Ginny Enzor of Gainesville recently shared a cool product with me. It's called the EasyHeat Freeze Free Thermostat.

This neat little device plugs into an electrical outlet, and when the temperature dips below 35 degrees it turns on whatever is plugged into it - heating lamps, space heater, etc. The purpose of this product is to keep pipes and other things from freezing.

Ginny has been using hers for the last four years in her outdoor well house. Bottom line, if you have something outside that you don't want to freeze, this is the product for you. You can find it at Lowes or Amazon.com. It costs around $20.

Oh, by the way it can work for doghouses, too.

If you have young children, I'd like to recommend that you keep drain-opening chemicals locked up or outside your house.

For a chemical-free alternative, check out the Yellow Submarine Drainstick. This nifty little gadget basically spins a special stick that you put down your clogged drain. It runs on batteries and it's very easy to use.

Tim Thompson lives in Gainesville. E-mail Tim your ideas for tips, tools or tricks.