Consumer Corner
Choosing the Right HVAC Solution for Your Household Needs
Last Updated on August 1, 2025 by Daily News Staff
Choosing the Right HVAC Solution for Your Household Needs
(Family Features) Selecting the right heating and cooling system depends on your specific needs and lifestyle. Whether you work from home, live with multiple generations, or are renovating a historic home, there are solutions that can be tailored to your everyday needs.
One of the most versatile HVAC solutions is an all-electric, all-climate heat pump. These high-performance solutions offer greater versatility than conventional HVAC systems, as they are engineered to perform efficiently across a wide range of temperatures and environmental conditions. An all-climate heat pump can make it easy to meet your home’s year-round comfort and energy-efficiency needs. To find a solution that matches your unique lifestyle, consider these options from the heating and cooling experts at Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US (METUS) to help you make an informed decision.
Optimized comfort for home offices
Mitsubishi Electric offers a variety of mini-split air-conditioning and heat pump system options to best meet the needs of a home office. If you’re converting an unconditioned space to an office, a single-zone system will best meet your needs. This consists of one indoor unit and one outdoor unit connected by small refrigerant lines. The indoor unit can be ducted or ductless, the latter being ideal if you don’t have connecting ductwork already in place, saving you additional material costs. You may be familiar with the classic wall-mounted indoor unit, but there are other ductless options to fit any aesthetic.
If you are moving into a new home or renovating an old one, a multi-zone system may be a better option to consider. One multi-zone outdoor unit connects up to eight indoor units and provides personalized comfort in multiple spaces. This functionality eliminates the problem of hot and cold spots in the home and allows for energy to be used only in the zones that need it. You can choose all ductless, ducted, or a combination of both, connected to a single outdoor multi-zone unit.
All-climate heat pumps are also beneficial for noise reduction. Mitsubishi Electric outdoor units are as quiet as a typical conversation, and most indoor units are whisper quiet – ideal for working from home.
Flexible and personalized solutions for multigenerational families
Zoned Comfort Solutions are also ideal for multigenerational households. In many homes, a single thermostat controls the temperature for the entire house, leaving some rooms hot, some rooms cold, and some rooms in a constant state of flux. Whether you need to heat and cool a basement apartment for grandparents or maintain a different climate for children’s bedrooms, there’s a better, zoned solution that can adapt to your family’s temperature preferences.
A multi-zoned home is divided into segments based on size and layout with each zone controlled by a thermostat. Instead of those thermostats connecting to a single unit, each zone has its individual unit style, including ceiling cassettes, wall-, and floor-mounted models that keep a zone at the set temperature without affecting the other zones. Ultimately, this provides better personalized comfort and can lower household energy consumption and cost.
High-performance ductless systems for home renovators
You can upgrade your HVAC system quickly and easily even in a historic home or when tackling a one-room addition.
Ductless systems, which can include recessed ceiling cassettes and wall-mounted indoor units, blend seamlessly with home aesthetics and require minimal installation work. Among these options, certain models stand out for their smart features and enhanced comfort. For instance, the Mitsubishi Electric MSZ-FX Deluxe Wall-mounted Indoor Unit offers built-in Wi-Fi. Users can easily manage temperature, scheduling, and operation remotely. The unit’s advanced 3D i-see Sensor® scans the room to create a detailed thermal profile, detecting variations in heat based on size, temperature, and movement. It then adjusts airflow and temperature accordingly, delivering personalized comfort while helping reduce energy use based on room occupancy. The MSZ-FX is also ENERGY STAR® certified and features Dual Barrier Coating technology designed to reduce the accumulation of dust and buildup on the vanes of the indoor unit.
Comfort you can count on, wherever life takes you
No matter your lifestyle − remote work, multigenerational living, or renovating − there’s an HVAC solution designed to meet your needs. Mitsubishi Electric all-climate heat pumps combine efficiency, comfort, and adaptability in one system. With expert guidance and the right configuration, you can create a home environment that delivers year-round comfort and long-term energy savings.
