Home Maintenance For Dummies, 2nd Edition

by Carey, James

  Clean the lint screen thoroughly after every load. If it’s clogged with lint, the air won’t circulate, the clothes won’t dry, and the dryer will run far longer, which wears it out faster and wastes lots of energy dollars in the process.

  Clean the dryer duct at least twice each year. The easiest way to clean a short dryer duct is to use a dryer-duct cleaning brush (a stiff-bristle circular brush attached to a flexible handle — it looks like a mini version of a brush that a chimney sweep might use) and a vacuum. Move the brush back and forth inside the duct to dislodge any lint, and vacuum out the loose debris.

  Remove lint that accumulates at the bottom of the housing that contains the lint screen. Construct a mini vacuum hose attachment using a short piece of rubber hose, the cap to an aerosol can, and some duct tape. The cap acts as an adapter that fits over the end of a wet/dry vacuum hose. Make a hole in the center of the cap the size of the outside diameter of the hose. Insert the hose snuggly into the hole and attach the two with duct tape. Attach the cap to the end of a wet/dry vacuum and insert the hose into the filter housing until it reaches the bottom (see Figure 14-1).

  Figure 14-1: Removing lint from inside the machine.

  Taking care of the dryer vent

  The dryer vent transports hot, damp air from the dryer to the outside of your house. Without it, your house would be very hot, excessively humid, and covered in a light coating of lint. The problem: All dryer vents slowly fill with lint, which impedes or blocks airflow (making the dryer inefficient) and creates a significant fire hazard. A couple of times a year, take a few minutes to clean the dryer vent. A clean vent is a happy vent.

  The easiest way to clean a dryer vent is with a dryer vent brush. It’s the mini version of a chimney-sweep brush and has a round brush at one end with a flexible handle that can makes negotiating curves a breeze. You can find these brushes at most hardware stores. Use it in combination with a vacuum, and your vent will be lint free!

  In addition to cleaning the dryer vent, periodically remove the flexible accordion-type exhaust hose (located between the back of the dryer and the vent at the wall or floor) and vacuum it. Better yet, don’t bother cleaning the flexible vent (especially if it’s vinyl). Throw it away, and replace it with a metal duct. It won’t clog nearly as much, and it’s a more efficient vent, making your clothes dry faster.

  Not all dryer manufacturers approve the use of plastic flexible hose for venting. In fact, installing one may void the warranty. A smooth, metal vent is best. The pleats on flexible hoses (metal or plastic) create air turbulence, which results in decreased airflow. Plus, moisture collects in the pleats, attracting and holding lint.

  Keeping the dryer duct free from obstruction

  Most dryer ducts terminate at a hood mounted at an exterior wall. The hood contains a damper designed to open only when the dryer is blowing air through the duct. The damper prevents cold air and birds and rodents from nesting in the duct. However, crafty varmints often find a way of breaching the damper. If you’ve experienced such a problem, install a protective screen specially designed to solve this problem. If you already have such a device, make sure that any holes are patched so that it’s doing a good job.

  Mysterious dryer death: Knowing what to do

  If you suddenly have a dead electric dryer, it may have burned its fuse — a totally fixable problem and much cheaper than a new unit. The fuse is a built-in safety mechanism that works only one time; after it goes off, a service technician has to fix it before your dryer will operate again.

  You can prevent the dryer from burning its fuse by never opening the door in mid-cycle without first turning the dial to the air-dry mode or advancing the timer to shut off the heater. If you stop in mid-cycle, the red-hot heaters allow heat to collect inside the unit until it triggers the thermal fuse.

  If you want to interrupt a drying cycle, always let the heater cool off before stopping. Otherwise you may wind up line-drying your duds for a while.

  Chapter 15

  Don’t Get Burned: Fireplaces

  In This Chapter

  Repairing fireplace cracks

  Cleaning and adjusting glass doors and screens

  Getting soot off of your face — your fireplace face, that is

  (Wiley) - North Pole. Well-informed sources have it that Ol’ St. Nick has been forced to replace his bright red uniform with a new one as a result of extensive soiling due to unusually dirty fireplaces last holiday season.

  We’re sure that St. Nick’s wardrobe concerns are serious, but there are other, more critical reasons to keep your fireplace and chimney clean and in good working order. A dirty chimney not only diminishes the effectiveness of a fireplace, but, with severe neglect, could be the cause of a chimney fire — and chimney fires lead to house fires.

  Failing to maintain your fireplace can lead to problems ranging from relatively minor (smoke in the house) to a catastrophic (a chimney fire). In fact, the National Fire Protection Association reports that some 64,100 residential fires were related to home-heating equipment and fireplace, chimney, and chimney connectors in 2006. As a result of these fires, 540 people died, and 1,400 people were injured. These fires may have been prevented by safer use of portable home heating equipment and with regular fireplace chimney inspection, cleaning, and repair.

