The first full day of winter, and Man it’s cold.  Three days ago it was 75 degrees and this morning it’s 5.  If you’re in Minnesota I know that you’re thinking stop whining already hey, but you must admit that is an extreme change over one weekend. It catches people by surprise - “Surprise! it’s December 22, and it’s Cold!” - It probably shouldn’t but it does.

It’s a big money day for plumbers.  Anyway…

How to Thaw your Frozen Pipes - Click on the link for more information on what to do when the water doesn’t flow, and how to keep your pipes from freezing if they haven’t already.

Winter Time Home Maintenance - Maintenance is the key to avoiding expensive repairs, and keeping your home values high -  And there are some things that are best done in the Winter time.

Fixing our broken Kenmore Elite top loading washing machine (apparently similar to Whirlpool, Roper and Inglis) turns out to be a really simple 10 minute job.  Seriously, don’t call a repairman for this, a twelve year old could probably do it.  It’s so easy that I would recommend that if you don’t have a socket wrench and extension (the only tools required) that you buy one rather than call an appliance repair man.  Also, the parts were only $6.

The top part of the agitator on our washing machine stopped agitating.

So, my lovely wife informs me that the washing machine is broken.  It fills with water and makes noise like it’s working but nothing much seems to be going on inside the tub - the water is maybe moving around a little bit, but not like normal where the clothes are all working around and down through the middle.  The agitator isn’t agitating.  Actually upon a bit of investigation it turns out that the bottom half of the agitator actually is agitating, but the top part (the “clothes mover”) seems to be slipping.

Just what we need, the economy is in the crapper and our 10 year old Kenmore washing machine picks now to give up the ghost.  I figure either we buy a new washing machine or pay a repairman to look at it and then maybe still buy a new clothes washer. Marvelous.

I’ve got to at least try to fix it first.

So after a few minutes spent with Google I determine that I need to remove the agitator by first “removing the fabric softener cup”  That’s it - no detailed instructions.  Anyway, there’s not much to loose so I dive right in…

The fabric softener cup comes off by pulling firmly from the bottom of the ridge a couple of inches down the side.  It’s pretty stiff though.

Pull up on the ridge to remove the fabric softener cup

That rope is my camera lanyard - sorry about that.

Then, under the fabric softener cup you can see this large plastic plug which also just pulls out.  You might need to use a pair of pliers to grip the handle that is built into the top.

That round plug down in there also just pulls out

Every thing is nice and lubed with fabric softener

Once that is out you can see a regular hex bolt down in there.  You need a fairly long extension and a socket (7/16″ I think) to unscrew that.

Use a socket and extension to remove the retainer bolt

Once you’ve loosened the nut you can pull the top part of the agitator (the “clothes mover”) straight up to remove it.

Now it just comes right off.

The clutch and “dog” assembly is in the top of the agitator.

I think you would actually call that the clutch dog carrier.

This assembly - spring, cup, and bolt are inside of the dog carrier - pay attention to the order that they are in so that you can replace it all correctly later.

Pay attention so that you can remember how it goes back - it isn't complicated, and it can probably only go one way - maybe two.

Gently remove this flat plastic retainer so that you can replace the "dogs". The best place to do this is on a nice piece of antique furniture. I'm only using the pocket knife to pry the part up, I'm not cutting anything with it.

Those dirty little plastic thingies are the worn out clutch dogs that are to blame for all this grief. They just sit in their recesses.

The replacement dogs were $6 and I got them from a local appliance parts store - they don't sell on the internet - sorry.

You can order agitator dogs at this link.

Replacing the clutch dogs is as easy as it looks in this picture.

an exploded view of the whole thing

It’s really that easy.  Obviously you just reverse  the process to  put it back together.  It took a lot longer to write this article than it does to fix the washing machine.

You can order appliance repair manuals here.  In a lot of cases you can fix your own appliances and save yourself a lot of money.

