most recent 30 from http://sinkoverflow.net 2010-03-11T13:08:45Z http://sinkoverflow.net/feeds http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/rdf http://sinkoverflow.net/questions/59/furnace-not-igniting-what-can-i-check Steve 2010-02-10T20:19:26Z 2010-03-10T22:26:30Z

<p>My furnace isn't working 100%. Sometimes it works fine, but occasionally (every few days) it doesn't ignite. </p> <p>I find the house cold, and the furnace vent blower running (not the main fan but the smaller fan inside the door), and I can see the igniter glowing through the little window that looks into the furnace, but sometimes the pilot light (the small flame that starts before the main flame) doesn't light.</p> <p>What should I check?</p>

http://sinkoverflow.net/questions/47/my-fridge-compressor-is-running-all-the-time-but-stuff-in-the-freezer-is-melting stevex 2009-12-01T14:46:40Z 2010-03-10T03:25:32Z

<p>My fridge isn't that old, but it's out of warranty and giving me trouble.</p> <p>The compressor usually cycles on and off, but for the last week or so it seems like it's been running all the time, and meanwhile, the fridge isn't staying cold. Ice in the freezer seems solid but has a rounded look to it like it's melted a bit and then frozen again.</p> <p>What should I check?</p>

http://sinkoverflow.net/questions/13/vinegar-for-cleaning-windows Silke 2009-10-19T00:30:24Z 2010-03-10T01:27:42Z

<p>Do you use vinegar to clean your windows? I've been doing this for years, but never lived in the same home for many years, and recently someone told me that the vinegar would corrode the window seals. </p> <p>I don't use commercial cleaners because I let my toddlers help me clean and I'm more comfortable with them spraying vinegar.</p>

http://sinkoverflow.net/questions/8/how-can-i-tell-if-the-flue-is-open stevex 2009-10-19T00:15:24Z 2010-03-09T16:25:17Z

<p>Moved into a house with a fireplace. There is a knob on the outside for the flue that I can move, but the way the furnace is built, I can't see flue itself so I don't know which way is open or closed.</p>

http://sinkoverflow.net/questions/42/remove-leaves-from-a-large-lawn stevex 2009-10-24T20:09:55Z 2010-03-09T08:29:32Z

<p>We just moved into a house that's got a pretty large lawn and a number of trees. The trees have decorated the lawn and we're wondering what's a good way of getting rid of the leaves.</p> <p>I don't have a riding mower yet - I'm planning to get one in the spring - so anything that involves mulching them with the mower or anything like that is not possible.</p> <p>I'm thinking of renting a leaf blower and blowing them into piles, and then gathering them up from there into bags to haul to the front. Just wondering if there's a better way.</p>

http://sinkoverflow.net/questions/9/why-would-my-laundry-sink-overflow stevex 2009-10-19T00:16:45Z 2010-03-08T06:25:56Z

<p>I have a sink next to my laundry machines. One day a few days ago, it overflowed and dumped a good amount of water on the floor. Seems like it happened in the middle of the night. What could have caused this?</p>

http://sinkoverflow.net/questions/40/getting-rid-of-the-plastic-smell-in-my-coffee-drip-filter Evan 2009-10-23T04:15:58Z 2010-03-06T04:24:50Z

<p>I bought an electric drip coffee brewer, and have found that it imbues the water passed through it with a plasticy taste and smell. (Unfortunately discovered this <em>after</em> throwing the receipt out.)</p> <p>I've tried just boiling water through it several times, but it hasn't had any noticeable effect.</p> <p>Can anything be done about it, or am I better off cutting my losses and buying a better one?</p> <p>UPDATE: Tried running vinegar through it, and it seemed to reduce the issue, but not eliminate it altogether. I might try it again and if that doesn't do the trick, time for a better coffee maker.</p>

http://sinkoverflow.net/questions/50/does-not-using-the-water-softener-hurt-the-water-heater jackfrost 2009-12-22T01:35:35Z 2010-03-05T18:39:48Z

<p>I stopped using our water softener because it was leaking and not working properly, several years ago. Then the other day someone told me it could lead to the water heater deteriorating.</p> <p>FWIW, we have city water and I didn't really see a need for the softener in the first place, because we have no stains, no problems in the shower, no bad taste, etc...</p>

http://sinkoverflow.net/questions/45/honeywell-visionpro-thermostat-auto-setting-missing stevex 2009-11-20T15:50:05Z 2010-02-26T20:25:15Z

