tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25363947641051650672024-02-20T01:46:41.555-05:00Maintaining A HouseJasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00489496856755184870noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536394764105165067.post-37759261149348280232011-07-16T20:54:00.002-04:002011-07-16T20:58:01.299-04:00Replacing a Fluorescent Light Ballast<p>
We have a 2-bulb 4 foot fluorescent light in our laundry room. I don't like it. It buzzes. It flickers when it turns on. One day, it didn't just flicker for a second or two -- it flickered for about 10 seconds before coming on. The next time I turned it on, one bulb only came on partially (it was very dim) and it seemed that the buzzing was louder than usual. Turning it off and on didn't help. Pfft. Time to replace the bulbs? Or worse?
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I soon learned that there were two possibilities; either (1) the bulbs needed replacing, or (2) the ballast needed replacing. There was also the possibility of a faulty starter, but it sounded like starters are only found on older fixtures (mine is 20 years old and looks reasonably modern).
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So, first, I removed the cover, took out the bulbs and went to Home Depot to get replacements. My bulbs were 34W 4 foot T12 "energy saver"s. As I understand it, wattage is usually 10 times the length in feet; so normally one would use a 40W bulb with a 4 foot fixture. But, I wanted to get an exact match since I didn't know better at the time. Note that the "T" number is an important one---it tells you the diameter of the end of the bulb. The number is in terms of 1/8ths of an inch. So "T12" means 1.5 inches and "T8" means 1 inch.
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I had someone help me find 34W 4 foot T12 bulbs at Home Depot and turned in my old bulbs for recycling (my Home Depot accepts fluorescent bulbs for recycling). I took them home, installed them in the fixture, flipped the switch... and groaned when neither bulb came on completely. Both bulbs turned on very dimly. Even worse than before! Did I get the right bulb? Maybe I should have gotten 40W's? No, I was pretty sure I got the right bulb. And, I had earlier noticed that the old bulbs showed signs of age---they were both very dark at one end. It was time to try replacing the ballast.
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I opened up the fixture and found that the ballast did look old. It was large and heavy. But, the wiring looked clean. Two red wires went to one socket. Two blue wires went to another socket (at the same end). Two yellow wires went to a socket at the other end and short white wires connected the remaining socket to the yellow-wire socket. I was a bit puzzled about how to remove the wires. I couldn't yank them out of the sockets. I opened up a socket and learned that they have one-way securements---you can't take them out from the same side that you put them in. I cut all the wires and to get the end piece out, I had to pull through the back of the sockets which required me damaging the sockets. So, I made a note to buy new sockets in addition to a ballast on my next trip to Home Depot.
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After I dismantled everything, I took the ballast and one socket to Home Depot. Someone helped me find the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/97499-GE240RS120-DIY-ProLine-Electronic-Program/dp/B001DT6KU6/">right ballast</a>. I'm glad I had someone help me because I didn't notice that my first instinct was to buy a T8 ballast, whereas I needed a T12 ballast. I didn't realize the bulb diameter would matter, but it apparently does. It's also important to make sure you get a ballast for the right size fixture (4 foot in my case) and correct number of bulbs (2 in my case). It's also worth checking that the bulbs you use (34W T12, in my case) are listed on the ballast---they were. After finding the correct ballast, I got two packages of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/G-Ballast-80628-Fluorescent-Lampholder/dp/B000HMBPXM">fluorescent sockets</a> to replace mine---they matched the one I had brought exactly. Btw, I was happy to discover that the new ballast was the same size as the old ballast but a lot lighter. It also had similar notches which are used to secure the ballast to the fixture.
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Installing the new ballast and sockets was relatively easy. I first hooked up two sockets with the left over white wires. These were not provided by the new ballast. I then secured the four new sockets, being sure to press them in as far as they would go. I then hooked up the bulb wires, yellow, red and blue. Finally, I made sure the light switch was OFF and used the left over wire nuts to connect the power wires. Then, the moment of truth came... I turned the switch, and... light! One bulb came on quickly; the other was a bit slow, had a dim part in the middle and had a slight oscillating flicker. But, it gradually went away. And, after putting the covers back on and turning on the light on again, I don't notice any difference between the bulbs---they look good as new. Also, one thing I didn't notice was a buzzing noise. No buzzing! Why didn't I do this two years ago when we bought the house! Ah, well, better late than never.
