DO IT YOURSELF: ; Knocking and Shaking Could Indicate a Dip-Tube Problem

Q. When I turn on the hot water in my bathroom sink, the water comes out in spurts. I also feel knocking and shaking in the hot- water pipes in the basement. What's wrong? - N. Sehghl

A. If this is happening in only one faucet, it is possible you just have a clogged aerator in the faucet. If you are getting the same symptoms in other fixtures, including sinks and shower heads, and you have an older water heater (made in 1993-97) you are probably having a dip-tube problem.

Start by removing the aerator from the tip of the faucet. It screws out, but if it hasn't been removed for a long time you might need to use pliers to get it started. If the aerator is simply clogged with minerals, it can be cleaned by soaking it overnight in white vinegar, but it is best to buy a new one for a few dollars at a home center. But if you find small pieces of plastic in the aerator, suspect the dip tube.

Defective dip tubes - plastic tubes intended to guide incoming cold water to the bottom of heater tanks, were installed in many brands of water heaters during the years mentioned above. The tubes often broke up into small pieces that were moved into pipes and fixtures, causing clogging.

If there is a dip-tube problem and your water heater is more than 10 years old, the best bet is to replace it. All aerators and shower heads should be removed and the pipes thoroughly flushed out. You can also have the dip tube replaced and flush out the water heater and pipes, but many water heaters are nearing the end of their lives when they are more than 10 years old.

A settlement was reached in litigation involving dip tubes, but the period for claims has expired.

Q. I have been using fiberglass furnace filters for years. I had the furnace cleaned this year and the heater guy told me the filters are very inefficient. Is that right? - P. Ryan

A. Fiberglass filters generally trap only the largest dust particles, letting many small particles back into the air stream. They also should be changed about once a month. You'll get much better efficiency with pleated filters, which cost more than fiberglass. There are also high-efficiency filters such as 3M's Filtrete, which are relatively expensive but trap extremely small particles.

Q. We have a marble floor in our family room that has become dull and dirty. What do we have to do to make it like new again? - H. Gicking

A. Cleaning and polishing should restore much of the floor's original appearance. You can find the marble-care products you need at www.marble-cleaning-products.com or www.stonecare.com. Customer- service representatives can answer questions and help you pick products.

Quick tip

When storing gasoline-powered lawn and garden tools for winter, just adding some gas stabilizer to the fuel or running them out of gas might not be enough to ensure good performance in the spring. Another important step is to remove the spark plug and squirt about a teaspoon of automobile engine oil into the plug hole. While the plug is still out, pull the starter cord gently about 10 times (on electric-start equipment, run the starter for about five seconds). This will distribute the oil over the cylinder and protect against "seizing" during storage.

If an engine seizes, the cylinder won't move and the result is an expensive repair. While the plug is out, examine it for corrosion or a buildup of carbon around the electrodes. A dirty plug can be carefully cleaned with a fingernail file, but the best bet is to replace plugs once a year.

Another good step is to clean the machine as thoroughly as possible before storage. With lawn mowers, this includes cleaning the blade housing of accumulated grass clippings and other debris. If allowed to stay in place, old grass often becomes moldy and can lead to rusting and corrosion of the housing.

Walk-behind mowers are fairly easy to clean. Make sure the spark- plug cable is detached from the plug before scraping the underside of the blade housing.

Rider mowers are more difficult to clean and often require a special jack to raise them for good access to the underside of the blade housing. Some newer mowers have a hose connection on the housing that allows clippings to be flushed out; it is a good feature that is worth looking for when shopping for a new rider.

Questions and comments should be e-mailed to Gene Austin at doit861@aol.com. Send regular mail for Gene Austin to 1730 Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422.

Originally published by McClatchy-Tribune News Service.

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