It's not something you give much thought to, most people never consider replacing their power outlets or light switches unless it's for redecorating purposes. But sometimes there is a real need to do this, especially if they are worn out and becoming an electrical fire hazard. Worn out receptacles can be annoying if they quit working sporadically.
Replacing these isn't expensive, you can pick one up for a couple of dollars at any hardware or home improvement store. When you're ready, be sure you turn off the power to that switch because you do NOT want any electrical shocks or burns. Test to be sure the power is truly off with a circuit tester.
Here's a rough step by step on how to replace your outlet receptacles.
1. Remove the outlet cover and then unscrew it from the mounting.
2. Pull it out of the box so you can work with it easier. If you're not electrically inclined it's best to label the wires so you know what location to put them back to.
3. Disconnect all the wires and remove the old outlet.
4. Be sure your new outlet is rated for the circuit you're on. Reconnect the wires as instructed with the directions.
5. Put the outlet cover back on, screwing everything in again.
6. Test it for power.
What if you need to replace a light switch? This is not a difficult task either and the replacement part is also inexpensive.
Again, turn off the power to work in a safe environment. Repeat steps 1 through 3 from the outlet replacement above. This time be sure to mark the white wire as being hot. Disconnect the wires from the old switch and attach them to the new one. When everything is secured and screwed in tight, push the switch back into the receptacle box and replace the cover.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Brick-fireplace
What is keeping you warm this winter? Do you have forced heat, or maybe you're using a wood stove to heat your home? Hey, don't laugh! This is what I grew up with and I still love it. The next house I purchase is going to have a nice, old-fashioned wood stove. Oh, and of course a rustic brick fireplace. Yep, that's right. I'm a rustic kind of guy myself. I prefer the "outdoorsy" stuff over the new-age contemporary look. Regardless of what you use to heat your home, one thing is for sure; you want it to radiate heat well and be proficient. Well, fortunately now days you can get that ideal heat from a nice brick fireplace. Hey, if you don't believe me, then hop online and see what I'm talking about.
What is it about a brick fireplace that stirs a certain nostalgia? That wonderful feeling of kicking back with your loved one before a nice roaring fire. It's just so relaxing. The great thing about modern fireplaces is that they not only offer a variety of styles, but they can also heat your entire home. What do you know about burning wood as an alternative to the standard forced central heating or gas? I think it's awesome that you can have an ample brick fireplace that drives sufficient amounts of heat throughout your home. This even goes for two or three story homes. These days they have it as a sort of forced heating method that literally comes through a venting system. How cool is that? Furthermore, the nice thing about wood is that it burns so clean and warm. It's a slight upgrade from the standard forced heat.
Are you satisfied with your current fireplace, or are you in the market for something a tad more original? Check out the fabulous array of fireplaces online. You can acquire a brick fireplace for less than you think. Even if your home doesn't currently have a fireplace, there are professionals who can install these in no time. Find that cozy brick fireplace before the next winter hits. This way you will be lounging on your sofa with the family, while enjoying the gentle heat of a crackling flame. In addition, a quality brick fireplace is perfect for roasting those marshmallows and hot dogs. Have a blast inside your home this cold season with a rustic or modern brick fireplace.
What is it about a brick fireplace that stirs a certain nostalgia? That wonderful feeling of kicking back with your loved one before a nice roaring fire. It's just so relaxing. The great thing about modern fireplaces is that they not only offer a variety of styles, but they can also heat your entire home. What do you know about burning wood as an alternative to the standard forced central heating or gas? I think it's awesome that you can have an ample brick fireplace that drives sufficient amounts of heat throughout your home. This even goes for two or three story homes. These days they have it as a sort of forced heating method that literally comes through a venting system. How cool is that? Furthermore, the nice thing about wood is that it burns so clean and warm. It's a slight upgrade from the standard forced heat.
Are you satisfied with your current fireplace, or are you in the market for something a tad more original? Check out the fabulous array of fireplaces online. You can acquire a brick fireplace for less than you think. Even if your home doesn't currently have a fireplace, there are professionals who can install these in no time. Find that cozy brick fireplace before the next winter hits. This way you will be lounging on your sofa with the family, while enjoying the gentle heat of a crackling flame. In addition, a quality brick fireplace is perfect for roasting those marshmallows and hot dogs. Have a blast inside your home this cold season with a rustic or modern brick fireplace.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Dealing With Frozen Water Pipelines
We live out in the country but this story could just as easily happen to someone in the city. After 25 years of living in the same location, our water line froze on us this winter. We had a very early start to winter this year. In November the temperatures got down to single digits and we didn't have any snow. Had we had snow in combination with the cold temperatures, it probably wouldn't have been so bad. The snow tends to act as an insulator and keeps the cold from driving down into the ground. Where we live, in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of Northern New Mexico, the frost line is down to about 3 ft. The conventional wisdom has always been that if your pipes are at least 3 feet deep, then they won't freeze. But, since we didn't have the snow covering the ground and, I'm thinking, since our pipes are buried underneath an area where the water often runs during run-off (out here, we call these little stream beds arroyos), there's a good chance that several inches or more of protective dirt has been washed away over time. Doesn't look like the ground level has dropped much, but it's hard to remember over time just what the ground looked like 25 years ago!
