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MY SUN DAY NEWS

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Sun City in Huntley

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July 17, 2014

Ask the Woodchucks: July 17, 2014

We live in Neighborhood 28. Sometime, over the winter, the outside vent cover that has 3 slats and covers a grated vent near the gable of the roof on the south side of the building has cracked. Can anyone tell us where we could buy one to replace the broken one?

Broan bathroom fan kits revisited

I seem to remember a past article that talked about a Broan bathroom fan kit that would greatly reduce the noise of the fan.

Bathroom lights, garage keypads, and leaky outdoor spigots

Question: I can’t figure out how to change the light in my bathroom. It is a combination light and exhaust fan. The light is behind a white lens that is about eight inches square with the fan grille opening all around it. I can’t get the unit to come down and I can’t get the lens off.

Our gift to the community

In April we held our semiannual event at the shop where we invite residents to bring their wobbly chairs, broken tables, and sticky dresser drawers to the Ask the Woodchucks repair day.

Our gift to the community

In April we held our semiannual event at the shop where we invite residents to bring their wobbly chairs, broken tables, and sticky dresser drawers to the Ask the Woodchucks repair day.

Clean window screens and stop mulch volcanoes

Spring is finally here, and it is time to do some outdoor work. If you haven’t cleaned your window screens for a year or more, it is time to clean them. The first thing to remember is never power wash window screens, as the force of the water can damage the screens. Remove the screens from the window frame. Mix a solution of mild soap and water. A half-cup in a bucket of warm water will do.

Solutions for screw popping in walls and instant hot water

Question: I hope you can help with two problems we have. First is the screw popping in our walls. We did have our year inspection and they fixed them. Well they’re all coming back. What can we do?

Keep rubber shower seals mold-free

Question: The rubber seal in my shower has mold I can’t remove. The shower stall has marble sides that sit on the bottom tray of the shower with a rubber seal in between.

Clean door hinges to keep the squeak out

Question: We have lived in our house for seven years, and a couple of our doors now squeak when we open and close them. I think they need oil but what kind and how much?

A test to learn how your home would handle a power outage

Question: I reside in Neighborhood 27. I look for, with great interest, the Woodchucks’ informative column in the Sun Day. I‘m not certain if you have covered my concern before. I have no idea what needs to be done if we ever experience a power outage during the winter months, which lasts for many hours with regards to water pipes, toilets, water heater, and whatever else requires immediate attention.

Solving frozen garage doors and faulty CO detectors

Question: My garage door was frozen to my driveway a couple of weeks ago. I didn’t know it and when I opened it with the remote, the strip holding the weather stripping at the bottom of the door pulled off for a distance of about three feet from the end. The strip is hanging from the door bottom. I am able to see two thin nails that were holding the strip in place. The nails are beneath the weather stripping through to the bottom of the door. The weather stripping itself is fine. Do you know of anyone who has had the problem and what they did to fix it?

Managing condensation on your home’s back windows

We have condensation forming between the panes of the upper part of our back windows, which seem to be sealed (unlike the bottom half which have screens, and you can open them). This has been ongoing for about six months, becoming more noticeable with time. We have been in our Edgewater home for five-and-a-half years, so I’m sure any warranty has expired. Any suggestions of how to get rid of this?

Microwave maintenance and cleaning high light fixtures

Question: On the built in microwaves that are over the stove – model GE Profile Spacemaker LX1800 – What can you do to prevent the vent cover (which runs across the top of the microwave) from remaining open after the microwave has finished cooking? I know you can manually push it shut but is there some preventative maintenance to keep it from staying open?

Homeowner questions straight from the attic

Question: When the temperatures get below zero, we have loud banging noises coming from the attic. The noise occurs all over the house. Sometimes it sounds like the rafters are cracking. Sometimes the noise is so loud it frightens me.

Are your windows closed? Are you sure?

Just because your windows are down and locked does not mean they are properly closed. There is a flange on the upper fixed window that is designed to interlock with a similar flange on the lower movable window.

Sump pump hose removal for winter

Question: There is a black hose connected to the pipe coming from my sump pump. My neighbor says I should take this off in the winter.

Gas stove igniter problem

When you wash the surface of your gas stove, use very little water and be very careful not to splash any around the knobs that turn on the burners.

Why wait for hot water?

The reason that you get cold water for from one to four minutes is that all of the water in the pipes between your sink and the water heater has to run through the faucet before the heated water from the tank comes through.

A vacation checklist to keep your mind at ease

As many Sun City residents pack for warmer climates, it is important to spend an hour or so to prepare your house for the winter so there will be no surprises on your return.

Secure patio doors and keep garage doors running smoothly

The sliding glass door on many Sun City homes are not as secure as they appear to be. They ride on wheels that roll in the bottom track. To install them, they lift the door up into the upper track, rotate it into the lower track, and lower it down until the wheels contact the track. While this works well for installing the doors, it also allows unauthorized people to lift the door out and enter your home.

Finding a lost chain and more on driveway maintenance

Q. Twelve years ago when I moved into my Mackinac model house here in Sun City, I lost a favorite gold chain with my name on it. I laid it down on the left counter next to the sink in my master bathroom, and it fell down in the space between counter and sink. Do any of you have any suggestions, and would someone please come to work on it and help me?

Replacing faded address numbers and old emergency lights

Q. I moved into Sun City about six months ago and would like to replace or repaint my faded address numbers. Is there anywhere that you know of where they can be purchased? If not, any hints as to what type of paint can be used for touching up the numbers?

Doorbell repair and reflections on August open house

We really enjoyed meeting many of you at our open house on August 15. It is always fun hanging out and talking shop. We had members available to demonstrate and explain each piece of equipment in the shop. For example, we have a number of saws that many people are confused about.

Q&A with the Woodchucks

Question: Where can I get the rollers for sliding screen doors? I have a Dearborn model, if that makes a difference. I have tried the usual places: Ace, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Menard’s and cannot find the exact roller assembly needed. I have also tried to clean them, but this has little to no impact.

Q&A with the Woodchucks

This article marks three years of the Woodchucks answering your questions about repairs around your home. The Sun City Woodchucks would like to meet the people who read the column and show you what goes on in our shop.

Setting the temperature limit stop on a shower faucet

Q: I read your article about adjusting my shower temperature. However, I do not have the faucet you talk about. My home was built in 2007, and it is different. Can you tell me how to adjust the temperature with a different faucet?

Fix a noisy bathroom fan

Q: Our fans in the bathrooms are rather noisy. Broan has new replacement fans that are supposed to be quieter and move more air. Have you had any experience with these, and are they easy to replace?

Sillcock leaks/birds in house vents

Q. We have two water spigots, one on the outside of the house and another in the garage. From the very first, both spigots leak when turned on. I know others who have the same problem. Do you know of a fix?

Removing patio rust spots

Question: I have orange/rust colored spots/circles on the cement on my patio. Can you tell me what causes these spots and how can they be removed? What is the best way to clean the cement patio?

A solution to the ‘water hammer’ problem

Question: We recently purchased a new front-loading washing machine and everything is great except every time the washing machine turns off the water, there is a loud banging noise. It even rattles the pipes in the wall. Is there any way to quiet this down?