Learn more about which all-climate heat pump system is right for you at MitsubishiComfort.com.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images
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(Feature Impact) Relationships and plumbing have something in common: they can both benefit from practicing smarter bathroom habits. Whether you’re sharing a household with your family, a partner or roommates, good etiquette in these frequently shared spaces can save everyone’s sanity – just like rethinking your flushing routines can save your pipes.
From simple annoyances like leaving the toilet seat up to potentially costly mistakes like clogging your plumbing by flushing the wrong items, a new survey from the Responsible Flushing Alliance (RFA) illuminated a variety of bad habits that cause the most tension in American homes.
In addition to shedding light on these problems, the alliance outlined solutions you can implement at home to restore peace in your restroom. Plus, you can gamify the habit changes to make them more entertaining.
“Our goal is to revolutionize public education by keeping it highly engaging, memorable and fun,” RFA President Lara Wyss said. “We are challenging the public to rethink their everyday habits.”
Get started with these seven tips:
Replace the toilet roll properly
Don’t be the reason someone gets stranded with nothing but a cardboard tube in their moment of need. Keep extra rolls nearby, and when you’re down to the last square of toilet paper, make it a race against the clock to replace it.
Use the (flush) force
An unflushed toilet was listed as the biggest bathroom pet peeve by 37% of survey respondents. To make it fun for the family, introduce a new tradition: before you leave the bathroom, pretend there’s an invisible force field pushing you back to make sure you’ve flushed and are good to go.
Hunt for sink and shower hair
Leaving hair in the drain isn’t just a source of potential plumbing clogs – it’s also an irritant for 35% of respondents. After you shower or style your hair, make it a game to see how many stray strands you can capture and deliver to the trash can.
Clean it and close it
You’ve probably heard jokes about people who leave the toilet seat up, so don’t make yourself the punchline. For a completely un-mockable routine, grab the brush to give the bowl a quick swish after you flush, ensure the seat is down and use an anti-bacterial wipe to leave everything sparkling. You’ll notice cleaning wipes bear the Do Not Flush symbol, which means they go in the trash and never the toilet.
Conquer the counter
Toothpaste and water often splatter all over the place, so to be a polite bathroom roommate, wipe up the mess before it’s even had a chance to dry. Keep cleaning wipes or rags within easy reach and give yourself a 10-second deadline to leave surfaces spotless.
Practice good towel etiquette
Wet towels don’t belong on bathroom floors. If they still have a use or two left in them, banish them back to your towel rack. Otherwise, challenge yourself to a game of laundry basketball, aiming for the hamper.
Don’t flush the un-flushable
According to an RFA survey, half of Americans are still flushing things they know they shouldn’t, like paper towels, feminine hygiene products and non-flushable wipes. Since clearing a clog in your home can cost anywhere from $300-$15,000 or more, the only thing you’ll be draining with habits like these is your wallet.
“Always check wet wipes for the Do Not Flushsymbol and disposal instructions, which helps us protect not only the health of our homes and environment but our relationships, too,” Wyss said.
Visit FlushSmart.org to learn more about good bathroom etiquette, take an interactive quiz and put these tips into practice with a seven-day challenge.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock (throwing away non-flushable wipe)
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Consumer Corner
Driving in Wet Summer Conditions: The Impact of Worn Tires on Stopping Distance
Wet Summer Conditions: As drivers prepare for summer road trips, navigating seasonal weather with worn tires can often be an overlooked safety concern.
Driving in Wet Summer Conditions: The Impact of Worn Tires on Stopping Distance
(Feature Impact) As drivers prepare for summer road trips, navigating seasonal weather with worn tires can often be an overlooked safety concern. For those living in regions that experience seasonal storms and heavy rainfall, ensuring their vehicle’s tires are properly maintained can mean the difference between stopping safely or being involved in an accident.
As tread depth decreases, tires’ ability to maintain grip on wet pavement diminishes, increasing both stopping distances and the likelihood of losing control. In fact, on roads with light rain is where the Federal Highway Administration reports 77% of weather-related crashes occur.
New testing revealed worn tires (approximately 4/32-inch tread depth) required 30-45% more stopping distance – equating to 44-67 additional feet, depending on the tire model – to bring an average car or sedan to a full stop when braking. During moderate and heavy rainfall, vehicles equipped with worn tires required more than 140 additional feet to stop – nearly half the length of a football field. This data comes from water depth stopping-distance testing performed from 60 miles per hour at Treadwell Research Park on behalf of Discount Tire, a leading independent retailer of tires and wheels with more than 1,275 stores in 40 states.
