About.com Home Repair

Your Water Heater. Your Friend.

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:55:50 +0000

Gotta love the water heater! Definitely a most convenient appliance. Hot water virtually on-demand is a luxury we've come to take for granted.

But like anything else, it takes energy to run. In the tutorial Water Heater Tips for Saving Energy and Operating Costs I'll explain how to easily save water, energy and money in your monthly utility bills.

If your water heater is on the fritz and needs a little TLC, then Troubleshooting a Tank Type Water Heater is what you want to read. From problems such as not enough hot water to a leaking water heater, it's covered.

And when it's time to replace that old water heater with a nice new, energy efficient unit, you'll just love it. And it's really not that hard to do. In the tutorial Replacing a Water Heater I'll walk you through the process, step-by-step. Doesn't matter if it's a gas or electric water heater. I'll show you how.

Then you can get that warm, cozy feeling yourself!

Your Water Heater. Your Friend. originally appeared on About.com Home Repair on Sunday, November 22nd, 2009 at 00:55:50.

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Replacing a Furnace Thermocouple or Electronic Flame Sensor

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:33:22 +0000

When the gas burner in your furnace does not turn on or your pilot light in an older furnace is out, you may find that the problem lies in a little device that controls the gas valve. In an older standing pilot furnace the device is called a thermocouple. In newer electronic furnaces it is called a flame sensor. However they both perform the same basic function, and that is to control gas flow.

In the tutorial Replacing a Furnace Thermocouple or Electronic Flame Sensor I describe how to easily replace a furnace thermocouple in an older style standing pilot furnace or an electronic flame sensor in a newer style electronic ignition furnace.

Of course determining if the thermocouple or flame sensor is your problem is something you need to do. I outline how to troubleshoot a standard furnace in Troubleshooting a Gas Furnace and how to troubleshoot an electronic furnace in Troubleshooting an Electronic Furnace.

Replacing a Furnace Thermocouple or Electronic Flame Sensor originally appeared on About.com Home Repair on Saturday, November 14th, 2009 at 12:33:22.

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Get Your Home Cozy for the Coming Cold Weather

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:56:44 +0000

Is it really almost dark at 5:00 PM already?! I am always amazed at how fast the Fall season arrives. It's a beautiful season but it is the last window of opportunity to get your home ready for winter if you live in a colder climate.

In the Tutorial Easy Home Winterizing I'll walk you through an easy to implement, comprehensive list of things to check. From plumbing systems to your roof, we'll walk through each system and hit the major things to check before winter comes so you can enjoy the snow and not worry about your home.

So read on and let Fall, well, "fall in!" 'Cause you'll be ready!

Get Your Home Cozy for the Coming Cold Weather originally appeared on About.com Home Repair on Saturday, November 7th, 2009 at 23:56:44.

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Review: Energizer Swivel Head LED Flashlight

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:02:05 +0000

This LED Hard Case Swivel Head flashlight by Energizer is part of the Hard Case� Professional� series and is a must have for your toolbox. It's also available in Headlight (head mounted) and small Inspection Light versions.

This swivel head version is reviewed by me in Review: Energizer Hard Case Swivel Head LED Flashlight.

The flashlight operates on 2-AA batteries and is only 7 inches long but produces a very impressive bright white light surpassing many conventional flashlights. Also gone is the wimpy blue LED light that plagued early LED's. The Energizer unit uses new LED technology and is very bright and very white.

It comes with some nice features such as an impact resistant ABS plastic case (rubberized for non-slip), self standing with an adjustable swivel head to get the light where you want it, dual level lighting controls, separate switches for white and colored LED's (red and green for low light applications), a belt clip and more.

This little guy is a workhorse and will be at home and ready for action in your truck, car, toolbox or kitchen drawer. I recommend you give this tool a look.

Review: Energizer Swivel Head LED Flashlight originally appeared on About.com Home Repair on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 14:02:05.

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Do You Have a Psycho Shower Head?

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:05:35 +0000

It's Halloween and one of my favorite horror movies is Hitchcock's Psycho.

The shower scene with Janet Leigh (as Marion Crane) is the iconic scene from the classic 1960 film.

