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"Ask the Wizard"

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____________________________
Date: 9/21/2007
From: jefrimmer
Message:
How can I clean out mildew that has accumulated under the vinyl strip that holds the glass to the shower tile?
____________________
Date: 9/21/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
jefrimmer:

Have you tried using Tilex brand cleaner (http://www.tilex.com/questions.html#mildew)? I've had very good success with it for controling mildew in showers.

A couple of points that you might want to consider:

1) Read the instructions very carefully. The fumes are not good to breathe.

2) You will want to be very careful not to stir up the mold and mildew spores such that they dispurse up into the air where they can cause respiratory problems.

3) If the mildew has gotten established deep under the vinyl strip, unfortunately, you may need to bring in a professional.

4) You should consider eliminating the root cause of your mildew problem. Why is your shower staying damp and becoming a breeding ground for mildew? Do you need to squeegy the water off the walls and floors into the drain after using the shower? Or do you need to place a fan in front of it, or install an exhaust fan? In other words, what can you do to keep your shower from being a damp spot waiting to grow mildew?

We hope this is helpful.

Regards,
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 9/22/2007
From: Laura
Message:
what kind of paint should be used to paint radiators
____________________
Date: 9/22/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:

Laura:

The short answer is that you might want to consider using something like Krylon "Hi Heat & Radiator" brand paint for your radiator.

But here are some other thoughts that you might want to consider:

1) if you are going to do this project for this winter, you should consider doing it soon, before the weather gets too cold. This is because you will want to open the windows and and run your heating system to allow the smell and fumes that will likely be produced the first time your new paint job gets warmed up by the hot radiator.

2) Regardless of which brand of high temperature paint you choose to use, you should consider using "non-metallic" paint. Non-metallic paint can come in a variety of colors, and will allow your radiator to emit more heat that a "metallic" paint.

3) Although it is not much fun, like any painting project, preparing the surface to be painted is the most important part of the job if you want the final product to look good and to last. Dirt, grime, loose old paint all need to come off if you want the new paint to stick properly. A wire brush, chemical strippers, and an old screwdriver can all come in handy for doing this. Next you will want to put down a coat of and oil-based (not latex) primer that contains a lot of zinc.

4) One last thought is that if you are looking for a more decorative finish to your radiator, and are looking for a "bronzed" or two-tone appearance, you might want to check out: http://www.oldhousejournal.com/magazine/2003/february/bronze_beauties.shtml

Hope this is helpful for you.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 9/27/2007
From: paulaa
Message:
I have a Majestic gas fireplace with an automatic pilot that stays lit all the time. It sometimes makes a sound similar to when you are outside using your gas BBQ grill on a very windy day and the breeze effects the flame. I turned the pilot knob and accidentally turned off the pilot light. I know that it can be easily re-lighted but I'm not sure how to do it. I don't have a manual that tells me how to re-light the pilot light. Do I just open the flue, turn on the gas, and then when I turn on the knob for the pilot light, do I manually light it with a long match or lighter?
____________________
Date: 9/27/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
paulaa:

Regarding re-lighting the pilot on your Majestic gas fireplace, we found a free video for you on the Majestic website that shows you exactly how to do it. You can see it online at: http://www.majesticproducts.com/ and it is right in the middle of the homepage of the website. The video runs about 2-3 minutes, and shows you the entire procedure in detail. If after seeing the video you are not completely comfortable doing the re-lighting yourself, then you should definately consider bringing in a professional.

If you need more information than you get from the video (since the video is for one particular model of Majestic gas fireplace, and your model may have a different pilot lighting system), then you can download the owner's manual for your particular model of Majestic gas fireplace at: http://www.majesticproducts.com/content/support/manuals.cfm?browse=drilldown&categoryid=5

We hope this is helpful for you.
Sincerely,
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 10/8/2007
From: jgalbee
Message:
why does my front load washing machine have an odor after running a load of clothes.there is no smell in the clothes. i have heard this has to do with the gasket around the door, if this is true what can i do about it
____________________
Date: 10/8/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
jgalbee:

I assume that the odor that you are referring to that comes from your front load washer is a "mold or mildew" type smell? If so, this actually a common problem that occurs with front load washers. It is caused by water sitting on the gasket that goes around the door (which explains by you have heard it was related to something with the door). There are a couple of things that you can do to eliminate this odor problem with your front load washer. First, after each washer load, you can try leaving the door open, so that the water around the door gasket can thoroughly dry out. Second, to get rid of the mold and mildew that has built up in your washer, you can try using products such as "Purewasher" (which you can find at www.smellywasher.com) or "Whirlout" (which you can find at http://www.summitbrands.com/brands/WhirlOut.aspx).

We hope this solves your problem.
Sincerely,
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 10/8/2007
From: Terry
Message:
My propane fireplace comes on with a loud bang when the gas ignites. I've had it serviced twice for the same problem but to date it still exists. Any ideas as to what might be causing this problem. I'm afraid it is going to blow the glass out one of these times.
____________________
Date: 10/9/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Terry:

We STRONGLY recommend that you not use your gas fireplace until a qualified service technician has done a full inspection and made the appropriate repairs or adjustments to your unit. It should not be making a bang when you ignite it. There are several things which could potentially be causing this, but without doing a physical inspection of the unit, its not possible to say exactly what it is. It sounds like you have had someone look at your unit before. They may be very qualified, but I would suggest that you contact the manufacturer of your unit, and ask if they can provide a list of qualified technicians in your area, for your particular gas fireplace.

And again, we suggest not using your unit until the igition problem is resolved.

Sincerely,
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 10/10/2007
From: Lsilic
Message:
What does it mean when the coils on a dehumidifier frost up? Do I need to performance maintenance on the unit. Is there any hazards associated with the coils frosting up.
____________________
Date: 10/10/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Lsilic:

The answers to your questions depend on whether the frosting of the evaporator coils is complete and even, or is it just partially frosted? A dehumidifier should definitely not be operated with the coils are totally frosted over, as this can damage the compressor.

If your problem is that the coil is completely frosting over, then the problem is not likely a maintenance problem, but rather it is because the room temperature is too low for this particular unit. Most dehumidifiers are not designed to be used when the room temperature is below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. However, there are models called "basement" dehumidifiers that are designed to operate at lower temperatures. So you might have to change to one of these models. If the temperature of the room that you have your dehumidifier in is just slightly below 70 degrees, then you might try elevating the unit off the floor to where the temperature in the room will be a little higher (since hot air rises), or you might try placing a fan where it can blow warmer air on the unit.

On the other hand, if you are seeing just a partial frosting of your evaporator coils, then this could be an indication that either your unit is running low on refrigerant, or that the compressor is failing (or the controls for the compressor are faulty.

We hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 10/12/2007
From: brian correa
Message:
Diagrame of setup from diswasher to garbage disposal to drain
____________________
Date: 10/12/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Brian:

Here's a link for you that shows the setup from the dishwasher to the garbage disposal to the drain:

http://www.insinkerator.com/service/install_disposer.html

It also shows a great multi-media tutorial on how to install a garbage disposal for the first time, or how to replace an existing one, and more.

Hope this helps.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 10/12/2007
From: cheryl W.
Message:
if the garbage disposal is running, but will not drain, backs up, probably due to overload, is there a chemical you can use to unplug the drain?
____________________
Date: 10/12/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Cheryl W:

If your garbage disposal is running fine, that is, if the motor is turning freely when you turn the switch on, but the water is backing up in the sink, then the culprit is likely a clog in the drain pipe coming out of the bottom of the garbage disposal. If you haven't already, you might want to try "Drano", by SC Johnson Wax, which is "guaranteed" to get your drain flowing again. Well actually, by "guaranteed" they mean that if it fails to clear your clog, Johnson Wax will gladly refund what you paid for their product (so save your receipt). But depending on what is clogging your drain pipe, it may actually require a professional to remove the obstruction if Drano doesn't work. But a product like Drano is a great place to start.

Note: Johnson Wax claims that all Drano products are safe for garbage disposals, with the exception of Drano Kitchen Crystals Clog Remover. Please remember to READ ALL DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY. In particular, you do not want to turn on your disposal and have Drano splash back on you.

Hopefully Drano will solve your clog problem, but if you want to avoid this kind of problem with your garbage disposal in the future, you should follow the routine maintenance tasks for your garbage disposal that are described in the Home-
Wizard Maintenance Library: http://www.home-wizard.com/maintenance/garbagedisposal.asp

And please remember, NEVER put your hand into your garbage disposal. Even if it is unplugged, the blades are very sharp and can cut your fingers.

Hope this helps.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 10/14/2007
From: fredgervasi
Message:
My painter reemoved the 2 windows and 1 screen insert from each of my storm windows. In what order do I put them back in.
____________________
Date: 10/14/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
fredgervasi:

There are actually quite a few styles of storm windows: interior, exterior, combination (which can be either double-track or triple-track), etc. From your description in your question, its a little difficult to tell exactly which style of storm window that you have. But with this said let me do the best I can to answer your question.

It sounds like you have a "combination" style storm window. There are a couple of things that you will want to think about as you reassemble you storm windows. First, you will want to take this opportunity to clean and inspect your storm windows, and especially the tracks that the storm window and screens slide up and down in. You will want to check the screens for any holes or tears. You will want to clean the sash. You will also want to clean the tracks and lubricate them with a light oil like "WD-40". And you will also want to unclog the vents that let water run out at the bottom (you can unclog these vents with a toothpick, awl, or ice pick).

Secondly, the important thing in re-assembling the windows and screen, is that they are placed into the correct tracks. That is, if the tracks that they are put in are not the right sizes for the window or screen, then they will not slide up and down correctly.

Since you mentioned that you had two windows and one screen insert, then I am guessing that you have a "triple-track" storm window. For these, typically the access to the sashes is from inside of the house, through the open main window. The outside and middle tracks contain window panes which can be slid up and down. The innermost track contains the screen which can also be slid up and down. And this would be the order that you would want to re-install the windows and screens.

If doesn't help you, then please send us a follow-up question with some more information about what particular type of storm windows that you have. And this could help us to give you a better answer.

Home-Wizard.com
____________________Date: 10/18/2007
From: heartmom
Message:
What is the best way to get rid of cracks in the walls or ceiling of a house? If you can't get rid of them, what is the temporary "Fix," and how often must this "Fix" be done?
____________________
Date: 10/18/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Heartmom:

Let me respond to the second part of your question first. Your question about what to do if you can't get rid of cracks in your wall or ceilings, and how often a “temporary fix” might have to be repeated, is very important. The reason it is important is that it gets at the need to determine WHY the cracks are forming in the first place. Usually, cracks result from a house naturally settling on its foundation, or periods when you house may have experienced large changes in temperature or humidity, etc. Small cracks created by these events can be successfully repaired and should last for a long time. But if your repaired cracks end up showing up again in just a few months, getting bigger, or are joined by cracks in other parts of the wall or ceiling, then this may be an indication of a bigger problem, such as: the wood framing in the walls or ceiling may be flexing due to excessive moisture; or the structural integrity of your house might be compromised; or that your home needs a humidifier for the winter; etc. If this is the case, then it would be best to talk to a building contractor who can diagnose the problem before more serious damage is done to your home.

