January 5, 2009

Terry is worried about frozen pipes:  My kitchen sink pipes are in an overhang.  How should I insulate this area?

Use some 6-inch fiberglass batts.  Tear off the paper first, and carefully mold them around the cold outside edges of the cantilever.  Don't jam too much into that space, since you'll squeeze all the air out of the material, and it will then have much less insulating efficacy.  If you ever finish the basement, make sure to install a grille under this area to allow warm room air to waft up in there.

For readers with finished basement ceilings, there's another permutation to this same recommendation.  Cut a small hole-say 4" by 10"-in the ceiling on the outside wall just below your hose faucets.  Then install a flat heating grille over the hole to hide it.  That will give you a little extra insurance against a frozen pipe.

Speaking of outside faucets, Linda says she has a little wine-bottle-shaped cone of ice under hers.  She wants to know if this could be a big deal.

In a word, yes.  Apparently, a slow drip turned into an ice sculpture during the last cold spell.  This ice can back up into the inside shaft of the faucet and crack it.  Apply some GENTLE heat from a hair dryer to melt it all, then-after turning the water off--remove the long faucet stem and shaft.  Use a cone shaped rubber washer in place of the old one to seal the drip and then put the faucet back together.  Slowly turn the water back on and check for an inside leak.  If the pipe is split, then the whole assembly needs replacement.  This is a job for a licensed plumber, since there is a risk of fire when soldering in close quarters under your house.

Carole has a real headache on her hands:  I bought a new refrigerator that is about ½" too high to fit under the cabinet.  Now what !?

Of course, you could remove the cabinet and trim its underside rail.  But first, check the refrigerator's underpinnings.  Some new models have reversible casters (high and low) so you may be able to flip them over for a lower profile.  Also, see if the wheels are actually removable.  These same manufacturers-anticipating problems like yours-install "feet" under the frame that are available to slide it into place after you've removed the casters completely.

Bram has cloudy glassware:  I have a carafe and tumbler set that is very cloudy from our water here in the mountains.  How can I clean them up?

Try Bar Keeper's Friend-an oxalic based cleanser that folks swear by for these tough, hard water stains.

Hal & Nola have a similar question:  Is there any easy way to remove the price tags stuck to stuff you buy?

I always trust Goo Gone for this.  Don't confuse it with its similarly-named cousin, Goof Off solvent.  It is great for sticky things, like crayon, lipstick and glue residues.  If you're using it on plastic or other non-glass products, try a test spot first to check for compatibility.

Steve is skeptical:  Our town is starting to add fluoride to the water supply.  My wife and I are concerned about the negative health effects and want to filter it out.  What do we need to install?

I remember that when I was a kid, fluoride was seen in some weird quarters as a Commie plot.  All that, of course, has gone away, and now we now know that there are some benefits from adding a little of this naturally-occurring, water soluble mineral into water supplies.   What are they?  Fluoride promotes re-mineralization of compromised tooth enamel and actually retards bacterial action on those same surfaces.  I grew up in New England with very soft water and have spent, it seems, half my life in a dental chair.  My kids, however, grew up out here and have almost perfect teeth.  Am I believer in fluoride?   You bet.  Besides, it is inconceivable that the EPA and the state and county health departments would allow unsafe levels of this valuable mineral in your water supply.