November 17, 2008

Dear Readers:  The neighbor of a friend of mine had a crisis last week that I must share with you.  Theirs is a 70's era home recently outfitted with energy efficient vinyl windows.  They used their fireplace one evening while the kids were sleeping upstairs.  They had a new carbon monoxide detector and it soon alarmed;  in the meantime, they had developed headaches and other symptoms they recognized as carbon monoxide poisoning.   They called the fire department, and after the house had been checked out, they were told that the carbon monoxide level had reached over 900 parts per million--enough to cause unconsciousness and death in an hour or two!

What happened you ask?  Apparently the old windows had leaked enough air to satisfy the oxygen requirements of the fireplace.  After the new, tight ones were installed, the fireplace stole its air through the furnace flue on the roof and dragged carbon monoxide into the house with it   The moral:  WHEN USING A WOOD BURNING FIREPLACE--EVEN ONE WITH A RETROFITTED OLD GAS LOG--CRACK A WINDOW TO LET FRESH AIR INTO THE HOUSE !!

On the other hand, If you have a modern, sealed gas log fireplace, don't worry:  they get their oxygen directly from the outside.

Little critters are bugging Ken:   For the last three weeks or so, we've had what look like fruit flies in our kitchen and bath.  How can we rid ourselves of these pests?

They may be coming from one of your house plants.  So, carry each one to the garage and give it a thorough exam.  If  you find an infestation, use a pyrethrum-based insecticide spray to zap 'em.  Otherwise, to get rid of these little guys inside, set a glass filled with a few tablespoons of cheap white wine near where they're the most prevalent.  They'll  dive in and expire with a smile on their little faces.

Andrew has a naughty gas log:  It will run an hour or two, then quit.  Do I need a service call?

It's probably overheating.   Try rearranging the ceramic logs to deflect more heat away from the gas valve.   Also, look outside to make sure nothing is blocking the metal chimney assembly.   Once a year, it's a good idea to lay the glass front on some newspapers and give it a thorough scrubbing with your favorite window cleaner product.  At that time, check the little pilot light nozzle and the thermocouple probe it impinges on.  If there is a scaly deposit on them, scratch it off with an emery file.  Sometimes, that can help with your endurance issue.

Donna has a tough one:  I let candle wax dribble on a window sill.  Now I can't get it off.  I've used KILZ.  What else can I do?

Did you use the original KILZ?  I know the acrylic (water)  based product is more handy and less messy, but the old oil-based material is probably what you need.  The wax is sitting near the surface, so scuff sand the whole thing first, then apply the primer;  it might take two coats to totally seal the stain.

Jim wants to winter water:  I know you say you don't like to blow out the sprinkler so you can water if it's a dry year.  But how do you keep the pipes outside from freezing?

You must get all the water out of both ends of the pipe system.  In the furnace room, simply turn off the main valve and drain the residual water into a bucket.  On the other end (outside ), you've got to let atmospheric pressure into the entire pipe and manifold system so it, too, dribbles its water on to the ground.  There should be a vacuum breaker gizmo at the highest point.  If so, open its little screws to let air in and set the all valve handles to a 45 angle.  Finally, invade that green valve box near the ground, open the faucet inside and leave it open.

There are so many permutations of this equipment and piping set-up, that, if you've had freeze-ups in the past, it's a good idea to call an expert for a little OJT.