December 13, 2025 • 28 mins
Today is screen legend Dick Van Dyke’s 100th birthday! On the show today, our first caller has installed a large, horizontal, natural gas fireplace, replacing a wood-burning firebox. The area directly above the fireplace gets extremely hot, up to 230 degrees, is that excessive?
The next caller had to change out her kitchen stove, but the hardwiring was an issue; she’s wondering if she can use a standard power hookup with her replacement unit.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
KFI AM six forty. You're listening to Dean Sharp, the
house Whisper on demand on the iHeart Radio app. Good morning,
my friend, and welcome home. I am Dean Sharp, the
house Whisperer, custom home Builder, custom home designer, and every
(00:21):
week your guide to better understanding that place where you live.
Whether home for you is a castle or a cottage,
it doesn't matter to me. You know why, because luxury
does not a great homemake. It is design that matters most,
and I invite you to think of it this way.
New parts that's home repair, New paint that's home maintenance.
New design that is home improvement. Good design makes all
(00:46):
the difference. Every house deserves it, every house should enjoy it.
And once it is at work in your home, that
is when your house finds a path forward toward becoming
a great, great, great home. And of course I'm here
to help you find that path every single weekend, plus
answer the maintenance and the repair questions as well. And
(01:06):
we do that by taking your calls. And it's a
Saturday morning, which means it's all your calls. You get
to set the agenda for today. Let me give you
the number where you can reach me. Our phone lines
are open. Nikki is standing by. We are ready for
your calls. Eight three three two. Ask Dean eight three
three the numeral two. Ask Dean eight three three two
(01:30):
Ask Dean. It's just that simple. Whatever has you scratching
your head about your home design of course, construction, DIY
stuff inside, outside, landscape decor. I got you. We will
put our heads together and we will get it figured out.
And so we are waiting for the topics to arrive,
because you get to set the agenda today on this
(01:53):
lovely cool I'm glad to say, southern California, December morning,
December thirteenth. Uh and uh all right. So, sitting across
the table from me, Hey, there she is. We're both
a little sore today. Not from our recent adventures cross
country skiing, not sore from that at all, Sore from
(02:13):
the shingles vaccinations taking us down. Sitting across the table
from me, my design partner, my better half, my best
friend in all the world, Tina is here.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Welcome home.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Hey, Hi, how you do sore arms? Yeah, sore arm,
sore arm. We're sore arm buddies, we are we we
both have sore left shoulders. Thank you, Sam for the
that uh that that that was quite a thing. Yeah,
I was telling Sam before we got started. I don't
remember the last time I got a vaccination that left
(02:48):
my shoulder feeling as sore as it is. I don't
know what's going on.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
I think someone did really, like really punched me in
the arm.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Yeah, like a like a like a monkey, yeah, with
the knuckle out. Yes, yeah, Yeah, a little sore this morning.
Otherwise you're doing okay, Yeah, doing good.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
All right, We're just we're just racing towards the holidays.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Gosh, all right, So you know what today is. Today's
very special day.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Today.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Today is Dick Van Dyke's one hundredth birthday, one hundred
years old day. Seas excited about.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
I'm very happy. That's great to hear.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Isn't that amazing?
Speaker 2 (03:34):
That's beautiful.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
It is amazing. It's just amazing. We had the pleasure
of meeting him a few years back, just briefly. Men.
I was like, I'm not saying here, I know Dick
Van Dyke. He's a good friend of mine. No, but
we were yeah, a a for a a animal profit,
nonprofit Animal found Rescue foundation. Yes, that we've been a
(03:56):
part of for I don't know how decades now, I guess,
and he was eming it and and he came just
out just full of energy, the most gracious guy. I mean,
he must have been ninety then maybe maybe maybe maybe
eighty something, okay, but still beautiful. He's a beautiful man,
(04:16):
he really is.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Well, Happy birthday, Dick, Ben.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Do you know that he turned down James Bond? I know,
it's hard to imagine.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
I did not know that.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
I read an article a couple of weeks ago that
said that he actually was offered the role early on,
and he turned it down for a few different reasons.
Just didn't feel like it was the right fit for him.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
You know, I'm picturing him like a Mary Poppin so
much younger dat.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
I know, the chimney sweep popping around.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
I don't see it, because he's just such a lovable,
sweet guy.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Yeah, but you know he is an actor, right, this
is true, and so he could have easily just worked
up a whole different kind of menacing persona.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Yeah, I don't think I ever won.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
And then he would not have been dancing around him
on the rooftops of London, and that would have that
would have been to our loss, that's right for sure,
and the Dick Van Dyke Show and all that stuff
way back in the day. Mary Tyler Moore. Anyway, Happy birthday,
Dick van Dyke. I hope, I hope you got a
hundred more in you. I honestly do. So let's say
(05:19):
good morning to Sam. Hey, Sam, how's it going?
Speaker 3 (05:22):
Man?
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Good good?
Speaker 4 (05:23):
It was foggy rolling in today. It was it was
like rolling into a bowl of milk, bowl of Really
it was nice, not foggy here at all. But last
night we were down in Camerillo, very very misty, and
we were thinking it is this the new thing?
Speaker 1 (05:38):
And then but we came back up the hill and
it's like, no, no.
Speaker 4 (05:43):
I was just talking to Heather earlier about how much
I love being above the clouds, above the fog, and
then driving into it.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
I'll roll open my window and let my shirt get
wet from the cloud.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
Oh that's cool. Yeah, all right, well that makes sense.
I liked it too. I like the I love the
fog in the morning, especially it makes you actually feel
like we're having a season. Yeah. Speaking of Heather Brooker, Hello,
what's up, Good morning, good morning.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
How are you guys so excited that you're here and
we get to chat live.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
I love it. It's a good thing. Dick Van Dyck's
one hundred years old today.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
That's amazing. What a legacy and a stored career.
