December 26, 2020
Dear Ken: How do I know whether my microwave is safe or not? John
The hinges, doors and seals on older microwaves can loosen up over time and allow some radiation to leak around the edges. If yours is newer--say 15 years or younger—it’s probably OK. You could hire a home inspector to check it out. Or you can buy a leak detector online for less than $30.
The standard test when we check for unwanted radiation from a microwave oven is to scan at about two inches from the door. So, just as we used to warn kids to stay back from old cathode ray-type color TV’s, it’s best to remain a foot or so back from your microwave—whether it’s new or ancient-- while you heat food.
PS. If you have fluorescent lights in the kitchen, turn them off, as they can interfere with the leak detection test.
Dear Ken: Every year, I get ice dams on my roof, and I end up with a sheet of ice around the gutters and one on the sidewalk. What can I do to avoid this? Lauren
Ice dams--build-ups at the bottom edge of the roof--are common around here, especially along northern exposures. Apply some heat cable in a zigzag pattern along the lowest roof shingles and also drop one inside any downspouts which have frozen in the past. Modern heat cables are quite reliable, as they are controlled by a little attached computer to kick on when the temperature drops below about 37 degrees. In fact, they can be left in place year round.
One common cause of ice dams is inadequate attic insulation and minimal venting up there. That can trap warmer air along the underside of the roof and so exacerbate this problem. Both of these issues are worth investigating at your house.
Dear Ken: Two of our basement walls are deteriorating. The paint is buckling and there is mildew behind some posters. What can we do? Kate
The soil behind the basement foundation is probably wet and forcing water vapor into the dryer room space. These problems are usually best tackled form the outside first. Make sure that the soil in that area slopes away from the house; if there is plastic under decorative rocks or bark, remove it; and divert all downspouts well away with flex pipe.
It will also help to lower the basement humidity. Install a cheap bath fan ducted to the outdoors and plugged into a timer, somewhere in the center of the basement. Run it a couple of hours each morning to pull fresh, dryer, upstairs air into the space. When you hang your objets d’art in that room, add some spacers, like stick-on plastic bumpers to allow air circulation behind them.
Dear Ken: I hate the condo association’s sprinkler winterization. They put this really ugly chunk of insulation around the pipes on the side of the building. Is it really necessary after the system has been blown out? Wes
As long as the main system valve has been closed and the drain valves opened inside and out, the insulation is superfluous. The overarching theory of insulation is that it works only if there is heat on one side and cold on the other. If you think about it, once the insulation and the pipes get to the ambient outside temperature, the covering simply becomes and ugly, unnecessary adornment. It’s an old habit that they need to disabuse themselves of. In fact, I don’t blow out my system because I winter-water occasionally; even so, my pipes are totally bare. As long as they are full of air, there’s no jeopardy.
Dear Ken: What do you think of those plug in pest control devices? Do they work? Joanne
There is virtually no research that indicates they are effective. When you first plug it in, there may be a startle reflex for a few seconds by the little devils, but they soon learn that it’s not really a threat. So I would stick to the age-old remedies, like spring mouse traps, that are quick and humane. Don’t forget to plug up cracks and holes under the edges of your siding and around doors, pipes and other penetrations to keep out spiders and other creepy crawlers. Use caulking, which expanding insulation foam or fiberglass insulation batts jammed into the cracks.
Dear Ken: I need help in my bathroom. The toilets and sinks develop a pinkish stain in the bowl and around the drains. What causes it and how do you handle it? Paula
This can be mineral deposits—like iron—in the water supply, but it is more likely to be caused by the ubiquitous bacterium, Serratia. This bug is omnipresent in our environment—in soil, water, plants, animals and even humans. And the standing water in a toilet bowl is an ideal place for it flourish. Once the chlorine in the water dissipates, this microbe can revive itself and cause that pink, slimy stain. Spray a bleach-containing bathroom cleaning product, like Clorox, Lysol or X-14, into the bowl and up under the rim and also around drains, and on tiles, if they are involved. Add 1/4 cup of bleach to the toilet tank and let it sit for 10 minutes, then flush twice.
For a while, you’ll have to repeat this disinfecting routine every week or two—more in warmer weather. But it’s important to stay ahead of the formation of the stain before it becomes permanent.
