If you are unfamiliar with the process of closing a pool for the summer, contracting a reputable pool professional is always a good idea. However, if you are a do it yourself kind of person, here are ten easy steps to help in closing your pool until next season!

1. Clean the pool:
   Vacuum and brush the pool’s walls. If the pool is especially dirty or has a lot of algae, bypass the filter and vacuum on waste out of the backwash line. This will prevent contamination of the filter sand. Place the filter’s multiport valve on the waste position. The pool should be as clean and clear before covering or you could open in the spring to a green pool.
2. Balance water chemistry:
   The week of the pool closing, make sure the pool waterfalls within the following below.
   pH: 7.2 – 7.8
   Alkalinity: 80 ppm – 120 ppm
   Calcium Hardness: 180 – 220 ppm (vinyl and fiberglass) 250ppm-500 ppm (shotcrete)

3. Add shock and algaecide:
   Shock the pool, following the manufacturer’s directions. Allow the chlorine level to reach 1.0 – 3.0 ppm before adding algaecide for the winter.

4. Store equipment:
   Remove and clean skimmer baskets, wall fittings, pool cleaners/ robots, solar blankets and ladders from the pool and store away for the winter in a dry area. Don’t coil pool cleaner hoses tightly. Cartridge filters should be cleaned thoroughly before storing away for winter.

5. Lower water level:
   Using the filter pump or a submersible pump to lower the water level 12″ – 18″ below the skimmer for mesh covers, and 3″ – 6″ below the tile for solid safety covers and floating covers. Some covers do not require the water to be lowered. Check with the manufacturer’s manual.

6. Drain pump, filter, chlorination, and heating equipment:
   After the water has been drained and removed from all plumbing be certain to plug all wall inlets and skimmers. All water must be drained or blown out so the pipes do not freeze and crack. After draining, filter grids and cartridge filters should be removed and cleaned thoroughly before storing away for winter. If possible, store the filter and pump indoors. If not, use a shop vacuum or compressor to blow out any water that may still be in the equipment.

7. Lubricate:
   Fall closing is a good time to lubricate the pump lid o-rings. If there is a slide valve on the filter, lubricate its o-rings as well. If the pool has a gas heater with cast iron plugs, lubricate these threads or leave the plugs in after draining to prevent rusting.
8. Winterize plumbing:
   If the pool is in-ground, blow out the lines from the skimmer through the equipment and back to the pool. After doing so, plug the lines at the pool using expansion plugs. If the lines are not blown out, add swimming pool antifreeze into the lines following the manufacturer’s package directions. If the pool is above ground, just disconnect the hoses to and from the pump and filter and plug the wall outlets. Be certain to refill the pool with water after you have blown out the lines and plugged them. For a vinyl liner or fiberglass, you’ll want the water to be filled to the skim line and for Gunite (shotcrete), you’ll want the water to be filled back to the tile line. This is so that your cover will have the water to lay on instead of falling into the pool.

9. Cover the pool:
   A tight fit of the pool cover is essential. A mesh safety cover is the most desirable and safer. Solid covers will require a cover pump or siphon to remove rainwater and snowmelt. Above-ground pool covers use a cable winch device to secure the cover.
10. Relax and plan for the next season.
    The pool is now closed! Make a mental list of the enhancements and improvements that can be made to the pool, its surroundings as well as equipment.

Does the mere thought of a teeth cleaning lead to severe mental agony and fear? Indeed, many individuals would rather endure the agony of a toothache than step foot in a dentist’s office. Many people are so phobic about going to the dentist that they prefer not to have any treatment at all.

For people who avoid dentists like the plague, sedation dentistry may take away some of their anxiety. Sedation can be used for everything from invasive procedures to a simple tooth cleaning. How it is used depends on the severity of the fear.

What Is Sedation Dentistry?

Sedation dentistry uses medication to help patients relax during dental procedures. It’s sometimes referred to as “sleep dentistry,” although that is not entirely accurate. Patients are usually awake with the exception of those who are under general anesthesia.

The levels of sedation used include:

• Minimal sedation — the patient is awake but relaxed.
• Moderate sedation (formerly called “conscious sedation”) — patients may slur their words when speaking and not remember much of the procedure.
• Deep sedation — patients are on the edge of consciousness but can still be awakened.
• General anesthesia — the patient is completely unconscious.

What Types of Sedation Are Used in Dentistry?

