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https://hoosierhomewatchservice.com/

Hoosier Home Watch Service, 10520 Brookhaven Drive, Saint John, IN (2026)

09/03/2026

Everything Depends on Your Primary Sump Pump
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The Sump Pump Protection Series
Preparing Your Home for the Unexpected
Everything Depends on Your Primary Sump Pump
Before considering batteries, generators, and alarms, start with the foundation:
Your primary sump pump system.
And that's more than just the pump.
The pump needs to receive water, turn on when it should, move enough water, and discharge it safely away from the home.
That means the entire system matters:
• Sump pit
• Pump
• Float or switch
• Electrical supply
• Check valve
• Discharge piping
A powerful pump offers little protection if the float can't activate it or if water can't exit through the discharge line.
That's why good sump protection begins with a simple question:
Is my primary system working properly from beginning to end?
Homeowner Action: If you aren't sure, consider having the system evaluated by a qualified professional before you need it.
📍 Proudly serving homeowners in St. John, Crown Point, Valparaiso, Dyer, Schererville & Cedar Lake.
Preparing Your Home for the Unexpected.

09/02/2026

Portable Generator Safety: Never Backfeed Your House
The Hoosier Homeowner Series — Special Storm Edition #8
The power goes out.
You have a portable generator.
And someone tells you there is a quick way to use it to power your home's electrical system.
"Just plug the generator into an outlet."
Don't do it.
This dangerous practice is known as backfeeding.
Never connect a portable generator to your home's electrical system by plugging it into a household outlet.
Why?
Because electricity from the generator can flow backward through your home's wiring and potentially onto utility lines that workers may believe are de-energized.
That can put:
• Utility workers restoring your power at risk
• Neighbors at risk
• You and your family at risk
• Your home's electrical system at risk
Homeowners should also know this warning.
Never use a male-to-male extension cord to connect a generator to your home.
These cords—sometimes called "su***de cords"—can expose energized prongs and pose a serious risk of electrocution and fire.
If you want a portable generator to supply your home's electrical system, the proper connection requires equipment designed to prevent you from connecting generator power and utility power incorrectly.
That typically means a properly installed transfer switch or other approved transfer equipment suitable for the system.
Have a qualified electrician design and install the system in compliance with applicable electrical codes and the generator manufacturer's requirements.
💡 Homeowner Tip: Don't wait for the next power outage to decide how you'll connect your generator.
If your current plan involves improvising with extension cords or plugging a generator into a household outlet, it is time to develop a safer plan.
Backup power is valuable.
But electricity doesn't know the power is supposed to be off.
Prepare before the emergency—not during it.
Peace of Mind while you're away.
📍 Proudly serving St. John, Crown Point, Dyer, Schererville, Cedar Lake and Valparaiso.
Attrition: Photo: U.S. Fire Administration

08/29/2026

Before the Next Power Outage: Build Your Generator Plan
The Hoosier Homeowner Series — Special Storm Edition #10
In recent posts, we've talked about some of the serious hazards associated with portable generators.
We've discussed fire.
Carbon monoxide.
Electrical backfeeding.
And gasoline storage and refueling.
But perhaps the most important lesson from our recent Northwest Indiana storms is this:
The time to figure out how you'll use your generator isn't when the power goes out.
Before the next storm, develop a generator plan.
Here are some questions every portable generator owner should be able to answer:
1. Where will I operate it?
Outdoors, at least 20 feet from the home, with exhaust directed away from the house and from doors, windows, and vents.
2. How will I connect it?
Know in advance whether you'll power individual equipment with properly rated cords or use professionally installed transfer equipment. Never backfeed your home through a household outlet.
3. What will I actually power?
Know your generator's capacity and identify your priority loads. Don't overload the generator.
4. Do I have the right extension cords?
Use grounded, properly rated cords for the equipment and conditions.
5. How will I protect the generator from rain?
Keep generators dry while maintaining proper ventilation and safe clearance. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for your equipment.
6. Do I have working carbon monoxide alarms?
Make sure your home has working CO alarms with battery power or battery backup.
7. What's my fuel plan?
Know how much fuel you may need, how you'll get it, and where you can store it safely.
8. How will I refuel?
Turn off the generator and let it cool before adding gasoline.
9. Have I checked the generator itself?
Review the owner's manual. Follow the manufacturer's recommended maintenance procedures, including oil changes and other service requirements, and make sure the generator is ready before storm season.
10. Does everyone who might use it know the plan?
A generator isn't much help if the only person who knows how to operate it safely isn't home.
💡 Homeowner Tip: Write down your generator procedure and keep it with the generator owner's manual and emergency supplies.
Don't rely on remembering everything during a storm, in the dark, while you're dealing with a prolonged power outage.
Our recent storms gave Northwest Indiana homeowners a valuable opportunity to ask:
What worked? What didn't? And what should I change before the next one?
Use that experience now.
Prepare before the emergency—not during it.
Peace of Mind while you're away.
📍 Proudly serving St. John, Crown Point, Dyer, Schererville, Cedar Lake and Valparaiso.
Attrition: Photo: U.S. Fire Administration