Protection for a TV antenna which is located on a roof should be at three points:

1) Ground Connections at the Antenna The antenna, mast and lead in wires (as well as control wires for the rotator or similar equipment) should have a ground routed via the shortest possible path, without sharp bends or kinks to a ground rod which is connected to the main earth ground for the home electrical system.

2) At The Entrance to the House The antenna coax should enter the house as near as possible to where the telephone or cable TV wires enter (usually very near the electrical service entrance). This is called a single point of entry. All data and control wires should be grounded at this point with the shortest most direct conductor possible to the system ground rods.

3) At The Television A high quality surge protection device that protects both the power supply and the antenna wires should be used at all televisions connected to the antenna.

Ground Connections at the Antenna - The black conductive grease that is visible around the connections is Ideal brand Noalox and prevents deterioration of the electrical conductivity due to corrosion. This is especially important when bonding two dissimilar metals as in this picture of copper wire bonded to a galvanized steel antenna mast.

TV and Radio Tower Grounding

The antenna and mast should be properly connected (bonded) to at least one 8-foot ground rod that is located as close as possible (preferably within inches) to the mast. If the mast does not go to the ground (as in a roof-mounted antenna) then the ground wire should run as directly as possible straight down to the ground rod. The coax wire should also run directly down from the antenna to the vicinity of the ground rod where the coax shield is connected (by way of a ground block or other method) to the main ground wire.

It is very important that the coax (or control wires) run straight down as close as possible to the earth and the shield ground connection before being routed into the house. You must do this even if this means that you will have to run the wire a long way back up to a second or third floor room where the TV is located. It is also advisable to ground the coax shield near the top of the antenna mast, but it is critical to do so at the base.

You might be able to get away with using the mast as the grounding conductor especially if it is a single piece of metal. However, if you are using some kind of “extend-a-mast” then you should probably bond the pieces together by running a #4 ground wire from the top of the mast all the way to the ground rod. What you are trying to accomplish is to supply the lightning with a very good path directly to ground that does not lead through your wiring. In either case the connection between the antenna mast and the ground rod needs to be robust and long lasting.

At the House

After your coax and control wires (if any) are grounded at the base of the antenna, they should be routed into the house at the same place that the telephone wires enter. At this location on the outside of the house the coax shield should be grounded again in the same manner as at the base of the antenna mast or connected to a lightning arrestor. However, the entrance point ground should be connected as directly as possible to the ground wire leading to the main ground rod(s) for the electrical service. If you look you will probably see that the telephone and cable lines are connected to the system ground as described using a ground block, and a split bolt ground clamp at the system ground wire. You might even be able to utilize existing hardware to make your connections. This is also where you would put a rotator/control line protection device to protect the coax wire or rotator control wires.

At The Television

At the TV You should use a high quality surge protector which is designed to protect not only the power supply but also the coax wire. The surge protector must be plugged into a grounded outlet or connected to the main system ground by way of a grounding adapter for it to function. Note: Don’t plug your surge protector into a GFCI protected outlet that is on an ungrounded two wire system or it will not work! Quality surge protectors are rated in joules (higher numbers are better) and will have a warranty covering connected equipment.

Tips:

Use electrically conductive grease (such as ideal brand noalox or equivalent) at all bonding connections, especially if there will be aluminum or any dissimilar metals being connected.

Keep your ground wires as short and direct as possible. The bigger they are the better they will perform, but keeping them short is even more of a factor.

Use ground rods that are suitable to your local soil conditions. If you have highly conductive soil then one 8′ ground rod will probably be enough, but if you have dry sandy soil you might need more than one. Whatever local codes require for home electrical system grounds should be fine. Ask at your local electrical contractor supply store where you buy your ground rod.

Always connect the antenna ground rod to the main system ground using at least a #6 copper wire. Relying on the earth to connect them will not work. You want a single point ground even if you have multiple ground rods. Failure to do this will usually result in a ground loop which will plague you with noise, snow, hum, and all manner of puzzling electrical problems.

Use ground rods, don’t try to ground your system to a water or gas line.

