Category: In The Home
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Changing A 3-Port Valve Actuator in A Central Heating System
Over time valve actuators may develop faults which are easily fixed by replacing them. I have just had to do that with the one in my central heating system. I last changed it on 12th December 2017, so, it had run for nearly five years without a fault.
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How To Vent Portable Air Conditioner Exhaust
I’ve been thinking of obtaining some air conditioning equipment for the last few years since 2018. But this year (2022), with exceptional heat forecast and my son taking similar action to cool his London flat, I went ahead and bought an AEG CHILLFLEX portable air conditioner.
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A Sturdy See-through Gate Keeps My Passage Protected
In 2016 I constructed a see-through gate to keep the public out of a passageway I share with a neighbour. I’ve written about it here so that anyone needing a similar see-through gate can take my ideas of how I built it and use them when building their own.
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My Office Chair Cylinder Was Dragging On The Floor
Introduction In November 2019 I noticed a problem when I tried to wheel my Office Chair along the floor. There was exceptional drag. I took a look at the five castors and they were all OK. Then I noticed the Office Chair Cylinder (the tube supporting the seat) had completely penetrated the base. It had…
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Draping A Christmas Garland Over A Mirror or Picture
Introduction It was a few Christmases ago when my wife and I first draped a Christmas Garland over the mirror in our lounge and another over the mirror in the hall. The garlands we bought were fashioned very much to our liking. They just looked like Christmas and became one of those purchases made without…
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How I Hung My Vertical Radiator In The New Lounge
Introduction I hung my vertical radiator in the new lounge while the builder of my extension and his plumber were busy doing other work. They let me do this because I explained my concerns about its weight and agreed to try fixing it by their method. I explained what I planned to do if, when…
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Fixing A Close Coupled Toilet Leaking Fresh Water
Post Description How I renewed the coupling kit which joins my toilet cistern and pan. I did this to repair a Close Coupled Toilet leaking fresh water between the cistern and pan. Water was leaking from the coupling joint when the toilet was flushed.
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Extending The Door Bell In My Home
Post Description I’ve been extending the door bell in my home so it can be heard in the house extension and shed. It’s been done by incorporating wireless technology, while retaining my original 1980s “DING-DONG” door chime which had a great sound and an illuminated bell push.
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Converting A Bell Push Light To LEDs
Post Description How I replaced an incandescent bell push light with LEDs. The bell push operates a door chime powered by AC from a bell transformer.
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A Twin Towel Rail System Prevents Towels Slipping Off
Preface This post describes: How a Twin Towel Rail system with towels wrapped around two rails parallel to each other will not easily fall off onto the floor.
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A Fireplace Alcove Coloured Lighting Scheme
Introduction Here I will describe how I created a Fireplace Alcove Coloured Lighting Scheme using multi-coloured LED lighting. This article isn’t about lighting a small niche in the wall of a large Ingle Nook fireplace or anything like that. It’s about converting a modern domestic fireplace into an alcove where ornaments or a plant could…
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How I Repaired A Dualit Milk Frother Model DMF2
Introduction My wife pressed the start button on the Dualit Milk Frother (Model DMF2) one day in the summer of 2017 and it no longer worked. This persisted so we had to heat the milk in the microwave oven for a week or two until we got a new frother. Of course, me being me,…
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Unblocking A Blocked Toilet
Preface This post describes: How to clear a blocked toilet and includes how to remove the trap water so it can safely be disconnected from the sewer without spilling anything. As you can see I’ve censored the featured image for this post. I decided somethings are best left to the imagination. Imagine the water level…
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What Is A Retractable Clothes Washing Line?
Introduction Consider the benefits of having a retractable clothes washing line: Coiling it up in a box keeps it clean. If you have a nice vista you won’t want it permanently scared with one or more lines cutting across it.
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Making A Condensation-free Bathroom Mirror
This post describes how to make a condensation-free bathroom mirror using an automatic mirror heater. Without a heater it would be impossible to use the mirror without first wiping it with a cloth. With an active mirror heater, it’s possible to get straight out of a bath or shower and use the mirror immediately.
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Making An Insulated Loft Trapdoor
Introduction I recently had a ground floor extension built which required access to the loft space in the pitched roof to provide and service pipes and cables. So I asked the builder to create an insulated loft trapdoor. I made it clear that it should not just be a sheet of MDF or plywood. It must have thermal insulation…
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Replacing A Toilet Fill Valve
Preface This post describes: Replacing a Toilet Fill Valve with a new one. I have also written another article about How A Toilet Silent Fill Valve Works which is appropriate to a specific type of fill valve.
