Faulty hot-water heater leaves reader in the cold
Q. We live in a house we bought five years ago. All was well until recently when we started running out of hot water while showering. We used to be able to take consecutive showers without running out of hot water. But now, after just a few minutes, the hot water is gone. We have an 80-gallon electric hot water heater. What do you think has happened?
A. Electric water heaters have two 4,500-watt elements - one near the bottom of the tank and the other about a third of the way down from the top of the tank. Normally, the bottom element heats the water until so much hot water is used that the top element must kick in to produce hot water faster. It sounds as if the bottom element of your water heater has died, and now, only the top element is heating water, giving you about 20 to 25 gallons of hot water. Have a licensed plumber test it to make sure and replace it if necessary.
Q. I just read your column regarding attic insulation. I have a 1960s bi-level home in New Jersey that faces west. In the winter, I have large icicles hanging from my roof/gutters on the overhangs facing east and west. The homes neighboring us were all built at the same time, and they do not have this problem. This season I expect to add a new roof, gutters and leaders. I have two layers now (original roof and one more on top). Before I proceed, I would like your advice to eliminate the cause of the icicles.
The insulation in the attic was put in when the house was built. Looks like just the floor is done between the beams. About one-third of the attic has a subfloor for storage. There are two vents in the peaks, one on each side. Through the years, we have closed them with plastic sheeting, but they're now removed. I have tried to determine how to handle them to no avail.
A. First, you should not add another layer of shingles over the existing two. Replacing the roof shingles, gutters and downspouts will not take care of the icicles, which is an internal problem. Be sure that you insist that the roofer install an ice-and-water protective membrane at both eaves and around all roof penetrations.
There are several possible causes for your icing problem. For large icicles to form, fill your gutters and hang from them, there needs to be considerable heat loss in the attic. This causes the snow pack to melt from the bottom, and the melt to run down to the bottom of the roof under the snow and freeze as it reaches the cold eaves, cold gutters and downspouts. Then, an ice dam builds up at the eaves and more melting snow backs up behind the dam, sometimes causing leakage into the house itself, which wets the insulation and damages the interior finishes. If there's a chimney for a heating appliance (boiler, furnace, wood stove, water heater) or a fireplace you use frequently in which there is a gas-fired or wood-burning insert, the heat radiating from this chimney in the attic may be responsible.
Is it possible to insulate? Heat generated by can lights; a bathroom or kitchen fan discharging into the attic; or warm air from the living space convecting into the attic through an attic access panel, folding stairs or regular stairway, can also be responsible. Warm air can also work its way into an attic from holes drilled for various pipes and wires and not sealed with foam. By far, the worst offenders can be a second furnace installed in an attic. Check these possibilities out and correct the deficiencies. You may also need more insulation. Leave the gable vents open to allow cold air into the attic.
Q. I own a stone house that was built in 1799, with additions added in the early '80s (best guess). I have a host of issues to eventually get to, but I think the first priority is to make sure the heating is efficient. I am sure that I need a ton of new insulation, new windows and doors. Eventually, I will replace the furnace (20 years old) and add central air conditioning. Who could I call to assess just how inefficient my house is with the infrared monitors? For example, I have an attic that is only accessible through a cut out in my bedroom wall. (The room has a cathedral ceiling.) It's poorly insulated and not being used. I even think that they layered one roof over another and didn't take the old one out! The original beams in the attic have bark on them. It is a unique house.
A. Your plan to have infrared thermography, which should be coupled with a blow-door test, is a very good approach, as it will show you where the problems are. To find an infrared specialist, look in your yellow pages under "Infrared Inspection Service" or a similar title. Keep in mind that it is best to address air leakage and heat loss through whatever source (windows, doors, insufficient insulation, etc.) before replacing a boiler or furnace. It is wasteful to install a heating appliance with a capacity that is greater than necessary once all the other important improvements have been made. Considering that the cost of energy is rising, improving the envelope and reducing its need for energy is the best long-term approach.
