By Mark J. Donovan
A dehumidifier contains heating and cooling coils and fins. Warm moist air, such as in a basement is drawn over these coils and fins by a fan that is in the dehumidifier. As the warm air is drawn over the coils the water vapor condenses and collects on the cooling coils and fins. The condensed water vapor then drips off of the cooling coils and fins, and into either a drain pan or a drip hose that flows into a sink, bucket or sump pump well.
During the process of condensing the water vapor, the water vapor normally produces enough heat to prevent the cooling coils from freezing up. However when there is a lack of humidity in the room or the temperature is too cool in the room, there is the potential for the dehumidifier to freeze up. The threat is exacerbated if the cooling coils are covered in dirt and dust.
To prevent the dehumidifier from freezing up there a few things you can do. First, if the humidity is low then turn off the dehumidifier. Alternatively you can cycle the dehumidifier off and on every few hours. This will allow the cooling coils to warm up and melt any ice that could be forming on them. Second, you can raise the temperature in the room to lower the risk of ice formation in the dehumidifier. Third, make sure the cooling coils and fins are free of dirt and dust. Finally, make sure the dehumidifier is up off the floor of the basement or room. Warm moist air rises and cool dry air falls. By raising the dehumidifier up off the floor the dehumidifier will work more efficiently and it will have less chance of freezing up.
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Monday, August 10, 2009
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Save Energy with a Humidifier
Reduce this year’s Winter Home Heating Bills with a Humidifier
By Mark J. Donovan
One way that you can save energy and reduce your home heating bills during the winter is to use a room or whole house humidifier. Ideally the relative humidity level within the home should be between 30 and 50% for maximum comfort. During the winter months, however, besides being cold the air is typically very dry. When the air is extremely dry within the home it can feel even colder. Consequently there is a natural tendency to raise the thermostat setting. Raising the temperature in the home, however, exacerbates the problem as it helps to make the air even drier.
A room or whole house humidifier can resolve this problem by increasing the humidity levels in the home, so that the thermostat can be set to a lower setting and yet you still feel warm. An example of this situation is during the summer months, when the air temperature may be only 75 degrees but the humidity level is above 65%. You feel hot, even though the temperature is only mildly warm. Conversely if the temperature is 75 degrees and the air is extremely dry you may feel that the air is actually cool and crisp feeling.
If the humidifier is set too high during the winter months, you may begin to notice water droplets on your windows. If this occurs, then you need to lower the humidifier moisture output.
So save on energy and reduce this year’s winter home heating bills with a humidifier. You’ll save money as well as feel more comfortable. Readmore »»
By Mark J. Donovan
One way that you can save energy and reduce your home heating bills during the winter is to use a room or whole house humidifier. Ideally the relative humidity level within the home should be between 30 and 50% for maximum comfort. During the winter months, however, besides being cold the air is typically very dry. When the air is extremely dry within the home it can feel even colder. Consequently there is a natural tendency to raise the thermostat setting. Raising the temperature in the home, however, exacerbates the problem as it helps to make the air even drier.
A room or whole house humidifier can resolve this problem by increasing the humidity levels in the home, so that the thermostat can be set to a lower setting and yet you still feel warm. An example of this situation is during the summer months, when the air temperature may be only 75 degrees but the humidity level is above 65%. You feel hot, even though the temperature is only mildly warm. Conversely if the temperature is 75 degrees and the air is extremely dry you may feel that the air is actually cool and crisp feeling.
If the humidifier is set too high during the winter months, you may begin to notice water droplets on your windows. If this occurs, then you need to lower the humidifier moisture output.
So save on energy and reduce this year’s winter home heating bills with a humidifier. You’ll save money as well as feel more comfortable. Readmore »»
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Building a Patio Using Concrete Pavers
By Mark J. Donovan
Last year I put in a patio underneath my elevated deck using concrete pavers. The patio overlooks the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee in central New Hampshire and makes a great outdoor living space for getting out of the sun and reading a book or surfing the net.
The particular concrete pavers I used came in 3 or 4 shapes and had a slightly washed out look, which was the look I was aiming for.
To install a patio using concrete pavers, we had to initially remove the existing dirt and replace it with several inches of sand. We then compacted the sand and then began the process of laying out the concrete pavers.
The concrete pavers were installed such that we went back and back filled in the required cut pieces of concrete pavers. After completing the installation of concrete pavers, we then swept in more sand to fill in the gaps and create a rigid patio surface.
