NEWSLETTER
MANUFACTURED HOME REPAIR
Summer 2003

In this issue you will find:

* Range hoods - everything you wanted to know
* I made my home cooler
* A story from 'The Life of a Mobile Home Repair Man'
* Your summer bible - The Manual for Manufactured Home Repair!
* Picture of the month
* Tip of the month
* And the winners are. . . .

They pay huge dividends for comfort, cleanliness, and safety - if they're properly installed and maintained.

One thing I've never understood - why do people think range vent hoods are an option? Having one means that grease, cooking odors, excess moisture, smoke, and heat are whisked outdoors, and why wouldn't anyone want that? One reason may be that they've been around one that wasn't really a vent hood, or one that was so badly maintained that it couldn't do its job. It's easy to have one that does what it's supposed to do; here's how.

First, eliminate any pretenders. A range vent hood should be vented to the outdoors, with a duct pipe running from the hood to the exterior. There are 'ventless' hoods that suck greasy air in, then pass it through a filter, then spew the 'filtered' air back into the kitchen. They're almost worthless; they can't do anything about moisture or excess heat or smoke, and their ability to filter out grease and odors depends on how fanatical you are about replacing their expensive charcoal filters. There are also hoods with no air system at all; if you look underneath them, you'll see no fan, no filter, no light, nothing. These are primarily for decoration; they do nothing to make your kitchen cleaner or more comfortable. The only good hood is a vented hood with a fan system.

Second, your hood has to be properly installed. The most important part of installation is the ductwork. For fire safety, it must be hard metal ducting, available at any home improvement store. Flexible ducting is dangerous; it's corrugated, and the corrugations trap grease. Grease trapped in ducting is a fire waiting to happen. Plastic ducting is also dangerous. Grease can soften it, and a fire on top of the range can get sucked by the fan into the plastic duct, which is very flammable. Ducting should be installed with every joint fitting tightly, and each joint wrapped with duct tape. For tricky places where one straight piece of duct won't match up to another, there's a piece of hard duct called an adjustable elbow. These can swivel and bend into different positions to help mate things up.

Third, your duct has to be weather-proofed. The duct will have to pass through the walls or the roof of your home. If you have any choice, walls are better than roofs, because roof installations tend to leak water sooner or later. In both types of installations, a piece called a cap is needed. The cap is a rain-resistant hood, with a part called a damper inside it. The damper is a little door that blows open when the range hood pushes air through the duct, letting the exhausted air out. It's on a one-way hinge, so that cold outdoor air can't blow in.

Fourth, your range hood has to be properly sized; it should be at least as wide as your range. In some older mobile homes, the range hood is wider than the range. This is to gain a small amount of fire protection. Fires burn wider at the top than they do at the bottom, so a range-top fire can spread out past the sides of a narrow hood, where the flames can ignite wall cabinets. If your mobile home has a wide hood, it's recommended that you replace it only with a unit of the same width.

Fifth, the unit has to be properly maintained. This means keeping the underside of the hood and the hood's filter free of grease. A good degreasing cleaner will work on the hood. It's important to keep this area from getting a grease buildup, so that a range fire won't ignite the greasy coating. The filter comes clean in your dishwasher. No dishwasher? Then soak the filter in hot water and ammonia; it will come clean in a few hours. If you don't clean the filter, it will clog up with grease, and the range hood will not exhaust properly.

A word about range hoods and fire safety: Range hoods can help in a range fire, because they put a layer of metal between the fire and flammable areas like cabinets. But you should know the most important thing in a range fire: TURN THE RANGE HOOD OFF IMMEDIATELY. If you leave it running, the fan supplies oxygen to the fire, and the flames can be sucked up into the ducting. Then immediately go after the fire with a fire extinguisher. There should be one in your kitchen; if you don't have one, get one. And make sure it's rated A:B:C, so it can handle any type of fire, from grease to electrical, that might occur.

There is a little extra available for range hoods that can add a lot to your kitchen, called a backsplash. They're made of sheet steel, enameled in colors to match range hoods, and they mount on the wall above the range, and below the range hood. They make this area easy to wipe clean, and they put more metal between your kitchen walls and a fire. Highly recommended.

Last, use the range hood! Turn it on whenever you're cooking, to draw out all the nasties. Let it run about five minutes after cooking's done, to finish the job. Then, turn it off, so it won't vent excessive amounts of your expensive heating or air-conditioning to the outside. A common mistake is not running the hood in winter; many people think the warmth from the range will help make the house feel warmer. Actually, the moisture produced in cooking can have exactly the opposite effect: damp equals chill. And the lack of exhaust will mean that grease gets a chance to settle on everything, creating cleaning problems and that closed-up, stuffy 'winter' odor in your house.

Now that you know what it does and how to use it, your range hood can be the pleasure it was meant to be, keeping your home comfortable and clean.

As I write this newsletter, the temps outside have exceeded 100 today. I thought perhaps this would be a good time to mention some tips you could do to keep your house cooler. I know these tips work because I've personally done almost every one to my home this past week.

When we moved into our 1996 doublewide several years ago, we first made sure that all the windows had mini blinds. The mini blinds seemed to work great for bouncing the sun back, but I eventually discovered that wasn't enough. Closer inspection revealed that although the sun wasn't coming through the blinds, the heat was. So as a test I covered some of the windows with blankets. Wow did that make a difference! In a short time the room felt much cooler. So now we are in the process of adding thermal curtains to all our windows.

Once the windows were under control, I started looking around for other heat-prone areas. Didn't take me long and I was staring at the skylights -- especially that triple skylight in the kitchen. Definitely a lot of heat coming in through them.

I wasn't sure how to cover a skylight, so I took a trip to our local Menard's store. A helpful associate said I could order blinds on a track which would work well for skylights. I could also get the more expensive insulated blinds. Total cost for the triple skylight in the kitchen would be $150. I'm not sure I wished to spend that much money, so I said I'd check back.

Meanwhile I stopped by my shop and picked up some pink insulating board. I cut pieces and stuck them up in the skylight. Not the most attractive but its keeping out the sun until I can figure out how to cover them. If any of you have an idea for covering a skylight, see this month's contest. As you can imagine, covering those skylights really helped in reducing the amount of heat coming into our home.

Now I'm on a roll. How else can I make my air conditioner work less? Window fans was my answer to that thought. After a hot day, you know how it can cool down outside but often takes hours before the inside of your home cools? Make your house cool faster by blowing outside air inside. Set a box fan in your window, or buy one of those fans designed to fit in a window opening. Right now you'll find them on clearance at many stores. I prefer the ones with a thermostat so when the room does cool down, the fan will shut off. Of course if the humidity is high, you may want to stick with the a/c until another day. If your home is too hot, try blowing the hot air out while letting cool air in from another window or screen door (cross ventilation.)

OK, let's put this all together. In the evenings I blow in the cool outside air. By morning the house is very comfortable and cool. As the sun begins to rise, any open windows and skylights are closed and covered. By keeping the heat out and the cool in, many days I can put off turning on the a/c until nearly mid afternoon. Then it runs only a few hours and evening is back again. Obviously, I realize this simple approach may not always work during the hottest stickiest weeks of summer, but it sure works great during the spring and fall, saving a lot of money.

Here's some other tips for keeping cool. Change your light bulbs to fluorescent bulbs. Yep, they make bulbs that screw into the same socket. Fluorescent bulbs burn cooler (but when winter comes, you may want to put the original bulbs back in!) If you are thinking of adding a skylight, consider using solar tubes. They let in a great amount of light without the heat. Plus they are way easier to install. Another tip is to set your thermostat higher and have a fan blowing on you. Set the fan next to the floor register and it'll blow cool air on you when the a/c is running.

I could also write another article on things that could be done outside. But before putting up that big awning or planting a tree to shade your big south window, you better read our upcoming fall newsletter as it could conflict with the solar heating we'll be discussing.




A STORY FROM 'THE LIFE OF A MOBILE HOME REPAIR MAN'
by Mark Bower

I have a customer who every month pays me to come change their furnace filters. Most of the time the filters are never dirty, but they want them changed anyway. Super nice people, always insist that I stop for coffee with them.

Normally because changing filters is such a quick quick job, I swing in around the first of the month at my convenience. Well, they like to know when I'm coming, so are constantly reminding me to call before I show up.

Well, this month was no different. I was in the area and pulled out in front of their house. Then I got to thinking, "That's right, I'm suppose to call before I show up." So I grab the cell phone and dial their phone number.

They answered the phone and I asked them if now would be a good time for me to come change their furnace filter? "Sure," he said. So 30 seconds later I knocked on his door. Boy did they get a big laugh out of that!

The bible for do-it-yourselfers working on their mobile home! This 125 page book is written by us at mobilehomerepair.com, the professionals who are out in the field every day repairing manufactured homes. The book shows actual pictures from projects we were hired to do.

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.

A tornado will cause great damage to any home. These three pictures show a home damaged by a tornado in a small Minnesota town. But there is a bright side to these terrible pictures. Notice how the home stayed firmly on its foundation/blocks. That can be attributed to proper anchoring.






TIP OF THE MONTH
Self-adjusting door

Do you have one of those manufactured homes that seem to shift a little from season to season? If so, you probably have doors that latch in the summer but not in the winter (or vice versa). Some of you may solve that problem by moving the latch with the seasons -- sort of like changing your clocks twice a year.

If you want one less chore to do, try this tip the next time your door doesn't latch. Beg, borrow or steal a Dremel tool. Put in a grinding wheel and make that door latch just a bit longer. You may then need to use a chisel and remove a bit more of the wood.

AND THE WINNERS ARE . . .
In the last newsletter we held a contest for a 1/2" pex crimping tool. To win the tool, contestants wrote in and explained why they deserved the tool. The top stories were then posted on the forum and votes were taken. The winner was Jim from Canada and here's his winning story:

I can now whine with permission to win something. My gal Sal and I are raising a terminally ill child. We just moved into a 14x80 1989 Redman that is totally plumbed in PB pipe that all needs to be replaced.

Before moving in I had to put in a water filter so we could use the water for cleaning. I could not afford a finer one so that is on the "Honey Do" list. I had to tear out the shower as the previous people were tenants and continued to use the shower even after the floor pan was cracked. I have to wait untill payday to get a sheet of plywood, 2x4s, some insulation, and some pipe to finish the job.

All the carpets are trashed and the skirting is mostly trashed. I got a muskrat living under my shed and the dog peed on my van seat. The gas water heater had to be replaced as it died and the inspector gave me 45 days to replace it as it had a big "NOT FOR USE IN MOBILE HOMES" sticker on it.

The gas oven doesn't work, and all the faucets and bathroom fixteres need replacing. The ABS is going on the van and the heater stopped working when it was 35 below. I ran over my foot with a fork lift at work. I got tons of garbage left by previous tenants, holes in the siding and drywall, and steps that go the wrong way out the door. I got more dog poo than you'd ever want, and a big dog adding to it.

All in all I wouldn't change a thing. Except maybe getting that PEX crimper. I love living out here and the people that I share all this with are excellent! We make a pretty good team.

Another country song by ***. Oh ya. The exchange rate on the Canadian dollar sucks too!

We also asked readers to send in captions to this picture. No prize was given, but here's some of the captions we received: