I think one of the most sincere forms of flattery in these days of blogs, discussion forums and DIY panels is to be recognized for some of your work and to have that work passed on in another format. This happened to me this week when I was contacted by the webmaster from ARMCHAIRDIY.COM notifying me that he was reprinting my recent blog on the proper installation of a new wax ring. As I have mentioned before, I read and contribute, daily, to some 30+ discussion forums on a daily basis as well as writing my blog 3 times a week and somehow this slick and beautifully laid out site had escaped me so as of today make that 31 that I will be monitoring, Although I love his site name, and would have borrowed some version of it for myself except that I spend most of my day (because of my disability) in one of those electric lift reclining chairs instead of a comfortable armchair and “electric reclining lift chair DIY” just doesn’t have the same ring to it!
The first thing I noticed when I started reading this new site was he had published a great blog that fits perfectly into my others for this week about “green” solutions for household problems.
http://armchairdiy.com/http:/armchairdiy.com/97/diy/oh-no-is-it-draining-slow
So I will now return the favor to him and bring this article to your attention with full credit to armchairdiy.com for its content and my thanks for its use.
“The sink or tub is draining slow and you have a pit in your stomach.”“
Here are four options you can try before running to the store to buy some nasty poisonous drain cleaner. They are cheap safe alternatives to caustic cleaners or plumbers. In their defense, plumbers are generally are not really very caustic.
Let Us tell you how to do it yourself and once again save you some money in the process.
Option #1
Boiling water can also be used to clear drains that are clogged by soap and hair.
Option#2
Vinegar and baking soda
Pouring baking soda followed by vinegar down a drain can be used to unclog drains. Baking soda is alkaline, and vinegar is acidic. When the two reactants interact they create mostly inactive material, salts and water, and the amount of reactants (vinegar) will determine the output pH of the reaction. This is more effective as a way to evenly coat the pipes in which will most likely be an acidic reaction. This method is more ecologically friendly, but not as effective as using harmful chemicals such as sulfuric acid or a strong alkaline.
Option #3
Pour 1 cup of baking soda down the drain followed by 1 cup of hot vinegar. Try heating the vinegar in the microwave before adding it to the drain. Wait 5 minutes before flushing the drain with 2 quarts of hot water. You can repeat this process a few times if it is necessary. If this is the first time you have cleaned your drain in a long time it may be necessary to repeat the baking soda flush a couple of times.
Option #4
Try pouring 1 Cup of baking soda and 1/2 Cup of salt down the drain. Let this mixture sit in the drain for several hours, overnight is best, before flushing the drain with 2 cups of boiling water.
Use baking soda that has been used in the refrigerator or freezer to help clean the drains and you’ll extend the use of something you otherwise would have just thrown away.
Try putting baking soda down the drain without rinsing when you are going on vacation or even just a weekend trip. It will help reduce odors that may develop while you are gone. Flush the baking soda out of the drain with hot water or hot vinegar followed by hot water when you return.
Benefits of using Baking Soda in your Drains
A Safe green alternative that you can do your self. Using Baking Soda to clean your drains eliminates harsh chemicals that may leave odors and residue in your sinks.
All of the listed combinations are environmentally friendly, which will help concerns about chemical contamination, or even the risk associated with having chemicals in a home with children.
The best way to keep drains clean and clog-free is by taking preventive measures. At least once a month, pour a half cup of baking soda down drains and then flush with cold water. And, at the first sign of slow-draining water, try using a plunger to dislodge debris in the pipe and do so in a timely fashion."
I hope you found this blog to be useful and that you will take a few minutes to review this entire high quality site.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
3 More Natural (Green) Non-Polluting Cleaning Solutions
On Monday I wrote about a great article I had seen on AOL/Shelterpop about 66 common natural household items that could be used in furthering the “green” objective to not pollute the earth especially our water supply.
The full article can be found at:
http://home.aol.com/new_in_home/photogallerytall/_a/66-all-natural-cleaning-solutions/20090615135209990001
I promised a few more and I think I saved at least one of the best for last and my use isnt listed. As I have discussed before the most frequent questions and comments I get as well as the most read blogs I have written are regarding “Whats that Smell”. The biggest offender in creating sewer smells in the home is dry “P”traps and a permanent solution for evaporating water in a seldom used “P” trap is cooking oil, the first thing on our list today. Cooking oil doesn’t evaporate easily and so if you have a drain that dries out from a lack of use just pour cooking oii into it and it seals the trap. Just remember that once you wash the oil down when using the drain you will have to replace it. Here are some more uses for cooking oil around the house:
Cooking Oils: Vegetable and plant-based oils, such as olive and sunflower, dislodge dirt, diminish scratches and imperfections, and "hydrate wood that has aged or dried out from exposure to the sun," says Hunter. Price: About $7 a pint at supermarkets. Use them to clean your...
Cast-iron pans: Make a scrubbing paste with vegetable oil and a teaspoon of coarse salt to combat cooked-on debris, then rinse with hot water.
Hands: To get paint off your skin, rub with vegetable oil, then wash thoroughly with soap.
Leather shoes: Wipe away dirt with a damp sponge, then apply a drop of vegetable oil to a soft cloth and rub the surface to remove scuff marks. Buff the shoes with a chamois to a shine.
Rattan and wicker furniture: To prevent rattan and wicker from drying or cracking, lightly brush them with vegetable or sunflower oil and gently rub in with a cloth. Warm the oil on the stove first to thin it and make it easier to apply.
Baking and Soda: (a.k.a. sodium bicarbonate) and its close cousin, washing soda (sodium carbonate), both absorb odors. But unlike baking soda, slightly stronger washing soda can't be ingested; wear rubber gloves when handling it. Price: About $1.08 for a pound of baking soda; $7 for 4 pounds of washing soda; both available at supermarkets. Use it to clean your...
Can opener: Dip a toothbrush in a paste of 2 tablespoons baking soda and 1 teaspoon water and use it to dislodge gunk.
Garage floors (and other concrete surfaces): Pour washing soda generously on oil and grease spots and sprinkle with water until a paste forms. Let stand overnight. The next day, scrub with a damp brush, hose down, and wipe clean.
Garden tools: Dip a moist stiff-bristled brush in washing soda to scrub trimmers, clippers, and more. Rinse, then place in a sunny area to dry. (Don't use washing soda on aluminum tools.)
Grills and barbecue utensils: To combat tough grease stains, dip a moist stiff- bristled brush in washing soda and scrub away.
Stove burner grates: In a dishpan, soak them in 1 gallon warm water and 1/2 cup washing soda for 30 minutes. Rinse and dry.
Stained teacups and coffee mugs: Fill with 1 part baking soda and 2 parts water and soak overnight; rub with a sponge and rinse.
Upholstered furniture: To remove odors, sprinkle baking soda on the fabric, then vacuum.
Scuffed walls: Erase crayon marks by applying a baking- soda paste (equal parts baking soda and water) to white painted walls (baking soda may dull colored walls). Let dry before brushing it off with a clean cloth.
Not mentioned in this article is the old trick of keeping an open box of baking soda in your refrigerator and freezer to eliminate unpleasant smells.
Table Salt: Salt's granular texture makes it perfectly suited for scouring. Table salt, sea salt, and kosher salt can all be used, but table salt is the cheapest choice. Price: About 69 cents a pound. Use it to clean your...
Artificial flowers: Place the fake blooms inside a paper bag and pour in salt. Close the bag and shake vigorously. The salt will dislodge accumulated dust and dirt.
Glassware: Salt won't scratch the way a scouring pad can. To get out stubborn stains, add some salt for extra abrasion and scrub.
Greasy pots and pans: Sprinkle salt on cookware to absorb excess grease. Dump out the salt before washing as usual. (Not recommended for nonstick cookware.)
Spills in the oven: If that casserole bubbles over as you take it out of the oven, pour salt on the spill to soak it up. When the oven is cool, wipe with a damp sponge.
Stained teacups and coffee mugs: Sprinkle salt on the outside of a lemon peel; rub the affected area till clean.
Wooden counters. cutting boards and tables: Cover grease splatters with salt to absorb as much as possible. Wait an hour, then brush away the salt.
I hope you will take a few minutes and look at the article and see all 66 of the natural products that can be used to avoid dangerous chemicals that pollute the earth.
The full article can be found at:
http://home.aol.com/new_in_home/photogallerytall/_a/66-all-natural-cleaning-solutions/20090615135209990001
I promised a few more and I think I saved at least one of the best for last and my use isnt listed. As I have discussed before the most frequent questions and comments I get as well as the most read blogs I have written are regarding “Whats that Smell”. The biggest offender in creating sewer smells in the home is dry “P”traps and a permanent solution for evaporating water in a seldom used “P” trap is cooking oil, the first thing on our list today. Cooking oil doesn’t evaporate easily and so if you have a drain that dries out from a lack of use just pour cooking oii into it and it seals the trap. Just remember that once you wash the oil down when using the drain you will have to replace it. Here are some more uses for cooking oil around the house:
Cooking Oils: Vegetable and plant-based oils, such as olive and sunflower, dislodge dirt, diminish scratches and imperfections, and "hydrate wood that has aged or dried out from exposure to the sun," says Hunter. Price: About $7 a pint at supermarkets. Use them to clean your...
Cast-iron pans: Make a scrubbing paste with vegetable oil and a teaspoon of coarse salt to combat cooked-on debris, then rinse with hot water.
Hands: To get paint off your skin, rub with vegetable oil, then wash thoroughly with soap.
Leather shoes: Wipe away dirt with a damp sponge, then apply a drop of vegetable oil to a soft cloth and rub the surface to remove scuff marks. Buff the shoes with a chamois to a shine.
Rattan and wicker furniture: To prevent rattan and wicker from drying or cracking, lightly brush them with vegetable or sunflower oil and gently rub in with a cloth. Warm the oil on the stove first to thin it and make it easier to apply.