Once the concrete paver patio was complete we backfilled around it with topsoil, planted some grass seed, and began enjoying our new outdoor living space. Readmore »»
Last year I put in a patio underneath my elevated deck using concrete pavers. The patio overlooks the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee in central New Hampshire and makes a great outdoor living space for getting out of the sun and reading a book or surfing the net.
The particular concrete pavers I used came in 3 or 4 shapes and had a slightly washed out look, which was the look I was aiming for.
To install a patio using concrete pavers, we had to initially remove the existing dirt and replace it with several inches of sand. We then compacted the sand and then began the process of laying out the concrete pavers.
The concrete pavers were installed such that we went back and back filled in the required cut pieces of concrete pavers. After completing the installation of concrete pavers, we then swept in more sand to fill in the gaps and create a rigid patio surface.
Once the concrete paver patio was complete we backfilled around it with topsoil, planted some grass seed, and began enjoying our new outdoor living space. Readmore »»
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Sanding a Deck with a Palm Sander
Sanding Deck Edges with a Palm Sander is Slow and Tedious
By Mark J. Donovan
Due to the fact that it rained shortly after I put a coat of deck sealer on my deck back two years ago, I have found myself sanding my deck to restore its look and to prepare it for a deck stain. If I can offer one word of advice, it is to make sure there is no rain in the forecast for at least 24 hours before applying a deck sealer. My deck remained tacky for months and the sealer began to peel as soon as it finally dried.
I used an orbital floor sander on the main body of the deck to remove the old deck sealer, however I have had no choice but to use a small palm sander on the deck edges. Though it is working it is a slow process.
I am using the same 36 grit sandpaper that I did on the main body of the deck. As a matter of fact, I am using the same pieces of sandpaper. I have simply cut small wedges out of them to fit the palm sander. The palm sander has a surface area of about 4”x4”.
With a little luck I will wrap up the deck sanding today and will stain it when there is a 24 hour window of dry weather. Unfortunately, in the northeast lately dry weather is as rare as a blue moon. I’ll keep my fingers crossed. Readmore »»
By Mark J. Donovan
Due to the fact that it rained shortly after I put a coat of deck sealer on my deck back two years ago, I have found myself sanding my deck to restore its look and to prepare it for a deck stain. If I can offer one word of advice, it is to make sure there is no rain in the forecast for at least 24 hours before applying a deck sealer. My deck remained tacky for months and the sealer began to peel as soon as it finally dried.
I used an orbital floor sander on the main body of the deck to remove the old deck sealer, however I have had no choice but to use a small palm sander on the deck edges. Though it is working it is a slow process.
I am using the same 36 grit sandpaper that I did on the main body of the deck. As a matter of fact, I am using the same pieces of sandpaper. I have simply cut small wedges out of them to fit the palm sander. The palm sander has a surface area of about 4”x4”.
With a little luck I will wrap up the deck sanding today and will stain it when there is a 24 hour window of dry weather. Unfortunately, in the northeast lately dry weather is as rare as a blue moon. I’ll keep my fingers crossed. Readmore »»
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Where is Summer?
By Mark J. Donovan
Yesterday when I was closing the front door to my home it dawned on me that I have yet to swap out the glass panel with the screen panel on my storm door. I also remembered that I have yet to install the window air conditioners. That’s how cool and rainy it has been here in New Hampshire for the past month or so.
One cannot help but question the theory of “Global Warming” when on the last day of June, you realize that the last time you experienced a warm summer day was last September. Could we be entering a “Global Cooling” period? With a sample size of only a few months, relative to the billions of years that Earth has existed, it would be almost as irresponsible as the suggestion of Global Warming based on a few decades of data. Instead, it is probably just as accurate to say that we have hit a period of rainy bad luck, or are experiencing the weather oscillations effects of El Nino or La Nina.
Whatever the case, it is time for me to install the screen in the storm door, and put in the air conditioners. If I have learned anything in life, it is that change is constant and that one day I will wake up to a hot, sultry morning in the not too distant future. And who knows, I may find out that I won’t be pulling out the air conditioners until mid October this year.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed for some warm, summer weather to arrive soon. Readmore »»
Yesterday when I was closing the front door to my home it dawned on me that I have yet to swap out the glass panel with the screen panel on my storm door. I also remembered that I have yet to install the window air conditioners. That’s how cool and rainy it has been here in New Hampshire for the past month or so.