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Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00489496856755184870noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536394764105165067.post-65921531091666671172011-06-14T20:50:00.001-04:002011-07-16T20:58:30.321-04:00Light SocketsI've been learning a lot about recessed lights lately. We've had some replaced and we're having a few more replaced shortly. I wanted to tell my electrician that I wanted something with a standard size light socket, but I didn't know the technical name for that. Today, I happened upon the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edison_screw">Edison screw Wikipedia page</a>. Apparently, there are only a few standard U.S. socket sizes: E12 (candelabra), E17 (intermediate), E26 (standard), and E39 (mogul). The E26 is far-and-away the most common size. E12 and E17 are used in specialty fixtures and E39 is used for street lamps and other high-output lamps that you're unlikely to find around a home. My electrician said that the RL trim will fit a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parabolic_aluminized_reflector_light">PAR30</a>, which is a flood-light size---the E26 is such a common socket that he didn't even think I'd be asking about it.
Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00489496856755184870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536394764105165067.post-60442120597116447172011-06-03T21:27:00.000-04:002011-06-03T21:27:15.501-04:00Interor Walls: Drywall versus Blueboard<p>Until recently, I didn't think there was much difference between different types of interior home walls except for the <i>really</i> old styles like lathe-and-plaster. We recently had some plaster work done by a very nice guy by the name of <a href="http://golioplastering.com/">Michael Gogliormella</a>. He explained to us the difference between drywall and blueboard:<br />
<ul><li><b>Drywall</b> is meant to be (primed and) painted. After it is attached to studs, joint compound is used to smooth-out the gaps. </li>
<li><b>Blueboard</b> is not a final surface---a layer of plaster must be applied (and allowed to try) before it can be (primed and) painted. It is good for bathrooms because the plaster creates a waterproof seal between the interior space and the blueboard.</li>
</ul>Here is <a href="http://www.doityourself.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-13952.html">a discussion which provides more comparison between drywall and blueboard</a>. One thing worth noting is that it is possible for an amateur to install drywall that is on-par with professionals given some practice and plenty of time. The same cannot be said for blueboard/plaster since plaster has a short working time and is not easy to apply and smooth. Also, blueboard has a special outer-layer for adhering to plaster. Once plaster is applied to blueboard, it cannot be removed without damaging the blueboard.<br />
</p><p>It's a bit annoying that there are two different names for wall construction styles. In the past, I've mainly heard the term "drywall" used for any sort of modern interior wall. But, Michael balks at that term and says he would never use it for blueboard/plaster. Is there a better term for interior walls besides "drywall"?<br />
</p><p>P.S. I've wondered what is the right term for people who install and seal driveways. <a href="http://www.checkbook.org/">Checkbook</a> uses the term "pavers". I've also seen signs for "sealcoating".<br />
</p>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00489496856755184870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536394764105165067.post-12197576691198031312011-05-06T17:08:00.003-04:002011-05-06T17:08:54.090-04:00Water Hardness<p>I've seen a bit more mineral deposit build-up at our house in Natick than I did at our condo in Belmont, so I've been wondering what the hardness level of Natick water is. I think I just got the answer. I just received our town's annual water report and one of the items they sample is CaCO3 which is considered a measure of hardness. Wikipedia says that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_water">Hardness</a> is usually measured as a combination of Calcium and Magnesium, but I'm guessing the number my town reports is a pretty good judge. They report 94.3 ppm CaCO3. According to Wikipedia, it sounds like this is the same as milligrams per Liter. Wikipedia provides a scale of hardness levels:<br />
<table border=1><tr><td>Soft</td><td align="right">0–60 mg/L</td></tr>
<tr><td>Moderately Hard</td><td align="right">61–120 mg/L</td></tr>
<tr><td>Hard</td><td align="right">121–180 mg/L</td></tr>
<tr><td>Very Hard</td><td align="right">181+ mg/L</td></tr>
</table>So, we have moderately hard water here in Natick. No wonder I see more mineral buildup---I believe we had soft water in Belmont. I'm guessing this is due to the fact that Natick water comes from local wells whereas Belmont water comes via the <a href="http://www.mwra.state.ma.us">MWRA</a> which gets its supplies from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quabbin_Reservoir">Quabbin</a> and other western Mass. reservoirs<br />