Q. Is it harmful to turn your furnace and all heat off in the winter months? I have a neighbor who has been doing this for about five years. He has a plumber come in and drain all the water in his home in December and "winterize" it. When he comes home in May, he has the water turned on. I don't know if he turns his electricity off as well. You can also see snow on his house longer than other homes. He has not had any problems so far that I know of.
A. If your neighbor has had a plumber winterize his home successfully and has suffered no damages to any finishes, furniture or any other possessions, including clothing, it should be safe for you to do the same. Much depends on where you are located. The colder the climate you live in, the riskier it is to leave a house without some heat. I am always reluctant to suggest that people shut off heat completely if they live in the cold northern belt of the United States or equally cold regions of Canada.
Great suggestion: Just read your column in the Daily Herald where you answered a question about triple-pane windows with cardinals flying into them. I had a similar problem with cardinals hitting my front windows. I applied two static-cling butterflies - one on each side - and have not had a problem in years. These and other styles are available at a bird and wildlife store: Window Alert - made by Schock Logistics Inc. P.O. Box 7170, Bend, OR 97709, (877) 733-2753, info@windowalert.com, www.windowalert.com. This is a much simpler and less expensive solution than the netting.
Q. I purchased a new split-level house and have the original Hydrotherm furnace. The system is baseboard, hot water. I don't want to push my luck and need your advice on an energy-efficient replacement. One representative recommended the top furnace by Weil-McLain and another felt the middle was sufficient. That man was willing to install whatever brand I suggested. Obviously, I won't be living here for another 52 years. Is it worth putting in a zone system? I don't have central air.
Also, the local squirrels use the electric wires coming into my house as their private road. Twice, I've had the utility company drop the lines so the siding and board could be replaced. Experience has proved that they can chew through GUR (engineered resin used in automobile dashboards as well as for portable ice-skating rinks) fitted around my bedroom window air conditioner. Vinyl siding won't work. The wires must be reinstalled in the same place, according to the utility. I am wondering about a layer of some kind of very heavy wire covered with the cedar shingles and a top layer of wire. The carpenter has seen squirrels - on another job - who just moved further down (away from the convenient wires) and leaned over the roof to open up the boards. I am hoping to trap and relocate them before the attic becomes their nursery. I would deeply appreciate your recommendations.
A. It's not a bad idea to replace a boiler that is over 50 years old. As I have mentioned many times, you should consider doing any improvements to the envelope of a late 1950s house before replacing the heating appliance. This will make it possible to have a smaller boiler installed, not only saving initial cost but fuel, too. It is also likely to make your house more salable as energy costs rise and buyers become more interested in energy-efficient houses.
As to the type of boiler to install, ask the heating contractor or your fuel dealer to estimate the cost increase in fuel usage by using the less-efficient boiler. Then compare this to the difference in cost between the two boilers. I assume that your present system is not zoned - surprising in a split-level house, as it is difficult to heat evenly without several zones. If they can be installed at a reasonable cost, it is certainly worth doing.
Not only are squirrels a nuisance trying to get in your house to nest, but they also can cause very serious damage to wiring resulting in fires, and in some cases, in loss of life. If the siding and trim of your house are sound, they may not attack it; they are very clever at finding the weak spots. You could temporarily fasten hardware cloth over the areas where they try to get in. They may eventually get discouraged. In some jurisdictions, it is illegal to trap and relocate wild animals; check yours. Relocating mice and squirrels is a death sentence, as they no longer know where there are safe places to hide from predators like foxes, coyotes and birds of prey. However, these predators need to feed themselves and their progeny, and what better way to do so that to feast on nuisance animals that carry diseases and cause considerable damage.
• Henri de Marne's column appears Sundays. He was a remodeling contractor in Washington, D.C., for many years, and is now a consultant. Write to him in care of the Daily Herald, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006, or via e-mail at henridemarne@gmavt.net.
© 2009, United Feature Syndicate Inc.