One cannot help but question the theory of “Global Warming” when on the last day of June, you realize that the last time you experienced a warm summer day was last September. Could we be entering a “Global Cooling” period? With a sample size of only a few months, relative to the billions of years that Earth has existed, it would be almost as irresponsible as the suggestion of Global Warming based on a few decades of data. Instead, it is probably just as accurate to say that we have hit a period of rainy bad luck, or are experiencing the weather oscillations effects of El Nino or La Nina.
Whatever the case, it is time for me to install the screen in the storm door, and put in the air conditioners. If I have learned anything in life, it is that change is constant and that one day I will wake up to a hot, sultry morning in the not too distant future. And who knows, I may find out that I won’t be pulling out the air conditioners until mid October this year.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed for some warm, summer weather to arrive soon. Readmore »»
Monday, June 22, 2009
Eliminate Squeaky Door Hinges
By Mark J. Donovan
Squeaky door hinges can be a real annoyance, however with 5 minutes of work you can eliminate them.
To start with, make sure the hinges are all fastened tightly to the door frame using a screw driver.
Next, remove one hinge pin at a time from each door hinge and wipe it clean with a rag. To remove the hinge pin you will need a hammer and small thin screwdriver. Just slide the thin screwdriver into the base of the hinge, underneath the hinge pin and tap it up and out with your hammer.
Now, lubricate the hinge pin with a little oil or WD40. You can even use Canola oil in a pinch.
Next, lubricate the door hinge itself with a little WD40 or oil and wipe it clean with a rag. Note, make sure you place a rag underneath the door hinges before applying any oil to the door hinge. Otherwise you may leave an oil stain on your flooring.
Slide the hinge pin back into the door hinge and repeat this process for the other remaining hinges.
With any luck your door should be squeak free after lubricating all of the hinges. Readmore »»
Squeaky door hinges can be a real annoyance, however with 5 minutes of work you can eliminate them.
To start with, make sure the hinges are all fastened tightly to the door frame using a screw driver.
Next, remove one hinge pin at a time from each door hinge and wipe it clean with a rag. To remove the hinge pin you will need a hammer and small thin screwdriver. Just slide the thin screwdriver into the base of the hinge, underneath the hinge pin and tap it up and out with your hammer.
Now, lubricate the hinge pin with a little oil or WD40. You can even use Canola oil in a pinch.
Next, lubricate the door hinge itself with a little WD40 or oil and wipe it clean with a rag. Note, make sure you place a rag underneath the door hinges before applying any oil to the door hinge. Otherwise you may leave an oil stain on your flooring.
Slide the hinge pin back into the door hinge and repeat this process for the other remaining hinges.
With any luck your door should be squeak free after lubricating all of the hinges. Readmore »»
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Will 3-way light bulbs work with a Dimmer Switch?
3-Way Light Bulbs and Dimmer Switches
By Mark J. Donovan
3-way light bulbs are constructed with 2 filaments in then. The filaments operate at different wattages. 3-way light bulbs work in special lamps that are designed to control which filament(s) are turned on in a 3-way light bulb. When the lamp is switched once the lowest wattage filament is turned on to create a dim light. When the lamp is switched a second time just the highest wattage filament is turned on to create a medium light. When the filament is switched a third time both filaments are turned on creating maximum light.
With a wall dimmer switch there is no way to send a command to the special 3-way light bulb lamp fixture to switch between the different filament settings. As a result the 3-way light bulb effectively does not work with a dimmer switch. In addition, having a 3-way light bulb in a dimmer switch is pointless since the dimmer switch itself will control the level of the brightness.
When using a 3-way light bulb in a lamp that is connected to a dimmer switch all that the dimmer switch will do is control the brightness level for the particular filament setting the lamp is set to. Readmore »»
By Mark J. Donovan
3-way light bulbs are constructed with 2 filaments in then. The filaments operate at different wattages. 3-way light bulbs work in special lamps that are designed to control which filament(s) are turned on in a 3-way light bulb. When the lamp is switched once the lowest wattage filament is turned on to create a dim light. When the lamp is switched a second time just the highest wattage filament is turned on to create a medium light. When the filament is switched a third time both filaments are turned on creating maximum light.
With a wall dimmer switch there is no way to send a command to the special 3-way light bulb lamp fixture to switch between the different filament settings. As a result the 3-way light bulb effectively does not work with a dimmer switch. In addition, having a 3-way light bulb in a dimmer switch is pointless since the dimmer switch itself will control the level of the brightness.
When using a 3-way light bulb in a lamp that is connected to a dimmer switch all that the dimmer switch will do is control the brightness level for the particular filament setting the lamp is set to. Readmore »»
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