Do It Yourself Guide

Radio install is no longer a complicated task thanks to the resources available on the internet. There are tones of guides that go a long way in helping you make a successful radio install. The first thing you need to consider is what type of a radio you are installing. If you are installing a car radio, you should determine what kind of a car it is. For example it might be a Toyota. Then, know the model of your Toyota and this means that if it is truck, SUV or van, it might be a pick up, 4 runner, rav 4 and others. If it is a passenger car it might be a corolla, Celica, Camry and others. If you are installing radios, you will know the most suitable. And with all these descriptions, you will be able to find not only an appropriate radio to install but, other car audio installs. The first thing you need is of course the radio to install.

Instructions must be clear and simple for you to follow. Before you take radio install guides home, check with a car audio store attendant and make sure that nothing is left hanging. If you prefer DVDs then get those ones which you are comfortable with. This means that the language and pictures should be clear enough for you to have an easy time following. In the guides, you will probably have the tools that you need. Every tool should be in perfect shape so as to acquire your desired results. Most of the tools used for radio install are already in your household and if there is something you need to add, do so. Do not forget that safety comes first and things like wire harnesses will go a long way.

It is also safe for you not to rush into the process. Taking your time will definitely ensure your safety. An installation kit and an antenna adapter will facilitate the process. Some of the tools you need are flathead and Phillips screwdriver, standard and metric sockets, flashlight, electrical tape, wire cutters, wire clippers and more. If you have ever installed a car radio, your installation time may be reduced because of the experience and for a first timer, they might take too much time. The maximum amount of time that a person usually takes is 2 hours. But, if you take more and do an excellent job, that is all you need. Experts stress on planning your work before you start the process. Know how you are going to remove your old radio and the next step to take.

Removing an old stereo should be done very carefully to avoid ruining something. Remove it methodically to ensure that every wire is in the right place and ready for your new system. If you need to stop and refer to the guide, pictures or DVD, do so because this can only help you in making the process successful. If you feel that you do not understand the process, do not attempt to install. Many people are over confident and undermine the process and to their rude shock, they realize that they have to take time to study the process. You can always hire a professional to do radio install for you and therefore you have to make sure that they are qualified and able to deliver on the job. When you have your radio installed you can take a sigh of relief and know that your car entertainment has just gotten better.

I have broken down the process into 13 easy steps. Will you learn everything I know in this article? Of course not. I have written most of my tips and tricks down in my book “The Ultimate Furnace Installation Guide” that is available at www.furnacebook.com. Having installed thousands of furnaces in my lifetime, anyone will benefit from that book, and this brief guide below (especially if you have decided to install your own furnace):

Step 1. Tool list. Nothing is more frustrating than getting started on a furnace installation job only to find you are missing some of the tools needed to accomplish the job. Most of you already have most of the basic tools you will need. Ex: screwdrivers, drills, hammer, etc.  I will help you put your list together so that you will have everything you need before you even begin the job.

Step 2. Assessing your home. You are going to need to understand how your home is made and insulated. Do you have new or old windows and doors? Is there any air infiltrating your home via dryer vents, window fans, etc? Do you have a basement? Or is your home on a concrete slab? You will need to know this in order to install the correct equipment in your home.

Step 3. Assessing the Heating/Cooling system and ductwork. This is the most important step. Why? The answer might surprise you. It might even surprise some HVAC contractors. The equipment must be sized right. Hands down. No exceptions. Why? You might be thinking “Doesn’t the rule ‘the bigger the better’ apply here?” No. Let me rephrase that: Heck no!

I will give you a brief example here. If you were to put an over-sized air conditioner in your home, the air conditioner would only run for a few minutes until the thermostat was at the desired temperature. Great! The bigger A/C saved me energy by running a short time, and bringing the temperature down super fast! What’s the problem there? Yes, you did cool your home quickly, but what you did not do was remove humidity (water in the air) from your home. The longer an A/C runs, the more water it removes from the air. That extra water in the air is what makes you uncomfortable in hot weather. The idea is to make you comfortable. Cooling down the house super quick will have the opposite effect. The same principle applies with a furnace. It must be sized properly. To help you out with choosing the right equipment to install, you will need what is called a Heating and Cooling Load Calculator. There are lots of online heating and cooling calculators out there that are free. Just do a Google search with the phrase ‘heating and cooling load calculator’, pick one, and follow the instructions. As a side note, I have included one in “The Ultimate Furnace Installation Guide” that is easy to follow, and free.

Step 4. Materials list – Ductwork. It is wise to keep a running list of materials you will need when you go to the store. Perhaps the size of the return needs to be bigger. You no doubt will have to attach the old ductwork to the new furnace. The installation instructions that come with the furnace will tell you the sizes you need for a proper installation. All part of Step 3

Step 5. Materials list – Electrical. As you assess your home as part of step 3, you will be able to determine what your new electrical needs will be. Make a detailed list. Keep in mind that all new furnaces need a ground wire. If you do not have a ground wire on your old power supply, you will have to install one.

