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Brown Water ? Flushing the Water Heater

QUESTION Sometimes brown water comes out of the hot-water faucet. There must be sediment in the water heater. How do I drain the water heater and get rid of the brown water? ANSWER There could be sediment in the water heater, or maybe your home has older galvanized steel piping that is corroding on the [...]

Energy Efficiency Improvements ? Where to Start?

QUESTION I have some funds to do energy efficiency improvements to my old (1950?s) home, but I don?t know where to start. The home is well maintained, but has had no energy improvements. It seems that every contractor has the best product, and there are many claims about huge energy savings. The government rebates and [...]

Leaky Shower

QUESTION I have a shower stall with sectioned walls that leaks water while in use. The water comes out from the left front corner on the floor and leaves a large puddle. The shower was installed around 12 years ago. If I apply a heavy seal of silicone sealant around the shower drain seam, it [...]

Soundproofing Between the Basement and First Floor

QUESTION Can you give me any advice on soundproofing between the basement and first floor? My bedroom is directly over the furnace and water heater. I thought adding foam to the basement ceiling might work. ANSWER Most sound moves with air through openings, so you need to try and seal any air leaks. Caulk or [...]

Black Discoloration on Wood Windows

QUESTION: We have a black discoloration occurring on the wood part of the windows in our house. Do you know what it is and how to get rid of it? The windows are double-hung and the house was built in 1995. I assumed it was mold and moisture-related because I noticed it first in the [...]

Brown Water ? Flushing the Water Heater

QUESTION Sometimes brown water comes out of the hot water faucet. There must be sediment in the water heater. How do I drain the water heater and get rid of the brown water? ANSWER There could be sediment in the water heater, or maybe your home has older galvanized steel piping that is corroding on [...]

Saving Energy With Fluorescent Lighting

QUESTION I am trying to find some info regarding the power usage of fluorescent ballasts. I was told that it takes more electricity to energize a ballast initially than to run the light for a few hours. I don’t know if that’s true with the new rapid-start/electronic ballasts. Is it going to save any energy [...]

Light Blue Stains in the Toilet

QUESTION: We have a 7-year-old toilet that has begun showing a light blue color. When I try to scrub the blue stain with a toilet brush it doesn’t come off. We’ve never used those blue tank canisters; we just use liquid bowl cleaner. Do you know why the toilet bowl is stained light blue? I [...]