You can buy a replacement ballast separately from the fixture. Electronic ballasts in newer fixtures and compact fluorescents cycle 24,000 times per second, eliminate blinking, produce no hum, last longer, are more efficient and are dimmable.
Q: You mentioned you have a heat pump in your home. Do these have a backup heat source?
A: The air handlers in all air-to-air heat pumps have conventional electric strip heaters, so if the compressor fails, or if it is too cold to efficiently use the heat pump (below the balance point), the conventional electric heaters will heat the house through the same system. This is sometimes referred to as "emergency heat" on a heat pump thermostat. Backup heat can be turned on automatically or manually if you are feeling like your bill the previous month was just too darned low.
Q: Shower questions: Why does mold keep re-appearing at the caulking on the inner track at the bottom (fixed part) of my aluminum shower door? This is the part you step over to get in and out of the shower. How can I get it out? Second, what can I do to prevent water stains from recurring on the clear glass, and how do I clean it off when they do? The squeegee helps as a preventative measure, I suppose, but not well.
A: The bottom track is likely caulked both inside and out. Remove the caulking from the inner (shower side) portion. And don't replace it. This will allow the trapped water, which is causing your mold, to drain back into the shower. The outer portion of this track should be siliconed to prevent water dropping onto the floor, but not necessarily the inner side.
Typically, the shower track weepholes are too high to be effective — water leaches through the caulking before it goes through the weepholes. Lateral leakage into the shower walls happens quite frequently with this double-sided caulking on horizontal surfaces.
Rain-X or car wax seem to work well at preventing glass staining. Liquid soap lessens the soap-scum buildup. Acidic cleaners in general, and Kaboom, Comet Bathroom Cleaner, white vinegar, lemon oil and Goo-Gone all have been used successfully by readers over the years. I like the more visceral approach of window cleaner and a razor-scraper (but keep the glass wet).
Washer worries
Q: Is it advisable to have a front-loading washer in a laundry room on a second floor? I have heard that they spin very fast and vibrate badly, much worse than the older top-loading style.
Q: I have a brand-new house and a brand-new front-loading washing machine in a first-floor laundry room. At spin cycle (1,200 RPM), the machine vibrates the house pretty badly. The floor structure beneath is built well, and I've had it checked twice; nothing is amiss. The washing-machine technician blames the building. The builder blames the washing machine.
A: My experiences with this are mixed. I personally have a Maytag Neptune (front loader) on the top floor, and it is no better and no worse than a conventional washer from a vibration standpoint. But I hear complaints from people about both styles of washers, with the top loaders creating vibration issues and the conventional units "walking" across the floor. Unsorted loads (socks and towels in one load), too much detergent and a machine out of level are the typical causes of a cantankerous front-loader.
Typically, manufacturers recommend placing ¾-inch plywood or cement board beneath a vibrating front-loader (not carpet) to stiffen the floor and create a change in the vibration pattern. Since there seems to be no clear consensus on this issue, I am going to use one of my lifelines and go to the readers: Tell me about your washing-machine vibration issues. Include the machine type, manufacturer, location of the laundry room and how/if you have remedied the problem.
Darrell Hay is a local home inspector and manages several rental properties. |