Now regarding the first part of your question, the initial step to fixing a crack in the wall or ceiling is assessing whether you have plaster or drywall (drywall is also known as sheetrock, plasterboard, or wallboard).

With plaster, you will need to check to see if the metal lathe on which the plaster is applied needs to be secured with some additional nails. The cracks can then be filled with plaster compound. After it dries, you can sand it and paint the affected area, and carefully “feather” it out to the surrounding areas.

For repairing drywall wall or ceilings, the patch compound you will use is called “joint compound” (also sometimes call “spackling putty”). Applying drywall joint compound typically involves putting several coats on, and sanding in between each coat. Use a sanding block to help keep your work flat and smooth.

Sometimes larger cracks both in plaster and drywall need to have the crack area enlarged to remove loose pieces. This can be carefully done with a utility knife. A very wide crack will need more reinforcement to help it stick properly. And this is where patching tape (also called joint tape) will be helpful. If the section is very large, then you may even want to cut back the wall or ceiling all the way back to the middle of the studs or ceiling joists (the middle of the studs so that you still have something to nail to), and then adding a new section of drywall (and then patching the seams with drywall tape.)

One important note is that textured ceilings installed before around 1979 may contain asbestos, which is hazardous to breathe when disturbed. If your house is more than 25 years old, you should have the ceiling tested. And if the test comes back positive, then you will need to have a licensed asbestos abatement contractor tell you what your options are. Do NOT work on it yourself if you suspect that there could be asbestos involved.

We hope this helps.
Regards,
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 10/25/2007
From: gogorita1
Message:
My husband is constantly after me to keep the vents in our freezer section of the refridgerator free of items. He tells me that if the vents are blocked with frozen items it makes the freezer work harder. The vents pertrude out so they can't be totally blocked. We argue over this all the time. Can you let me know if there is any validity to his concern??? Thanks!
____________________
Date: 10/25/2007
From: Bshipperbkbb1
Message:
i have a customer with a gas fireplace and here is the question...he has a 110 live power line coming from the wallswitch that he want to install to the igniter and i refuse to do it because i am afraid it may cause serious damage or can result in death. the box doesn't show a ce mark! anyway the gas fireplace came from a company call Stuart.
____________________
Date: 10/25/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
gogorita1:

Well, I'm sorry to have to take sides between you and your husband. And please don't shoot the messenger. But yes, blocking the vents (even partially) in a freezer reduces air circulation in the compartment, which therefore reduces the cooling efficiency of your unit. As a result, either your freezer compartment will run a little warmer, or if it has a thermostat that controls it to a set temperature, then it will cause your compressor to have to work harder which consumes more energy and reduces the life of the compressor.

Probably not what you wanted to hear, but hopefully this is helpful.

Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 10/25/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear Bshipperbkbb1:

I think you are VERY wise to be cautious about adding any wiring to a gas fireplace. A gas fireplace should only be installed in accordance with the exact specifications provided by the manufacturer for that particular unit. And you are correct, electricity and gas can become a very dangerous combination.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 10/29/2007
From: gomich89
Message:
My hot water does not work on the washing machine? I have checked the hose and the on and off valve, the water flows freely through the hose but once connected to the washing machine the water only dribbles out. The cold water works fine? Is there a fix? The model that I have is a Kenmore Ultra Fabric Care 80 series Model #82681110 any info would help thank you.
____________________
Date: 10/29/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
gomich89:

There are two power-activated electronic valves in your washing machine, one for cold water and one for hot water. When your washing machine goes through it cycles, depending on what settings you are using, these valves receive power to them at the appropriate time in the cycle to open and close. In other words, when they receive power, these electronic valves open up to allow either hot or cold water to flow into your washer. I assume that when you say the hot water "just dribbles" out, that you are checking it when the setting is showing that hot water should be coming into the washer.

Since you have already checked that hot water flows out of the hose that goes to your washer, there are two things left to check. The first is to check where the hose connects to the washer and see if the screen that is inside of the fitting where the hose connects to washer is plugged up. Be very careful if you are trying to clean out this screen, as with some model washers, this screen can be very difficult to replace.

If this inlet screen is clear, then the next thing to check is the electronic valve that controls the hot water (often called a "solenoid" valve). Testing the solenoid valves for your washer is probably something that you want to ask a professional to do for you. To do it yourself you will need to unplug the power cord from the wall, get a owner's manual from Kenmore (I didn't find one online), and then use a multitester meter to see if the solenoid valve is reading the proper amount across the terminals of the valve (although if it reads 'infinity', then the valve is bad). But again, testing a solenoid valve on your washing machine is something that you should ask a professional to do.

Hopefully, it will turn out to be just a plugged screen.

Hope this is helpful for you.

Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 10/31/2007
From: Phil
Message:
How do I remove rust forming on the sliding dish basket of an automatic dishwasher?
____________________
Date: 10/31/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Phil:

One question that I would have for you is whether you are seeing rust just on the sliding dish basket, or are you also seeing a rust-like film on the inside walls as well (it would look like a light brown staining on the walls)?

But assuming that the rust film is there, but it is just alot worse on the sliding dish basket, then the cure for this is citric acid. You can buy special packets of citric acid for your dishwasher, but believe it or not, what will work just as well is to use 'Tang' Breakfast Drink (that comes as an orange powder). Just fill both dishwasher cups with Tang Breakfast Drink powder, and then run your dishwasher through the normal cycle. If rust is really bad, then several treatments may be required. One hint though is to first run the hot water in the sink until it gets very hot, and then turn on your dishwasher. This ensures that your dishwasher starts with hot water.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 11/1/2007
From: mare
Message:
How do I clean melted plastic (Nalgene cap) from the heating element? Do I have to replace the element?
____________________
Date: 11/1/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Mare:

I assume that you are referring to the heating element of your dishwasher, where you were washing your Nalgene bottle and that somehow the plastic cap came in contact with the heating element.

Here is something that you can try, that will hopefully work for you. First, remove all of your dishes, etc. from your dishwasher. Then scrape off all of the plastic that has melted onto the heating element. Be sure to remove it from the underside of the element as well. Try to get all of the plastic off that you possibly can scrape off. Next pour about a half gallon of white vinegar into the bottom of your dishwasher so that it completely covers the heating element. Let the dishwasher sit like this for a day if you can, or at least overnight. Then turn on your dishwasher and let it run with the vinegar in it (but still with no dishes in it). Then run it again with nothing in it.

Hopefully this will remove what little plastic residue that might have been left on the heating element, and also gets rid of the burning plastic (and vinegar) smell from your dishwasher.

Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 11/4/2007
From: Trevor
Message:
when the dishwasher is turned on , the tight comes on , but nothing happens
____________________
Date: 11/4/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Trevor:

Since the light is coming on, it appears that you have power coming to your dishwasher (or power at least to the light).

A simple thing that you can do, which most of the time will solve your problem, is to pour a large pot of regular tap water into the inside bottom of the dishwasher. You then close the door and turn your dishwasher on. Hopefully, your dishwasher should then start and run normally.

The reason that this will work most of the time, is that if you haven’t been using your dishwasher for a little while, the water at the bottom of your dishwasher dries out, and the pump loses its “prime”. When you pour the water into the bottom of your dishwasher, it primes the pump.

When you are done, you might want to pour a little vinegar in the water, which will help act as lubricant to the rubber seal around the pump shaft, to help prevent problems in the future.

If this doesn’t work for you, please let us know, and we can try other things to troubleshoot your problems.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 11/4/2007
From: greg
Message:
i need a blower for a wizard insert wood stove
____________________
Date: 11/4/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Greg:

You might want to try "Woodman's Parts Plus" (http://www.woodmanspartsplus.com). They seem to have a good selection of blowers for a wide variety of models of wood stove inserts.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 11/4/2007
From: alice.display
Message:
Can you tell me how I drain the expansion tank (hot water systems)?
I have a spigot on the bottom of the tank what has to be done after it is drained?
____________________
Date: 11/4/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Alice:

PLEASE NOTE: water in a hot water system can be scalding hot. You need to be very careful working around your hot water system to keep yourself from being burned. If you are un-sure what you are doing, you should contact a trained professional.

Newer hot water systems typically have a diaphragm-type expansion tank, which is sealed, so it's not necessary to drain it. However, from time to time, these types of tanks need the air inside them pressured up. Older hot water systems typically have conventional expansion tanks that should be flushed out annually. You can recognize a conventional expansion tank because they will have two valves around them: a shutoff valve going to the furnace; and a drain valve on the bottom of the tank.

Here is the procedure for draining a conventional type expansion tank. First, close the shutoff valve that goes to the furnace. Position a bucket under the drain valve on the bottom of the tank. If you cannot position a bucket underneath the drain, then you can attach a garden hose to the drain, and run the other end of the hose to a bucket. Once the bucket is in place, then open the drain valve. The water should flow out, but if it doesn't, it may be necessary to use a wrench to open the vacuum-breaker plug (not all tanks have this plug) on the drain valve. After the tank has been drained, close the drain valve and vacuum-breaker plug; then re-open the shutoff valve going to the furnace.

Once again, if you have any concerns about doing this procedure safely, you should contact a professional heating contractor.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 11/5/2007
From: nelly
Message:
How do you remove air that is trapped in pipes of hot water base board heaters.
____________________
Date: 11/5/2007
From: nelly
Message:
How do you remove air that is trapped in pipes of hot water base board heaters.
____________________
Date: 11/5/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Nelly:

Please note: BE VERY CAREFUL working around your boiler, as the water can be SCALDING HOT.

