January 16, 2012
Dear Ken: I have those old fake marble window sills in my 1970s house, and would like to find replacements. Can you help? Gary
I'm not sure why you would want to. These manmade marble sills were popular in the days when energy was not as big a deal as it is today. They conduct cold into the room, and so are not a good choice in our energy conscious world. I would strongly urge you to replace them with painted wood window sills. I think they are actually prettier anyway, and there is no doubt they will save you some energy-- and make the rooms more comfortable.
Dear Ken: What is the best way to insulate my swamp cooler ducts in the winter? Closing the vents doesn't seem to help all that much. Phyllis
Have you shrouded the swamp cooler itself? Installing a canvas or plastic cover secured with a bungee cord is the best way to keep the breezes out--which inevitably find their way down to the ducts and into the rooms. You can also find small insulating "blankets" with magnets that will attach themselves to the metal vents in each room. If you can't locate the correct sizes at a local store, check Google for an internet source.
Dear Ken: There is no easy way to run a vent outdoors from my basement, so I would like to use a ventless fireplace. What do you think of them? Bob
Although they are safe, and carry the proper ratings ( usually UL and AGA), I've received reports that they introduce some unwanted "pollution" into the room. They raise the humidity, since burning fossil fuels produces water vapor, and some folks say that there's a slight background odor in the room--and others report a stinging sensations in their eyes.
Although you and your family may not be susceptible to these symptoms, I would hate to see you make a big investment only to find out the hard way. Bottom line: it's best to vent all gas appliances outdoors.
Dear Ken: my daughter lives in a townhouse with the vents on the ceiling. There is no cold air return on the main level, and she's freezing. What can she do? Claudia
For now, have her turn the furnace fan to the always on position. That will help mix up the air masses and will even out the temperature a little bit. But you're right: she needs a cold air return on the lower level to pull air down and across the rooms. This is a poor design, used strictly to save money. Trouble is, it's very difficult to go back now and install the cold air return that should've been used in the first place. Undoubtedly, the HVAC company is going to have to cut some sheetrock to run a duct downstairs. But long term I think it's worth it.
Dear Ken: I have a 10 year old water heater, and it isn't heating water as well as it used to. I've been thinking about draining at, but a neighbor said that may loosen up rust in the bottom which is keeping it from leaking. What you think? Annette
Don't worry-that's highly unlikely. I think it's a good idea to drain a water heater at least once a year. Depending on the purity of your water system, but can be lots of build-up on the bottom of the tank--like sand and grit--which can act as an insulator. Do this in the morning. Take your showers, maybe do a load of laundry, then turn the water heater totally off, including the pilot. Turn off the cold water valve feeding the tank, and then drain the tank through a hose connected to the little faucet on the bottom. Once its drained, the secret is to blast jets of cold water on-off-on-off so you roil up whatever material is sitting on the bottom of the tank. When the hose runs clear, turn it off and reverse the process.
