy, money and repairs.

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  1. Where does radon rank among causes of lung cancer in the United States?
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    Second leading cause. The Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths. It affects non-smokers too.

  2. At what radon level does EPA recommend you fix your home?
    Show the answer

    4 pCi/L or higher. EPA recommends fixing your home if the level is 4 picocuries per liter or higher. Levels below 4 still pose some risk, and in many cases can be reduced.

  3. How long does a short-term radon test stay in your home?
    Show the answer

    Two days to 90 days. Short-term tests run from two days to 90 days. Radon changes by day and season, so a long-term test (over 90 days) better shows your year-round average.

All 119 practice questions

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  1. Where does radon rank among causes of lung cancer in the United States?
  2. At what radon level does EPA recommend you fix your home?
  3. How long does a short-term radon test stay in your home?
  4. Where in the home should a radon test kit go, according to EPA?
  5. Before a 2 or 3 day radon test, how long should windows and doors stay closed?
  6. How much can a radon reduction system cut radon levels in a home?
  7. Once your home has a radon system, how often should you retest?
  8. Which homes can have a radon problem?
  9. About what share of US homes built before 1978 still contain some lead-based paint?
  10. Does EPA's RRP rule generally require homeowners painting their own pre-1978 house to be certified?
  11. Before sanding or scraping old paint, what does EPA suggest to keep dust down?
  12. You can't tell when your house was built. What does EPA say to assume before renovating?
  13. How soon should you dry a water-damaged area to prevent mold growth?
  14. What indoor humidity does EPA say is ideal for discouraging mold?
  15. Up to about how big a moldy patch can you usually clean yourself, per EPA?
  16. Can you fix a moldy surface by painting or caulking over it?
  17. A wall has visible mold. Does EPA say you usually need lab sampling first?
  18. Which moldy items may have to be thrown away, according to EPA?
  19. Does EPA recommend chlorine bleach as a routine part of mold cleanup?
  20. How often does ENERGY STAR say to inspect, clean or change your furnace or AC air filter?
  21. When does ENERGY STAR say to schedule the annual check-up for your heating system?
  22. What can a plugged condensate drain on your AC or furnace cause?
  23. Airflow problems can reduce an air conditioner's efficiency by up to how much?
  24. How often does EPA recommend routine air duct cleaning?
  25. Which smoke alarm setup does the US Fire Administration recommend for every home?
  26. Why does USFA recommend interconnected smoke alarms?
  27. Your smoke alarm sounds while you cook. What should you not do?
  28. What does the US Fire Administration suggest for fire detection in an attached garage?
  29. A garage heat alarm should be rated for what temperature range?
  30. Smoke alarms plus fire sprinklers reduce the risk of dying in a fire by about how much?
  31. A Class C fire extinguisher is designed for fires involving what?
  32. How often should a toilet flapper be replaced, at minimum, according to EPA WaterSense?
  33. Food coloring in your toilet tank shows up in the bowl after 10 minutes. What does that mean?
  34. To check for hidden leaks, how long do you watch the water meter with no water in use?
  35. A faucet that drips once per second wastes more than how much water per year?
  36. When does EPA WaterSense suggest checking an in-ground irrigation system for frost damage?
  37. How often should you test a private well for bacteria, nitrates and pH?
  38. In ENERGY STAR's paper test, a sheet shut in your window slides back and forth easily. What does that mean?
  39. How can a lit incense stick help you find air leaks around a window?
  40. Pea-size, flaky gray attic insulation called vermiculite may contain what?
  41. Why does ENERGY STAR suggest a professional check before sealing your home tightly?
  42. In a 1-inch rain, about how much water falls on the roof of a 2,000 square foot house?
  43. Why should a sump pit have an airtight cover?
  44. According to UMN Extension, is a dehumidifier a permanent fix for a damp basement?
  45. What hazard are AFCIs meant to address, compared with GFCIs?
  46. Do ordinary household circuit breakers respond to early arcing and sparking?
  47. A GFCI trips when current flowing out and back differs by as little as how much?
  48. Since what year has the NEC required GFCI protection for bathroom receptacles, per CPSC?
  49. What do all indoor molds need in order to grow?
  50. When stripping old paint with a heat gun, how hot should EPA's low-temperature gun stay?
  51. What does a mortgage escrow account usually pay on your behalf?
  52. Under federal RESPA rules, how big an escrow cushion can a lender require?
  53. Private mortgage insurance (PMI) protects which party if you stop paying?
  54. You can ask to cancel PMI when your balance is scheduled to hit what share of the home's original value?
  55. Even if you never ask, PMI generally ends automatically when the balance is scheduled to reach what share?
