Home Related Questions and Answers

Monday, June 10, 2013

Q. How the electricity is produced by using solar energy?

Q. Please describe in details how do the whole mechanisms work? How it is developed? What apparatus is required? How the solar panel is constructed and how it works? Explain me all questions by using 3d figures or images or video if available. I have no prior knowledge about solar electricity so; please guide me in the easiest way as much as possible; I want to make electricity for my home by using solar energy what should I do? How can I achieve or construct it myself?

A. U will Find lot of in to
http://www.howstuffworks.com/solar-cell.htm
at this Site

Can you give me information on solar energy?

Q. I would love to use some solar energy in my home. What can you tell me about how much it costs to begin? Is there some sort of federal tax credit? What all do I need to buy (panels, batteries, etc)? Can a homeowner do the installation or must it be done by a professional? Would also appreciate any websites for retailers of solar energy items. Thank you very much for any information.

A. When I was gainfully employed, prior to experiencing the bliss of retirement, I worked for a hardware store that marketed a solar energy system for single family residences.

The cost profile (this stuff is expensive) suggested that, if you planned to live in your home for 19 years post-installation, you would amortize the cost.

There were federal and California state tax credits available at the time, as well as a rebate from Pacific Gas and Electric (primary utility provider in No. Calif.) which produced a net cost near $20K.

You need to determine if your local power company is obligated to buy back surplus power from your solar system first. If they are not legally required to do so, that will make amortization more difficult.

Q. How the electricity is produced by using solar energy?

A. Solar electric panels are made up of something called silicon, the same thing that makes up sand. There is more silicon on the planet than almost anything else. Even though you can find silicon almost everywhere, making a solar panel is difficult and expensive. The silicon has to be heated to super high temperatures in a big factory, and then formed into very thin wafers.

When sunlight hits a solar panel, it makes electrons in the silicon move around. (Electrons are teeny tiny specks--they?re way too small for us to see, even under a microscope.) The electrons flow through wires that were built into the solar panel. And presto! We have electricity! We can do whatever we want with this electricity, run a calculator, a CD player, or, if we have big enough solar panels, a satellite! [Solar panels are also called photovoltaic panels. "Photo" means light and "voltaic" means electricity.]

http://www.windandsolar.com/nss-folder/pictures/Solar%20Panels%20S%20Wind%20machines%208319%20W%20Sunset%20005.jpg

Before installing solar panels, make sure you are wearing safety goggles. Make sure you have read and understand the manuals for your installation equipment.

Sunday, June 9, 2013

I am desparately in need of a way to remove the odor of dog urine from carpeting. Solutions ?

Q. Carpeting is BERBER ... 1 year old. Has been cleaned professionally and by myself.

A. There are a couple of new products out there - One is called "Urine Gone". I think the other is called "O". Both are supposed to work really well, and go through the carpet to the under pad to get rid of the entire smell. I've seen the "Urine Gone" at our local JC Penney's before.

How do you remove mildew stains from carpeting?

Q. We live on a boat, and there is always some degree of mositure inside the boat. There is carpeting on the walls, so I need to remove the mildew, but I don't want to use a cleaner that may change the color of the carpeting. Any ideas?
We live on a boat, and have carpeting on the walls. There is moisture constantly inside the boat, and mildew stains have grown. I need a home made remedy, as we are traveling on the Meditterean sea, currently in Spain. So USA store products are not available here.
We live on a boat, and have carpeting on the walls. There is moisture constantly inside the boat, and mildew stains have grown. I need a home made remedy, as we are traveling on the Meditterean sea, currently in Spain. So USA store products are not available here.

A. There are commercial mildew stain removers available. Before moistening the carpeted walls with any product, check to be sure that under the carpet is not wood. Moisture soaking into the wood and not drying will compound your problem.

Can anyone answer a question about the installation of new carpeting?

Q. Just had new carpeting put in and began to notice when walked on you can see the shoe tracks. Is this a characteristic of "cheap" carpeting or is it just a characteristic of new carpeting and something that will go away over time?

A. Just new carpet. When it gets worn they won't show. Enjoy it while it lasts.

In high school do you go to the same classes with your home room or what?

Q. I remember in sixth grade we used to stick with our home room the entire day besides our elective class.

Is it like that in high school? Or do multiple kids from different classes go to a class at the same time as you? Then what about your home room class?

