MY SUN DAY NEWS
March 21, 2024
As electronics move into every corner of our lives, most of them require batteries to operate. As these batteries die, the consequences can be from a minor annoyance to catastrophic failure in your house when the heat goes off and the pipes freeze. To avoid these problems, large and small, you need to know where all the batteries are located and when to change them.
As many Sun City residents pack for warmer climates, it is important to spend an hour or so to prepare your house for the winter. When you are going to be away for a week or more you should prepare your home so there will be no surprises on your return.
Homes in Sun City are between 14 and 24 years old. In that length of time, some things may need to be reset. One of my neighbors complained that the shower temperature is not as hot as it used to be. Many people set the temperature higher on the water heater, but that is inefficient because all the water in the water heater is being stored at a temperature higher than necessary.
You have two or more sillcocks on your house even if you donāt know the name āsillcock.ā
They are the outside faucets where you connect garden hoses, and they often leak.
Iām approaching my 60s and finding my joints to be stiffer. Arthritis runs in my family history and Iām noticing that Iām experiencing more joint pain, especially in my knees and back.
Iām a spousal caregiver to my wife, who has Parkinsonās disease. Her care needs are beginning to exceed what I can manage. Although we have daughters in the area who stop by frequently during the week, we donāt want to become a burden to them.
As houses age, some of the original equipment, even some of the replaced equipment, is no longer safe to use. While talking to neighbors, I am surprised at how much needed maintenance is not being done. Every few months we plan remind readers of things they need to do. Below are five home maintenance chores that if you donāt do could cost you many thousands of dollars.
As houses age, some of the original equipment, even some of the replaced equipment, is no longer safe to use. While talking to neighbors, I am surprised at how much needed maintenance is not being done. Every few months we plan remind readers of things they need to do.
Below are five home maintenance chores that if you donāt do could cost you many thousands of dollars.
Last month I completed 10 years of answering reader questions and writing the Ask the Woodchucks articles for the Sun Day. That amounts to 238 articles.
The caulking around our shower has black mold that we can no longer remove. What can we do to eliminate this mold?
The one Sun City home device that we have gotten the most questions about is the flasher switch that flashes the outdoor lights to help fire and ambulance personnel find your house when you call them. That was 1990s technology.
Should heating and air conditioning vents be cleaned and if so, how often?
There is a black hose where the sump pump water exits the house to guide the water away from the foundation on houses with a basement. To keep it from freezing in the winter you probably removed this hose.
What can I use to clean the inside wall of a gas fireplace?
Your garbage disposal will grind up and pass down your drain most of the food waste you put into it, but there are a few items that should never go into it. Egg shells can cause a blockage in the disposal and in the drain. Never put them into your disposal. Celery has tough fiber strands that can wrap around the moving parts of the disposal and make it malfunction.
Our Corian countertops have gotten a few scratches over the years. Can these be fixed or is it a very expensive process?
I have heard I should drain my water heater to extend its life. How often should I drain my water heater?
One of my readers who has Merillat cabinets was able to diagnose a manufacturing problem that caused his cabinet doors to not close properly. He was able to recreate a defective hinge detent by punching it with a pin punch and get his cabinet doors to close.
This column is now in its tenth year, and one item that is in the top five asked about is the 911 flasher switch that came with each Sun City house. Houses built before 2004 have a switch built by Leviton. They no longer make that switch. Houses built after 2004 have Pass and Seymour switches. If you need a replacement these switches are still available.
How do we remove the black mildew that is building up on the caulking in our shower? The shower has marble slabs on the three sides opposite the door that are caulked at the bottom and sides.
My wife recently inherited a large mirror that she wants me to mount on the wall. Iām not sure if a molly bolt would be strong enough.
I have a badly stained bathroom sink drain; it’s stained rusty. I have tried OxyClean, CLR, bleach, and BonAmi to get rid of the stain. Nothing even makes a dent! It is only in the master bathroom of our Drury model.
We have an original Del Webb, 2-lamp, kitchen ceiling fluorescent fixture that is flickering and hesitant to light up.Ā The bulbs have been replaced with no effect.Ā I believe it is the ballast that is dying.Ā We also have several older 4-lamp fixtures in basement that are acting up too.Ā Can you recommend a local electrical handyman that can repair fluorescent fixtures?
Front Storm Door on a Petoskey. Donāt have a key for it. Do you know how/who can remedy this without installing a new lockset?
Several Woodchucks have reported hearing a humming noise in their house that was hard to pin point. Some thought it was electrical while others thought it was in the plumbing. With some careful questioning and a little experimenting, we were able to identify the problem. The hum went away in each case when a faucet was turned on in the house. The problem was a faulty flapper valve in the toilet tank. Donāt panic, if you can make toast you can repair this problem in fifteen minutes with no tools.
Last week I opened the āinsideā garage door to our house and heard a loud pop. It sounded like a balloon burst. Now the door doesnāt close by itself. There are 2 large cylinder type hinges on this door. Are these spring-loaded? Did one or both of them snap? How do I go about getting the door fixed?
Many new people have moved to Sun City in the last ten years. I am taking this opportunity to review ten items that you should address to keep yourself safe and avoid costly repairs.
Should I use LED lights in my garage door openers?
In the last issue of this paper I gave some inaccurate information on siding for Sun City homes. I should have researched a little further and not relied on a single source.
We recently moved to Sun City and love it here. The hardest thing is deciding which clubs to join. We have one problem we canāt solve. When we connect a hose to the faucet in the garage and turn it on it drips on the floor and makes a puddle. Short of putting a bucket under it what can we do?