Slide Out Dishwasher to Replace Springs

Q: One day I heard a pop when I opened my dishwasher and found that the door became twice as heavy. I assume that a spring broke. How do I get to it?

P.I., Yorba Linda

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A: There are generally two brackets at the top of the dishwasher, says Caesar Del Prato Jr. of Caesar’s Appliance Service in Laguna Niguel. You can remove them by sliding them out. The springs are hooked onto the sides of the dishwasher, and once the dishwasher is slid out just a bit, you should be able to access the springs.

They’re only a few dollars each, and it’s probably best to replace both, because if one has broken, it probably be long before the other one goes.

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Q: Our 20-year-old gas furnace seems to work fine, but there’s an odd rattling sound when it runs, almost like something bouncing around inside the motor. What could the problem be?

T.T., La Palma

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A: In a furnace that old, it’s not uncommon to find dirt or debris in the blower motor, which can be causing the noise, says John Brennan of Associated Heating & Air in Anaheim.

Many motors need to be regularly lubricated, and that could be the problem as well. It probably needs a tuneup. This would involve removing the blower and assembly, cleaning the fan blades, lubricating the motor and affixing new assembly mounts, among other things.

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Q: We bought an old house last year and found that during our first winter, it really got cold inside. I’m considering cutting into the walls and shooting in blown or foam insulation to help seal up the house. Would that make a difference?

B.P., Tustin

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A: It might, but first you’ll want to be sure that there isn’t insulation in there now, says Pete Gorman of Rancho Lumber in Westminster.

There are insulation services that will bore through the walls and blow insulation through them. Most use a cellulite insulation that is a paper product and has a good insulating quality. Any type of insulation between the walls is going to be better than nothing. But it’s hard to say whether you’ll notice a difference right away.

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Q: In the house we just bought, the medicine cabinet in the master bathroom is annoyingly short. One has to bend a little to see your whole head in the mirror. I’d like to move it up a little, but will that create lots of scars in the wall below it?

D.E., Mission Viejo

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A: It probably will depend on how the wall was constructed at that location, says Frank Eckert of Arrow True Value Hardware in Anaheim.

First, remove the medicine cabinet and inspect to see what kind obstacles you’ll run into. A fire block or a horizontal 2 by 4 placed between the vertical studs might be in your way.

If necessary, you can remove the fire block and place it below the medicine chest. You’ll have to figure out how much you’ll be moving it up. If it’s just a few inches, you may be able to carefully cut away the drywall from the top and use that piece to patch in on the bottom.

If not, some hardware stores carry quarter sheets of drywall for small jobs. Once you hammer the new drywall patch into place, use a spackling compound to fill in the gaps, then sand, and, if the drywall around it is textured, use a spray texture product to make the patch blend in with the wall.

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Q: We’re running out of room in our townhouse for storage. I’d like to keep some boxes up in the attic but was told by a friend that California attics aren’t designed for storage and that heavy items fall through the ceiling. Is that true?

G.L., Yorba Linda

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A: It’s true that most of our tract houses don’t have attics that equal the kinds you see in older East Coast homes that can be turned into extra rooms, says contractor Steve Millerton of Fountain Valley.

But you can use an attic to store some things. Be sure you put some sturdy 2-by-6 planks across the ceiling joists to support boxes. Keep them away from the furnace and make sure you’re not disturbing the insulation. Also, it’s probably a good idea to store items that aren’t too heavy, because in an earthquake they could be tossed around and break the ceiling.

If you have a question about your home or garden, A Helping Hand will help you find the answer. Send questions to John Morell, Home Design, The Times Orange County, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626.