Safety Tips For Water Heaters. If You Aren't Sure, Ask A Professional
Some work that can be done to improve your water heater's
situation can be done by a homeowner. Other procedures
require a plumber's help or an electrician. Only perform
work on a water heater if you're comfortable that you know
what you're doing.
Before doing plumbing work you must perform these safety
steps:
Turn the electricity off if you have an electric water
heater or turn the gas control knob to PILOT if you have a
gas water heater.
Find the cold water line on top of the water heater and
turn the gate valve off. The cold line is the line on the
right as you are facing the water heater.
Open a hot water line in a sink in the house. This
relieves pressure on the lines.
Open the drain valve on the water heater. It's located at
the bottom of the water heater and looks like a hose bib.
Drain out a gallon of water from the water heater, so it's
not completely full at the plumbing connections on top.
Tell everyone in the house or building to use cold water
only.
Whenever removing electric elements on an electric water
heater, be sure that the electricity is turned off.
Whenever replacing the drain valve on a gas or electric
water heater, be sure to turn the gas control knob to PILOT
or to turn the electricity off.
Check the gas connections on your gas water heater by
spraying liquid glass cleaner on them. If you have a gas
leak. The glass cleaner will spit and foam slightly if you
have a gas leak.
Be careful your gas water heater does not backdraft back
into your house. When the gas fumes from a gas water
heater travel up and out the draft diverter on top of the
gas water heater, they go to the outside of your house
through a vent. The fumes can sometimes be pulled back
into a chimney flue, an open window, or an air conditioner.
If you smell fumes inside the house, call a plumber
immediately.
If you are insulating your pipes for your water heater, do
not cover dielectric unions, fittings, or copper flex
lines. Future leaks from the pipes will cause more damage
because of the insulation. Do not insulate the tin draft
diverter on top of a gas water heater. The insulation can
ignite.
If you have a recirculating loop for your water heater,
consider installing ball valves at the connection point to
the water heater. If you have a pump on the line, install a
ball valve before the pump as well.
Again, if you are not certain of your ability to work on a
water heater in any way, get a professional service
technician to help you.
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Check out http://www.waterheater-info.com or contact
johnnyhayneser@gmail.com for information on solar water
heaters (they're the ultimate in energy efficiency),
tankless water heaters (they save you money on your energy
bill), traditional tank-type water heaters (they're the
cheapest and easiest to install), water heater repair and
maintenance, brand information, warranty information and
which installer to hire.
How Much Do $200 Windows Really Cost
The average person driving down the street seeing sign
after sign littering the telephone poles promoting $200
windows could only conclude that a new window cost $200.
After seeing several signs of different colors and with
different phone numbers, all new windows must cost $200.
Let's explore what a $200 window really cost.
A $200 window is a base model that is used to attract price
shoppers in order to get a salesperson in their home.
Generally the salesperson is honest enough to inform you
that the window is a piece of garbage and that a good
window will cost at least $400+.
Let's assume that the sales person is not honest. When you
add on Argon gas and a single layer of Low E to meet the
energy codes the price jumps to a little over $300. When
the sales person finds that your install is not a "basic
install" your price will generally jump another $50-$75
which brings your total to a little under $400. So now we
can conclude that a $200 window cost a little under $400.
At this point my article should end, I answered the
question correct? Well not really, cheap windows are just
cheap windows and are made by companies that make cheap
windows. Cheap "vinyl" windows are made of vinyl that is
mixed with used plastic.
These windows will always began to fade and discolor, the
surface begins to chalk like cheap plastic lawn chairs and
the material falls apart. The glass is generally a single
strength glass which cracks very easily letting cold air in
and creating a hazard. The frames are never sturdy and they
will sag due to the weight of the glass this prevents the
frames from contacting the weather stripping properly.
The life span of a cheap window is around 3-5 years before
they fail. But wait, the sales guy said that they have a
lifetime warranty. A warranty is only as good as the
company that stands behind the warranty. There are over 600
names brands of windows in the US today, how many can you
name? Companies make a ton of money making cheap products
and changing their names every few years in order to avoid
warranty issues.
In case you have not put the pieces together yet, a $200
window is actually a $400 window and it will fail in a few
years. Once you replace the $400 windows you are at $800
per window.
The question now is how long do you want your windows to
last before you need to replace them again? Hopefully you
will only want to replace them once in your lifetime. So,
how about asking the "$200 window company" for some really
good windows?
Let's take a look at the integrity of a company that sells
crappy products. Their marketing is illegal in most areas,
they litter telephone poles, place flyers under your
windshield and call your home even if you are on the do not
call list.