I'm assuming you have air in your baseboard hot water system and it's making noise, which is a common complaint this time of year. Regarding the procedure for bleeding air from your baseboard heating system, first shut off your boiler and make a note of the water pressure. Next locate the self-feeding (auto-makeup) water valve and ensure that the make-up water supply is connected and water is available. Then open up all of you valves that go to your various heating zones. Then close all of the shut-off valves. Next, attach a short piece of garden hose to one of the spigots coming off of the return line that goes back to your boiler. While manually opening the auto-makeup valve, open the spigot and let the water run in to a bucket or a drain. BE VERY CAREFUL, as the water coming out of the hose will likely be very hot. Let it run until you no longer see any air bubbles, which could take several minutes. While you are doing this, keep an eye on the water pressure and don't let it get above 25 PSI. If needed to control the pressure, release the auto-makeup valve momentarily. After you have stopped seeing air bubbles, release the auto makeup valve and close spigot. Allow the water pressure to return to normal. You then repeat these steps until all of your zones have been bled. When done, close all of your zone valves and open all of your shut-off valves. Then check the water pressure, which should be the same as what you noted at the beginning. And then finally, turn your boiler back on.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 11/5/2007
From: Gene in Maine
Message:
how does a baseboard heater boiler replace water after heating up? In other words, how does the boiler know how much water to replace?
____________________
Date: 11/5/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Gene in Maine:

When a baseboard heating system heats up, the water in the system expands, and since it is a closed system, this expanded volume of water has to go somewhere. This is why baseboard heating systems have an “expansion tank” that accommodates this additional water volume. Note however, when the boiler heats up, the water expands taking up MORE volume, rather than water needing to be replaced.

But your question seems to be about how water is replaced, so let me describe how this works. Water needs to be replaced if the baseboard heating system has a leak somewhere in the system. The system handles this by a pressure regulator that allows fresh water supply from the house to replace this lost water. Water will come into the system until the pressure that is lost from the leakage of water is brought back up to the setting on the pressure valve. The water is replaced essentially instantaneously. If there is a significant water leak in your baseboard heating system then you will hear water being replaced, which will sound like someone has briefly opened a faucet somewhere in the house.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 11/7/2007
From: kurliequ
Message:
I have a central heating and air unit. It blows air but it won't blow warm or cool air. The Emergency heat works though. We replaced our outside unit a year ago. What could be the problem.
____________________
Date: 11/7/2007
From: artiesobc
Message:
how do I winterize my lawn irrigation system using compressed air?
____________________
Date: 11/7/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
artiesobc:

Here's a link to a website that does a fairly good job of describing the procedure for using compressed air to winterize your lawn sprinkler system:
http://www.sprinklerwarehouse.com/LawnCare/Winterblow.asp

Please note that blowing out your system can be potentially dangerous, and you should take adequate precautions to ensure proper eye safety and to avoid physical injury from flying debris. You need to also be careful not to over-pressure your system.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 11/11/2007
From: Mike
Message:
how do i purge air out the of the hot water baseboard heater at the furnace
____________________
Date: 11/11/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Mike:

Regarding how to purge air trapped air out of your baseboard heating system, the procedure is described in the answer to the first question at the bottom of this page at Home-Wizard.com:

http://www.home-wizard.com/maintenance/baseboardheating.asp

If does not answer your question completely, just let us know.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 11/12/2007
From: donna
Message:
stinky towels

____________________
Date: 11/12/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Donna:

I assume by "stinky towels" that you mean that washing in your washing machine leaves your towels smelling funny?

If you haven't already, you might want to try white vinegar and running an empty load with your washer on the highest temperature setting. Let your washer start to fill for about 30 seconds, and then pour in about one-half cup of white vinegar into the machine's soap drawer. Then let it run empty through its entire cycle.

If this doesn't work for you, then you might want to try treating your washing machine with "Purewasher", which you can purchase at http://www.smellywasher.com/

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 11/12/2007
From: SonyaK
Message:
I have a Kenmore Ultra Fabric Care Washer Model 110. My hot water will not shut off unless you turn the valve off. The machine will start the wash cycle once it gets to the fill level but the hot water is still running. You can turn the machine off and the hot water still runs. I have checked the lines what else should I check?
____________________
Date: 11/13/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
SonyaK:

From the description of your problem, it sounds like your washing machine has a stuck hot water solenoid valve than needs to be replaced.

Other possible causes of water that doesn't shut off in a washing machine are: bad water level switch; an air leak or a kink in your water level switch hose; an air leak in your air dome; or problems with your machine's timer.

But from what you described, it sounds like it is most likely that your hot water solenoid valve has gone bad.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 11/17/2007
From: Julie in Colorado
Message:
My gas fireplace continually has a strong odor when on (kind of like burning urine). We have lived here for 2 years and have not had it serviced. Is it possibly a simple matter of needing a professional cleaning service, or could it be something else, more dangerous?
____________________
Date: 11/17/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Julie in Colorado:

No, it is not normal for a gas fireplace to give off a strong smell for this long of a time. The strong "urine" smell could be urethane insulation that is too close to the firebox or vent pipe. Or if you are running on natural gas, it could be the mercaptan odorant in the gas which is leaking.

But regardless, I would strongly recommend that you be safe and shut off your gas fireplace until you have the unit throughly inspected by a service technician who is qualified to work on your particular model of gas fireplace.

The technician should inspect whether there is insulation anywhere that is too close to the unit or vent piping. And the techician should also check for any gas or vent piping leaks.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 11/22/2007
From: kevintforster
Message:
We have a well pump. Every morning when we use the shower or faucets for the first time that day, the water pressure drops and sounds as if air is in the lines. It only happens for a short time.
____________________
Date: 11/22/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
kevinforster:

Since you said that you lose water pressure from your well water system the first time you use it in the morning and that it sounds like there is 'air' in the lines, it makes me think that you may be seeing the effects of methane gas building up in your water supply.

If you had a leak in your plumbing, valves or holding tank, it would likely have entrained air all of the time. But since it sounds like you are seeing the problem only first thing, after not using your system all night, then the suspect may be methane gas that builds up overnight.

A test for this is to turn on a faucet first thing in the morning in a very WELL-VENTILATED room and with a long-stemmed match, try to light the gas that comes out. Air will not burn, but methane will. Be very careful doing this, and if you have any questions about it, leave it to a professional.

To correct excessive gases in a well water system (whether it is methane or any other gas) you may need to consider an aeration system. If you go to www.wqa.org, you should be able to find a certified water specialist in our area who can advise you.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 11/26/2007
From: Molly
Message:
Is it best to use cold or hot water when using the disposal? Or does it matter either way? I thought hot, but recently heard to use cold. Thank you!
____________________
Date: 11/26/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Molly:

When you operate your disposal, you should use cold water, not hot. Hot water can melt fats which makes it easier for them to clog the disposal mechanism and your pipes. Running your disposal with cold water also helps to keep the mechanism to operate cooler when its running.

But when you are not operating your disposal, it is fine to run hot water through it.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 11/28/2007
From: jtoddy25
Message:
I have an electric hot water heater and I just started to use the my wood stove. I noticed that the wood stove also has a line to heat the hot water. Ever since I started using the wood stove the pressure relief has been draining water into the bucket consistantly. It drains about 2 gallons. Is this normal?
____________________
Date: 11/28/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
jtoddy25:

I would suggest that you immediately stop using your wood stove to heat hot water, and have your system inspected by a qualified service technician.

The reason that your pressure relief valve is draining water is that your water lines are over-pressured. This is a typical risk of using a wood stove to heat domestic hot water. The water gets too hot from the wood stove, and when it over-heats it raises the pressure too high in the pipes, which is why your pressure relief valve is opening up to let off the excess pressure, that is, draining the water out that you are seeing.

If your pressure relief valve fails, the high pressure steam that builds up in your hot water system can potentially even cause your pipes to burst.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com


____________________
Date: 11/29/2007
From: David
Message:
My dishwasher does not discharge all of the water from the tub basin. It leaves about 2" of rinse cycle water in the bottom, once the cycle is complete and the unit shuts off.

The discharge hose does have to run uphill slightly to the drain, but this does not appear to be a problem except for at the very end of the cycle. What can I do to completely drain the remining water?
____________________
Date: 11/30/2007
From: liyarb
Message:
dishwasher keeps getting mildew in bottom of disherwasher where it drains. what can i do to stop this?
____________________
Date: 11/30/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
liyarb:

If you are getting mildew forming around the drain of your dishwasher, then there is moisture collecting at the bottom of your dishwasher.

This could be caused either by your dishwasher not pumping out all of the moisture completely, or it could because you are adding moisture by placing rinsed dishes in your dishwasher and the water is dripping down to the bottom.

A couple of other things that you can check are whether the drain area is partially plugged with food residue (leaving a ridge where moisture can puddle), or whether the water in your dishwasher is hot enough to dissolve the detergent that could cake up and also partially block the drain.

Lastly, are you allowing the heat cycle to dry your dishes after running, or are you trying to save energy by air drying, which is not drying out the dishwasher and allowing the standing moisture to create mold at the bottom?

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 12/8/2007
From: joel.schacter
Message:
I have an exterior plug in my soffit area which is switched and is intended for plugging in my exterior Christmas lights. I plugged in one string and the GFI circuit "popped" on the other exterior plug located on my front porch a few feet away. Obvioulsy the lights now won't work. I have checked the switched plug with a polarity tester and it states that all is correct. I have tired other appliances in the switched plug and everything causes the GFI to pop. Any ideas??
____________________
Date: 12/8/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Joel:

As you may know, since the GFI is "popping" nearby, these plugs are most likely on the same circuit, and there is something shorting out the circuit. It could be the switch, it could be the plug, or something could be shorting the wires in this circuit inside your walls (a nail, mice chewing on the wires, etc.).

You want to be very careful with this. The GFI (ground fault interrupter) is there for a reason, to protect your house from short circuits, especially in areas where there could be water that could conduct electricity to a person, for example in bathrooms, kitchens, and exterior locations.

I would think you would want to call in a qualified electrician to inspect your plugs and wiring.

And in the meantime, if you can, to be safe you should consider turning off the breaker at your fusebox, if there is a separate breaker for this circuit.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 12/10/2007
From: Hope
Message:
yesterday for the first time, my dishwasher did not completely drain. there were about 3 to 4 inches of water. can you tell me why?


____________________
Date: 12/12/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear Hope:

When a dishwasher has gone through it cycle, finding a small pool of clean water at the bottom of the tub is fairly typical. But if you are finding excessive amounts of water, then something isn’t working correctly. Some things that could be causing this problem include:

DRAIN LINE: Sometimes the drain line can get clogged where the drain line from the dishwasher meets the household drain line. You can disconnect the line and clean it out to remove the clog.

GARBAGE DISPOSAL: Sometimes when the dishwasher doesn’t drain all the way, the problem turns out to be related to the garbage disposal (if you have one). You can check the connection where the dishwasher line drains into the garbage disposal, and if it is plugged, then clean it out. Also, be sure that you garbage disposal is operating and draining properly.

STRAINER: Depending on the design of your particular dishwasher, the strainer at the bottom of your dishwasher may be plugged. To check this, turn off the power to your dishwasher and let the unit cool down. Then, depending on the design, remove the strainer (that could be located under the bottom spray arm), and carefully scrub it clean with a brush.

DRAIN VALVE / SOLENOID: Many dishwashers use an electrically controlled valve to open and close flow to the drain. If this valve is sticking or otherwise not operating properly, it could be causing water to pool at the bottom of your unit.

