"MacGyvering it" is a phrase referring to an '80s TV show called MacGyver. The main character is adept at taking the most mundane daily items and turning them into devices that save the day. If you have a craft room full of common craft supplies and a heating system that is having problems, you can take certain craft supplies and "MacGyver" a solution to get the heating system running again. Check out what you can do with the following craft supplies.
Pipe Cleaners (Small Diameter Ones)
Oil furnaces are notorious for acquiring clogs in their fuel delivery lines. Shut the fuel delivery valve off, take the pipes closest to the furnace apart, and use pipe cleaners to clean every pipe and tiny component. Pipe cleaners will pull gunk and blockages out so that the oil can flow more easily to the furnace. (Just make sure not to lose a pipe cleaner inside a pipe.)
Large Steel Paper Clips
There are a couple of heating systems that use cotter pins in their assembly. The cotter pins are cheap, and their purpose is to hold small components together when those small components are frequently under pressure. (A boiler often involves cotter pins for distribution of pressure and steam through small parts).
If a cotter pin or two has blown off, broken off, or is so rusted/corroded that it needs to be replaced prior to turning the heating system on, a large steel paper clip works. The paper clip can be undone to fit one open end through the cotter pin hole and then the opposite end folds back down or up to meet the opposite end of the unfolded paper clip. It should hold long enough to get some heat into your home until the heating repair services technician can arrive to fix the problem.
Soldering Iron and Hot Glue Guns
Soldering irons with solder can stop leaks around furnace pipes, but the system has to be turned off or the solder will not adhere correctly. Solder can also reattach loose wiring and fix control panels if you seem to have loose connections or components in your digital thermostat.
Hot glue sticks and hot glue guns are perfect for making loose screws tight. Just coat the screw's end with hot glue and quickly screw it back in. Hot glue can keep panels and parts from continuously falling off the heating system until help arrives.
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