Home Repair Clinic

This home repair clinic is designed with open doors. Please come right in.

Anyone can view members and messages. Choose "Join this Group" to post your questions or comments.

All advice offered free of charge, and hopefully worth more than the price paid!

Welcome!

~Jim

Are YOU a Home Repair Expert?

Then the Home Repair Clinic wants YOU! Please join in, offer your experience and wisdom, and promote your How To articles at Helium and elsewhere.

Leave a message right here to introduce yourself.

I'm Jim, nice to meet you!

Please post your Plumbing questions to this thread.

Thanks!

~Jim

Please post your Electrical questions to this thread.

Thanks!

~Jim

Please post your Carpentry questions to this thread.

Thanks!

~Jim

I have nearly 20 years experience in Drywall Installation. I've hung and fniished sheetrock up and down the eastern seaboard, from Pennsylvania to Florida.

New construction, remodeling and repairs - I've rocked over metal studs, wood studs and resilent channel.

Have a question on drywall? Ask away!

You can also find some of my drywall articles in H & G -Home repair - Other

Welcome, Tina!

We should start a Drywall Questions thread, then, I'd say!

Glad to have you.

:-)

I lay or repair ceramic tile for kitchens and bathrooms every week. I'd be happy to answer your questions, or find you an answer if you can stump me. Please add your questions about ceramic tile right here.

~Jim

First of all I am NOT stalking you Jim. Second, i am not sure if this goes here but hey...

I have bought a house and it doesnt have any vents or anything for central air, soooo i am going to do (til i get some money at least) electric heating. Any suggestions? Its all more or less like a Spanish village to me!

Are there any good radiators that are either portable or any heaters that both heat and cool???

The short answer to your question is "yes, " Natasa.

You have some good options for portable heat, but their efficiencies will be lower than central heat/air generally.

Another option is to consider thru-the-wall heat/cooling -- similar to units used by hotels/motels. These usually require professional installation and work best with VERY open floorplans.

Invite one to three local heating/cooling professionals to visit your home to offer quotes. Let them know right up front that you will NOT be making a decision that day, and that your are "considering your options."

This helps hold off the high-pressure sell job many HVAC pro's use. (They know if they don't close the sale on first visit, chances of closing sale at all go way down.)

You have a lot of options involving an enormous range of costs. Always consider the projected monthly utilities costs of any system and then factor in the upfront costs, rebates, tax incentives, and low-rate financing options.

Please stop back and let me know how this goes for you, thanks!

~Jim

That is SO much to think about!!!

I'll have to get cracking as i cant really do anything else until i sort that out, according to my Water & Electric company i cant even turn the water on until the house has been heated for at least 24hrs.

OK, Natasa,

Let's consider "emergency" heating, then. Try an Internet search for "portable electric heat" to gather some research first.

Then visit big-box stores like Home Depot or Lowe's to see what they offer for heating that can be plugged into a regular 110-volt outlet (not 220, which is common for permanent heating appliances).

Depending upon how many rooms your new home contains, you may have to buy several small heating units. The "no water" issue relates to the chance for your pipes to freeze and burst, if your home won't stay reasonably warm.

Please be careful about ANY heat source that burns fuel. These exhaust potentially dangerous fumes into your home, and always require ventilation. Kinda defeats the point of heating a room if you have to open a window, doesn't it?

Once you're established in your house you can investigate better, more economical long-term heating and cooling options. After that, you can sell your electric heat units on Craig's List or Ebay.

Good luck!   ~Jim

New to Helium, about 6 months or so, see my bio. Chuck Harding.  I'm a retired remodeling contractor.  I'll help if I can.  Let me know.

Hi,

I just purchased a generator (5500 watt).  I would like it wired into my home wiring. I want to be safe, so I have looked at transfer switches but they are pricey.  Some switches I have researched look simple and I like to build things.  Can you suggest a plan; I have looked online and can't find a do-it-yourself plan?  I have looked at a Reliance Transfer Switch Item #: 100020 sold by Northern Tool. It looks like two breakers mounted back to back with a common link between the two that insures that when one is on the other is off. It appears to me that current from the generator or utility (depending on which is being used) are being back fed through the breaker to power a panel of designated circuits that is separate from the main panel, is it safe to back feed through a breaker or are these special breakers? Any information you can provide would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Mike

Hi Mike,

I'm sending out a request for some assistance here. I know the store-bought transfer switches are pricey, but haven't a clue about building your own.

It's Christmas Eve, so grabbing a helpful reply for you here may be tricky. I'll do the best I can.

Merry Christmas!

~Jim Bessey  -  steward for Home & Garden

   My Portfolio

Also, learn more about ceramic tile here:

http://www.helium.com/zone/923-diy-ceramic-tile-floors-walls

~Jim Bessey  -  steward for Home & Garden

   My Portfolio

Months later: I've sent you a fresh message, Chuck, thanks.

~Jim Bessey  -  steward for Home & Garden

   My Portfolio

Hi Mike,

Sorry to keep you waiting. I've consulted with an expert from among our Helium membership and received a long, emphatic response from him. Several paragraphs, in fact. I'll condense that response here:

"Don't do it."

Unless you're an electrical engineer, highly experienced electrician, or have one of those to advise you. This is a dangerous, mandatory-inspection task. Get it wrong and suffer potentially thousands of dollars in damage, injury, even death.

It's not worth the risk and the few dollars saved up front. Buy the right switch from a reputable supplier. Please.

~Jim Bessey  -  steward for Home & Garden

   My Portfolio

I found you! I think I am really going to enjoy this! My "help" may be more from how not to than how to though. :) I can tell you I learned not to cut drywall with a circular saw. Strange thing but then you have to clear the area for several hours due to a very thick white cloud.......

A lesson well learned, Barbara!

I still remember most of the mistakes I made when I first worked with drywall -- and I cringe.

:-)

~Jim Bessey  -  steward for Home & Garden

   My Portfolio

Hi Barbara,

Yes, cutting drywall with a circular saw would be a bit of overkill  :)  The good thing is - lessons learned the hard way are not soon forgotten. Id be happy to offer some tips for your next project. Please feel free to ask any questions!

I have to say that I can across an article while rating - it recommended cutting drywall with a sawzall. I did not know whether to laugh or cry but it did not get my "happy" vote. :)