PUMP: The pump that forces the water into your dishwasher also can pump water out of your dishwasher, depending on your unit’s particular design. If the pump isn’t working properly, this could be the cause of your problem.

MOTOR: If the motor that drives your pump isn’t working properly or not getting power, it could be causing your water pooling problem.

TIMER: And lastly, ever once in a while, a water pooling problem can be caused if the timer on your unit isn’t operating properly, and not enabling it to drain at the proper time in the cycle.

As always, be sure that the power to your dishwasher and garbage disposal is disconnected before doing any work on them.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 12/15/2007
From: momothemonster
Message:
Our lakehouse uses water baseboard heating. We recently had a pipe burst which resulted in alot of water damage. We were wondering, what would happen if we turned off the valve from the main water supply? (So that if it every burst again, we would only have a leak equal to the amount of water in the system). Would we then be introducing air in the system? (as I understand it the system normally may lose water due to small leaks and it automatically compensates for this by adding new water - but if no new water is available, then I figured I'd have air in the system.) Thanks for your help!
____________________
Date: 12/15/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Momothemonster:

Sorry to hear about your burst pipe in your hot water baseboard heating system at your lakehouse.

I assume that since you say your pipe “burst”, that your lakehouse is a region of the country where it gets below freezing (when water freezes, it expands, and the force of this expansion is so powerful, that it can cause even steel pipes to rupture).

To answer you question, yes, you can shut off the main water supply valve, BUT you will also need to DRAIN your water system completely (BOTH hot and cold). If you don’t completely drain the water our of all of your pipes, then the trapped water in the pipes can freeze and burst one of your pipes, and then when you turn your main water supply valve back on you will have a mess on your hands.

And then in the Spring when you turn your main water supply back on, you will need to bleed the air out of your hot water system. For a description of how to do this, you can go to Home-Wizard’s online Maintenance Library, to the page on “Baseboard Heating System Maintenance”: http://www.home-wizard.com/maintenance/baseboardheating.asp

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 12/16/2007
From: momothemonster
Message:
Thank you for your response! And you assumed correctly about living in a cold region. We think we must have lost power and therefore the water was no longer being heated (as it is powered by electric) and therefore froze.

But just to clarify on your comments.....if I wanted to keep the heat on (at a low setting), I should keep the main water supply valve ON?
(Otherwise my other choice is to do as you suggested and turn off the water (and have no heat) and drain the pipes.)

Thank you!
____________________
Date: 12/16/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
momothemonster:

You have some good follow-up questions.

Yes, it sounds like you lose power from time to time, and then get freezing in your baseboard water heating pipes. And since it sounds like you have electric water heating, you not only lose the water being heated, but you also lose the electricity for running the water circulation pump for your baseboard water system. In other words, even if you switch to oil or gas for your boiler, when you lose electricity, you still would not have power to circulate water through your baseboard water system, and therefore your pipes could still freeze and burst.

And yes, if you want to leave the heat on, you can still shut off the main water valve.

The risk, however, is that if you lose power for long enough period, you could still get freezing in your baseboard heating pipes (plus freezing in your toilets, household water pipes, sink drains, etc.) and get damage from the frozen water expanding. But you will have limited how much water spills out by closing the main supply valve.

If you do decide to turn your heat off, remember that you not only need to drain your baseboard water heating system, but also your water heater tank, the household water system, etc. And if you cannot drain water completely out the traps in your sinks and toilet bowls and tanks, then you will need to put a small amount of RV antifreeze in them. And you should also leave open all faucets and showerheads. And if you have a refrigerator, it should be cleaned out, unplugged, and left with the door propped open.

If you have any questions about how to completely drain the water out of the equipment and plumbing for your particular lakehouse (since this can be rather tricky), then I suggest that you should consider using a trained professional who can come out and do the appropriate service.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 12/16/2007
From: D. Wilder
Message:
Lately we can hear water flowing through the hose connected to our washer even though it is not being used at the time? Is this something we should have a plumber come and check? We finally turned both faucets off.
____________________
Date: 12/17/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
D.Wilder:

When you say you "hear" water flowing through the hose that is connected to your washer when it is not running, do you mean that you just hear it, or do you also see the water coming into your washer at the same time? And if so, does it fill up your washer and then stop?

If you don't see the water coming in, then this water could be flowing somewhere else, but because the hose comes out of the wall, you hear the sound from the hose.

If its not coming into the washer, then the question is whether this flowing water is going someplace that it is suppose to be going, or is it leaking inside a wall or foundation.

And did the water sound stop when you closed the faucets to the hoses for your washer? If it did stop, then you probably want someone to come out and check the solenoid valves and timer on your washing machine. If the sound did not stop, then you probably want someone to come out to see if there is water leaking somewhere (unless you know for sure that the water is going to a dishwasher, baseboard water heating system make-up water, etc.).

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 12/17/2007
From: Bobby
Message:
Why has my gas boiler started to blow back?
____________________
Date: 12/18/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Bobby:

If your gas boiler has started to blow back, you should have it inspected by a trained professional RIGHT AWAY. The problem could be due to items such as a bad burner, blocked exhaust piping, etc. But you should have a trained service technician do a thorough inspection.

In the meantime, you need to be very careful of poisonous carbon monoxide gas that could be created from incomplete combustion or leaking exhaust gas. Make sure that your carbon monoxide detectors in your house are working properly, and that your boiler area is well ventilated until you can get a service person to inspect your boiler. Which you should do as soon as possible.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 12/18/2007
From: anonymous
Message:
how do i fill a hot tub
____________________
Date: 12/18/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Regarding your question of how to fill a hot tub, if your go to Home-Wizard.com's Maintenance Library, and then click on the link for "Hot Tub Spa" (http://www.home-wizard.com/maintenance/hottubspa.asp), you will see Maintenance Task #2 "Open the spa for the season". This will describe the general instructions for filling your hot tub.

Hope this is helpful.
____________________
Date: 12/19/2007
From: mike.cooley
Message:
Trying to replace a bathroom tube restrainer. The existing one is giving me hell as I try to unscrew. Any recomendations?
____________________
Date: 12/19/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Mike:

I'm not exactly sure which pieces you are working on. But if its metal pieces in the bathroom that you are trying to unscrew, you might want to try spraying them with "Liquid Wrench" (or another such penetrating / dissolving oil), then letting it soak in overnight.

And now here's where you need to be careful. When you are trying to break free parts that are stuck together like what you've described, its better to give a sharp pull on the wrench, rather than a long strong tug. But be careful, if you give it too sharp of a tug, you could break or strip the threads.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 12/25/2007
From: jhielscher
Message:
PG&E california alternative?
____________________
Date: 1/13/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear jhielscher:

I assume that by your posting of "PG&E california alternative?", that you are wondering if you can purchase electricity supplies from someone other that PG&E for your home.

The answer is unfortunately no. Because of flaws in the deregulation process, the California Public Utilities Commission suspended direct access in September 2001.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 12/27/2007
From: vanessen
Message:
Hi there, we just bought a house with a propane in ground tank. The previous provider wants us to sign a 5 year contract with a min. of $ 1000 per year. He says that the tank belongs to them.
Coming from California, we are quite clueless regarding propane and providers. Can we shop around? Does that mean that the company can dig up the tank?
____________________
Date: 1/13/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
vanessen:

Yes, some propane providers who will want to own the propane tank at your house (for example Suburban Propane), whereas others such as Eastern Propane will allow you to own the tank yourselves.

The advantage of you owning the tank yourself is that you will be able to shop around for the best propane prices and service. Since you own the tank, you can choose whichever supplier you want (although some providers may not want to serve you if they don't own the tank themselves).

On the other hand, if the propane company owns the tank at your house, then they will likely not let you purchase propane supplies from anyone else. And as a result, you won't have the benefits of competition.

But what you will have to decide is whether the initial cost of having to purchase a propane tank (either the one currently in the ground, if the existing provider will let you, or a new one) is worth the benefits of future competition. Note that even if the current provider will sell you the one in the ground, you will need to check whether it is in good condition, and whether new providers will allow you to use it for their supplies.

The best thing to do is to shop around and talk to other providers to see what they are willing to do.


Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 12/28/2007
From: Confused in Bristol
Message:
I'm a bit confuse about which valve should remain open after i'm finished removing the air from my baseboard radiators. Do I leave the valve above the circulation pump open or closed, or do I leave the valves below the circulation pump?.
____________________
Date: 1/14/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear "Confused in Bristol":

If your question is what positions should your the valves around you boiler (both before and after the circulating pump) be in after you have finished bleeding the air out, the answer is that the valves should be in the same position as before you started the air bleeding procedure.

Just remember, what you are trying to do, zone by zone, is to let make-up water come in to replace the water (and air) that is currently in the piping for each zone. The fresh water coming in will not have any air in it, and you will let it flow in until you see the water coming out no longer has air in it.

Hope this is helpful. If you still have questions, just let us know.

Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 12/30/2007
From: perkybob
Message:
my electric furnace makes noise when it is turned off. Could it be a stuck or noisy relay or what
____________________
Date: 12/31/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear perkybob:

What type of noise is it?

Does it sound like "creaking metal"? Or a motor turning? Or is it a "whooshing" sound?

Or how would you describe the sound that you are hearing after your furnace turns off?

Regards,
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 12/30/2007
From: sagehervan
Message:
i lived in a apartment and radiator baseboard was not working and now it is and the fumes are all threw the apartment will it go away soon are will i have to get repairman.
____________________
Date: 12/31/2007
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
sagehervan:

Regarding your question about the smell from your baseboard radiator system, since you said that you are in an apartment and had not used the baseboard system before, there are two things that this could likely be:

1) if the landlord painted the baseboard heating system (either directly, or if paint dripped on the baseboard radiator when the walls or ceilings were painted), then when you turned on the system, the increased temperature could be causing "outgassing" of the paint as it warms up on the surface of the radiator; or

2) if dust has built up on the surfaces of baseboard radiator, then this can have a "musty" smell when your system comes on for the first time in a season.

In either case, if these are the problem then it should go away over time. However if it is because of paint on the radiators, you might want to open the windows to help air out your apartment, rather than breathing the paint fumes. And if it is due to dust build-up on your radiators, you might try using a vacuum attachment to clean off the built up dust.