Don’t run your ground wires into or through the house, basement or crawl space. Keep all of the ground elements, wires, rods, bulkheads and other connections outside.

Drive your ground rod as close as possible to the base of the antenna mast, but you want it to be in soil that will be wet as often as possible so don’t place it where it will be too protected by the overhang of the house.

I installed a TV antenna on my own house about a year ago using these techniques and so far we haven’t had any problems whatsoever despite the fact that we live on the very top of the highest hill around. We live in middle Tennessee and lightning storms are a regular fact of life here, but I have complete confidence in this system after living with it for a year.

Custom Google Search of selected Antenna and Lightning related web Resources

Links to resources about this subject

A typical NFRC window label gives you the information that you need about window performance.

Picture of a typical NFRC window label - Snagged from the NFRC website.

Almost everything you need to know about windows can be found on the NFRC label that comes on the window, and your window dealer should be able to furnish you with this information before you place your window order.

What you will find on the NFRC label

U-Factor

This is the energy efficiency rating of the entire window unit including the glass, jambs, and frames. U-Factor correlates directly to R-Ratings for insulation that we are all familiar with. If you divide the number one by the U-Factor you will get the R-Rating equivalent for the window. For example a U-Factor of .25 would be equivalent to an R-4 insulation rating. Notice that a lower U-Factor is better while a Higher R-Factor is better. This along with the air leakage rating is the main indicator of energy efficiency for the window, and is more important than particular construction features such as Low-E and Argon filled glass. Those factors help to determine the overall U-Rating, but other features not withstanding, for energy efficiency you want windows with a numerically low U-Rating above all else. Notice that even a very well rated window has a fraction of the insulation value of a standard exterior wall which will be from R-13 to over R-20.

Solar Heat Gain Coefficient

This rating (between 0 and 1) tells you how much heat from the sun is transmitted through the window. What you would like to see here depends upon the circumstances. The lower the number is the less heat will pass through the window - which is usually good. However there may be applications where you want solar heat gain in which case it would be a trade off between insulation value and solar gain. Here in the sunny south you probably want this number to be as low as possible to avoid heat gain during the Air Conditioning season.

Visible Transmittance

VT is another number between 0 and 1 that indicates the amount of visible light that passes through the glass. The higher the number the more light the glass lets through. In this case more is better.

Air Leakage

AL is an optional rating that some manufacturers use and some don’t. The higher the number the more air the window will leak. The value is supposed to represent cubic feet of air at a standard pressure differential. Obviously less air leakage is better.

Condensation Resistance

CR values run between 0 and 100 with a higher value indicating higher resistance to condensation. This is also an optional rating.

Armed with this information you should be able to cut through the sales rhetoric and make an informed decision when buying windows.

Energy Efficient Thermal Envelope - How to build an affordable energy efficient home

Tighten you HVAC Duct Work - Leaky ducts that run through unconditioned attics or crawl spaces can waste huge amounts of energy.

Upgrade to an On demand Water heater - Replacing your standard water heater with a high efficiency on demand water heater could save you as much as 40% on your water heating bill. However, if you use lots of hot water, and you use it all day and all night long (got teenagers?), then your savings will be less than if you use hot water less frequently. The reason for this is that an on demand heater saves energy mostly because it doesn’t keep a big tank full of water hot 24 hours a day whether you need it or not. On the other hand, if you do have constant demand for lots of hot water, an on demand heater has the added advantage that it never runs out of hot water. The word on the street seems to be that most households will experience long term savings by using an on demand water heater, but I have not been able to verify this by way of a reliable scientific source yet.

Upgrade to a Programmable Thermostat - According to several reliable sources this may be the one home improvement that gives the most bang for the buck. Programmable thermostats are readily available in the $100 price range at home improvement stores, and are not difficult for a do it yourselfer to install. It basically boils down to this; heating and cooling your house is your largest energy expense and if you turn your heating and cooling down or off even for a few hours a day, you will save money. And, a programmable thermostat will take care of it for you like clockwork. You might have heard that this won’t really work, because the system has to work extra hard when the HVAC Kicks back on, but don’t believe it, research has proven that this home improvement really works.

