HowToDoThings.com Recent Safety & Emergencies Articles

How To Keep Bats Out of Your House

Marilisa560 — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 23:48:59 -0500

Live near a wetland or river? Then chances are your home will attract bats, particularly if the home is older, has an open chimney or attic vents. Now bats in your yard are a wonderful thing: A single bat will eat her entire weight in insects in one evening. Bats are a safe, natural environmentally friendly insecticide. We live on a river, yet we enjoy bug-free evenings all summer long.

Bats in your home present a problem, however. While bats do not often bite and are rarely rabid, they are carriers of rabies. Pets, cats in particular, are in special danger from bats; your pets will chase the bats and naturally the bat will bite. One of our cats once caught a bat in midair. He scooped the bat out of the air and put the bat in his mouth, all in one incredibly fast movement. Thankfully, he was not bitten, but he easily could have been. Also, bat feces (or guano) is quite toxic.

How To Get a Bat Out of Your House

Marilisa560 — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:18:02 -0500

Bats in the house are a common problem, especially in the summer and in older homes or those near a river. Bats are helpful little creatures; a bat will eat her entire weight in insects each evening. Obviously, this is great news for the prevention of West Nile, malaria and other insect-born pathogens. Bats are a great natural pesticide, also: Fewer insects = less need for harmful sprays and foggers.

How To Garden Safely with Children at Home or in School

Marilisa560 — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 13:56:26 -0600

Gardening is in my list of top five learning activities. It's natural, therapeutic, hands-on, interactive and a great learning tool. Whether you teach plant care, botany lessons or gardening at home with your children or in school as a teacher, there are several areas to consider and steps to follow to ensure safety.

How To Put Out a Grease Fire

Larado — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 18:27:48 -0600

Okay, say you're frying something in a frying pan and your grease catches fire, what should you do?

Items to always have on hand:

How To Kick Down a Door

Larado — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:57:36 -0600

You may need to kick down a door for many reasons, you locked your keys in a locked room, or your house, and for whatever reason you need to get in and can't utilize or wait for other means. Before we start let me just say that, if at all possible, you should use another means to get through the door that's locked, it's safer and generally easier; that said, lets get started.

How To Implement Heating Efficiency Ideas

johnnyhayneser — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 15:52:31 -0600

Saving money on your water heater is a great idea. There are so many different things you can do to save hundreds of dollars per year with very little work. Let's review some things to look for when dealing with the different types of plumbing parts associated with water heaters.

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 Take a Home Inventory

bronwyn — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 16:44:16 -0600

Although you hope you'll never have to use it, a home inventory is something that is important to take. A home inventory is a list of all of your personal possessions and their value. This is necessary for insurance claims, whether it's renters' or homeowners' insurance.

Get insurance. Make sure that you have homeowners' or renters' insurance. Many people mistakenly think that they only need insurance if they own their home. However, renters' insurance can also protect your belongings, and tends to cost much less than homeowners' insurance.
Set aside some time to record all of your belongings. Luckily, you don't have to record every pair of socks. Make sure you record the most expensive items - computers, electronics, etc. - and group the other items.

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How To Keep a Fireplace Clean

bronwyn — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 16:34:06 -0600

There's no better place in your house on a chilly winter night than in front of your fireplace - but is your fireplace safe? Do the soot stains bother you? The good news is that cleaning your fireplace and keeping it safe go hand in hand, and are even fairly easy!

Have a chimney sweeper come every year. This part is essential for fireplace safety, and you can't do it alone. You need a professional to clear any obstructions in the chimney and remove all extra creosote and other buildup. This flammable material in your chimney is a risk factor for house fires, so don't delay!

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How To Upgrade Your Water Heater's Drain Valve

johnnyhayneser — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 10:58:34 -0600

The drain valve is located near the bottom of the water heater tank. Many water heaters come with drain valves that are prone to leaks or breakage. Plastic cone valves (these have a cone-shaped handle) and plastic faucet valves often drip, freeze and/or clog with sediment. Even after only one use, plastic valves often leak. Also, because the drain valve is made of plastic, the threads on the valve are easy to cross-thread when attaching a garden hose to it.

How To Prevent Rusting in a Water Heater

johnnyhayneser — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 14:17:10 -0600

What Are Plastic-Lined Nipples And Why Do I Need Them?

