How to fix Christmas Tree Lights

Things You'll Need

• Burned out Christmas lights
• Replacement Christmas light bulbs

Step One

Remove the burned-out Christmas light bulb from its socket. Do this by carefully applying upward pressure on the plastic base just below the glass bulb. It helps to have fingernails when doing this. Try not to pull on the glass bulb.

Step Two

Once the old bulb has been removed, compare its base with that of the replacement bulb. If it matches, then you should have no problem easily just inserting the new bulb into the socket. If the bases do not match, then you will need to remove both bulbs from their sockets and swap them.

Step Three

You will probably need to straighten the wires so that they will fit into the holes of the socket.

To remove a Christmas light from its socket, find the two copper wires at the base of the bulb. Push both wires downward so that if the tip of the bulb is pointing at the ceiling, then the wires will point towards the floor. Firmly pull upward on the glass bulb and it should separate from the base. Do the same thing with the replacement bulb.

Step Four

With both copper wires from the new bulb pointing straight down, insert the new bulb into the old bulb's socket and try to align the copper wires with the two holes at the bottom of the base. Once the wires have been inserted, press the bulb completely down into the base. Push both wires upward so that they follow the groove on each side of the bulb base. Now they should be facing the same direction as the tip of the glass bulb. Insert this new arrangement into the empty light socket and the bulb should illuminate!

Overall Tips & Warnings

• Be careful when working with electricity! If possible, wrap a small piece of masking tape around the base of the burned-out bulbs to mark them and them perform the bulb replacement with the Christmas lights unplugged.

How to trouble shoot Water Heaters

Things You'll Need

• Chlorine
• Garden Hoses And Attachments
• Thermometers
• Flashlight

Step One

Make sure the breaker hasn't tripped, if you have an electric unit and are not getting any hot water. Press the reset button on the thermostat inside the access panel if a tripped breaker isn't the problem.

Step Two

Suspect a buildup of sediments in the water-heater tank if the hot water is discolored or is taking a long time to replenish. If this is the case, you'll need to drain the tank completely and flush it with clean water.

Step Three

Check the water heater's temperature settings if you have noisy plumbing. It might be too hot, and the noise may be the result of steam building up in the pipes.

Step Four

Make sure you aren't running multiple appliances that use hot water - running the dishwasher and the washing machine will make your shower short and not so sweet.

Step Five

Notice whether the water smells like sulfur. Sometimes bacteria that live in the water get out of control. A good dose of chlorine will usually take care of the problem. (Consult your owner's manual for the recommended dosage.)

Step Six

Check the water temperature when the tank is full. Run hot water from the tap over a thermometer. It should be within 5 degrees of the thermostat setting. Replace the thermostat if there is a larger discrepancy.

How to fix a jammed Garbage Disposal

Things You'll Need

• Long-nose Pliers
• Short Broomstick
• 1/4-inch (6-mm) Allen (hex) Wrench

Step One

Turn the garbage disposal on and off quickly and check to see if it has power. If it hums, the power is on but the impeller is jammed. Move on to step 3. If it doesn't hum, it may have overheated and tripped a circuit breaker. Move on to step 2.

Step Two

Restore power to the machine. Most disposals have an overload switch that trips when the motor starts to overheat. To reset the switch, look for a small red button on the bottom of the housing, and if it's there, push it in (see A). If your disposal doesn't have an overload switch or the machine still won't run after you reset the switch, reset the circuit breaker that serves the disposal.

Step Three

Clear the jam from underneath. On many disposals, you can insert a 1/4-inch (6-mm) Allen (hex) wrench into the bottom of the housing and manually move the motor shaft and flywheel to dislodge the jam. If your disposal has an opening for an Allen (hex) wrench, insert the wrench and move it back and forth until the motor and flywheel turn freely.

Step Four

Clear the jam from above. Press the end of a short broomstick against one of the impellers, and jab in one direction and then the other until the jam breaks loose (see B).

Step Five

Remove the debris. Turn off the circuit breaker that controls the garbage disposal. Reach inside with a pair of long-nose pliers and pull out whatever jammed the machine.

Step Six

Turn on the cold water--this hardens any grease inside and helps the disposal chop it up--and run the disposal until all the remaining garbage is gone.

Overall Tips & Warnings

• Never use a chemical drain cleaner to try to clear debris from the garbage disposal. The caustic chemicals can damage gaskets and other parts.
• To avoid jams, keep the opening to your disposal covered with a rubber strainer when not in use.

How to fix a leaking roof

Things You'll Need

• Tri Polymer Sealant.
• Disposable paint brush or paint stir stick or similar stick to use as a putty knife.
• Ladder to reach roof.
• Possibly an ice pick or hammer and long nail.

Step One

Try to find the exact location of the drip or leak. This is best done by looking up from inside the attic when it's raining. If you are fortunate to see the leak, shove an ice pick up through so it may be seen from the roof side later on. The sealant you will apply will seal this hole so don't worry about making a hole in your roof. It's more important to find where the leak is.
Another way to find the leak is to run a garden sprinkler on the roof and try to get it to leak. The leak always stops when the rain stops then it is impossible to find it. Once you locate the leak, mark the location by shoving the ice pick up through the roof or drive long nail so it can be seen later when you get up on the roof.
This Tri Polymer Sealant can be applied in the rain but this is not advisable due to safety concerns of slipping off the roof. It can also be applied in freezing conditions. Once you have the leak located and marked it is best to wait for good weather before getting on the roof.