They offer prices that are low in order to pull a "bait and
switch" once they get in your home. They generally have not
been in business in one area long enough to answer any
warranty complaints. Is this the type of company that you
want to buy your product from?
You might need to reread this again to understand how a
$200 window turned into an $800 window, it's hard to
stomach! If you are going to spend $800 on a window, please
only spend it once in your life!
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Shane Hester helps website owners increase profits through
exclusive web design and marketing at WebFirstCreations.
Newest client: FHI Replacement Windows Contractor, at
http://www.replacementwindowpros.com or contact him
directly at http://www.webfirstcreations.com .
Step By Step: Laying Floor Tiles
People generally opt for floor tiles because they look
great and provide a hardwearing, waterproof surface for
bathrooms, hallways or kitchens. Tiling needn't always be
done by a professional and in most cases a competent DIYer
should be able to tackle plain ceramic or quarry tiles.
Set aside a weekend for a small kitchen or bathroom, and
aim to budget for spending around two hundred pounds.
Check list:
Pencil & tape measure
Tile cutter
Notched trowel or spreader
Tile saw
Floor tiles
Adhesive or grout
Chalk line
Floor sealer
Spacers
Profile shaper
Spirit level
Piece of hose pipe
Goggles
Squeegee & Cloth Bucket & sponge
Choosing/buying Tiles You should look to buy around 10%
more that you expect to use. UKTV provide a Tiling
Calculator which is great for helping to work this out.
Also, to avoid any manufacturing discrepancies between
colour or grain you should ideally buy all your tiles in
one batch.
Preparation Ensure the surface which you are going to tile
is dry, smooth and above all level.
1: Plan tile positions It is very important that you
firstly set out the position of the tiles before commencing
with laying the tiles. After marking the middle points of
your longest wall you should chalk a line at right angles
to this mark. This should also be done for the adjacent
shorter wall resulting in two lines dissecting each other
in the middle of the room.
2: Positioning the tiles Begin laying the floor tiles along
the two lines in order to work out the best positions which
will allow you to calculate how to use as many tiles as
possible without the need for cutting them. It's also
preferable to avoid having too many cut tiles along the
wall that is seen when you first walk into the room. A good
tip is to try to make sure tiles are laid symmetrically
around any main features such as fireplaces.
3: Applying adhesive and laying the tiles Start by
spreading one square metre of the adhesive into one of the
corners formed by the chalk lines mentioned above. Gently
press down on the first tile, using the lines as a guide
and carry on tiling along one of the lines. Add more tiles
until you have covered the adhesive. Now work outwards from
the centre of the room, always using the chalk lines as a
guide. Apply more adhesive to the floor and continue
laying tiles until you have covered half the room with as
many whole tiles as possible. Next, start laying tiles on
the other half of the room, again working out from the
other side of the centre line. Then leave the adhesive to
dry according to instructions given.
Some good tips: - Use a notched trowel or spreader which
facilitates the even spread adhesive across the floor. -
Check your tile instructions to see if yours need spacing
joints. Even if they don't require them you can choose to
use plastic spacers to make the gaps between the tiles
even. - You should check to see if the tiles are level by
laying a spirit level diagonally across the tiles. If any
are uneven you can put more adhesive under the necessary
tile(s) to bring it level.
4: Filling in gaps You should fill in any remaining gaps
with cut tiles. Using a tile cutter, trim the tiles to the
required size but before you cut, make sure you allow for
the gap required for grout between the tiles.
5: Sealing (where necessary) Depending on whether your
tiles have already been protected with a sealer coat,
determined in the manufacturer's instructions, you may need
to seal the tiles yourself, particularly in the case of
porous tiles.
6: Grouting Using the squeegee, force the grout in between
the tiles, pushing the squeegee across the gaps in both
directions to make sure the grout is worked into all the
gaps. After that, use the straight edge of the spreader to
ensure a neat grout line. Before the grout dries, wipe off
all excess with a damp sponge and lastly polish the tiles
with a clean cloth.
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UKTV provides a wide selection of DIY tips at
http://uktv.co.uk/style/homepage/sid/3 , including DIY
troubleshooting and hot to guides for major buildings work,
painting, decorating, wallpapering, plumbing, electrical
work, tiling and flooring.
Painting - Preparing to Decorate
Here are the key steps to preparing a room for a new coat
of paint or paper. Whatever type of surface you're going to
tackle it must be clean, dry and smooth for the best
results - preparation is the secret of a good-looking
finish.
Time to complete job: Preparing a room for a new coat of
paint or paper will take at least half a day, including
filling and smoothing old plaster.