Speaker 5 (06:21):
I was listening to you guys talk about that, and
I was like, oh, I could only dream of having
a career like that, And he's so wonderful and so talented.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Maybe Sam can come up with some Dick Van Dyke
music for us.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
Maybe I'll just play some James Bond music.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Because of the role that he's.
Speaker 4 (06:41):
Like, nope, no, can you imagine him instead of Connery?
Speaker 6 (06:46):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (06:46):
See, that's really it's just hard because because you just
you just like Tina was saying, you just see this,
uh this, this kind happy goofy clowney.
Speaker 5 (06:56):
He seems like he'd be better suited for like Pink
Panther kind of ah.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Oh yeah, yeah, oh yeah. He could play the bumbling
detective for sure. That no question about that. All right, Well,
we should move on to things about your house. We
got a couple of calls on the board. How does
that look? We could use some more though, because you know,
we're going to burn through these right away because these
are just you know, easy questions. I have no idea.
(07:20):
I haven't even looked. I have no idea. I'm saying that,
and that was completely unjustified. Anyway. The number to reach
me eight three three two. Ask Dean eight three three
the numeral two. Ask Dean. You are home with Dean
Sharp the house whisper.
Speaker 6 (07:37):
Oh, there we go.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
That's what I'm talking about, Dean Sharp, the house whisper.
Care to help you take your home to the next level.
Happy birthday, Dick van Dyke, Happy one hundredth birthday. Cannot
believe that Dick van Dyke was born in twenty thirteen
and he is with us. He is with us today,
Not with us. No, he's not here on the program.
That would be amazing. No, he's he's just still with us.
(08:01):
Up and adam wow amazing. Anyway, Hey, hey, good morning,
glad to be with you on this lovely Saturday morning,
December thirteenth. Are we already almost halfway through the month
of December? Yes, we are. Christmas is just what twelve
days away now? Woo man, just flying by, flying by,
(08:22):
Glad to be here. Hope you are taking in the
holiday season for everything it's worth. And I am here
this morning to do what we always do on Saturday mornings,
which is take your calls. The number to reach me
about anything you want to talk about regarding your home.
Eight three three two ask Dean A three three the
(08:44):
numeral two ask Dean eight three three to ask Dean.
It's just that simple. All right, Let's get to the phone,
shall we. I want to talk to Rick, Hey, Rick,
welcome home.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
Yes, good morning. We replaced a wood burning fire box
with one of those large horizontal natural gas units. We
covered it with dry walled and hardy boared and finished
it off of porcelain tile. The area directly above the
fire place gets pretty hot. Now. The instruction manual calls
(09:19):
that area out and identifies the first six to eight
inches as very hot. That's all it says. I've measured
it with an infrared thermometer, and after an hour or
two of usage, that area within three to six inches
will get up to about two twenty five maybe two thirty,
(09:41):
and then it dissipates as you go up. I've been
told by the installer that's normal. I've seen other people
on line mention this, but it just seems not dangerous.
I mean, it's not you know, not going to scald you.
But it's pretty hot to get too near that area,
and I wanted to get your opinion about that.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Yeah, it's actually pretty normal, it really is. I was
going to tell you that, you you know, the area
within you know, eight to twelve inches above the directly
above the firebox there typically can get two hundred not
a problem as far as the heat, and that should
be in the manual, should be part of you know,
(10:23):
that area. That's why we don't put the any televisions,
flat screens or anything like that within that first twelve
inches unless there is a hearth or something deflecting the
heat from it. That's twelve inches. Now, it varies from
unit to unit, and there's always they're always coming up
with new stuff, so I always have to investigate whatever
specific unit I'm specking to put into a place so
(10:46):
that we can get the design just right and not
have to do any backtracking. But typically first glance at
a design, I'll never put a like a flat screen
TV any closer than twelve inches to one of those
open fireboxes. They are shockingly warm, and a lot of
people don't realize that. A lot of old school folks
(11:06):
who are like you know, what we're gonna get. We're
gonna we gotta change out our fireplace. We're gonna put
in one of these, you know, new linear fireplace or
new And by the way, the technical term for them,
whether they're linear or whether they're still proportioned like a
traditional fireplace, and they come in all shapes and sizes,
is a direct vent unit. Direct vent fireplace is a
(11:30):
completely sealed and self enclosed fire unit. It's got glass
on the front and so you can see the flame,
but you don't have direct air access to that flame
in the front. And a lot of people, just generally speaking,
we'll look at something like that and think, well, that's
not a real fireplace. It doesn't really output any significant heat,
(11:50):
not like my old wood burner. Yeah, not true at all.
The fact of the matter is that a typical wood
burning masonry fireplace is only only about thirty percent efficient
as far as heat. Most of the heat when you
burn wood and or gas logs in a traditional open fireplace,
most of that heat is going right up the chimney,
(12:12):
right out of the house and not into the room.
A direct vent fireplace just the opposite, literally, just the opposite.
We're talking seventy typically seventy to eighty percent heat efficient,
meaning it sits there and bakes. I mean, we're basically
I was explaining this to a client the other day.
(12:34):
I said, imagine that you're just looking at the inside
burner on your oven through a glass piece of glass,
or the furnace up in your attic or wherever the
furnace is in your home. Imagine if it was a
cutaway demo furnace and that you basically just got a
chance to look at the burner while it was going
through a piece of glass. That's what a direct vent
fireplace essentially is. Now, the burner, thank god, is not
(12:57):
burning blue hot. Otherwise it would be a heck of
a lot more heat coming out. So it's intentionally inefficiently
yellow flames in order to get you know, taller flames
and for the overall effect that we're looking for, because
none of us are looking for a blue flame fireplace.
But we're talking on average, on average. Now, there are
(13:20):
lower BTU fireplaces out there and higher ones, but on
average you can expect anywhere from thirty thousand up to well,
I mean up to sixty seventy thousand BTUs of output.
