Real Estate For Sale In South West Florida

Four Fix Its in Faucet Maintenance


Faucets dont go out very often, but when they do its a mess. If youre a home owner expect to have a few leaky faucets to fix in your house. Theres no need to panic over the water spraying in your home, just get busy and find the problem and fix it. Most indoor plumbing disasters have an easy solution. Read on about a few leaky issues you might run in to, and how to fix or prevent them from happening.

Here is a handy tips list for some common everyday solutions to your plumbing problems.

1. Kitchen Leaky Pipe Joints. Your kitchen gets as much use as your bathroom, in fact maybe even more use than you realize. Joints in faucets can spring a leak that are either slow leaks or fast quick ones that can leave your face and shirt a mess. To fix a leaky pipe joint is not a problem. All you have to do is to turn the water valve off that goes to the sink. Take out your joint and hold it up to a bright light. Check for the cracks or holes in the joint line. When you find it replace the line thats cracked. On the open end thats exposed wrap the line with plumbers tape, or any type of Teflon tape will do. Wrap the line about 4 5 times with a firm grip. You need a firm grip because youll want the tape to get inside the groups of threads in the joint line. After wrapping just pull the tape off at an angle. Theres no need for scissors. Next put it all back together and hook up the faucet. Turn the water valve back on to the kitchen sink. If its still leaking then turn the water off at the main valve, and repeat the steps by adding more tape. Reconnect and see if it sprays again. If its still spraying take it apart and remove the tape. Double check your line for more holes and the fitting too. Rewrap and put it back on. Thats it, youre done.
2. Finding Frozen Water Pipes. Theres nothing more maddening than to wake up and your water pipe is frozen. The solution to finding which one is the tricky part, but it can be found and fixed. Youll just need a little patience and a warm coat. Remember not all of your pipes have to freeze it can be only one pipe in the myriad of many pipes of your house. So the first thing is to identify how many are frozen. Turn on every water supply to the inside of the house. Look for ones that are not producing water. Next turn off the ones that work, and leave the valve open on the ones that dont. After this turn off the main water valve that brings water into the house, make sure to turn off the main because the only thing stopping the water from coming through is a packed tight ice plug in the line. Youre now readying to thaw your pipe.
3. Thawing out Frozen Pipes. Before crawling under the house examine what type of pipe thats under your house. Your lines are one of two types under your house; they are either a metal alloy or made of plastic. A hand held hair dryer or a heat gun should be used to thaw them out. Be careful not to over heat your line made of plastic, it can melt them. Be sure to take along an extension cord, hair dryer, plumbing tools, hanging flash light, rags, and a pan or a bucket. Also you might need to replace a line so check the size of the line before going under the house. It could be that an ice plug has formed because of a hole or split in the line. Repair the line if needed. If a pipe that is interior and copper, tie off two in two places, one in front of and back of the leaky joint, and heat with a swishing motion. This should take no more that 5 min. Turn the main water supply line back on to the house and check for leaks. If your pipe is on an outside wall, or one that comes through the floor and connects to a sink, open the cabinet and leave a heater on. You should have unfrozen the clog.
4. Preventing Frozen Pipes. There are several things that you can do. If your pipes are always freezing every winter then you can line them up with a heated pipe space, or you can install new insulation where the pipes run. Also consider wrapping any of the pipes with insulation or wrapping the lines with a heat tape. All of these products can be purchased at your local home improvement or hardware store.

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Ten Easy Tips for Installing a Ceiling Fan


You may be a do it yourself (DIY) expert, having installed countless ceiling fans in numerous homesboth yours and those of various family and friends. However, even though you have the basics down, every DIYer knows: theres always another trick out there to make the process a little easier. So although the following is not an exact step-by-step guide to installing a ceiling fan, this should give you a few hints to make the process a breeze!