Approximate budget: The basic tools and materials should
cost less than £20 for most rooms.
You will need:
Sugar soap
Bucket and sponge
Rubber gloves
Interior plaster filler
Decorator's sealant
Filling knife
Sanding block or electric sander
Dust sheets
Step ladder
Dust mask
Tip: Always wear a dust mask and spread dust sheets over
the floor before tackling the job.
Step 1: Smoothing the surface Scrape off any flaking paint
with a flexible filling knife and smooth the surface with a
sanding block. For more tips on stripping back paint, see
Paint Stripping. If there is wallpaper on the walls this
will need removing. For tips on doing this, see Stripping
Wallpaper.
Step 2: Repairing damaged plaster Sometimes patches of old
plaster become loose or cracked. Pick out the loose areas
with your filling knife and repair the areas with plaster
filler. Work methodically over the whole room to make sure
you have treated all the damaged areas. When the filler is
dry, use an electric sander or sanding block to smooth any
rough areas of plaster and blend in the new repairs. Very
powdery plasterwork or new bare plaster should be coated
with a coat of plaster sealer. For larger patches of
plaster that need repairing, see Patching Damaged Plaster.
Tip: Cracks around the skirting boards and door frames will
spoil your new finish. Rake out any chipped paint and fill
the gaps with a flexible decorator's sealant.
Step 3: Cleaning Wash off any black mould with a solution
of household bleach and leave to dry. Heavy mould or
tobacco stains should be covered with a sealer coat of
Anti-Damp Paint. Tip: It's essential to treat the cause of
mould and damp patches before redecorating.
Step 4: Lining Decide if the exposed walls need covering
with lining paper. If the walls have large repair patches
or lots of tiny hairline cracks, covering with plain lining
paper will provide a smooth base for paint or wallpaper.
Hang the paper just like ordinary wallpaper and leave
overnight to dry. For more tips, see Wallpapering. Finally,
remove any dirt and grease with sugar soap or hot water and
washing-up liquid. Don't forget to wash the ceiling as well
if it's going to be decorated.
----------------------------------------------------
For step-by-step practical guides and video footage to help
with all your DIY needs visit UKTV's DIY Resources at
http://uktv.co.uk/index.cfm/uktv/Style.homepage/sid/31
Active Solar Water Heater Systems And How They're Better Than A Traditional Water Heater By Itself
Solar water heater systems are designed to be active, with
pumps or fans to promote the gathering of heat, or passive,
with no mechanical parts added to the system. Solar water
heaters have been around since just before the dawn of the
twentieth century. Standard natural gas water heaters took
their place in the early 1900's. Since the 1970's, new
technologies have solved the many problems that have
plagued the solar water heater industry. Problems like
excessive oxidation and just plain not having enough hot
water are not problems now.
The only major differences between the four different kinds
of active solar water heater systems is the way in which
the heat collector, which is located on top of your roof or
similar location, protects itself against freezing. These
systems are called: Recirculate, drain-down, drain-back,
and heat exchange.
The recirculate system
This system uses an electrical pump to move water through
the collector to prevent it from freezing. Moving water
will not freeze, but some heat is sacrificed to do this.
The drain-down system
This system simply takes the water out of the collector by
opening a valve when a thermostat indicates that the water
is near freezing. If the electricity goes out for this
system, then it will remove the water from the collector as
well.
The drain-back system
This system uses a heat exchanger to store drained water
from the collector when it nears freezing. The heat
exchanger coordinated with a storage tank, pushes the water
through to the water heater and then the rest of the house.
The drain-back system has an electrical pump that works
most of the time. If the pump is shut off for any reason,
the heat exchanger stores the water from the collector and
uses this water as the heating fluid. The heat exchanger
can lose up to 10% of its heating efficiency.
The heat exchange system
This system is the only system which does not drain out any
water from the collector when it nears freezing. The heat
exchanger uses an oily fluid that prevents freezing to
travel to the collector and keep the water warm. Some of
these systems use compressed air to heat the water instead
of an oily fluid.
All these active systems have sensors located on them to
keep the pumps and fans working. These systems need
maintenance on a regular basis. These systems should still
be able to be bypassed by a standard water heater if
necessary.
----------------------------------------------------
Check out http://www.waterheater-info.com or contact
johnnyhayneser@gmail.com for information on solar water
heaters (they're the ultimate in energy efficiency),
tankless water heaters (they save you money on your energy
bill), traditional tank-type water heaters (they're the
cheapest and easiest to install), water heater repair and
maintenance, brand information, warranty information and
which installer to hire.
