A: The air moves pretty quickly, and there's not much chance you would be able to catch a mouse, even if you could shake him out the end of the hose. Central vacuum systems have a vacuum canister and motor, typically located in the garage or crawlspace. The vacuum motor pulls air through a system of pipes that connect the vacuum outlet in the wall with the vacuum canister. You would find the mouse, dead or alive, in the canister — eventually.
Q: They were pouring a replacement concrete driveway in my neighborhood last week. The guys doing the work were spraying a brownish material that smelled just like cookies on the concrete. What was that, and why?
A: Molasses cookies they were. Molasses is a natural concrete-curing retardant, in that it prevents the "fat" (loose cement on top and between the rocks) from setting up too quickly. When the aggregate is to be exposed (washed), the concrete beneath needs to be somewhat firm and the upper portions loose, to allow it to be washed away with a hose without damaging the material beneath. Spraying molasses on it helps the lower portion set up firmly, leaving the top loose. Kind of like what Ex-Lax does, but in reverse.
Q: Why don't they make remote thermostats for furnaces like they do for garage doors and televisions?
A: Many major manufacturers and smaller companies do make remote thermostats.
Q: One of our windows, a nice big sliding window, is missing a screen. I'd like to put one in, but I'm not sure where to start. Is it possible to just buy a ready-made screen for the window, or do I need to have one custom-made? Does the window have to be replaced? Where does one go to get a screen? Until I get this fixed, I can't open the window, as the cats would get out.
A: No need to replace the window! Screens can be ordered from the window manufacturer or supplier, can be custom-built by specialized screen companies, or you can build them yourself. If you know the window manufacturer or supplier, start there. If not, or if it is an old window, a screen company can build you a screen to fit, for a fee, which is as easy as making a phone call and writing a check.
Or, if you are feeling handy and need a frustrating project to round out your weekend, buy a screen kit at the hardware store and build it yourself. You need to measure the depth of the screen track (generally two sizes are available — 5/16" and 7/16") and the approximate size of the window beforehand. Most kits will set you back between 8 and 15 bucks. Cut the four frame pieces with a hacksaw and attach with the provided slip-on corners. You also will have springs and handles in the kit. Spread the screen out over the frame and use the spline material (rubber that holds the screen in place) and use a spline roller tool ($2.50) to push the screen and spline into the groove. Trim off the excess screen and install your new screen.
Q: Why do those dump trucks with trailers have those extra-long trailer tongues? The long trailer tongue makes them very dangerous when they go around a corner or when you change lanes and don't see the trailer behind the truck.
A: The truck and the trailer are dumped separately. The trailer has to be jack-knifed when the main truck body dumps to prevent dragging the trailer through the fresh mound from the truck. If the trailer tongue were only 6 feet long, for example, the trailer would end up being dragged right over the 6-foot-high pile of dirt.
Q: How does our sewage get to where it is going? I was told only by gravity, like pitched or angled sewer pipes. Does the city "pump" or pressurize sewerage flows in the same way as it maintains our water pressure? In other words, does our "dung get flung," or does it "go with the flow"?
A: Both gravity and pumps.
Darrell Hay answers readers' questions. Call 206-464-8514 to record your question, |
