NEWSLETTER
MANUFACTURED HOME REPAIR
Summer 2002

In this issue you will find:

* Replacing a leaky rotten bay window
* Solutions for smelly hot water
* A story from 'The Life of a Mobile Home Repair Man'
* $5 OFF! - Manufactured Home Repair Book!
* Tip of the Month

Do you have a bay window that's leaking. If its been leaking long enough, the wood around it is probably also rotten. In most manufactured homes the window actually isn't a true bay window, but rather 3-4 windows assembled to resemble a bay window.

Step 1 - Remove the old existing windows by backing out the screws from around the flange and pry out.

Step 2 - Cut out the framework and wall of the old bay window.

Step 3 - Frame in the opening for the new window. As shown, frame the wall straight across eliminating the 'bow'. Be sure to build a proper-sized header.

Step 4 - Once the window is framed, install new siding and inside paneling. In this particular example, we installed new siding across the entire front of the home. Same with the inside paneling -- we did the whole wall to make it look right. One tip for installing siding or paneling is to cover the window opening, then cut the opening out for a perfect fit.

Step 5 - Apply weatherstripping to the flange of the window and slide window into opening. Check to be sure that the window functions properly then screw into place along the flange.

Step 7 - Apply finishing touches such as trim on the outside. Also finish out the window opening on the inside. Hang a blind or curtain and enjoy!

Do you have troubles with smelly hot water? If so, the problem exists with your water heater and occurs mainly in homes supplied by a well. In a nutshell, you've got smelly hydrogen sulfide gas in your water heater. Let me try to explain without getting too technical.

A water heater provides perfect conditions for creating hydrogen sulfide gas and can create it in a couple of ways. First, the warm environment is ideal for sulfur bacteria. Second, a chemical reaction between sulfate in the water and the water heater's magnesium anode rod can create hydrogen sulfide gas. Magnesium anode rods are standard in most water heaters and sulfate is a naturally occurring compound found in most groundwater. The magnesium supplies electrons that aid in the conversion of sulfate to hydrogen sulfide gas.

Solutions
So how do you get rid of the hydrogen sulfide gas? You have several solutions you can try.

First, is the temperature on your water heater set too low? If your temperature is below 130 degrees farenheit, it may be too low. If so, flush your water heater tank, refill and turn it up to 145 degrees for 48 hours. Once its done 'cooking', set the thermostat at 130. If this doesn't solve the problem, read on.

Second, you may need to replace your anode rod. But before you can replace the rod, the tank and hot water lines need to be disinfected. Here's how. (illustration source for anode rod: popularmechanics.com)

The first step is to replace the magnesium anode rod with one made of aluminum or an aluminum-zinc alloy. Aluminum and aluminum-zinc alloy rods don't contribute to the production of hydrogen gas. Don't remove the offending rod without installing a new one. The anode rod is designed to corrode so the tank and fittings do not. You will void the water heater's warranty if you simply remove the rod. Replacement rods sell for around $20 at plumbing supply stores. You won't find them at home centers.

To remove the old rod, shut off the water supply to the water heater and drain about 5 gallons of water from the tank so that water doesn't run everywhere when you remove the anode rod. It's best to drain the water through the drain valve at the bottom of the water heater because you will also remove sediment that collects inside on the bottom of the tank. Sediment is another good breeding ground for bacteria. The water from the tank is very hot, so use caution.

Loosening the old anode rod nut can be difficult, since it probably has not been moved since it was installed at the factory. You'll need a 1-, 1- 1/8- or 1- 1/4-in. socket wrench, depending on the nut size. It may take some real force to break the nut loose, so I recommend having a helper hold the water heater to keep it from moving. If the nut won't budge, apply some penetrating oil to the threads and try it again. If that fails, heat the nut with a propane touch. Use caution so you don't damage the top of the water heater.

Once the nut is loose (and cool if you heated it), unscrew it and lift out the anode rod. When you install the new rod, wrap some Teflon tape around the threads to make it easier to remove next time. Anode rods last anywhere from two to five years, depending on your water hardness. Check the rod every couple of years and replace it when the center core wire shows. The old anode rod will most likely have a white, gray, black or reddish-brown slime on it that is produced by the bacteria. Don't attempt to clean the rod and reuse it.