</p>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00489496856755184870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536394764105165067.post-12990152891107996322011-04-10T13:24:00.000-04:002011-04-10T13:24:17.462-04:00How to Dispose of a Mercury Thermometer<p>I just replaced a mercury-based thermostat in my house. Mercury is common in older, non-digital thermostats. Mine is Honeywell and is made in the shape of a circle. The mercury is in a small glass tube with three wires attached. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_(element)#Toxicity_and_safety">Mercury can be quite dangerous</a> and needs to be handled carefully. Fortunately, <a href="http://natickma.gov/Public_Documents/NatickMA_Health/mercury">my local Natick Health Department accepts mercury thermostats for proper disposal and even offers a free digital thermostat in exchange</a>. From what I've read, most local governments will accept mercury-based thermostats for disposal like Natick.<br />
</p>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00489496856755184870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536394764105165067.post-21073351000617785232011-04-04T17:22:00.000-04:002011-04-04T17:22:28.940-04:00Grubs<p>It seems that April is the start of the lawn care season in New England. I purchased my first two installments of fertilizer over the weekend and also purchased two 40 lb. bags of lime since soil here tends to be more acidic than grass likes. I think I'll also need to spread a grub control product. From what I've heard, <a href="http://www.ladybug.uconn.edu/WhiteGrubs.htm">grubs are a common problem here in New England</a> and I've seen at least one spot of lawn damage that I can't otherwise explain. That UConn article says that June is about the best time to apply a chemical treatment and recommends watering before (to bring grubs to the surface) and after (to draw the chemical down to the grubs) application to maximize effectiveness.<br />
</p>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00489496856755184870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536394764105165067.post-54908967171730842892011-03-11T10:29:00.001-05:002011-03-11T10:29:57.964-05:00No More Yellow Pages!<p>A colleague at work just told me about <a href="http://www.yellowpagesoptout.com/">Yellow Pages Opt-Out</a> which allows you to (de-)select the local Yellow Pages books you receive. I'm always annoyed when they drop they off since it just means I have to get rid of them. Recycling works, but I'd much rather they simply not give me one. With the Opt-Out site, I can tell the publishers that I don't want <i>any</i> YellowPages. It determines the local Yellow Pages you might receive based on your addresses and allows you to select 0-3 copies of each. There are some minor usability issues with the site, but it seems to work and I was able to select <i>zero</i> copies of each without much trouble. If Yellow Pages annoy you too, I'd advice you to hit this Opt-Out site.<br />
</p>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00489496856755184870noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536394764105165067.post-34953351172183785622011-02-08T06:00:00.001-05:002011-03-25T09:10:32.236-04:00How To Operate Your Home Articles<p>Tom Feiza aka Mr. FixIt has posted a number of excellent <a href="http://htoyh.com/htoyh/?page_id=6">articles on house maintenance</a>. It sounds like these are largely excerpted from his book, <a href="http://htoyh.com/htoyh/">How To Operate Your Home</a>.<br />
</p><p><b>Update (3/25/11)</b>: I bought Mr. Feiza's book and gave it a read. It includes lots of good tips and diagrams. It's definitely worth the money. One thing I learned: I might be able to reduce the water hammer noise from my fancy front-load washing machine by installing a water hammer arrester, which is a tube attached to the water line half-filled with air to cushion the sudden changes caused by my washing machine.<br />
</p>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00489496856755184870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536394764105165067.post-29761177493297551732011-02-07T16:34:00.001-05:002011-02-07T16:46:12.218-05:00Damn Ice Dams<p>The first winter in our house wasn't bad---temperatures and snowfall lingered around normal and snow often melted within a week or two of when it fell. My major concern was reducing our heating bill. Since then, we've replaced a leaky window, removed a leaky in-wall, window-style A/C, and added insulation to about 1/2 of the house walls. These improvements have helped reduce our oil usage by about 25%. But, I wasn't prepared for this year's surprise: ice dams.<br />
</p><p>This winter hasn't been so kind. We received about 6 feet of snow in little more than a month. And, for a span of 20 days and 4 1/2 feet of snow, the temperatures have stayed low enough that almost nothing has melted. The piles are high enough that's its getting difficult to clear my driveway.<br />