<p>I just had a Honeywell UtilityPRO (which is basically the utility version of the VisionPRO) thermostat installed. The manual says I should be able to set the System to Auto, which means it will automatically use the air conditioner when it's too hot and the furnace when it's too cold.</p> <p>But tapping System on the screen doesn't give me the Auto option. Why not? How can I set it to Auto?</p>

http://sinkoverflow.net/questions/25/should-i-seed-my-lawn-in-fall-or-spring Mike 2009-10-21T14:19:11Z 2010-02-26T04:28:32Z

<p>When is it better to seed your lawn? Spring or fall?</p>

http://sinkoverflow.net/questions/24/condensation-on-windows Mike 2009-10-21T14:15:57Z 2010-02-26T04:26:19Z

<p>Is there a way to cut down on the condesation that forms on windows when it is warm inside and cold outside?</p>

http://sinkoverflow.net/questions/54/dishwasher-question Adrienne 2010-01-11T23:48:13Z 2010-02-26T04:23:22Z

<p>Hello: Could someone please tell me how to clear a very slow draining dishwasher? I tried to take the centre element off but was unable to do so. Are there any non-toxic dishwasher drain cleaners on the market?... or, other suggestions?</p> <p>Thank you,</p>

http://sinkoverflow.net/questions/36/garage-door-wont-close gmmastros 2009-10-22T15:31:41Z 2010-02-25T20:26:26Z

<p>Recently I started having a problem with my garage door opener. It opens fine, but does not want to close. Pressing the button causes the garage door to start closing, but after a moving a couple inches, it will fully open again.</p> <p>The only way I can get the garage door to close completely is to press and hold the button mounted on the wall inside the garage.</p>

http://sinkoverflow.net/questions/28/can-i-use-my-air-conditioners-drain-for-my-furnace stevex 2009-10-22T12:31:20Z 2010-02-25T17:26:36Z

<p>My air conditioner and furnace both have water they need to drain. </p> <p>Right now there's a small hose running from the furnace into the floor, and a separate hose running from the air conditioner condenser coils to a reservoir on the floor which occasionally pumps out through a hose that runs outside.</p> <p>I think the furnace drain may be blocked. Can I run the furnace hose to the air conditioner's drain?</p>

http://sinkoverflow.net/questions/58/what-home-maintenance-tasks-are-really-essential Jerph 2010-01-19T19:31:22Z 2010-01-19T19:31:22Z

<p>At one time I had an AHS home warranty, but dropped it when I read that they tended to not cover if you failed to perform the smallest maintenance tasks. That said, reading the list of tasks that people got denied for did raise my awareness on a few pieces of maintenance I wasn't doing as consistently as I should.</p> <p>What regular home maintenance tasks are really worth the effort for reduced appliance or structure failures?</p> <p>Please post one suggestion per answer to let people vote up and discuss.</p>

http://sinkoverflow.net/questions/49/how-to-repair-the-valve-which-moves-the-water-from-the-tub-faucet-to-the-shower-h dacracot 2009-12-10T01:43:15Z 2009-12-10T01:43:15Z

<p>Not sure what this thing is called, but it is the stem you pull up on the end of the tub faucet to start the water flow through the shower. This valve no longer stops enough water for the shower to work. Can I repair it? How would I go about it?</p>

http://sinkoverflow.net/questions/43/is-it-ok-to-use-a-fireplace-or-wood-stove-with-cracked-glass stevex 2009-11-03T18:24:43Z 2009-11-03T18:24:43Z

<p>My fireplace (which is kind of built like a wood stove, with a glass door) has a crack in the glass.</p> <p>That glass is expensive! Over $100 per square foot, so over $200 to replace the glass.</p> <p>I'm wondering if it's dangerous to use the fireplace with the cracked glass. It's a wood-burning fireplace.</p>

http://sinkoverflow.net/questions/21/what-should-be-done-to-help-winterize-a-house Mike 2009-10-20T15:51:01Z 2009-10-22T20:55:00Z

<p>I have begun the process of winterizing the house and I am looking a list of tasks to make sure I don't miss anything.</p>

http://sinkoverflow.net/questions/14/what-kind-of-furnace-filter-will-remove-a-musty-smell stevex 2009-10-19T00:36:41Z 2009-10-22T15:22:09Z

<p>Would a media filter (one of the paper-ish ones you slide into the furnace) be enough to remove a musty smell from air going through it? </p> <p>How about an electronic air cleaner?</p> <p>How about a HEPA filter?</p>

http://sinkoverflow.net/questions/7/how-often-should-i-have-my-chimney-cleaned stevex 2009-10-19T00:06:29Z 2009-10-22T15:17:18Z

<p>Is this something I should do every year? Or only when it seems like there's trouble?</p>

http://sinkoverflow.net/questions/16/our-house-is-on-a-well-and-the-water-pressure-isnt-very-good-what-can-we-do stevex 2009-10-19T11:13:56Z 2009-10-22T15:12:56Z

