Category: diy

How to maintain a natural gas garage heater

How to maintain a natural gas garage heatercredit

A natural gas garage heater is an energy-saving electrical appliance that’s usually to be found in residential settings. Natural gas garage heaters are robust and can last for a long time; however, they can deteriorate due to prolonged usage and neglectful handling. It’s possible to do some of the necessary maintenance tasks yourself without seeking professional help and to do that, you’ll need a few basic tools and knowledge to execute these troubleshooting tasks.

Venting the natural gas garage heater

Venting is important because the gas-based heaters use natural gas as fuel. When combustion occurs, natural gas often leaves a small quantity of residue in the form of gas and vapour. Over time, these particles alter and become debris and affect the supply systems and plumbing installations of the natural gas garage heater. Venting the system ensures that harmful residues of this nature are removed. If they’re not, these toxic fumes can chemically corrode the surrounding surfaces such as walls and floor.

The process of venting involves locating a spot along the floor of the garage where a pipe can be linked to the outside. One end of the pipe is connected to the venting hole of the gas heater. Here you’ll need to slide the other end of the venting pipe through the wall. This can be a laborious task as you’ll need to drill a hole through the wall. The connecting pipe must be secured with mortar and caulk. However, these venting pipes shouldn’t need replacing for many years to come. Just ensure that you purchase a galvanised venting pipe together with specialist screws that have had anti-corrosive treatment.

Natural gas garage heater control systems – troubleshooting

The majority of gas garage heaters come with adjustable controllers. This is a temperature regulating device used repeatedly to control the temperature range of the heater. It’s possible though for the knob to become loose. To tighten the adjustable controller, you’ll only need a simple tool such as a screwdriver or spanner. However, if the controller displays signs of substantial wear or surface damage, you’ll need to get a replacement. This too is straightforward as controller knobs are manufactured in standardised sizes and are sold by most natural gas heater system sellers.

Troubleshooting: gas garage heater surface coating

Almost all natural gas garage heater surfaces are painted or have some kind of treatment to protect them against moisture and seepage issues such as corrosion. For this reason, it’s important to make sure that this treatment is repaired before it gets worn out completely. If you’re unable to identify exactly the kind of coating originally used, you can simply paint the surface of the unit with metallic paint. Simply enquire at a paint supply store about paints that are most suitable for resisting heated surfaces.

Troubleshooting: overloading of natural gas garage heater

In some instances, your garage heater may suffer from overload, resulting in increased utility bills. This, however, is only applicable to natural gas garage heaters in cold areas. In cold climates, water loses its heat rapidly. To combat this, wrap a thermal blanket around the tank to increase the insulation and maintain an even temperature. This will help to augment the overall life of the natural gas garage heater by decreasing unnecessary burden on the appliance.

Natural gas garage sedimentation

Even if your home has a supply of clean, treated water, it’s necessary to do a yearly de-sedimentation. This is important because trace amounts of minerals in the water get deposited within the inner surface of the tank. Sedimentation can choke the plumbing connections of the heater system. All you need to do is open it and wash it with a high-pressure garden hose.

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DIY vs hiring an expert: Should you fix your own lighting?

DIY vs hiring an expert: Should you fix your own lighting?

Hiring a professional electrician to complete electrical installations, repairs or replacements provides you with a sense of security that the job has been done properly, with lasting results. Although hiring a qualified electrician will guarantee that the job has been done perfectly, there are certain aspects of changing and updating lighting that requires a professional.

Not all lighting jobs necessarily require a qualified electrician to complete. If you feel confident in your DIY skills, there are a few minor electrical projects that you can perform yourself in your home that could save you both time and money. However, if the project you’re looking to undertake is something like wiring a ceiling light, this should be completed by a qualified electrician if you have never undertaken a task like it before.

If you’re thinking of fixing any lighting fixtures in your home, here are just a few tips to know what’s possible to do yourself, and what will require an expert.

Light fixture iconcredit

Replacing light fittings

Even if you’re not a certified electrician, replacing a simple light fitting is one of the few electrical projects you can do in your home. Fortunately, there are numerous videos and articles which will take you through step by step on how to change a light fitting. As long as you have the correct tools on hand, this is quite a simple task that does not take up too much of your time.

Outdoor lighting iconcredit

Installing outdoor lighting

If you want to brighten up the exterior of your home by adding outdoor or garden lights, this has to be completed by a qualified electrician. This project falls under the Part P of the Building Regulations in the UK, meaning that jobs that fall under this umbrella should not be carried out by anyone besides a Part P certified technician.

Illustration of an arm reaching for a light switch

Changing light switches or sockets

As functional items, most light switches tend to be basic in style, mainly made from white plastic they can look slightly plain, especially in a uniquely decorated room. Simply switching to a more decorative looking switch could be the perfect finishing touch for your home. Alternatively, you can update a current switch to one that provides multi-way control if you have a more open-plan space, or for your hallway and stairwell. Changing the light switch is a simple procedure that can be done by yourself, with the help of a few online videos if needed.

Aside from being a job that you can perform yourself, you can also purchase any parts needed from most online electrical wholesalers. Sites such as Expert Electrical provide a vast range of products from cables, switches, sockets, circuit protections and consumer units.