Step 6. Materials list – Gas line. Also to be determined in step 3. Hopefully by now you see the wisdom of following this process step by step. Making these lists before you start the installation will help you in the long run. With all of the needed materials on hand, as well as a plan of action, you won’t find yourself on the third day of the install, minus 10 degrees, and having to run to 15 different stores.

Step 7. Yet another Materials List – Miscellaneous. The materials on this list are dependent on the type of furnace you have, or will purchase. Ex: an 80% efficient furnace will require different flue pipe materials than a 90% efficient furnace.

Step 8. Finding local suppliers to work with. This might be your biggest hurdle. In the past, you were kinda strapped into your local area suppliers. Nowadays you have the internet. Use it to your advantage. Doing a google search with the words “furnace goodman” will bring up a surprising amount of information. Always make sure to ask about the warranty. Keep in mind here that buying your own furnace saves you thousands of dollars – even if you end up hiring a contractor to install it for you!

Step 9. Remove power and fuel supply from your existing equipment. Yeah I know, but some folks start ripping things apart, and completely forget this step. It’s a reminder.

Step 10. Secure your existing ductwork into place. Why? There is nothing more heartbreaking than starting to remove a furnace, only to have the existing ductwork fall to the ground at your feet. Not only does this add another day to your job, but also new 4 letter words to your vocabulary. Hence, Step 10. Secure the existing ductwork with cleats and screws.

Step 11. Removing the old equipment. Now that you have turned off all power to the furnace, and have secured your ductwork, you are ready to start removing the old equipment. Once removed, set it off to the side so that you have plenty of working space.

Step 12. Putting it all back together. This section is broken up into 6 sub-sections.

·    Aligning the furnace. If this is done right, you will cut down on the amount of work and ductwork you will have to make.
·    Attaching the return and boot to the new furnace.
·    Attaching old plenum (ductwork leaving old furnace) to new furnace. This is called the transition.
·    Reconnecting the gas line, and testing for leaks.
·    Running the flue pipes to remove the spent fuel gases.
·    Reconnection of the thermostat and high-voltage power supply.

Step 13. Starting up your equipment. Usually the instructions from the manufacturer will tell you exactly how they would like the new furnace started and tested. Follow their instructions as closely as possible.

There you have it. Twenty years of experience wrapped up in 13 easy steps. If you are thinking of installing your own furnace, I hope this helps you out. And remember, if you would like me to guide you more thoroughly through the above steps, please purchase “The Ultimate Furnace Installation Guide” at www.furnacebook.com.

Copyright Gatto Publishing 2008

Although this article is not comprehensive, it should help you decide if you want to tackle a job like this. I believe with minimum handy man skills and my guide, anyone can install their own furnace. A complete and comprehensive guide on how to install your fur

There are a lot of good reasons to install a tankless water heater in your home, but realistically, there are also a number of drawbacks that may not make it a good choice for you.

1. Tankless water heaters require regular ongoing maintenance in order to run at their best efficiency. Without this maintenance, you may get a build-up of calcium in the piping of your heater. You can do some of the flushing out and other things yourself however.

2. Electrical tankless water heaters can require upgraded electrical service of much higher amperage than you currently have. This is dependent on how many different uses (rooms, showers, appliances, etc.) that you need to supply at once. If you use smaller individual heaters at more localized locations, your electrical services will not be as taxed.

3. The overall cost for upgraded plumbing and electrical service, or gas service can be prohibitive. You may run into space, distance, or other physical limitations that either prevent a proper installation, or make it more expensive.

4. You may not qualify for the tax credits or other utility credits. If you have the need or desire for one of the larger tankless water heaters, it may use too much energy, and not be efficient enough to qualify for the various discounts and rebates. Of course, functionality may be worth the premium to you.

5. If you live in a colder climate, you may not find a tankless water heater in your budget, or within reasonable energy efficiency that can raise your water temperature from norms to what you desire. A whole house unit may not provide all you like, and may need assistance from other booster units.

6. Tankless water heaters are not water pumps, so if you wish to suddenly use multiple water appliances, your current city water pressure may not give you the flow that you are used to.

7. If you lose electrical power due to weather or brown-outs, your hot water will not function – even gas units will not ignite and warm your water.

8. Noise can be a factor if you want a very quiet area near the heater, or the heater is mounted on a surface that transmits sound. Some units of course can be mounted outside to avoid this, but then you must keep climatic damage in mind.

9. Venting the exhaust from gas fueled units can be expensive due to zoning/safety requirements to keep the gasses away from windows and doors. You don’t want the exhaust to come back into the house, so sometimes the vent must go all the way to your roof, and if your unit is not a “cool exhaust” model, you must run stainless steel all that distance.