</p><p>Last Monday, my wife called me to say that there was water leaking into the house around a window. Ack! I knew we had significant ice build-up around the gutters, but I didn't think it was that bad. I scheduled an appointment for Thursday (since it was supposed to snow Tues & Wed) to have our roof cleaned and decided that I needed to do some roof cleaning myself. So, I dragged my shovel up on the roof with the help of my wife and I started shoveling. Four hours later, I had the roof mostly clean. I was afraid of damaging shingles and/or gutters by trying to break/remove ice, so there were still patches of ice on the roof and plenty of ice in the gutters, but I figured getting rid of the snow was at least a huge improvement. On Thursday, <a href="http://www.willardco.com/">Willard</a> cleared the snow that had fallen Tues/Wed and also cleared off much of the ice. After the <a href="http://www.wunderground.com/weatherstation/WXDailyHistory.asp?ID=KMANATIC3&month=2&day=6&year=2011">recent warming and rains we've had</a>, my roof is almost completely clear of snow and ice.<br />
</p><p>I knew that our low-pitch roof, cathedral ceilings and recessed lights contributed to ice dams. I now realize that skylights, vents and chimneys also contribute---anything that allows heat to come in contact with snow on the roof contributes to ice dams. <a href="http://htoyh.com/content/the_ice_dam_cometh.pdf">This is the best article I've seen about ice dams</a>. It provides a good explanation of how they form, why they lead to water in the house and how to prevent them.<br />
</p>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00489496856755184870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536394764105165067.post-84023356289189358472011-01-23T14:37:00.001-05:002011-03-23T11:49:34.423-04:00Snowblower Repair<p>A year ago, a clutch cable partially broke on my Craftsman snowblower. My most excellent neighbor helped me rig a fix that worked for a year. But, last Tuesday, it slipped out again and a push nut fell off, making a spacer handle come loose. I was able to put the handle back together and applied the same fix to the clutch cable. But, I think it's only a matter of time before things break badly enough that I'm not able to hack them back together.<br />
</p><p>My neighbor told me about a power equipment and supply store across town in West Natick. But, I wasn't able to find it the one time I tried to find it, and, with two kids, it's hard to find the time to go searching again. Lucky for me, today I discovered <a href="http://www.searspartsdirect.com/">Sears Parts Direct</a>. All I had to do was enter the part numbers from my snow blower manual, pay for the parts and $8 shipping. And, voila, they're on their way to my front door! I know what you're thinking---that sort of thing was exciting 5-10 years ago, but today? C'mon, Amazon has just about everything. Sure, but have you tried buying a snowblower part online? Search for the part number and manufacturer name and you're likely to find... nothing. There just ain't sufficient volume in snowblower parts for Amazon to start selling them and many manufacturers just don't have the incentive to create a web site that makes part buying easy. So, I'm pleasantly surprised that Craftsman/Sears makes it so easy.<br />
</p>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00489496856755184870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536394764105165067.post-32939225345714512042010-11-14T14:57:00.000-05:002010-11-14T14:57:22.955-05:00Does my house have lead paint?<p>Lead paint was not banned in the United States until 1978 so homeowners and contractors making modifications to homes build before 1978 are often required by law to take extra precautions. When we owned a circa 1900 condo, <a href="http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/research/project/enviro/hazard/lead/lead-advertising/default.htm">we (rightfully) assumed that lead paint was a problem</a>. While other countries banned the use of lead in paint in the early 1900s, it wasn't until decades later that the United States paint industry cut back on lead use in paint, and 1978 before it was completely banned. Now that we own a house originally built in 1959, we have a more laid-back attitude toward lead paint. And, it sounds like such a stance is not unreasonable since <a href="http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/research/project/enviro/hazard/lead/lead-advertising/blaming.htm">the use of lead in paint was greatly reduced in the 1940s and 1950s</a>. It sounds like pressure to reduce lead in interior paint was especially strong during that time. However, as late as 1971, a study done by New York City found that 10% of paints tested contained significant amounts of lead.<br />
</p>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00489496856755184870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536394764105165067.post-34650206046386134192010-11-13T22:40:00.000-05:002010-11-13T22:40:32.507-05:00Why is my Water Yellow?!?!<p>That was my question when I poured a bath for my daughter. The obviously yellow-tinted bath water made me realize that the water I boiled for pasta also had a yellow-ish tint. Ack! We ate pasta boiled in yellow water? I checked the <a href="http://www.natickma.gov/">Natick web site</a> to see if there had been any hydrant flushing or other water-disturbing activities lately. No luck. It was Saturday night so the town offices were closed, so I gave the police a call to see if they had heard anything. They took my information so that an on-call water guy might call me back, but he hasn't yet.<br />