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Preventing Office-chair Castors Damaging Carpets
Introduction When I first had a Microsoft Windows personal computer I put it on a computer desk in the lounge and bought a typical office chair with five castors. Over the next few years wheeling that chair around the desk area with my weight on it seriously damaged the carpet in that location. So I had to…
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Kitchen Appliance Connection Points
Introduction Everyone has to design their kitchen or utility room to suite their circumstances but when my kitchen came up for renewal in 2003 I made specific use of the considerable space behind my pan drawers. I discarded my pan drawer carcase back panel and brought together many of my kitchen appliance connection points onto this large area…
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Mira Shower Thermal Switch Replacement
Introduction This article advises how I have replaced a Mira Shower thermal switch in a MIRA Sport 9kW Thermostatic Shower on several occasions. Originally I installed a MIRA Sport 9kW Thermostatic Shower as part of a new bathroom and had it tested and certified by a qualified electrician on 1st May 2007. I was very pleased with it…
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Tiled Bath Panel Construction
Preface I could write an article about Building A Bathroom or Tiling A Bathroom but I have decided to just cover a Tiled Bath Panel in this article even though some detail of the tiles on the walls is mentioned. Bath panels can easily be made from painted hardboard or plywood, or boards, but a tiled panel…
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Dishwasher Rinse Aid Dispenser Catch Repair
Introduction It must be nearly two years ago that I first had a problem with my Dishwasher Rinse Aid Dispenser Catch. The tab that has to be pushed towards the top of the door to open the rinse aid dispenser, so that more rinse aid can be added, had somehow broken and disappeared. I found I could continue…
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Sighting A Straight Line
Introduction I would say sighting a straight line is a common practice used by builders and joiners to determine if a piece of timber is straight or bowed. It can be used to test any length of timber, but long pieces in particular. The practice requires no tools, just eyesight with a good depth of…
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Cleaning A Nespresso Aeroccino Milk Frother
Introduction I’ve had a Nespresso Pixie since June 2012 and at the same time I acquired a Nespresso Aeroccino milk frother (Aeroccino 3 to be precise). These devices are very nice to have and work well even after 2½ years continual use. The coffee is very nice too. NOTE: The Nespresso Aeroccino 3 has been…
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Print A Long Thin Calendar For Any Year
Introduction My wife and mother-in-law both prefer a long thin calendar like this in A3 format so that they can easily make notes on it (see featured image). My wife’s hangs around the coffee table all the time. She doesn’t want to bother with an electronic one, although she has that option. Her mother has…
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Fourteen Different Calendars
Introduction If you didn’t already know it the 1st January next year will always be on a different day to the 1st January this year. This comes about because: for ordinary years with 365 days there are 52 weeks and 1 day remaining, for leap years with 366 days there are 52 weeks and 2 days remaining.…
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Dyson Slim DC18 Cleaner Head Maintenance
Introduction This article advises how to perform Dyson Slim DC18 Cleaner Head Maintenance. This can involve removing the Brushbars to remove items that have got wrapped around them and removing the Soleplate for access so dirt can be cleaned out. In extreme cases the Motor Housing can be opened so that dirt can be sucked out of…
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Dyson Slim DC18 Filter Cleaning
Introduction This article describes the Dyson Slim DC18 Filter Cleaning process for the Pre-filter and the HEPA (Highly Efficient Particle Arrester) Post-filter. Many devices in this world which pump air have air filters. They’re installed to stop dirt harming mechanisms, bearings, etc.. Without filters that dirt would ultimately make them perform badly or fail. The air filters clog up…
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Woodscrews And Bolts
Introduction This article on woodscrews and bolts is very basic at the moment but may get improved with time. Woodscrew Chart by W. L. Fuller Coach Screws and Bolts have been used in the construction and erection of my shed as mentioned in my post about Securing Shed Doors.
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How A Toilet Cistern Silent Fill Valve Works
Introduction This article is in effect an addendum to the post Repairing A Toilet Silent Fill Valve which explains how to access and dismantle such a valve and inspect or change the diaphragm that sits in the valve. That post also explains what is, and is not, silent about a Silent Fill Valve. This is…