08/28/2026

Portable Generator Safety: Do You Have a Safe Fuel Plan?
The Hoosier Homeowner Series — Special Storm Edition #9
When the power goes out for a few hours, a portable generator can be very useful.
When the outage lasts for days, another question quickly becomes critical:
How much fuel do you have, and where are you storing it?
Gasoline isn't something you buy only when the generator runs low. You must transport, store, and handle it safely.
If you keep gasoline for a portable generator:
• Use a container specifically designed and approved for gasoline.
• Keep fuel containers tightly closed when not in use.
• Store gasoline in a cool, well-ventilated area outside the home's living areas.
• Keep gasoline away from flames, pilot lights, heaters, electrical equipment, and other potential ignition sources.
• Never store gasoline in the house or basement.
• Keep gasoline and fuel containers away from children.
And here's one many homeowners may not know:
When filling a portable gasoline container at a gas station, remove it from your vehicle and place it on the ground before filling it.
Don't fill a portable container while it is in a vehicle, trunk, or truck bed.
There's also the generator itself.
As we discussed earlier in this series:
Never refuel a generator while it is running or hot.
Turn it off and let it cool before adding gasoline. Fuel spilled onto a hot engine or exhaust components can ignite.
💡 Homeowner Tip: Before the next outage, estimate how much fuel your generator uses under the loads you expect to power. Then develop a safe plan for obtaining, transporting, and storing the fuel you may need.
An extended outage is not the time to discover you have fuel—but nowhere safe to store it.
Your emergency generator plan isn't complete without a fuel plan.
Prepare before the emergency—not during it.
Peace of Mind while you're away.
📍 Proudly serving St. John, Crown Point, Dyer, Schererville, Cedar Lake and Valparaiso.
Attrition: Photo: U.S. Fire Administration

08/27/2026

Is Your Sump Pump System Ready for the Unexpected?
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The Sump Pump Protection Series
Preparing Your Home for the Unexpected
Is Your Sump Pump System Ready for the Unexpected?
Most homeowners have a sump pump.
But having a sump pump and having a well-prepared sump pump system aren't the same.
Think about the different things that could happen.
• The primary pump could fail.
• The power could go out.
• A backup battery could eventually run down.
• A discharge line could become obstructed.
• An alarm could sound while no one is home.
Good sump pump protection is about layers.
Over the next several Wednesdays, we'll look at those layers one at a time—from the primary pump and backup systems to batteries, generators, monitoring, and, ultimately, having someone who can respond when you're away.
We're calling it the Sump Pump Protection Pyramid.
You don't need to become a sump pump expert.
But every homeowner should be able to answer one question:
If something goes wrong with my sump system, what happens then?
Homeowner Action: Take a few minutes this week to review your sump system and identify the protection you currently have.
📍 Proudly serving homeowners in St. John, Crown Point, Valparaiso, Dyer, Schererville & Cedar Lake.
Preparing Your Home for the Unexpected.

08/26/2026

Your Generator Is Outside. But Is It Far Enough Away?
The Hoosier Homeowner Series — Special Storm Edition #7
After our recent power outages in Northwest Indiana, portable generators were running throughout our communities.
Most homeowners know that a portable generator should never be operated inside the house.
But simply putting it "outside" isn't sufficient.
Portable generators emit carbon monoxide (CO)—a colorless, odorless gas that can accumulate inside a home without anyone realizing it.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends operating portable generators:
• Outdoors only
• At least 20 feet away from the home
• With the exhaust directed away from the home and other buildings
• Away from windows, doors and vents where exhaust could enter
A garage with the overhead door open is not a safe place to run a generator.
Neither is a porch, carport, basement, crawlspace or shed.
Opening doors and windows does not provide enough ventilation to make operating a generator in an enclosed space safe.
💡 Homeowner Tip: Before the next outage, determine exactly where your portable generator will run. Don't wait until the lights go out—in the dark and during bad weather—to decide where to place it.
And make sure your home has functioning carbon monoxide alarms, including battery-operated alarms or those with battery backup.
If a CO alarm sounds, get everyone outside into fresh air immediately, then call 911.
A portable generator can keep critical equipment running during an outage.
Where you put it can be just as important as knowing how to start it.
Prepare before the emergency—not during it.
Peace of Mind while you're away.
📍 Proudly serving St. John, Crown Point, Dyer, Schererville, Cedar Lake and Valparaiso.
Attrition: Photo: U.S. Fire Administration

08/25/2026

Portable Generator Safety: Never Refuel a Hot Generator
The Hoosier Homeowner Series — Special Storm Edition #6

