Author: By Ken Moon Special to The Gazette
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Around the House: Turn to attic fan to cool off overly hot attic
I’ve been conducting an experiment over the last couple of weeks at my house to see how hot the attic gets in the daytime. I was somewhat surprised to see temperatures routinely in the 120s and 130s during the middle part of the day. And, on one of the hotter days, I was stunned to…
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Around the House: How to remedy a stinky garbage disposal
High temperatures encourage accelerated growth of bacteria in garbage disposals. It’s usually the parts not easily accessed — like the rubber splash guard and the top of the disposal chamber —that accumulate food particles. There are two good tools for this cleaning operation: a round toilet bowl brush and a toothbrush. Saturate the toilet brush…
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Around the House: Solving one stinky situation in the bathroom
Dear Ken: We can’t get our bathroom lavatories to stop smelling. We’ve tried Liquid-Plumr, baking soda and vinegar, even bleach. Can you help? — Roger Answer: Did you remember the overflow? That’s the hole in the front of the sink that drains water if you forget to turn off the faucet. Sometimes it fills with…
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Around the House: Window film good for saving energy
Dear Ken: We have two big windows in a sunroom that gets quite hot, and we want to know what you think of window film? Does it last? Is it good for privacy? — Cheryl Answer: It’s mostly good for saving energy. It can help reflect heat inside in the winter, saving heating dollars —…
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Around the House: With siding showing its age, replacement options abound
Dear Ken: I have that old pressed board siding — about 30 years old and the edges are starting to look bad. What about new vinyl material? Or what kind do you like? — Brad Answer: It sounds typical for this material. If you wait too long between paint jobs, the edges start to swell…
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Around the House: Water line insurance likely not needed
Dear Ken: I got a flyer in the mail that offered to sell me water line insurance for that line that goes out to the street for about $65 a year. Do you think this is a good deal? — Hannah Answer: Not really. The chance of a water line causing problems is slim. It’s…
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Around the House: Time to give your lawn some attention
I hope you kept up with your winter watering when conditions were dry. These here-today- gone-tomorrow snowstorms are fine, but we have had fairly minimal soil percolation. You can tell how your landscape is doing by probing with a simple moisture meter or by poking into the topsoil with your finger. Anyway, this is the…
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Around the House: Take these steps with carbon monoxide detectors. It could save your life.
Dear Ken: I know you should put the carbon monoxide detector somewhere upstairs, but why not in the furnace room too? — Daniel Answer: It can’t hurt, but the primary aim is protecting the family. The biggest concern is carbon monoxide coming from the heating vents in the living area. People are most vulnerable to…
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Around the House: Furnace starts up with a blast of cold air
Dear Ken: I have a crawl space. When the furnace comes on, there is a blast of cold air through the ducts. Is that OK? — Karen Answer: It happens in all houses. When the furnace starts up, it has to push that dead air out of the duct system first. Most of us have…
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Around the House: Help, our new furnace needs a silencer
Dear Ken: We had a furnace installed and you can hear the blower all over the house. Is this normal? — Jill Answer: New furnaces are noisier. That’s because there’s an extra motor to kick out fumes plus thinner metal is required for greater energy efficiency. Make sure there is a rubber isolation collar somewhere…