Baking and Soda: (a.k.a. sodium bicarbonate) and its close cousin, washing soda (sodium carbonate), both absorb odors. But unlike baking soda, slightly stronger washing soda can't be ingested; wear rubber gloves when handling it. Price: About $1.08 for a pound of baking soda; $7 for 4 pounds of washing soda; both available at supermarkets. Use it to clean your...
Can opener: Dip a toothbrush in a paste of 2 tablespoons baking soda and 1 teaspoon water and use it to dislodge gunk.
Garage floors (and other concrete surfaces): Pour washing soda generously on oil and grease spots and sprinkle with water until a paste forms. Let stand overnight. The next day, scrub with a damp brush, hose down, and wipe clean.
Garden tools: Dip a moist stiff-bristled brush in washing soda to scrub trimmers, clippers, and more. Rinse, then place in a sunny area to dry. (Don't use washing soda on aluminum tools.)
Grills and barbecue utensils: To combat tough grease stains, dip a moist stiff- bristled brush in washing soda and scrub away.
Stove burner grates: In a dishpan, soak them in 1 gallon warm water and 1/2 cup washing soda for 30 minutes. Rinse and dry.
Stained teacups and coffee mugs: Fill with 1 part baking soda and 2 parts water and soak overnight; rub with a sponge and rinse.
Upholstered furniture: To remove odors, sprinkle baking soda on the fabric, then vacuum.
Scuffed walls: Erase crayon marks by applying a baking- soda paste (equal parts baking soda and water) to white painted walls (baking soda may dull colored walls). Let dry before brushing it off with a clean cloth.
Not mentioned in this article is the old trick of keeping an open box of baking soda in your refrigerator and freezer to eliminate unpleasant smells.
Table Salt: Salt's granular texture makes it perfectly suited for scouring. Table salt, sea salt, and kosher salt can all be used, but table salt is the cheapest choice. Price: About 69 cents a pound. Use it to clean your...
Artificial flowers: Place the fake blooms inside a paper bag and pour in salt. Close the bag and shake vigorously. The salt will dislodge accumulated dust and dirt.
Glassware: Salt won't scratch the way a scouring pad can. To get out stubborn stains, add some salt for extra abrasion and scrub.
Greasy pots and pans: Sprinkle salt on cookware to absorb excess grease. Dump out the salt before washing as usual. (Not recommended for nonstick cookware.)
Spills in the oven: If that casserole bubbles over as you take it out of the oven, pour salt on the spill to soak it up. When the oven is cool, wipe with a damp sponge.
Stained teacups and coffee mugs: Sprinkle salt on the outside of a lemon peel; rub the affected area till clean.
Wooden counters. cutting boards and tables: Cover grease splatters with salt to absorb as much as possible. Wait an hour, then brush away the salt.
I hope you will take a few minutes and look at the article and see all 66 of the natural products that can be used to avoid dangerous chemicals that pollute the earth.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Simple Non Polluting Cleaning Solutions
I had two revelations over this past weekend that furthers the subject of living the “green” life yet another simple and yet important step. The first came while watching a T.V. program which discussed the fact that most of our water pollution today doesn’t come from industrial pollution, although its certainly provides a large element of it in specific locations, but instead comes from the day to day things that we use to better our everday life that are getting back onto the water and earth. Have you ever thought about flushing and old bottle of a prescription drug down the toilet? That gets it out of our way but puts it eventually back into the water supply. The same thing applies to household cleaning products, astringents, oil based products. I remember a time when people changed the oil in their car and just dumped the old oil products into the sewer. I think most people know not to do that anymore but we did it for 100 years before we stopped. With all of this swirling in my mind I ran across a great article on AOL/Home “ ShelterPop! Obsessions and Trends for Your Home/66 ALL NATURAL CLEANING SOLUTIONS.
http://home.aol.com/new_in_home/photogallerytall/_a/66-all-natural-cleaning-solutions/20090615135209990001
I don’t have enough space nor could I keep your attention long enough to list all 66 but I will over the next few blogs touch on several of them that I think are the most important. From that AOL article I want to begin with Lemons and Vinegar.
Lemons:
The acid in lemon juice removes dirt and rust stains. It's especially effective when mixed with salt, which makes "an excellent scouring paste," says Karyn Siegel-Maier, author of The Naturally Clean Home. Price: About 50 cents a lemon. Use them to clean your...
Countertops: Dip the cut side of a lemon half in baking soda to tackle countertops; wipe with a wet sponge and dry. Don't use on delicate stone, like marble, or stainless steel (it may discolor).
Cutting boards: To remove tough food stains from light wood and plastic cutting boards, slice a lemon in half, squeeze onto the soiled surface, rub, and let sit for 20 minutes before rinsing.
Dishes: To increase the grease-cutting power of your dishwashing detergent, add a teaspoon of lemon juice.
Faucets: Combat lime scale by rubbing lemon juice onto the taps and letting it sit overnight. Wipe with a damp cloth.
Garbage disposal: Cut a lemon in half, then run both pieces through the disposal. "The lemon cleans it and makes it smell great," says Linda Mason Hunter, a coauthor of Green Clean: The Environmentally Sound Guide to Cleaning Your Home.
Grout: Spilled morning coffee on your tile countertop or backsplash? Here's how to tackle grout stains: Add lemon juice to 1 or 2 teaspoons cream of tartar (an acidic salt that acts as a natural bleaching agent) to make a paste. Apply with a toothbrush, then rinse.
Hands: When you touch raw fish, the smell can linger on your fingers. Rub your hands with lemon juice, which will neutralize the odor.
Laundry: To brighten whites, add 1/2 cup lemon juice to the rinse cycle for a normal-size load.
Plastic food-storage containers: To bleach stains from tomato soup and other acidic foods on dishwasher-safe items, rub lemon juice on the spots, let dry in a sunny place, then wash as usual.
I had written previously about using vinegar to clean your shower head especially when it as become clogged. But ran across a use for vinegar, this past week, that even this author missed. I had a little breakfast bar built in my kitchen and I used ceramic tile for the countertop. When the tile setter was through he said to use simple white vinegar to wipe the tile down when the grout was dry to get rid of the grout haze. IT WORKS! One wipe down and the tile was clean and sparkled. Here are a few more uses for vinegar that I never knew:
Vinegar:
This acidic wonder can wipe out tarnish, soap scum, mineral deposits, and more. Among natural cleaners, it's the clear champ. Distilled white vinegar creates an environment that inhibits the growth of mold, mildew, and some bacteria, such as E. coli and salmonella, says Jeffrey Hollender, author of Naturally Clean: The Seventh Generation Guide to Safe & Healthy, Non-Toxic Cleaning. Price: About $1.80 for a quart at supermarkets. Use it to clean your...
Coffeemaker: Pour equal parts vinegar and water into the machine's water chamber, then switch on the brew cycle. Halfway through, turn off the coffeemaker and let the solution sit for about an hour. Turn it on again to complete the cycle, then run several cycles with clean water.
Dishwasher: To disinfect the interior of the machine, pour 1/2 cup vinegar into the reservoir and run an empty cycle, says Hunter. Or place a small bowl filled with vinegar on the bottom rack and run an empty cycle.
Drains: Clean drains―and the pipes they're attached to―by pouring vinegar down them. After 30 minutes, flush with cold water.
Floors: Add 1/4 cup vinegar to a bucket of warm water to clean almost any type of floor except marble (vinegar can scratch it) or wood (vinegar can strip it).
Glassware: For spotless hand-washed glasses, add 1 cup vinegar to the rinse water.
Moldy walls: Spray vinegar on the affected areas. After about 15 minutes, rinse and let dry thoroughly.
Showerheads: To combat mineral deposits, pour vinegar into a plastic grocery bag and knot the handles over the neck of the showerhead, securing with rubber bands. Let soak overnight. Rinse with water in the morning.
Steam iron: To get rid of mineral deposits, fill the iron with equal parts vinegar and water; press the steam button. Turn off, let cool, empty, and rinse.
Windows: Mix 1/4 cup vinegar, 2 cups water, and a squirt of liquid Castile soap in a spray bottle. Spritz windows and wipe with a sheet of newspaper
I hope you will try some of these non-polluting solutions around your home and read the entire article at the link above and let me know things that we may have missed on how you use lemons and vinegar. Email me or leave a comment here on the blog site.
http://home.aol.com/new_in_home/photogallerytall/_a/66-all-natural-cleaning-solutions/20090615135209990001
I don’t have enough space nor could I keep your attention long enough to list all 66 but I will over the next few blogs touch on several of them that I think are the most important. From that AOL article I want to begin with Lemons and Vinegar.
Lemons:
The acid in lemon juice removes dirt and rust stains. It's especially effective when mixed with salt, which makes "an excellent scouring paste," says Karyn Siegel-Maier, author of The Naturally Clean Home. Price: About 50 cents a lemon. Use them to clean your...
Countertops: Dip the cut side of a lemon half in baking soda to tackle countertops; wipe with a wet sponge and dry. Don't use on delicate stone, like marble, or stainless steel (it may discolor).
Cutting boards: To remove tough food stains from light wood and plastic cutting boards, slice a lemon in half, squeeze onto the soiled surface, rub, and let sit for 20 minutes before rinsing.
Dishes: To increase the grease-cutting power of your dishwashing detergent, add a teaspoon of lemon juice.
Faucets: Combat lime scale by rubbing lemon juice onto the taps and letting it sit overnight. Wipe with a damp cloth.
Garbage disposal: Cut a lemon in half, then run both pieces through the disposal. "The lemon cleans it and makes it smell great," says Linda Mason Hunter, a coauthor of Green Clean: The Environmentally Sound Guide to Cleaning Your Home.
Grout: Spilled morning coffee on your tile countertop or backsplash? Here's how to tackle grout stains: Add lemon juice to 1 or 2 teaspoons cream of tartar (an acidic salt that acts as a natural bleaching agent) to make a paste. Apply with a toothbrush, then rinse.
