April 4, 2020
Dear Ken: I have a ceiling fan with four bulbs. When a light blew out, I tried to remove it, but the socket turned with it. The bulb is too small to grip inside the tulip globe, and I can't slide the globe off without unscrewing the bulb. Any ideas? Sam
Sometimes you can mash a piece of duct tape--glue side out--wrapped around your hand on to the bulb and turn it with this extra "grip". Otherwise, you'll have to break the bulb itself. First, put on goggles and gloves, then cover the end of the bulb with a cloth and tap it with the pair of pliers until it breaks. Once the filament is exposed, you can grip the inside of the bulb with needle nosed pliers and twist the base out of the socket. If the socket wants to rotate, let it. My experience is that the bulb will release before the socket is damaged.
To help with future removals, rub a little Vaseline or cooking oil the bulb threads first.
Dear Ken: My two year old dishwasher which isn't cleaning very well. Could the drain be stopped up or is it a water pressure problem? Karen
Make sure the spray arms are working properly. If there's an upper and lower rotating arm, check for movement by swiftly opening the door mid-cycle. If you have a tower arm that rises to the glassware level, check that it fully expands and that its path isn't blocked by other dishes.
If these tests check out, take the lower arm apart by unscrewing its center. You may need a Phillips screwdriver to remove the parts all the way down to the pump. Check for debris inside this well. Finally, while you have that spray arm loose. Clean out its exit holes with some fine wire.
Next, make sure the water temperature is high enough. It should be about 130 degrees, unless there are at-risk adults or little kids in your house. Also add a little extra detergent; since phosphates were removed from these products several years ago, it requires a little more to get the job done. I find that the pod versions of dishwasher soap work very well. They contain extra cleaning enzymes, a rinse aid and even a dishwasher cleaner built right in.
For some more advice go to the Procter and gamble website, cascadeclean.com and ask for some more tips from their consumer specialists.
Dear Ken: Have you heard of installing a second water heater in line with the present one? Is this cost effective or cost saving? Lance
Many new homes--especially those with whirlpool tubs--come with two water heaters. Usually these are installed in a side-by-side manner; each tank heats water all the way to the 120 degrees or so that you need in the system.
I prefer your in-line idea. Why? Our water here in the Rockies comes through the lines at a delightful 50 degrees or so year round. That's a seventy degree (or more) difference to heat. I like the idea of splitting this difference between the two tanks: one heats from 50 to about 90 degrees, and the second form there to the ultimate higher temperature. This "pre-heat" arrangement ensures that you'll never run out of hot water, no matter how many teens are showering! In an existing home, you can add a 30-gallon water heater in front of your present one. The only constraint could be the size of your flue pipe that goes up through the roof. Is the diameter large enough? The plumber will check this out for you.
Dear Ken: Could you tell me how to clean an acoustic ceiling. We want to paint the rest of the room, but that will make the ceiling look even worse. Marge
For isolated stains, spray a mixture of one third bleach to two-thirds warm water on the area. If the ceiling is polluted and grimy with age, it's best to spray some thin-downed white latex paint over the whole thing. Use an eggshell or satin version as these tend to repel clingy dust particles better.
Dear Ken: We have a 60’s house with brick and lap siding and no wall insulation. We have had problems with paint peeling on the lap siding. We would like to install insulation to today's standards, but are concerned that without a vapor barrier, we'll get condensation inside the walls. What do you think? Janet
Moisture tends to travel through the walls from the warm to the cold side, and that’s why we put insulation in with a paper vapor barrier on it.
You're obviously getting some condensation now—as indicated by the paint problems, but as long as you’re not seeing any mold formation on the inside walls it probably isn’t causing any significant problems.
Trying to add insulation to an existing wall cavity is problematic. The contractor usually drills access holes either inside or out, and after injecting the material, have to patch the holes so they don’t show; it’s generally not very successful. And if you think about it, the insulation is probably not going to travel throughout the wall cavity anyway because of the pipes, wires and would blocking inside.
It’s better to try to add a layer of insulation on the outside, but that requires purchasing new siding like vinyl. All in all, insulating an old wall like this is expensive and not terribly effective. It’s much better to concentrate on things you can control like new vinyl windows, 16 inches of attic insulation, and caulking around all the openings of the windows and doors. Also, a new high efficiency furnace will save you real dollars on your energy bill.
