It has been estimated that 75% of all households and farms in the United States are inadequately wired for electricity. Many were wired before there were electric milking machines, clothes washers, and electric ranges.

Reprinted from The Almanack of 1908

If a cork has shrunk and is too loose to seal a bottle, place it in a pan of boiling water and let stand until the water has cooled. This will make the cork expand and it will then fit snugly

From The Almanack of 1958

FIX HNGES AND STRIPPED SCREWS
Pick up a length of 3/8th inch wooden dowling and some white or yellow wood glue from your neighborhood hardware store. . Drill out all the loose screw holes with a 3/8th inch drill bit. Now cut short sections of the dowel, sand lightly and glue them into the enlarged screw holes. When the glue has firmly dried, the ends of the dowels can be sawn off and sanded flush. Now drill new pilot holes for the hinge screws, using a drill equal in diameter to the shank of the screw. Reinstall the hinges and re-hang the doors. Another method is to break off small lengths of toothpicks the approximate depth of the existing screw holes, stick them into the holes along with a generous amount of wood glue, sand flush when you are sure the glue is dry, and re-insert the screws and tighten well.

An old metal kitchen spatula makes a great scraper when you're trying to remove dried paint spills.

For best performance a thermostat should be located on an inside wall where it will not be affected by sunlight. Do not locate on an outside wall, on a chimney wall, over a radiator or in direct drafts.

When you need to touch up a scratch or other type of blemish on a painted wall use a drop of matching paint on a cotton swab to fix the problem. You won't waste a bunch of paint and you won't have to waste time cleaning a paintbrush. For touching larger areas, consider purchasing a Paint Buddy, sold by Rubber Maid. These nifty little devices hold enough paint to do a number of small touch ups and larger ones, if necessary. The sponge dabber is easily cleaned and you can have multiple Paint Buddies for each room’s different paint scheme.

HOME MAINTENANCE REVIEW

Inspect furniture, cabinets and vanities for loose knobs, pulls and hinges. Tighten or repair as necessary. Lubricate squeaky door hinges with lightweight machine oil.

Free sticky doors by trimming edges or shimming hinges with thin pieces of cardboard.

Fix squeaks in floors and stairs by applying weight to the area (having a partner stand on it works) and driving an 8d or 12d galvanized finish nail through the flooring into a floor joist or stringer.

Don't close vents to crawl spaces. Pipes can freeze and the floor becomes very cold. floor. Vents play an important role in controlling condensation beneath a house.

Double-check insulation around exterior pipes that are exposed to freezing weather to be certain that water cannot seep under the insulation.

FIRE AWAY

Before building your first fire of the season, check to see that the damper opens properly and closes tightly. If the "fire clay" used as mortar for the bricks inside the fireplace has fallen out, replace it.

Inspect the flue with a flashlight for heavy soot residue.

If you have a brick or clay tile flue (not a metal flue), an occasional handful of salt tossed on the fire will help remove the soot.

When the soot deposit gets too thick, have the flue professionally cleaned.
Keep the damper closed when fireplace is not in use.

Auto tune-ups are less important now then they were in the past. They can cost as much as $300 and do little for today’s models, which have on-board diagnostic computer systems, long-lasting plugs, and fewer electromechanical parts.
If your car is running improperly, it is unlikely that a tune up will solve the problem. Instead, have your mechanic investigate a specific problem, find its cause, and correct it.

You can definitely paint over wallpaper, but consider this first. The seams will show through the paint unless you carefully coat them with a skim coat of wallboard compound to hide them. You must use an oil-based primer to seal the paper, or the latex paint could cause the wallpaper paste to soften, causing the paper to "bubble". Another "hidden" problem is that many types of wallpaper have a texture... sometimes not very noticeable until painted.

The best clog remover we found is from FlexiSnake. It comes with a small patch of Velcro at the end and quickly removes hair that has built up in sinks and tubs. Insert the snake into the drain, twist several times, and then pull out the clog. Contact them at 309.274.3160 or in the web at www.flexisnake.com.

Being over-charged for repair work done on your car is a common complaint. A written estimate, signed by both you and the mechanic is a legally enforceable contract. Insist upon approving any additional work before it is done. If you are charged for unauthorized repair and you must pay to get your car, do so, then contact your state’s consumer protection agency and get help to get your money back.

Over weight car drivers are more likely to die or be seriously injured the thinner drivers. Studies have shown that people who weigh 220 to 262 pounds with a body index of 35 to 39 are more then twice as likely to die. A possible reason is that Crash test dummies represent the average sized individual (5’ 10” tall and weighing 170 pounds). Therefore, current car designs may not adequately protect heavier drivers and the car’s other occupants.

Most ceiling fans come with clips and a small weight used to balance the fan blades. Place the weight on each fan blade, successively and spin the fan by hand. This way, you can tell which fan blade is most out of balance. After you determine the fan blade to attach the weight, you adjust the weight along the blade after allowing the fan blades to get up to operating speed. The further away from the motor housing, the greater effect, so start out with the weight close to the motor housing.

Closing and reopening the water faucets that supply to your clothes washer each month is a good idea., especially if you have hard water. Otherwise, they may bind up and not be able to be closed when needed, or leak at intermediate positions.

CONSERVATION TIPS
Have your heating equipment serviced and kept in top working condition. A dirty furnace wastes fuel.
Make sure inspection doors and cleanout openings on your furnace are closed tightly and prevent air leakage into the combustion chamber.

If an automatic draft regulator is supplied on the flue pipe, make sure the damper swings freely.
Replace or repair hot water faucets if they drip. Always close securely after use.
Do not install carpeting that will block the bottom air opening of a baseboard-heating unit.
Periodically examine the fins on the pipe inside the baseboard heating enclosures. If they have a lot of lint or other material on them that will restrict air flow vacuum or otherwise clean them.
If storm window and doors are not installed, use good weather-stripping to reduce air leakage.

If your garage is heated, maintain the temperature at about 40F at all times.

Close the fireplace damper when the fireplace is not in use. With the damper open, the warm air in the room will be drawn up the chimney. Install a set of glass doors on the fireplace which can be closed when the fireplace is not in use or when the fire is very small.

Insulate heating pipes or ducts in an exposed or unheated space.