If your trash compactor's motor is working but the machine won't flatten your trash, you could have a broken or stretched drive chain or drive belt. Tightening the belt or replacing it is a snap.
Instructions
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
How to Clean a Range Hood
Instructions
things you'll need:
- tri-sodium phosphate
- Stiff wire brush
- rubber gloves
- soaking bucket
- cleaning rags
- Remove the fan filter from the range hood fan. You can also remove any light covers, knobs, etc. that need to be cleaned.
- Fill a bucket or some other container with enough hot or boiling water to cover the filter (and/or other parts), when placed inside.
- Put on your rubber gloves and add the recommended amount of tri-sodium phosphate to the water. Mix and place the fan filter in the bucket with the mixture. Let soak for about 1 hour.
- After soaking, remove the dirt and grease from the filter by scrubbing with a stiff wire or other type of sturdy brush.
- Prepare additional cleaning solution with the tri-sodium phosphate and water. Use your cleaning rags and the brush to wash the range hood thoroughly. The tri-sodium phosphate will cut the grease and make cleaning a breeze
- Rinse and dry all cleaned surfaces, and replace the range fan filters and parts.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
How To Replace a Bathroom Grille
In this video clip we will be replacing a bath fan grill. In this bathroom we have a ventilation fan located on the ceiling. Now there's an old 1980's yellow colored grill covering this fan. In addition to it being old and yellow there is a lot of dust and other types of debris that have collected in it over the years. We're going to be replacing this with a new clean grill. Our first step is to pull the grill straight down. It's attached by springs and you'll pull down and you'll be able to pivot it. Next we will need to disconnect our spring. There's a spring on both sides so make sure you take both of those off. After that we need to vacuum out our fan unit. After that we can put our new grill in place and push it straight up. That one looks much better than the old one and it should function a lot better because we did vacuum that out as well.
Monday, March 21, 2011
How to Repair a Door Chime
If your door chime no longer provides the familiar tones and merely hums or buzzes, you can probably fix it without too much trouble. Try this before replacing it.
Steps
1
Remove the cover of the chime unit. Many times this cover will just hang on some tabs and can be removed by lifting it straight up. Other types may require that screws be loosened or removed.
2
Look for obviously broken or missing parts. Reinstall if possible. Springs and plungers are basically the only moving parts for electro-mechanical chime units.
3
Tighten electrical terminal screws. Most units operate at 24 volts or less, and should not pose a shock hazard. You can determine this by looking at the wires. If the wires look to be closer in size to telephone wire - or low voltage thermostat wire, it is most likely the 24 volt (or less) type. Low voltage door bell circuits usually originate at a small 120 volt to 24 volt (may be any value between 12 and 24 volts) transformer connected to the side of electrical panel. The presence of a transformer is also a good indication, too. In any case, treating the wiring as if it was line voltage (120 volts) will help prevent getting hurt.
4
Listen carefully and then observe the moving parts while an assistant presses the door bell button several times. A faint buzzing sound or slight movement confirms that the chime unit is getting powered.
5
Check and tighten the electrical points (fuses and circuit breakers, terminal screws of the door bell button(s), and transformer) if unable to hear or see the indications above and try again. If still unable to hear or see the indications above, just continue following the steps below.
6
Check the plunger for freedom of movement. Gently push / pull the plunger(s). It may move only in one direction, but may move in both. If unable to move the plunger, or it moves but does not "spring back" into position, it is likely hanging up on dirt, dust, etc.
7
Clean the moving parts of the chime unit. Do not use any kind of lubricant. No oil, no WD-40, no graphite powder, and no silicon spray. These may work for a short time, but will quickly attract dust and grime and gum up the plungers.
8
Cleaning can be done in place or removed from the wall. Either way will require safeguarding the area from dirt, solvents, etc. If removing from wall, label the wires and terminals before disconnecting.
9
Spray a short blast of electrical contact cleaner at the moving parts. Do not be surprised to see dirty contact cleaner dripping out of the mechanism. Attempt to move the plunger again. Continue to spray bursts while moving the plunger. The idea is to flush out any dirt, etc that has collected around the metal plunger body.
10
Once the plunger is able to move freely, the chime unit is ready to be reconnected and tested by pressing the door bell button.
11
Compare the voltage rating of the chime (likely 12 to 24 volts) with the rated voltage output stamped on the transformer. These values must match. Replace either the chime or transformer so that the two have matching voltage values. Most doorbell transformers are marked with AC voltage, but also have a 25 VA (watts) rating -- do not confuse VA with AC volts.
12
Remove wires from door bell buttons and touch wires together. If chime works, replace door bell buttons.
If your door chime no longer provides the familiar tones and merely hums or buzzes, you can probably fix it without too much trouble. Try this before replacing it.
Steps
1
Remove the cover of the chime unit. Many times this cover will just hang on some tabs and can be removed by lifting it straight up. Other types may require that screws be loosened or removed.
2
Look for obviously broken or missing parts. Reinstall if possible. Springs and plungers are basically the only moving parts for electro-mechanical chime units.
