Homeowner Forum / Repair / February 2010

Notice
This is an official notice from the United States government.
It has been determined that the battery which powers the Sun is
failing.  This battery must be replaced immediately, or the Sun will

My house, built in 1960, has several wall switches actuated by
rectangular pushbuttons that fit the same switchplates as normal
toggle switches.  One switch is now sticking.
Any idea how I can fix it?

Mother-in-law's built-in oven -- 1970's Maytag -- has a loose top
gasket around the oven door.
I was thinking Permatex's Hi-Temp Red Silcone Sealant would work to
resecure.  Since I've only used this on auto engines, thought I would

How do I adjust a thermostat so that the heat reaches the set temperature?
My Honeywell round thermostat has a bulb with mercury in it and a coil of
metal that seems to control when it makes electrical contact.
When I set the Honeywell bulb thermostat to 68°F, the heat only gets to

Spot the difference,
Actually I don't know if this is a joke or if it's for real,
could be really usefull in certain parts of America, but only if set
underground-

I remember reading a while ago that it costs the washing machine powder
manufacturers more to make the carboard box than it does to make the washing
power inside the box.  In all events having to pay between £4.50 and £6.50
odd for a box weighing 2.4Kg week after week mounts up ...

I bought a fireplace plug (rectangular) from HD to stop air from leaking
in/out.
Unfortunately, when the plug is inflated it has creases along the edges and
is unable to seal tight against the fireplace wall. This is because the plug

Today my friend, figured out how to change my current battery operated
doorbell to a wired doorbell .
There were three sets of wires inside my guest coat closet, in the entry
way.  One set goes to the back door, and one set goes to the front door.

I posted last week about our GE Profile fridge starting to lose its
cooling power.  Well, we decided to order new appliacnes and they are
coming next Friday March 5th.
In the meantime the fridge has some hot spots by the door - where the

I wonder why some company doesn't begin to sell compressed
nitrogen gas in spray cans, complete with a tube as found on many
lubricant cans.  For foods, a blast of Nitrogen into a zip lock
baggie would help keep food from oxidizing, while a blast into a

I really find rudeness and bad manners to be repulsive.  I am asking
this to find out what is more polite.
According to some people, saying the word "Nuts" is a slang and crude
word.  The proper medical term is testicles.

I need to run a wire from the attic (where the A/C and heating units
will be) to the location of the thermostat on the first floor. I don't
know specifically what I'll have in the attic and what thermostat I'll
have.

every 12 feet, 6 foot cord, blah, blah....
I have a 19 foot wall that has has left to right:
1. 1' of wall
2. 3' feet of door

As part of a remodeling project, I installed a brand new stainless
steel sink a few weeks ago. The model number is Kohler K-3145,
Cadence, Self-Rimming Kitchen Sink.
http://www.us.kohler.com/onlinecatalog/detail.jsp?prod_num=3145-4

I think we all hate getting out of the shower cold and butt freezing
during the winter and I was thinking of a steam shower
that could save water, Iet you turn off the water, scrub, and then
rinse without the air being freezing.