If the smell does not go away soon, then you (or your landlord) should contact a professional.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 1/1/2008
From: maggie
Message:
I have a crack in my ceiling that runs about 10ft. Some of it is unlevel. What do I do to repair it myself
____________________
Date: 1/2/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Maggie:

Let me reprise a response that I gave to a similar question from "Heartmom" back on October 18, 2006:

Heartmom:
Let me respond to the second part of your question first. Your question about what to do if you can't get rid of cracks in your wall or ceilings, and how often a “temporary fix” might have to be repeated, is very important. The reason it is important is that it gets at the need to determine WHY the cracks are forming in the first place. Usually, cracks result from a house naturally settling on its foundation, or periods when you house may have experienced large changes in temperature or humidity, etc. Small cracks created by these events can be successfully repaired and should last for a long time. But if your repaired cracks end up showing up again in just a few months, getting bigger, or are joined by cracks in other parts of the wall or ceiling, then this may be an indication of a bigger problem, such as: the wood framing in the walls or ceiling may be flexing due to excessive moisture; or the structural integrity of your house might be compromised; or that your home needs a humidifier for the winter; etc. If this is the case, then it would be best to talk to a building contractor who can diagnose the problem before more serious damage is done to your home.

Now regarding the first part of your question, the initial step to fixing a crack in the wall or ceiling is assessing whether you have plaster or drywall (drywall is also known as sheetrock, plasterboard, or wallboard).

With plaster, you will need to check to see if the metal lathe on which the plaster is applied needs to be secured with some additional nails. The cracks can then be filled with plaster compound. After it dries, you can sand it and paint the affected area, and carefully “feather” it out to the surrounding areas.

For repairing drywall wall or ceilings, the patch compound you will use is called “joint compound” (also sometimes call “spackling putty”). Applying drywall joint compound typically involves putting several coats on, and sanding in between each coat. Use a sanding block to help keep your work flat and smooth.

Sometimes larger cracks both in plaster and drywall need to have the crack area enlarged to remove loose pieces. This can be carefully done with a utility knife. A very wide crack will need more reinforcement to help it stick properly. And this is where patching tape (also called joint tape) will be helpful. If the section is very large, then you may even want to cut back the wall or ceiling all the way back to the middle of the studs or ceiling joists (the middle of the studs so that you still have something to nail to), and then adding a new section of drywall (and then patching the seams with drywall tape.)

One important note is that textured ceilings installed before around 1979 may contain asbestos, which is hazardous to breathe when disturbed. If your house is more than 25 years old, you should have the ceiling tested. And if the test comes back positive, then you will need to have a licensed asbestos abatement contractor tell you what your options are. Do NOT work on it yourself if you suspect that there could be asbestos involved.

We hope this helps.
Regards,
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 1/2/2008
From: donna
Message:
our gfi keeps popping when we run the dishwasher - but we've had it for 8 years and have not relocated any other items. It wont pop if we run on a low energy cycle - but if we run it on normal it pops.
____________________
Date: 1/2/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Donna:

Regarding your GFI tripping off when you run your dishwasher on its normal energy cycle but not on the low energy cycle, it could be a couple of things happening:

1) as GFIs ("ground fault interrupters") get older over time, they sometimes begin to trip at lower power levels. So in other words, it may have been fine operating at let's say 20 amps for years, but now it trips at 18 amps as the GFI has worn out.

2) Your dishwasher may be exeriencing a power surge when the heater for your dishwasher's normal power kicks on, and this is what is tripping your GFI.

Either way, you probably want a qualified electrician to test your GFI and dishwasher.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 1/3/2008
From: bandbmalone
Message:
what causes the deterfent not to dissolve fully
____________________
Date: 1/14/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear bandbmalone:

Regarding you question about what causes the detergent not to dissolve fully, I assume that you are refering to your washing machine? If so, the problem could be the brand of detergent you are using, and whether you are using hot or cold water. Some detergents do not dissolve very well in cold water. So if you are using cold water, you might want to try switching detergent brands.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 1/3/2008
From: larry
Message:
what to do after a frozen pipe bursts on a hot water oil burner baseboard
____________________
Date: 1/14/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear Larry:

I'm very sorry to hear that you had a frozen water pipe burst in your hot water baseboard heating system. Hopefully you did not incur much water damage, which can be a real mess and the damage can be extensive.

Regarding your question of what to do after a frozen baseboard heating system pipe bursts, here are a couple of thoughts:

1) Obviously, shut off the water supply to your baseboard heating system immediately.

2) Do NOT try to heat your pipes to thaw them out with anything stronger than an electric hair dryer. Using a stronger heat source (such as a torch or propane heater) can cause the trapped water to boil and explode.

3) Unfortunately, you might find that when your baseboard heating pipe froze up, that in addition to the section of line where most of the water came out, that there may be other sections that were also damaged, and will therefore also need to be replaced. This is because when one one section of baseboard pipes freeze, it can also freeze upstream and downstream of this section of the pipe (including inside the walls). And further, unfortunately you should also check your toilets and their traps, to see if they show any cracking from the same low-temperature incident that caused your baseboard heating pipe to burst.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 1/3/2008
From: silvia
Message:
My garbage disposal is running fine, the drains and doesn't back up but their is a terrible odor that comes back. We rarely use the disposal because we can hardly stand the smell. This problem has just begun over the past few months.
____________________
Date: 1/3/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
silvi.007:

Its great that your disposal is running fine, and it sounds like it just needs to be cleaned regularly.

The following is the procedure for cleaning your garbage disposal:

1) Place ice cubes in the disposal, grind them up, and flush with cold water. This will help sharpen the blades and remove buildup from the inside of the disposal.

2) Pour a cup of vinegar into the sink drain and let it sit for about one hour, then flush down with very hot water. This will help to remove scale build-up.

You should do this at least once a year, but more often depending on for what and how much you use it.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 1/4/2008
From: Della
Message:
The blower fan under my Kozy Heat Zero clearance wood stove makes noises like grinding or squealing. I have taken it apart before and oiled it, but the sound usually comes back by the next heating season.

The blower system is made up of two Dayton fans, Model 4C549, about 4 1/2" dia.x 1 1/2 " ht., in a housing unit 15 1/2" x 3 7/8".
What can I do to service one of these properly? What can I do to keep it from recurring?
Do ashes that get sucked into the space cause problems with the fans?

If I can't fix the problem, is it possible to buy the fans or complete unit without having to go thru a dealer? Thanks
____________________
Date: 1/4/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Della:

For a very specific question about the problem with the fan on this particular model of zero clearance woodstove, I would suggest that you call Kozy Heat toll-free at 1-800-253-4904, or you can send them at e-mail at: questions@kozyheat.com

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 1/5/2008
From: anonymous
Message:
how do you remove the screen from your storm window?
____________________
Date: 1/5/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
To anonymous:

To find the answer to your question about storm windows, you can look at the answer at the bottom of this page: http://www.home-wizard.com/maintenance/stormwindows.asp

If you need more help, just let us know.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 1/6/2008
From: anonymous
Message:
how do you change a faucet?
____________________
Date: 1/8/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Anonymous:

Here is a link to site that gives a fairly good description for how to replace a faucet:

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=howTo&p=Repair/RepFaucet.html

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 1/8/2008
From: ar2ducks
Message:
i'm trying to drain my pumps on my jacuzzi twin pump hot tub but there is not a drain plug to drain the housing I removed the suction line but that will only half o the housing.
I live n Alaska and the breaker keeps tripping so I am draining it for the winter.
Any ideas?
____________________
Date: 1/8/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
ar2ducks:

Just opening the drain plug typically is not enough to get all of the water out of a spa's pump system, but rather, to clear water from the water pumps suction and return lines you must use a canister-type wet vacuum to ensure that the lines are cleared of all remaining water. You probably should check with the manufacturer of your specific pumps to be sure.

A bigger concern is what is causing your pumps' breaker to trip. If this is being caused by an electrical problem, then I would think you would want to get this checked before you use the system.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 1/9/2008
From: jessica
Message:
how do I connect the washer machine hose to the utiltiy basin?
____________________
Date: 1/13/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Jessica:

I assume your question about "connecting your washing machine to your utility basin", is regarding the waste water hose from your washer.

The waste water hose from your washer should connect to the U-bend trap under your utility basin. It should connect on the side of the "U" in the U-bend that is closest to the drain at the bottom of your utility basin.

Note that the hose coming from your washer should be fixed in position so that it is 3-4 inches higher than the connection to the U-bend, before it goes down to your washer. If not, dirty water going down the drain of your utility basin can flow into your washing machine and fill up your washing machine tub.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 1/9/2008
From: Pipes4TX
Message:
We have a gas fireplace that has a switch that turns the gas on and off. With the pilot light on. When we turn on the fireplace it runs for awhile and then it quits and sometimes it starts up again in a little while. How do we figure out what is wrong? What type of repair person takes care of this?

thanks, Lezlie Pipes, Roswell, GA
____________________
Date: 1/9/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Lezlie:

It sounds like your gas fireplace could have a thermostat control, that when the room (or fireplace unit) come up to temperature, that it tells the fireplace to shutdown. Then when the room (or unit) cools down, it tells it to come back on. And it would work like this when the switch for the fireplace was in the "on" position.

A common "complaint" with gas fireplaces is that they are so efficient, that they can heat up a room fairly quickly, and then if they have a thermostat control, they will shut down to keep from overheating the room. One way around this is to turn down the flame settings down as low as possible, but you loose the nice look of the flames in the fireplace. And another alternative, is with some models, you can add piping and a blower that takes heat from the fireplace and has it blow into an adjacent room (if your rooms will allow this configuration). This way the fireplace can run, but not all the heat goes into the room it is in (so the fireplace can run longer).

Getting back to your question about a service person, I would suggest that you contact the manufacturer of your particular brand of fireplace, and ask them for a list of qualified and trained service techncians in your area who they have approved to work on your brand of fireplace.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 1/9/2008
From: Lezlie
Message:
Re: Gas Fireplace, that was extremely helpful. Thanks!
____________________
Date: 1/9/2008
From: Art From PGH
Message:
We're moving to a house that has a septic system and heard that it is not good to use a garbage disposal since the septic is not designed to take the volume of waste.
1) Is this true (there are only two of us)
2) Is a trash compactor a viable alternative (i.e. for all the food waste that would normally go into the garbage disposal)
____________________
Date: 1/9/2008
From: Art From PGH
Message:
FYI - regarding the garbage disposal smell -- make sure to take out and thoroughly clean the rubber "funnel" that covers the opening (assuming it is removeable and you've disconnected the power), as well as the opening the "funnel" seats against. We had a friend who had this problem and when they removed the "funnel" they found about a 1/2 inch of gunk that had built up and smelled terrible. After cleaning the smell was gone!
____________________
Date: 1/9/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Art from PGH:

Regarding your first question, yes, you can use a garbage disposal when you have a septic system, HOWEVER, since you will be adding more solid waste to your septic system, you need to be VERY CAREFUL to check your septic tank level more often. As you probably know, if your septic tank fills up with solids, these solids can over-flow and go into your leeching pipes which will be very expensive to remedy if they become plugged. And since you are new to the house, you will not have history on how often you should have your septic tank pumped.