Install a Water Heater Timer - Heating water is the second largest energy hog in your home so installing a water heater timer and setting it to turn the heater off during times of low demand such as over night and during the work day, will pay off almost immediately. Water heater timers are pretty simple to install and cost from $30-$100. FYI, digital water heater timers are available that allow you to have a different schedule for weekends than during the work week. Just Google for “digital water heater timer.” Of course always remember to turn off the electricity before working on any wiring, and if you have any doubts whatsoever about your ability to safely do something like this, then hire an electrician.

A common misconception is that a water heater works harder than normal to recover after the thermostat has been set back, resulting in little or no savings. This misconception has been dispelled by years of research and numerous studies. It is always best to put your water heater on a timer, as the energy lost from a hot water tank depends on the temperature difference between the surface of the tank and its surroundings. It’s a common myth that it somehow takes more energy to keep heating up a tank than it does to maintain it at a normal temperature.

Of course, as with all myths, there are a few “ifs” and “buts”. If the tank is highly insulated (so standing losses are very low) and there is an effective thermostat on the tank, then the losses caused by leaving it on all the time can be much reduced. And some people have a need for large quantities of hot water all day long, in which case they may have no alternative except to leave the heater on all the time. But in general, it is much better to install a timer. A water heater timer, can cost less than $40 and if you can install it yourself safely, could pay for itself in a few months and is an excellent investment. If you have to hire an electrician, then of course it will take longer to recoup your investment, but it can still be worthwhile. FYI, many home improvement stores will hook you up with professional installers for a fixed price. When considering the economics of energy efficient home improvements always keep in mind that the cost of energy will almost certainly continue to increase.

Add a Water Heater Blanket to your Existing Water Heater - Adding Insulation to your water heater if taken to an extreme, might be almost as effective as replacing your water heater with an on demand unit, or installing a water heater timer. However, you would be talking about an awful lot of insulation (like 12 inches or so) including the top and bottom. Just adding a moderate amount of additional insulation probably makes more sense for most people. You can get a water heater “blanket” for less than $20 at home centers and hardware stores, which is made just for this purpose, or you can simply wrap up your water heater with fiberglass insulation and plastic film. Obviously this would be a lot easier if the tank wasn’t already installed, but it’s not too difficult anyway. A nice extra touch would be to put a piece of 1/2″ EPS (Expanded PolyStyrene also known as “Styrofoam” which is a registered trademark of Dow Corning) under the water heater, although I don’t know how much it would really help. Of course, turn off the electricity or gas before you start and don’t get any insulation too close to burners, or vents.

Install Low Flow Shower Heads to Save Hot Water - Low flow shower heads are inexpensive, very easy to install, and simply reduce the amount of hot water that you use.

Upgrade to Low flow Aerators in all Faucets to Save Hot Water - Many faucets already come with low flow aerators, however retrofitting them is as simple as unscrewing the existing aerator and screwing in the new one.

Add Trickler Valves to your Showers to Save Hot Water - A trickler valve allows you to turn off or reduce the flow of water in the shower while you are lathering up or shaving or whatever without having to readjust the temperature when you turn the water back on. Some shower heads include a trickler valve.

Get a new High efficiency Heating and cooling system - If your HVAC is worn out or obsolete, then a new high efficiency professionally installed system is one of the ultimate home improvements for energy savings. Shop around and educate yourself about the different types of systems and how they are rated for efficiency. Go to the effort to find a quality installer too. The best system there is will be lackluster if improperly installed. Keep in mind that you usually get what you pay for as far as quality equipment and workmanship.

