wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Comments

• [1] Brigid from Manhattan July 11, 2007 - 10:51AM

  For the Ubells and listeners!

  Several months ago a woman called for advice on cleaning the safety-etched bottom of her bathtub and got a lame answer: bleach, powder cleanser and/or scrub harder. I felt her pain: you can't scrub hard enough with a sponge to get into the micro-crevices of etched glass! I had my hands full of paint and could not call in to tell her that the answer is the Mr. Clean Magic Erase sponge. Trust me -- it obliterates the foot grunge! Also very useful for removing writing left too long on dry erase boards.

  
  
• [2] Jeremy from Manhattan July 11, 2007 - 12:19PM

  I am not sure if you can help, but I thought I would ask.

  The front panels to two large air conditioning/heating units in my apartment were custom built (the building opted for this rather than paying for the cabinets that came with the units). And after taking the panels off a few times, the brackets that were holding them in place have snapped.

  On each side of the back of the panel, there were these plastic pieces, two that stuck out from the panel as a "peg" and the holder/receiver pieces on inside of the side panels the cabinet. Above and below this flimsy bracket were "pinchers" (the "male" piece on the removable panel and the roller ball/spring pieces on the side panels) that were to hold the panel in place. These, too, were flimsy and have bent.

  I have visited my local hardware stores on the Upper East Side but they do not have replacement parts nor have not offered me any alternatives. I am wondering if you might have suggestions. Either for changing the means of attachment/connection or for a stronger bracket system.

  
  
• [3] stu in nyc from manhattan July 11, 2007 - 12:45PM

  I live in a pre-war rental building (not sure which war - WWI or WWII) with over 100 apartments. There never seems to be enough pressure from my cold water shower faucet. If you turn the knob a little or a lot, it's always the same amount of water. I do not have this problem with the hot water. also, there are times when hot water is coming out of either the shower or sinks when only the cold water has been turned on. this can go on for many mintues. I could understand if there was not hot water, but cold water? the building super gave me a wishy-washy answer, and nothing has been resolved. what do you think?

  
  
• [4] Seth from Astoria, NY July 11, 2007 - 01:30PM

  simple question. Do you have to recharge the small personal Air Conditioners that you put in your window? Add Freon? It doesn't seem like mine is getting as cold as it used to, and I've cleaned the filter. What do I do?

  
  
• [5] Jennifer Hackworth from Houston, TX July 11, 2007 - 01:34PM

  We recently bought a house in Houston, TX. Over the last few months our house has taken in water under the floor boards. We've pulled up the floor boards and think the water is coming from the back of the house because under the bathroom (which is tile, so we really don't want to pull it up).

  We are getting a french drain installed, but one people told us that we needed to remove the concrete skirt that lines the back wall around the foundation. Should we remove that skirt? It will cost a lot of money and only one person said it should be done. Also we removed our bushes and lowered the soil line around the back, but that didn't seem to help.

  Thanks!

  Jennifer Hackworth

  
  
• [6] Stephanie Wright from Manhattan July 11, 2007 - 01:46PM

  One of the guys just gave a completely WRONG information about the free standing air conditioner for the guy who has a room with a fire escape gate. You DO NOT have to deal with the plumbing. For some units, the water either collects in a bucket and you dump the bucket. The part you said about the hose out the window is also right. Go online and check out portable air conditioners.

  
  
• [7] Cynthia Mitchell from Stamford, CT July 11, 2007 - 01:47PM

  I have a problem with mice outside my house. They have eaten thru the wires in my air conditiner compressor and nested under the hood of my car. What can I do to repel them?

  
  
• [8] Steve from Richmond Hill, NY July 11, 2007 - 01:53PM

  A question about compact fluorescent lightbulbs. I've got an 8-bulb chandelier in my dining room, controlled by a wall switch. Two or three years ago, I replaced all 8 with compact fluorescents. A few weeks ago, I noticed that when I turn on the wall switch, all 8 bulbs flash briefly and go out. I turn it off and back on; same thing. Sometimes after a dozen tries, the lights actually go on.

  I'm guessing that the CF bulbs need more juice to get started, and with the onset of summer, the voltage to my house isn't quite enough to kick-start all eight at once. (Although this started happening before we first used the A/C in our own house this year...) So I've gotten into the habit of unscrewing half of the bulbs, flicking the light switch so the other half go on, then screwing the loose half back in one at a time, after which they work fine.

  Is there a better way to solve this problem?

  
  
• [9] John from Westchester County July 11, 2007 - 01:56PM

  After adding an addition to the side of my house, the exhaust vent from the kitchen range hood needs to be changed/relocated from a horizontal vent on the side of the house to a vertical vent going up through the attic and on through the roof. At the same time I plan on adding an exhaust fan and vent from the bathroom (also going through the attic and roof). Since the two exhaust fans will be back to back on opposite sides of a wall, I am wondering if the exhaust ducts could be combined (in the attic) with a "Y" connector so that I only need to make one hole in the roof instead of two. Is this allowed? I can't find an answer in the HVAC code reference book.

  Thanks...