The other point about your garbage disposal, is that some towns and cities do not allow garbage disposals to be installed where there are septic systems. And since you are new to this house, if you want to be in compliance, this is something you may want to check.

Regarding your second question, yes, a trash compactor is a viable option. In general, trash compators are considered good for the environment because they reduce the trash's volume by about 80%, so it takes up a lot less room in a landfill. However, a couple of thoughts about using a trash compactor for food waste. First, food waste will not compact down as much as other household garbage; and secondly, depending on how "green" you want to be, an alternative to a garbage disposal is to set up a compost system in your yard, which will naturally bio-degrate your food waste. If you are interested, here is a link to some instructions on how to set up a home compost pile: http://www.ehow.com/how_137794_set-compost-system.html

Hope this helpful.

PS: Thanks for adding you tip about the garbage disposal smell!

Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 1/10/2008
From: Bill Glesne
Message:
What about adding Home Inspectors to the, "Find Contractors" list? Recommended category options:
Building Inspectors
Home Inspectiors
Inspectors
Thank you,
Commercial & Residential Inspections
Vancouver, WA 360-690-6833
____________________
Date: 1/10/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear Bill:

Bill:

Thanks for you for your suggestion about adding "Home Inspectors" to our "Find Contractors" list. I think this is a great idea, and I will begin to brainstorm with the team here about how best to do this. A couple of initial thoughts come to mind. One idea is to show the home inspectors around the country who have sponsored versions of Home-Wizard.com. The other is to provide links to the membership pages of ASHI, NACHI, NAHI, etc. Again, thanks for the suggestion.

Regards,
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 1/10/2008
From: bobjohnson
Message:
I am a home inspector that will be refering your Wizard Program to my clients. When are your services available? Days and time slots. When can they expect to receive a response and from what type of person will be responding?
____________________
Date: 1/10/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Bob Johnson:

First of all, we're glad to have you as one of the companies using a sponsored version of Home-Wizard.com!

I assume that your question is about what your clients should expect when they submit a question to "Ask the Wizard"?

Here's how it works. When a question comes in to "Ask the Wizard", it automatically sends an alert to the people here who put together the online "Maintenance Library" for Home-Wizard.com. We review the question and decide which of us is the best person to answer the question, and then this person prepares and posts a response. It is usually the person who prepared the Maintenance Library page for that particular subject. And sometimes they need to do additional research in order to answer a specific question, especially questions that are about specific repairs rather than just routine maintenance.

So to answer your point about "When are your services available? Days and time slots?", the answer is that someone is usually available to respond to an "Ask the Wizard" question from 8am to midnight Eastern Standard Time, seven days a week (we have very dedicated employees, who don't mind working from home!)

Regarding your question about "When can they expect to receive a response?", the answer is that so far almost all questions have been answered within 24 hours, and most have been the same day. If people have included their e-mail address in with their question, then in addition to posting the response on the "Ask the Wizard" page, we also send the response directly to the e-mail address that they provided.

And finally, regarding your question "What type of person will be responding?", the answer is that its the same people who developed the Home-Wizard online Maintenance Library.

If you have additional questions, just let us know at info@home-wizard.com, or we can set up a time to discuss by phone.

Once again, we're glad to have your company using a sponsored version of Home-Wizard.com. And we hope that you continue to find that it is helping you build your relationships and grow your business with your clients.

Regards,
Home-Wizard.com.
____________________
Date: 1/14/2008
From: Shirley
Message:
I have a majestic gas firplace with an automatic pilot light that keeps blowing out after a period of time. We tried cleaning it for dust accumulation, but it still blew out. Help
____________________
Date: 1/14/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear Shirley:

We are of the firm belief that when it comes to gas appliances, they should be inspected and adjusted by trained professionals.

Here's a link that will give you a list of authorized Majestic fireplace dealers in your area:

http://www.majesticproducts.com/content/wheretobuy/locator/index.cfm?locatortype=dealer

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 1/15/2008
From: pauline
Message:
Determine if Drano is an acid or base and describe how it works to clean clogged drains.
____________________
Date: 1/15/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear Pauline:

Is this something that you are working on as part of your Burlingame HS WebQuest (http://bhs.smuhsd.org/bhsnew/academicprog/science/vaughn/ChemDocs/acidbasewebquest.html)?

But anyway, here is a link to some info about Drano that you might find helpful:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr%C4%81no
____________________
Date: 1/15/2008
From: ross
Message:
when looking into the disposer the small center piece spins but not the blade, i use the hex, i reset, center piece spins but is not attached to the inner blade did a weld break or something
____________________
Date: 1/15/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear Ross:

Please be VERY, VERY CAREFUL when looking into a garbage disposal that is turned on. You should be wearing EYE PROTECTION, and if it were me, I'd be wearing a FACE AND NECK SHIELD. A garbage disposal typically has a slotted rubber boot across the opening to the sink, that helps keep things from flying out when it is running. I assuming that you are pushing this back so that you can see inside. But again, please be very, very careful.

With that said, if the motor is turning freely, but the blades are not moving, then it sounds like you have a broken coupling. Depending on the age of your disposal, you might want to call around to local service technicians to see if it makes sense to replace the coupling, or if you are better off replacing the entire disposal.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 1/15/2008
From: robertridener
Message:
i turn my shower off and i hear some thing crack
____________________
Date: 1/15/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear robertridener:

Without hearing it myself, its hard to tell exactly what is causing the "crack" sound that you are hearing when you turn off your shower.

But if I had to guess, I would say that the sound is caused by a "water hammer" in your plumbing system. A water hammer is caused by the pressure shock that is created when there is a sudden change in velocity of a liquid flowing through a pipe (like when you close the valve on your shower). A water hammer is very bad for your piping system, and you should get it eliminated.

Eliminating a water hammer in your plumbing system will depend on the configuration of your system. For example, do you already have an air chamber in your plumbing (which is there to help eliminate water hammers), that has filled up with water and is therefore not working properly? So I'm afraid that you will likely need to bring in a trained plumbing professional to help you.

One test that you can try on your own is to turn off the water in your shower very slowly, and see if you still hear the "crack" sound.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 1/16/2008
From: brent
Message:
My baseboard radiators make a loud bang when the heat comes on in the bedroom. I suspect it is like water hammer. How do I fix it?
____________________
Date: 1/16/2008
From: lstraughte
Message:
what is wrong with my garbage disposal it leaks water from the base when water is drain with or without the motor running?????
____________________
Date: 1/16/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear Brent:

You say that you hear the bang noise when your baseboard radiator turns on. As such, the noise is probably not coming from a water hammer (which more typically occurs when a valve suddenly closes).

Here are some potential causes of the bang noise that you are hearing:

1) A pipe to or from this baseboard radiator that is running through a hole in a wall, etc. that is too tight, which doesn't allow sufficiently for the pipe's thermal expansion.

2) Pipes not supported properly, such that when they turn on, they bang into one another or into other things.

3) The zone valve is installed backwards.

4) Air is trapped in the line, which needs to be bled out.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 1/16/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear lstraughte:

When you say that you have water leaking from the “base” of your garbage disposal, I assume that you mean where the garbage disposal connects to your sink?

Assuming that it is, then here’s how you can fix this leak:

1) Turn off power to the disposal at the electrical service panel, or completely unplug the unit.

2) Where the disposal mounts to the bottom of your sink, turn the disposal clockwise to loosen it, and then remove the unit from the mounting flange.

3) There will be three mounting bolts holding the flange on. Try to tighten these bolts. If they are loose, this could be the cause of your leak. But if they are already tight, then the leak may be caused by failed plumber’s putty that is there to seal this flange. Therefore, loosen the bolts and push the sink flange slightly above the surface of the sink. Squeeze some plumber’s putty between the sink flange and the sink, completely around the flange. When done, then tighten the mounting bolts drawing the sink flange tight to the sink surface. Wipe away any excess putty that oozes out.

4) Reinstall the disposal and turn power back on at the service panel.

5) Check for leaks.


Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 1/17/2008
From: renedye
Message:
I manage an apartment complex in Colorado that uses the EXACT same Baseboard Heating System that you have displayed in the pictures on this page of your website: http://www.home-wizard.com/maintenance/baseboardheating.asp

My delima is that I need replacement parts for some of the heaters in our building - - and have NO clue as to where to find these parts. I have searched and searched and searched the internet, but the only thing I've been able to come up with are obviously much NEWER versions.

Any suggestions on where I can find what I'm looking for?

Thank you for your time.
____________________
Date: 1/17/2008
From: renedye
Message:
I manage an apartment complex in Colorado that uses the EXACT same Baseboard Heating System that you have displayed in the pictures on this page of your website: http://www.home-wizard.com/maintenance/baseboardheating.asp

My delima is that I need replacement parts for some of the heaters in our building - - and have NO clue as to where to find these parts. I have searched and searched and searched the internet, but the only thing I've been able to come up with are obviously much NEWER versions.

Any suggestions on where I can find what I'm looking for?

Thank you for your time.
____________________
Date: 1/17/2008
From: Kenneth
Message:
I notice that my low water light will come on sometimes and my furnace will not heat up the house even though the water level show sufficient amount of water. But when I flush out the water and reestablish the water level the furnace will kick in and the baseboards will began to heat up again. It does not happen often but sometime I have to flush water out more than usually when the water light come on I would like to note that I do not have an auto feed and that every once in a while I would have to fill and flush water out of the furnace. Could this be from a build up of rust in the pipes that cause the low water indicator to come on and shut the furnace? If so can this be clean out other then continuing to draining and flush water out of the furnace ?What do you think is causing this to happen. You information is greatly appreciated.
____________________
Date: 1/17/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear Kenneth:

Yes, your problem with the your furnace shutting down could be caused by rust and sediment affecting your low water level cut-off gauge.

If the boiler and the low water cut-off gauge are not flushed of sediment, the low water cutoff could hang up on the sediment. You should follow the appropriate procedure for your particular furnace system to drain and flush your boiler. And as part of your annual inspection and service, a trained service technician should take the low water cutoff apart to manually scrape and clean the walls of it, and to also clean the sight glass.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 1/17/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear renedye:

I wish we had gotten your posting two months ago! The house in the picture on the baseboard heating page of our Maintenance Library was completely demolished down to the foundation, and the baseboard heating fixtures were either donated to an inner-city building resource charity, or they we sent to recycling.