Install More insulation - Any time you get the opportunity to add insulation to your home you should do so, at least until you have achieved the high end of the industry standard for your area. If you have any under insulated areas of your home which are still accessible, such as unfinished attics or crawl spaces, you should have them upgraded at least to a level which is appropriate for your area. If you are going to replace or install new siding on your home, you can usually have a layer of insulation installed under the siding for a very reasonable cost. If your exterior walls don’t already contain insulation, then it can be blown in to the cavities, and the holes can easily be patched and covered with the new siding. Otherwise, adding insulation to already enclosed areas (like exterior walls) can be cost prohibitive, but it can be done. Holes can also be cut in drywall from the inside of a house, and patched after insulation is blown in, however the drywall repairs will probably cost more than the insulation work unless you do it yourself. However, this kind of drywall repair is something that actually can be done by a determined do it yourselfer.

Install a Radiant barrier in your Attic - A radiant barrier is basically a reflective layer (more or less like aluminum foil) which augments your attic insulation. It can be installed either directly on the bottom side of the roof decking, on the bottom side of the rafters with an airspace between the roof deck and the radiant barrier(the best way), or directly on top of the attic insulation (the worst way, because it will quickly get dusty and loose it’s effectiveness). A radiant barrier is mostly useful for reducing the cooling load on your air conditioner, therefore should probably mostly be considered only if you live in the sunbelt. According to where you live, and the kind of attic that you have, this could be a very cost effective do it yourself project. Lots of technical information on this subject can be found at DOE radiant barrier fact sheet and Florida Solar Energy Center - radiant barrier fact sheet.

Tighten Your Thermal Envelope - The “Thermal Envelope” is the exterior walls, attics, and foundations of your home which contain (or should contain) insulation, and which keeps the heat inside in the winter, and outside in the summer. Air Infiltration can account for a huge percentage of your heating and cooling bill, and tightening up the thermal envelope of your home is one of the most economical and economically rewarding tasks that you can do yourself. Arm yourself with a caulk gun and plug up every hole, crack, or gap you
can find inside and out. Then remove plug and switch covers and install foam gaskets on all of them, while you have them off, also caulk between the drywall, and the box that the wiring device is in, and also any holes in the box and around where the wires enter the device box. Put one of the plastic safety plugs that you find in the Baby Proofing section of the home improvement store into every receptacle that doesn’t have something plugged into it. You can also take down lights (without disconnecting the wiring) and seal around the wiring device box that they are mounted on, and the holes in the boxes where the wires come in. Always turn off the electricity before working around wiring. Give this same treatment to all lights or plugs that are on the outside of your house. If you are competent to work around electrical equipment take off the cover of your electrical panel (if it is inside of the heated space of your house) and seal the gap between the panel and the drywall. But be aware that you can not normally de-energize the entire inside of the electrical panel, so leave the cover on it unless you are sure that you know what you are doing. According to the Canadian Government “Simple Caulk and Seal” can save as much as 30% on your heat bill.

New windows - If your house has old worn out windows, or windows of an obsolete design, then new or replacement windows may be called for. By the way, there is quite a difference between new (New Construction that is) and replacement windows. New construction windows require the replacement of all parts of the old window, including all interior and exterior trim. The advantage to using new construction windows (if it is possible,because it isn’t always) is that you can do a better job of installing and sealing the window to the house. Replacement Windows usually don’t require replacing interior or exterior trim, because the existing trim remains in place and the replacement window occupies the space vacated by the sashes. Some kind of trim work is usually required on the exterior, but it is pretty minor compared to using new construction windows. Installing replacement windows is much quicker and easier than installing new construction windows, and is probably more suited to the needs of a do it yourselfer. In either case, even if you decide to install new windows yourself, I would reccomend that you have the window dealer measure for them, because a small error in measurement can be a big mistake. Also, remember that you will usually get what you pay for, and look for windows that are energy star compliant.

Storm windows - Storm windows might be an economical way to improve the energy efficiency of your existing windows. They are relatively inexpensive, and easy to install. However, storm windows installed over old leaky windows will never be as good as high quality replacement windows, cleaning your windows will be much more of a hassle than with replacement windows, and storm windows will not have much positive impact on the resale value of your home (if any). Nonetheless, if storm windows are all that you can afford, they might make a difference in the heating and cooling costs for your home by reducing air infiltration. However, according to the Florida solar energy research center, storm windows are probably not cost effective in the semi tropical Florida climate.