Hands: When you touch raw fish, the smell can linger on your fingers. Rub your hands with lemon juice, which will neutralize the odor.
Laundry: To brighten whites, add 1/2 cup lemon juice to the rinse cycle for a normal-size load.
Plastic food-storage containers: To bleach stains from tomato soup and other acidic foods on dishwasher-safe items, rub lemon juice on the spots, let dry in a sunny place, then wash as usual.
I had written previously about using vinegar to clean your shower head especially when it as become clogged. But ran across a use for vinegar, this past week, that even this author missed. I had a little breakfast bar built in my kitchen and I used ceramic tile for the countertop. When the tile setter was through he said to use simple white vinegar to wipe the tile down when the grout was dry to get rid of the grout haze. IT WORKS! One wipe down and the tile was clean and sparkled. Here are a few more uses for vinegar that I never knew:
Vinegar:
This acidic wonder can wipe out tarnish, soap scum, mineral deposits, and more. Among natural cleaners, it's the clear champ. Distilled white vinegar creates an environment that inhibits the growth of mold, mildew, and some bacteria, such as E. coli and salmonella, says Jeffrey Hollender, author of Naturally Clean: The Seventh Generation Guide to Safe & Healthy, Non-Toxic Cleaning. Price: About $1.80 for a quart at supermarkets. Use it to clean your...
Coffeemaker: Pour equal parts vinegar and water into the machine's water chamber, then switch on the brew cycle. Halfway through, turn off the coffeemaker and let the solution sit for about an hour. Turn it on again to complete the cycle, then run several cycles with clean water.
Dishwasher: To disinfect the interior of the machine, pour 1/2 cup vinegar into the reservoir and run an empty cycle, says Hunter. Or place a small bowl filled with vinegar on the bottom rack and run an empty cycle.
Drains: Clean drains―and the pipes they're attached to―by pouring vinegar down them. After 30 minutes, flush with cold water.
Floors: Add 1/4 cup vinegar to a bucket of warm water to clean almost any type of floor except marble (vinegar can scratch it) or wood (vinegar can strip it).
Glassware: For spotless hand-washed glasses, add 1 cup vinegar to the rinse water.
Moldy walls: Spray vinegar on the affected areas. After about 15 minutes, rinse and let dry thoroughly.
Showerheads: To combat mineral deposits, pour vinegar into a plastic grocery bag and knot the handles over the neck of the showerhead, securing with rubber bands. Let soak overnight. Rinse with water in the morning.
Steam iron: To get rid of mineral deposits, fill the iron with equal parts vinegar and water; press the steam button. Turn off, let cool, empty, and rinse.
Windows: Mix 1/4 cup vinegar, 2 cups water, and a squirt of liquid Castile soap in a spray bottle. Spritz windows and wipe with a sheet of newspaper
I hope you will try some of these non-polluting solutions around your home and read the entire article at the link above and let me know things that we may have missed on how you use lemons and vinegar. Email me or leave a comment here on the blog site.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Drafty windows? An easy fix for Energy Savings
I heard on the news, last night, that a current opinion poll showed that over 50% of the people now believe that global warming doesn’t exist. This came after an earlier report that the north pole will have so little ice this winter that it will be wide open for ships to navigate across and that Greenland can potentially actually be green this year instead of white like it has been for the past few centuries. Well I guess I’m in the minority then because even though I’m no scientist I do remember when the only way to navigate over the north pole was under the ice. We have to wake up and do something to save the save the situation and to save ourselves from the crushing blows dealt us daily by the economy. Toward this goal to promote “green” living and at the same time looking for ways to help us all save money I ran across a great blog on AOL/Walletpop:
http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/03/fast-fixes-for-drafty-windows/
Walletpop continues to provide me with a great source for blog subject material and for answers to my own readers questions and I highly recommend it. The one that I have cited above, by Tom Kraeutler, deals with saving money this winter by fixing drafty windows. Although it is currently predicted that this winter will be mild and heating costs will be somewhat lower, with our luck and the economy going the way it is currently, we all need to look for everything we can to conserve energy and to save money.
Heat loss (or heat gain during the summer) is one the most expensive budget breakers that we face in our everyday life. Although it can be an expensive project to take own energy proofing our homes with new windows, added insulation, etc. there can be simple inexpensive things that we can do to at least make the situation better. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the typical home loses more than 25% of its heat through windows. Here is a brief description of how to effect fast fixes for your drafty windows. Read the whole blog at the above link for the full detail.
Test your windows
The first step towards sealing out drafty, inefficient windows is to figure out where the problems lie. Look for condensation inside the glass on double- or triple-glazed windows. This could indicate seal failure. If this is the case, you might need to replace the glass or the entire window.
Easy fixes first
There are a few easy things you can do to reduce your energy loss short of window replacement. Seal up any little cracks or gaps where air can leak into your home. In some case the average home has enough of these small holes to equal one three-foot by three-foot opening. Check every window and door to make sure there is adequate weather-stripping and caulking which will ensure a secure seal around the openings in your home. During the winter, open curtains on your south-facing windows during the day to allow sunlight in to naturally heat your home. Close curtains a night to reduce the chill you may feel near cold windows.
There's also never been a better time to replace your windows. Homeowners replacing their windows with energy-efficient windows in 2009 or 2010 can receive up to $1,500 replacement window tax credit from the U.S. government.
Before the winter chill sets in for good ( yes I know it has already snowed in several parts of the country, but Im in Florida, right now, and I had to be shaken into the reality of winter last week when our temperatures dropped into the 70’s) I will be reading and looking for more sources of ways for us to all save money, time and energy and ways to live greener. Keep visiting my blog
http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/03/fast-fixes-for-drafty-windows/
Walletpop continues to provide me with a great source for blog subject material and for answers to my own readers questions and I highly recommend it. The one that I have cited above, by Tom Kraeutler, deals with saving money this winter by fixing drafty windows. Although it is currently predicted that this winter will be mild and heating costs will be somewhat lower, with our luck and the economy going the way it is currently, we all need to look for everything we can to conserve energy and to save money.
Heat loss (or heat gain during the summer) is one the most expensive budget breakers that we face in our everyday life. Although it can be an expensive project to take own energy proofing our homes with new windows, added insulation, etc. there can be simple inexpensive things that we can do to at least make the situation better. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the typical home loses more than 25% of its heat through windows. Here is a brief description of how to effect fast fixes for your drafty windows. Read the whole blog at the above link for the full detail.
Test your windows
The first step towards sealing out drafty, inefficient windows is to figure out where the problems lie. Look for condensation inside the glass on double- or triple-glazed windows. This could indicate seal failure. If this is the case, you might need to replace the glass or the entire window.
Easy fixes first
There are a few easy things you can do to reduce your energy loss short of window replacement. Seal up any little cracks or gaps where air can leak into your home. In some case the average home has enough of these small holes to equal one three-foot by three-foot opening. Check every window and door to make sure there is adequate weather-stripping and caulking which will ensure a secure seal around the openings in your home. During the winter, open curtains on your south-facing windows during the day to allow sunlight in to naturally heat your home. Close curtains a night to reduce the chill you may feel near cold windows.
There's also never been a better time to replace your windows. Homeowners replacing their windows with energy-efficient windows in 2009 or 2010 can receive up to $1,500 replacement window tax credit from the U.S. government.
Before the winter chill sets in for good ( yes I know it has already snowed in several parts of the country, but Im in Florida, right now, and I had to be shaken into the reality of winter last week when our temperatures dropped into the 70’s) I will be reading and looking for more sources of ways for us to all save money, time and energy and ways to live greener. Keep visiting my blog
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
ANOTHER TALE OF WHAT'S THAT SMELL?
Well I would have thought by now that I had covered every possibility when it comes to “Whats’s that smell” but yet the questions keep coming. Frankly I’m happy for the letters and comments along with the chance to be of help. That is why I do this blog. Late last night I received the following comment from one of my HubNet articles (http://hubpages.com/hub/whatisthatsmell#comment-1783737):
“Hi. Interesting reading! I'm trying to figure out why a sewer gas smell would appear at my mom's house, after not smelling it for the 3 previous years she's been there.
She lives on a concrete slab, cluster home about 13 years old. A month or so ago, it started smelling around her washer machine drain and she says sometimes the kitchen sink, but I have not really smelled the sink yet, however the washer/dryer are located in her kitchen, albeit on the opposite side from the sink.
I would think the code just 13 years ago in our metro area would require a P or S trap for a washer drain, but I'm not sure. Today, I ran a piece of wire down the drain to see if I could feel a trap. It showed some resistance the first try about a foot down, so I figured it has a trap of some sort, but trying it again a few times to be sure, it seemed to pretty much go straight down near the floor and stop. Could the trap be that far down?
She uses the washer at least once a week, so don't think it has dried out. I do wonder where and how to check for a sewer vent? I assume on the roof, but what does it look like and how many are there on a typical house? Would a person have to run something down any or all vent pipes and how far?
My mom is elderly and had a stroke 6 months ago, which seems to have made her sense of smell even more keen so I really need to help her. I just don't know if I should start cutting on the drywall to look for the trap or not? I hate to call a plumber just yet and not sure I trust them, sad to say.
I did have the county water co. come out today and check to see if her sewer line was clear. They told her to flush, etc, while they saw the water run into the main line and they said it was clear.
She told me that she has seen dampness around her concrete driveway where there is a crack that follows the sewer line to the street. I guess it's possible that the pvc pipe has cracked someplace, causing that, but not sure it would cause an odor inside, if it were the case. I have not seen that dampness myself, but the crack has been there for a long time.
