Welcome back to another DIY…this time around we will look at some electrical troubleshooting again but on lights-bulbs and fixtures, ceiling mounted, recessed, wall mounted and the switches to go with them. Basic bulb troubleshooting is quite simple, my friend used to say that electrical problems are hard to find and easy to fix whereas mechanical ones are easy to find and hard to fix, I think he is right… Anyways, aside from the obvious safety rules we have to follow, these fixes are a piece of cake. So…as a…
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Fixing leaking faucets and taps
Welcome back! This installment I thought about doing a very popular, simple albeit necessary know how. Guess we can call it a classic fix-leaking and dripping faucets and taps! More often than not, if it’s not a loose connection, it’s a worn washer… So onto the replacement of said washer… Tools you will need: 1. Adjustable wrench or pipe wrench 2. Screwdrivers Steps 1. Turn off water supply to the tap in question [can be just the valves below ] 2. Using the wrench, carefully remove the main nut, making…
Read MoreCutting boards
I always dreamed about being a butcher, you know the gourmet kind, that knows everything about everything about fine meat cuts, can dress meat impeccably…anyways, something that I thought about…not so long ago, almost all chopping and cutting boards used to be wooden, you can be sure to see them in the markets mostly now. They have now been replaced by plastic boards that frankly speaking, take all the fun and spirit out of cutting meat, basically cheapens the entire exercise. One may argue that plastic boards do not harbor…
Read MoreBuilding Shelves
Hello…welcome back. In this installment, we will be looking at building a shelf. It’s a relatively easy, do-it yourself project, and a small job, that becomes a fixture in your home or office, that when completed you can look at with some measure of pride, knowing that you did it yourself! The spirit level will be your most handy tool here, because you need to make the shelf perfectly level. You don’t want stuff rolling off the shelf. Tools and materials 1. Hand drill and drill bits a size slightly…
Read MoreDoor problems
Welcome back to another DIY project! This time around we will look at some small but pesky door problems. Recently, I’ve had to make a fix on a latch that won’t lock, took just less than 5 minutes and was extremely satisfied afterwards! These problems are like dripping faucets, they’re relatively small, but they eat at you. So sometimes we have doors that won’t close properly, either you have to lift them up slightly or press them down, or the latch won’t go in. The first thing you should check…
Read MoreReplacing a damaged lamp holder/bulb socket
I used to see a lot of electrical fittings like bulb sockets and so made of this white metal back in the day. Now, we have mostly plastic electrical fittings…the market is flooded with them, however some of them come with questionable quality. One problem I see is that over time, they get brittle and either crack up or worse, some of them even get discolored. I have installed a few of them [those that are mounted on a wall] and as soon as you tighten them, they crack…with that…
Read MoreGas stoves and ovens
Welcome to another do it yourself…hope that you had a great holiday! In the last installment we had some troubleshooting tips for small appliances in general, and as promised, here are some specific tips applicable to your gas stoves and ovens, washers and dryers…[in a previous edition, we had covered fridge and freezers] to add to your arsenal of know-how. Remember that these tips are generic, that is, they cover the usual problems or issues one would have with normal use. Always remember to consult with the user manual which…
Read MoreChecking and maintaining appliances
So here’s the scenario, you buy a new appliance… works well for a few weeks, even months, then suddenly dies on you, and you just push it in a corner or dump it and move on to a new purchase…sounds familiar? You may be surprised, but quite a bit of appliance malfunctions and breakdowns are fixable by your average user. You may also be surprised that the majority of these malfunctions and breakdowns are caused by improper or poor use and maintenance. Did you bother to read the manual after…
Read MoreChanging a flat tire
Welcome back to another do it yourself! Something as simple as changing a flat is most often taken for granted, most people do just that, thinking that it’s something even a monkey can do, and when the moment of truth comes, they get a hard time. Granted, I’m not saying that it is rocket science, but I will admit that there are some things that the average car owner/driver overlooks most of the time. Recall if you will, sometime back we spoke about the tires on your car, particularly used…
Read MoreQuick fixes for cracks
Welcome to another edition of do it yourself! In this edition we will look at some quick fixes for cracks and small holes in your drywall. I am not that big of a fan of drywall, more like a traditionalist and prefer wooden walls. I think they are classier, longer lasting and easier to maintain. They are not as easy to damage like drywall, but I digress. So over time you may have started noticing small thin cracks on your wall, or you or someone may have accidentally hit or…
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