Keep your water-heater tank in tiptop shape

Whether you have a standard gas or electric water heater or a newer, tankless water heater, regular maintenance will help keep it running strong and efficiently. Here are some tips to help keep it in peak condition.

The minerals in your water supply will cause most of your problems. For tank-type water heaters, you will need to drain the tank periodically to remove the mineral deposits, which separate from the water and remain inside the tank. This is easy to do by just hooking up a hose to the front of the tank and letting some water and minerals drain out into your house drain or outside. You don't have to cut off the gas, electricity or water to do this. It's a good idea to place a hose end cap on the water tank faucet when you remove the hose and turn it off. This will prevent drips.

If you have a tankless water heater, you can turn off the water supply to it and remove and clean the inlet filter on the tank. Scale and mineral deposits can build up here as well and restrict water flow.

You should check both types of heaters once a month for leaks so you won't have any surprises. There are some easy-to-install alarms that will sound if water hits them. These can be placed next to your water heater to alert you to leaks.

Your tank-type water heater might benefit from an insulating blanket. They are made for different sizes and configurations, both for gas and electric, and are wrapped around the unit to keep the water inside hot longer. Make sure you don't cover up the vent, T & P valve or controls.

Another item that can be added to a tank-type water heater is a timer. This enables you to have it cut off when you are not using it, like when you are at work all day, and have it cut back on during times when you will need it to heat up.

These are just a few simple things you can do to keep your water ready when you need it. If you aren't a do-it-yourselfer, find a good plumber who can do these things for you on a regular basis. You'll save money, and your water heater will last a lot longer.

Get a handle on things: Hauling around a stepladder is pretty easy to do, since most are made of lightweight material and not wood anymore. But they still can open up while you are carrying them, and it can be tough to know just where to grab one. We suggest installing a handle on the side. Locate the center of gravity and install a simple screen-door handle right on the side of the ladder. You can run a bungee around the ladder and hook both ends on the handle to hold it together. Then you can carry the ladder with just one hand on the handle if it's light enough. You even can use the handle to hold a tool or something that will hang on it once you are set up to work on the ladder. A simple handle? We think not!

Turn to hose for help: Planning a landscape can take a lot of time, and even more money. But if you are just trying to get a nice layout for your shrub beds, do it with a garden hose. The hose is flexible, and you can lay it out on the ground where you want the edging to be. You can adjust it as much as you want until you get it just right. Use spray paint to mark the exact line on the ground, and then start the fun process of digging!

Super hints

• Use your leaf blower to dry your pool deck, wooden deck, front walk, car, patio furniture and lots of other things. This tool has the power to get the job done quickly and easily.

• Always remember to cover up drains when working in an area where you might drop a tool or piece of hardware. It can be hard to replace something that goes down a drain while you are working, not to mention what it could do to the drain!

Q. I need to glue several tiles back onto the side of my pool. What kind of glue should I use?

A. With the water below the tiles, make sure the old adhesive is off the side of the pool and the back of the tiles. Then use a good-quality tile adhesive that is waterproof. Make sure you give it plenty of time to set up, and then grout to match your existing grout. Your pool-supply dealer might be the best source for adhesive and grout.

Q. I have noticed that we are getting a moisture buildup in our attic during the summertime. Is there a good way to keep this down to a minimum to avoid mold and mildew?

A. You could take a look at your attic ventilation. You might need more. Soffit vents are great for letting fresh air in, and gable vents, roof vents or ridge vents will move the air out. Powered vents will help even more. Make sure you have no water leaks, such as can happen with air conditioners if they are located in the attic. Also make sure household vents and dryers are not vented into the attic.

Q. I am getting a buildup of ice around my freezer door. What can I do?

A. This usually means you have a leak around the gasket of the door. To see if you have a leak, turn on a flashlight, set it inside the freezer and close the door. Turn off the kitchen lights and look for light around the door edges. To correct the problem, start by cleaning both the gasket and the door surfaces. Then rub a little petroleum jelly around the gasket for the best seal. Then you can test it again. If the cleaning didn't correct the problem, you should replace the gasket.

Reader tips

• I had to glue a couple of large sheets of wood together. I found that a great way to spread the glue was with a paint roller. I used a short-nap roller, and the glue went on quickly and evenly. I was able to get good adhesion, and the project came out great. I highly recommend the roller idea, especially when you are trying to get glue down quickly.

• I found a great way to get the glue that I was using into the joint of the chair. It was really hard to figure out how to get the thick glue into such a tiny crack, but this really worked. I just put a straw into the glue bottle and then placed my finger over the top of the straw to hold the glue in until I was over the hair joint. Then I placed the straw into the small gap and blew the glue, with my mouth, into the joint. The clamping was the easy part. Apparently I did get enough glue inside, because the joint seems secure now.

• When we bought office furniture for our home office, we found some good used equipment. One item we bought was a rolling file cabinet. I took the cabinet off the rolling frame, though, because having it move around turned out not to be such a good idea. I turned the rolling frame into a pretty good shop dolly by just cutting a piece of plywood to fit the frame. The wheels and frame are really strong, since they were meant to support a metal file cabinet full of papers, and it comes in handy for moving furniture and other items in my shop and around the house.

• I always make sure to clean the rims of my paint cans before I seal them back up. If you leave paint around the rim, it makes it really hard to open the can up the next time you use it. Also, I put a thin layer of petroleum jelly along the rim before closing it back up. This gives you the best seal on the can, and also makes removing the lid easier.

• The damage from our leaking water heater in our lake house was not horrible but did require some new flooring in the hallway and one bedroom. The house is in a remote area, so having people come out to measure, do estimates and install the flooring was practically impossible. I took detailed digital photos with my camera and gave those, along with the measurements, to the salesman and was able to get his pricing without having to get him to come out and do it in person. Thank goodness for my digital camera. He was able to get the right stuff there with the installers and get it in all at once.

Shoptalk

• Fireflies or lightning bugs bring back a lot of pleasant childhood memories, and Firefly Magic Firefly Lights are a really neat addition to your landscape. The tiny lights flicker and fade randomly, just like the real thing, but they are powered by the sun. Solar energy is stored during the day on AA batteries, and your yard comes alive at night. Visit www.fireflymagic.com to see them in action and to learn more about the products and where you can purchase them. If you need more, information, you can call the company at (877) 834-7335.

• Instead of throwing away old cooking oil, you can use it in the shop for things like blade lubrication on rakes, shovels and hoes. It also can be great for removing rust when used with some steel wool.

• Black and Decker came out with a really innovative new wrench that adjusts automatically. You no longer have to turn a dial or even hold it in place while you use the wrench. You simply push a button, which you can do with the same hand that is holding the wrench, and it automatically cinches up to the bolt or nut and stays put. The hardened steel is super strong and tough, and the smaller-size wrench is easy to get into tight areas. The AutoWrench is available at home centers and hardware stores. For additional info, visit www.blackanddecker.com.

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

© 2009, Cowles Syndicate Inc.