</p><p>I guess I was on my own. What next? Well, what else but <a href="http://www.google.com/">Google</a>? Google led me to <a href="http://www.iboughtaduplex.com/general-day-to-day-landlord/why-is-the-tap-water-yellow.php">I bought a duplex</a>, the author of which had seen this problem before. He referred to water authority sites which noted that the color is most likely from small amounts of rust being disturbed. Also, they say it is completely harmless. I bet it's harmless because (1) the concentration is very low, and (2) iron is something our bodies need anyway. Might even be a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_supplements">good thing for pregnant women since they need higher iron amounts than most people</a> (but don't quote me on that!) The Massachusetts Regional Water Authority has a <a href="http://www.mwra.state.ma.us/04water/html/qual4concerns.htm">FAQ on water quality including a paragraph about yellowish water</a>:<br />
</p><blockquote>MWRA water, which comes from the Quabbin and Wachusett Reservoirs, sometimes turns yellowish from low levels of dissolved iron picked up from old iron pipes in both our system and your community's water system. This mainly occurs in winter, when water usage is low, because the water sits in the pipes for a longer period of time. The water may not be aesthetically pleasing, but according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), increased levels of iron that produce yellow water are not public health threats. Hardware stores have inexpensive products to remove rust stains from clothing and household surfaces. MWRA and customer communities replace or rehabilitate old pipes a few miles at a time, an expensive and time-consuming process. Long term solutions take time, but we are constantly cleaning and replacing as much pipe as we can.<br />
</blockquote><p>So, it's official---yellow water is a minor issue and can be ignored except for stains it might leave on fixtures and clothes.<br />
</p>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00489496856755184870noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536394764105165067.post-16580130952466145542010-11-11T15:19:00.004-05:002011-02-28T08:49:08.330-05:00Spiders, Earwigs and Centipedes, Oh My!<p>When we moved into our new house just over a year ago, we noticed some bugs. The house came with .6 acres of land and lots of trees and vegetation, so we figured the few bugs might have been a trade-off of moving to the suburbs. Our previous place was a 2nd floor condo in a 4-unit building with asphalt covering all land surfaces. The bugs varied from spiders, to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earwig">earwigs</a>, to centipedes. The earwig freaked me out---not an easy to do. But, some searching revealed that they were harmless. Harmless or not, neither of us wanted to share our house with bugs, so I began searching for solutions. At first, it got worse, from a bug every few days, to multiple bugs each day. At some point, we had a bit of an ant invasion even though we keep our house clean. Ack! What had we gotten ourselves into!<br />
</p><p>We tried bug sprays, ant traps and ultrasonics. All of them helped, but didn't really solve the problem. The summer after we bought the house, I invested in a <a href="http://www.rlflomaster.com/sprayers/1201.htm">basic pump sprayer</a> for an outdoor caterpillar repellent. Later when I was searching for bug sprays, I noticed <a href="http://www.scotts.com/smg/catalog/productTemplate.jsp?proId=prod220002&itemId=cat50088">Ortho Home Defense Concentrate</a> which works with my pump sprayer. I used two gallons of dilute to spray my foundation, the perimeter of my deck and, especially, the area between my foundation and house frame (under the shingles) where I figured the bugs were entering. Not long after the concentrate spraying, I did a half-application of <a href="http://www.scotts.com/smg/catalog/productTemplate.jsp?proId=prod100066&itemId=cat50046&icid=hp1_mm_p_slf">Scotts summer fertilizer with insect control</a>. <br />
</p><p>I'm not sure which of the two things did the trick, the concentrate spray or the fertilizer, but not long after those, we saw a decrease in bugs that has continued to this day. This time last year, we were squashing bugs every day. Now, they are few and far between. Another factor may have been the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulose_insulation">cellulose</a> we had blown into walls which would have made it a little more challenging for the critters to get inside, but the drop-off seemed strongly correlated-in-time with the concentrate and fertilizer, so I'll be using those in the future.<br />
</p>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00489496856755184870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536394764105165067.post-57094507424195239542010-10-14T11:19:00.007-04:002010-10-21T21:25:28.956-04:00Comparing Natural Gas versus Propane<p>A year ago, I moved from a condo with a natural gas supply to a home with no natural gas supply. We installed a propane tank for our kitchen range and recently hooked-up a tank water heater to the propane supply. Now, I'm curious to see how natural gas and propane compare on a cost per energy output basis.<br />
