Maintenance & Repairs - December 2007

I'm new at this and haven't been clear, sorry
so, here goes. For 8 years all was fine at home, recently hot water began coming from the cold water tap in the upstairs bathroom sink, there are two handles (hot & cold). We haven't changed any plumbing in the house. The hot comes out for about the first ten seconds then it goes back to cold. The toilet has one shut off valve and the water in the bowl is warm, always has been and the previous owner told me it is that way to keep the tank from sweating. We located one mixing valve, took a close up pic. and brought it to the plumbing supply, they told us they never saw that type, we did not change it. What could be wrong?

2007-12-18 12:02:57 · 5 answers · asked by arlenet 2

What tool is the best to cut a straight line of a door? (length)

2007-12-18 11:32:52 · 7 answers · asked by Kevin K. 1

Basically, I'm looking for a way to get rid of a box of black powder and ammunition that we have had in our home for quite awhile. They are stored in dark, cool places right now and are not at risk of igniting, but we prefer to get rid of them to avoid the risk of setting them off later. Any ideas?

2007-12-18 11:03:50 · 6 answers · asked by fishman624 3

We have a Chamberlain garage door opener. It and the garage door itself seem to be in good shape and we never have a problem with it in the Summer. However, in the Winter we always seem to have some kind of a problem with it. I can see why it would not always want to go down very well. Snow/ice in front of the sensor trac is often to blame. But what would cause it to not want to go up very well? We have to hit the remote (or inside switch) repeatedly and almost force it up that way. Why? Again... this only happens in the Winter. It's about 35 degrees right now too... not super cold.

2007-12-18 10:35:12 · 7 answers · asked by ? 5

we are renting a house that has been all redone...the bathroom paint is starting to peal in several areas and there is a slight mold starting to develop....there is no vent in the bathroom...could this be the problem? What is causing this?

2007-12-18 10:35:12 · 10 answers · asked by Tina R 1

I have been doing maintenance/renovation for a property management company for 6years. i want to go out on my own now. I do painting,light plumbing like replacing/repairing faucets,shutoff valves,toilets,shower controls (anything more like pipework or going into walls i do not do.) I do light electrical like replacing broken light switchs ,outlets , installing range hood covers, light fixtures ,ceiling fans. I also do light drywall repair, holes from tenants/doors water damage, nothing that was ever bigger than 4ft x 4ft. Installing shower doors and fiberglass shower surrounds. towel bars and all kitchen and bath accesories of that nature. Bedroom sliding closet doors, patio sliding screen doors. I dont want to keep listing all the little stuff i do so i hope thats enuff.

I do not do linoneum,carpet,or laminate floors. I pretty much get the rental back up to standard for next tenant. Anything major i call a specialty contractor.

2007-12-18 10:07:17 · 4 answers · asked by badkittykkr 1

I had a plumber come to my house to fix two toilets ( attach it properly to the floor). 6 hours after he left we noticed water on the bathroom floor. I turned out that the overflow piece that is supposed to be lower than the handle to flush the toilet was higher and the water started espaping through the opening for the handle. Today we noticed 2 wet stains on the garage ceiling ( bathroom is over the garage). One stain was about 10-12 inches in diameter.
I have a couple of questions:
1. What should I do about the stains? Is it enough just to dry the surface of the ceiling ( the toilet is not leaking anymore)? What about any moisture trapped between the bathroom floor and the garage ceiling? Is there a risk of mold growing in that area? Do I need to remove a piece of the ceiling and dry the space between the floor and the ceiling?
2. Should I ask for my money back from the plumber? He said the problem existed before he came but in that case how come it never leaked before?

2007-12-18 09:51:00 · 10 answers · asked by Jennifer B 2

2007-12-18 09:40:11 · 2 answers · asked by Anonymous

2007-12-18 09:22:47 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous

i for some reason got mice in the house.i think its because of the cold weather outside.so i got some traps,you know the ones that will almost take your finger off.well i put peanut butter on them and they cleaned em right off without setting off the traps,GRRR!!i set them off to see if they were sensitive and they were.should i glue something to them,got any good ideas.i dont want to use de-con cause they will just die in the house and smell it up.there must be a way to fasten something to the trigger to make them set it off.

2007-12-18 09:01:15 · 7 answers · asked by mr. y 5

My house is very old, and is to humid, and in winter feel worst, is hard to keep warm what I can do?

2007-12-18 07:34:04 · 5 answers · asked by Cd.Juarez 2

I cracked my Mr. Coffee Maker carafe. It's still in tact so I'm wondering how to repair it. Any ideas?

2007-12-18 07:19:24 · 6 answers · asked by suedapooh 2

2007-12-18 06:46:47 · 3 answers · asked by andi 2

My main water shut-off valve to the house has gotten very corroded and is extremely hard to operate.