Illustration of an electricity socket and plug cable

Rewiring faulty sockets

The reason behind rewiring faulty sockets, and also lights is because they are tripping the fuse. Like installing outdoor lighting, rewiring faulty sockets also requires to be completed by a certified electrician. It might seem easy to ignore a faulty socket, however, if there is a more serious problem behind it, then your property could potentially be at risk of developing an electrical fire.

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How to keep your home clean during a busy family summer

How to keep your home clean during a busy family summer

Summertime is the best, isn’t it? Spending lots of time outdoors, barbecues, sea, sand, picnics… the list of fun activities you can do in the summer just goes on and on. Following in the wake of the Coronavirus crisis, when last summer was virtually ‘cancelled’, we have all the more reason to have a blast this year.

While summer is all fun and games, it can be hard to keep your home clean during this busy season; especially if you have kids or pets – or both! Your home can quickly become a dumping ground for toys, sand, grass, wet towels and other summertime debris! So, how can you keep on top of your home chores without sacrificing fun days out in the sun? In this post we’ll take a look at how to do just that. Strap in for a summer of fun, here we go!

Cleaning products

Clean during the evenings

Most of us think of cleaning as a daytime ritual, right? We set aside a few hours during the day to clean up the house, tidy, do laundry and generally set things straight. However, during the summer, you may find that your weekends are filled with fun social engagements that require you to soak up the sun at every opportunity – and you shouldn’t miss out on that!

An easy alternative is to change your cleaning ritual so that you mainly clean during the evening. This allows you to spend as much time as you want having fun outside during the day, and still helps you to keep up with your indoor chores.

Robot vacuum cleaner

Get an automated vacuum cleaner

Another way to keep your home clean during the busy summer months is to let your tools do all the work. An automated vacuum cleaner will clean up your floors without you having to lift a finger. Your only responsibility is emptying and charging the vacuum cleaner, while your new machine does the rest while you are out having fun! This is a perfect summer solution to the grass and sand that will inevitably make its way onto your floors this year.

Room full of clutter

Minimise your home’s clutter

If you want to keep your home clean with minimal effort, then it’s time to get minimal! The less clutter you have lying around the house, the easier it will be to give the place a once-over at the end of a long summer’s day. Clutter gathers dust, gets in the way and can generally increase the feeling of having a dirty or over-filled home.

So, before summer really begins, make sure you spring clean your home and get rid of any unwanted belongings. You could give them to charity, auction them off or recycle them – just ensure you don’t go into the summer of 2021 with excess baggage in your life.

Final thoughts

Summer is built for fun, not chores. If you want to reduce your chores while keeping your home a clean, clear and healthy environment for all, use this guide to help you achieve that harmonious balance this year.

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Must-have tools for renovating your home in 2021

Must-have tools for renovating your home in 2021

When you decide to renovate your home, it often feels like there are a million & one tasks that need attention, all at the same time. We sympathise; we’ve been in that precise situation ourselves on a few occasions!

When in this position, you naturally want to ensure that you’re doing the best job as possible, which often requires specific tools. None more so than if you’re undertaking somewhat specific jobs. The last thing you want is to encounter obstacles further down the line, due to being unprepared.

Fear not, we’re here to help! We’ve set out a short list below, detailing some of the must-have tools for renovating your home and what they’re used for in each case. Read on for inspiration, budding builders.

Illustration of a brown ladder against a purple wall

Ladders

This may seem like a glaringly obvious suggestion, but we feel it’s worth mentioning all the same. The worst nightmare when renovating or undertaking any job like this is to find that you need to reach something inaccessible and don’t have the means of doing so safely.

Whilst we can recognise that some jobs can be done without the need for a ladder, it’s always best to have one to hand anyway, to minimise the risk of injury when stretching. Whether you opt for a small stepladder or have one that can extend out to a taller level, the choice is entirely yours. Whatever makes you feel comfortable, and whatever brings value to the job that you’re tackling.

Illustration of a red drill

Drills and associated components

Naturally, many construction tasks require drilling into various parts of your property, so it’s another must-have tool when renovating your home. Not to mention, additional parts are also required to complete jobs like these, including the likes of drill bits & attachments and cowling kits.

If you’re unfamiliar with what these are, they’re provided by businesses like Tool Smart WA. They can protect you from any debris, dust and foreign bodies when drilling to fit a down-light or boring into a plasterboard ceiling.

The cowling kit slots onto your existing drill and can save the job of cleaning up after yourself once you’ve completed the job.

Silhouette illustration of a variety of hammers

Hammers

Another seemingly obvious tool suggestion, but one that includes a variety of versions. Along with standard hammers that we’re used to seeing both in person and in the media, there are other, more specialised hammers, which are used for particular jobs when renovating.

A Japanese cat’s paw is an example of a specific hammer and is specially used to remove nails from wood easily and effectively. This would come in handy when wanting to recycle timber beams or floorboards or to safely remove a wall within your property without any nails potentially causing harm to yourself and others in the vicinity.

While these are but some of the many must-have tools for renovating, we’re confident that they’ll make a drastic difference to the progress of your renovations. Ensuring that you’re as prepared as possible for your building project can make certain that you’ll complete the job in good time!

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