Household Hints

Toilet flaps are easy to change , just bend the ears around the handles and undo the chain to the flush handle then install a new one the same way. If you want to change the plastic or brass over flow tube assembly then it can be a little difficult. 1 shut off the toilet stop. 2 flush the toilet and hold the flush valve open so it drains most of the water. 3 unscrew the toilet supply nut ( water will spill out from inside the ballcock). 4 vacuum out the tank so its dry and then unscrew the 2 or 3 tank bolts . 5 pull the tank then unscrew the big nut on the over flow. 6 put a bead of silicon on your new toilet over flow rubber gasket then install it and tighten the nut, then do all the steps backwards and when you put your toilet tank bolts back in just for safety put a bead of silicon on your toilet tank bolt rubber washers and you shouldn't have any problems with any leaks.

"No. Most people say it actually ATTRACTS bugs" That is a simple answer, but the useful answer is more complex. Basically though, the device does work, but only in a limited area. For instance, in a part of your home where there is no wiring, the bugs might find a nice place to hide, thought of course the manufacturer claims, without much evidence, that it covers one whole level of a house. It apparently sends out a signal/sound that bugs cannot tolerate. You can imagine how that doesn't really cover all the bases. If it were me, I would put them in the kitchen and dining areas where food is, so they won't hang-around anything to eat, and forget trying to cover every other square inch. I wonder though, as the device wears out over time, does the frequency of the sound/signal change, and actually do what that one post above suggests, attract bugs?

4,000 cubic inches = about 2.315 cubic feet.

a screw driver and hammer-be careful not to scratch the tile or a chisel or putty knife and a hammer- test it out and see what works best for you- you can also just remove half of it and re caulk to make it look clean

Very difficult - try a vacuum cleaner first. However I suspect the carpet will be ruined - do you have household insurance - you may be able to get a replacement carpet.

Tubs usually do not have shut off valve for them. You have to shut off the main supply. Depending on how the house is plumbed, you may be able to shut the cold supply to the water heater and that will shut off both the hot and cold or the main line where it comes into the house.

It can help, but only to a point. The better alternative is to insulate the problem pipe or use a "heat tape." If there is a vanity or kitchen cabinet you may consider rerouting the hot and cold lines into a heated area within the vanity or cabinet.

The best way to clean your LCD screen is using a cleaner recommended by the manufacture But, the cleaner is expensive and you can make your own. It is a mixture of 50% Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol (no less than 80%,) and 50% DISTILLED Water. Place this mixture into a spray bottle (empty glass cleaner works great) that will spray a fine mist. Using a soft, lint free cloth (NO PAPER TOWELS) spray mixture on the cloth. Wipe screen in a circular motion with gentle even pressure, do not press to hard. If cloth is to wet, and the screen seems to be streaking, you can go back over screen with a dry cloth. I use amicrofiber cloth, the kind that are for cleaning eye glasses.

*NOTE : Please do not use tap water as it contains minerals that may scratch your screen.

Take it apart! Open it and take out first the battery, then all the other parts that can be removed. Wrap all parts except the battery in soft cloths (can be put in socks) and put them in a warm place (eg. hot press, radiator). battery should be kept in a room temperature. The phone should dry up and come back within a couple of days. I rescued mine twice that way when it fell in the loo.

Remove the trap. Firstly, make sure you have a trap. The trap actually stops odors from coming back up the sink into the room by trapping a small amount of water thus blocking gases from coming up through the pipe. IF you DO have a trap, you should disconnect it and make sure it doesn't have some harsh - gross - items trapped in it thus causing the odor.

You can purchase a good broom at any reputable hardware shop/store, however you may want to look into purchasing one from a professional janitorial supply company. Not only will they have a wider selection, but have the ability to special order any broom you want in some, if not most, cases.

Around 20 litres maybe more

When you've got a water leak at home, it can make a huge mess. The best way to clean it up is going to depend on exactly how big a mess you've got.

The first priority in any water damage situation is your health. Period. After that, take a look at your property. So if the water is contaminated water, do not try to clean anything without taking proper sanitary precautions (rubber gloves, breathing mask, etc.) If it is a black water source, don't even touch it, and call an expert in biohazard treatment and cleanup.

It is definitely a judgment call if it's clean water - it depends what you feel up to trying and what equipment you have access to. The most important thing is to get stuff dry ASAP, before mold starts to grow in the damp materials. It is not enough to let it dry out on its own, unless it will be completely dry within a day.

Water Damage Restoration professionals have the right equipment for the most thorough water extraction as well as drying equipment.

See the Related Links to the left for the answer. Some concrete testing labs have used it to get the dried cement off of their tools.

Towels absorb water because the threading on the towel is very porous. Water "likes" to "hug" porous surfaces. But when the porous surface is already occupied with water, no more can be absorbed. Your problem with the non absorbing towel can also come from a dirty towel with an ingredient absorbed into the fibers that repels water, like wax or oil. Try cleaning the towel with alcohol or any substance that can break down lipids.

Several conditions contribute. Distance your shower stall is from the hot water heater. Type and age and size of pipe to your shower stall from your hot water heater and climate. Cold weather climate tends to cool the static water in the pipes while waiting to be turned on. Old pipes have a build up of rust / minerals inside slowing the normal flow. Distance, well it takes a while for the hot water to leave the tank and get to the faucet especially if the other two factors are involved.

If you can, insulate the pipes. This will help save energy and keep the water in the pipes hotter longer. If the water still takes an unacceptable time to warm up (Assuming you're only running the hot water to warm it up) you can buy a circulation pump that circulates water from the hot line to the water heater through the cold line. This means that you'll have hot water at the hot tap immediatly. (Actually, the circ pumps I've ssen for this job are usually timed) The down side is you'll also have hot water on the cold faucet too! If you can install a return line (basically another cold water line connected at the inlet to the water heater) the pump idea will work very well.

Turn on the hot water to the lav. and or tub. Then shut off faucet when water gets hot. It only takes a few seconds to do this. Then your shower will have hot water very fast.

The pressure reading of a hot water tank will also contribute to this problem. If the pressure is low and if distance is a problem this could equate for the long time for it to arrive. However, nowadays because of technology, most hot water tanks are made to the maximum pressure rating (600kpa) thus solving this problem. The idea above about opening a bath tap first is also a good idea.

I don't know if you are looking for any specific person, but if your question is why should you leave the shower curtain on the inside of the tub, the answer is simple. If you leave the shower curtain on the outside of the tub and take a shower, the water that runs down the curtain will be on the floor outside of the tub and you will have a mess to clean up. But if the curtain is on the inside of the tub, the water just runs out of the tub and thee is no mess to clean up.

Conrad Hilton said it.

1. Check the aerator for obstructons.

2. Check to see the washer inside has not come loose and is jamming where the water comes out.

3. Check to see that the stop or shut off valve is open.

4. Check there is no air in the water pipes.

5. Check to see that no rust particles are jamming under the washer where the

water comes out (only if you have galvanised piping).

If the flood water was from an actual flood, check with Red Cross, you may need to remove the carpeting. Some bacteria cannot be cleaned out of a carpet after a flood. If the flood was from internal pipes, it is probably an alkaline based stain. www.fabriclink.com/carpet/carpetstain.html can be a helpful site.

It depends on your system. If your on city water you should be able to pull off the airaters on the sinks and open up all your fixtures until the air is out. If your on a well you could try the same thing. If it doesen't work on a well it could be that your well pump isn't filling your tank as fast as your booster pump is suplying your lines while your using your water. This can create a vortex in your tank that will suck air into the pump.

I actually had the same problem and I did the one about turning off the water main, opening up all the faucets etc and it really worked! If I were you I would try this before calling that plumber. It is a great way to resolve having air in your water lines!!! Thanks again.

I've seen a lot of questions about air in the water lines but not many answers.

I went on vacation for about a week, and when I came back, I noticed some sputtering of air, mostly on the hot water side. This trick worked for me, hopefully it helps you too:

I turned off the water main (outside) and opened ALL of the faucets (hot and cold knobs on full) in the house (sinks, tubs) and flushed the toilets. Ok, so flushing is probably overkill.

I then turned on the water main and let each faucet run until I didn't hear any sputtering/bubbling/etc. Before turning them all the way off, I let just the hot water run for a little bit longer, and there was still some more air in that side. Once it seemed the air was "cleared", I turned off all the faucets.

Haven't had any sputtering since.

Good luck!

Had the same problem; turned off main and turned on all faucets and voided all the water. Kept faucets open and turned main on to clear out the air. Water flowed well after that.

yes it does stretch but not very much. if u want a stretch material you're better off with lycra or spandex

A table top compost bin does not sound like a very good idea unless the table is located outside. Compost involves the fermentation and decay of organic material and that usually produces some unpleasant odors, although when the bin is outside, the odor of a healthy bin is not objectionable. You may be thinking of a worm compost bin. These can be kept in the kitchen and should not be smelly. You can find these at many Garden centers or online. I got mine from gardensalive.com