The following types of sedation are used in dentistry:

• Inhaled minimal sedation. The patient breathes nitrous oxide — otherwise known as “laughing gas” — combined with oxygen through a mask that is placed over their nose. The gas helps the patient relax. The dentist can control the amount of sedation received, and the gas tends to wear off quickly. This is the only form of sedation where one may be able to drive themselves home after the procedure.
• Oral sedation. Depending on the total dose given, oral sedation can range from minimal to moderate. For minimal sedation, the patient takes a pill. Typically, the pill taken is Halcion, which is a member of the same drug family as Valium, and it is usually taken about an hour before the procedure. The pill will make the patient drowsy, although they will still be awake. A larger dose may be given to produce moderate sedation. This is the type of anesthesia most commonly associated with sedation dentistry. Some people become groggy enough from moderate oral sedation to actually fall asleep during the procedure. They usually can, though, be awakened with a gentle shake.
• IV moderate sedation. Not all dentists provide IV moderate sedation. When they do, the patient receives the sedative drug through a vein, so it goes to work more quickly. This method allows the dentist to continually adjust the level of sedation.
• Deep sedation and general anesthesia. The patient will get medications that will make them either almost unconscious or totally unconscious — deeply asleep — during the procedure. While they are under general anesthesia, they cannot easily be awakened until the effects of the anesthesia wear off or are reversed with medication.

Regardless of which type of sedation the patient receives, they will also typically need a local anesthetic — numbing medication at the site where the dentist is working in the mouth — to relieve pain if the procedure causes any discomfort.

For further information about sedation dentistry, please call Northgate Family Dentistry in Chattanooga, TN at 423-877-9961.

Who Can Have Sedation at the Dentist?

Sedation is most appropriate for people with a real fear or anxiety that is preventing them from going to the dentist.

Sedation dentistry may also be appropriate for people who:

• have a low pain threshold
• can’t sit still in the dentist’s chair
• have very sensitive teeth
• have a bad gag reflex
• need a large amount of dental work completed

Sometimes, children are given sedation if they are terrified of going to the dentist or refuse to cooperate during the visit. Nitrous oxide tends to be safe in children, and just about any dentist can administer it. A smaller percentage of pediatric dentists are trained to give children oral sedation. Oral sedation can be safe when kept within the recommended dose for the child’s age and weight.

Can Any Dentist Perform Sedation?

Most dentists can administer minimal sedation (such as nitrous oxide or pills). An increasing number of dentists can give moderate sedation. However, only a small percentage of dentists who have completed the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) program in deep sedation and general anesthesia can use these more complex techniques. These dentists are typically oral and maxillofacial surgeons and dentist anesthesiologists. Some dentists use a dental anesthesiologist who is specially trained to give all levels of sedation and anesthesia to both children and adults.

For further information about sedation dentistry, please call Northgate Family Dentistry in Chattanooga, TN at 423-877-9961.

All About Rear-End Accident Claims & Injury Compensation

by Dennis and King Law in Chattanooga, TN

Who pays for injuries after a rear-end auto accident? Following is some important information to know in order to get fair compensation from the insurance company.

Rear-end collisions injure more than 556,000 people annually. It is important to know what to do after a rear-end collision, and how to avoid mistakes that will inhibit making a successful insurance claim. This guide can help individuals get the compensation they deserve.

Causes of Rear-end Accidents

It is nearly impossible to avoid a rear-end collision. They happen in a variety of ways:

• Tailgating: Georgia and Tennessee require drivers to “follow, allowing yourself at least three second for stopping before hitting the car in front of you is a “safe stopping distance.” Of course, bad weather, bad road conditions, or poor visibility require even longer stopping distance.
• Distracted driver: Cell phone usage, eating, putting on makeup, listening to loud music, talking with passengers, looking into the back seat to check on young children, and looking away from the road cause the majority of rear-end accidents.
  DUI: Drugs and alcohol impair a driver’s reflexes and reaction time. Intoxicated drivers cannot judge accurately distance or speed, and actually may nod off while driving.
• Weather: Rain, snow, slush, ice, high winds, and fog can affect a driver’s ability to see ahead, to stop in time, and to stay within the lane.
• Sudden stops: Sudden stops contribute to a rear-end collision, but usually it is not a reason to put all the blame on the driver of the stopping car. Many reasons cause a sudden stop, such as avoiding a dashing out child or animal, road conditions, a sudden accident, or construction.

Common Rear-end Collision Injuries

Every vehicle collision potentially can cause fatal injuries-even rear end collisions. However, rear end collisions usually cause “soft-tissue” injuries. These injuries are things like sprains, strains and bruises.