A. Well my high school year this year (9th grade) they made all 4 classes mix with each other for these lessons French , Gym , English , Math , Science. They have different sets like 1st , 2nd , 3rd and 4th. 1st is the top class (clever people) 2nd (slightly less clever) 3rd (Not so clever) and 4th(need some work,is the only way to say it). But they change the sets the people go in depending on how good they are at that lesson.

My home room class stays together for all the other classes, and no other people from the other 9th grade classes join our class.

no child left behind going to get my home room teacher?

Q. i got to a school for ppl who got kicked out of public. most of us have anger issues. are class room s are about 8 ppl each. my class has 3 ppl at the moment. 3 people have dropped out cause of are home room teacher and 1 has transferred to another class. shouldn't no child left behind do something if shes causing this many ppl to drop out this far in the year?

A. You have left yourself behind. All the students there have been kicked out of regular school and most have anger issues.

The problem is with the students and not the teacher.

Model home furnishings and decor?

Q. Is there a place where you can buy complete model home rooms (furnishings and decor)? I live in Southern California (Inland Empire). I've heard that there are model home furniture stores. I wonder if that's the furniture right from the model homes or just identical to it.

A. The best place to buy model home furnishings is at the STORE. Really. Go to the nicest "design furniture" stores (very high end ones) and you'll see that they sell off the model showroom pieces at great discounts. Each store has it's own policy , rates etc, but you can get some very nice stuff a great discounts simply because it was "modelled".

Does anyone know where I can buy an outdoor lighting fixture?

Q. I want to replace my outdoor wall-mounted light by my front door. The one I have now also has an outlet on it. I find this very handy to plug in my weed whacker, etc. I can't seem to find an outdoor light that comes with the outlet. Have they been discontinued?
Thanks HVAC, I did check in those stores. I guess they don't make them anymore.

A. I have not seen one in a long time. Check at Lowes? home depot? Another thing you could do is when the light is replaced have an outlet wired into the light circuit in the wall, it should not be very difficult for an electrician

Why does turning my outdoor lights on trips my circuit breaker ?

Q. I have 4 outdoor lights, 2 lanterns and 2 recessed lightings. The switch is part of 3 switches that controls indoor lights and sockets. Whenever I turn on the outdoor switch, it triggers the circuit breaker. The other 2 switches don't do this. The 2 lantern lights worked when checked individually. But I didn't check the recessed lights yet. What could be the problem?

A. The easiest way to figure it out is to try the process of elimination. The easiest to eliminate and the most likely source is one of the light fixtures. Remove one fixture at a time and recheck the circuit to see if it trips. If the circuit stops tripping, the problem is in the last fixture removed. If that doesn't help you find it, try reinstalling one of the fixtures and messing around with the switches. It's not uncommon for the 4-way switches to go bad. Like the other contributor said, never upsize a breaker without the recommendation of a licensed electrician. It goes without saying that if you're uncomfortable working around electricity, leave this one to the professionals. If the 120 volts doesn't kill you, the fire will.

How do I make my outdoor lights emit red without changing the bulb?

Q. In my film class, our professor mentioned some type of fiberglass gels that you use to change the color of the light. However, I don't think I heard him correctly and now someone wants to put it over their outdoor lights to make them red for the holidays. I'm pretty sure I have the correct material (the woven fiberglass) in mind, but I just want to make certain. if this is the incorrect material, what else can I use to put over my lights as a gel to make the light reds.

A. yeah ur right its the woven fiberglass
i also did this for the holidays

How do you shrink flooring to take the excess wrinkles out of the center?

Q. We have vinyl flooring that is glued on the edges but not in the center. The excess material is causing the flooring to raise up in the middle of the floor. Do I use a heat gun and try to shrink it? I don't know. Any educated suggestions would be help-full.

A. If this is a perimeter bond material, and it didn t acclimate right and "shrink" to the floor then it is faulty material and must be reported to the place of purchase.
If it is a full spread glue type , there is nothing you can do but replace it.
The way to tell the difference, full spread flooring will have a felt type or paper backing. Perimeter bond is smooth. You ll have to find out what you have before anything can be attempted.
Any questions you can e mail me through my avatar. GL

How do you remove laminate flooring that was put down and glued to the floor?

Q. I have this horrible laminate flooring in my house but it's hard to take off the sub-floor because the laminate is glued to the floor. I have been taking it out with a screw driver and hammer and it kinda damages the sub-floor. Is there a way to take out the laminate with little damage to the sub-floor?

A. That is a very tedious job. You will be sitting there forever with a pry bar though. You can also buy a floor scraper for about $20 at any hardware store. Generally found in the flooring dept.