Heat output of a direct vent fireplace like that. So absolutely, absolutely, Rick,
it is not an unusual thing to measure temperatures at
(13:43):
around two hundred, you know, a little over two hundred
in that first few inches. It should dissipate then though,
for sure. So when you were saying I'm concerned about
heat coming off, I wasn't sure if that meant that
you just didn't didn't weren't expecting it to be pumped
and as much heat into the room as it does
or the materials around it, because I have encountered situations
(14:07):
where there is excessive heat in the surface materials around it,
and I'm talking about for more than a foot and
well above two hundred degrees, you know, up into the
three and four hundred degree range. That's not going to
hurt anybody per se, but it's usually an indication that
the installation. Something went wrong with the installation, because when
(14:29):
you're installing those units, they have to be done in
a very specific way. And I'm sure you know that.
I'm assuming based on this that yours was installed correctly,
but there has to be heat breaks so that that
heat doesn't just climb through combustible material all around it.
But as shocking as it seems the low two hundreds
(14:51):
not at all an unusual thing.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
Just the immediate section right above. Nothing on the size,
and to your point, it dissipates within about ten to
fifteen inches above, So I guess that's the way it is.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
Yeah, it's surprisingly warm, but that that's that's absolutely within
normal range. Did I lose Rick? I lose him.
Speaker 7 (15:18):
Rick.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
Thank you for your call, buddy, appreciate the question. And hey,
snuggle up to that fireplace, enjoy it. I'll talk you
a little bit. We will talk a little bit about
that kind of a fireplace on the other side of
the break. We just got back from Montana. We had
one in the townhouse that we were staying in there,
and I'll tell you a little bit more about it.
(15:39):
But first let's get some news your Home with Dean
Sharp the house Whisper.
Speaker 6 (15:45):
You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from
KFI AM six forty birthday.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
With Mary here to help you transform your ordinary house
into an extraordinary home. Yes, we're paying tribute to Dick
van Dyke today. Just happy birthday, Dick, Happy one hundredth birthday.
What an amazing thing. All right, Hey, let me remind
you if you haven't done this already, to wander on
(16:14):
over to our socials, whether your thing is TikTok or
Facebook or what's that other one. Oh yeah, the Instagram.
It's not the there's no the anyway. We're all over it.
Same handle for them all. It's Home with Dean, Home
(16:35):
with Dean. You'll find us there. Just wander on over
and follow. I believe this week because we were in Bozeman,
Montana doing a little cross country skiing. You will find
me falling on my cross country skis. You will find
a post there right at the top, so you should
go check that out. But we got lots of cool stuff,
lots of you know, a few changes coming up in
(16:55):
twenty twenty six, more videos, more helpful insights, more special
VIP material. You're going to want to be a part
of that. No, it's not ever going to be dour
and weird or spammy. It's just a place where you
can go and take a break and also think about
your home at Home with Dean. Same handle for them
(17:17):
all across all social media platforms. Come follow us and
be a part of the new year as it rolls in.
All right it is, and all calls Saturday a morning,
and I want to talk to Rosa. Hey, Rosa, welcome home.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
Good morning.
Speaker 7 (17:34):
So I purchased a few appliances and when the delivery
person dropped it off, the dishwasher couldn't be installed because
it's hardwired, and so I wanted to learn a little
bit about how you take care of that getting it
off hardwire and what needs to be installed? Could you
install outlet? And then I want to share, and then
also if I can add, he also said that the
(17:58):
stove had a dryer outlet, so he couldn't plug that in.
The people at the store asked us if we had
a three or four prong and we've said three. And
then I just want to share that we ended up
getting the ge all on one dryer, so we're going
to check the dryer, washer, dryer. We're going to check
that out and hope it works out.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
Oh okay, Well, I hate I want to hear back
on that, because you may be the first listener that
I've spoken to who has given a shot at that
new ge all in one, and you've heard me talk
about it clearly here on the show, and I've been
very impressed with it, and you know you have to
get used to it. It's not. It doesn't work exactly
the same as the old stuff. But I am still
(18:41):
predicting that as the future rolls on here, we're going
to see more and more of those installed, and more
and more people kind of happy with the altering their
lifestyle in order to get it done. So you keep
me updated on that. As far as the other stuff
goes ROSA. Yeah, So here's the thing. There's nothing mad
about the connection between an appliance and the electricity coming
(19:07):
out of the wall. There are all sorts of different hookups.
There's four prong appliance hookups, there are three plug appliance hookups.
There are round ones, there are triangular X shaped ones.
There are hard wire hookups. And hardwire simply means that
the dishwasher came with a conduit and just bare wire
(19:28):
sticking out the back, ready to be hooked into a
junction box at the back of the dishwasher area. So
the key is this to check the manufacturer specs to
find out what kind of gauge of wire and the
amperage of the outlet, the amperage and the voltage of
the outlet that needs to be supplied. So in the dishwasher.
(19:52):
You could, and again check the owner's mangle on this,
but you can remove the conduit and those wires that
are still out at the junction box at the back
of the dishwasher, which there is one. There is a
there's a box where all the dishwasher wiring comes in
and then forms kind of the tail that's going out
that con to it. That could be changed out with
(20:14):
the right fittings there into a cord, okay, but it
can't just be a random extension cord from the store.
Can't be a lamp chord or anything like that. It
needs to be a cord that has the same gauge
wires in it that are specified. Whether I'm guessing it's
going to be a twelve gauge electrical wire cord, a
(20:35):
three wire cord, and then you would basically turn the
outlet into a twenty amp outlet and to receive that,
now that's my guess. I'm guessing you just got to
check the specs on that. But my guess is that
it's probably it's either a fifteen or twenty amp outlet
to receive that kind of cord, or you could eliminate
(20:57):
the outlet, take the outlet off of in the outlet
lead box and actually build the face of the outlet
box to receive that that conduit that's coming out of
the back of the dishwasher. If you don't want to
do the rewiring at the dishwasher, you can set up
the outlet so that it receives the conduit instead of
a plug, So you have options there. The question is
(21:20):
just a matter of figuring out the right gauge of wire.
