August 23, 2010
Dear Readers: We've got some more rain in our future over the next several weeks, so I'd like to review some basics about your gutter and downspout system. The output of the downspout pipes must be run well away from your foundation-much farther than those "flip-up" extenders that came with the house will allow. They are fine until you install your landscaping, but should be discarded after that and replaced with solid--not perforated--3-inch black flex pipe. Why? Those flimsy extenders are too delicate for long-term use. They easily twist and break off the vertical downspout pipes, they get stepped on and crimped-and so can't handle maximum flows. Most importantly, they are often left in the "up" position to facilitate lawn-mowing. Then, when the afternoon rains inevitably come along, they dump water straight down the foundation walls!
That flex pipe, however, is permanent. It's usually buried under the rocks or other dryscape next to the house, and so is never in the way. One precaution, though: the ends of these pipes must be wide open. I see many installations in which the pipe is simply run out into the lawn area to eventually become plugged up with sod. Then what happens? You guessed it: the pipe quickly backs up and then the gutters overflow into a window well to cause all sorts of heartaches in the basement.
So, use that flex pipe wisely. Run the ends as far away from the house as you need to get a natural gravity outfall down the slope -or to the street. And mark the ends of the pipes with a landscape flag or fluorescent paint so you can check that they are always wide open and ready for that next storm.
Dear Ken: My front loading washer is always smelly. Am I doing something wrong? Annette
Like all washing machines, you should leave the door open after you complete a cycle. That way, leftover water evaporates before it can sour or facilitate the formation of mold. Front loaders seem to be particularly susceptible to this malady because of their architecture. There are products you can use to help sweeten up your washer. Afresh is one brand; you throw a tablet into the washer once a month or so, run a cycle, and then wipe down with their proprietary cloth.
Dear Ken: I have old metal gutters that are rusting badly on a one story house. Can I replace these myself ? Wes
You can, but I wouldn't. A professional company will extrude a seamless gutter system through their truck-mounted machine. That means that each gutter will be one, continuous piece with no mid-span seams that can leak. Another benefit to this one-piece arrangement is the slope. Gutters need to have a slight pitch so the water flows towards the downspout hole-or, in the case of a long house, a high spot in the middle so water flows towards each end. If you were to install, say, a vinyl system section by section, there's no way you could get this right. So there would be puddling in your gutters, and they wouldn't be able to handle high flow rates.
Choose 5-inch aluminum and let a pro do the work. It's not as expensive as you might think, and, if you select a harmonizing color, the house will be prettier with your new gutters attached.
Dear Ken: You mentioned cleaning the pilot of the water heater. Can I do this myself? Carol.
Yes you can. Turn the water heater knob to its OFF position, and wait an hour or so for everything to cool down. Use a small wire brush and emery file to scratch the thermocouple (the little probe that the flame impinges upon) plus the end of the flame tube itself. You'll remove small amounts of scale that accumulate there from chemicals in the natural gas. Afterwards, the pilot may be less susceptible to extinguishing itself.
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