Bottom line is, our pipes froze and they froze hard. Our water line travels at least 700 feet from the well house to our home on top of the hill. By the time our line froze, we did have snow covering the ground and that made it even more difficult to deal with. I mean, where does one start when one has 700 feet of water line underground? Digging it up just didn't seem like an option. Luckily there is only my wife and I and our two dogs so we decided we would just wait it out until the pipes thawed. Don't get me wrong. I didn't just give up. I was pro-active.
I disconnected the main water line in the house, installed a union (plumbing device which allows for two pieces of pipe to be taken apart and put back together) in-line and tried running hot water back down the line - even with a small pump this didn't work, couldn't get it to push against the air block - and attached an air compressor to the line to try to blow it back out. This actually worked at one point. We had water for 4 days until we left one evening and didn't think to let the water drip to prevent another freezing! The 2nd time it froze is when we had the solid freeze that lasted for about 6 weeks and wouldn't budge, no matter what we did.
Even with our resolve to not let this situation get us down, after about a week and a half, I started to think "outside the box." It occurred to me that since we had a water hydrant down at the bottom of the driveway, just 250 feet away, that I might be able to use that to our advantage. I came up with the idea of running a hose from the hydrant up to the outside water faucet on the side of the house. Seemed reasonable enough to me, so after getting the correct adapters, I was able to do just that. During the day, as long as the temperatures were above 28 degrees or so, I was able to run the water from the hydrant up the hill and into the house. Since the outside faucet was right about where the main water line came in, the whole house system, including the hot water heater, became charged. All right! Water! At night, just as the temperatures were dropping way back down, I would have to shut down the system and drain the hoses and then, the next day, when the temperatures got back up to 28 degrees or better, I would hook the system back up.
I think this system would work in a pinch in the city or suburbs where the houses are close together. One would simply hook their hose to a neighbor's faucet until such time as the water line thawed or was other wise corrected.
I can't tell you how much this helped to ease what otherwise would have been a burden. We were able to shower, run the dishwasher, flush the toilet, do laundry and fill up bottles of drinking water, as long as we did all of the above before dark or when the temperatures plummeted. Luckily for us, February was rather mild and we were able to have many days that worked in our favor. But, it wasn't until almost the end of February that we had enough mild weather for the line to thaw.
Bottom line is, our pipes froze and they froze hard. Our water line travels at least 700 feet from the well house to our home on top of the hill. By the time our line froze, we did have snow covering the ground and that made it even more difficult to deal with. I mean, where does one start when one has 700 feet of water line underground? Digging it up just didn't seem like an option. Luckily there is only my wife and I and our two dogs so we decided we would just wait it out until the pipes thawed. Don't get me wrong. I didn't just give up. I was pro-active.
I disconnected the main water line in the house, installed a union (plumbing device which allows for two pieces of pipe to be taken apart and put back together) in-line and tried running hot water back down the line - even with a small pump this didn't work, couldn't get it to push against the air block - and attached an air compressor to the line to try to blow it back out. This actually worked at one point. We had water for 4 days until we left one evening and didn't think to let the water drip to prevent another freezing! The 2nd time it froze is when we had the solid freeze that lasted for about 6 weeks and wouldn't budge, no matter what we did.
Even with our resolve to not let this situation get us down, after about a week and a half, I started to think "outside the box." It occurred to me that since we had a water hydrant down at the bottom of the driveway, just 250 feet away, that I might be able to use that to our advantage. I came up with the idea of running a hose from the hydrant up to the outside water faucet on the side of the house. Seemed reasonable enough to me, so after getting the correct adapters, I was able to do just that. During the day, as long as the temperatures were above 28 degrees or so, I was able to run the water from the hydrant up the hill and into the house. Since the outside faucet was right about where the main water line came in, the whole house system, including the hot water heater, became charged. All right! Water! At night, just as the temperatures were dropping way back down, I would have to shut down the system and drain the hoses and then, the next day, when the temperatures got back up to 28 degrees or better, I would hook the system back up.
I think this system would work in a pinch in the city or suburbs where the houses are close together. One would simply hook their hose to a neighbor's faucet until such time as the water line thawed or was other wise corrected.
I can't tell you how much this helped to ease what otherwise would have been a burden. We were able to shower, run the dishwasher, flush the toilet, do laundry and fill up bottles of drinking water, as long as we did all of the above before dark or when the temperatures plummeted. Luckily for us, February was rather mild and we were able to have many days that worked in our favor. But, it wasn't until almost the end of February that we had enough mild weather for the line to thaw.
