When Will The Plumbing Air Gap Leak Under The Sink?
I had a customer call me asking about an air gap that leaks. He was trying to diagnose the problem and was haphazardly checking under the sink every now-and-then. So he called to learn a little about his dilemma. The air gap sits on top of your counter-top. Underneath the counter is where the magic […]
Symptoms of a Broken Shower Cartridge
How are you supposed to know when a shower cartridge is broken? When the shower’s water flow doesn’t operate like you want it to. A shower cartridge sits in the valve behind the wall. Think of it as the maestro during an orchestra. It controls the flow of both hot and cold to give you […]
Toilet Floor Plate Hides Problems
If you have ever replaced a toilet with a smaller toilet, you may have some challenges. Particularly if your new toilet has a smaller footprint. That is to say that the toilet you are installing doesn’t cover the area that your old toilet covered. If you’ve ever removed an old toilet, you know that the […]
Actual Swamp Cooler Energy Costs vs. Air Conditioning
Although I’m not a big fan of my power company, they do provide me with some good information about my swamp cooler, and energy use in general. NV Energy has an online feature that allows you to get your actual energy costs in 15 minute increments. The information is very telling. The picture above is […]
Swamp Cooler Pad Not Getting Wet
Swamp Cooler Maintenance in Las Vegas A Swamp cooler needs an occasional once-over. The biggest indicator is if the swamp cooler is not blowing cool air (assuming it’s not really humid outside). If the cooler is blowing air but it isn’t cold, that would suggest that the pads are not getting wet. Remove a panel […]
Handyman Tip for Replacing Light Bulbs in High Ceilings
Here is an easy handyman job for any beginner. Assuming you aren’t afraid of heights, sure you could climb a ladder to reach the bulbs. But what if the bulbs are crazy high? I guess it really depends on where the bulbs are located in relation to the walls. Lots of people have extension ladders […]
How to Remove the Plug from Garbage Disposal
A very common oversight when installing a garbage disposal is forgetting to remove the knock-out plug from the side of the unit. The purpose of the plug is to create a watertight seal in the event you don’t have a dishwasher. If you have a dishwasher, the drain line connects to an air gap and […]
Handyman, Is Wood or Metal Better for Closet Rods?
The Classic Handyman Job: A Closet Rod Falling Down The closet rod gets loaded up with far more weight than it is designed for and the homeowner wonders why it fell down. So the question of which is better, metal or wood, doesn’t have as much to do with the material as it does with […]
Toilet Paper Holder is Loose?
How to Fix a Loose Toilet Paper Holder A loose toilet paper holder in your bathroom can be a real nuisance. It eventually will fall apart and someone will just stick the toilet paper on one of the arms sticking out from the wall. It is usually the case that one of the arms is […]
Shower Diverter Replaced Now Leaking Downstairs
When someone says they just installed a new shower diverter, but now they have a leak downstairs, that is a pretty good indication that the diverter installation didn’t go so well. If you were to remove the tub spout diverter you would likely see just a bare pipe (although some are screwed onto threads). With […]