And that's always the case with every appliance. So appliances
can be converted to chords, they could be they can
have conduits on them. The vast majority of them can
go either way as long as we're very very careful
about the specifics of gauge and and ambridge when it
(21:43):
comes to the outlet. And I have to confess I
forgot your second question.
Speaker 7 (21:48):
Oh about the stove, But can I ask yeah, can
I ask about so right now the dishwasher, the new
one has just a plug, so we can change out
that box it's not hard wire and put in like
a standard outlet.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
Yes, that's what, Yes, exactly what I'm saying.
Speaker 7 (22:07):
Yes, okay, sorry, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, got it. And
then the other one about the stove it has a
three prong because they asked us. But when the delivery
guy got here, he said, it's that is a dryer outlet,
not a stove.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
Got you on the wall. I tell you what, Rosa,
let me toss you on hold for a second because
we're up against a break and we'll just pick this
up on the other side and so that I can
give you a more specific answer on that. Everybody hang tight.
It's an All Calls Saturday Morning, your home with Dean Sharp,
the house Whisper. Dean Sharp, the house Whisper here to
remind you every home deserves great design. That's what we
(22:48):
try and help you find your way through every weekend. Here.
It is an All Calls Saturday morning for us. You
get to set the agenda of today's program just by
giving me a call. We'll talk about whatever's going on
with your home. The number to reach me eight three
three to ask Dean eight three three, the numeral two
(23:09):
ask Dean. I've got Rosa on the line. I want
to go back to Rosa. Rosa's doing some appliance changeouts
and we're answering some electrical questions. So, Rosa, you said
you've got A, you got a stove or an oven
going in and there's a the electrician or somebody said
there was a dryer vent give me you fill me
(23:29):
in again.
Speaker 7 (23:30):
So there's a dryer outlet, and so he could not
plug in the stove because of it's a different outlet
and we were purchasing it. They asked us if the
existing stove has a three prong or a four prong.
We said it was three, So I'm just I'm not
understanding that's the difference.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
Okay, So, uh, do do we know this the stove
that's going in? Is it just a gas stove?
Speaker 3 (23:58):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (23:59):
No, it's electric, So it's.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
An electric stove. Is it an induction cook top?
Speaker 7 (24:05):
Is that the flat?
Speaker 5 (24:07):
You know?
Speaker 1 (24:07):
Flat? Okay? So yeah, and uh and do we know
is it too? Does? Is the voltage required? There? Is
it to two forty vaults as opposed to okay? So
again this is kind of similar to the the dishwasher question.
Various outlets are indicators of various conditions in the wall
(24:31):
as far as electrical work is concerned. This is good news, okay,
So just be aware this is good news for you
because because A and you said it was a three prong,
A three prong dryer outlets, right, Okay, said yeah, yeah,
a three prongs and also.
Speaker 7 (24:49):
Went in there. We took another stove out of there.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
Yeah, I don't understand. Yeah, well, you know, but see
they you know they they every stove is different and
changes happen every year year with different models, and so
again we don't have to worry about that. We just
have to worry about making sure that we match up
the receptacle to the stove cord. And we also most
(25:13):
importantly want to make sure that the wires leading to
that receptacle are in fact configured in the proper way
to handle that stove. A three and four prong outlet
is a is almost always a given that it is
a thirty amp or more circuit two hundred and forty volts,
(25:35):
and that's what you're looking for there.
Speaker 7 (25:36):
Now.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
I don't know about the ampriage required for your circuit,
but as far as voltage is concerned, it's a two
hundred and forty volt setup that can be configured into
a three prong outlet or a four prong outlet, depending
on the manufacturer and the gear. I mean, there are
even there are five prong outlets that are out there
(25:59):
with a center pin in the center, a center spike
pin in the center. Just ignore that. Okay. What we're
after is that we need to find out again, just
like the dishwasher, we need to know what gauge of
wire is required to power the stove. As long as
we've got that gauge of wire and the configuration for
two hundred and forty vaults, okay, which is going to
(26:21):
have two power two lead power feeds to it, and
the right size breaker at the panel back at the panel,
then all you have to do once we know we've
got the right gauge wire, we've got the right configuration
sounds like you do two hundred and forty, and the
right amperage of breaker at the panel may have to
(26:43):
be changed out forty amp, thirty amp, whatever is required
there by that appliance. Then altering that at the actual
outlet box in order to match the receptacle that your
stove cored needs is a very very minor thing. We
just don't want to go Willy Nelly changing things around
(27:05):
as if there's something magical about the receptacle itself. It's not.
It's just a representation of the wires that are in
the wall, and the wires that are in the wall
are the important thing. The receptacle is just the interface,
and those can be altered. Just like I was telling you,
you had options of altering the dryer. So again, check
(27:26):
the amperage, check the power requirement, check the breaker. If
all of those things are per the manufacturer's spec then
you can have yourself or a qualified electrician can change
out the receptacle to the one that interfaces with that stuff.
Thank you so much, You are so welcome. Thank you
(27:47):
for your question. All right, let's see where are we at.
Oh I was running a little late with a couple
other questions. My fault, but we're up against a break.
When we come back, we'll be right on time and
we will go back to the phones. It's an all
calls Saturday morning. The number to reach me eight three
three two. Ask Dean A three three, the numeral two,
(28:09):
and then you just spell out ask Dean. Let's talk
about what's going on with your home. But first, uh,
let's take a quick break and get some news.