1. When buying, remember that not all fans were created alike. In addition to price and style, some other factors to consider when buying your fan are:
Motor: more inexpensive fans often have an outer covering of thin metal, which increases the likelihood of rattles, clicks, hums, or buzzes during operation. Since many fans are installed in bedrooms, this can become an important consideration
Blades: Blade pitch can determine how effectively air is movedan optimum pitch is 14 degrees. Also ensure that blades are balanced to avoid wobble.
Lighting: As in any other lighting situation, keep in mind lighting that is appropriate to the rooms size and function.
Room size: Not surprisingly, fans and rooms both vary in size. Make sure they vary accordingly in your house! Fans usually come in seven sizes, ranging from 32" to 56" blade spans. Come to the store armed with room measurements and speak with a lighting representative.
Mounting: For best results, fan blades need to be a minimum of seven feet above the floor, and have 12" clearance below the ceiling. For lower ceilings, choose a close or low-ceiling mount fan. With higher ceilings, you can purchase a standard or angled mount with an extension down rod.
Bonus! For maximum effect, purchase a reversible fan that helps cool you in the summer and pushes warm air down from the ceiling in the winter to keep you comfortable year round.
2. Make a list and check it twice. At the most basic level, youll need the ceiling fan/light kit, screwdrivers, wire strippers, a circuit tester, pliers, and step ladder. If you need to replace the ceiling box, youll also need a new ceiling box, a hammer, and a drywall saw. Run through the installation process in your mind before actually picking up a tool to ensure that you have all the necessary componentsnothing is more frustrating than being stuck on a step ladder, holding up the ceiling fan, and realizing the tool you need is tucked away in the toolbox in the basement!
3. Inventory the fan as you unpack. As you take the fan out of its box, give yourself plenty of room to inventory the multitude of pieces and parts. Then lay the parts out in order of installation. This way, youll be confident that you have all the parts before you start, and youll be able to move smoothly from one step to the next.
4. Turn off the electricity! You already know this, but its always worth mentioning. Turn off power to the lights circuit breaker or fuse. Ensure the circuit is truly dead by checking with a high-voltage neon tester. If youre working at night, a flashlight might be handy at this point.
5. Mounting the box: Always use a metal junction boxnot plastic. Another item to keep in mind when mounting the box is that theres several ways to mount it, depending on whether the box is next to a joist, in-between joists, or being mounted on a beamed ceiling. If no fixture was in the room previously, find the center of the room by snapping chalk lines diagonally between opposite corners. Also, the mounting must be able to withstand vibration, as even the most balanced fans cause some level of vibration when running.
6. Assemble. This step varies from one manufacturer to the next. Pay close attention to the specific instruction for your fan brand and style. However, keep in mind that if there is less than a screwdrivers length between the blade and the ceiling, it might be easier to install the blades before hanging the fan. When you are finished, again check all screws for tightness.
7. Hang fan for wiring. Install the hanger hook or attach the ceiling plate to the fan box, whichever is appropriate for your fan model. If attaching a hanger bracket, but sure to use a lock washer, which will help prevent the fans vibration from loosening screws in the future.
8. Wiring the fan. To facilitate the wiring process, swag kits can make installation easier than ever. To improve ease of use once the fan is installed, you can also wire the ceiling fan through a fan speed control. Always electrically ground the fan to both the metal box and itself, using the grounding wires (typically either green or bare copper).
9. Let there be light! Install the light kit and controls you have chosen. This step typically varies according to individual models. However, in general the wires are provided with plug-in connectors. Be sure to tighten everything securely. Install the globe(s) and the light bulb(s).
10. Troubleshooting wobbles. Fan wobbles can range in severity from a minor irritation to a seriously hazardous situation. If you notice your fan wobbling, the first step is to take off the blades and examine them. Look for bent or misshapen blades. If you dont see any obvious deformities, weigh them to determine if one is lighter or heavier than the rest. If one is underweight, affix a soft object such as an eraser to the middle on the top and see if that resolves the problem. For wobbles that are still unexplained, fan balancing kits with detailed instructions are also available.

Youre finished! Pat yourself on the back and enjoy the delightful breeze from your new ceiling fan.