Quick Fixes

When my publisher asked me to write an article on “Quick Fixes”, I have to admit when I first heard that, I had a 70’s flashback. Just for the record, I never exhaled! Then it was explained the gist of the column was to give my readers some tips on saving the cost of a call to a contractor, for easily repairable projects. Thank goodness for that, I really don’t remember much of the 70’s… or 80’s if you want to know the truth!

I do remember a few things, however. So take these tips, and stash them away for when you need them. Just don’t forget where you hid your stash!

Jammed Garbage Disposal- If you hear that ominous sound of your disposal motor winding, shut off the disposal immediately. Look under your sink, or in your junk drawer, for the silver offset Allen wrench that came with the disposal. Unplug the disposal before proceeding. Insert the wrench into the hole at the very bottom of the disposal motor, and turn both ways to clear the jam. You can then reach into the disposal and pull out whatever caused the problem, usually a bottle cap or some other small metal object. If you don’t shut off the disposal in time, when you hear the motor winding, the built-in reset button will trip. This is a little red button right near the hole where you put the wrench. Simply press it in and you’re all set.

Stripped Screw Holes- Whether it’s a loose screw in a cabinet, a door hinge, or your handmade Indian Hookah pipe, the easiest way to perform this fix is with a little wood glue and a golf tee. Before you start, it’s a good idea to lightly rough up the golf tee so the glue will stick better. You can use sand paper or even an emery board. Squirt the wood glue in the hole (brown wood glue- not white household glue), jam the tee in the hole, and cut of the excess with a knife, and wipe off the excess glue with a slightly damp paper towel. Let it set up for 24 hours. It’s not a bad idea to pre-drill the hole, with a bit that’s slightly smaller than the screw, before re-securing the screw.

Plumbing Clogs- There are some clogs that require the help of a plumber, but many can be handled by the homeowner. Let’s say, for instance, you need to flush a large quantity of Oregano down the toilet, for some strange reason… Two quick and easy tricks to dealing with minor clogs call for nothing more than duct tape, and boiling water. Many clogs can be cleared by simply pouring a pot of boiling water down the drain. When using a plunger to clear clogs, put a piece of duct tape over the overflow hole on your bathroom sink or tub. This will help to give the plunger more “push”. When pushing the plunger, quick, sharp, pushes are most effective.

Non-Working Bathroom, Kitchen, Garage and Exterior Outlets- Some people might think that you’d have to be a real “stoner” to not know this, but you’d be surprised how many calls I get from people who don’t realize that the outlets in their bathrooms, kitchens, and garages (as well as some dining rooms) have GFCI outlets. These trip when there is a “ground-fault” (basically a short) and are a code requirement at all wet locations. If your bathroom outlet trips from your 14,000 watt blow dryer, there is another outlet in one of the bathrooms that has a reset button. This will control the GFCI protection in ALL bathrooms. You’ll have one or two in your garage that handle the garage and all exterior outlets. The kitchen has two “dedicated” GFCI outlets that may also handle one or two in the dining room.

That’s enough for this week, my short-term memory loss just kicked in!