Someone suggested that I have a "ball valve" installed to replace the old valve. Supposedly, the ball valve will last a lot longer, etc.

Dpes anyone have an opinion about using a ball valve in this type application? All replies will be appreciated.

2007-12-18 06:27:44 · 7 answers · asked by iheartny 2

2007-12-18 05:31:23 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous

How much would it cost to pay someone to install it? And I'm not finding too many ads in Utah for companies that specialize in hood installation, any suggestions on companies or types of companies that would be able to do this?

2007-12-18 05:23:55 · 3 answers · asked by Matt H 1

I have a squeaky floor in my bedroom and I tried to screw it down to the stud. but apparenlty I cant allocate the stud properly. I was using the rule of 9" from the wall, then 16" between each stud... apparently it didnt work. I appreciate your help

2007-12-18 04:52:57 · 5 answers · asked by M R 2

hi people? i just woke up to find out that there was no power in some of my rooms in the house. No lights or outlets are working upstairs (when i plugged my cell phone charger it kept turning on and off) The furnace thermostat is on and says it's running but no heat is blowing. so the furnace is kind of DEAD right now. Washer works but the dryer seems like it needs more power to run and making weird noise.. the stove in the kitchen doesn't work, but the microwave works. lights and outlets are working in downstairs. how could this have happened? there are couple of construction sites right next to my door. could those idiots have done this to my house? i'm really worried since there's no heat. and the temperature keeps dropping. i live in Colorado so it's cold. :( i called XCEL ENERGY and reported it. but don't know when they'll come.

2007-12-18 04:23:05 · 5 answers · asked by Eko M 1

I live out in the country and have a water well. A few months ago I started having problems with water pressure in my house. Now I have dirt coming out of the faucets in the house. What could be causing this and more importantly, how can I fix it? This just started yesterday. I have never delt with fixing water well problems before so I am totally dumb about them. I do know that the water well is about 15 years old. I will use any help I can get.

2007-12-18 04:01:30 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous

I have a gas boiler, which was found to be not sealed from the lug nuts at the top on the inside of the boiler. There was a layer of dust inside the boiler on the top covering. I have a strong smell of unburnt fumes coming into my living area. Can someone possibly suggest what if anything is going on with the boiler? I have done a test with a candle as I know that CO2 will not support combustion, but the candle stays lit. Any suggestions as to what my next step should be?

2007-12-18 03:55:14 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous

I turn off my stopcock to fix a leaky water tank, but when I turn it back on the water supply does not come back on any ideas how to fix before i get a pluber out?

2007-12-18 02:38:16 · 1 answers · asked by Anonymous

2007-12-18 02:23:40 · 1 answers · asked by jstoya 1

The walls are made of concrete, but the insert does not go in all the way. i would need to remove the walls to make it function properly. is this even possible to do without makeing the chimney cave in?

2007-12-18 00:17:00 · 4 answers · asked by splatterdraven 2

What is the general term for this and what is the best way to fix it?

It happens every now and then when i open the back of an electrical appliance to repair something, Then upon reattaching it, you find that some screws won't tighten up.

I don't know if this is wear and tear of the screws, or just misalignment.

2007-12-17 23:01:18 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous

2007-12-17 21:38:47 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous

Suppose you have to service a fluorescent light fixture in an office. However, you can't turn off the circut as that would shut down power to other areas of the office, which people don't want to happen. Could you do things such as replacing the ballast or a cracked socket. I would imagine that you couldn't do this. If I'm right, how could someone repair a fluorescent light fixture of the kind you find in offices and buildings. Is there a way to unplug it like you can with the ones you commonly find in people's basements?

2007-12-17 18:22:32 · 10 answers · asked by Ofmettle 1

Besides the fact that I can experience lower gas bills that is...I wrapped my heater, and I am told that the water in the faucets seem to get hot more quickly..but how can that be, if the water heater has a thermostat? shouldn't affect that correct? TIA!

2007-12-17 18:03:31 · 4 answers · asked by sfmike04 2

Ok,I have a water heater (runs off kerosene) that seems to need reseting almost daily. I had the oil company send a guy over and replace a part Monday. I had hot water for about 5-6 hours then it was back to being warm at best. I went down in the basement and hit the reset button on the water heater and everything was ok again. By the time this is read I'll probably be making my way down cellar to reset it again. Any ideas what could be causing this pain in the *** issue?

2007-12-17 17:56:49 · 3 answers · asked by boywondr25 1

my toilet has no pressure when i flush, i was thinking that the top of the back is gone, it cracked and i threw it out. but is this why there is no pressure in my toilet now when i flush?

2007-12-17 16:46:06 · 8 answers · asked by gretz 1

what could cause rust? i always clean it. Could it be because I live close to the beach? What can i do to prevent it?

2007-12-17 16:36:43 · 7 answers · asked by faab_316 1