10. You cannot run a short blast, or a fine trickle of water from the hot taps, as the tankless water heater will not activate under such a low demand flow. In regular use, you must turn on the tap to a strong flow for a few seconds to get hot water flowing, but many owners simply make a lifestyle adjustment to this factor.

In the long run, these factors are similar to other problems that come with tanked or “boiler” style water heaters as well, and are balanced by many advantages, so you will need to examine your own needs and preferences to make the wise decision.

If you’ve found the webpage due to the fact that you’re interested in a solar design install guide, i think you’ll be surprised! You are going to discover the easiest way how to get up and running with as much clean, green power as you want, as well as earning cash for it. Are you skeptical? It won’t hurt to hear me out – take a moment to check this out.

Why make the power company richer while you count pennies considering you can easily get set up with a solar energy generator, easy to build, easy to install, and quick to provide benefits? And no, it doesn’t cost a fortune; it was out of reach for many people in the recent past, but technology advanced and prices dropped.

You might wonder how i know about this. Some time ago, i was getting interested in solar energy and was doing web searches for a solar design install guide and it struck me that a considerable number of people – in our country as well as thousands of miles away – have been enjoying the rewards of a system which generates a vast amount of electricity from the power of the sun, quickly and easily. As i delved a bit deeper into the subject, i learned that all this is obtainable at what i would call a bargain basement price that anyone and i’ll say it again: anyone can afford. It seems like at last there is a breakthrough in this field which allows us to have plenty of clean, green energy – it will always be there for you.

Even if you’re just starting to look into a solar design install guide, look into it deeply enough to be sure that what i’m saying is valid – by using the latest solar technology, you will enjoy limitless free energy, and here’s the best part of it – the power company will no longer be necessary for this basic household need. I also learned that it’s a widespread practice to get compensated by the power company in your area for any surplus power that you make but don’t need. And last, but certainly not least, is the fact that with this clean energy system you can help to reduce pollution and create a better environment today, tomorrow, and beyond.

Handyman tips-how to install a shower

Having a shower is both luxurious and environmentally friendly at the same time because it helps to save water and is good for the environment. Because of the design of most shower cubicles these days, the shower enclosure can be fitted in most small spaces. To begin installing a shower cubicle a basic understanding of plumbing and electrical installation  and  safety is a requisite.

There are five main steps to fitting a shower and you will need a helper to assist you in fitting the shower. The main steps would involve: extending the water supply to feed the shower, extending the waste supply for the new shower enclosure, mounting the shower tray onto a custom made plinth or wooden frame ,installation of the frame and doors.

Some fundamental requirements of fitting a shower also are: the shower head must be at least 1.5 meters below the level of the water tank to provide sufficient water pressure for a descent flow. The shower must also have its own water supply from the cold water cistern.

The pipe work will need to be run under the floorboards or along the walls, in either case the pipes will need to be supported under the floor or along the walls by a series of pipe clips to stop water hammer caused by the pressure of the water against loose pipe fittings.

STEPS

1.The first step would be to extend the water supply to where you want it to fed the shower, this can be achieved by careful measurement. Tap into the cold water cistern and make a connection to supply the shower, the hot water supply is  then taken from an existing supply line, cut into the pipe and insert a T section to make a new supply to the shower. If the connections are made under the floorboards then make sure that all the connections are tightened properly because if there is a leak under the floor latter on it will be undetected until it is too late.

2.Installing the shower tray: Turn the shower tray so that you can fit the trap, the best type to use on a shower tray is a P trap. Screw the trap onto the shower tray and measure the distance between the bottom of the P trap and the top of the shower tray adding about 40mm to the bottom of the P trap where it will sit on the floor so that you have enough clearance from the floor. The plinth or frame of the shower tray can be made from rough cut sawn timber which is treated. Screw the corners of the frame together-allow for a removable panel to gain access to the trap then screw the whole frame onto the floor to make sure that it is steady and rigid. With your helper ,lift the shower tray onto the frame.

3. Extending the waste supply: Use a hole cutter attached to a drill bit  and make a hole through the wall about the same diameter as the plastic waste pipe. Attach the waste pipe to the P trap using compression or push fit connections. Push the waste pipe through the wall and fill any hole or gap  around the pipe with a cement mix. make you connections on the outside of the wall either into an existing drain or a hopper head.

4.Fitting the doors: Drill holes for the metal frames of the shower doors, use a spirit level to make sure that they are level. Screw all the sides together using the parts supplied. to make sure you have a truly watertight cubicle ,apply sealant to all the sides and bottom of the shower cubicle. Tile the inside of the shower cubicle.

5.Connection:drill holes to fit the shower thermostat control onto the wall, connect the water supply pipes to the thermostatic control, tighten all connections and test the shower