Any ideas of where to start, I'm all ears, as Ross Perot once said! :)”
Let me start by answering the simple questions first. All cities with building codes require a “P” trap system so it’s not likely that your Mother’s problem is a lack of “P” traps but the traps may be involved. More on that in a minute. Secondly you would generally think that water seeping up through a concrete driveway would be water under pressure, so that could be a broken yard irrigation line or a break in the main water line coming from the water source. I would certainly suggest that you check your Mom’s water bill and see if it has recently increased. This type of leak would become more visible with the ground super saturated as with the recent heavy rains in your area.
So now my guess is that it is a vent problem. Vents become clogged with leaves and debris and sometimes animal nests. Here’s where the traps come into play. With a clogged trapped, every time you flush a large amount od water down the drain, such as a washer the drain is starving for air and actually can suck the water out of your “P” traps to be able to breathe. To explain the general principle of why you need a vent, think about playing with a straw in a glass of water. If you hold your finger over the top of the straw water in the straw will not flow out. Plumbing drain lines are the same. They are a closed system that must have a source for air to allow the water to drain out of the house. If the vent is clogged small amounts of water like a bathroom sink or maybe even a toilet will gurgle or bubble while trying get enough air but a washer has enough power to just suck it’s way to the air that its needs. A simple fix before I would think of breaking sheetrock or concrete is to have the vents augered. The vents are a straight non-capped pipe that stick up out of the roof and she probably has one or 2 depending on the size of her condo and how many fixtures. If you are not adept at climbing on roofs and using a long auger call a plumber. A simple clog can be cleared also with a high pressure garden hose. Even if it weren’t a vent problem you would use a smoke test to check for a broken pipe so don’t even think of breaking into solid surfaces until you know if there is a leak somewhere.
“Hi. Interesting reading! I'm trying to figure out why a sewer gas smell would appear at my mom's house, after not smelling it for the 3 previous years she's been there.
She lives on a concrete slab, cluster home about 13 years old. A month or so ago, it started smelling around her washer machine drain and she says sometimes the kitchen sink, but I have not really smelled the sink yet, however the washer/dryer are located in her kitchen, albeit on the opposite side from the sink.
I would think the code just 13 years ago in our metro area would require a P or S trap for a washer drain, but I'm not sure. Today, I ran a piece of wire down the drain to see if I could feel a trap. It showed some resistance the first try about a foot down, so I figured it has a trap of some sort, but trying it again a few times to be sure, it seemed to pretty much go straight down near the floor and stop. Could the trap be that far down?
She uses the washer at least once a week, so don't think it has dried out. I do wonder where and how to check for a sewer vent? I assume on the roof, but what does it look like and how many are there on a typical house? Would a person have to run something down any or all vent pipes and how far?
My mom is elderly and had a stroke 6 months ago, which seems to have made her sense of smell even more keen so I really need to help her. I just don't know if I should start cutting on the drywall to look for the trap or not? I hate to call a plumber just yet and not sure I trust them, sad to say.
I did have the county water co. come out today and check to see if her sewer line was clear. They told her to flush, etc, while they saw the water run into the main line and they said it was clear.
She told me that she has seen dampness around her concrete driveway where there is a crack that follows the sewer line to the street. I guess it's possible that the pvc pipe has cracked someplace, causing that, but not sure it would cause an odor inside, if it were the case. I have not seen that dampness myself, but the crack has been there for a long time.
Any ideas of where to start, I'm all ears, as Ross Perot once said! :)”
Let me start by answering the simple questions first. All cities with building codes require a “P” trap system so it’s not likely that your Mother’s problem is a lack of “P” traps but the traps may be involved. More on that in a minute. Secondly you would generally think that water seeping up through a concrete driveway would be water under pressure, so that could be a broken yard irrigation line or a break in the main water line coming from the water source. I would certainly suggest that you check your Mom’s water bill and see if it has recently increased. This type of leak would become more visible with the ground super saturated as with the recent heavy rains in your area.
So now my guess is that it is a vent problem. Vents become clogged with leaves and debris and sometimes animal nests. Here’s where the traps come into play. With a clogged trapped, every time you flush a large amount od water down the drain, such as a washer the drain is starving for air and actually can suck the water out of your “P” traps to be able to breathe. To explain the general principle of why you need a vent, think about playing with a straw in a glass of water. If you hold your finger over the top of the straw water in the straw will not flow out. Plumbing drain lines are the same. They are a closed system that must have a source for air to allow the water to drain out of the house. If the vent is clogged small amounts of water like a bathroom sink or maybe even a toilet will gurgle or bubble while trying get enough air but a washer has enough power to just suck it’s way to the air that its needs. A simple fix before I would think of breaking sheetrock or concrete is to have the vents augered. The vents are a straight non-capped pipe that stick up out of the roof and she probably has one or 2 depending on the size of her condo and how many fixtures. If you are not adept at climbing on roofs and using a long auger call a plumber. A simple clog can be cleared also with a high pressure garden hose. Even if it weren’t a vent problem you would use a smoke test to check for a broken pipe so don’t even think of breaking into solid surfaces until you know if there is a leak somewhere.
Monday, October 19, 2009
More on Living the Green Life
I have written, several times in the past, about the importance of living the “green life”. We were especially affected in the past few years in the Atlanta area with an extreme water shortage. Not the problem this year as you may have noticed lately the Atlanta area has begun a cycle of too much water causing floods and massive destruction of homes and businesses in areas where there have never been flood problems before. So the old adage “feast or famine” could easily be restated as either “drought or flood”. Human nature always prevails to result in us being unhappy wither way. The reality is, though, that our world is changing regarding weather, natural resources and economic forces and for years many of us have kept our heads in the sand ignoring the long term possibilities. Well the chickens are coming home to roost and more and more of us as beginning to come to the realization that we must start conserving our resources and living more of a green life. Personally I got my first lesson some 15 years ago when my oldest son decided to leave a high paying job, living the good life, to sell everything and move to a small farm in central Tennessee. His property had an old house on it that I am told (because I wasn’t allowed to actually come see the place for fear of a nervous breakdown) you could see light through the cracks in the walls, he had to use and outhouse, cooked on a wood stove, had no telephone, running water nor electric power because of its remoteness and even yet today has no availability of a TV signal. He gardened and raised much of his own food, worked with a food bank to glean farmer’s fields and to coordinate the U.S. WIC program to distribute milk, cheese and other products to the needy in his county. Today he has a small electrical service to provide refrigeration and to run minimum lighting and a microwave. He has blocked all the holes to make the house airtight tapped a spring and run water to his house. He still uses the outhouse and still cooks on the wood stove. More importantly I have finally conceded that he is happy and doing what he thinks is appropriate for his life and for what little of society that he affects
An article on AOL’s “Walletpop” this past weekend brought to mind things that we can all do more easily than you think to live a greener life without going to the extremes that my son did. According to the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), there are lots of reasons to go green:
• Lowers energy consumption
• Reduces operating costs in the home by increasing efficiency
• Conserves natural resources
• Increases the value of the home
• Improves indoor air quality and in turn, overall health
• Reduces waste and emissions
• Lowers pollution causing less harm to the environment
• Increases productivity of occupants
• Improves quality of life and raises comfort
• Saves money The same article points out the Top Ten Ways to Implement Green Into Your Home. Green remodeling can be done in small ways and doesn't necessarily have to encompass the entire home. It's easy to pick and choose elements that fit each particular homeowner.
• Use non-toxic paints and sealants
• Install programmable thermostats
• Invest in energy efficient appliances (Energy Star)
• Install natural flooring (bamboo is a prime choice)
• Use local building materials
• Choose natural fiber rugs and materials
• Select recycled material roof shingles and tiles
• Specify energy efficient lighting (compact fluorescents)
• Insulate your hot water lines
• Landscape with native plants None of these things are expensive to implement and can certainly be done in a staged scheduled fashion.To read the NARI complete article go to:
http://www.nari.org/homeowners/tips/greenremodeling.asp
No you don’t have to pitch out the stove and start taking cold showers from the spring nor trot out to the outhouse in the middle of the night. No I still stay at the local motel rather than enjoy my son’s hospitality when I go to visit but it makes me no less proud of his achievements and conviction, but the reality is that we all have to start doing our own little sacrifices to start conserving what we have left in our natural resources and to better our taxed economic situations.
An article on AOL’s “Walletpop” this past weekend brought to mind things that we can all do more easily than you think to live a greener life without going to the extremes that my son did. According to the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), there are lots of reasons to go green:
• Lowers energy consumption
• Reduces operating costs in the home by increasing efficiency
• Conserves natural resources
• Increases the value of the home
• Improves indoor air quality and in turn, overall health
• Reduces waste and emissions
• Lowers pollution causing less harm to the environment
• Increases productivity of occupants
• Improves quality of life and raises comfort
• Saves money The same article points out the Top Ten Ways to Implement Green Into Your Home. Green remodeling can be done in small ways and doesn't necessarily have to encompass the entire home. It's easy to pick and choose elements that fit each particular homeowner.
• Use non-toxic paints and sealants
• Install programmable thermostats
• Invest in energy efficient appliances (Energy Star)
• Install natural flooring (bamboo is a prime choice)
• Use local building materials
• Choose natural fiber rugs and materials
• Select recycled material roof shingles and tiles
• Specify energy efficient lighting (compact fluorescents)
• Insulate your hot water lines
• Landscape with native plants None of these things are expensive to implement and can certainly be done in a staged scheduled fashion.To read the NARI complete article go to:
http://www.nari.org/homeowners/tips/greenremodeling.asp
No you don’t have to pitch out the stove and start taking cold showers from the spring nor trot out to the outhouse in the middle of the night. No I still stay at the local motel rather than enjoy my son’s hospitality when I go to visit but it makes me no less proud of his achievements and conviction, but the reality is that we all have to start doing our own little sacrifices to start conserving what we have left in our natural resources and to better our taxed economic situations.
Friday, October 16, 2009
To Permit or not to Permit, That is the Question?