Repair leaky doors - If your exterior doors are in good shape, but they leak air around the door panel, then repairing the weather strips and threshold can give you results as good as replacing the entire door and jamb system, but for a lot less cash outlay. Once you have caulked and painted it, your door will be as good as new. To make the job easier, take some samples of the old weatherstrip with you to the home improvement store, and match it as closely as possible. Usually you can get material that is a perfect replacement, but even if you can’t, the store will have products that are “universal fit” which will still yield excellent results if you do a good job of installing them. One word of caution though, in most cases adhesive alone will not attach the new weatherstrip well enough to give a trouble free installation, so consider “peel and stick” to be more of an assembly aid than anything.

Install storm doors - Unlike storm windows, installing a high quality storm door over an existing door can give you a better result than a brand new replacement door by itself can. Top quality storm doors are not cheap, but you get what you pay for in both quality, and looks. A top quality storm door also looks good. A cheap one just looks cheap. However, even a cheap storm door will drastically improve the thermal performance of an exterior door if it is well installed.

Ceiling fans - Ceiling fans can save you energy in two ways. In the summer, they can make you feel cooler and allow you to set your thermostat at a higher temperature thus saving money on air conditioning. In the winter, they can help to prevent heat cavitation near the ceiling, and actually make the air near the floor warmer than it would be, especially if you have higher ceilings. As a general rule they should probably be turned off when the room isn’t occupied. Consider looking for energy star compliant fans.

Dehumidifiers - In some circumstances a dehumidifier can save you money. If your house is humid then you will have to air condition to a lower temperature in order to feel comfortable. This often is the case if your AC is sized too big, because it will “short cycle” and not run long enough to properly dehumidify your home. Try to put your dehumidifier as close as possible to the main air return grill so that dehumidified air is pulled directly into the system and distributed throughout your home. Then you can set your AC thermostat to a higher temp. Many dehumidifiers are quite noisy, so try to get one that is as quiet as possible, and look for the energy star logo.

Replace obsolete appliances - Nothing lasts forever, and technology generally improves over time. Try to anticipate the need to replace an aging appliance, and shop around so that you can become informed. The alternative is to have to buy a new refrigerator before everything in the old (broken) one spoils. Unless you work best under pressure, you probably won’t make the best choice in that situation. Pay attention to the energy ratings, and look for energy star compliant appliances.

Repair appliances that aren’t ready for replacement - Many appliances can be renovated to considerably extend their useful life span. The seals on refrigerators and freezers should be tight enough to clamp down on a strip of paper at all points. If your clothes seem to be taking longer to dry, your electric clothes dryer may just need a new heating element, or the exhaust duct may be clogged or crushed. Oven door seals can often be easily replaced. Some repairs can be easily done by the homeowner.

Compact florescent bulbs - You should make a vow to never buy another incandescent light bulb. They now make high quality compact florescent bulbs that are suitable for almost any fixture, and even though they are a lot more expensive up front, they can pay back in only one year, and they can last for up to 7 years. Look for energy star compliant bulbs. The really cheap ones from the discount club stores often have thermal ballasts and don’t last all that long.

Energy efficient landscaping - Careful placement of the right trees, shrubs and vines can contribute to the energy efficiency of your home. Deciduous trees (those that drop their leaves in the fall) can shade your house in the summer, and allow the sun to shine on it in the winter, thus helping year round. Evergreen trees which are planted to block the prevailing wind can improve the microclimate around your home in the winter. Vines growing on a trellis can accomplish the same things in a shorter period of time. Never plant any tree or shrub close enough to the house to crowd the foundation or hang over the roof though. Either condition will often foster rot and insect damage. The same goes for vines actually climbing on the house. Don’t allow it. Obviously large trees and evergreen windbreaks are long term investments that require careful planning and consideration, and poor choices of species or locations can actually do more harm than good. Also, don’t fail to consider the maintenance requirements of plants. Some require very little maintenance, and some require quite a lot. Look into it before you plant.