  Having Your Fireplace Inspected and Swept Regularly

  Before modern heating systems were available, the fireplace or wood stove was the sole source of heat in a home. Although the fireplace can’t compete with modern heating systems as an energy- and cost-efficient source of heat, it remains one of the most popular features in a home.

  There are two basic styles of fireplace construction: masonry and prefabricated metal (also called zero clearance). The different fireplace styles operate in essentially the same fashion:

  Each has a firebox (the place where you burn the wood), a damper (the door that resides between the firebox and the chimney), a flue (chimney), and a spark arrestor (a screen atop the chimney that prevents sparks from getting into the air).

  Each is typically outfitted with a mesh screen and glass doors.

  In each type of fireplace, the hearth and fireplace face can be constructed of brick, stone, or another decorative finish.

  Here are the key differences between masonry fireplaces and prefabricated metal fireplaces:

  A masonry fireplace is custom-built of bricks and mortar. The firebox is constructed of firebricks, and the flue consists of bricks or a clay or terra-cotta liner. Firebricks and the mortar that surrounds them are intended to withstand extreme temperatures.

  A prefabricated metal fireplace is installed and assembled on-site. The metal box contains firebrick panels (see Figure 15-1), called refractory brick panels, that line the sides, back, and bottom of the firebox. The flue for a prefabricated fireplace consists of a metal pipe that is concealed by a chimney constructed of plywood or another siding material.

  Figure 15-1: A prefabricated metal fireplace.

  However you use your fireplace — as a secondary source of heat during winter or simply for its aesthetic qualities — keep in mind that a poorly maintained fireplace can spell disaster.

  Failing to maintain your fireplace properly can lead to a chimney fire. Chimney fires occur when combustible deposits on the inner walls of the chimney ignite. These explosive deposits, called creosote, are a natural byproduct of combustion. A fire hazard exists if 1/8 to 1/4 inch of creosote (or more) coats the inner walls of the chimney — built-up creosote is a time bomb waiting to go off. Remember: A chimney fire can literally level your house.

  One thing stops creosote from becoming a problem: a fireplace inspection and sweeping by a professional chimney sweep at least once a year or after burning one cord of wood — whichever comes first. More-frequent cleanings may be required, depending on the type of wood burned, the type of appliance, and the frequency of use. In general, an older, uncertified wood stove, or any appliance that is used frequently, requires more than one
cleaning per year.

  Prefabricated metal fireplaces often need more frequent cleaning. They burn cooler, allowing a higher degree of condensation of combustion deposits on the interior surface of the fireplace flue.

  Fuel for the fire

  The first step to having a healthy, well-maintained fireplace is to burn the right fuel. Being choosy about what you burn improves heating efficiency, helps the environment, and reduces the amount of creosote your fires produce.

  Your fireplace is not an incinerator! Don’t burn garbage, treated or painted wood, plastic, rubber, or any other non-recommended material. In addition to causing an unfavorable buildup on the interior of the firebox and chimney, these materials also produce noxious fumes that pollute the air (inside and outside of the home). Being careful about what you burn is the first line of defense against a catastrophic house-leveling chimney fire.

  So, what’s best to burn? Osage orange wood, oak, hard maple, madrone, hickory, ash, walnut, locust, apple, cherry, peach, and plum are the top-burning hardwoods. Hardwoods burn longer and cleaner with less creosote buildup in the chimney than softer woods (such as willow, poplar, pine, and cedar). Fortunately, most firewood dealers don’t sell softwoods and recommend hardwoods.

  Seasoning is of equal importance when shopping for wood. Unseasoned (green) wood won’t burn well due to its high moisture content. When it burns, it often sizzles and pops and gives off steam. Dry, seasoned wood ignites and burns much more easily, and it causes fewer problems with condensation and creosote.

  If most of your fires consist of manufactured fire logs, you’ll be pleased to know that independent tests have proven that manufactured fire logs burn much cleaner than firewood.

  According to the National Chimney Sweep Guild (www.ncsg.org), a national trade association comprised of chimney sweeps, a visual inspection is all that is normally required for most chimneys. In the case where a visual inspection is neither possible nor adequate, many chimney sweeps are equipped to do more elaborate inspections with a video camera and monitor referred to as a chimscan. A chimscan costs more than a visual inspection, but it reveals more and better information about the condition of your chimney — which is especially important when the integrity of the flue is in question due to age or damage from an earthquake or chimney fire.

  Staying on Top of Fireplace Cracks

  In a masonry fireplace, firebrick is used to construct the firebox. Refractory brick panels line the firebox of a prefabricated metal fireplace. In both cases, the bricks and fireclay mortar are designed to withstand extreme temperatures. However, over time, the brick, mortar, or panels can crack and crumble, creating a serious fire hazard.