But here's a link to a site that has a list of names and contact information for suppliers of baseboard heating fixtures:

http://www.traditional-building.com/article/radside.htm

One thought is that you might want to make a copy of the picture from our Maintenance Library webpage, and then email it to the companies that you talk to from this supplier list. Once they see it they could not only tell you whether they carry this model, but if they don't, they may still recognize it (from being in the business), and could hopefully direct you to the manufacturer who makes it.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 1/18/2008
From: Kenneth
Message:
Dear Home-Wizard,
The explanation you gave me for my furnace yesterday is right on point the sediment in the glass and water level gauge is just as you describe. I will have a technician come to clean it out.
Thank you very much.
Kenneth

____________________
Date: 1/18/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Kenneth:

Thanks for the feedback!

Glad that we could help you with this.

If you have other home maintenance questions come up, just let us know.

Regards,
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 1/18/2008
From: sue in pa
Message:
we just moved into a very old home.we have baseboard gas heat and the first floor is quite cool,while the second floor is very warm.the thermostat is set at 62 degrees .someone told me to bleed the heater but i can't find a valve.can you help me.
____________________
Date: 1/19/2008
From: germil84
Message:
how to thaw frozen water pipe
____________________
Date: 1/19/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear germil84:

The first step in thawing out the frozen water pipe in your home is to locate the main water shut-off valve for your house. It is typically locate just inside your house near where water supply first comes into your house. If you are on public water supply, then this valve will be right downstream from your water utility’s meter. Make sure you have clear access to this valve, and that it is not obstructed by boxes, storage materials, etc.

The reason you will want to locate this valve is that if during the thawing process of your frozen pipes, that the ice blockage turns out to be upstream of where the pipe has cracked, then you will want to be able to shut off your main water supply ASAP.

The next step is locating all the locations where pipes have frozen. Go around your house and open up each faucet, flush each toilet, etc. If water does not come out (or just comes out in a dribble), then you likely have a frozen pipe located in the line coming to this faucet. Even if you have found one area of frozen pipe, it is a good idea to take an additional minute to check to see if there are other areas that have been affected by the same freeze.

The next step is to try to find the specific area in your piping where the frozen blockage is occurring. Open up the faucet where you have found that water is not coming out. Follow the pipe back from the faucet to where it runs through cold areas such as an exterior wall, unheated crawl space, cabinets, or in some cases an unheated basement if the pipe is near an outside wall. Sometimes the frozen area of the pipe will be frosted or have ice on it. If the situation is getting critical the pipe may be slightly bulged or look slightly cracked.

There are two kinds of situations that you might have to deal with: 1) the frozen pipe is exposed, where you can work on it; or 2) the frozen pipe is behind a wall.

If the frozen pipe is exposed, then there are several techniques that you can use to thaw it out. We recommend that you do NOT expose your pipe to anything hotter than you would put on your hand. Heating up a pipe too fast, for example using a torch, can actually cause the pipe to rupture from the steam that is produced and is potentially trapped between frozen sections of the pipe.

A couple of good choices for heating up your frozen pipe are:

- Hair dryer.
- Hot towels (just keep replacing them as they cool off).
- Space heater.
- Light bulbs, or better yet, a heat lamp.
- Well-grounded heating pad.

On trick you can use to speed up the process is to place tin foil or a cookie sheet behind the pipe to help reflect back the heat from your hair dryer, heat lamp etc., to the back side of your pipe.

If you find that you frozen pipe is behind a wall or ceiling, then you’ve got a little different problem on your hands. But you’ve got several options here:

- Place a space heater or fan near this section of your wall or ceiling, and allow warm air to circulate around this area.
- Use lamps or better yet, heat lamps to warm up this section (keep them back at least 8-18 inches from the surface).
- Turn up the heat in your house and wait (but if its cold outside and the frozen pipe is on an outside wall and inside of a cabinet, it may be a very long wait).

Note that the techniques that we described above can be used regardless of whether you have plastic or metal pipes in your home.

Hopefully this helps you with safely thawing out your frozen pipe.

Regards,
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 1/19/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear "sue in PA":

Regarding your question of how to bleed air out of your baseboard hot water system, you can find the answer to this on our Baseboard Heating System Page of our online Maintenance Library:

http://www.home-wizard.com/maintenance/baseboardheating.asp

However, the fact that you say it is a very old house, and that the second floor is warm and the first floor is cool, makes me wonder if part of your problem might be due to poor insulation.

As you probably know, heat rises. So if your first floor is drafty (for example, from poor weatherproofing and sealing around external doors), and there is no insulation in the flooring/ceiling between your first and second floors, then the heat could be rising up out of the first floor (making it feel cooler) to the second floor (making it feel warmer).

So you might also want to consider weatherproofing and caulking your doors and windows. And if the doors and windows don't have storm doors and windows, you might want to add these. And finally, if they are very old, you might even want to consider upgrading them to higher insulation ratings.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 1/19/2008
From: aldoanddiane
Message:
Is there a product on the market that you can use to refinish diswasher baskets? They have rust on the plastic.
____________________
Date: 1/19/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear aldoanddiane:

You may not need to actually refinish your dishwasher baskets, but rather, it could be that you just need to remove the rust scale from them.

If you go to the Dishwasher page of our online home Maintenance Library, under Maintenance Task #1 we describe how to use "Tang" brand orange drink to remove rust scale from your dishwasher baskets: http://www.home-wizard.com/maintenance/dishwasher.asp

Hopefully this will work for you. If not, just let us know.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 1/19/2008
From: aldoanddiane
Message:
Thanks for your reply, but the diswasher baskets are in need of re coating the rubberized plastic on the baskets. I need to clean the rusted area and then re do with a plastic coating. Is there such a product out there I have not been able to find one. Thanks aldo
____________________
Date: 1/19/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear aldoanddiane:

I see. It's not rust scale on the coating of the basket, but rather its that the plastic has deteriorated, and its the metal frame below the pastic that is showing through, and this is what has rusted. Right?

In a case like this, I would suggest that you contact the manufacturer of the your dishwasher (just do a Google search on the brand name, and they should have an "800" number for customer service). And ask them what they recommend for your dishwasher. It will need to be something that is obviously water-proof, but it will also need to be able to withstand high temperatures. Maybe if they are nice, they will even send you a replacement basket, or at least have a reasonable price for replacements.

If this doesn't help, just let us know, and maybe we can come up with something else to help you.

Regards,
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 1/21/2008
From: confused
Message:
Upstairs radiators are cold and down stairs are hot. Just repair recirculating pump and still no heat upstairs. Bleed all radiators and no heat upstairs.
____________________
Date: 1/21/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear confused:

Since you have already repaired your circulator pump, and you are not getting heat in only one zone of radiators, then here are a couple possible causes of why you are not getting heat in your upstairs radiators:

1) It could be possible that you have dedicated circulators for different heating zones in your home. If so, you should check to see if the circulator for your upstairs radiators has failed.
2) If not, you should check the zone valve that serves your upstairs radiators. The water pipe should be hot both upstream and downstream of this zone valve. If the valve is bad or stuck, it will be hot upstream of the valve, but then cool downstream of the valve. (Upstream refers to the piping that is in the direction of the boiler)

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 1/21/2008
From: billsfishing
Message:
Hi, I have a propane gas insert. I think it is ventless. The box has no openings in it. My problem is, it gives off a odor. I'm not sure how to explain the odor, propane? I'm not sure, but I don't like the smell. Help
____________________
Date: 1/21/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear billsfishing:

We recommend not taking any chances with odors from a propane gas fireplace. You should contact the manufacturer of your particular gas fireplace, and get a list of qualified service technicians in your area. And if it were me, I'd be slightly opening a window in the room with the fireplace, to provide fresh air until you know what the source of the smell is.

If your fireplace is brand new, and the smell is somewhat metallic, it could be typical for a unit that is heating up the first several times. But it is better to find out for sure from a qualified service technician for your specific unit.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
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Date: 1/24/2008
From: dougdenton
Message:
how do i get ipadress for x
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Date: 1/27/2008
From: sisterlinda01
Message:
we're triing to take off the back of our washer ( model# 110,92283100 )to find out if the belt is broken??
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Date: 1/27/2008
From: JD
Message:
Is it normal to see the coils of the dryer glow red, behind the screen on the inside, upon opening the dryer in middle of a cycle?
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Date: 1/27/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
JD:

It sounds like you have a GAS fired dryer, and what you are seeing is the "glow coil", or on some models, its called the "glow bar".

Yes, usually this will glow an intense bright yellow orange color when a gas dryer is operating. It is part of the ignitor that fires the gas which heats the dryer.

To be sure that this is what you are seeing on your particular model, you should contact your specific manufacturer.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
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Date: 1/30/2008
From: Daleytwo
Message:
Help,, Bathroom baseboard (right next to the toilet)and three boys in the house, need I say more? have cleaned outsie and inside as much as I can, was able to take somewhat apart, cleaned all the copper pipes but, the like metal fins are impossible to clean, they bend right up, I am wondering If I can spray some odor oliminator, or cleaning products right into it.I realize I will have to do this many times,and yes it will probubly rust a bit, I can live with that. and hopefully will eventually get better. Do you have any ideas or tips?
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Date: 1/30/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear Daleytwo:

Having baseboard heating right adjacent to the toilet does make for some problems. But here are some suggestions that hopefully will help you.

First regarding cleaning this area, as you know the most difficult part is cleaning the "fins" on the radiator pipe. You will want to be very careful cleaning around this area, so as not to bend the fins. They work best when they are spaced evenly, and allow air to flow unobstructed through them. Rather than spraying cleaning products into the fins, which you won't be able to wipe completely out, a better alternative is to use a steam cleaner with a wand attachment. Here's a link to a company that shows how this works (we are not familiar with this particular company, but their website shows the technique): http://refreshyourhome.com/new-steamer-windows/a-Before-and-After-Pictures.html

The other thing you might want to think about, if you haven't already, is installing a "splash guard" above this section of the baseboard heating system.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
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Date: 1/30/2008
From: BrendaJ61
Message:
I have a propane gas log fireplace that I use very rarely. I just had the tank filled, but when I turn on the fireplace, the burner lights, but the flame never gets higher than the burner. Any suggestions?
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Date: 1/31/2008
From: Ken
Message:
Hi I have to replace my steam radiator air valve. The air valve I have is shape like a long cylinder but the one I have to replace it with is shape like a bullet. My question does the shape make a different in the way steam will run through my house or is it that different brand make the air valve in different shapes?
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Date: 1/31/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear Ken:

Are you refering to your steam radiator "air" valve which is located near the top of the radiator, or do you mean your steam radiator "pressure reducing" valve which is typically located near your boiler?

