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Troubleshooting Your Home Heating System

Gas Furnace

Let's take a look at the more common problems and furnace or boiler repairs you may have to make. Your furnace may have a standing pilot light or an electronic ignition. Either way we have you covered.

Get that furnace or boiler working

Home Repair Spotlight10

Bob's Home Repair Blog

Get Your Home Cozy for the Coming Cold Weather

Saturday November 7, 2009

Is it really almost dark at 5:00 PM already?! I am always amazed at how fast the Fall season arrives. It's a beautiful season but it is the last window of opportunity to get your home ready for winter if you live in a colder climate.

In the Tutorial Easy Home Winterizing I'll walk you through an easy to implement, comprehensive list of things to check. From plumbing systems to your roof, we'll walk through each system and hit the major things to check before winter comes so you can enjoy the snow and not worry about your home.

So read on and let Fall, well, "fall in!" 'Cause you'll be ready!

Review: Energizer Swivel Head LED Flashlight

Monday November 2, 2009

This LED Hard Case Swivel Head flashlight by Energizer is part of the Hard Case® Professional® series and is a must have for your toolbox. It's also available in Headlight (head mounted) and small Inspection Light versions.

This swivel head version is reviewed by me in Review: Energizer Hard Case Swivel Head LED Flashlight.

The flashlight operates on 2-AA batteries and is only 7 inches long but produces a very impressive bright white light surpassing many conventional flashlights. Also gone is the wimpy blue LED light that plagued early LED's. The Energizer unit uses new LED technology and is very bright and very white.

It comes with some nice features such as an impact resistant ABS plastic case (rubberized for non-slip), self standing with an adjustable swivel head to get the light where you want it, dual level lighting controls, separate switches for white and colored LED's (red and green for low light applications), a belt clip and more.

This little guy is a workhorse and will be at home and ready for action in your truck, car, toolbox or kitchen drawer. I recommend you give this tool a look.

Do You Have a Psycho Shower Head?

Saturday October 31, 2009

It's Halloween and one of my favorite horror movies is Hitchcock's Psycho.

The shower scene with Janet Leigh (as Marion Crane) is the iconic scene from the classic 1960 film.

But you know, as a Home Repair Guide, I have to say the Bates Motel provided pretty nice shower heads for their guests, although they weren't low flow heads. Of course Marion never noticed since she was dealing with other issues in the shower.

In the tutorial Replacing a Shower Head, I'll show you how easy it is for you to upgrade to something nicer than what Marion Crane used and definitely make your shower experience a lot less frightful!

Is Your Furnace Electronic Ignition Out Cold?

Friday October 23, 2009

Furnace ignition problems and solutions vary according to the type of furnace ignition system you have. Not all furnace pilot light ignition problems relate to a standing pilot in your furnace as I describe in How to Light a Gas Furnace Pilot.

Most all modern furnaces use an electronic ignition system having either an intermittent pilot or hot surface ignition.

Modern electronic ignition systems are more reliable than the standing pilot systems of old, but just as your new car has an electronic brain, so do some of these furnaces. And that means you're somewhat limited as to what can be done "under the hood" when they don't work

But take a read of the tutorial Overview and Repair of the Electronic Ignition Furnace and you'll learn how they work, and what you can do when they don't.

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