  Here’s what you need to do to address these problems:

  If a brick in a masonry fireplace cracks, you need to patch it. (Head to Chapter 4 for instructions.) If the brick is crumbling, have it replaced with a new firebrick embedded in refractory mortar.

  If the mortar joints in a firebox are crumbling, chisel out the old mortar and replace it with new mortar (see Chapter 4). This process, known as tuckpointing, is the same one you follow to replace or repair mortar joints in any brick structure. The only difference is that in a firebox, you must use refractory mortar, which is specially designed to withstand extreme temperatures.

  If the integrity of the majority of the firebrick and mortar in the firebox is in question, have a qualified chimney sweep or masonry contractor inspect it. If replacement is in order, the job is best left to a pro.

  If a panel of a prefabricated metal fireplace develops extensive cracks or is beginning to crumble, replace it with a new panel. This is a job that most do-it-yourselfers can handle: Simply remove the old panel by unscrewing the screws that hold it in place and install the new panel; it should fit snuggly against the adjoining panels. When replacing a rear panel, remove the side panels first. Refractory mortar is not generally needed, because the corners are designed to fit snuggly against one another.

  To make the job of finding a replacement panel easy, jot down the fireplace make and model number. (You can find these numbers on a metal plate just inside the opening of the firebox.) Give this information to the manufacturer or an installing dealer. Although replacement panels are often a stock item, a special order may be required, which can take from a few days to a couple of weeks. Don’t use the fireplace until a full and final repair has been made.

  Note: Repairing minor cracks and mortar joints in prefabricated metal fireplaces is essentially the same as with a brick firebox.

  Dealing with the Damper

  The damper is a steel or cast-iron door that opens or closes the throat of the firebox into the flue. It regulates draft and prevents the loss of heat up the chimney. To start a fire, you must have the damper in the full-open position. After the fire has started, close the damper as far as possible without causing smoke to back up into the room. Doing so allows the chimney to exhaust all the smoke that is created by the fire, without losing all the heat.

  Often, a damper becomes difficult to operate or sticks in one position. One of the most pervasive causes of a stuck damper is rust, often caused when rainwater enters the chimney through a faulty or nonexistent chimney cap (see “Arresting sparks and other hazards,” later in this chapter).

  You can clean a dirty or rusty damper with a wire brush along with lots of elbow grease. Wear safety goggles, work gloves, a hat, and old clothing. Then, with the wire brush in one hand and a flashlight in the other, use the brush to remove soot and rust buildup (see Figure 15-2).

  Figure 15-2: Cleaning your damper.

  If, after cleaning the damper, it still sticks, slide a short length of pipe — about 20 to 24 inches — over the damper handle (this extends the damper handle); then beat on the pipe with a sledgehammer to break the damper loose. If the damper still refuses to budge, use a rust and corrosion cutting oil such as WD-40 to help dissolve the rust and corrosion at the damper’s hinges.

  When the damper is operational, work it back and forth while applying a high-temperature lubricant at all the joints and moving parts. When it’s clean and in good working order, spray-paint the damper with a black high-temperature paint to prevent future rusting.

  Fireplaces without dampers or with faulty dampers can be retrofitted with new dampers. Unlike the style of damper located immediately above the firebox, a retrofit model is mounted at the top of the chimney and is operated by a long chain that hangs down the chimney.

  Caring for the Outside of Your Chimney

  Although caring for the inside of your fireplace, chimney, and damper is important, don’t forget the outside. A chimney can be either an exposed pipe, a framed enclosure that is covered with siding (called a sided chase) that houses the flue pipe, or a masonry chimney.

  Taking care of the flashing and flue pipe

  The chimney travels from the inside of the home to the outside either through an attic and roof or out a wall. The point where the chimney exits the structure is a primary source of leaks. Thus, you should water-test the flashing that surrounds this location using a garden hose, to make sure that it’s in good condition and leak-free. (Turn to Chapter 5 for instructions on how to use a water hose to discover leaks.)

  Another potential problem area is the metal pipe itself. It can be attacked by rust, and the joints can become loose. To maintain the metal pipe:

  1. Use a wire brush to remove the rust.

  2. Prime and paint the rusted area with high-temperature paint.

  3. Use a screwdriver to tighten screws at all connections.

  4. Install new self-tapping sheet-metal screws at locations where screws were previously installed and worked loose. (Self-tapping screws are ones with their own built-in drill-bit tips.)

  Remove an existing screw and use it as an example when purchasing replacement screws.

  Masonry fireplaces have a unique flashing detail called a masonry counter flashing, which is a secondary piece of flashing that covers the primary flashing. The counter flashing
has a slight lip that’s inserted into a mortar joint and then either mortared or caulked into place. Water-test the caulking or mortar annually (see Chapter 5), and repair or replace it as needed.

  Apply a coat of paint to help hide otherwise unattractive flashing and prevent it from deteriorating quite so rapidly.

  Sealing the deal