Home-Wizard.com
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Date: 1/31/2008
From: Ken
Message:
The steam radiator "pressure reducing" valve which is typically located my boiler
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Date: 1/31/2008
From: Ken
Message:
The steam radiator "pressure reducing" valve which is located near my boiler in the basement
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Date: 1/31/2008
From: Ken
Message:
"More information to my question" The steam radiator "pressure reducing" valve which is located near my boiler in the basement I think this is what I was referring to it is located on the top of a pipe near the boiler and you can hear it let air out from time to time . I hope I was able to explain it better to you the part seems to go by few different name Air Valve,steam radiator valve etc..
____________________
Date: 1/31/2008
From: Ken
Message:
"More information to my question" The steam radiator "pressure reducing" valve which is located near my boiler in the basement I think this is what I was referring to it is located on the top of a pipe near the boiler and you can hear it let air out from time to time . I hope I was able to explain it better to you the part seems to go by few different name Air Valve,steam radiator valve etc..
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Date: 1/31/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear Ken:

Yes, you are correct, the pressure-reducing valve is also called the “automatic make-up valve” or the “feed-water pressure regulator”. The pressure-reducing valve connects the house plumbing supply system to the boiler water. It is designed to automatically maintain an adequate amount of water in the boiler at the desired pressure (12 to 15 psi).

The pressure-reducing valve can also be part of an assembly that includes a pressure-relief valve. Some types of pressure-reducing valves have a check-valve inside of them that prevents water flowing back from the heating system into the plumbing system, and as such, it acts as a backflow preventer. Note however that some towns require the backflow preventer to be separate.

Since it sounds like your new pressure-reducing valve is significantly smaller than your previous one, I’m wondering if the one that you replaced was also a pressure-relief valve or had a check-valve inside of it. If this is the case, then your system could now be potentially operating without either a pressure-relief valve or a backflow preventer. This is not good, and it NEEDS TO BE VERIFIED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. If you no longer have a pressure-relief valve or backflow preventer in your system, then you could potentially over-pressure your system or have heating system water flowing into your household drinking water.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
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Date: 1/31/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear BrendaJ61:

Most gas log fireplaces allow you to adjust the flame height. To see exactly how to do this, you should look at your owner's manual (or go online to get one from the manufacturer of your specific fireplace).

But if you have not had your fireplace serviced for a while by a qualified service technician, then you should definately schedule a visit as soon as possible. I'd be suspicious as to why the flame height has gone down, and whether there are any obstructions. With gas fireplaces it is always best to be on the safe side. A qualified service technician can check things out and make sure that everything is operating properly.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
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Date: 2/2/2008
From: chris carolan nj
Message:
I keep getting air in my system its a 4 zone system and only the top floor 1 zone gets it. I do have another zone on the top floor but that one is always fine. i bleed it and then a month later it gurgles and sounds like a faucet again so i bleed it and its good for another month...what is happening to be allowing air in? thanks
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Date: 2/2/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear chris carolan nj:

If you keep getting air in your hot water heating system, it sounds like you might likely have a small water leak somewhere in your system. You should check all of the bleeder valves on your system, as this is a common place for water leaks to occur. And you should also check all of the piping, valves and fittings around your boiler for signs of water leakage. Hopefully, there are no water leaks occuring in any of the piping anywhere inside of your walls, as this can cause major problems related to pests, etc.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
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Date: 2/2/2008
From: chris carolan nj
Message:
I have hot water baseboard heat with only a bleeder valve on the boiler..I had a professional come out a month ago and he said it was just air and made the system work great but a month later its loud again i bled it today and it had alot of air but now its whisper quiet...No signs of leaks anywhere..All 3 other zones all are quiet and work great..just this one zone...
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Date: 2/3/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear chris carolan nj:

It sounds like you have a stubborn problem with air in one of the 4 zones of your baseboard heating system.

A couple of thoughts for things that you might want to check:

1) In the zone that you are having problems with, it sounds like it is on the second floor. Can you find any bleeder valves anywhere along this zone, where you can bleed the air out of this zone?

2) When you are bled your system using the valve at the boiler, was your boiler cold (that is, that it had been off for at least 3 hours)?

3) Are you able to bleed air out of the top of your boiler, for example through a pressure relief valve. Remember, always be very careful whenever you are bleeding air out of your heating system, as the water can be scalding hot.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
____________________
Date: 2/3/2008
From: kevin j.
Message:
Determine if Drano is an acid or base and describe how it works to clean clogged drains.

Describe the process of naming binary and oxyacids from a given chemical formula.

Describe the process of creating the chemical formula of a binary and oxyacid from a given name.

Acids and bases are classified in several different ways based on specific characteristic chemical behaviors. What characteristics are used to group acids and bases into the following categories:
Arrhenius acid:
Arrhenius base:
Bronsted-Lowry acid:
Bronsted-Lowry base:
Lewis acid:
Lewis base:

Describe why you can consume vinegar while this is not recommended with a dilute solution of
battery acid.

List 3 aqueous bases and three aqueous acids, ranking them from strong to weak.
Strong
Weak
Bases
1.
2.
3.
Acids
1.
2.
3.

The term “protic” refers to protons (hydrogen ions). What is meant when an acid is referred to as
monoprotic, diprotic, or triprotic? Give examples to illustrate your explanation.

The Bronsted-Lowry definitions of acids and bases provide a basis for studying proton transfer in acid-base reactions. Two terms, conjugate acid and conjugate base, are a part of the nomenclature associated with this study. What are conjugate acids and bases? Provide a reaction formula equation to illustrate your answer.

Ka and Kb are mathematical constants derived from the equilibrium concentrations of conjugate acids and bases found in aqueous solutions as compared against the equilibrium concentrations of the parent acid or base. How do these constants relate to the relative strengths of a series of acids or bases?

Combining a strong acid with a strong base results in a neutralization reaction. Why is the term “neutralization” applied to this reaction?

Acid rain creates problems with crop production. Using your understanding of how acid rain develops and how it hinders agricultural processes, propose a means for eliminating the acid rain problem.

What is meant by “the self-ionization of water”?

What is the difference between a hydrogen ion, a hydronium ion, and a hydroxide ion, and how are they produced when water self-ionizes?

How is the Kw constant developed, and under what conditions is it valid?

Using the Kw equation, how is it possible to determine whether an aqueous solution is acidic, basic, or neutral?

There are several ways to express the acidity or basicity of a solution. Probably the most common means is by using pH. How is the numerical value of pH determined, and how does its magnitude relate to acidity or basicity?

How might you use an acid-base indicator to determine if the pH of the water in your fish tank was suitable for your pet fish? Should the environment for fish be acidic, basic, or neutral? What indicator might you use to determine if your tank is suitable? How might a tritration be useful in this process?

The endpoint of bromothymol blue is at around a pH of 7. The equivalence point of acid Solution A and basic Solution B is at a [H+] = 1.2 X 10-7. Is this a good indicator for this titration?

Given the same solutions as the previous question, would methyl orange be a good indicator for this titration? Explain your answer.

The concentration (molarity) of an acid solution is not the same as the strength of the acid. What is the difference.


>>>>>i just wanna know how good you are!!!!!!
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Date: 2/3/2008
From: chris carolan nj
Message:
I did bleed the system hot not but was not running for 20 minutes..I did just open the zone valve and the drain and pushed the little lever to allow more water to rush in around 25 psi...you could hear the air coming out of it but its still running quiet day 2 as for any bleeders i haven't seen any on the baseboards thru out the house.....
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Date: 2/3/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear Kevin J:

It looks like you are you are working on the Burlingame HS WebQuest:

http://bhs.smuhsd.org/bhsnew/academicprog/science/vaughn/ChemDocs/acidbasewebquest.html

Home-Wizard.com
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Date: 2/3/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear chris carolan nj:

Well I guess the good news is that your problem zone has been quiet now for 2 days.

If your system was only off for 20 minutes when you last bled it, then it probably had not had time to cool down completely. So if the problem comes back, then one option that you still have is to try to let your system cool completely down (off for at least 3 hours) before you bleed it.

And I assume that when you inspected the problem zone for leaks and bleeders, that you removed the baseboard covers to see if there were any bleeders that might have been hidden by the covers?

If you still have problems after trying the above, please let us know, and we'll try to figure something else for you.

Home-Wizard.com
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Date: 2/4/2008
From: KEN
Message:
THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPLY ON THE AIR VENT I FOUND OUT THAT THE VENT I HAD WAS THE SAME KIND BUT IT WAS AN ADJUSTABLE AIR VENT. BUT TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE I REPLACE MY AIR VENT WITH THE EXACT SAME ONE THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR HELP
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Date: 2/4/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Ken:

. . . you are very welcome.

Thanks for the feedback! And we're glad we could help you.

Regards,
Home-Wizard.com
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Date: 2/4/2008
From: barbev
Message:
which radiator valve is better ? automatic or manual for baseboard heating system
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Date: 2/4/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear barbev:

I'm not sure exactly which radiator valve that you are referring to for your baseboard heating system, so let me run down all of the valves for you:

o Bleeder valves (for purging air out of the system): these should be manual valves.

o Make-up water valve (for allowing water to come into the system to replace lost water): this valve should be an automatic valve.

o Pressure relief valve (for releasing water when the system pressure becomes to high): this valve should be an automatic valve.

o Zone valves (for shutting off water to a particular heating zone): there are the automatic valves that are controlled by the thermostats for the various zones, and then there are also manual valves which allow you to shut off zones independently.

If this doesn't answer your questions, just let us know.
Home-Wizard.com
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Date: 2/5/2008
From: C Bower
Message:
My washing machine does not start even when it is on the right setting, the button is pulled and the top is closed. If I close it hard, jank it around... eventually it will start... what is wrong?
____________________
Date: 2/5/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear C Bower:

It sounds like there is something intermittent that is keeping your washing machine from turning on. That is, possibly a bad connection of some sort, which is why it turns on after you "bang it around" a lit bit.

So here's a couple of things you might want to initially try:

1) There is door switch that must be engaged for your washing machine to turn on. If you look around the door to your washing machine, you should see something that looks like a pin that goes in a slot. If this switch is loose, or not connecting properly, then it makes the machine think the door is not closed, so it can prevent it from turning on. This switch could also be "gunked up", and need to be cleaned to work properly.

2) Carefully check to see if the plug for your washing machine is securely plugged into your outlet.

If these don't work for you, just let us know, and we can give you some other things to try.

Home-Wizard.com
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Date: 2/6/2008
From: Laura Flowers-McLinn
Message:
I just filled up the sink with onions and other produce and turned the garbage disposal on. The water will not go down now and the stuff is in the sink. It is chopping it all up, it just won't go out. What is wrong? WHat can I do?
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Date: 2/6/2008
From: Home-Wizard.com
Message:
Dear Laura Flowers-McLinn:

If your garbage disposal is running fine, that is, if the motor is turning freely when you turn the switch on, but the water is not going down the sink, then the culprit is likely a clog in the drain pipe coming out of the bottom of the garbage disposal.

The first thing you should try is to use a t