January 19, 2009
Rich wants faster hot water: I heard you talking about a return loop for hot water. What is that?
It's a way to get hot water to that farthest-away bathroom. Homeowners waste thousands of gallons of water each year waiting for hot water to appear in a lavatory or shower-especially in long, one-level houses. If you have access underneath, it's helpful to install a third pipe (the new one plus the old hot and cold). It's connected at one end to the existing hot pipe and the other end is tied into that drain at the bottom of the water heater. That sets up a convection loop (hot things rise and cold material falls) that slowly bleeds hot water to the bathroom and lets the now cooler water "fall" back into the water heater. Sometime it's helpful to add a small pump to accelerate the process. When you get up in the morning, you've got relatively instant hot water. Of course, to conserve energy, those pipes should be sleeved with some foam insulation.
Many folks don't have access to the underside, so there's another clever idea available to remedy the problem. It's a small pump that simply bridges the cold and hot water lines under that far away sink. The pump's electric line runs through a thermostat and timer. When the timer comes on in the morning, the pump pulls hot water to the bathroom and shoves it back down the cold water line. Once the thermostat is warmed up, it shuts down. So, the result is the same: you get hot water much more quickly. Go to www.autocirc.com to check it out.
Janet has a glass problem: My drinking glasses are all cloudy, and I've done everything I can to clean them, without success. I blame the dishwasher. Can you help with this?
First, to get them clean again, get some Zud or Bar Keeper's Friend and scour them with a small plastic scrubber.
You're right, the dishwasher probably needs some assistance. Check your incoming water temperature with a candy thermometer. It would be best to have the water heater set to 130 degrees (or even a little more). If there are disabled folks or young kids at your house, you'll then need to change the shower valve to a non-scalding variety. Most folks with hard water don't use enough soap. It's vital to check the grains of hardness of your water supply and then match it to the recommended amount of powder. The soap manufacturer's web site can be very helpful.
Do the arms spin? Line them up parallel with each other and then run the wash cycle to make sure they all are rotating. If not, you'll have to remove them and clean out the gunk in the spray holes. Finally, fill that little rinse agent dispenser to the recommended level, and turn its little dial up a notch or two.
Jim has an insulation conundrum: In my attic, the previous owner laid an insulation batt over some old loose stuff. However, the paper on the insulation is on top. Isn't it supposed to be the other way?
Yes. That paper facing is really a vapor barrier that stops the migration of moisture from the living area into the attic. In other words, vapor barriers always go towards the inside of the house. Yours is, indeed, backwards. At this point, it would be best to peel that paper off and discard it. You will then have created a stack of pure insulation.
Gary's worried about natural gas: From time to time we notice a smell outside around the meter. Is this OK?
If it comes and goes, it's probably normal. The regulator attached to the incoming gas line is supposed to spritz a little out its spout once in awhile to compensate for pressure variations. If the smell doesn't go away, have the gas company come out to tighten up the fittings.
One other gas meter problem: In brand new houses, say within the first year, the dirt around the foundation can sink and drag the gas line down with it. That, in turn, twists the meter out of plumb. If the twisting is severe enough, a leak could appear somewhere on the house side of the system. If yours is twisted badly, the gas company will probably want to add a small pipe to take the strain off of the meter so it can then be straightened.