I read two separate discussion forum threads this week with a similar question/situation. The question, should a new addition such as a bathroom be permitted? In the DIY world many folks take on projects without benefit of a professional state sanctioned license. Is it necessary to go to the local building authority to have the job permitted, inspected therefore legally sanctioned and thus insured as to it’s correctness? In the responses, not only from me but from some 50+ other responders, was YES with not one radical dissenter venturing the opinion that no permit be sought.
Here are the basic scenarios as put forth by the threads.
1. Family of six has located and wishes to buy their dream home, a reasonably priced 5 bedroom 2 ½ bath home on 5 beautiful acres of land. The problem is on researching the home and having it professionally inspected its discovered that the house was originally built as a 2 bedroom 1 bath home with the standard septic system for that size house. The buyers only question was could they live with that size septic tank without problems after all the sellers were living with it. Well the answer isn’t a simple yes as the buyer was soon to discover. The additions had never been permitted and if discovered by the local building authority the seller could be forced to either bring the additions and the septic system in conformance with current code, tear it all down and/or pay a huge monetary fine. If not disclosed the seller would bear a huge liability to the buyer. If disclosed to the buyer and accepted the buyer then bears the same responsibility if the additions are discovered or when they were to have the need to sell the property at a later date. This is truly a no win situation. The seller cannot now sell the property for the great price originally negotiated because of the liability of the non-permitted work and the prospective buyer, now being informed of the fault, cannot or certainly should not proceed with the deal. As t o the original question can you live comfortably in a 5 bedroom 2 ½ bath home with a 2 bedroom 1 bath septic tank? Not for long without constant pumping and care or living with the resulting problems of a backed up septic tank.
2. A home owner wants to add a basement bathroom to an existing finished area and doesn’t understand why he should have to permit. His only fear is not that the bathroom will be incorrectly installed but that he will be “ratted out” by a neighbor. This writer received 18+ responses to his first thread, every one of them telling him that the job should be permitted and why. Not satisfied with anyone of those answers he then goes to another discussion forum and asks the question again and received another 8+ responses in favor of permitting. Will he pull the permit and do the job legally? My guess is NO. For all the same reasons as in the first thread, this job should be permitted. Most states require full disclosure on the transfer of property when sold. Additionally if the new bathroom is discovered by the building authority, regardless of how long it has existed, he can be made to open up the walls and prove that it is in code and/be forced to completely remove the entire bathroom. No where did the homeowner even consider whether the addition of the new bathroom would tax his existing septic system. He would finally discover that when the system backs up from being over used and all of his effluent comes pouring out from the lowest point in his plumbing system which in all likelihood would be the new bathroom. Sort of poetic justice HUH?
The bottom line; Yes a permit can cost you a few extra bucks and can slow down your pace while waiting for the inspector but the permit and resulting inspections can be considered insurance against future problems and liabilities
Here are the basic scenarios as put forth by the threads.
1. Family of six has located and wishes to buy their dream home, a reasonably priced 5 bedroom 2 ½ bath home on 5 beautiful acres of land. The problem is on researching the home and having it professionally inspected its discovered that the house was originally built as a 2 bedroom 1 bath home with the standard septic system for that size house. The buyers only question was could they live with that size septic tank without problems after all the sellers were living with it. Well the answer isn’t a simple yes as the buyer was soon to discover. The additions had never been permitted and if discovered by the local building authority the seller could be forced to either bring the additions and the septic system in conformance with current code, tear it all down and/or pay a huge monetary fine. If not disclosed the seller would bear a huge liability to the buyer. If disclosed to the buyer and accepted the buyer then bears the same responsibility if the additions are discovered or when they were to have the need to sell the property at a later date. This is truly a no win situation. The seller cannot now sell the property for the great price originally negotiated because of the liability of the non-permitted work and the prospective buyer, now being informed of the fault, cannot or certainly should not proceed with the deal. As t o the original question can you live comfortably in a 5 bedroom 2 ½ bath home with a 2 bedroom 1 bath septic tank? Not for long without constant pumping and care or living with the resulting problems of a backed up septic tank.
2. A home owner wants to add a basement bathroom to an existing finished area and doesn’t understand why he should have to permit. His only fear is not that the bathroom will be incorrectly installed but that he will be “ratted out” by a neighbor. This writer received 18+ responses to his first thread, every one of them telling him that the job should be permitted and why. Not satisfied with anyone of those answers he then goes to another discussion forum and asks the question again and received another 8+ responses in favor of permitting. Will he pull the permit and do the job legally? My guess is NO. For all the same reasons as in the first thread, this job should be permitted. Most states require full disclosure on the transfer of property when sold. Additionally if the new bathroom is discovered by the building authority, regardless of how long it has existed, he can be made to open up the walls and prove that it is in code and/be forced to completely remove the entire bathroom. No where did the homeowner even consider whether the addition of the new bathroom would tax his existing septic system. He would finally discover that when the system backs up from being over used and all of his effluent comes pouring out from the lowest point in his plumbing system which in all likelihood would be the new bathroom. Sort of poetic justice HUH?
The bottom line; Yes a permit can cost you a few extra bucks and can slow down your pace while waiting for the inspector but the permit and resulting inspections can be considered insurance against future problems and liabilities
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
More on Handicap Access Bathrooms...or to the Politically correct...Universally Designed
I am disabled; handicapped, physically challenged or whatever politically correct phrase you would like to use. I make no secret about it. I write about it and unfortunately not because of pride in it but because I have not always been physically challenged. In learning to deal with it by trial and error and by having to pick myself up off the floor or learn how to take care of my personal toilet and bath needs I have discovered some necessities and some short cuts. I have shared these here on my blog and have gotten many inquiries and responses. We are an aging nation. If you are not a “baby boomer”, such as me, your parents are or someone close to you is and you are beginning to see the advantage to planning and building for handicapped access or as I read today the new politically correct phrase…”universal design”, defined as design that can easily used by anyone handicapped or not without specifically calling out their need. To this end I am constantly seeking more info to share with my readers. Although I have discussed retrofitting an existing bathroom and building a new one from scratch I still run across new versions worth sharing and that is the case today. From the Hub Nets web site I found an article written by Edwyn Prose about a shower that was set up for his disabled nephew. In this article Mr. Prose has developed a concise and thorough list of features needed specifically for a shower area, many of which I have written about before, for a disabled person and I felt his info is worth sharing. The following is an excerpt from this article with my thanks to Mr. Prose for writing it.
“So to the actual handicap shower accessories that you can purchase to improve the look, usability and practicality of the handicap shower you now have installed. Now remember, these units generally come with all the grab bars and rails already in place, you shouldn't need any more unless you have a specific need. But it’s good to know that grab bars are available as handicap shower accessories, in which case an additional grab rail or two should be no problem to add on.
Shower Seats. There is a pretty sizable variety of wall mounted folding shower seats as well as benches that are available and they come in a nice variety of styles and sizes. High quality shower chairs are generally made from stainless steel to give them all the strength they'll need as well as good resistance to corrosion. They are usually made with rounded, smooth edges and hinges to allow for safe and simple side transfers. When installed properly, most shower seats are ADA compliant designed and manufactured. All fold down shower seats are also designed to be able to support loads anywhere from 250 lbs to 900 lbs.
A collapsible water retainer or water stopper is the perfect way to help the bathroom floor remain dry. A collapsible water retainer is easily fitted to the shower threshold and because they are made of durable neoprene rubber, they allow a user with limited mobility to easily step into and out of the shower, or similarly a wheelchair can be easily rolled over it.
You can install a hand-held shower head and this is a great way to make your shower a safer and easier to use one. They come with a chrome yoga glide bar, which means you can adjust the stationary position of the shower head. Alternatively you can remove the shower head from the glide bar and hold in your hand.
The addition of a pressure mixing valve will ensure that the water temperature remains constant and independent of the water pressure, which can change during your shower. Because it is a thermostatically controlled valve, it produces the precise water temperature that you set. That means you avoid getting scalded or frozen from the water's temperature changes.
You can get a heavy duty shower curtain which is not the same as the typical variation. These heavy duty curtains are resistant to flame, stains, odors and static and are antimicrobial and very durable. Thus is the most economical choice over time as they last a very long time. You'll need a heavy duty shower curtain pole to support the curtain and these can also be purchased as handicap shower accessories.
Step-less ramp modules are a way of quickly and economically assembling ramps that you may need for wheelchair access to some showers fitted with a low threshold to retain water. Ramps are perforated to allow water to drain through and can be re-used in any other places or even rebuilt and adapted to overcome all kinds of obstacles.”
A reader of the above article also cited the need for a five foot diameter space needed to adequately navigate the shower area with a wheel chair or walker.
I would add to this list accessible shelving or storage for soap, shampoos and other bath necessities as well as a ready supply of large “bath sheet” style towels for drying off. The typical sized towel is just not large enough when you are struggling to dry yourself and any devices that may have been showered with you as well as the water trail that you leave behind you. By no means is this a complete list but it’s a start towards setting up your own universal designed shower area. I would not wish the need for it on any of you.
“So to the actual handicap shower accessories that you can purchase to improve the look, usability and practicality of the handicap shower you now have installed. Now remember, these units generally come with all the grab bars and rails already in place, you shouldn't need any more unless you have a specific need. But it’s good to know that grab bars are available as handicap shower accessories, in which case an additional grab rail or two should be no problem to add on.
Shower Seats. There is a pretty sizable variety of wall mounted folding shower seats as well as benches that are available and they come in a nice variety of styles and sizes. High quality shower chairs are generally made from stainless steel to give them all the strength they'll need as well as good resistance to corrosion. They are usually made with rounded, smooth edges and hinges to allow for safe and simple side transfers. When installed properly, most shower seats are ADA compliant designed and manufactured. All fold down shower seats are also designed to be able to support loads anywhere from 250 lbs to 900 lbs.