Speaker 6 (28:18):
You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from
KFI AM six forty
KFI AM six forty. You're listening to Dean Sharp, the
house Whisper on demand on the iHeart Radio app. Good morning,
my friend, and welcome home. I am Dean Sharp, the
house Whisperer, custom home Builder, custom home designer, and every
(00:21):
week your guide to better understanding that place where you live.
Whether home for you is a castle or a cottage,
it doesn't matter to me. You know why, because luxury
does not a great homemake. It is design that matters most,
and I invite you to think of it this way.
New parts that's home repair, New paint that's home maintenance.
New design that is home improvement. Good design makes all
(00:46):
the difference. Every house deserves it, every house should enjoy it.
And once it is at work in your home, that
is when your house finds a path forward toward becoming
a great, great, great home. And of course I'm here
to help you find that path every single weekend, plus
answer the maintenance and the repair questions as well. And
(01:06):
we do that by taking your calls. And it's a
Saturday morning, which means it's all your calls. You get
to set the agenda for today. Let me give you
the number where you can reach me. Our phone lines
are open. Nikki is standing by. We are ready for
your calls. Eight three three two. Ask Dean eight three
three the numeral two. Ask Dean eight three three two
(01:30):
Ask Dean. It's just that simple. Whatever has you scratching
your head about your home design of course, construction, DIY
stuff inside, outside, landscape decor. I got you. We will
put our heads together and we will get it figured out.
And so we are waiting for the topics to arrive,
because you get to set the agenda today on this
(01:53):
lovely cool I'm glad to say, southern California, December morning,
December thirteenth. Uh and uh all right. So, sitting across
the table from me, Hey, there she is. We're both
a little sore today. Not from our recent adventures cross
country skiing, not sore from that at all, Sore from
(02:13):
the shingles vaccinations taking us down. Sitting across the table
from me, my design partner, my better half, my best
friend in all the world, Tina is here.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Welcome home.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Hey, Hi, how you do sore arms? Yeah, sore arm,
sore arm. We're sore arm buddies, we are we we
both have sore left shoulders. Thank you, Sam for the
that uh that that that was quite a thing. Yeah,
I was telling Sam before we got started. I don't
remember the last time I got a vaccination that left
(02:48):
my shoulder feeling as sore as it is. I don't
know what's going on.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
I think someone did really, like really punched me in
the arm.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Yeah, like a like a like a monkey, yeah, with
the knuckle out. Yes, yeah, Yeah, a little sore this morning.
Otherwise you're doing okay, Yeah, doing good.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
All right, We're just we're just racing towards the holidays.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Gosh, all right, So you know what today is. Today's
very special day.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Today.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Today is Dick Van Dyke's one hundredth birthday, one hundred
years old day. Seas excited about.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
I'm very happy. That's great to hear.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Isn't that amazing?
Speaker 2 (03:34):
That's beautiful.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
It is amazing. It's just amazing. We had the pleasure
of meeting him a few years back, just briefly. Men.
I was like, I'm not saying here, I know Dick
Van Dyke. He's a good friend of mine. No, but
we were yeah, a a for a a animal profit,
nonprofit Animal found Rescue foundation. Yes, that we've been a
(03:56):
part of for I don't know how decades now, I guess,
and he was eming it and and he came just
out just full of energy, the most gracious guy. I mean,
he must have been ninety then maybe maybe maybe maybe
eighty something, okay, but still beautiful. He's a beautiful man,
(04:16):
he really is.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Well, Happy birthday, Dick, Ben.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Do you know that he turned down James Bond? I know,
it's hard to imagine.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
I did not know that.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
I read an article a couple of weeks ago that
said that he actually was offered the role early on,
and he turned it down for a few different reasons.
Just didn't feel like it was the right fit for him.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
You know, I'm picturing him like a Mary Poppin so
much younger dat.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
I know, the chimney sweep popping around.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
I don't see it, because he's just such a lovable,
sweet guy.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Yeah, but you know he is an actor, right, this
is true, and so he could have easily just worked
up a whole different kind of menacing persona.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Yeah, I don't think I ever won.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
And then he would not have been dancing around him
on the rooftops of London, and that would have that
would have been to our loss, that's right for sure,
and the Dick Van Dyke Show and all that stuff
way back in the day. Mary Tyler Moore. Anyway, Happy birthday,
Dick van Dyke. I hope, I hope you got a
hundred more in you. I honestly do. So let's say
(05:19):
good morning to Sam. Hey, Sam, how's it going?
Speaker 3 (05:22):
Man?
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Good good?
Speaker 4 (05:23):
It was foggy rolling in today. It was it was
like rolling into a bowl of milk, bowl of Really
it was nice, not foggy here at all. But last
night we were down in Camerillo, very very misty, and
we were thinking it is this the new thing?
Speaker 1 (05:38):
And then but we came back up the hill and
it's like, no, no.
Speaker 4 (05:43):
I was just talking to Heather earlier about how much
I love being above the clouds, above the fog, and
then driving into it.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
I'll roll open my window and let my shirt get
wet from the cloud.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
Oh that's cool. Yeah, all right, well that makes sense.
I liked it too. I like the I love the
fog in the morning, especially it makes you actually feel
like we're having a season. Yeah. Speaking of Heather Brooker, Hello,
what's up, Good morning, good morning.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
How are you guys so excited that you're here and
we get to chat live.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
I love it. It's a good thing. Dick Van Dyck's
one hundred years old today.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
That's amazing. What a legacy and a stored career.
Speaker 5 (06:21):
I was listening to you guys talk about that, and
I was like, oh, I could only dream of having
a career like that, And he's so wonderful and so talented.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Maybe Sam can come up with some Dick Van Dyke
music for us.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
Maybe I'll just play some James Bond music.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Because of the role that he's.
Speaker 4 (06:41):
Like, nope, no, can you imagine him instead of Connery?
Speaker 6 (06:46):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (06:46):
See, that's really it's just hard because because you just
you just like Tina was saying, you just see this,
uh this, this kind happy goofy clowney.
Speaker 5 (06:56):
He seems like he'd be better suited for like Pink
Panther kind of ah.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Oh yeah, yeah, oh yeah. He could play the bumbling
detective for sure. That no question about that. All right, Well,
we should move on to things about your house. We
got a couple of calls on the board. How does
that look? We could use some more though, because you know,
we're going to burn through these right away because these
are just you know, easy questions. I have no idea.
(07:20):
I haven't even looked. I have no idea. I'm saying that,
and that was completely unjustified. Anyway. The number to reach
me eight three three two. Ask Dean eight three three
the numeral two. Ask Dean. You are home with Dean
Sharp the house whisper.
Speaker 6 (07:37):
Oh, there we go.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
That's what I'm talking about, Dean Sharp, the house whisper.
Care to help you take your home to the next level.
Happy birthday, Dick van Dyke, Happy one hundredth birthday. Cannot
believe that Dick van Dyke was born in twenty thirteen
and he is with us. He is with us today,
Not with us. No, he's not here on the program.
That would be amazing. No, he's he's just still with us.
(08:01):
Up and adam wow amazing. Anyway, Hey, hey, good morning,
glad to be with you on this lovely Saturday morning,
December thirteenth. Are we already almost halfway through the month
of December? Yes, we are. Christmas is just what twelve
days away now? Woo man, just flying by, flying by,
(08:22):
Glad to be here. Hope you are taking in the
holiday season for everything it's worth. And I am here
this morning to do what we always do on Saturday mornings,
which is take your calls. The number to reach me
about anything you want to talk about regarding your home.
Eight three three two ask Dean A three three the
(08:44):
numeral two ask Dean eight three three to ask Dean.
It's just that simple. All right, Let's get to the phone,
shall we. I want to talk to Rick, Hey, Rick,
welcome home.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
Yes, good morning. We replaced a wood burning fire box
with one of those large horizontal natural gas units. We
covered it with dry walled and hardy boared and finished
it off of porcelain tile. The area directly above the
fire place gets pretty hot. Now. The instruction manual calls
(09:19):
that area out and identifies the first six to eight
inches as very hot. That's all it says. I've measured
it with an infrared thermometer, and after an hour or
two of usage, that area within three to six inches
will get up to about two twenty five maybe two thirty,
(09:41):
and then it dissipates as you go up. I've been
told by the installer that's normal. I've seen other people
on line mention this, but it just seems not dangerous.
I mean, it's not you know, not going to scald you.
But it's pretty hot to get too near that area,
and I wanted to get your opinion about that.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Yeah, it's actually pretty normal, it really is. I was
going to tell you that, you you know, the area
within you know, eight to twelve inches above the directly
above the firebox there typically can get two hundred not
a problem as far as the heat, and that should
be in the manual, should be part of you know,
(10:23):
that area. That's why we don't put the any televisions,
flat screens or anything like that within that first twelve
inches unless there is a hearth or something deflecting the
heat from it. That's twelve inches. Now, it varies from
unit to unit, and there's always they're always coming up
with new stuff, so I always have to investigate whatever
specific unit I'm specking to put into a place so
(10:46):
that we can get the design just right and not
have to do any backtracking. But typically first glance at
a design, I'll never put a like a flat screen
TV any closer than twelve inches to one of those
open fireboxes. They are shockingly warm, and a lot of
people don't realize that. A lot of old school folks
(11:06):
who are like you know, what we're gonna get. We're
gonna we gotta change out our fireplace. We're gonna put
in one of these, you know, new linear fireplace or
new And by the way, the technical term for them,
whether they're linear or whether they're still proportioned like a
traditional fireplace, and they come in all shapes and sizes,
is a direct vent unit. Direct vent fireplace is a
(11:30):
completely sealed and self enclosed fire unit. It's got glass
on the front and so you can see the flame,
but you don't have direct air access to that flame
in the front. And a lot of people, just generally speaking,
we'll look at something like that and think, well, that's
not a real fireplace. It doesn't really output any significant heat,
(11:50):
not like my old wood burner. Yeah, not true at all.
The fact of the matter is that a typical wood
burning masonry fireplace is only only about thirty percent efficient
as far as heat. Most of the heat when you
burn wood and or gas logs in a traditional open fireplace,
most of that heat is going right up the chimney,
(12:12):
right out of the house and not into the room.
A direct vent fireplace just the opposite, literally, just the opposite.
We're talking seventy typically seventy to eighty percent heat efficient,
meaning it sits there and bakes. I mean, we're basically
I was explaining this to a client the other day.
(12:34):
I said, imagine that you're just looking at the inside
burner on your oven through a glass piece of glass,
or the furnace up in your attic or wherever the
furnace is in your home. Imagine if it was a
cutaway demo furnace and that you basically just got a
chance to look at the burner while it was going
through a piece of glass. That's what a direct vent
fireplace essentially is. Now, the burner, thank god, is not
(12:57):
burning blue hot. Otherwise it would be a heck of
a lot more heat coming out. So it's intentionally inefficiently
yellow flames in order to get you know, taller flames
and for the overall effect that we're looking for, because
none of us are looking for a blue flame fireplace.
But we're talking on average, on average. Now, there are
(13:20):
lower BTU fireplaces out there and higher ones, but on
average you can expect anywhere from thirty thousand up to well,
I mean up to sixty seventy thousand BTUs of output.
Heat output of a direct vent fireplace like that. So absolutely, absolutely, Rick,
it is not an unusual thing to measure temperatures at
(13:43):
around two hundred, you know, a little over two hundred
in that first few inches. It should dissipate then though,
for sure. So when you were saying I'm concerned about
heat coming off, I wasn't sure if that meant that
you just didn't didn't weren't expecting it to be pumped
and as much heat into the room as it does
or the materials around it, because I have encountered situations
(14:07):
where there is excessive heat in the surface materials around it,
and I'm talking about for more than a foot and
well above two hundred degrees, you know, up into the
three and four hundred degree range. That's not going to
hurt anybody per se, but it's usually an indication that
the installation. Something went wrong with the installation, because when
(14:29):
you're installing those units, they have to be done in
a very specific way. And I'm sure you know that.
