Q–I want to learn how to read my electric meter so that I can compare usage when certain appliances are on, especially when I am not at home–and when we have guests staying in our home while we are away. The electric meter has four little round dials with numbers, but I am not sure how to interpret this. A–Usually two of the four dials have the numbers running from 0 to 9 in a clockwise direction, while the other two dials have the numbers reading in a counterclockwise direction.
Sometimes there is also an arrow under the numbers to indicate which way the pointers rotate. You read the total kilowatt hours by starting with the first dial on the left, then read each of the dials in sequence to the right of this dial.
If the pointer is between two numbers, it is read as being the lower of the two numbers (between 7 and 8, for example, would be 7). On the last dial, however, you read the next number after the pointer.
The four digits you read indicate the total cumulative kilowatt hours consumed up till this reading.
Some meters also have a digital readout so that you can see the total without reading the dials.
Q–About seven months ago I had a contractor install a new concrete walk and driveway. Two days after it dried, several large stained areas appeared. The contractor assured me that these spots would go away soon, but as of now they are still the same. Do you think they will go away?
A–I doubt it, although it’s hard to say for sure without actually seeing the concrete. From your photos, it looks like these areas may have been improperly troweled or troweled too much so that the worker actually exposed some of the darker base coat of cement that is under the final lighter coat of cement.
The only other reasons I can think of is that either the concrete was not cured properly or that something was spilled before the concrete was fully cured. The dark color may fade away in time, but I’m really not certain it will.
Q–There is a sewerlike smell that comes and goes in our bathroom.
All the plumbing fixtures have traps and we have cleaned out the drains as well as the traps, but this hasn’t stopped the odor. Can you suggest anything else we can do?
A–One possible cause is a partially clogged vent line or one that was improperly installed so that it slopes the wrong way. I suggest you call in a plumber to check out the drain-waste system and its vent pipes to see if he can find the cause.
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Have a question about home repair problems? Write to Bernard Gladstone in care of Your Place, Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan Ave., 4th floor, Chicago, IL 60611. Questions of general interest will be answered in future columns. Sorry, letters cannot be answered personally.