• Whiplash is a common outcome of rear-end collisions. Doctors and lawyers use this term to describe pain and stiffness in the neck as well as shoulder area-the sudden and violent jerking movement or snap of the neck, shoulders and spine well beyond their normal range causes this condition. Doctors also refer to this condition as hyperextension and hyperflexion. The neck movement is like the motion of a whip as it snaps, giving the condition its name.
  Rear-end collisions cause about one-out of five victims to suffer a whiplash injury. About eighty percent of these whiplash sufferers will experience pain and soreness longer than a week. Fifty percent have pain and soreness for more than a year.
• Back Injuries from the sudden impact of a rear-end accident often are extremely painful. Even a low speed impact can compress the lower spine and the disks between the vertebra. Not surprisingly, rear-end accidents commonly cause herniated or bulging disks.
• Face and head injuries do not just happen in high-speed crashes. Even rear-end accidents at speeds less than twenty miles an hour can cause face and head injuries.
  A slow-speed collision, even when airbags do not deploy, can throw one’s face and head into the steering wheel or other parts of the interior parts of the car. Collision forces can break noses, fracture cheeks, break jawbones, and detach retinas. Facial cuts and bruises can also occur. Additionally, where the airbag bursts open, its force can cut the face and scalp, or worse.
• Hand and arm injuries can happen to the driver and passengers either from bracing during the impact or the collision force throwing them about the interior of the car. Exploding airbags almost always cause arm and hand injuries.
• Seatbelts instantly and firmly hold the torso in place when a collision hits the car from any direction. This is important because it keeps the collision from causing more serious injuries. However, this does not mean that a seatbelt does not affect the body. A rear-end collision slams the body forward, causing it to hit the safety straps. More often than not, the results are bruises and scrapes to the shoulders, neck, and torso.

Who Pays For A Rear-End Collision?

After an auto accident, one expects compensation for property damage and personal injuries. Most of the time, the police and the involved insurance companies assign fault to the rear-end accident. Individuals having suffered an auto accident will file a liability claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company.

Comparative Negligence

The majority of the time, an insurance company accepts full responsibility when it has insured another car. However, sometimes the insurance company will go straight into disagreeing with the injured party on the value of their injury claim.

There are times when the insurance company will try to put some or all of the blame on the injured party, even though their insured caused the rear-end accident to occur. This is always the case if the brake lights of the injured party failed to work and the driver behind claims he or she could not see the injured party, hence leading to the accident.

If an insurance company tries to blame part of the fault on the injured party, the injured party must speak to an attorney. Do not simply take the insurance adjuster’s word on the matter.

Tennessee and Georgia have comparative negligence laws, meaning the injured party can pursue compensation from the other driver even if they partly contributed to the accident occurring. A jury may reduce the injured party’s compensation by some degree to account for their share of fault. In these cases, an attorney can help prove that the injured party had no responsibility for the crash.

There are few exceptions to rear-end liability, such as:

• If the driver in front drove erratically or recklessly, making it impossible for the driver behind to avoid a collision, even from a safe distance behind
• If the driver in front suddenly stops in the lane of traffic and fails to set out flares or give any other reasonable notice to the driver behind
• If the driver behind is traveling a safe distance and at a safe speed, but fog, snow, rain, or other inclement weather conditions make it impossible to stop
• If a driver behind is traveling at a safe distance and speed behind the vehicle in front, but a third vehicle strikes the driver from behind, pushing the second car into the first vehicle.

Be Prepared To Prove The Claim

It may seem obvious that the driver who hit the injured party from behind caused the accident. However, do not just sit back and wait for the money to appear. The insurance adjuster does not earn a year-end bonus by automatically handing out fat settlement checks.

It helps to know some terms used in insurance claims:

• Liability means fault or responsibility. The at-fault driver is usually responsible or liable for damages to the injured party caused by the rear-end collision.
• Negligence happens when a driver fails to act responsibly or does something no reasonable driver would do, like tailgating.
• Damages for rear-end accidents can include property damages to your car, and personal injury damages like medical and therapy costs, out-of-pocket expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
• Proximate Cause is an action that leads to damages which wouldn’t have otherwise happened. The injured party would not be suffering from whiplash if they had not been rear-ended.
• Duty of Care means the obligation to be careful and avoid causing harm to others.

All drivers have a legal duty of care to drive safely. This means drivers must follow local traffic laws, maintain a proper lookout for other drivers and pedestrians, and keep their cars in working order.

When a driver violates their duty of care, it is often because of negligence. A rear-end collision can happen when someone stops paying attention, drives recklessly, or brakes failed because they failed to properly maintain their vehicle.

When negligence causes a rear-end accident, one has a right to compensation for damages. It is up to the injured party to provide evidence of the other driver’s negligence, and proof of their injuries.

The injured party will need to prove the collision led to injury and the extent of their losses from these injuries.

Gather Evidence To Win Your Claim

To meet the burden of proof, one must gather as much evidence as possible to show the other driver’s negligence. The more evidence gathered, the better the chances are of winning. Here is some of the best evidence for a rear-end auto accident claim.

Evidence at the Scene

Always call 911 when involved in a traffic accident. Tell the dispatcher the location of the accident, if anyone is injured, and if there are traffic problems or dangers at the scene.

If physically able, begin to gather evidence while waiting for police:

Photographs: Use a phone or whatever device is on hand to take photos and video. Start with pictures of the cars and the surrounding area. Take as many pictures, from as many angles as safely possible. Take close-ups and wide shots to include traffic signs, stoplights, and other information in context with the accident.

