HowToDoThings.com Recent Electrical & Gas Articles

How To Replace a Damaged Lamp Socket

ramb37 — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:03:00 -0500

How To Troubleshoot a Circuit Breaker

ramb37 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:16:29 -0500

How To Reset a Circuit Breaker

ramb37 — Wed, 14 May 2008 13:00:22 -0500

How To Replace a 3-Way Switch

ramb37 — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:39:12 -0500

How To Make a Good Solder Joint

rik — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 14:57:05 -0600

WARNING: This work refers to electrical soldering only.

Learning the correct technique means you can ensure trouble free soldered electrical joints which will be reliable over a long time, and progress to make cheap, easy repairs to your electrical equipment if they develop simple circuit joint faults.

How To Remove Sediment from a Water Heater

johnnyhayneser — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 14:06:19 -0600

All water that enters into a water heater contains natural minerals of some kind. Heating the water causes the minerals to separate and fall to the bottom of the tank. Usually this sediment build-up is made of calcium carbonate. One sign of sediment build-up is a sulfur (or rotten-egg) smell around your water heater. With gas water heaters, sediment problems may cause the entire heater to become noisy while on.

How To Implement Safety Tips for Water Heaters

johnnyhayneser — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 14:06:16 -0600

Much of the maintenance work on a water heater will have to be performed by an electrician or plumber. But some maintenance and improvements can be done by a homeowner. However, if you are not comfortable with performing such tasks, always call a professional. Here are some safety tips to follow before working on your water heater:

How To Decide Whether to Buy a New Water Heater or Stick with Your Old One

johnnyhayneser — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:31:32 -0600

The information in this article only applies to tank-type water heaters (gas or electric). It does not include information on solar water heaters or tankless water heaters.

How To Keep Your Electric Heating Elements from Failing

johnnyhayneser — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 16:41:51 -0600

The following applies to electric water heaters only. The heating elements in an electric water heater are susceptible to sediment buildup, burnout and sudden failure. Learn how to clean and inspect the heating elements in your electric water heater.

How To Inspect a Leaky Water Heater

johnnyhayneser — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 12:41:57 -0600

Inspect your fittings. Don’t know which fittings you need to inspect? Check all of the following; make sure the fittings are tight and dry. Use a cotton swap or Q-tip to wipe around the areas to make sure they are free of moisture and rust.

read more

How To Shrink Power Bills by Conserving Energy with your Water Heater

johnnyhayneser — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 14:37:39 -0600

This article teaches you how to save money by instituting all the following devices: Electric temperature controls, heat traps, low-flow shower heads, pipe insulation, recirculating system controls, vent dampers and water heater blankets.

Electric Temperature Controls (Electric Water Heaters Only). An electric temperature control allows you to shut down the water heater when no one is home or when everyone is asleep. This will reduce heat loss and save you money. Call your utility company or a plumber to help you install this device.

How To Handle Corrosion Problem Spots in a Water Heater

johnnyhayneser — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 18:57:01 -0600

Corrosion can cripple the life of your water heater no matter if you have a tank-type, commercial or solar water heater system. Learn where the 7 trouble spots for water heaters are and how to protect your water heater from corrosive elements.

How To Operate Electric and Gas Water Heater Temperature Controls

johnnyhayneser — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 18:30:09 -0600

Gas Controls

Gas water heaters have a thermostat inside the water of the tank, which is then connected to the front control at the bottom of the water heater. On the front control there is a dial with three settings: ON, OFF and PILOT. Above the dial is a knob with a recessed screw which controls the gas flame. Below the bottom of the dial are three tubes. The largest tube, always in the middle, is the natural gas supply tube. The medium-sized tube, usually the one on the right, feeds natural gas to the pilot light switch. The smallest tube, usually the one on the left, is called the thermocouple. The thermocouple allows you to control the amount of gas fed to the pilot after it has been lit, therefore controlling the size of the flame. Lastly, the burner assembly is attached to the tubes and control; it can be removed for cleaning, but do not take apart the control itself.

How To Consider a New Water Heater for Your Home

johnnyhayneser — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 16:06:09 -0600

Gas or Electric Tank Water Heaters.

Tank water heaters are the most common type of water heater installed in American homes. You will have a gas-powered water heater or an electric water heater depending on what power source your house runs on. If the rest of the house is powered by gas you will have a gas-powered water heater; if it runs on electricity, you will have an electric water heater. Because of this, trying to compare the two is somewhat impractical. However, you can compare gas to gas or electric to electric.

How To Clean and Remove Sediment from a Commercial Water Heater

johnnyhayneser — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 15:43:47 -0600

Commercial water heaters have several features that differ from residential water heaters. To begin with, commercial heaters produce a minimum of 75,000 British thermal units whereas residential heaters residential water heaters produce anything less than 75,000 British thermal units.

Also, commercial heaters have a clean-out port on the side of the water heater; residential heaters must utilize the drain valve and require specialized equipment in order to clean them. With commercial gas water heaters, there is more than one gas flue and automatic ventilator, and with commercial electric heaters, there is often an ignition feature.

One other difference is that on a commercial water heater, the cold water inlet is at the bottom of the tank instead of the top. This allows cold water to enter the tank at the bottom—a definite improvement over residential heaters.

How To Install, Inspect and Evaluate Anode Rods in Water Heaters

johnnyhayneser — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 15:31:41 -0600

An anode rod is necessary because it prevents any corrosion of a water heater's metal lining. As long as a serviceable anode rod is installed, the metal of the rod will wear away instead of the water heater lining. The anode rod produces an electro-chemical reaction within the water, which protects the water heater.

Anode rods are attached to the top of the water heater with a ¾ inch hex head screw. Most rods are approximately 3 feet 8 inches in length: just a few inches shorter than the water heater itself. The core of an anode rod is a steel wire framed by one of three different metals: aluminum, magnesium or zinc. All anodes are made from one of these three metals, and each type of rod has a particular use.

How To Upgrade Your Electrical Service

jmkokurewicz — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 13:10:08 -0500

A very common, and anxiety-producing question that many homeowners have asked me through the years is whether or not they need to upgrade their electrical service. Their anxiety is well founded because changing a service is disruptive, complicated, and costly. However, these homeowners recognize that not changing their service can limit what they can do or add to their home, or in some cases, can lead to the unimaginable disaster of their home burning down to the ground (maybe even with their family in it).

So the first thing is to understand what a service change is.

How To Be Safe Around Your Electrical System

jmkokurewicz — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 13:31:27 -0500

So, you've decided to take care of a problem in your electrical system on your own, saving yourself some time and money. Great! However, electricity can be dangerous so here are some basic precautions and tips that are essential for you to review BEFORE embarking on your project.

How To Install a New Switch

fester1 — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 23:10:56 -0500

There are a few reasons for replacing a switch in your home: The switch no longer works or is damaged, changing the color or style of the switch, or swapping an on/off switch with a dimmer. Whatever the reason, you should be aware of the different types of switches so you aren't overwhelmed when you are at the hardware store buying a new one.

Different styles: