Electric Mirror Defogger

Don’t you just hate it when you’re trying to shave or put your makeup on and the bathroom mirror is too fogged up for you to see? Well we’ve got a solution that’s inexpensive and easy to install. It’s called the Electric Mirror Defogger! With this product, which fits behind your mirror, you won’t have to put up with a fogged mirror  anymore.

TOOLS Wire stripper   Drywall saw   Screwdriver

MATERIALS   Electric Mirror (available at home centers) Electric wiring (12 gauge cut to length)   Cut out electrical box   Wire nuts   Marker/pencil

installation

• Remove the mirror from the wall.
• Find the center point in the wall (usually directly down from the light fixture over the sink)  making sure to allow enough height on the wall so the Electric mirror will be installed at eye level for the tallest person in the house.
• Use a pencil or marker to mark the wall. Then take the cut out box, placing the top of the box at your mark. Then trace around the cut out box. Next take the drywall saw and cut the hole for your cut out box. This will hold the wiring that will run from the light fixture to the Electric Mirror.
• Insert the box into the hole. Make sure it fits. We’ll install this a little later.

Now it’s time for wiring.

• ALWAYS turn off power to whatever circuit you’re working on to prevent electrocution BEFORE you start your project.
• Take your electric wiring and do a rough measure from the light fixture to the cut out box, cutting off more than an inch or two of excess wire. Take the wire stripper tool, and strip the wire. Basically you’re just taking about ¾ of an inch of insulation off the end of the wire. Strip the black and white wires. Remove the wire nuts from the light fixture to expose those wires. You want to marry the new wires for the Electric Mirror with the existing wires of the light fixture.
• To do this, take the black wire of the light fixture and the black wire of the Electric Mirror,  twist them together and screw them together with a wire nut. Do the same thing with the white wires, twist them together and use a wire nut to hold them together.
• In the box that holds the light fixture is a an opening called a knockout. Use a screw driver to punch out that knockout so you can run the wires through it down through the wall.
• Push the wires down until you can see them through the hole you cut earlier for the cut out box. Use the knockout on top of the cut out box and then pull the wires into the box. You’re ready to attach the cut out box to the wall. Slip it in place, and using a screw driver start turning the screws on top and then the bottom. When these screws are tightened, little flanges on the box pop up and as the screws are turned down tight these flanges secure the box to the drywall.
• Wire the Electric Mirror the same way you did at the light fixture, put the black wires together and the white wires together and fasten each pair together with wire nuts for a good connection.
• The Electric Mirror is ready to be put on the wall and that’s the simplest part of the project because it’s peel and stick. Just center the Electric Mirror on the wall, and peel off the backing and press down the adhesive strips to attach it to the wall. The thin defogger fits unnoticeably behind the mirror.

Reinstall your bathroom mirror, turn on the power, and with the flick of a switch the heater gently warms the mirror and thereby prevents condensation. The Electric Mirror costs about $175 and comes with a 10-year warranty.

Laying Bathroom Tile

Step by Step for Laying Bathroom Tile

TOOLS Hammer Pry bar Carton knife Cutoff saw Wet saw or tile snips for smaller jobs Grout saw Mixing bucket Notched trowel Sponges Shop Vac Rubber trowel Drill w/mix bit

MATERIALS Tiles Thin Set Grout Chalk line

Start by removing the carpet and carpet strips. Use a cutoff saw to make room for the tile to slip under the doorjambs. Place a portion of the tile pattern starting at the doorway to establish a center line and then strike a chalk line accordingly. Cut the tile with a wet saw or tile snips for smaller jobs as needed. Work your way up one side of the room and down the other. Allow 1/8” for grout lines, spacers can be used for uniformity. Mix the thinset using a electric drill with a mixing bit. Mix small amounts at a time, adding water slowly to maintain the right consistency, you don’t want it runny. Keep the drill at a slow speed to avoid creating air pockets in the thinset, and be ready to go to work as the thinset dries quickly. Mix enough to lay down a dozen or so tiles at once, using a notch trowel to apply the thinset to the floor.

When the tile is all in place and somewhat dry, use a grout saw to scrape the excess thinset out of the joints where the grout will go. A shop vac will clean most of this up, but use a wet sponge to really get the surface clean. Once dry, begin applying the grout with a rubber trowel. Grout is available in a variety of colors and mixes easily with water. Again, mix slowly to avoid too wet a mix. Just slop it on the tile surface working it into the grout lines and don’t worry about the excess grout, it’ll clean up easily with a sponge as long as it’s still wet, so do small areas at a time. One more sponge cleaning will be required to get up the film once it’s dried completely. It’s recommended to apply a grout sealer after about 48 hours or so to help avoid any staining problems that occur during normal use.

Toilet Replacement

PREPARATION: Shut off the water by turning the valve behind the toilet. Then flush the toilet to remove as much water as possible from the tank and bowl.

TOOLS
Adjustable crescent wrench

Putty knife


MATERIALS
Toilet

Wax seal ring

Rags

Plastic grocery bags

Wet vacuum cleaner

REMOVING THE OLD TOILET
Use the crescent wrench to loosen the bolt attaching the hose to the water valve and remove the hose. Next, use the wet-vac to remove the remaining water from the tank and bowl of the old toilet. Remove the bolt covers from the base of the toilet and use the wrench to remove the nuts from the bolts attaching the toilet to the floor.

Once the nuts are removed, you can now lift the old toilet out of place.

TIP: Before you remove the old toilet, take some newspapers and paper towels and put them on the floor. When you remove the old toilet, place it on the newspapers and paper towels to protect your floor or carpet from the dirt and old wax ring on the bottom of the old toilet.