I'm assuming based on this that yours was installed correctly,
but there has to be heat breaks so that that
heat doesn't just climb through combustible material all around it.
But as shocking as it seems the low two hundreds
(14:51):
not at all an unusual thing.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
Just the immediate section right above. Nothing on the size,
and to your point, it dissipates within about ten to
fifteen inches above, So I guess that's the way it is.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
Yeah, it's surprisingly warm, but that that's that's absolutely within
normal range. Did I lose Rick? I lose him.
Speaker 7 (15:18):
Rick.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
Thank you for your call, buddy, appreciate the question. And hey,
snuggle up to that fireplace, enjoy it. I'll talk you
a little bit. We will talk a little bit about
that kind of a fireplace on the other side of
the break. We just got back from Montana. We had
one in the townhouse that we were staying in there,
and I'll tell you a little bit more about it.
(15:39):
But first let's get some news your Home with Dean
Sharp the house Whisper.
Speaker 6 (15:45):
You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from
KFI AM six forty birthday.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
With Mary here to help you transform your ordinary house
into an extraordinary home. Yes, we're paying tribute to Dick
van Dyke today. Just happy birthday, Dick, Happy one hundredth birthday.
What an amazing thing. All right, Hey, let me remind
you if you haven't done this already, to wander on
(16:14):
over to our socials, whether your thing is TikTok or
Facebook or what's that other one. Oh yeah, the Instagram.
It's not the there's no the anyway. We're all over it.
Same handle for them all. It's Home with Dean, Home
(16:35):
with Dean. You'll find us there. Just wander on over
and follow. I believe this week because we were in Bozeman,
Montana doing a little cross country skiing. You will find
me falling on my cross country skis. You will find
a post there right at the top, so you should
go check that out. But we got lots of cool stuff,
lots of you know, a few changes coming up in
(16:55):
twenty twenty six, more videos, more helpful insights, more special
VIP material. You're going to want to be a part
of that. No, it's not ever going to be dour
and weird or spammy. It's just a place where you
can go and take a break and also think about
your home at Home with Dean. Same handle for them
(17:17):
all across all social media platforms. Come follow us and
be a part of the new year as it rolls in.
All right it is, and all calls Saturday a morning,
and I want to talk to Rosa. Hey, Rosa, welcome home.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
Good morning.
Speaker 7 (17:34):
So I purchased a few appliances and when the delivery
person dropped it off, the dishwasher couldn't be installed because
it's hardwired, and so I wanted to learn a little
bit about how you take care of that getting it
off hardwire and what needs to be installed? Could you
install outlet? And then I want to share, and then
also if I can add, he also said that the
(17:58):
stove had a dryer outlet, so he couldn't plug that in.
The people at the store asked us if we had
a three or four prong and we've said three. And
then I just want to share that we ended up
getting the ge all on one dryer, so we're going
to check the dryer, washer, dryer. We're going to check
that out and hope it works out.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
Oh okay, Well, I hate I want to hear back
on that, because you may be the first listener that
I've spoken to who has given a shot at that
new ge all in one, and you've heard me talk
about it clearly here on the show, and I've been
very impressed with it, and you know you have to
get used to it. It's not. It doesn't work exactly
the same as the old stuff. But I am still
(18:41):
predicting that as the future rolls on here, we're going
to see more and more of those installed, and more
and more people kind of happy with the altering their
lifestyle in order to get it done. So you keep
me updated on that. As far as the other stuff
goes ROSA. Yeah, So here's the thing. There's nothing mad
about the connection between an appliance and the electricity coming
(19:07):
out of the wall. There are all sorts of different hookups.
There's four prong appliance hookups, there are three plug appliance hookups.
There are round ones, there are triangular X shaped ones.
There are hard wire hookups. And hardwire simply means that
the dishwasher came with a conduit and just bare wire
(19:28):
sticking out the back, ready to be hooked into a
junction box at the back of the dishwasher area. So
the key is this to check the manufacturer specs to
find out what kind of gauge of wire and the
amperage of the outlet, the amperage and the voltage of
the outlet that needs to be supplied. So in the dishwasher.
(19:52):
You could, and again check the owner's mangle on this,
but you can remove the conduit and those wires that
are still out at the junction box at the back
of the dishwasher, which there is one. There is a
there's a box where all the dishwasher wiring comes in
and then forms kind of the tail that's going out
that con to it. That could be changed out with
(20:14):
the right fittings there into a cord, okay, but it
can't just be a random extension cord from the store.
Can't be a lamp chord or anything like that. It
needs to be a cord that has the same gauge
wires in it that are specified. Whether I'm guessing it's
going to be a twelve gauge electrical wire cord, a
(20:35):
three wire cord, and then you would basically turn the
outlet into a twenty amp outlet and to receive that,
now that's my guess. I'm guessing you just got to
check the specs on that. But my guess is that
it's probably it's either a fifteen or twenty amp outlet
to receive that kind of cord, or you could eliminate
(20:57):
the outlet, take the outlet off of in the outlet
lead box and actually build the face of the outlet
box to receive that that conduit that's coming out of
the back of the dishwasher. If you don't want to
do the rewiring at the dishwasher, you can set up
the outlet so that it receives the conduit instead of
a plug, So you have options there. The question is
(21:20):
just a matter of figuring out the right gauge of wire.
And that's always the case with every appliance. So appliances
can be converted to chords, they could be they can
have conduits on them. The vast majority of them can
go either way as long as we're very very careful
about the specifics of gauge and and ambridge when it
(21:43):
comes to the outlet. And I have to confess I
forgot your second question.
