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February 25, 2008
Wet Windows
Q: Hello, Mr. Del Grande. Our windows seem to have a lot of moisture on the inside built up on them constantly. We have been told that it's because our home is too humid. How can this be? We run a dehumidifier 24/7. What else can we do to solve this problem? Ann (Wisconsin)
A: Ann, first I can tell from where you live that your house is probably well-insulated and sealed up for the winter. A house that is too tight can trap a lot of moisture and may get very wet because of lack of fresh-air flow. Dehumidifiers will help, but you also need to get some fresh into your home.
Try to run your bathroom fans whenever you use the bathroom, even if you're not showering. Also, make sure your bathroom fans vent outside, not to the attic. This may be all you need. If not, you will need to consult an HVAC contractor, who can install an air-exchange system that should solve your problem. Wet home interiors and windows may lead to mold and other moisture related issues.
My advice is for you to solve this problem right away so you can make a fresh start in your home!
Posted by Ed Del Grande at 5:02 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Diverting Issues
Q: Dear Ed, I know you help many readers solve their plumbing and home improvement problems, but do you ever explain things to the curious? Thankfully everything in my house is working fine; I just want to know how a kitchen faucet diverter valve works. How does the diverter automatically switch the water from the faucet spout to the spray head when you push the button? I always wanted to know that information, thanks! Jay (Tennessee)
A: Hi, Jay. You're lucky not to have any home problems at this time, and I stress the words "at this time." Homes are complicated machines and sooner or later something will require attention. I'm not saying this to scare you, it's just a segue into your question. Learning about potential problems before they happen and being ready to deal with them is the key to home improvement.
Your question on how kitchen faucet diverters work is one of those little things that can save you big money. Basically the diverter is an internal spring-loaded movable piston. In the normal position, the water flows to the spout; in the diverted position, the valve closes the flow of water to the spout and diverts it to the spray.
What triggers it to open and close? When you push the spray button and open the hose line, a pressure drop is created in the faucet body and the piston is pulled back, stopping the flow to the spout. Then when you release the button to close the spray line, the pressure is equalized in the faucet body and the spring-loaded piston springs back to the normal position. It's that simple!
Common signs of a broken diverter are when there is no switch between faucet spout and spray flow; low water pressure to the spout and/or spray; or even constant dripping of the spray head.
Most kitchen faucets do have easy-to-follow diverter replacement kits available. So, if your diverter ever does fail, you may want to save some money and "go with the flow" by repairing your faucet instead of replacing it!
Posted by Ed Del Grande at 4:56 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 13, 2008
No Fan of New Bathroom
Q: Hi, Ed. I love your column so much that I have two questions for you. We recently remodeled our master bathroom complete with a new bathroom fan. The contractor told us that the old fan just vented into the attic and that he needs to vent the new fan through the roof. He then told us that it would be an extra charge! This is not my fault; should this be an extra charge? Also, is it really necessary to vent bathroom fans outside instead of in the attic? Laura (California)
A: Laura, your first question brings up a point I make over and over in my book "Ed Del Grande's House call." My point is to "get everything in writing" before you start any remodeling job with a contractor. This will protect both you and the contractor from getting into a stalemate over a job issue that can slow things down and cause bad feelings with each other. I can see your contractors concerns about having to be paid for extra work, and I can see your frustrations about having to unexpectedly come up with more money! All it takes is to have a priced contract for the job and then a little line like; "Any unforeseen code problems behind walls, under floors, and/or above ceilings will be discussed, agreed upon, and billed as an extra. I admire your contractor for pointing out your fans venting problem, but getting things in writing should be as much the contractors responsibility as the homeowners. You may have also have had a contract that stated; "Total price includes any extra work to bring bathroom up to current building codes." In that case your fans venting problem would not have been an extra job. This is my exact point, not having a contract means that we don't know, and the two of you will have to work out a fair solution for the extra work. This leads us to your second question about bathroom fan venting. Yes, in my opinion and according to most building codes, your contractor is correct and the fan should be vented to the outdoors. Venting a fan into an attic may cause moisture problems in the attic and this may lead to other moisture related problems for the home. Remember, proper venting of both your extra work concerns and your bathroom fan will help make this a better job for you and your contractor!
A: Laura, your first question brings up a point I make over and over in my book Ed Del Grande's House Call. My point is to get everything in writing before you start any remodeling job with a contractor. This will protect both you and the contractor from getting into a stalemate over a job issue that can slow things down and cause bad feelings with each other.
I can see your contractor's concerns about having to be paid for extra work, and I can see your frustrations about having to unexpectedly come up with more money! All it takes is to have a priced contract for the job and then a little line like; "Any unforeseen code problems behind walls, under floors, and/or above ceilings will be discussed, agreed upon, and billed as an extra." I admire your contractor for pointing out your fan's venting problem, but getting things in writing should be as much the contractor's responsibility as the homeowner's.