Pipe nipples are small fittings that connect two pipes together. Many pipes and pipe nipples are made out of brass or copper because these metals are “noble” metals. This means that brass and copper do not chemically react with oxygen—the cause of corrosion or rusting—as much as other metals do (such as steel). The hot and cold water lines on top of the water heater are usually made of brass or copper. Unfortunately, most water heater tank linings and pipes are made out of steel. If these different metals touch each other, the brass or copper will actually promote rusting on the steel tank while the brass or copper remain rust free.

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.

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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 Repair Broken Pipe Nipples on Water Heaters

johnnyhayneser — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 16:14:37 -0600

Many pipes and pipe nipples (small fittings that connect two pipes together) are made out of brass because brass is a noble metal. This means that brass does not chemically react with oxygen and cause corrosion or rusting as much as other metals, such as steel. Unfortunately, most water heater tank linings and pipes are made out of steel. If the two metals touch each other, this causes the less noble steel to corrode or rust. To prevent this, many heaters use a plastic lining in the tank, which allows the brass plumbing to touch the steel water heater tank; the plastic interior will not rust or corrode. If you have steel plumbing, you should not install a brass pipe nipple.

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 Handle a Gun Safely

The2 — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 15:25:41 -0500

You should never handle a gun unless you know how it operates.

How To Get Rid of a Beehive

Staff468 — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 19:17:00 -0500

Who doesn't enjoy watching honeybees traipsing from flower to flower as they conduct their vital duties? It reaffirms our faith in the order and elegance of our natural world. Who doesn't enjoy it, you ask? To those of us who have intense allergies to a bee sting, the scene may not seem so idyllic.

Sadly, honeybees fall victim to parasites and other insects as they go about their business, so we should avoid killing them if at all possible. And wasps like yellow jackets can give people the impression that all bees are similarly vicious (in truth, yellow jackets aren't "bees" at all). We must be judicious whenever we figure out how best to get rid of a beehive.

How To Install a Smoke Detector

Staff468 — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 18:53:00 -0600

Over three-quarters of the states in the U.S. have passed laws making smoke detectors mandatory in private homes, and for good reason. The majority of fatal fires occur at night, while families are sleeping. Adding strategically placed smoke detectors to your house will reduce your chances of dying in a fire by 50%.

Installing smoke detectors in your home is a relatively easy process. However, there are still a few guidelines to follow to ensure that your smoke detectors are as effective as possible. Always follow the manufacturer's directions when installing a smoke detector as the instructions will be geared toward your specific model.

How To Practice Crane Safety

Staff468 — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 13:05:00 -0600

Over the past few decades, cranes have improved their speed, strength, sophistication, capacity and reach all the while becoming lighter and more maneuverable. Cranes are now an indispensable piece of equipment at the job construction site. Unfortunately cranes are involved in more serious accidents than any other piece of heavy equipment. In fact, cranes account for more than 20% of construction site fatalities.

Follow these tips below on how to practice crane safety:

The construction site supervisor must be experienced and knowledgeable about crane selection and set-up. He will need to understand anti-two block devices, load moment indicators, mechanical levels, boom angle indicators, load indicating devices, crane load charts and outriggers and pad supports
The crane must be suitable to the task at hand and adequate for the job required.

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How To Protect Your Home

Staff468 — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 16:05:00 -0500

Too often, people take their homes for granted, content that nothing unfortunate could befall them and that, should the unthinkable happen, there's nothing that could be done to prevent damage anyway. But ask anyone who has dealt with damage to their home, and you will likely get the same resounding advice: take whatever reasonable steps you can to protect your home.

Burglary is an awful violation; your home has been invaded by an unknown thief. To protect your home from these people, you can install a home security system. Different kinds exist - some burglar alarms focus on delivering truly alarming sound when the perimeter is penetrated, waking up neighbors and threatening the burglar with unwanted attention. Other security systems rely less on sound, and instead alert the police of the break-in.

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How To Hammer Without Numbing Your Fingers

Peter5 — Sat, 06 Oct 2001 23:00:00 -0500

Hitting your fingers more often than the nail ?

Push the nail through a piece of card, hold the card instead of the nail. Once the nail is firmly in place simply rip the card to remove it.