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. One other idea is to replace the plastic cover plate under the dimmer knob with a metal variety. That will help radiate heat out into the room.
Dear Ken: Our finished basement is about 10 degrees colder than the rest of the house. What would be the most cost effective way to warm it up? Maybe a door at the bottom of the stairs? Suzanne
Frankly, I have the same trouble at my house. Heat naturally rises to the higher level, and cooler air descends the stairs to replace it. First, I hope you have a cold return air register in the basement; this is a must for proper circulation. If not, it's usually easy to add one by cutting a hole in the side of the furnace into which you attach a flex duct. The other end of the duct is a floor level grille in one of the basement walls. This arrangement will draw air from the warm registers across the room as it returns to the furnace. One safety concern here--the outlet must terminate in a room other than the furnace room. A heating contractor can help you figure out the best configuration.
Yes, a door at the bottom of the stairs is a good idea to keep that warm air in place. You might want to add a spring hinge to it to ensure that it is always closed.
Dear Ken: The windows on our year old home sweat and frost over. The moisture is starting to discolor the oak window sills. We run a couple of humidifiers. Are they responsible? Is it the cheap windows? And how do we treat the window sills? Cathy
You might consider a whole house humidifier rather than the smaller ones you use now. The individual "cold steam" units are hard to regulate, since they are simply "on" or "off"--with nothing in between. Your windows are probably OK, but your window coverings may be at fault. They trap a layer of cold air next to the glass that readily condenses the more humid room air. So on the coldest nights raise them up an inch or so off the sill.
A humidifier attached to your furnace comes with an adjustable control that lets you set the humidification according to the outdoor temperature. Choose a brand that dribbles water over a mesh screen (no moving parts) and make sure it's installed on the side of--and not over--the furnace
One of the retail store cleaner and restorer products will renew the water- stained wood. Check out Scotts Liquid Gold, Minwax or Rejuvenator products.
Dear Ken: I'm looking for a refrigerator for a rental unit. The one in there now freezes the meat and vegetables no matter how low the control is set. Is there anything else causing a freeze-up? Vickie
The temperature sensing bulb or the control itself may be at fault; this is pretty common in older models. Unless the fridge is newer, it's usually not worth the service call and parts to replace them. This is the one appliance that makes sense buying used, since compressors--the expensive part--last virtually a lifetime. You should be able to find a good specimen for about $300 (delivered). Look for a used appliance dealer who will give you at least a full 90-day warranty.
Dear Ken: I'm taping and sanding the drywall in a basement bedroom I’m finishing, and getting ready to texture. I tried one small area with a rented gun, and it was very messy and didn't get much texture on the wall. Can I roll some on? Rich
This is one of those jobs that is more of an art than a science. You probably didn't dilute the mixture enough when you mixed it up. Also, the nozzle on the gun may be dirty, defective or the wrong type. The average guy like you and me doesn't do this enough to get it right--so I'd go to a new home project around quitting time and wave some cash around until you find a finisher who'll come over and apply texture to the walls
Otherwise, you can, indeed, roll on some materiel--although this, too, requires mixing up the stuff in just the right proportions. Look for texturizing rollers at the paint store.
Dear Ken: I'm finishing a bathroom in the basement of my 20 year old home. A friend asked me if the drain to the bath tub was vented or not. I'm not sure. I have toilet and lavatory pipes about 4 feet away. Is that all I need? Mike
Three piece bath piping under basement floors are almost always single-vented through a 2- inch pipe that runs up through the roof. By tying all three fixtures together in a prescribed manner, the fixtures "wet vent" each other, that is they share a common venting system. Also, the local building authorities are scrupulous about checking this arrangement, since once the concrete is poured, it's hidden forever. No worries.