Plumbing Water Maintainence For The Best Home
Most people panic when there is a plumbing emergency or general repair that needs to be done. This panic is unnecessary if you have the practical plumbing knowledge. Getting help can be obtained in various ways it can be a phone call to a plumber for a fee or help from a do it yourself book if you are the handyman type or if your lucky you will have a friendly neighborhood plumbing/hardware store that can assist you with all your repair needs.
Water Leaks 101
If at any point in time you notice water in areas that water does not belong the first and most important thing to do is turn off the main valve. This is located at meter or in your home where the water line comes into the house. If you do not know where this is start by looking in your crawl space or basement. Once water has been shut off locate cause of leak determine diameter of pipe and material the pipe is made of ie copper or plastic or steel. You can remove a part of this to take with you if need be. Match up pipe or fittings needed to repair leak. If it is a threaded steel connection make sure you put thread seal on all threaded connections and tighten as snug as you can get it. This would be done by using pipe wrench or channel lock style pliers. If it is a copper connection you can use solder fittings or compression style fittings ( the easiest style for a novice). There are 3 types of plastic pipes used PVC, CPVC, and PEX. PVC and CPVC can be glued together with appropriate solvent. PEX pipe is either clamped or a grabber style fitting is used.
Clogged or Slow Drains
If drain is moving slow or completely clogged cleaners are not always a great solution. If the drain is slow moving a cleaner may help to make move freely. If it is completely stopped up a snake should be used to remove obstruction. If your home has old steal drain lines you might be fighting a loosing battle. I suggest to cut out and remove steel pipe and replace with PVC. Generally, the vertical pipes do not build up the same amount of debris or sludge the same as the horizontal pipes. If you are making a transition from steel to plastic make sure you use a approved coupling to make the transition. If it is a PVC to PVC connection use appropriate solvent.
That Leaky faucet
When your faucet develops a leak it is important to fix as soon as possible to save extra damage to the part from forcing it to shut off. First thing to do is to shut water off to faucet . Shut off valves are located below sink. Remove handle then locate the nut that holds the faucet stem in faucet body, use wrench to remove take to local plumbing shop or hardware store to match replacement gaskets or sometimes the complete stem. If faucet is not able to be repaired and you decide to replace it is important that you purchase a new faucet from a reputable manufacturer.
Toilet Woes
If toilet is leaking at the base it could be a wax seal needs to be replaced, or the mounting flange may be cracked. If it takes a long time for the tank to refill after you flush it is the ball cock that has failed. Sometimes this can be repaired with a replacement gasket if parts are not available replace complete ball cock. This is also the solution if it will not shut off. If you hear your toilet refill without flushing it the flapper assembly needs to be replaced.* there are lots of different style flappers used make sure you take your old one with you to match.*
Water Leaks 101
If at any point in time you notice water in areas that water does not belong the first and most important thing to do is turn off the main valve. This is located at meter or in your home where the water line comes into the house. If you do not know where this is start by looking in your crawl space or basement. Once water has been shut off locate cause of leak determine diameter of pipe and material the pipe is made of ie copper or plastic or steel. You can remove a part of this to take with you if need be. Match up pipe or fittings needed to repair leak. If it is a threaded steel connection make sure you put thread seal on all threaded connections and tighten as snug as you can get it. This would be done by using pipe wrench or channel lock style pliers. If it is a copper connection you can use solder fittings or compression style fittings ( the easiest style for a novice). There are 3 types of plastic pipes used PVC, CPVC, and PEX. PVC and CPVC can be glued together with appropriate solvent. PEX pipe is either clamped or a grabber style fitting is used.
Clogged or Slow Drains
If drain is moving slow or completely clogged cleaners are not always a great solution. If the drain is slow moving a cleaner may help to make move freely. If it is completely stopped up a snake should be used to remove obstruction. If your home has old steal drain lines you might be fighting a loosing battle. I suggest to cut out and remove steel pipe and replace with PVC. Generally, the vertical pipes do not build up the same amount of debris or sludge the same as the horizontal pipes. If you are making a transition from steel to plastic make sure you use a approved coupling to make the transition. If it is a PVC to PVC connection use appropriate solvent.
That Leaky faucet
When your faucet develops a leak it is important to fix as soon as possible to save extra damage to the part from forcing it to shut off. First thing to do is to shut water off to faucet . Shut off valves are located below sink. Remove handle then locate the nut that holds the faucet stem in faucet body, use wrench to remove take to local plumbing shop or hardware store to match replacement gaskets or sometimes the complete stem. If faucet is not able to be repaired and you decide to replace it is important that you purchase a new faucet from a reputable manufacturer.
Toilet Woes
If toilet is leaking at the base it could be a wax seal needs to be replaced, or the mounting flange may be cracked. If it takes a long time for the tank to refill after you flush it is the ball cock that has failed. Sometimes this can be repaired with a replacement gasket if parts are not available replace complete ball cock. This is also the solution if it will not shut off. If you hear your toilet refill without flushing it the flapper assembly needs to be replaced.* there are lots of different style flappers used make sure you take your old one with you to match.*
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