Question: My wife would like to replace the mirror in the small bathroom of our Adler. I have loosened the metal clips and it won’t slide out. I tried to pry it from the wall, but it will not release. Thinking it was taped or glued to the wall, I pushed a putty knife behind the mirror and hit something which felt metallic. Any thoughts on how to get the mirror off the wall without breaking it or destroying the wall?
Answer: A picture is worth one thousand words, but a video is worth five thousand words. Here is a 2:30 minute video to show you exactly what you want to do.
This is a very dangerous operation to do. If the mirror should break while you are removing it, the sharp glass shards fly as if from an explosion. You should wear safety glasses, a face shield, a hat, heavy rubber gloves, a heavy rubber apron, and leather boots. At the recent consumer expo in the Prairie Lodge, I talked with TJ from Touch of Glass who told me that they remove mirrors that are glued to the wall.
Question: I live in a 13-year-old attached home in neighborhood 38, and my bath faucet is a single handle and I believe it is a Delta. It drips and has no screw on top. I am not sure where the screw is to get to the washer. Could you tell me a trick to stop the drip?
Answer: I think all the faucets in Sun City are Moen. To find your faucet go on the Moen web site (Moen.com) and find it. You can then find a drawing that shows all the parts and how to get to the washer. If you can’t find the information you need, call them. Their customer service is very helpful.
Question: At the end of the season do I run my grasscutter / snowblower dry or do I add STA-BULITE (or something else?) to the tank for next season?
Answer: Any small gasoline engine powered device like the two you mentioned should be run out of gas by just letting them run until they run out of gasoline and stop. This gets the gasoline out of the carburetor. If left, it degrades and deposits varnish on parts inside the carburetor especially the needle valve. This will make the device very difficult to start the next season when you need it.
Some of these devices have a shutoff valve between the gas tank and the carburetor. With it, you can shut off the gasoline flow from the gas tank and run the engine until it runs out of gas. You can then add STA-BIL storage fuel stabilizer to the gas tank to preserve the fuel for the next season. Most gasoline now contains ethanol. If left in the tank without a stabilizer the ethanol can go stale and damage an engine.
If you forget to do these steps before storing your gasoline engines and they won’t start in the next season the repair is to remove the carburetor and take it completely apart. Remove the varnish that has coated most internal surfaces of the carburetor and use a thin wire to clean the needle valve offices. It might be necessary to install a rebuilding kit.
If you have suggestions for future tips or have questions about maintenance around your home submit them to ask.the.woodchucks@gmail.com.
