Author: Ken Moon Special to The Gazette
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Around the House: How to remedy a stinky garbage disposal
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save 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…
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Around the House: Solving one stinky situation in the bathroom
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save 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…
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Around the House: Window film good for saving energy
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save 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…
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Around the house: Save money by turning down thermostat at night
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Dear Ken: We set our thermostat to 67 degrees in the day and 60 at night. Are we saving money? Also, it takes about 1 ½ hours to get it back up to 67 in the morning. Is that too long? — Sam Answer: You…
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Around the house: Older microwaves could be leaking radiation so take these steps to ensure safety
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Dear Ken: How do I know whether my microwave is safe? — John Answer: The hinges, doors and seals on older microwaves can loosen over time, allowing radiation to leak around the edges. If your model is newer — say, 15 years or younger —…
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Around the House: When traveling away from home, don’t set thermostat too low
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Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Dear Ken: How low should we set the thermostat while we’re traveling away from home? — Gayle Answer: Never less than 55 degrees. You don’t want to risk freezing pipes in the outside walls. While the thermostat might be at a given setting, the exterior…
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What to do about frozen air-conditioning pipes
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Dear Ken: My air-conditioning pipes freeze. Am I doing something wrong, or is the system defective? — Josh Answer: It appears that you’re somehow restricting the air flow to the system. Without a sufficient draft across the evaporator coils (that box sitting on top of…
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Around the house: Ousting those ants
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Dear Ken: Do you know of any nontoxic way to get rid of ants near the foundation? — Laurie Answer: Try some borax laundry product —either in tiny, ant-sized dishes or sprinkled near the intrusion areas as a repellent. You also can mix some boric…
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Around the house: Attic fan can cool house
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Dear Ken: We have a 2,500-square-foot house and want to put in an attic fan. What should we look for and what are the things we should know? — Tim Answer: This is a wonderful system for our area. The thin air here cools very…
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Around the house: How to clean smelly garbage disposal
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Dear Ken: I have a disposer with a strong moldy smell I can’t get out. Any suggestions? — Joanne Answer: Grab an old toothbrush, dip it in full-strength ammonia and scrub the underside of that rubber splash guard and as much of the inside top…