A collapsible water retainer or water stopper is the perfect way to help the bathroom floor remain dry. A collapsible water retainer is easily fitted to the shower threshold and because they are made of durable neoprene rubber, they allow a user with limited mobility to easily step into and out of the shower, or similarly a wheelchair can be easily rolled over it.
You can install a hand-held shower head and this is a great way to make your shower a safer and easier to use one. They come with a chrome yoga glide bar, which means you can adjust the stationary position of the shower head. Alternatively you can remove the shower head from the glide bar and hold in your hand.
The addition of a pressure mixing valve will ensure that the water temperature remains constant and independent of the water pressure, which can change during your shower. Because it is a thermostatically controlled valve, it produces the precise water temperature that you set. That means you avoid getting scalded or frozen from the water's temperature changes.
You can get a heavy duty shower curtain which is not the same as the typical variation. These heavy duty curtains are resistant to flame, stains, odors and static and are antimicrobial and very durable. Thus is the most economical choice over time as they last a very long time. You'll need a heavy duty shower curtain pole to support the curtain and these can also be purchased as handicap shower accessories.
Step-less ramp modules are a way of quickly and economically assembling ramps that you may need for wheelchair access to some showers fitted with a low threshold to retain water. Ramps are perforated to allow water to drain through and can be re-used in any other places or even rebuilt and adapted to overcome all kinds of obstacles.”
A reader of the above article also cited the need for a five foot diameter space needed to adequately navigate the shower area with a wheel chair or walker.
I would add to this list accessible shelving or storage for soap, shampoos and other bath necessities as well as a ready supply of large “bath sheet” style towels for drying off. The typical sized towel is just not large enough when you are struggling to dry yourself and any devices that may have been showered with you as well as the water trail that you leave behind you. By no means is this a complete list but it’s a start towards setting up your own universal designed shower area. I would not wish the need for it on any of you.
Monday, October 12, 2009
New Idea for Replacing a Wax Ring
I read a lot of forums with questions regarding toilet leaks, smells coming from under toilets and how to properly install a new or reinstall and old toilet. In most cases the offending problem is the wax ring under the toilet. For as many questions there are there are an equal number of answers and versions but I ran across one of the best this weekend. It includes a new idea for utilizing 2 wax rings instead of just one. This is not to be confused with the idea that you can use 2 rings to raise the toilet up from a sunken closet flange but the second wax ring is softened and used to seal around the flange and to create a wax to wax seal for the new ring. This process comes from “DUNBAR PLUMBER” the moderator of one of my favorite discussion forums
http://forum.doityourself.com/plumbing-piping-31/
Here is his process for repacing a wax ring and a picture showing the final result, before placing the toilet, that he provides is above:
“The best method for installing a wax ring involves 2 rings for the application.
1. First ring is used as a product that fills in all the gaps where the flange and floor meet. Water does not get along with wax so you want no chance of water ever getting down the gaps. This prevents problems from showing up days/months/years from now when the actual wax ring used to seal the toilet to your piping system gets old or leaks due to plunging. If the wax ring starts to leak, this will prevent some serious floor damage that can lead to mold intrusion along with structural damage. For the cost of that extra wax ring, it's worth every dime to use it in that fashion.
2. Use a "normal" wax ring that does not have a horn embedded in the wax. Too often this horned ring is not useful for its application and if there is a height issue with the flange, this flange will bottom out on the toilet's underside or the flange. This means insufficient wax to properly seal the toilet to the flange given the thickness. Always remember that Industry Standard for closet flange height is 7/16" above the finished floor height, which is also the thickness of the closet flange. If you're in a situation where your closet flange is sunken into the floor much deeper than normal, this opens up into another problem because the susceptibility of having a simple clogged toilet being plunged will cause the wax ring to easily lose the seal. This is where the point of leaking occurs and it can be found out quickly or later after damage has occurred.
Wax rings are designed to compress down and spread across the underside of the toilet so the perfect connection exists to seal the toilet to the drainage system properly. I believe that someday in the near future that wax rings will be eliminated and the use of a quick connect fitting built into the underside of the toilet will adapt to any plumbing system. This advancement in technology will be the answer to the constant issues that wax rings do not always provide when there are too many variables to consider with floor heights, flange heights, manufacture specifications of the underside of the toilet's base. This is the best application and serves the "down the road" thinking of protecting your floor without having issues with property damage.
I cannot even begin to tell how many times I've seen thousands of dollars spent on property damage claims in relation to toilets leaking at the base due to wax rings or other methods of connection to the toilet to make a positive seal.“
To add to Dunbar’s process I would remind you that when replacing the toilet and tightening the flange bolts down you should be careful to tighten each bolt only a few turns at a time to evenly exert the leverage on the base of the toilet. These bolts should be snug but under no circumstances should they be over tightened because the toilet is made of porcelain and can easily crack and the only repair is to throw that toilet away (they make excellent planters for your front yard) and start all over. That’s an expensive learning lesson.
Thanks, Dunbar, for the great idea and for the many folks you help daily on your forum.
Friday, October 9, 2009
WHAT IS AN AIR GAP AND WHY DO I NEED MY AIR GAPPED ANYWAY?
Well it’s happened. I learned something today that I had never known before. Actually, if the truth be known, I learn something everyday even when I’m not trying. Frankly I had wondered many times what that little silver air vent thingy on my sink was but never had to fix or replace it. I guess I really never understood its function. It’s called an “air gap” and I always thought it was a form of device which allowed you to add vent capacity to an area or appliance where there hadn’t been one or maybe where you had added something new like a dishwasher. The air gap has no moving parts, and they never go bad, ever. It's always what connects to them that causes issues.
So I ran across a forum discussion yesterday that not only gave me the answer but actually put me into sensory overload with WAY TOO MUCH INFO. So I thought I would clear up the confusion for those of you out there that might have been with me in the same boat of ignorance but am going to try to give you the shortest most concise answer but unfortunately there is no short answer. There were 16 different answers in the forum as an example. No wonder I never understood what it was and my head is still spinning.
So let’s start with the simplistic example of why the air gap is needed:
“You now live on the first floor of a high rise. You have just started to clean supper dishes and decide to run some potato peelings down the drain (Remind me to tell you my potato peelings story on a Christmas morning, sometime). You fill your dishwasher and start the cycle and walk away. MEANWHILE, every one of your neighbors are doing the same thing above you. AT THE SAME TIME, there is a water break in the 12 inch water main in front of your building. You do not know that the drain line is backing up into your kitchen sink. You do not know the water supply has dropped in pressure so that the lines are pulling air where they can from the negative pressure.(even hot water supplies with recirculation pumps will do this when water pressure drops to the negative) You do not know that your dishwasher just jammed the pump. The pump being stuck with the solenoid valve now open so the dishwasher is trying to pump water out, but in reality, dirty water from the sink is flowing into the dishwasher. It does this several cycles, until, you guessed it, dirty water is being sucked into the side inlet and into the water supply lines. Thus what sits under that ugly cap is what saves lives, protects that potable water being used inside that dishwasher that sanitizes those dishes when it runs its cycle".
So why would one need an "air-gap" for a dishwasher? Because some dishwashers fill at the bottom, and contaminated water from the dishwasher could, in the scenario above, backflow into the water supply. The reality is that most new dishwashers fill from the side, above the door line. There would be no way for the water from the dishwasher to get up to the fill level it would leak out the door if the water got that high. Why would an extra air gap be required then? Just because of the same kind of crazy improbable situations as above.
A simple definition of the air gap is the space between a wall mounted faucet and the sink rim (this space is the air gap). Water can easily flow from the faucet into the sink, but there is no way that water can flow from the sink into the faucet without modifying the system. This arrangement will prevent any contaminants in the sink from back flowing into the potable water system thus protecting your life and those of your neighbors by keeping contaminated water from being siphoned into the fresh water lines. To further illustrate the air gap, consider what could happen if the air gap were eliminated by attaching a hose to the faucet and lowering the hose into a sink full of contaminated water. Under the right conditions (if the water supply loses pressure and the sink is higher than the point at which the water supply enters the house, for instance), the dirty water in the sink will be siphoned into the water pipes through the hose and faucet. The dirty water then will be dispersed throughout the fresh water system. Because of this, although improbable occurrence, all plumbing codes require backflow prevention and in most cases, especially if the code inspector doesn’t like your plumbers solution, is the little air gap. If you look around your house you may even see one somewhere near your washing machine too.
Still confused? Yep me too, but know that codes are strange things and have been developed over many years of improbable situations. I think of the warning on the Preparation H box “for external use only” because somewhere along the line some poor guy has eaten several of them and got no relief from his hemorrhoids.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Can You Save Water by Lowering Your Water Pressure?
I have written, in the past, about the dangers of high water pressure in your home but ran across a great blog today on the www.findplumbing.com discussion forum. This article defines several terms regarding water pressure and the regulation of it but more importantly, from a new viewpoint, hypothesizes that proper regulation of water pressure in your home can effectively save water. It’s common knowledge that your water pressure shouldn’t exceed 60-65 psi to avoid damage to pipe fittings, valves in your automatic appliances and faucets and that high water pressure is the primary cause of “water hammer”. Now how does reducing water pressure save water resources? Reducing the pressure from 100 lbs. to 50 lbs.will result in a saving of approximately 1/3 because 1/3 less water flows at this lower pressure. Remember, there is more "push" behind the water at 100 lbs. than at 50 lbs. and most of this water is wasted. Moderate savings would result if your supply pressure was 65 lbs. However, even at this lower pressure, savings with a regulator would be 20%.
To more easily control the incoming water pressure many newer homes have pressure regulators built into the system between the meter and the house. What is a Water Pressure Regulator? Also called water pressure reducing valves, are compact, inexpensive regulators that perform two functions, they automatically reduce the high incoming water pressure from the city mains to provide a lower, more functional pressure for distribution in the home.