The photograph accompanying this post shows the aftermath of a local house fire that occurred after our recent severe weather and extended power outages.
According to news reports, the homeowner was refueling a portable generator when a fire broke out.
We are sharing the photograph for one reason.
A portable generator can be immensely helpful during a power outage—but gasoline and a hot engine can be a dangerous combination.
Never refuel a portable generator while it is running.
Shut down the generator and let it cool before adding gasoline. Gasoline or gasoline vapors can ignite if they contact a sufficiently hot engine or exhaust components.
A few minutes without power is a small price to pay for safety.
💡 Homeowner Tip: Don't wait for the next outage to figure out your generator procedures. Read the manufacturer's operating instructions now and keep them where you can find them when the power goes out.
Your emergency plan should include:
• Where the generator will be safely operated
• How it will be connected
• Where fuel will be safely stored
• How and when it will be refueled
• Who in the household knows how to operate it safely
The recent storms reminded us how valuable backup power is.
They also reminded us that emergency equipment must be used safely.
Prepare before the emergency—not during it.
Peace of Mind while you're away.
📍 Proudly serving St. John, Crown Point, Dyer, Schererville, Cedar Lake, and Valparaiso.

08/22/2026

Leaving Home for an Extended Trip? Check These Five Things First.
The Hoosier Homeowner Series
The suitcases are packed.
The reservations are confirmed.
But before you lock the door, give the house one last look.
1. WATER
Check visible plumbing areas and make sure your home's water is set up properly while you're away.
2. SUMP SYSTEM
Test the sump pump and, if equipped, check the backup system before you leave—not after the forecast calls for heavy rain.
3. HVAC
Confirm thermostat settings, operating mode, and indoor temperature before departure.
4. REFRIGERATOR & FREEZER
Make sure doors are completely closed, and temperatures are appropriate. Consider how you would know about an extended power outage while you're away.
5. DOORS & WINDOWS
Walk the home one final time and confirm exterior doors and windows are properly secured.
And then ask one more question:
Who will check these things after you've left?
That's where professional Home Watch begins.
Hoosier Home Watch Service offers scheduled Home Watch observations, as well as Post-Departure and Pre-Arrival visits designed around how our clients travel.
Planning an extended trip?
Let's talk before you leave.
📞 239-910-0767
🌐 hoosierhomewatchservice.com
📍 Serving Cedar Lake, Crown Point, Dyer, St. John, Schererville, Valparaiso, and Northwest, Indiana
Peace of Mind while you're away.

08/21/2026

If Something Went Wrong in Your Home While You Were Away, Who Would Know?
The Hoosier Homeowner Series
It's a simple question.
And perhaps one of the most important questions to answer before an extended trip.
Who would notice:
• Water beneath a sink?
• A ceiling stain that wasn't there before?
• An HVAC system that stopped operating normally?
• Unusually high indoor humidity?
• A sump pump problem?
• Storm damage outside?
• A door or window that isn't as it should be?
Technology can help.
Smart thermostats, cameras, leak detectors, and security systems can provide valuable information.
But technology doesn't observe everything.
Sometimes you need someone physically inside the home, paying attention.
That's the role of professional Home Watch.
Hoosier Home Watch Service provides scheduled observations of unoccupied homes, with digital, time-stamped reports and photographs, so our clients have reliable information about their property's condition while they're away.
If you're beginning to plan fall or winter travel, now is a good time to decide:
Who has your keys?
📍 Serving Cedar Lake, Crown Point, Dyer, St. John, Schererville, Valparaiso, and Northwest, Indiana
📞 239-910-0767
🌐 hoosierhomewatchservice.com
Certified. Insured. Trusted.
Peace of Mind while you're away.

08/19/2026

Your Power Came Back On. Did Everything Else?
The Hoosier Homeowner Series
After a power outage, seeing the lights come back on is a relief.
But restored electricity doesn't necessarily mean everything in the home is back to normal.
After an outage, homeowners may want to check:
• HVAC operation and thermostat settings
• Refrigerator and freezer operation
• Sump pump and backup systems
• GFCI-protected circuits
• Internet-connected equipment
• Clocks, timers, and controllers
• Other equipment that may require a manual reset
This week's Northwest Indiana outages provided a good reminder:
Restored power and a properly operating home aren't necessarily the same thing.
If you're traveling, knowing that the utility company restored service tells you only part of the story.
Someone still needs to determine what's happening inside the home.
That's one of the roles professional Home Watch can provide.
At Hoosier Home Watch Service, we observe and document conditions at your home while you're away—and let you know when something needs your attention.
📞 239-910-0767
🌐 hoosierhomewatchservice.com
📍 Serving Cedar Lake, Crown Point, Dyer, St. John, Schererville, Valparaiso, and Northwest, Indiana
Peace of Mind while you're away.

Hoosier Home Watch Service

09/03/2026

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Monday	8am - 5pm
Tuesday	8am - 5pm
Wednesday	8am - 5pm
Thursday	8am - 5pm
Friday	8am - 5pm