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Pink-tinged ice likely a result of iron in water

Q. I enjoy your column in the Daily Herald. I am hoping you can help with our unusual problem.

We bought a new refrigerator (Maytag), and for the first time we have an ice maker. We had to run a water line from the sink to the new refrigerator. The new water line is a plastic one.

Our problem developed a month or so after installation. Occasionally, we get approximately one tray of pink-tinged ice cubes. We have spoken with the service department at Sears (where we purchased the refrigerator), the manufacturer, the city plumbing inspector as well as the city's water department. Most think it is caused by rust in the line from our 1950s plumbing pipes. Per their suggestion, we have installed an in-line filter on the line running to the refrigerator. One person suggested that since we don't use a lot of ice, the water sits in the ice maker unit and that's why we occasionally we get a tray of pink ice cubes. We, of course, discard the pink ice cubes.

Your thoughts and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

A. If your water pipes are old galvanized pipes, it is quite likely that the pinkish color comes from iron leached from the rusting pipes.

You are fortunate if you haven't had any leakage from galvanized pipes rusting through. Your water may be pretty neutral.

On the bright side, I'll say half-jokingly that if you use the pink ice cubes, you will not suffer from an iron deficiency.

Q. I live in a Chicago suburb. My current roof is 22 years old, and I am considering replacing it. It is the only layer of shingles on the house. When they originally installed the roof, they put on one, 3-foot-wide ice shield just above the gutters. My roof has a very low pitch. The questions I have concerning this job are listed below and I would greatly appreciate hearing your answers:

• Do you recommend placing a second layer of shingles over the current layer or tearing the current roof off and then installing the new shingles?

• Should I tear the current roof off in order to have two ice shields on the roof for a total of 6 feet of protection up from the gutter, or is one 3-foot ice shield sufficient?

A. Although it is possible to put a second layer of shingles over existing shingles, the success depends on the proper installation, which requires adjustments to the first two courses in order to avoid telegraphing the lower shingles layout.

There are usually instructions for this installation on the shingle packages, but there are also contractors and DIYs homeowners who ignore them with deleterious effects.

An important consideration is the structural framing of the roof rafters. This is particularly important on a shallow roof. The rafters' size, span and spacing must be such that the added weight of another layer of shingles, which are designated by the manufacturer's stated weight (e.g., 225, 335, etc.), is possible.

These considerations are particularly important in geographic areas with considerable snowfalls.

I think you are better off removing the existing layer of shingles and adding another strip of ice and water protective membrane (because of your shallow roof) - especially if you have broad overhangs, common on such roofs.

Q. In my initial inquiry to you, I referred to water coming down the inside walls of our condo from a leak in the unit above. I think this was a misleading characterization, as the water actually came down the inside of the exterior walls. I must assume there was some sort of insulation behind the drywall/wallboard of these exterior walls.

Since the drywall/wallboard was not removed from any of the walls, how can one be sure that the saturated insulation behind the exterior walls was properly addressed merely by the running of fans and dehumidifiers?

In retrospect, the two players involved with making the determination that we could reoccupy the property at a given date (the company hired by the insurance company to do the restoration work and the insurance adjuster working on behalf of the insurance company) had every reason to reach that conclusion.

Please give me your thoughts on the impact of the water damage to insulation and the non-removal of walls to assess the condition of the insulation in arriving at a decision that the property could be reoccupied.

A. The damage to the insulation depends on the extent, the intensity and the volume of the leak. Fiberglass insulation is laminar, which means that, when installed vertically in walls, small amounts of water leakage may drain to the bottom of the wall cavities and eventually dry.

But if the water came down in a significant volume and the insulation became saturated, it would not have dried and must be removed and replaced once the cavities have completely dried.

In my opinion, some drywall should have been removed to determine the condition of the insulation and of the cavities themselves.

I know that insurance adjusters will try to minimize costs and may be prone to cut corners. We experienced a similar situation when we came back home from a ski trip to find 2 inches of water in the lower level of our house. We insisted on total removal of all affected materials, which the adjuster was refusing to do. Only persistence and the discussion of the science of worse conditions likely developing, and the threat of one heck of a lawsuit when they did, caused the adjuster to reconsider.

Q. A few months ago, you answered a reader's question about a sulfur smell in his hot water. Please forgive my amateur recap, but I think you stated that the culprit was likely that the anode rod in the hot water tank was having some sort of chemical interaction with the water. You said that one alternative is an electronic version of the rod. I was wondering if you could tell me where I can get one of these and what the brand name is that I should be looking for.

A. Sacrificial anodes, generally made of magnesium, are in water heaters to protect the tank itself from early demise by attracting the chemicals in the water responsible for corrosion. When the anode is almost completely eaten, a sulfur smell develops, and the anode needs to be replaced in order to continue protecting the tank.

A smart replacement is a powered anode. These anodes use very little current - in the milliamperes - to attract corrosion instead of using magnesium, aluminum or zinc anodes. But they must not be used in stainless steel or galvanized tanks, or the A.O. Smith Vertex.

You can buy a powered anode, also known as an impressed current rod, in plumbing-supply houses. Any licensed plumber can install one for you.

Q. I'm going to need to replace my roof either this year or next. Has there been any improvement in the quality of shingles, and are there any you can recommend?

A. There have been improvements in the manufacturing of asphalt/fiberglass shingles. Recommending a specific brand is difficult, as a number of manufacturers have been subject to class action suits.

Only time will tell if the improvements have significantly lengthened the life of the shingles, as most shingles sold do not last the length of the stated warranty.

My understanding is that some manufacturers have settled cases against them, CertainTeed and GAF being two of them.

Some contractors I have talked with have had good results with BP and CertainTeed.

Q. My question concerns my garage floor pitting from snow and salt from the road.

My home is 40 years old, and over those 40 years, and many parked cars over winters here, my garage floor is in bad shape. Is there a way to repair those pitted areas?

A. After thoroughly cleaning the floor areas to be treated, you can use a number of products made for the purpose. You can find these products in hardware, building-supply and big-box stores, and a knowledgeable employee should be able to help you find the right one. Be sure to follow the directions on the containers.

If the areas to be treated are very large and cover most of the floor, you may want to contact a small concrete contractor to skim a coat of reinforced cement.

Q. My husband and I want to wash some of the walls in the house. From washing a few spots in previous years, I can see the streaks left there afterward. My question is, if we do a whole wall, is that area going to look all streaky from the washing?

A. From the streaking you describe, it sounds as if the walls were painted in a dark color, which is much more susceptible to streaking when washed.

Perhaps the walls were not painted with washable paint, or there is a residue left from your previous washing. I really don't know what to tell you besides try to wash the entire walls again. You could try doing so with a damp cloth or using a mild dishwashing detergent. Rinse well.

If these steps do not satisfy you, you may need to paint the walls again.

• Henri de Marne was a remodeling contractor in Washington, D.C., for many years, and is now a consultant. His book, "About the House," is available at www.upperaccess.com. His website is www.henridemarne.com. Email questions to henridemarne@gmavt.net, or mail First Aid for the Ailing House, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

© 2016, United Feature Syndicate Inc.

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