But you know, as a Home Repair Guide, I have to say the Bates Motel provided pretty nice shower heads for their guests, although they weren't low flow heads. Of course Marion never noticed since she was dealing with other issues in the shower.

In the tutorial Replacing a Shower Head, I'll show you how easy it is for you to upgrade to something nicer than what Marion Crane used and definitely make your shower experience a lot less frightful!

Do You Have a Psycho Shower Head? originally appeared on About.com Home Repair on Saturday, October 31st, 2009 at 19:05:35.

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Is Your Furnace Electronic Ignition Out Cold?

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:53:42 +0000

Furnace ignition problems and solutions vary according to the type of furnace ignition system you have. Not all furnace pilot light ignition problems relate to a standing pilot in your furnace as I describe in How to Light a Gas Furnace Pilot.

Most all modern furnaces use an electronic ignition system having either an intermittent pilot or hot surface ignition.

Modern electronic ignition systems are more reliable than the standing pilot systems of old, but just as your new car has an electronic brain, so do some of these furnaces. And that means you're somewhat limited as to what can be done "under the hood" when they don't work

But take a read of the tutorial Overview and Repair of the Electronic Ignition Furnace and you'll learn how they work, and what you can do when they don't.

Is Your Furnace Electronic Ignition Out Cold? originally appeared on About.com Home Repair on Friday, October 23rd, 2009 at 16:53:42.

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It's Time for Seasonal Furnace Maintenance

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 16:54:29 +0000

Maintaining your furnace is essential for the safety and health of your family and the proper operation of your furnace which, unlike many people we know, we want to be full of hot air.

Make sure you're ready for the coming cold weather. It's quick and easy with the tutorial Seasonal Furnace Maintenance. Just follow the simple tips I outline for seasonal maintenance on your furnace to help keep it running efficiently and safely. From furnace filter replacement to checking the fan belt and carbon monoxide testing, it's all in there!

And if you have an AprilAire Space-Gard 2200 or a unit with a similar deep pleated filter, see the tutorial AprilAire Furnace Filter Replacement.

It's Time for Seasonal Furnace Maintenance originally appeared on About.com Home Repair on Sunday, October 18th, 2009 at 16:54:29.

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Fix Your Furnace Thermostat

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 11:01:08 +0000

Do you know how to troubleshoot and fix a thermostat that is not working? Did you know a little tiny adjustment arm on a thermostat device called a heat anticipator can make your furnace cycle on or off frequently or cause your furnace to not hold a proper temperature setting?

When you troubleshoot your gas furnace or install a new thermostat you should also make sure you know how to check your thermostat's operation too.

Fix Your Furnace Thermostat originally appeared on About.com Home Repair on Sunday, October 11th, 2009 at 11:01:08.

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Firing up Your Gas Furnace and Pilot Light

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 22:55:37 +0000

Can you count on your Pilot?

It happens to most all of us about this time of year. Really no escaping it. You can try and avoid it, but at some point you make a decision to turn on the furnace.

And when you do there is that tiny little anxious question in the back of your mind, "Will the pilot light and furnace work?"

Well, it usually does, but if your furnace wants to continue its summer hibernation, you'll need to know how to Troubleshoot a Gas Furnace and wake it up. It'll give you that nice warm and cozy feeling you've been looking for...

And for other timely furnace information, you may also want to read:

Seasonal Furnace Maintenance

Furnace Filter Replacement

Testing for Carbon Monoxide Leaks

Firing up Your Gas Furnace and Pilot Light originally appeared on About.com Home Repair on Saturday, October 3rd, 2009 at 22:55:37.

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Ceramic Wall Paint. The Good stuff.

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 19:31:27 +0000

If you care about the healthiness of your home's environment, you may already be aware of the harmful effects of VOC's but not aware of several available healthy paint alternatives. In a "Green" home I designed and built a couple years ago I used what I've found to be one of the best alternative paint options available, ceramic paint It's a wonderful product.

In the tutorial Ceramic Wall Paint, I'll explain why this paint is different and how it becomes one of the healthiest paint options for you and your family. You'll want to seriously consider this next time you have a paint job for your home.

Ceramic Wall Paint. The Good stuff. originally appeared on About.com Home Repair on Saturday, September 26th, 2009 at 19:31:27.

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