Speaker 7 (21:48):
Oh about the stove, But can I ask yeah, can
I ask about so right now the dishwasher, the new
one has just a plug, so we can change out
that box it's not hard wire and put in like
a standard outlet.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
Yes, that's what, Yes, exactly what I'm saying.
Speaker 7 (22:07):
Yes, okay, sorry, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, got it. And
then the other one about the stove it has a
three prong because they asked us. But when the delivery
guy got here, he said, it's that is a dryer outlet,
not a stove.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
Got you on the wall. I tell you what, Rosa,
let me toss you on hold for a second because
we're up against a break and we'll just pick this
up on the other side and so that I can
give you a more specific answer on that. Everybody hang tight.
It's an All Calls Saturday Morning, your home with Dean Sharp,
the house Whisper. Dean Sharp, the house Whisper here to
remind you every home deserves great design. That's what we
(22:48):
try and help you find your way through every weekend. Here.
It is an All Calls Saturday morning for us. You
get to set the agenda of today's program just by
giving me a call. We'll talk about whatever's going on
with your home. The number to reach me eight three
three to ask Dean eight three three, the numeral two
(23:09):
ask Dean. I've got Rosa on the line. I want
to go back to Rosa. Rosa's doing some appliance changeouts
and we're answering some electrical questions. So, Rosa, you said
you've got A, you got a stove or an oven
going in and there's a the electrician or somebody said
there was a dryer vent give me you fill me
(23:29):
in again.
Speaker 7 (23:30):
So there's a dryer outlet, and so he could not
plug in the stove because of it's a different outlet
and we were purchasing it. They asked us if the
existing stove has a three prong or a four prong.
We said it was three, So I'm just I'm not
understanding that's the difference.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
Okay, So, uh, do do we know this the stove
that's going in? Is it just a gas stove?
Speaker 3 (23:58):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (23:59):
No, it's electric, So it's.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
An electric stove. Is it an induction cook top?
Speaker 7 (24:05):
Is that the flat?
Speaker 5 (24:07):
You know?
Speaker 1 (24:07):
Flat? Okay? So yeah, and uh and do we know
is it too? Does? Is the voltage required? There? Is
it to two forty vaults as opposed to okay? So
again this is kind of similar to the the dishwasher question.
Various outlets are indicators of various conditions in the wall
(24:31):
as far as electrical work is concerned. This is good news, okay,
So just be aware this is good news for you
because because A and you said it was a three prong,
A three prong dryer outlets, right, Okay, said yeah, yeah,
a three prongs and also.
Speaker 7 (24:49):
Went in there. We took another stove out of there.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
Yeah, I don't understand. Yeah, well, you know, but see
they you know they they every stove is different and
changes happen every year year with different models, and so
again we don't have to worry about that. We just
have to worry about making sure that we match up
the receptacle to the stove cord. And we also most
(25:13):
importantly want to make sure that the wires leading to
that receptacle are in fact configured in the proper way
to handle that stove. A three and four prong outlet
is a is almost always a given that it is
a thirty amp or more circuit two hundred and forty volts,
(25:35):
and that's what you're looking for there.
Speaker 7 (25:36):
Now.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
I don't know about the ampriage required for your circuit,
but as far as voltage is concerned, it's a two
hundred and forty volt setup that can be configured into
a three prong outlet or a four prong outlet, depending
on the manufacturer and the gear. I mean, there are
even there are five prong outlets that are out there
(25:59):
with a center pin in the center, a center spike
pin in the center. Just ignore that. Okay. What we're
after is that we need to find out again, just
like the dishwasher, we need to know what gauge of
wire is required to power the stove. As long as
we've got that gauge of wire and the configuration for
two hundred and forty vaults, okay, which is going to
(26:21):
have two power two lead power feeds to it, and
the right size breaker at the panel back at the panel,
then all you have to do once we know we've
got the right gauge wire, we've got the right configuration
sounds like you do two hundred and forty, and the
right amperage of breaker at the panel may have to
(26:43):
be changed out forty amp, thirty amp, whatever is required
there by that appliance. Then altering that at the actual
outlet box in order to match the receptacle that your
stove cored needs is a very very minor thing. We
just don't want to go Willy Nelly changing things around
(27:05):
as if there's something magical about the receptacle itself. It's not.
It's just a representation of the wires that are in
the wall, and the wires that are in the wall
are the important thing. The receptacle is just the interface,
and those can be altered. Just like I was telling you,
you had options of altering the dryer. So again, check
(27:26):
the amperage, check the power requirement, check the breaker. If
all of those things are per the manufacturer's spec then
you can have yourself or a qualified electrician can change
out the receptacle to the one that interfaces with that stuff.
Thank you so much, You are so welcome. Thank you
(27:47):
for your question. All right, let's see where are we at.
Oh I was running a little late with a couple
other questions. My fault, but we're up against a break.
When we come back, we'll be right on time and
we will go back to the phones. It's an all
calls Saturday morning. The number to reach me eight three
three two. Ask Dean A three three, the numeral two,
(28:09):
and then you just spell out ask Dean. Let's talk
about what's going on with your home. But first, uh,
let's take a quick break and get some news.
Speaker 6 (28:18):
You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from
KFI AM six forty
Home with Dean Sharp News
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Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.
The Brothers Ortiz
The Brothers Ortiz is the story of two brothers–both successful, but in very different ways. Gabe Ortiz becomes a third-highest ranking officer in all of Texas while his younger brother Larry climbs the ranks in Puro Tango Blast, a notorious Texas Prison gang. Gabe doesn’t know all the details of his brother’s nefarious dealings, and he’s made a point not to ask, to protect their relationship. But when Larry is murdered during a home invasion in a rented beach house, Gabe has no choice but to look into what happened that night. To solve Larry’s murder, Gabe, and the whole Ortiz family, must ask each other tough questions.