when a faucet suddenly refuses to close,
we know where the proper valve is located so that we can shut off the
water long enough to replace the troublesome washer, usually the work
of a few minutes.

Then there is the heating system. Here the most common demonstration
of temperament is sulkiness on a heavy damp day. In any event,
provided the fire is free from clinkers, we have a standard remedy. An
average-sized electric fan is placed before the open ash pit door. Set
in motion, its breeze provides a forced draft and, in from fifteen
minutes to half an hour, our furnace fire is once more glowing and
throwing out heat.

Also, the country house owner, who discovers that furnace or fireplace
flues which have heretofore functioned properly are smoking, should
investigate the circumstances without delay. The troublesome flue may
only need cleaning, or a dislodged brick or other obstacle may have
blocked it. Whatever the cause, the chimney should have immediate
attention, for excess soot is the common cause of chimney fires. If an
excess odor of coal gas indicates that the fumes are filling the
cellar instead of going up the chimney, open the hatchway and as many
windows as possible. Then check the furnace completely. Investigate
the cause of the trouble and you will find that the smoke pipe
connecting the furnace and chimney is out of place. Don't try to
replace the dislocated pipe until the cellar is thoroughly aired, for
furnace fumes can be almost as deadly as those exhausted by an
automobile, for the same reason, the presence of carbon monoxide gas.
So when working on the pipe be careful to retreat out of doors on the
slightest feeling of faintness or other disturbing symptom. The safest
way is not to attempt to replace the smoke pipe until the furnace fire
is out.

There are one or two other things down cellar that can go awry when
least expected. One of the most common is flooding caused by
abnormally heavy rains and leaks in foundation walls. Look first for
these where the pipes from the eaves, known as down-spouts, reach the
ground. Provide dry wells, troughs, or other means to carry this rain
water away from the foundation. After your cellar flood has either
evaporated or been pumped out and the foundation walls are dry inside
and out, repair the cracks through which this water trickled, as well
as others that might have contributed to the trouble. Use a rich
cement to which has been added the proper amount of