Summer weather can be unpredictable and with the chance of sudden storms expected this time of year, drivers should take extra precautions to ensure their tires can stop safely in wet conditions.
Drivers can use tools like Treadwell, Discount Tire’s online tire recommendation tool, to compare stopping distances of popular tire models in new and worn conditions. The tool evaluates tire options based on vehicle type, driving habits and local conditions – as well as decades of data and independent testing results – to provide recommendations based on each driver’s unique needs.
Before hitting the road, consider these expert tips:
Monitor Tire Tread Depth
Tread depth plays a critical role in wet-weather traction and stopping performance. Drivers can perform a quick tread check at home using a penny. Insert the penny upside down into a tread groove; if the top of President Lincoln’s head is visible, it’s time to replace the tire. If you’re not sure, head to a local tire retailer to have them check for you.
Know the Tires’ Age
As rubber compounds age, the rubber becomes harder and more susceptible to cracking and failure. To check a tire’s age at home, look at the DOT number stamped on its sidewall. Experts typically recommend replacing tires that are 6 years old or older, depending on condition and manufacturer guidance.
Rotate Tires on Schedule
Tires should be rotated every 6,000 miles, or earlier if uneven wear develops. Routine tire rotations help promote even wear and maximize tire life.
Check Tire Pressure Regularly
Tire pressure should be checked at least once a month when tires are cool, particularly before any long road trips, because ambient temperature changes as well as the impacts and pressures of bumps and turns can affect inflation levels. Underinflated tires can contribute to poor handling, excessive wear, reduced fuel efficiency and increased stress on the tires due to overloading.
To locate a neighborhood tire retailer near you to save on tires, wheels or windshield wipers, visit DiscountTire.com.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
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Discount Tire
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How to Protect Yourself from a Smartphone Scam
(Feature Impact) The first sign is unexpectedly losing access to your cell phone. Soon after, when you connect to Wi-Fi, the gravity of the situation sinks in: a criminal has gained access to your cell phone number and is trying to siphon money from your credit cards and bank accounts.
The scam is called SIM swapping, or SIM hijacking, and it’s a concern for law enforcement in the United States and abroad as more than 5,000 people have reported SIM swapping scams to the FBI since 2022. Older adults, caregivers and families can benefit from understanding the warning signs of SIM swapping and taking simple security steps to prevent it from happening.
How SIM swapping works
A SIM card, or its digital version known as an eSIM, helps connect a phone number to a carrier network. In a SIM swapping scam, a criminal collects basic information about their victim, such as their name, birthdate and address, to try to move the victim’s phone number to a SIM card or eSIM profile the criminal controls.
Once complete, the scammer gains access to accounts you may be logged into on your phone, such as bank accounts or credit card apps, without touching your phone or being near you.
How to protect yourself from SIM swapping scams
Preparation is the best protection against SIM swapping. Cell phone users should use strong, unique passwords for each online account – password managers are a helpful tool in creating complex and randomized passwords. Use two-factor authentication where it’s offered; this adds an extra layer of security when accessing sensitive accounts.
Next, consumers should protect personal information they share online, whether on social media or in texts or emails asking for identifying data, such as PIN numbers, birthdates or one-time security codes. Be wary of anyone pushing you to share personal information, particularly if they’re pushy with their request or make it sound urgent.
Check your mobile carrier to see if it offers SIM protection. For example, Verizon customers can toggle on a protection feature on the carrier’s website or app to lock lines on their account to help prevent SIM changes.
If you get an unprompted notification that your SIM has been changed, or otherwise suspect you’ve been targeted in a SIM swapping scam, contact your banks immediately and have them freeze your accounts, including ones the criminals may not have targeted yet. Next, work with your cell phone provider to help regain access to your mobile device. If you’re able, share as much information as possible with law enforcement so they can investigate, or at least document trends, in how often this scam occurs.
To find more advice to protect against smartphone scams, visit Verizon.com.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
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