You may have also have had a contract that stated: "Total price includes any extra work to bring bathroom up to current building codes." In that case your fan's venting problem would not have been an extra job. This is my exact point; not having a contract means that we don't know, and the two of you will have to work out a fair solution for the extra work.
This leads us to your second question about bathroom fan venting. Yes, in my opinion and according to most building codes, your contractor is correct and the fan should be vented to the outdoors. Venting a fan into an attic may cause moisture problemsthere, and this may lead to other moisture-related problems for the home.
Remember, proper venting of both your extra-work concerns and your bathroom fan will help make this a better job for you and your contractor!
Posted by Ed Del Grande at 12:59 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
February 11, 2008
New Heat Not Hot
Q: Hi, Ed. This is a heating question that has me stumped. We had a house fire last year, and major work was done to repair and re-insulate the house. Also a brand new heating/AC system was installed complete with new thermostats. We keep the heat at 68 degrees like we always did, but for some reason the house feels cold, even with all that new insulation. How can this be? Pete (Oklahoma)
A: Pete, the key to your letter is that you have had new thermostats installed. That leads me to believe that it's one of two problems. Either your old thermostats were not level or did not work properly and what you thought was 68 degrees may have actually been much warmer. Or your new thermostats may be off, and your home may actually be cooler than 68 degrees.
The simple solution is to get a good thermometer and get an accurate temperature reading in your home. If your new thermostats are off, the installer can re-calibrate them and fix your problem. However, if the new thermostats are accurate, then the problem was with your old thermostats. In that case you'll have to get used to actual sixty-eight degree temperatures in your home or just turn up the heat a little more!
Posted by Ed Del Grande at 12:28 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
February 4, 2008
Bowled Over by Toilet Letters
TEvery week I receive many letters, comments and questions from our readers across the United States and many from our friends in Canada and other countries as well. The topics of these letters may vary, and I enjoy reading the comments sent in about my past newspaper columns.
Lately, I have been flooded with letters about an article I did a week ago about a woman who used a pumice stone to clean stains off her toilet bow, and now the toilet is scratched and ruined. I pointed out to her that in my opinion a pumice stone was too harsh and abrasive to clean a toilet or any other China plumbing fixture with, and that she may want to replace the toilet and use nonabrasive cleaners in the future.
Sounds like simple advice right? Well, you cannot believe the letters that came in telling me that I needed to expand on my answer, and it's up to me to tell everyone how to remove tough toilet bowl stains.
In all fairness, this is a heavy load to put on my shoulders, since I have never claimed to be a toilet cleaning expert. I always thought of our toilets as a personal place and figured we all had our own private tricks to keep our bowls clean. For instance, people have told me in the past that they use denture cleaners, white vinegar, water diverter sprays and even cola sodas to remove stains from their toilet bowls. I was totally unprepared for the outcry from the masses for help in how to remove stains from our toilets without scratching up the bowl.
Not being one to run away from a challenge, though, I consulted my wife, and we went on a journey to find the easiest way to remove stains in the bowl. Right away we agreed that the best offense is a good defense. Like we do with our master bathroom toilet, daily cleanings with a toilet brush does keep most toilets in pretty good shape. But, my 18-year-old son's bathroom was another story. I don't know many teenagers who clean the toilet with each us, and my son is no different. As a matter a fact even though his father is a master plumber, I don't believe that my son knows which end of a toilet brush to hold!
Anyway, his toilet bowl did have some dark stains that my wife and I decided to take on. We tried every homemade remedy I knew of and used every standard cleaner we had in the closet and we had little or no success. Then it hit me, we were overlooking the obvious solution. If you want to remove tough toilet bowl stains, you need to go out to a good cleaning-supply company and buy a product that is made for your specific need.
We did just that and found some heavy-duty toilet bowl cleaners. Remember, with most heavy-duty professional cleaners, you do need to take extra precautions — safety glasses, gloves and plenty of fresh air ventilation — when using these products. The bottom line, though, was that once we used the right product, the stains simply disappeared.
As I mentioned, there were several products that did the job. They were all of professional grade and all made for the purpose of cleaning rust stains from china fixtures. Some could only be used for white plumbing fixtures, so keep that in mind. I cannot mention any brand names but trust me, if you look for them, they are easy to find.
Finally, for everyone who asked, here is your Q & A part of the column:
Q: Hey Ed, how do I clean stubborn stains from my toilet bowl?
A: If you want to remove a stubborn stain from your toilet bowl, go out and buy a bottle of toilet-bowl stain remover!
Posted by Ed Del Grande at 11:29 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
