I brought my laurel bay in the house for the winter and I need to cut back. I’m going to dry a bunch of the leaves and give them away as Christmas gifts. I am aware of crafts that involve green laurel bay leaves, so if anyone needs a branch of green leaves, and you live within a quarter (0.25) of a mile of the intersection of Q and NJ Ave I’ll be happy to drop some off at your house. Email me at mari at inshaw periud com.
Day: December 9, 2008
Radiators- Radiator Keys
Nora Bombay, my formerly VA friend, is now a Chicago friend. I called her up to see how she was doing and she told me it was 60F in her apartment. She has radiators, but as far as I know this is her first year living with radiators.
I asked if the radiators had been bled. She didn’t know. The problem is when there is more air than water in the radiators, you won’t get much heat. As part of my HVAC service the technician bled all my radiators. Previously, that was something I did every year, and I used radiator keys and pliers (don’t use pliers if you can help it!).
You can get radiator keys online at ACE Hardware. I got mine from some Maryland plumbing supply place we had to hunt down, no one should have to suffer through that. I’m quite sure they can get you some radiator keys at Logan or 5th Street Hardware, as they are an ACE store and there are still several houses around here with radiators.
Anyway, once you have your keys there is something else important to have when bleeding the radiators, a cup. The cup is needed to catch the first couple of teaspoons of hot water shooting/dribbling out. You sit the cup under the valve, turn it with the key slowly till you hear a hissing sound, or water comes out. When you get water, turn it closed.
LINK-
Old House Journal-How to take care of your radiator (warning there is a pop-up.