Water pressure regulators are commonly installed at the meter in residential, commercial and industrial buildings. This location is desirable because it then controls the water pressure flowing to all appliances and outlets within the building and provides an inexpensive means of supplying lower, more functional water pressure to outlets and appliances. Considering that a typical family of four uses an average of 255 gallons of water each day for interior plumbing (broken down by: dishwashing - 15 gallons; cooking/drinking - 12 gallons; utility sink - 5 gallons laundry - 35 gallons; bathing - 80 gallons; bathroom sink - 8 gallons; toilet - 100 gallons). When multiplied by a year, a typical family usage totals 93,000 gallons of water so the savings of 30% obtained by lowering your water pressure can be considerable. This is based on the assumption that you are not currently managing the pressure in your home. An average savings would be from $50 to $150 per year, probably much higher. Based on the fact that 1/3 less water flows at 50 lbs. than 100 lbs., you can expect to save up to 1/3 of the water previously consumed. Remember also, however, that 1/3 of the water used in homes is heated so 1/3 of the 30,000 gallons of water saved divided by 2 to reflect a cold water mixing factor would mean a savings in heating up to 5,000 gallons of hot water per year. If you figure 4 cents to heat a gallon of water, the savings would be $200.00. You can also figure on a savings in your sewer surcharge bill, since most of the 30,000 gallons of water saved will not be going into the wastewater system, therefore, you will not be assessed on that. You would also have to figure the savings, generated by not having to have appliances repaired or replaced more frequently.
The Finding Plumbing blog also listed the following tips that you can employ to save water and energy:
1. Put a stopper in your sink or use a dishpan when you wash dishes. Washing with running water uses 30 gallons per meal.
2. Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator running the water from the faucet until cold will waste a gallon.
3. Wait until you have a full nine-pound wash before you run your washing machine. The average machine uses 50 gallons per load.
4.Turn the hot water off while you shave, and turn the cold water off while you brush your teeth. Shaving with a running faucet uses about 20 gallons.
5. Take showers instead of baths. The usual bath requires 36 gallons, the usual shower, only 25. Ten gallons is enough for a shower if you turn it off while you lather.
6. Don't use the toilet bowl to dispose of cigarette ashes, facial tissues, and other materials. A normal flush requires 8 gallons. Plus if your on a septic system these items will contribute, long term, to causing septic tank failure.
7. Use dishwasher only when completely full.
8. Fix dripping faucets promptly. Nearly two gallons can be wasted per day of dripping.
9. Running toilets can waste four gallons per hour. Keep them in good repair.
10. THINK before you turn on the tap.
Our water resources are becoming more and more in short supply so anything we can do to conserve not only saves water but saves money.
To more easily control the incoming water pressure many newer homes have pressure regulators built into the system between the meter and the house. What is a Water Pressure Regulator? Also called water pressure reducing valves, are compact, inexpensive regulators that perform two functions, they automatically reduce the high incoming water pressure from the city mains to provide a lower, more functional pressure for distribution in the home.
Water pressure regulators are commonly installed at the meter in residential, commercial and industrial buildings. This location is desirable because it then controls the water pressure flowing to all appliances and outlets within the building and provides an inexpensive means of supplying lower, more functional water pressure to outlets and appliances. Considering that a typical family of four uses an average of 255 gallons of water each day for interior plumbing (broken down by: dishwashing - 15 gallons; cooking/drinking - 12 gallons; utility sink - 5 gallons laundry - 35 gallons; bathing - 80 gallons; bathroom sink - 8 gallons; toilet - 100 gallons). When multiplied by a year, a typical family usage totals 93,000 gallons of water so the savings of 30% obtained by lowering your water pressure can be considerable. This is based on the assumption that you are not currently managing the pressure in your home. An average savings would be from $50 to $150 per year, probably much higher. Based on the fact that 1/3 less water flows at 50 lbs. than 100 lbs., you can expect to save up to 1/3 of the water previously consumed. Remember also, however, that 1/3 of the water used in homes is heated so 1/3 of the 30,000 gallons of water saved divided by 2 to reflect a cold water mixing factor would mean a savings in heating up to 5,000 gallons of hot water per year. If you figure 4 cents to heat a gallon of water, the savings would be $200.00. You can also figure on a savings in your sewer surcharge bill, since most of the 30,000 gallons of water saved will not be going into the wastewater system, therefore, you will not be assessed on that. You would also have to figure the savings, generated by not having to have appliances repaired or replaced more frequently.
The Finding Plumbing blog also listed the following tips that you can employ to save water and energy:
1. Put a stopper in your sink or use a dishpan when you wash dishes. Washing with running water uses 30 gallons per meal.
2. Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator running the water from the faucet until cold will waste a gallon.
3. Wait until you have a full nine-pound wash before you run your washing machine. The average machine uses 50 gallons per load.
4.Turn the hot water off while you shave, and turn the cold water off while you brush your teeth. Shaving with a running faucet uses about 20 gallons.
5. Take showers instead of baths. The usual bath requires 36 gallons, the usual shower, only 25. Ten gallons is enough for a shower if you turn it off while you lather.
6. Don't use the toilet bowl to dispose of cigarette ashes, facial tissues, and other materials. A normal flush requires 8 gallons. Plus if your on a septic system these items will contribute, long term, to causing septic tank failure.
7. Use dishwasher only when completely full.
8. Fix dripping faucets promptly. Nearly two gallons can be wasted per day of dripping.
9. Running toilets can waste four gallons per hour. Keep them in good repair.
10. THINK before you turn on the tap.
Our water resources are becoming more and more in short supply so anything we can do to conserve not only saves water but saves money.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Yet Another Smell Problem
I do my blogging with the hopes that along the way I am imparting info to folks in need and am really happy when I get comments and emails from readers either having found their solution or with stubborn problems. As I have said before one of the most frequent questions and by far the most frequently read of my blogs are the ones on plumbing smells. Recently I received the following inquiry from a desperate homeowner and mother with a very stubborn smell from one of her bathrooms and have included my answers and what we hope will be the final conclusion.
Q: I just found your post about the horrible smell from bathroom...We are having the same problem. Definitely water under tub, changed wax seals, recaulked both tubs, after we take baths the smell intensifies, water came out of seal of toilet once, we did just have a few days of rain.... Plumber did perk test, camera, and pressure tests and said our house is fine. My yard and neighbor's yards are definitely water saturated! I'm begging city to do smoke test, but not having luck. City is saying it's not their problem even though all neighbors surrounding us are having drainage issues as well. Any other suggestions?? We are MISERABLE and our 3 kids are gagging everytime they go to bathroom!!!!!!!!!
A: Im sorry to hear of your problem and agree that a smoke test is probably the only way to resolve the issue at this time. I urge you to continue to pressure your utility or look into the cost to have the smoke test run yourself. It sounds as if there is a drain line broken on your yard or an adjacent neighbors yard and water is pooling under your foundation and the gas is seeping through a crack in your foundation or through poriosity. The smell is not only distasteful but can potential be dangerous if methane gas pools and can be ignited. Please let me know how it turns out
Her Response: Well, We pressed the city for a smoke test and got one done this AM. The test showed the city was ok. Now we hired another plumber who thinks it may be a pipe below bathtub that's broken. He's bringing his camera tomorrow AM. We are so ready to have this problem fixed! We had to move out b/c the smell is just too bad and after considering your comment about the methane. Yikes. Thanks so much for your time. I'll let you know how it turns out.
And then the bad news: Yikes, not good news! Another plumber used a camera in our pipes and found that almost all the cast iron pipes are bad. UGH! Even worms in there. I'm thinking the first plumber just lied to us b/c the pipes were in really bad shape, so maybe he didnt want to tackle that job. Which makes me pretty upset since I sat here spinning my wheels for another week! Oh well, worse things have happened... staying positive!!!!
My response: Sorry to hear that but before they start digging up your foundation and yard look into having the existing pipes relined. Here is a link with some simple info but there are several alternatives to doing it so price it both ways, http://plumbing.about.com/b/2009/02/20/tale-of-two-broken-drain-lines.htm and a You Tube video explaining the process , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhaf-AWZ99U
The bottom line is there is not always a simple answer to “what is that smell?” For every simple answer we find there can be the tough ones. It can be as simple as a dry “p” trap to totally compromised drain lines or septic system. Whatever it is it is annoying, embarrassing and potential dangerous to your home and health.
Q: I just found your post about the horrible smell from bathroom...We are having the same problem. Definitely water under tub, changed wax seals, recaulked both tubs, after we take baths the smell intensifies, water came out of seal of toilet once, we did just have a few days of rain.... Plumber did perk test, camera, and pressure tests and said our house is fine. My yard and neighbor's yards are definitely water saturated! I'm begging city to do smoke test, but not having luck. City is saying it's not their problem even though all neighbors surrounding us are having drainage issues as well. Any other suggestions?? We are MISERABLE and our 3 kids are gagging everytime they go to bathroom!!!!!!!!!
A: Im sorry to hear of your problem and agree that a smoke test is probably the only way to resolve the issue at this time. I urge you to continue to pressure your utility or look into the cost to have the smoke test run yourself. It sounds as if there is a drain line broken on your yard or an adjacent neighbors yard and water is pooling under your foundation and the gas is seeping through a crack in your foundation or through poriosity. The smell is not only distasteful but can potential be dangerous if methane gas pools and can be ignited. Please let me know how it turns out
Her Response: Well, We pressed the city for a smoke test and got one done this AM. The test showed the city was ok. Now we hired another plumber who thinks it may be a pipe below bathtub that's broken. He's bringing his camera tomorrow AM. We are so ready to have this problem fixed! We had to move out b/c the smell is just too bad and after considering your comment about the methane. Yikes. Thanks so much for your time. I'll let you know how it turns out.
And then the bad news: Yikes, not good news! Another plumber used a camera in our pipes and found that almost all the cast iron pipes are bad. UGH! Even worms in there. I'm thinking the first plumber just lied to us b/c the pipes were in really bad shape, so maybe he didnt want to tackle that job. Which makes me pretty upset since I sat here spinning my wheels for another week! Oh well, worse things have happened... staying positive!!!!
