Circulating pumps can speed up your hot-water supply

Hot water is something we all appreciate, but if your bathroom or kitchen is far away from your water heater, it can take forever for the hot water to get there. But, as with most problems, there is a solution: You can add a small pump that will keep hot water ready for you when you need it, or at least get it there without wasting a lot of cold water doing it.

There are a variety of small, recirculating pumps on the market, and some are available at your local home center. Do your homework and choose the one that is best for your needs. Some will activate on a timer, while others can be activated manually. And some will work all by themselves based on the temp of the water flowing through them.

Check your local building codes to make sure it's OK to do this in your neighborhood. Here are the basic hookup procedures:

Most require an electrical source of some kind, so if you don't have an electrical outlet located under your sink or need to do wiring that you don't feel you are up to, hire an electrician for this part of the job. You should use a ground fault circuit interrupter, or GFCI, outlet for your own safety. These outlets, with circuit trip and reset buttons, now are required in most bathrooms and kitchens.

The pump is connected to your water supply with simple "T" fittings. These are easy to connect to your water supply lines, but if you don't feel like you are up to the task, a plumber can do this for you. If you have the option, use heavy-duty hoses that won't burst. This is always a good idea in order to prevent water leaks.

Once the water supply is hooked up, you can plug the unit in and set up the timer or activate the switch.

This is a very popular fix for a very common problem and works pretty well in most cases. Check it out and see if it might just solve your water problems and keep you from wasting all that water, not to mention time!

Best seat in the house

The toilet might not be the best seat in most homes, but it could be. A malfunctioning toilet can cause water damage, noise, water waste and embarrassment, so keep yours in good working order. One of the things that should be done pretty regularly is to clean out the drain holes in the toilet bowl. These holes carry water from the tank to the bowl to wash down the sides as it flushes. If the holes are clogged up, then the water can't do its job. Use a wire or toothpick to clean mineral deposits to clear them away. If you have trouble seeing the holes, use a hand mirror. This little trick is a super way to see into lots of spots your eyes can get to. Keep one in your toolbox. You never know when it might come in handy!

Save cleanup with a spray-paint booth

If you are using spray paint to save time, consider the cleanup time involved when dealing with the overspray. If you are working outdoors, you may not have that much to clean up, but working indoors or in your garage can be a disaster if you aren't careful. You can create a super paint "booth" from a cardboard box. Just set the box on its side and place the item you wish to paint in the box. This way, the overspray stays inside the box for the most part. You can drape the box with plastic if you want to seal it up even more. When you are finished, you can carry it to the curb.

Super hints

• Bubble Wrap can be used in a jam to wrap your pipes. If you find yourself with exposed pipes and the temps are getting ready to drop, wrap your outdoor faucets or exposed pipes with bubble-wrap packing material. It's a great way to recycle.

• If your aluminum windows "sweat" in the winter, put a light coat of paste wax on the metal frames. It will help insulate them and will stop a lot of that sweating, which is caused by condensation from the cold window frame being in your warm, humid house. It's no sweat and very little cleanup.

• I never seem to have time to sort my miscellaneous hardware, but I do keep lots of odds and ends. They come in very handy. I have a large plastic tub that I just throw them all into. When I need something, I have a lot of stuff to choose from. It's my own little savings account for hardware.

Q. Our washing machine has started making a lot of noise. At first, I thought it was the size of the loads, so I cut them down to a smaller size. But that didn't help. What can I do to fix this washing machine? I can't afford to replace it. Can you help?

A. Try resetting the level before you do anything else. The front legs are adjustable, so set your level on the top of the machine and turn the front "feet" to raise or lower the machine to get it level. Check it in all directions, and keep adjusting until it's perfect. Then run it with no clothes in it and see if it's OK. If the tub still moves, you should probably call a repair person and have it checked out inside and out. Most of the time, the leveling makes a huge difference.

Q. My stove is beige, and the rest of my appliances are white. Is there any way to change the color?

A. There are heat-resistant paints that could work. Just be sure to read and follow the package directions for the best results. Keep in mind that the results won't look as good as the real thing, and they might not last forever. It might be better to just learn to live with the difference.

Q. I have noticed that my back patio has lots of small holes all over the surface. There are no cracks, just holes. Can I fill them or cover them up somehow? Will they spread?

A. It's probably nothing serious, but you can apply a "topper" if you want. This is a very thin layer of concrete. Make sure you purchase one with a bonding agent in it. Then, just smooth it over the cleaned surface. It should look great! It's not a serious problem, but when water gets in the holes, other problems could happen.

Reader tips

• My workshop was always dark, and when I decided to paint, I bought inexpensive paint that someone had returned to the hardware store. I saved money, and since the paint was a shade of white, my workshop is much improved. The white color reflects off the walls, and the whole room is much brighter. I can see better, and I find that I am using the lights less, even this fall. What a difference.

• Our garage floor has always been dusty, and I felt like I could never get the floor clean. I painted it this summer with garage-floor paint. Wow. Now it looks great and stays clean, and best of all, the dust seems to be gone. This stuff comes in a lot of colors, but we just used gray. It wasn't that hard and is quite an improvement.

• To save myself some time, I used a wax stick made to the treat chapped lips to "mask" around my window panes when I was painting. It was so easy. I just rubbed it on the edges of the glass - no mess, no fuss. Then I painted. I used window cleaner to clean the windows and remove it when I was finished painting. It worked great and was soooo easy.

• My front-door lock sticks every once in a while, so I have to lubricate it to keep it working. I ran out of the graphite powder that I normally used, and thought I might try just using some pencil lead that I ground up. It worked great. I used a pencil sharpener to get the graphite off the pencil, and I just put it on the key and slid the key into the lock. I worked it back and forth like I do the regular powder, and it worked great. I probably will buy the real thing at my hardware store, but this sure did help when I was in a bind and needed it.

• Every year, when we have our firewood delivered, the guy stacks it right up against the side of the house. It is close to the back door and easy to get to and that has always made a lot of sense to me. But this spring when I was out there cleaning up, I realized that the wood being set right there for long periods of time had caused moisture damage to the house itself, as well as what looks like some sort of critter trying to get into the wall. I guess they liked the placement, too. This year, I had him stack it on a rack set away from the house. It's not that much farther away, but it's not up against the house anymore.

Shoptalk

• Black & Decker's Alligator Loppers are a really innovative way to cut large tree branches. They are powered to make the hard work a lot easier. Heavy-duty jaws have the clamping and cutting power you need to tackle pruning and clearing jobs in your lawn and landscape and cutting branches up to 4 inches thick. They are much lighter in weight and quieter to operate than a chain saw, yet they can tackle a lot of the same chores. There is an electric model and an 18-volt cordless model. Both are super tools for lawn and garden work. Look for them wherever Black & Decker tools are sold. To learn more about these products, visit blackanddecker.com.

• Telesteps ladders are a pretty innovative new style of ladder. The telescopic design means it takes up little space when stored, but it extends to the full length when you open it up. Locking levers release when you unfold it, and lock again when you have it at the working height, which is very adjustable. It is available in a variety of heights and a couple of different configurations. There are even some pretty handy accessories available for your ladder. If you want more information or to see the Telesteps in action, visit telesteps.net.

• Write to Al and Kelly Carrell in care of the Daily Herald, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006.