If a police officer is administering a field sobriety test to the other driver, use a cell phone’s video function to record the test from as close as possible. Also, photograph empty beer bottles or open containers of alcohol in and around the driver’s car.

Witness statements: Write down the names and contact information of anyone who saw the accident. If there are willing witnesses, have them write down everything they saw and heard. Ask them to sign and date their written statement.

If the witness does not give a written statement, ask permission to record their statement using a phone. Be sure they mention their name and contact information on the recording.

Continue to Collect Evidence

Detailed Notes: After the collision, make detailed notes about what happened before, during, and after the at-fault driver rear-ended you. Write down anything the other driver said.

Statements like “I didn’t see you in time to stop,” or “I was on my cell phone,” are considered admissions against interest and are strong evidence of negligence.

Police Report: If the police respond to the accident, an officer will investigate the accident and prepare an official police accident report. The report will indicate the investigating officer’s opinion of fault for the crash, list any citations issued to the other driver and if the other driver was arrested for DUI.

Medical Records: Medical bills and records are crucial evidence proving the rear-end collision led to injury and how badly. Insurance companies are highly suspicious of whiplash cases because whiplash injuries are diagnosed mainly by the injured party’s complaints. One will need good medical documentation from a trustworthy doctor.

State away from “personal injury” chiropractors, who will run up bills with excessive tests and questionable repeated treatments. These bills are often so unreasonably high that the insurance company will not reimburse them fully, leaving the injured party to personally pay the remainder. Insurance companies are only required to pay “reasonable” costs, based on commonly accepted standards of medical care.

Take pictures of injuries immediately following the crash and throughout the recovery, including pictures of bruises caused by the seat belt or air-bag.

The total cost of medical bills and related expenses are an important part of calculating the value of one’s claim.

When An Attorney Is Needed

There is too much at stake to handle complicated injury claims alone. Furthermore, there is no cost to find out what a skilled attorney can achieve. For more information, call Dennis and King Law today at 423-892-5533 or find them online at dennisandking.com.

Keeping an HVAC system running efficiently is of vital importance to help reduce utility costs each month. It also helps homes create a much smaller carbon footprint. Aside from these obvious benefits, an efficient system can also increase a home’s indoor air quality and help keep the home a more comfortable and consistent temperature. After knowing the benefits of having an efficient system are known, the next question is what can be done to help improve it.

One of the best ways to maintain efficiency with an HVAC system is to allow it to work at a consistent pace throughout the day. One way is to keep the temperature consistent and not constantly going from heat to cool. A great way to get the HVAC system from working overtime is by installing a Wi-Fi thermostat. This type of thermostat has settings that will gradually increase and decrease the temperature, giving the system the break it needs without having to crank up the temperature to full blast. These thermostats come with a number of different features that can help improve energy use such as energy reports and even programs that allow it to self-adjust depending on weather reports.

Home weatherization is an important step to take in order to help a heating and air conditioning system run more efficiently. If a home’s windows and doors have cracks, leaks, or other areas where the conditioned air can escape, it causes the HVAC system to work harder to compensate for this loss. Make sure to identify any areas where leaks can occur and properly seal them up. This can include adding additional caulking and weather stripping around windows or doors and sealing areas in the wall where pipes come through.

When regular HVAC maintenance is performed on a system, technicians will clean the entire system and check for possible repairs or problems that can reduce a system’s efficiency. They will also inspect the filter and other airflow issues ensuring that the system is running as optimally as possible.

Sometimes furniture and home decor can negatively affect the efficiency of an HVAC system. When the vents and returns are blocked, it can limit the airflow in the room and make the system have to work harder in order to push through the air. Make sure to have space around each vent so as much heat or air-conditioned air can enter into the room as possible.

Dust, dirt, pollen, and pet dander can find a home in a home’s ductwork. Over time this debris will build up and begin to inhibit the flow of air through the system. When this occurs, an HVAC system will begin running longer and kick on more often to be able to push out warm air and get the home to the desired temperature. When cleaning the ductwork, an HVAC technician will also check the ductwork for any leaks or cracks that can lessen efficiency.

Having proper insulation around ductwork and in the attic, and crawl space of a home is a crucial part of keeping the conditioned air contained in the home. Over time, insulation can become wet or damaged and break down, resulting in holes. If there is a problem with rodents in a home, they can also use insulation to make nests and will often chew through and damage parts of it.

It is important to perform a visual inspection of the attic as well as crawl space and check for signs of moisture, damage, or empty space. If just a few places are detected, they can be filled in, but if the insulation is old or has a lot of damage, it would be wise to consider installing new insulation.

Following the few tips listed above will help improve the efficiency of a home’s HVAC system. Schedule maintenance today by contacting Maximum Heating and Air at 423-894-4970.