Get an Energy Audit - A proffesional energy audit will let you know how you are doing, and will highlight what you still need to do, and there is no substitute for it. In a complete audit they will install a blower door, which is just a door with a fan built into it. The blower door will make the house leak anywhere that it can. Then they will use an infrared camera to find where all of the leaks are. A complete audit will also include a similar test of your HVAC ducts to find if you are leaking conditioned air into the attic or crawl space through leaky ducts. Call your electric utility provider, and ask them how you can get an energy audit. Some utilities offer energy audits free to their customers. Ask about it.

What is this?

Enter plain numbers in cells without text or labels. If you leave any cells empty they will be calculated as zero.

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What is this Load Calculator for? Electricity is delivered to your home by the Service Entrance which is sized based upon calculations dictated by the NEC and the local codes authoritys along with the electric utility provider. Most jurisdictions use the NEC standard method calculations without significant modification. There is nothing about the calculations which are difficult to do by hand with only a pencil and calculator, but each calculation has quite a few steps, and can take a while to do - especially if you aren’t familiar with it.

This automated calculator makes it much quicker and easier to try different scenarios which can be quite useful if you’re planning a remodelling or addition project. Sometimes using more energy efficient fixtures appliances, and HVAC equipment along with upgraded insulation and weather proofing can help you to avoid retrofitting a new larger service entrance and significant expense.

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Simple things like caulking around pipes will make your home more comfortable and save a lot of money and energy.

The Airtight Drywall Approach to a Tight Thermal Envelope

The building envelope is the part of the house which separates the indoors from the outdoors, and consists of the floor on the bottom level, the ceiling on the top level, the exterior walls, the exterior floor bands, and of course the doors and windows. The standard house envelope leaks air like a sieve and accounts for something like 30 percent of climate control costs due to air infiltration alone. Fortunately during construction it is cheap and easy to make the thermal envelope much tighter and to make a considerable improvement in the energy efficiency of the finished home. According to the Federal Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy website “Such airtight homes often consume one-third less energy when compared to similar unsealed homes.”

During the Framing Process

The way most houses in my area are framed there is an area at the junction of exterior walls at the corners and where interior walls join the exterior walls that framers call “Tees, and Corners.” Tees, and corners also refer to a framing detail at these locations that are usually each made out of two studs and three or more blocks of wood, these devices serve as a convenient place to attach the walls together, and to attach the drywall. The problem with tees and corners is that they are almost impossible to insulate so you end up with a three and one half inch area at every one of these locations that has no insulation. In the typical home this adds up to 4-6 feet of un-insulated wall. That is not good. To avoid this situation, don’t use the conventional device; instead just use a single 2×6 stud installed sideways in place of the tee or corner. This gives you a fine place to attach your walls, and drywall. It also saves a lot of labor compared to building the old style devices, and costs less for material, while leaving room to install insulation.

Conventional corners framed like this leave a very large area that is difficult or impossible to insulate - note: this picture is of an interior corner for clarity, but we are only concerned with corners on exterior walls.

Simply using a 2x4 or 2x6 nailed in sideways like this allows the corner to be well insulated, saves material and work, and is probably just as strong.

During the Rough in process

Caulk or foam around electrical outlet boxes, recessed fixtures, and where plumbing pipes penetrate the drywall.

Boxes like this will waste a lot of energy if left unsealed - it doesn't look like much, but your house probably has hundreds of them.

caulking the holes in your electrical wiring boxes like this can reduce air infiltration, and make your home less drafty and more efficient and comfortable - and it's cheap and easy.

Before the attic is insulated, get up there and foam or caulk everywhere that you see light coming through around light boxes, bathroom exhaust fans, other recessed fixtures, or anywhere else.

This ceiling box has been sealed with spray foam insulation from above, but you can do the same thing from below. Sealing around ceiling boxes is really important because those air leaks are directly into your un-conditioned attic. And yes, that foam has to be trimmed off.

