Weekly Columns

Both current and archived weekly newspaper columns. The date of the column and a teaser of the column appears below. Click on the date to see the entire column.

April 11, 2020

     Dear Ken: I have a two year old home. When my furnace shuts down, we get a very loud sound--like a vent slamming shut. Can this be fixed or quieted? Sandra

     It sounds like one of the main ducts is flexing too much. When the blower shuts off, the air inside the metal duct is suddenly depressurized, and as it collapses slightly, you can get that "drum head" metallic sound. There may not be enough metal straps holding the ductwork to the wood floor joists, or...

April 4, 2020

     Dear Ken: I have a ceiling fan with four bulbs. When a light blew out, I tried to remove it, but the socket turned with it. The bulb is too small to grip inside the tulip globe, and I can't slide the globe off without unscrewing the bulb. Any ideas? Sam   

March 28, 2020

     Dear Ken: My friend has a dimmer that is hot when the lights are on. Is that OK?                Dave  

     All dimmers produce heat when they're energized--especially at lower settings (lights low). Warm is OK, too hot to touch is not. Sometimes the dimmer is overloaded. Add up the total wattage of the light bulbs, then make sure the dimmer max rating is no more than 80% of that value...

March 21, 2020

     Dear readers: I’m indebted to a listener named Barbara for sharing a tip with us on the radio show. She had a shower door with hard water stains that resisted every effort she made with powered cleansers, bleach containing liquid products and plastic scrubbers. You name it. She finally grabbed a magic eraser, and it worked like a charm.

Magic erasers are basically a plastic that in foam form contains millions of microscopic hard-as-glass fine points that grab on to the soil and foreign...

March 14, 2020

     Dear Ken:  I have spilled some wax on my couch. Is there any way to get it off?                             Peter

     Wax is always best handled when it's cold. Dry ice works best here, but it’s become quite hard to find. Big box discount stores used to have it, but I suspect it became a liability issue. You could call...

March 7, 2020 Column

     Dear Ken: What is your opinion of professional air duct cleaning? A local company is guaranteeing that the cleaning will reduce duct leakage to less than 5% and back their word with a 10 yr. performance guarantee. It’s a lot--about $2500. Is this necessary and does this deal sound legit? Our home was built in 1963. Phyllis

February 29, 2020

     Dear Ken: We have a floor drain in the basement and sometimes get a sewer odor through it. Is there some kind of drain we can install to block the smell? Pam

     There is a small, U-shaped pipe under the floor called a 'P' trap that holds a cup of water or so and provides a seal against sewer gases coming into the house. Trouble is, it evaporates in a few days, allowing the odors in. Pour a bottle of mineral oil (available at the grocery store) into the hole. It...

February 22, 2020

    Dear Ken: For the first time ever last year we had fleas at our house. Even our dog got them. Naturally, I don’t want them again this year. I suspect they are coming from rabbits living under our deck. Any relief for this? Janet

     I think there is a possible connection between wild rabbits and a flea infestation. And yes, if your dog lies around on the deck he’ll become a home for them also.

February 15, 2020

     Dear Ken: Help, we have a mouse in the house! We believe it's only one, but he does damage and creeps us out. Please tell us how to snare him before we consider more lethal methods. Debbie

     Just snaring and releasing might allow it to come back into your house or a neighbor's. The traditional spring traps you buy at the grocery store are the most humane, in that they are instantaneous in their effect. Most folks spread a little peanut butter, sticky cheese, or...

February 8, 2020

     Dear Ken: The dryer vent in my house runs into the crawl space. I've gotten several opinions from friends about this. Some say it's good for the house and others say it's not. What do you think? Bob