My response: Sorry to hear that but before they start digging up your foundation and yard look into having the existing pipes relined. Here is a link with some simple info but there are several alternatives to doing it so price it both ways, http://plumbing.about.com/b/2009/02/20/tale-of-two-broken-drain-lines.htm and a You Tube video explaining the process , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhaf-AWZ99U
The bottom line is there is not always a simple answer to “what is that smell?” For every simple answer we find there can be the tough ones. It can be as simple as a dry “p” trap to totally compromised drain lines or septic system. Whatever it is it is annoying, embarrassing and potential dangerous to your home and health.
Friday, October 2, 2009
HOW TO EASILY SAVE 10% OR MORE ON YOUR HVAC COSTS
With winter just around the corner and the economy still on the ropes we are all faced with the decision as to whether we have adequate heat or adequate food. In our area the power utilities have made the decision for us by continuing to raise the cost of electricity but there is hope that the heating oil prices will be lower this year than in the past. A simple solution to helping with your HVAC expenses is to install a set back thermostat which is literally a small computer that mounts in place of your traditional thermostat and can be programmed by you to provide heat and cool at peak times and to moderate the use when you are away or asleep. I ran across this great article from the U.S. Department of Energy that provides a good description for those of you that haven’t yet known about these great little devices.
“You can save around 10% a year on your heating and cooling bills by simply turning your thermostat back 10°–15° for eight hours. You can do this automatically without sacrificing comfort by installing an automatic setback or programmable thermostat. Using a programmable thermostat, you can adjust the times you turn on the heating or air-conditioning according to a pre-set schedule. As a result, you don't operate the equipment as much when you are asleep or when the house is not occupied. Programmable thermostats can store and repeat multiple daily settings (six or more temperature settings a day) that you can manually override without affecting the rest of the daily or weekly program. When shopping for a programmable thermostat, be sure to look for the ENERGY STAR® label.
You can easily save energy in the winter by setting the thermostat to 68°F while you're awake and setting it lower while you're asleep or away from home. By turning your thermostat back 10°–15° for 8 hours, you can save about 5%–15% a year on your heating bill—a savings of as much as 1% for each degree if the setback period is eight hours long. The percentage of savings from setback is greater for buildings in milder climates than for those in more severe climates.
In the summer, you can follow the same strategy with central air conditioning, too, by keeping your house warmer than normal when you are away, and lowering the thermostat setting to 78°F (26°C) only when you are at home and need cooling. Although thermostats can be adjusted manually, programmable thermostats will avoid any discomfort by returning temperatures to normal as you wake or return home.
A common misconception associated with thermostats is that a furnace works harder than normal to warm the space back to a comfortable temperature after the thermostat has been set back, resulting in little or no savings. This misconception has been dispelled by years of research and numerous studies. The fuel required to reheat a building to a comfortable temperature is roughly equal to the fuel saved as the building drops to the lower temperature. You save fuel between the time that the temperature stabilizes at the lower level and the next time heat is needed. So, the longer your house remains at the lower temperature, the more energy you save.
Programmable thermostats are generally not recommended for heat pumps. In its cooling mode, a heat pump operates like an air conditioner, so turning up the thermostat (either manually or with a programmable thermostat) will save energy and money. But when a heat pump is in its heating mode, setting back its thermostat can cause the unit to operate inefficiently, thereby canceling out any savings achieved by lowering the temperature setting. Maintaining a moderate setting is the most cost-effective practice. Recently, however, some companies have begun selling specially designed programmable thermostats for heat pumps, which make setting back the thermostat cost effective. These thermostats typically use special algorithms to minimize the use of backup electric resistance heat systems.
Electric resistance systems, such as electric baseboard heating, require thermostats capable of directly controlling 120-volt or 240-volt circuits. Only a few companies manufacture line-voltage programmable thermostats.
For steam heating and radiant floor heating systems, the problem is their slow response time: both types of systems may have a response time of several hours. This leads some people to suggest that setback is inappropriate for these systems. However, some manufacturers now offer thermostats that track the performance of your heating system to determine when to turn it on in order to achieve comfortable temperatures at your programmed time.
Alternately, a normal programmable thermostat can be set to begin its cool down well before you leave or go to bed and return to its regular temperature two or three hours before you wake up or return home. This may require some guesswork at first, but with a little trial and error you can still save energy while maintaining a comfortable home.
Choosing and Programming a Programmable Thermostat
Most programmable thermostats are either digital, electromechanical, or some mixture of the two. Digital thermostats offer the most features in terms of multiple setback settings, overrides, and adjustments for daylight savings time, but may be difficult for some people to program. Electromechanical systems often involve pegs or sliding bars and are relatively simple to program. When programming your thermostat, consider when you normally go to sleep and wake up. If you prefer to sleep at a cooler temperature during the winter, you might want to start the temperature setback a bit ahead of the time you actually go to bed; you probably won't notice the house cooling off as you prepare for bed. Also consider the schedules of everyone in the household; is there a time during the day when the house is unoccupied for four hours or more? If so, it makes sense to adjust the temperature during those periods.
Other Considerations
The location of your thermostat can affect its performance and efficiency. Read the manufacturer's installation instructions to prevent "ghost readings" or unnecessary furnace or air conditioner cycling. Place thermostats away from direct sunlight, drafts, doorways, skylights, and windows. Also make sure your thermostat is conveniently located for programming.”
Installation of one of these thermostats is easily done and needs nothing more than a screwdriver and although I know that it goes against the grain of all of the men reading this..FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS. Then call your teenager to program it for you.
“You can save around 10% a year on your heating and cooling bills by simply turning your thermostat back 10°–15° for eight hours. You can do this automatically without sacrificing comfort by installing an automatic setback or programmable thermostat. Using a programmable thermostat, you can adjust the times you turn on the heating or air-conditioning according to a pre-set schedule. As a result, you don't operate the equipment as much when you are asleep or when the house is not occupied. Programmable thermostats can store and repeat multiple daily settings (six or more temperature settings a day) that you can manually override without affecting the rest of the daily or weekly program. When shopping for a programmable thermostat, be sure to look for the ENERGY STAR® label.
You can easily save energy in the winter by setting the thermostat to 68°F while you're awake and setting it lower while you're asleep or away from home. By turning your thermostat back 10°–15° for 8 hours, you can save about 5%–15% a year on your heating bill—a savings of as much as 1% for each degree if the setback period is eight hours long. The percentage of savings from setback is greater for buildings in milder climates than for those in more severe climates.
In the summer, you can follow the same strategy with central air conditioning, too, by keeping your house warmer than normal when you are away, and lowering the thermostat setting to 78°F (26°C) only when you are at home and need cooling. Although thermostats can be adjusted manually, programmable thermostats will avoid any discomfort by returning temperatures to normal as you wake or return home.
A common misconception associated with thermostats is that a furnace works harder than normal to warm the space back to a comfortable temperature after the thermostat has been set back, resulting in little or no savings. This misconception has been dispelled by years of research and numerous studies. The fuel required to reheat a building to a comfortable temperature is roughly equal to the fuel saved as the building drops to the lower temperature. You save fuel between the time that the temperature stabilizes at the lower level and the next time heat is needed. So, the longer your house remains at the lower temperature, the more energy you save.
Programmable thermostats are generally not recommended for heat pumps. In its cooling mode, a heat pump operates like an air conditioner, so turning up the thermostat (either manually or with a programmable thermostat) will save energy and money. But when a heat pump is in its heating mode, setting back its thermostat can cause the unit to operate inefficiently, thereby canceling out any savings achieved by lowering the temperature setting. Maintaining a moderate setting is the most cost-effective practice. Recently, however, some companies have begun selling specially designed programmable thermostats for heat pumps, which make setting back the thermostat cost effective. These thermostats typically use special algorithms to minimize the use of backup electric resistance heat systems.
Electric resistance systems, such as electric baseboard heating, require thermostats capable of directly controlling 120-volt or 240-volt circuits. Only a few companies manufacture line-voltage programmable thermostats.
For steam heating and radiant floor heating systems, the problem is their slow response time: both types of systems may have a response time of several hours. This leads some people to suggest that setback is inappropriate for these systems. However, some manufacturers now offer thermostats that track the performance of your heating system to determine when to turn it on in order to achieve comfortable temperatures at your programmed time.
Alternately, a normal programmable thermostat can be set to begin its cool down well before you leave or go to bed and return to its regular temperature two or three hours before you wake up or return home. This may require some guesswork at first, but with a little trial and error you can still save energy while maintaining a comfortable home.
Choosing and Programming a Programmable Thermostat
Most programmable thermostats are either digital, electromechanical, or some mixture of the two. Digital thermostats offer the most features in terms of multiple setback settings, overrides, and adjustments for daylight savings time, but may be difficult for some people to program. Electromechanical systems often involve pegs or sliding bars and are relatively simple to program. When programming your thermostat, consider when you normally go to sleep and wake up. If you prefer to sleep at a cooler temperature during the winter, you might want to start the temperature setback a bit ahead of the time you actually go to bed; you probably won't notice the house cooling off as you prepare for bed. Also consider the schedules of everyone in the household; is there a time during the day when the house is unoccupied for four hours or more? If so, it makes sense to adjust the temperature during those periods.
Other Considerations
The location of your thermostat can affect its performance and efficiency. Read the manufacturer's installation instructions to prevent "ghost readings" or unnecessary furnace or air conditioner cycling. Place thermostats away from direct sunlight, drafts, doorways, skylights, and windows. Also make sure your thermostat is conveniently located for programming.”
Installation of one of these thermostats is easily done and needs nothing more than a screwdriver and although I know that it goes against the grain of all of the men reading this..FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS. Then call your teenager to program it for you.
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