</p><p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_gas">Natural gas</a> is often quoted in therms, which is an energy output value corresponding to 100,000 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_thermal_unit">British Thermal Units</a>. A cubic foot of natural gas yields approximately 1,028 BTUs meaning that one therm corresponds to 97.3 cubic feet of natural gas. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propane">Propane</a> is stored as a compressed liquid and is typically measured in gallons. Each gallon of propane yields 91,690 BTUs. So, 1.09 gallons of propane provide equivalent energy output to 1 term of natural gas. Then, prices of propane and natural gas are at parity if 1 therm of natural gas costs 9% more than one gallon of propane.<br />
</p><p>FWIW: My propane delivery company is <a href="http://www.energyusapropane.com/">EnergyUSA Propane</a>.<br />
</p><p><b>Update (10/15/10):</b> For reference, a gallon of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_fuel">Diesel</a> provides 128,700 BTUs, appx. 31.7% more than propane per volume. Note that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_oil">#2 fuel oil</a> (the oil typically used for home heating in the U.S.) is equivalent to Diesel (except for a colorant).<br />
</p><p><b>Update (10/21/10):</b> After checking my utility bills, it looks like we paid appx. $1 per therm for natural gas while living in the condo. At the house, we pay appx. $3 per gallon for propane. So, natural gas is <i>easily</i> the cheaper option, costing appx. 30% of the propane price to provide an equivalent amount of BTUs (!) Too bad natural gas isn't an option for us...<br />
</p>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00489496856755184870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536394764105165067.post-38626454761089087982010-10-13T14:40:00.006-04:002011-02-23T08:54:23.534-05:00The Aquastat, or Controlling Your Forced Hot Water Heating System<p>Winter is approaching here in Boston and we've already <a href="http://weather-station-quirks.blogspot.com/2010/10/down-32-degrees-in-43-hours.html">had a few days where we've had to turn on the heat</a>. We have an forced hot water heating system. It's a bit more complicated than the steam heating system I had before. A steam system only has two states, "on" and "off" (controlled by the thermostat). A forced hot water system is a bit more complicated, with "HI", "LO" and "DIFF" temperature settings in addition to the thermostat control.<br />
</p><p>The main control for the forced hot water system is called an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquastat">Aquastat</a>. It controls "HI", "LO" and "DIFF" settings. Inspectapedia's <a href="http://www.inspectapedia.com/heat/Aquastats.htm">Guide to Heating System Boiler Aquastats, their Settings & Wiring</a> provides an excellent explanation of these settings and how they interact with the thermostat and boiler. Also see <a href="http://www.inspectapedia.com/heat/Aquastat_Settings.htm">What are the Best High, Low, & DIFF Settings on a Heating Boiler Aquastat?</a> which provides additional details.<br />
</p><p>Forced hot water heating systems often use a tankless system to supply domestic hot water. This is what I had until recently. After watching the system's behavior for about a year, I determined that it was grossly inefficient. A home energy evaluation by <a href="http://www.csgrp.com/">Conservation Services Group</a> confirmed my suspicion (the tankless is only ~33% efficient). I recently had a propane-fired, standalone, tank water heater installed (which is 62% efficient). </p><p>Technically, I no longer need to keep the boiler water warm and should be able to set the "LO" aquastat value as small as possible. But, some corrosion has built-up around the tankless plate and my heating technician says this will only get worse if I let the boiler water cool off completely. Inspectapedia notes that some cast iron boilers require an active low setting during summer to prevent leakage.<br />
</p><p>So, I'd like to use an aquastat setting of about 180/100/10 (HI/LO/DIFF), but something went wrong around the time of the propane tank installation and now my boiler does not respond to the "HI" setting. So, I'm currently stuck having to set my LO setting fairly high to ensure the water is warm enough to heat the house. Fortunately, it looks like these aquastats are simple enough that I will be able to fix the problem. Currently, I'm checking with my plumber to see if he might have changed anything during the propane tank install.<br />
</p><p>FWIW, it looks like my aquastat is very similar to <a href="http://customer.honeywell.com/honeywell/ProductInfo.aspx/L4081A1023">Honeywell model L4081A1023</a>. Note that the <a href="http://customer.honeywell.com/honeywell/ProductInfo.aspx/L4081B1047">L4081B1047</a> is nearly identical except that it also controls the circulator(s). Inspectapedia notes that some models will shut off the circulators when the boiler water temperature is in the "LO" range.<br />
