ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, January 7, 1996 TAG: 9601110153
SECTION: HOMES PAGE: E1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Cut Your Utility Bill
SOURCE: JAMES DULLEY
Q: Our shower temperature swings from scalding to freezing. I waste time constantly adjusting the water and I fear my children will get scalded. Will installing a pressure-balancing shower valve help?
A: More than 2,000 children are scalded each year in showers and bathtubs. At only 120 degrees, water can cause first degree burns to a child's skin in only several minutes. At 130 degrees, it takes only 15 seconds.
Children with their more sensitive skin are most vulnerable. The elderly sometimes have reduced sensitivity to heat and do not sense soon enough that they are developing mild burns from hot water.
For child safety, install an add-on anti-scald mini-valve for about $7. If for any reason, the shower or bath water temperature exceeds 114 to 120 degrees (depending on model), the water shuts off. Some models reset automatically after several minutes and others have a manual reset button.
Fluctuating shower or bath water temperature is usually caused by pressure imbalances between the hot and cold water lines. These occur when someone flushes a toilet or the clothes washer switches to hot water.
Installing a pressure-balancing valve will solve your problem. It can also lower water heating costs and water bills in the long run. With fluctuating shower water temperatures, you often end up adjusting the water hotter to stay comfortable. You generally spend more time in the shower too.
There are two basic designs of easy-to-install pressure-balancing valves. One incorporates a sliding piston and one a flexible diaphragm. Makers of the diaphragm type claim that they reduce calcium buildup with hard water.
In normal operation, a tiny piston valve is in the center position. If someone flushes a toilet, the pressure on the cold water side is reduced.
This forces the piston to slide to the cold side, partially blocking the hot water inlet inside the valve to balance the flows. If the dishwasher requires hot water, the piston automatically moves to the other side.
The most convenient pressure-balancing shower valves are also thermostatic valves. There is a water temperature scale marked on the valve faceplate. Turn the handle to the desired shower temperature and the water varies no more than two degrees. Simpler models just have built-in thermometers.
Better pressure-balancing valves require more handle rotation in the comfort zone (95 to 105-degree) than for colder or hotter water. This provides easier fine-tuning of the shower water temperature for comfort.
For a buyer's guide of 13 pressure balancing, thermostatic and anti-scald shut-off valves, listing temperature ranges, piston or diaphragm, specifications, features and prices, write to James Dulley, The Roanoke Times, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, Ohio 45244. Ask for Update Bulletin No. 952. Please include $2 and a business-size self-addressed stamped envelope.
Q: I plan to build a greenhouse for plants and to also help heat my house. I want to use a concrete floor to store solar heat, but it is unattractive. What is the best way to add color to the floor?
A: Colorants can be added to concrete before it is poured to provide any color you want. If you use ordinary powdered colorants, make sure to mix them in thoroughly or the concrete will look blotchy.
There are new liquid colorants available, called Cement Color, for about $4 per bottle. One bottle will color two 80-pound bags of concrete. Liquid colorants are easier to mix in thoroughly than powders.
Q: I heard that mild carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning has the same symptoms as a cold or the flu. My house is fairly airtight with new windows. What is the best method to check for CO?
A: Every year, CO gas kills more than 1,000 people in their sleep. Many have had flu-like symptoms and never realized CO was the cause until it was too late. Another 10,000 people become ill each year from CO. Pregnant women, the unborn, elderly and children under 12 are particularly sensitive.
CO is a silent killer - odorless, colorless and tasteless. Early symptoms from mild exposure are headache, tiredness, nausea, etc. High CO concentrations can kill in 15 minutes.
Every house with gas, oil or wood heat is a possible candidate for high CO levels. Even in an older less efficient house, there can be inadequate indoor air for complete combustion and venting. This causes backdrafting and CO .
This often occurs when several appliances are simultaneously sucking air out of the house - clothes dryer, bathroom vent fan, fireplace, etc. If the furnace or water heater comes on, too, CO-laden fumes can be sucked back down the flue into the house. Dirty gas ovens are another common source of CO.
To check for proper furnace combustion, observe the flames through the opening by the burners. Gas flames should be blue, even and have uniform shape. Flames with yellow tips and poorly-defined edges indicate incomplete combustion. Heavy window condensation may indicate backdrafting.
Plug-in and corded 120-volt CO alarms are most effective. There are also several battery-operated models for locations away from an outlet. These require a replacement sensor/battery kit every three to five years.
Several extra safe CO alarms have a two-stage audible alarm and warning light. The light is green for normal. At a caution, but not hazardous CO level, the light becomes amber and the alarm beeps every 30 seconds.
At this low CO level, there is time to open a window and search for the CO source. At a danger level, the light turns red and the alarm sounds continuously like a smoke alarm. These use very little electricity.
In areas with frequent power outages, select a 120-volt CO alarm with a battery backup. If your house has a burglar alarm, choose a CO alarm with a relay to trigger your burglar alarm and smoke alarm automatically.
CO-sensing tablets are an inexpensive (as low as $1.50) option. They turn dark when exposed to CO. Place several throughout your house for a quick check.
Write for Update Bulletin No. 743 showing a buyer's guide of 15 plug-in, battery and tablet CO alarms listing types of audible and visual alarm, number of stages, safety features, prices, a CO level/symptom chart and tips to reduce CO levels. Include $2 and business-size self-addressed stamped envelope. Write to
James Dulley, The Roanoke Times, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, Ohio 45244.
LENGTH: Long : 111 lines ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC: 1. An anti-scald valve stabilizes water temperatures.by CNB2. Cold symptoms actually may be CO poisoning