<p>There's a pump in the well that runs to a pressure tank which feeds the house. </p> <p>I moved here from the city and find the water pressure is just nowhere near what I'm used to. Showering with low water pressure is no fun. </p> <p>What do I need to change to get better water pressure? Add a pump after the pressure tank? Bigger/better pump in the well? Different pressure tank?</p>

http://sinkoverflow.net/questions/23/is-any-central-vac-hose-compatible-with-any-central-vac-system stevex 2009-10-20T19:37:57Z 2009-10-20T19:37:57Z

<p>Or do I need to get a hose that matches the system installed in the house?</p>

http://sinkoverflow.net/questions/17/can-a-cracked-heat-exchanger-be-repaired stevex 2009-10-20T12:30:35Z 2009-10-20T12:53:04Z

<p>The secondary heat exchanger on my furnace has a small crack. This is an expensive part - nearly $800 - and the damage seems to be on a plastic part that's screwed to the metal part. The furnace guy says the only option is to replace the whole thing. Is that right?</p>

http://sinkoverflow.net/questions/15/do-enzymes-work-for-clearing-a-slow-drain stevex 2009-10-19T00:42:08Z 2009-10-19T00:42:08Z

<p>I've got a drain in my house that's slow. If I run water in the kitchen for a while, the water will eventually back up and from there, drain very slowly.</p> <p>Enzyme based drain cleaners promise to eat the grease and stuff that's built up over the years and make the drain flow more freely. </p> <p>Does this really work? It sounds like snake oil to me.</p>

http://sinkoverflow.net/questions/12/laneway-cracks-fill-them stevex 2009-10-19T00:28:43Z 2009-10-19T00:28:43Z

<p>I have some pretty big cracks in my laneway. A lot of them are over an inch wide.</p> <p>Is it even worth trying to seal them?</p>

http://sinkoverflow.net/questions/6/will-a-reverse-osmosis-water-filter-remove-sodium stevex 2009-10-19T00:04:58Z 2009-10-19T00:04:58Z

<p>I have a water softener, which leaves my water with a very slight salty taste. The water softener folks say this is normal. Will a reverse osmosis water filter help with the taste of the water?</p>

http://sinkoverflow.net/questions/5/how-do-i-clear-the-pool-skimmer-main-drain-line stevex 2009-10-19T00:02:08Z 2009-10-19T00:02:08Z

<p>I moved into a house with a pool. I've never had a pool before and it's time to close it for the year. I figured out I'm supposed to blow air out of the lines to clear them, but there's one line I haven't been able to clear.</p> <p>There's one line that goes from the pump to the main drain line, and then on to the skimmer. When I blow the shop vac into that line, I eventually see air coming from the drain at the bottom of the pool - as soon as I remove the vac, all the water just flows back into the skimmer from the drain. Not sure what to do to winterize this line.</p>

http://sinkoverflow.net/questions/4/get-rid-of-mouse-smell stevex 2009-10-18T23:55:45Z 2009-10-18T23:55:45Z

<p>There's a spot in the house we just moved into where there were obviously mice at one point. </p> <p>In the basement there is a drop ceiling. I took some tiles out to run network wires, and I saw mouse poop.</p> <p>Above the drop ceiling there is a gap of about 8 inches, then a vapor barrier, some pink insulation, and then the floor above.</p> <p>It looks like mice had gotten in above the vapor barrier and burrowed around in there. Then someone apparently decided that to get rid of the mice they would cut holes in the vapor barrier, put some poison above the drop ceiling, and get rid of the mice that way. </p> <p>I guess it worked, because I haven't seen any signs of mice in the month or so we've been here, but the space between the drop ceiling and the vapor barrier stinks. I think it's just the smell of the insulation that the mice have been living in.</p> <p>I'm trying to decide if I should take out the ceiling, rip off the vapor barrier and replace all the insulation... or just seal it back up by tuck-taping all the breaks in the vapor barrier. Thoughts?</p>

http://sinkoverflow.net/questions/3/why-is-there-water-in-my-furnace stevex 2009-10-18T23:44:47Z 2009-10-18T23:44:47Z

<p>I opened up my furnace, took the door off, after the furnace had been running for a bit, and I see a small puddle of water underneath a fan that looks like it's blowing the exhaust out. I assume this is a bad thing.. what is it?</p>

http://sinkoverflow.net/questions/2/where-is-my-furnace-filter stevex 2009-10-18T23:39:22Z 2009-10-18T23:39:22Z

<p>I can't find a filter in my furnace. I've looked inside the furnace and on the side of the furnace where the cold air return meets the furnace, and there's just no filter there. Do all furnaces have a filter?</p>