</p><p>Here are links to manual for the aquastat I have:<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://customer.honeywell.com/techlit/pdf/PackedLit/60-2105.pdf">Aquastat Manual from honeywell.com</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.absolutaire.com/docs/component_docs/indexed/167.pdf">Aquastat Manual from absolutaire.com</a></li>
</ul></p><p><b>Update (10/13/10):</b> Turns out I have an <a href="http://customer.honeywell.com/techlit/pdf/PackedLit/95-6571.pdf">8124A Honeywell Aquastat</a> (model number was on back of cover!). <br />
</p><p><b>Update (2/23/11):</b> Forgot to note that my aquastat was busted. My heating company replaced it free-of-charge since I'm on an oil delivery plan.<br />
</p>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00489496856755184870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536394764105165067.post-80563614573265904582010-09-15T09:33:00.000-04:002010-09-15T09:33:31.401-04:00Federal Glass to the Rescue<p>Our house has a one-person shower enclosure in the master bath with a swing-open door. Lately, every time we exit from the shower, we find a small puddle of water just outside the door. There is a metal drain shelf near the bottom of the door and a sweep attached to the bottom of the shelf. This shelf/sweep construction is supposed to minimize the amount of water that gets out. But, it apparently hasn't been doing its job. Recently, I stopped by <a href="http://www.homedepot.com/">Home Depot</a> to see if they stock a replacement for my shelf/sweep construction. They said "no" and instead referred me to a local store by the name of <a href="http://www.fedglass.com/">Federal Glass</a>. The Home Depot employee recommended that I bring the shelf/sweep construction with me so they could determine an exact replacement.<br />
</p><p>The next day, I took apart the shelf/sweep construction. Boy, was it disgusting! From above, it looked clean, but underneath was years of mold and mildew buildup. And, the rubber sweep was all-but-disintegrated and clearly required replacing.<br />
</p><p>Unfortunately, Federal Glass was closed when I first tried to stop by on a Saturday afternoon. But, when my wife stopped by on Monday, she came home with a new rubber sweep ($5) and instructions to simply clean and reinstall the shelf (free). I spent 15 minutes returning the metal shelf back to its original grandeur, installed the new rubber sweep and secured the shelf back to the door, making sure to secure one end higher than the other to encourage water to fall back into the shower.<br />
</p><p>The next day when I stepped out of the shower, I carefully looked for water around the door and only found a few drops (compared to the pool we experienced before). Amazing what $5 and a quality local store can do for you!<br />
</p>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00489496856755184870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536394764105165067.post-46124283566609333622010-07-30T11:40:00.000-04:002010-07-30T11:40:25.971-04:00Appliance Repair<p>A colleague recommended the <a href="http://fixitnow.com/">The Samurai Appliance Repair Man</a> as a great source of appliance repair tips.<br />
</p>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00489496856755184870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536394764105165067.post-25245074641156843402010-07-14T18:10:00.000-04:002010-07-14T18:10:32.852-04:00Foundation Repairs<p>I was happy to get a concrete foundation in the house we bought a year ago, but since it's really 3 separate foundations, we're anything but immune to cracks. We had one filled with concrete. But, I'm suspicious as to whether that was the correct decision. A more flexible material like butyl rubber would probably have been better. I just learned of another option: <a href="http://www.crackx.com/">Crack-X</a>. Crack-X is a company that specializes in concrete foundation cracks. They use an epoxy injection which effectively welds the two parts together. Will have to keep them in mind in case we have another crack to deal with...<br />
</p>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00489496856755184870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536394764105165067.post-31904587525080739062010-07-01T08:57:00.001-04:002010-07-01T08:57:47.972-04:00Air Conditioning Maintenance<p>I've been learning a bit about how to maintain my central <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_conditioner">air conditioner</a> (A/C) lately. In particular, my neighbor noticed that my outdoor compressor fan wasn't blowing as strongly as it should have. Last night, unscrewed the top and found a pile of leaves, dirt, etc. at the bottom, mainly concentrated in the area where he noted the weakness. I had brought my wet/dry vac with me so I turned it on and sucked-out as much of the crap as I could. I'll soon be back for a second round to give it a more complete cleaning. One thing I found difficult was the fact that the fan was attached to the top metal piece that I removed to gain access to the inside. Also, much of the unit was held together by this top cover. So, I had to use one hand to hold up the cover while I used my second hand to stick the vacuum tube down. Definitely would have been nice to have a second person to help.<br />
