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Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Quick Tips - DIY (Part 2)

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FROZEN OUT: Cold weather has stiffened the mechanism of your garage door opener, causing it to lose power.

THE QUICK FIX: Most garage door openers made in the past 15 years have pressure adjustments for both raising and lowering. Check and adjust these settings seasonally to keep things running smoothly.


SCREW LOOSE: You're trying to replace a woodscrew, but the hole is stripped and the screw won't grab.

THE QUICK FIX: Insert two short lengths of thin, insulated wire in the hole before adding the screw. They'll allow the screw to bite.


TRAPPED BELOW: The water in the trap of your basement floor drain dried up-and now your cellar smells vaguely of nasty, nasty things.

THE QUICK FIX: Pour nontoxic plumbing antifreeze down the drain to fill the trap. You can use water in a pinch, but it evaporates faster than antifreeze, so you'll need to repeat the process more often.


ICE RAGE: Your car doors freeze shut in cold weather.

THE QUICK FIX: "Spray the weatherstripping around the door frames with silicone," advises Al Toutant, a technician at Heath Auto Service in Greenwood, Maine, where they know a thing or two about cold weather. "It keeps moisture from collecting and freezing your doors shut in the winter, and it keeps it from drying out and cracking in the summer."



HOT WHEELS: The temperature gauge on your car is headed for the danger zone, but you've got no time (or place) to park and cool your jets.

THE QUICK FIX: Turn the heater on full blast (opening the windows so you don't fry). The extra volume of the heater core and its hoses, as well as the airflow of the heater fan blowing across the core, may dissipate enough heat to get you home--or to the garage--without a meltdown.



POWER INTERRUPTION: You need to remove your car's battery, but don't want to lose the settings on the car's radio, alarm, GPS and computer.

THE QUICK FIX: A 9-volt battery adapter can plug into your cigarette lighter to keep those chips powered up. Result: No more auto amnesia.

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