Questions? Comments? Nasty Remarks? I usually respond within a few hours.

This same solution also works great for other tough cleaning jobs like the stainless steel exterior of the gas grill. This solution of automatic dishwasher detergent does a great job of loosening and removing stains, but it will leave the surface hazy unless you follow up with a damp rag or a glass plus type of multi purpose cleaner.

By the way, the instructions that came with our stove say to only use the factory recommended cleaner, and a clean soft cotton cloth or some such malarky, but after several months of using my method our smooth top stove looks like new. Who knows what they are thinking at Whirlpool.

Just in case you had any desire to know - Automatic dishwasher detergent uses enzymes which are biological catalysts to drastically speed up the chemical reaction of breaking down fats and proteins. Since the stubborn cooked on stains on your stove top are from foods containing fats and proteins, then dishwasher detergent is just the ticket. So, this isn’t just the best whirlpool stove top cleaner, also keep it in mind for all kinds of food stains including blood. As with any strong cleaner use with caution and at your own risk.

This is what you see when you look down into your typical toilet tank. The yellow thing at top left is the flush valve also known as a “ballcock”. The gray thing in the middle is the flapper valve. By the way, despite the rust stains in these pictures, the water in the toilet tank is completely clean. This is not a nasty job.

Typical supply connections.

The water drops that you can see in some of these pictures is condensation that is agravated by the toilet running on. The constantly refreshed cold water in the supply lines, tank and bowl causes lots of condensation. This is not a good thing.

The first step of this repair is to turn off the water. Then flush the commode and hold down the handle to allow as much water as possible to drain out of the tank. If water still runs in (even very slowly) after turning off the supply tap under the tank then you need to find the main water shut off valve for your house and turn off the water there. Any time you turn off all water preasure to your home you should first turn off the electricity to the water heater to avoid burning out the top element. After turning off the water you need to remove as much water as possible from the tank. The easiest and fastest way is to use a wet-or-dry shop vac, but sopping it up with a rag works just as well.

Remove the supply line from the toilet flush valve. There is usually no need to unhook the line from the supply tap. By the way, the slip joint pliers in this picture is the only tool used in this repair. You might want to put a towel on the floor under the connection to catch any water you missed in the previous step.

Remove the water line from the stand pipe. Some toilets will have a retainer clip here.

After unhooking the supply line remove the flush valve retainer nut.

You are now ready to remove the old flush valve.

Remove the old flapper valve. In this case the flapper connects to ears on the stand pipe, but sometimes it slides down over the stand pipe.

You are now ready to install the new parts.

This is the kit that I used for this article. This type of kit is typical of what is available at any home improvement center. It’s a “Korky” brand “quiet fill” kit which was about $10, but other companies such as Fluidmaster make similar high quality kits.

Here’s what you get for ten bucks. A new flush valve complete with water line, clips, retainer nut, seal, and supply nut and supply seals. Plus a new flapper valve. I didn’t use all of the small parts BTW.

Here is the old flush valve on the left and the new one on the right. Installing the replacement parts is pretty much just the reverse of removing them. But remember Don’t ever tighten anything. It’s easy to come back and re tighten, but if you break something it means another trip to Lowes.

The new flapper is made so that it will work on any normal commode, but in this case the ring that is made to slide down over the stand pipe has to be cut off before use.

The flapper installs by slipping the brackets over the ears on the stand pipe.

The flapper chain needs to be adjusted to be as short as is practical. If the chain is too long it can cause either of two problems 1) The chain won’t lift the flapper high enough from the seat for it to float up and the toilet will make a noise like it is clearing it’s throat, but it won’t really flush. 2)The toilet will flush fine but the flapper will sometimes hang on the too-long chain and the commode will run on until someone “jiggles” the handle.

Sometimes the supply stop will leak around the stem after you have used it. If this is the case then you usually just need to tighten the packing nut that the stem goes through.

After you’ve installed the new parts and turned the water (and the water heater) back on.