How to Clips

This video lists some quick, do it yourself fixes to help your heating system run more efficiently and thus saving you money.

This is how to install a window if you have exterior trim that is easy to remove around the window. If you have aluminum or vinyl siding, or a masonry exterior the process is more complex, because you can't simply remove the trim around the outside of the window. The process of plumbing and squaring the window are the same, but usually you can only shim the window from one side.

As you can see hanging a door is rather easy. The key is to make sure the door is plumb. In the video, the rough opening is square and plumb, and only a half inch wider than the door jamb. Of course this is the best case scenario. Often times, in older houses, the rough opening will be out of plumb and square. So, like the video shows, plumb the door by itself and don't fit the door to the rough opening.

If the toilet lever is worn out or not installed properly, it can cause a number of problems. The most common problem is when you have to "jiggle the handle" to keep the toilet from running. The lever may be getting hung up on the water supply tube, thus not allowing the flapper to seat correctly. If there is too much slack in the chain between the lever and the flapper, it will cause a weak flush because the flapper cannot open far enough. This can also be cause by a bad or poorly installed lever, because the lever arm will hit the top of the tank cover.

A worn flapper will cause you toilet to "run". After the toilet fills, it will sound like it is leaking. Replace is flapper is fairly easy. Turn the water supply to the tank off first. Most flappers are universal.

If you toilet has been rocking the cause may just be loose screws. If your toilet is rocking, tighten the two screws that you will see on the base of the toilet. There is one on either side. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN!!! You risk cracking the porcelain if you tighten these screws too much. Now see if the toilet is still rocking. If there's no rock, then you've go it fixed.

This video describes cleaning the water supply holes under the toilet with a piece of wire. It's a good idea, first, to clean the underside of the toilet rim with a toilet brush. In areas that have hard water, the build up of mineral deposits will occur in these supply holes. It's good to clean them out on a yearly basis.

Another common problem for a weak flush is not allowing the flapper enough space to open all the way. You just need to shorten the chain from the flapper to the flush handle.

I searched for a while, and this is the best video I could find on installing kitchen cabinets. It's a time lapse video of the installation so read through these pointers as you watch the video.

It's much easier to install the strainer before you attach the sink to the counter top. That way you can hold the strainer with needle nose pliers, or the handles of one set of channel locks, while tighten the nut (with another set of channel locks) beneath the sink. Don't be afraid to use too much plumbers putty, you can just use a regular head screw driver to time it off the strainer when you are done. And yes, it there is writing on the strainer, make sure it looks good in the sink.

This is a common problem around the kitchen. Clogged sinks are an easy fix. Be careful if you're putting you hand in or near the disposal. You can rent a snake at your local home improvement store if the clog is really bad. Most of the time you can remove the clog with a plunger. If you are sticking a snake in the disposal, you may get the snake started into the drain pipe. What that means is, the drain on the disposal is on the side of the disposal no directly under the drain like a regular sink.