PREPARING THE AREA
Now that the old toilet is removed, take the rags and stuff them into the plastic grocery bags. Then take the bag and put it firmly inside the drain. This will keep any sewer gases from coming up from the drain into your bathroom where you’re working. And the great thing about using plastic grocery bags AND rags is that when you’re done with the next step, you can remove the bags by their handles and keep your hands from getting dirty.

Once the drain is stopped up, take a putty knife and scrape away the remnants of the old wax seal on the floor where the old toilet used to sit.

INSTALLING THE NEW TOILET

First, take the plastic bag out of the drain.
Take the wax seal ring, which looks like a doughnut, and place it over the drain.
Lift the toilet into place over the floor bolts and place it on top of the wax seal.
The weight of the toilet will flatten the wax ring and give your toilet a good seal.
Then reattach the nuts to the floor bolts to hold the toilet firmly in place.
Using the crescent wrench, reattach the water line to the valve on the wall behind the toilet.
Simply turn on the water, flush the toilet, and you’ve upgraded your bathroom in about an hour.
ABOUT STERLING TOILETS

The Sterling Windham Low Consumption Toilet is a high quality plumbing fixture. The Sterling toilet is made of the finest Grade “A” vitreous china. Durable glasslike surface is non-absorbent for easy thorough cleaning. Scratch and chemical resistant surface ensures the gloss and colors will not fade.

The unit meets strict water conservation standards using only 1.6 gallons of water per flush, reducing waste water by up to 60%. The Sterling toilet features a three bolt, quick connect system. Three brass mounting bolts with factory installed tank gasket make it easy to level and secure the tank.

The Sterling toilet comes with a chrome trip lever kit, a bolt cap kit, a tank accessory pack, a float valve kit and a flush valve kit. Sterling’s low consumption toilets have a five-year limited guarantee from the date of sale to be free of manufacturing defects that prevent one-flush cleansing of the bowl per ASME performance requirements when installed and operated per instructions packed with the product. The Sterling toilets range in price from $116 to $216 per unit.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Clogged Drain

A drain clog can turn a simple flush into an unwanted flood. All homeowners have to deal with clogs of many types. Whether a clog is in the toilet, bathtub, or sink, there are preventive measures for maintenance, and there are many things a homeowner can do to deal with a clog without ever having to call a plumber. The clog isn't the only problem, there's also the mess left behind from the overflow you have to clean up.

TOOLS Plunger, Plumber’s suction cup, or “Plumber’s friend” Augers: small, medium, and large (AKA: snake) High pressure water jet (Alt: drain blaster)

MATERIALS Chemical drain cleaners (liquids and powders)

CLOGGED SINKS

1. For prevention a liquid or powdered drain cleaner is recommended. Follow all instructions and safety precautions on the label.
2. For a slow drain, chemicals will also be useful. Even a slight flow will allow the chemicals to penetrate and dispose of the clog.
3. For a standing clog (No drainage) use a plunger. At least 1 inch of standing water must be present for plunger to work. Any overflow or vent must be covered to allow plunger to work properly.
4. Depress plunger to blow all air out. Air will compress, water will not.
5. Repeatedly drive the plunger up and down a dozen times using forceful thrusts.
6. Check for drainage. If there is no drainage repeat the steps.
7. If there is still no drainage remove the “trap” (U-shaped pipe under sink). Be sure to place a bucket under the trap, as all standing water is likely to drain out.
8. To remove the trap, turn the large slip nuts at each end. A large wrench may be needed to do this.
9. Inspect the trap for blockage and remove any.
10. If the trap is not blocked, it may be necessary to run a snake into the drain line that goes into the wall.
11. Simply feed the snake, constantly turning it to round corners, until the clog is met and dealt with.
12. A high-pressure water jet that can be attached to a garden hose can also be used instead of the snake. Insert the body of the device into the drain line. Turn on the water. There will be a rushing of water once the clogged is removed.

CLOGGED BATHTUBS

1. Preventive maintenance can include chemical drain cleaners. Use as directed on the label.
2. Slow drains can also benefit from the chemical drain cleaners.
3. Standing water can be dealt with by removing the overflow plate and pulling out the mechanism that operates the drain plug. There is usually a brass or plastic cylinder on the end of these. There may be a large build-up of hair and other debris on the cylinder causing the clog.
4. If there is still standing water a plunger, snake or water jet can be used in the same manner as described above.
5. Be sure to seal the overflow (when plunging) or the drain (when using the water jet) to create a seal to allow the needed pressure to build up.

CLOGGED TOILETS

1. Preventive maintenance can be accomplished with drain cleaner chemicals as well as copper sulfate (drain root killer) and rock salt (a more environmentally friendly version of copper sulfate).
2. A plunger will push most clogs through the serpentine toilet “trap”. 15-20 forceful thrust should deal with the problem.
3. A “Closet Auger” (toilet snake) can take care of the more difficult clogs.
4. Be sure to use great care to not scratch the porcelain in the toilet. Such scratches are irreparable.
5. There is almost no clog (within the toilet) that can withstand the closet auger. If no results are achieved, the problem is further down the line.

CLEANOUT

1. The last effort to make is the cleanout. It will be located on the side of the house or in the basement. It is a 3 or 4-inch round pipe-opening, sealed with a screw-in cover.
2. Use a wrench to remove the cover.
3. Insert a large auger (snake), constantly turning it to round any corners. A large snake will reach all the way to your municipal sewer line and will deal with any clog that is the homeowner’s responsibility. If the drains are still clogged consult your neighbors to see if they are experiencing similar difficulties, then call local sewer authorities.