Nov 1, 2014 5 min read

Here’s a question my daughter Gina forwarded to me:

Q. I live on Cape Cod, have oil heat, and need a new furnace. All the companies I called for estimates are pushing the mini-split heating/cooling system. I am most concerned with the heat (I don’t really like central air), but they say the split thing is efficient and will lower bills. I heard from one person who doesn’t think it would be good in the dead of winter. Thanks.

A. I think the mini-split system has a heat pump, which should work down to temps of 15 to 19 degrees, good enough for modern ones. Make sure the heat pump they are pushing is of the new type and ask at what temperatures it would remain efficient. In the old days, heat pumps were sold with backup electric heat that turned on when the heat pumps would not work below, say, 32 degrees.

So, Elaine, go with the mini-split system and don’t bother to turn on the air conditioning. And tell the dealer to prove what he says about his system, in English, not gobbledygook. Also, the heat pump system may not save you much money in heating costs. If it does, it’s a bonus.

Q. The bottom bolts exploded off our indirect-fired water heater last night, and now we have 40 gallons of water in our basement. This was our second water heater from the same manufacturer. It lasted only six years. It is under warranty, but I am not sure whether I should replace it again and build a moat around it with a sump pump or get a traditional water heater. A complicating factor is we do not have natural gas in our area. I would be interested in your thoughts on this matter.

A. I think your water is heated by propane gas, which is probably on par with oil for cost. From my own experience, I suggest you get a stone-lined or heavy-duty electric heater, 50-gallon size, for about $25 to $35 per month. I have one at least 30 years old; the prior one lasted more than 30. I rent mine for about $12 a month from New England Water Heater Co., and I’ve never given it a second thought.

Q. Thanks for all your great tips over the years. Regarding tiny black dots on vinyl siding; check out artillery fungus, which comes from mulch. We’ve got it all over our community (Bridgewater) – black dots that is.

A. Yep, it’s the artillery fungus. And here is the cure, or at least a preventive step: Replace all wood or bark mulch from areas around the house with large stones.

Q. I am residing again in the house where I grew up, but no matter where I was living, I always came back to paint the roof on the metal garage for my grandparents and then my parents. I am 70 now and just finished wire-brushing it with my 3 1/2 grinder (easier than in the old days), but I really wonder how much longer I can push my luck. When you sand or wire-brush the roof, the dust and other residue make it really slippery. This time I even sprayed my shoes with nonslip stuff, but it worked for only a few minutes. When I was a teenager, I thought it was fun. Now I wonder how far I would bounce if I slipped off. I’ve dreamed of adding studs, plywood, and shingles to the roof, but I don’t think the angle-iron supports would take the weight. My latest solution is to glue rolled roofing to it, but it sounds like a lot of work – which I’m trying to avoid – and I question the glue’s lifetime. So, other than hiring someone to do it, do you have any solutions? This might be my last time being up there, but I thought that four years ago, too. If I hit the lottery, that’s my first project: knocking it down and putting up a real honest-to-God wood garage. (As an aside, that’s where I have my table saw and tools and escape from the world news.)

A. I like your stories, and I think you have written to me in the past. I bet it’s nice to be back in the old homestead. Mine still exists in Michigan (yes, on the Upper Peninsula, making me a “Yooper,” a new entry my daughter found in a dictionary), but no one in my family lives there now. But, oh, the memories!

Your last idea, to tear the thing down and put up a real wood garage with white-cedar shingles, will increase the house’s value and make your retreat more comfortable. Good for those golden years.

Hi, I just read the letter from somebody trying to remove soap scum from a shower door. It won’t get rid of scum, but using liquid soap instead of bars will help to keep scum from reforming. I read about that solution some time ago and have been using nothing but liquid soap since. It works!