  56. How much does one mortgage discount point cost?
  57. What do you get for paying discount points at closing?
  58. On an adjustable-rate mortgage, how is your new rate figured after the teaser period?
  59. How early must a lender give you the Closing Disclosure before you close?
  60. After signing a refinance or home equity loan on your home, how long can you cancel it?
  61. Are HOA dues usually included in your monthly mortgage payment?
  62. If you let homeowner's insurance lapse, a lender may buy a policy and bill you. Who might it protect?
  63. What is the "draw period" on a home equity line of credit (HELOC)?
  64. What is the biggest risk of a HELOC?
  65. What kind of interest rate do HELOCs usually have?
  66. What often happens to monthly payments when a HELOC moves from the draw period to repayment?
  67. A married couple filing jointly can exclude up to how much gain from selling their main home?
  68. To use the home sale tax exclusion, you must have owned and lived in the home how long?
  69. For your home's tax basis, which counts as an improvement rather than a repair?
  70. How long should you keep records of home improvements?
  71. In Texas, what is the usual deadline to protest your property's appraised value?
  72. Does standard homeowner's insurance cover flood damage?
  73. When does a new NFIP flood insurance policy usually take effect?
  74. About what share of NFIP flood claims come from outside high-risk flood areas?
  75. How much building coverage can a standard NFIP homeowner flood policy provide?
  76. When is flood insurance required with a mortgage?
  77. Federal disaster aid after a flood usually comes in what form?
  78. In the attic, what does EPA recommend you do first?
  79. EPA estimates air sealing plus adding insulation saves homeowners about how much on heating and cooling, on average?
  80. ENERGY STAR says the minimum attic insulation in the northern U.S. is about what?
  81. In a typical house with forced-air ducts, about how much of the air is lost to leaks?
  82. Which product does ENERGY STAR say you should never use to seal ducts?
  83. An air-source heat pump can deliver up to how much heat energy per unit of electricity it uses?
  84. ENERGY STAR says consider replacing a heat pump or air conditioner when it is older than what?
  85. What does geofencing do on a smart thermostat?
  86. ENERGY STAR downlight fixtures use about how much less energy than ones with incandescent bulbs?
  87. For a typical Midwest lawn, UMN Extension says to keep the grass at what height?
  88. How much of the grass blade should you cut off in a single mowing?
  89. Does leaving grass clippings on the lawn cause thatch?
  90. To grow drought-tolerant roots, how often should you irrigate an established lawn?
  91. What time of day is best to water your lawn?
  92. How should the soil next to your foundation slope?
  93. How far beyond the foundation wall should downspout extensions discharge water?
  94. A door-to-door repair contractor says prices will rise unless you sign today. What is that?
  95. When should you make the final payment to a post-disaster repair contractor?
  96. How much does FEMA charge for a home inspection after a disaster?
  97. When should you sign a written proposal with a heating and cooling contractor?
  98. Besides training, what should a good insulation contractor have in your state?
  99. What mainly causes ice dams on a roof?
  100. What water heater thermostat setting does the CPSC urge to help prevent scalds?
  101. According to the CPSC, how long in 150 degree water can cause a third-degree burn in most adults?
  102. How often does EPA WaterSense suggest flushing your water heater to remove sediment?
  103. EPA WaterSense says a home's incoming water pressure works best in what range?
  104. Which of these yard jobs should you call 811 about before you start?
  105. After 811 marks buried utilities in your yard, how close to the marks should you try not to dig?
  106. In very cold weather, what does the City of Bellevue say to do at a faucet fed by exposed pipes?
  107. A pipe is frozen. Which thawing method does the City of Bellevue recommend?
  108. The FTC says a typical home warranty plan pays to repair or replace what?
  109. In Fairfax County, Virginia, do unpermitted construction rules still apply after a house is sold?
  110. What risk does Fairfax County, Virginia warn about for structures built without proper permits?
  111. ENERGY STAR says caulk is the right fix for gaps around window or door trim of what size?
  112. When you test a sump pump by pouring in water, NDSU Extension says it should turn on and off at least how many times?
  113. How far from a house wall should large trees like oaks and maples be planted, at least?
  114. The CPSC says to flip each circuit breaker off and on how many times, at least once a year?
  115. What does an insulation's R-value measure?
  116. About how often should most homeowners clean out their rain gutters?
  117. If trees surround your house and leaves keep clogging the gutters, what does Delaware's DNREC suggest adding?
  118. The National Electrical Code's breaker panel labeling rule says each circuit's label must do what?
  119. In many home electrical panels, what does the main breaker do?