Step Two

Using a sturdy ladder you or a friend will need to get up on the roof and locate the ice pick or nail. Mark the location and go back down to remove the ice pick or nail. Go back up on the roof and spread the Tri Polymer Sealant around the area. It is clear and about the consistency of honey so it will run down into your nail hole and the hole that has been leaking. Since the sealant is clear it can be used on any color of roof without looking offensive like tar might.

Step Three

Altho Tri Polymer Sealant is indeed waterproof it's best if you wait a day or two before testing the leak again with the garden sprinkler.

Step Four

If you cannot accomplish this procedure yourself, hopefully you can find a handyman and explain to him/her how to do it. The key to the fix is the Tri Polymer Sealant. I have fixed many many roof leaks with this method.

Overall Tips & Warnings

• Tri Polymer Sealant is available from Ace Hardware and most all roofing material supplier warehouses. There are several different manufacturers but it's basically all the same stuff. Comes in quarts and gallons and in caulking tubes.
• Clean up with mineral spirits or naphtha
• The sealant is flammable when wet but not volatile so it's not explosive. Has an odor but it's not objectionable. It's very sticky so try not to get too much on yourself.

How to remove a fence post

Things You'll Need

• Shovels
• Bricks
• Concrete Blocks
• Measuring Tapes
  
• Heavy Piece Of Lumber
• Ropes
• Common Nails
• Hammers

Step One

Remove the dirt from around the post.

Step Two

Measure up about a foot from ground level and drive a nail halfway into each face of the post.

Step Three

Put a stack of bricks or concrete blocks at the edge of the area you dug out.

Step Four

Lay a heavy piece of lumber across the bricks - this will act as a lever to pull the post up out of the ground.

Step Five

Wrap a strong rope around the post under the nails (the nails will hold the rope in place).

Step Six

Tie the ends of the rope to the lever. Press down on the other end of the lever. You, and maybe another person, might have to stand on it.

Tips & Warnings

• Dig out more dirt if the post doesn't give. You might also try soaking the ground to loosen up the soil, but be aware of how messy this can get.
• If the lever isn't working, you may have to dig all the way around the concrete and use a truck or an ox to pull the entire thing out. If that's not possible, use a pick to break up the concrete and remove chunks manually until you can lever the post out.
• Be aware that a rotted post can come apart at any time. Be ready for the post to break out of the concrete.

How to strip wood finishes

Things You'll Need

• Putty knife or plastic scraper
• Denatured alcohol
• Paint brush
• Steel Wool
• Plastic sheet
  
• Eye protection (splash goggles)
• Lacquer thinner
• Wood stripper
• Rubber gloves

Step One

Set up your workstation in a well-ventilated area. Put down a plastic sheet or large piece of cardboard to keep your stripper and the old finish off your floor.

Step Two

Start by testing the finish to determine whether it is shellac or lacquer rather than varnish.

Step Three

Use both lacquer thinner and denatured alcohol. Spread each on a small section of the surface, give them 15 to 20 seconds to work and then wipe the surface. A shellac finish will liquefy when denatured alcohol is applied, while a lacquer finish will come off with lacquer thinner. If either of these solvents removes your surface, you will know what kind of finish you're dealing with, and you won't need to use a chemical stripper. If the surface remains unchanged after your test, you have a varnish finish and will need to use a chemical stripper.

Using a Wood Stripper

Step One

Choose a wood stripper. These are readily available at your home store and come in both liquid and gel form. The gels work better on vertical surfaces (like table legs), while a liquid stripper can often get into crevices in a pattern better than a gel.

Step Two

Use an old paintbrush to spread stripper on a section of your furniture surface. Don't spread it over the whole surface, as strippers dry out and become hard to remove.

Step Three

Allow the stripper enough time to do its work (usually about 15 to 20 minutes, but follow the manufacturer's directions), and wait for the surface to bubble.

Step Four

Use a small putty knife or plastic scraper to carefully scrape the old finish off the furniture (the stripper will also soften the wood, so be careful not to gouge the surface). On stubborn finishes a second application of stripper may be necessary.

Step Five

Clean away any finish that is ingrained in the wood by soaking a piece of steel wool in stripper and rubbing it directly on the surface.

Step Six

Repeat the process on the next section of the piece of furniture.

Finishing Up

Step One

Neutralize the chemical stripper by cleaning the piece of furniture with the manufacturer's recommended chemical (usually naphtha gas or lacquer thinner). Dispose of the accumulated old finish and chemical stripper mess on the floor.

Step Two

Allow the surface to dry thoroughly (at least overnight) before you stain or refinish your "new" piece of furniture.

The uninsured Generation

Health insurance is in the midst of a design shift toward greater financial risk for patients. Study estimates that nearly sixteen million people ages 19-64 were under insured in 2003. Under insured adults were more likely to forgo needed care than those with more adequate coverage and had rates of financial stress similar to those of the uninsured. Including adults uninsured during the year, 35 percent (sixty-one million) were under- or uninsured. These findings highlight the need for policy attention to insurance design that considers the adequacy of coverage.

Insurance companies have devised creative policies in order to attract these under insured adults Such plans include: options that can save money on insurance policies, reduce premiums, online insurance quoting services, and cash back on life insurance policies.

Insurance companies are also collaborating with corporate entities to devise the right corporate insurance plans for employers by offering attractive employee benefit packages.