</p>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00489496856755184870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536394764105165067.post-82619606864144533332010-06-20T20:26:00.002-04:002010-09-15T09:34:59.421-04:00Gutter Cleaning<p>We own a raised ranch which has it's pros and cons. One pro is that roof access is a cinch. Recently I realized that my gutters needed some serious cleaning. I first used a ladder to climb up to the gutter and used my hands to toss out clumps of gunk. But, I couldn't reach my front gutter with my 16 ft. extension ladder so I called my neighbor to ask if I could borrow his 24 ft. extension ladder. My neighbor is super-helpful, so instead of offering his ladder, he brought over his <a href="http://www.toro.com/home/yardtools/blowervacs/51599.html">Toro Super Blower</a> (which is also a <a href="http://www.consumerreports.org/">CR</a> best buy; Note: link is to "Ultra") and told me to try it out. He helped me get up on the roof and I tried it out. Sure enough, it did a fabulous job of blowing out leaves, sticks and gunk from the gutter. Some of the piles of gunk were so thick and heavy, I didn't think a blower could clear them out, but this one had little trouble. <br />
</p><p>As if to test out my work, less than an hour later, <a href="http://www.wunderground.com/weatherstation/WXDailyHistory.asp?ID=KMANATIC3&month=6&day=20&year=2010">a thunderstorm rolled through around 5pm</a> and dropped 0.36 inches of rain in about 5 minutes. One gutter showed minimal spill-over and the other was much improved. I think I still have a bit of cleaning work to do, but it's a great feeling to know I can clean-out my gutter so easily.<br />
</p>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00489496856755184870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536394764105165067.post-79294829324908465032010-06-15T21:17:00.003-04:002010-10-27T08:34:05.203-04:00Catching a MouseThe first time we had mice, it was a huge surprise. We had lived happily in our condo for 7 years without any trouble. Worst pest problem we had before was ants which cleared quickly after we laid a number of basic ant stations and kept the kitchen clean. But, when I asked around, everyone was surprised that this was our first mouse experience! Apparently, we're more becoming more normal with respect to mice---we bought a new house less than a year ago and already have our first mouse problem. But, the good news is (1) we killed the (hopefully only) mouse and (2) I'm 99% sure I closed off the entry-point.<br />
<br />
Killing the mouse was more difficult than I thought. With our previous problem, I just bought a few of the basic, traditional traps, laid them where we saw the mice and---<i>bang</i>, <i>bang</i>---no more mice. What I've since learned is that the basic Victor mouse trap comes in two different styles. And, there's an even better trap available if you're willing to pay a few bucks more. Here's a picture of the three different types:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" style="argin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-0V5CKu7q9-6-oWsFK7xXvUoLEYQEBOBGCdCFt2pgaJY5q2Vi1Vb0VE2IjFcIkAi8lBe7o9QrfC5_t589qtJriTFkUZWqslvgJHMbFY9zSv9MJ4_pBGPyLNwbbANzlTX9bm-CrwTMQ8/s400/mouse-traps.jpg" /></div><br />
On the left is the one I bought recently. It's difficult to set and doesn't work very well because when it's set, the metal bar is applying pressure to a metal hook. A good bit of pressure is required to set it off. Our mouse licked the peanut butter off three of these without setting off a single one. The middle trap is similar in style, but uses a plastic hook. The rod slides off more easily and it's easier to hook on something solid like a piece of beef jerky (as shown) which the mouse would have to tug on to get off. But, my favorite is the one on the right (the Ortho Press 'N Set Mouse Trap) which is the one that got our mouse. You put the peanut butter in the center white cup and pull the lever back. The mouse can't get to the peanut butter without stepping on the red trip which sets off the trap. The mouse was dead 30 minutes after I laid the trap. Winner!Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00489496856755184870noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536394764105165067.post-66265052984501343752010-06-13T15:16:00.000-04:002010-06-13T15:20:07.068-04:00Caulks and SealantsIt looks like there are four types of caulk:<br />
<ul><li> Acrylic Latex - for smaller cracks in dry areas - flexible, easy cleanup</li>
<li> Vinyl Latex - good adhesion, waterproof, also flexible and easy to cleanup</li>
<li> Silicone - excellent adhesion, long life, waterproof, not paintable, requires rubbing alcohol for cleanup</li>
<li> Butyl Rubber - heavy-duty, for outdoor applications, can fill large gaps with a backer rod (foam support rod)</li>
</ul>Here are <a href="http://homerepair.about.com/od/interiorhomerepair/ss/sbs_caulking.htm">instructions on how to apply caulk correctly</a>.Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00489496856755184870noreply@blogger.com0