You also need to treat the inside of the tank. The most effective way to fight the anaerobic bacteria is to oxygenate the water with hydrogen peroxide. Anaerobic bacteria thrive where there is little or no oxygen. The hydrogen peroxide bubbles and charges the system, creating a harsh oxygenated environment. Pour in one pint of hydrogen peroxide per 40 gallons of tank capacity. This weak concentration is not harmful to you, but it will kill the bacteria. Install the new anode rod, turn on the water supply and refill the tank. Run all the hot water taps until they are hot and then turn them off. It's important to get the oxygenated hot water to the end of every hot water line. Let the treated water stand for two to four hours. Then run each hot water tap for about five minutes to flush the peroxide. This also drains enough hot water from the water heater to clear the system. Finally, whether you're shocking a well or oxygenating a water heater, don't expect it to be a one-time cure. A well may need to be shocked two or even three times a year. A water heater may need to be oxygenated three or four times in one year. It is unlikely that you will kill all of the bacteria in one treatment.

Third, replace your existing water heater with a tankless hot water heater. They cost a bit more, but since there's no tank, there's no way for the hydrogen sulfide gas to breed and grow. Plus the tankless water heaters may be more energy efficient.

A STORY FROM 'THE LIFE OF A MOBILE HOME REPAIR MAN'

We've all had 'one of those weeks.' We all hate them. Let me share with you one of my bad weeks which is still haunting me.

It's no secret that the warmer months are my busiest time of the year. It's also no secret that during that time I get more work than my company can handle. On this particular bad week, I had 3 jobs going at one time.

The first job I had going was remodeling an older manufactured home. The second job was fixing some rotten rafters then reshingling the roof in another manufactured home. The third job was installing vinyl flooring in the kitchen of yet another home.

I was working the first job, remodeling the manufactured home. All went well at that job. To repair a roof on a second home, I had hired a subcontractor to help me out with that. And my hired man worked to install the vinyl flooring in the third home.

The roof job turned into a complete nightmare. The subcontractor took every shortcut in the book. First shortcut happened when the subcontractor had to move an electrical wire to repair the rafters. He moved it all right, up to the top next to the roof sheathing. Yep, after the roof was all shingled, a nail hit a wire and half the lights in the home didn't work. Then a few days later the 'repaired' rafters started sinking again. When I refused to pay the subcontractor, he then stole about $1000 of my tools and held them as ransom for his money. I still refused pay the contractor and he did end up in jail during this whole process. The sheriff helped me get all but one tool back. What a mess. So much for trying to help out a fellow contractor.

Then after my hired man completed laying the vinyl floor, the customer called the next day saying he had bubbles. Well, OK, air bubbles aren't any big deal. So when we stopped over the next day, he didn't have air bubbles. Worse yet, the underlayment we installed had bowed up. After further investigating, we discovered that the approved plywood underlayment was mislableled. This particular underlayment was considered 'green' and when the glue was applied, it sucked in the moisture and expanded. Only way to fix the floor was to completely tear everything out and do it again.

What a bad week.

Hot off the presses! This 125 page book is written by us at mobilehomerepair.com, the professionals who are out in the field every day repairing manufactured homes.

Designed for homeowners as well as contractors, "The manual for manufactured/mobile home repair and upgrade" is packed full of useful repair techniques. But it's more than just doing repairs, it's also about upgrading and improving a manufactured home. For instance, not only will you learn how to stop a metal roof from leaking, you'll also discover an inexpensive way to replace it. Want to relevel your own home? This manual gives you step by step instructions. Need to replace your waterlines? Then you can't miss the information found here.

Even if you don't do your own repairs, this manual will give you invaluable knowledge of how a repair should be performed so when you do seek a contractor, you know the right questions to ask. Written by us, this manual should be required reading for every owner of a manufactured home.

Does your vinyl skirting look like this after a cold winter? To get your skirting looking normal again, simply trim off the top of the panels so they fall in the center of the top track.



If you have a picture or repair tip to share with us, please e-mail it to us.