November 22, 2010

             Dear Ken:  My son had to move out of his house to remodel.  There must have been some food left in the dishwasher, because it smells awful.  How can we sweeten it up?   Dennis

            First, clean it mechanically.  Use an old toothbrush and soapy water to scrub the door and its seals, plus any cracks where junk can hide.  Then remove the bottom spray arm;  you'll see a screened plate with screws holding it in place.  Remove it to access the lower parts of the compartment all the way down to the pump and remove whatever debris is hiding in there.

            Push the HOT RINSE and HOT WASH buttons in.  Then set a cup of bleach in one of the racks and run a complete cycle.  If the smell persists, try a cup of white vinegar.  Eventually, the smell will fade into memory.  When you stick your head inside virtually any dishwater, there will always be a little residual smell-especially in the summertime.  As long as the dishes themselves smell clean, you're OK.

            Dear Ken:   I'm researching efficient gas water heaters.  Mine is 16 years old and on its last legs.  Can you help me?       Ryan

            It is confusing, but it would help if you could estimate how long you'll be in the house.  There are some fabulous high efficiency water heaters on the market, but their payback time can be many years, and you might be gone by then.   Than means that the next owner will reap all the energy saving benefits you paid for up front.  Remember that until you pay for the extra initial costs above a basic water heater, you aren't saving anything.  Manufacturers have savings calculators on their web sites you can use, and they will help you compute the return on investment for the new one.    

            Take a look at your energy bill over the summer months.  The gas costs will reflect the water heater's usage (if you have a gas stove, you'll have to factor it out).  If yours is, say, $30 a month, and you could save one third (pretty hard to achieve), you have your answer on how many years it will take to pay for the upgrade from a basic model.

            Since most folks move every 6 years or so, it usually turns out that the best deal is a basic, five-year-tank-warranty water heater with a "blanket" wrapped around its outside.

            Dear Ken:   Our heat ducts are in the crawl space.  Does it make sense to insulate them?    Paul

            Yes it does.  But first, look for water pipes which could freeze.  The builder may have intended to have some of that radiated heat keep them warm.  If that's not the case, you can buy quilted, foil-backed insulation at any hardware or home center.  It's easy to apply yourself with some silver duct tape.

            All crawl spaces should have  a little ventilation to keep moisture at bay.  If it's a small area, you can use a louver or screened opening in the door.  Larger crawl spaces need a vent or two to the outside set into an exterior wall.  Don't ignore your crawl space-check it occasionally for high humidity or wet soil under the plastic.  My bottom line test is olfactory:  if the area smells fresh, it's almost always OK.       

            Dear Ken:  On your show you've mentioned fiberglass and cellulose insulation.  The latter is treated for fire resistance, isn't it?  Does it smell bad?  Henry

            In its purest form, cellulose is, essentially, ground up paper.  The blown-in material you're considering has a borate-type fire retardant included in the mix.  I have it in my house, and there is no smell coming from the insulation.  Besides, it's part of the attic air environment-not the living space.  I like cellulose because it takes less of it to achieve a given R-value.  The recommendation from the Department of Energy is for roughly 15 inches total, which yields about an R-48.