3
Tighten electrical terminal screws. Most units operate at 24 volts or less, and should not pose a shock hazard. You can determine this by looking at the wires. If the wires look to be closer in size to telephone wire - or low voltage thermostat wire, it is most likely the 24 volt (or less) type. Low voltage door bell circuits usually originate at a small 120 volt to 24 volt (may be any value between 12 and 24 volts) transformer connected to the side of electrical panel. The presence of a transformer is also a good indication, too. In any case, treating the wiring as if it was line voltage (120 volts) will help prevent getting hurt.
4
Listen carefully and then observe the moving parts while an assistant presses the door bell button several times. A faint buzzing sound or slight movement confirms that the chime unit is getting powered.
5
Check and tighten the electrical points (fuses and circuit breakers, terminal screws of the door bell button(s), and transformer) if unable to hear or see the indications above and try again. If still unable to hear or see the indications above, just continue following the steps below.
6
Check the plunger for freedom of movement. Gently push / pull the plunger(s). It may move only in one direction, but may move in both. If unable to move the plunger, or it moves but does not "spring back" into position, it is likely hanging up on dirt, dust, etc.
7
Clean the moving parts of the chime unit. Do not use any kind of lubricant. No oil, no WD-40, no graphite powder, and no silicon spray. These may work for a short time, but will quickly attract dust and grime and gum up the plungers.
8
Cleaning can be done in place or removed from the wall. Either way will require safeguarding the area from dirt, solvents, etc. If removing from wall, label the wires and terminals before disconnecting.
9
Spray a short blast of electrical contact cleaner at the moving parts. Do not be surprised to see dirty contact cleaner dripping out of the mechanism. Attempt to move the plunger again. Continue to spray bursts while moving the plunger. The idea is to flush out any dirt, etc that has collected around the metal plunger body.
10
Once the plunger is able to move freely, the chime unit is ready to be reconnected and tested by pressing the door bell button.
11
Compare the voltage rating of the chime (likely 12 to 24 volts) with the rated voltage output stamped on the transformer. These values must match. Replace either the chime or transformer so that the two have matching voltage values. Most doorbell transformers are marked with AC voltage, but also have a 25 VA (watts) rating -- do not confuse VA with AC volts.
12
Remove wires from door bell buttons and touch wires together. If chime works, replace door bell buttons.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Repairing your Bathroom Fan. Easier than you think!
Fix your bath fan without replacing the entire unit and improve air flow with a first class vent system. You can replace a dead motor without tearing out the ceiling and replacing the whole thing. You can also improve venting and prevent roof rot by running the vent through the roof, and not leave it in the attic as was done by many contractors.
Both improvements are easy. This article shows you how.
Both improvements are easy. This article shows you how.
Replace a dead motor
« Previous Photo
Next Photo » Your first step is to get the fan's model number. Remove the fan grille (Photo 1) and vacuum away the dust to find the number on a label or stamped on the fan’s housing. But don't order a new motor until you remove the old one. You might need other parts too.
Bath fans vary in design, but motor replacement requires the same basic steps, no matter which brand or model you have. Turn off the power to the fan at the main breaker panel. Then unplug the fan and remove the motor plate (Photo 2). Some motor plates release by pressing or prying on the side of the fan housing. Others are secured with a screw or two.
Before you can remove the motor from the plate, you have to get the blower off the motor's shaft. This is often the toughest part of the whole project. An older metal blower might be fastened with a screw. Plastic blowers usually aren't fastened at all, but simply slide off the shaft. Either way, removal may require some hard prying and pulling. If you wreck the blower while removing it, don't worry. You can order a replacement at little cost. To install the new motor, simply reverse the removal process.
Run duct outside to prevent roof rot
« Previous Photo
Next Photo » When there's an attic above the bathroom, some installers take a shortcut: Instead of running the duct through the roof, they end the duct inside the attic. The result is that the fan fills the attic with moist air. That moisture feeds wood rot. In winter, frost forms in the attic and as the frost melts, water can damage the ceilings below.
If you don't have a cap on your roof like the one shown in Photo 2, chances are your bath fan vents into the attic. Running a new duct up through the roof isn't a complex job, but you will have to work in the attic and on the roof. Since you're doing all that work anyway, consider replacing the fan.
An attic can get dangerously hot in summer, so work on a cool day. Wear a dust mask and eye protection. Bring a trouble light and a large scrap of plywood to use as a work platform. Here's how to do the job with only two trips to the attic: On your first trip, measure the exhaust port diameter and pick a spot near the fan where you want the duct to exit the roof. Drive a screw up through the roof so you can find the location from outside. Then head over to http://www.storeforparts.com/
Here is what you need.
A roof vent cap.
- Aluminum duct the same size as the flexible duct. You only need about 6 in., so buy the shortest section available and cut it with a metal snips.
- Two 6-in. hose clamps.
- One tube of roofing cement.
- Roofing nails and 1/2-in. sheet metal screws.
- Flexible, insulated duct. Insulation prevents condensation from forming on or inside the duct. Home centers often carry only 4-in. insulated duct. If your fan has a 3-in. port, you can still use 4-in. duct by attaching a 3-in. elbow and a 3 x 4-in. reducer with sheet metal screws as shown in Photo 5.
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