Take my experience though, all depending on what you re-cover with (ie. tile, carpet, etc) if you are going with tile, you need to have a glue free surface. Plywood is inexpensive and easier to remove that your laminate, Not to mention the time and aggravation you will save.

What are good flooring options for a cottage that won't be winterized?

Q. We were hoping to put down laminate flooring but have been told we'd have to heat the floor at all times as stepping on it if it's been exposed to freezing temperatures could cause it to crack (shatter?) open. Real hardwood flooring is expensive and we don't really want carpet or linoleom. Any suggestions or advice?

A. Most quality laminates are meant to serve interiors which are not environmentally controlled all year long. You just have to make sure you're getting the good stuff. Ask your seller about the laminate floor's AC rating, to make sure it's likely to be durable enough for what you've got in mind. For a residence, you shouldn't settle for less than an AC3 rating. Generally, the fiberboard core of a quality laminate floor will help it to weather temperature changes.

Also, you're going to want to choose a type of flooring which is low-maintenance for a cottage. You don't want to be spending too much time with refinishing and waxing flooring when you're meant to be relaxing. Laminate flooring requires dry or damp mopping or a vacuuming, but otherwise retains its look without too much intervention on your part.

Don't ever install hardwood flooring in an area which is not environmentally controlled. The wood will expand and contract radically when in non-controlled conditions. For hardwood, this spells disaster - warping, cupping, the works! The great thing is, laminate flooring has really come a long way in terms of look. You can get laminate flooring which looks almost exactly like solid hardwood - even a "handscraped" look, or a beveled edge effect. And you still get that look without having to worry about the practicalities of maintaining a natural product in a less-than-friendly environment when it comes to extreme conditions.

Whatever you choose to do, enjoy your new floor!

What size screw do i need to mount something (outdoor lighting transformer in this case), to vinyl siding?

Q. Just got a new transformer for outdoor lighting and the screws provided could not even touch the wood behind the vinyl siding (at least I think there is wood behind it). The screws provided were about an inch long. What size do I need to penetrate the wood deep enough to hold a 4lb transformer?

A. A 3/16" or 1/4" lag bolt 2 1/2" long is stronger ..... pilot drill ( just the diameter of the screw core) .... test for strength, if too weak , find the nearest stud .......tiny amt rust wont be seen

How to replace one of the three regular outdoor lights for motion sensing light?

Q. I have three outdoor lights operated by one switch and I'd like one of them to replace with motion sensing light. I do not want the rest two lights to be ON all night, i just want one light to bi sensor operated over the night. And again, all three are on the same switch. How do i do this?

A. You'll need separate wiring to the motion light in order to not go through the switch.

How do I know what voltage outdoor lights to get?

Q. I have 5 outdoor lights in my front yard that are on a timer, and the transformer is in the garage. These lights are (I believe) not low-voltage.. I use 25 watt bulbs in them. There is a thick black and white insulated wires running to each light. I need them replaced. I am not 100% certain what type of lights to get. Any help is greatly appreciated!

A. Pete, you got me confused. You say that you think they are not low voltage but you also say there is a transformer in the garage. If there is a tranformer, check that to see if it is 12 or 24V. also see if there is a wattage rating on the transformer somewhere. You should only go 70-75% of load. The type of bulb will depend on your fixture. Some take a standard screw in type. some are bi-pins and then there are the MR types that project light.Any more help can be had by e-mailing me.

Will you be going out on Black Friday or be at home decorating for Christmas?

Q. I'll be at home decorating for Christmas! I do all my Christmas shopping online! :)

A. I would rather take a leap from a tall bridge than fight the crowds on that day.

I will spend the day eating as much as I possibly can of the wonderful leftovers from the meal of the day before, and beginning to decorate my house for Christmas.

I will actually spend more time with the eating and then some napping than getting much work done.

Online shopping websites for home decorating?

Q. I am looking for some websites where I can purchase home decorating products (from furniture to decoration, like candles and cushions!) Something along the lines of the Ikea website would be great (unfortunately most of their items must be bought in store - and I really need home delivery) I am based in Italy, but am from the UK so anything that delivers to either of these countries would be great!

Any ideas are welcome, thanks!

A. Look on apartmenttherapy.com & etsy.com.

What type of store sells cheap vintage/antique-looking home decorating stuff?

Q. What type of store sells cheap vintage/antique-looking home decorating stuff? Like Mirrors, Picture frames, furniture, end tables, lamps, etc.
either a real store or online, doesn't matter.

A. All thrift stores