How Your House Works: A Visual Guide to Understanding and Maintaining Your Home

Description

The updated and highly illustrated guide to understanding how just about everything in your house works! The revised and updated third edition ofHow Your House Worksis a hands-on guide that gives you the low-down on why your faucet is leaking, your dishwasher is overflowing, or your furnace is on the fritz. This comprehensive book is your reference to virtually everything in your house with richly illustrated explanations of electrical systems, heating and air conditioning, plumbing, major household appliances, foundation, framing, doors, and windows. This must-have book answers most questions homeowners face when repairs are needed or when a new house or addition is in your future. How Your House Worksis filled with easy-to-understand illustrations that show how things should be put together and how they function. The book also highlights issues outside the house as well as clock thermostats, ventless gas heaters, moisture and mold, and passive solar heating. Using the illustrations and the author's clear explanations might save you the expense of calling a professional. This invaluable guide: Offers a colorful resource to home electrical systems, HVAC, plumbing, major household appliances, foundation, framing, doors and windows, sustainability, and much more Includes easy-to-follow information for troubleshooting problems Contains dozens of new full-color illustrations Presents new chapters on solar power and smart home technologies Helps homeowners save money on many common household repairs Written for homeowners with little or no knowledge of home maintenance or repair,How Your House Worksis your illustrated and updated guide to understanding how appliances, electrical, plumbing, heating, air conditioning, and more work! Content: Intro HOW YOUR HOUSE WORKS Contents Introduction About the Author A Note from the Author Chapter 1. Plumbing The Supply System The Waste System The Vent System Private Septic System Lavatory Pop-up Drain Sink Drain Plunger-Type Tub Drain Pop-up Tub Drain Older Gravity Flow Toilet Water-Saving Toilet Traps & Vents Ball-Type Faucet Cartridge-Type Faucet Disk-Type Faucet Compression-Type Faucet Tempering Valve Tub/Shower Control Hose Bibbs Pitcher (Hand) Pump Jet Pump Submersible Pump Sump Pump Pressure Tank Electric Water Heater Gas Water Heater Electric Tankless HeaterGas Tankless Heater BoilerMate™ Water Heater Charcoal Cartridge Filter Tank Filter Reverse Osmosis Filter Water Softener UV Purifier Fire Sprinkler Chapter 2. Wiring Electrical Circuit Ohm's Law Using a Test Meter 120 & 240 VAC Circuit Breakers & Fuses Service Drop Electromechanical Meter Smart Meter Circuit Grounding Electrical Panels Receptacle GFCI AFCI Single-Pole Switch 3- & 4-Way Switches Ceiling Fan/Light Switch Dimmer Switch Motion-Activated Switch Flush-Mount Light Fixture Hanging Ceiling Fixture Floor & Table Lamps Fluorescent LampsCompact Fluorescent Lamp LED Lamp CO Detector Battery Smoke Detector Wired Smoke Detectors The Smart Home Chapter 3. Heating Gas Warm Air Furnace Gas Hot Water Boiler Oil Warm Air Furnace Oil Hot Water Boiler Oil Burner Fuel Oil Filter Air-Source Heat Pump Ground-Source Heat Pump Ventless Gas Heater Direct-Vent Gas Heater Direct-Vent Gas Fireplace Pellet Stove Air-Tight Wood Stove Electric Baseboard Hydronic Distribution Warm Air Distribution Hot Water Radiant Heat Bimetallic Thermostat Digital Clock Thermostat Chapter 4. Cooling Natural Ventilation Ceiling FanWhole-House Fan Window Air Conditioner Central Air Conditioner Ductless Air Conditioner Evaporative Cooler Chapter 5. Air Quality Moisture & Mold Humidifier Dehumidifier Furnace Filter Electronic Air Cleaner Air-to-Air Heat Exchanger Chapter 6. Appliances Dishwasher Front-Loading Washer Top-Loading Washer Electric Dryer Gas Dryer Electric Range/Oven Gas Range/Oven Coffee Makers Microwave Oven Garbage Disposer Refrigerator/Freezer Icemaker Trash Compactor Vacuum Cleaners Chapter 7. Windows & Doors Double-Hung Window Low-E Windows Window Insulating Panel Cylinder LockDeadbolt & Keyed Knob Garage Door Opener Chapter 8. Foundation & Frame Footing Drainage Radon Abatement Slab Foundation Crawl Space Foundation Grade Beam Foundation Full Foundation Pier Foundation Forces on the Frame Beams in Bending Framing Members Post & Beam Frame Plank & Beam Frame Balloon Frame Platform Frame Advanced (OVE) Frame Chapter 9. Outdoor Equipment 4-Cycle Gasoline Engine 2-Cycle Gasoline Engine Gasoline Chain Saw Gasoline Lawn Mower Gasoline String Trimmer Gasoline Leaf Blower Cordless Equipment Lithium-ion Batteries Pool Pump & Filter