Archive for May, 2009

I have a older house in the country which does have 100 amp service…It is however configured in the old wire style of just a load and a service ground. It had no mechanical ground which I know is just for the safety of the person and property…and eventually we will upgrade the wiring. I do have a question though…We own a Jura Superautomatic Coffee Center and was working fine for about 5 months (over 200 cups) until a week and a half ago and it overheated and went south of the border. We had returned it for warranty work and just got it back and made a few cups and again it went ca-put! I called the company and they said it might be power surges that is causing the center to blow a fuse however, the machine overheats and then blows which I am guessing isn’t due to our electrical since the fuse in the machine would protect the unit before the overheating would occur, especially in a power surge state. I have a Fluke meter and on our 120 volt receptacle, it sometimes fluctuates between 122.1 to 123.9 volt at times. Why is this on a 120 volt circuit….and what is the safe limit for a reading on a 120 volt circuit? I was told a 120 volt circuit usually never reads a true 120 volt due to various reason like the actual service provided, how close to the main load and so on….and is 123.9 volt enough to keep killing a machine like the Jura Impressa J5? We were using it for a while and made over 200 cups before any problems and no real changes in the house…we even put a surge protector on the recep? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Answer:
HVAC Tech.: Having to deal with volt and amp problems daily,I can say that you are in the ” normal range”. You actually have a 130 volt supply, but they seldom get to the upper end, because of wire resistance and other variables. I guess what you need to know is that 110, 120, and 130 volts are all the same thing. I have seen fridges run on 97 volts, that is not good for them but they can do it. Your surge protector will protect you from surges caused by a volt spike caused by the sudden shut off of a high draw item like a compressor or other large motor. Hope that makes it easier for you to understand.

They are also much noisier and more aggressive than I’ve sen them.

Answer:
Here in Ohio I’ve been saying the same thing for weeks. I don’t know what’s up, but the birdsong is beautiful. The other oddity is that all the chipmunks have disappeared, first time in 21 years.

If I have my gas furnace in the on position all the time, it works perfectly. But if I turn it off, and then a day later switch it back on, when it first starts up it makes one “Bang” noise. A few minutes later I can faintly smell burning through the vents for a little while, then it goes away. Other than that it works perfectly. A couple things that may be pertinent – 1, I had drain tiles installed in the basement about a month ago (wherein the workers drilled out some of my concrete floors, causing major dust throughout the house), and 2, I had an HVAC guy come out 2 weeks ago to clean the furnace and tune up the A/C. One other thing – at the moment the furnace filter is fuuullll of dust. I’ve been changing it every week or so because the dust keeps accumulating even though I’ve vaccummed all the visible dust remnants out of the basement. one more thing that might matter – when the guy was cleaning it, he had a little flap thing open and started the ignitor thingy… it delayed for a bit and then whooooosh – a fireball shot out of the open part. i said “That can’t be normal!” and he said it was because the flap thingy was open… is that true? UPDATE! It was the ignition valve, stuck in the on position. So there was no delay. It started pumping gas into the furnace before it was supposed to, and then there was too much gas when it started and BOOM. Thanks everyone!

Answer:
The bang could be just from the dirty filter causing a sheet metal oil can effect or from the filter itself banging against the filter rack. Stand next to the furnace when it comes on to try to verify this. If it’s the filter, cleaning it or replacing should correct this. If it’s a sheet metal oil canning effect then have a tech check to make sure there is not a different reason that it’s doing that and correct it. If it’s the burner delaying and causing the bang it needs to be looked at immediately. There could have been something that was done wrong during the cleaning and causing the delayed ignition. This should be covered by the servicing company that did the cleaning. Often the newcomer’s in the heating/cooling business end up starting in the maintenance end and have little experience and have to work on many different brands.

I have a lot of belonging I need to sell. Medical equipment, sporting goods, toys, books, over 450 pieces of baby clothes, shoes, hats, blankets, bedding, etc. I really need the money for daycare expenses and groceries as his father has not paid child support in weeks. I have my son 7 days a week right now because his dad is ‘too busy’, but that’s another story. Anyway, I need to have a yard sale, but I don’t know how to run a sale and watch my son. I live in an 2nd story apartment and I was told I could use the parking area to set up. I know my son would sleep till at least 8:30, and I have baby monitors, but when he wakes up, he’ll need breakfast, entertainment, and I know he won’t want to stay outside as we don’t have any outdoor toys for him to play with. Plus, I would be uneasy with him running around where cars and strangers are. I don’t have family near me as they have all moved away very recently. I can’t think of anyone that would be willing (or that I would trust) to watch him that early (7 or 8am) in the morning. Has anyone dealt with this before? Am I just going to have to give up on the yard sale idea? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated and a best answer will be chosen today (10pts!). Thanks again for any ideas you have!

Answer:
hi.. so if you need the cash i think you can probably pull off the yard sale… depending on the weather.. but you need to accept that you will have to have you son with you… start the sale at 9:30 or 10am. prepare his breakfast and snacks the night before and wake up super early to set up the stuff.. keep the monitor with you… when he wakes up grab him and bring him down with you. you don’t need to have outdoor toys to keep him entertained.. do you have crayons or finger paint.. how about pots and pans.. or maybe something to put water in so he can splash around.. bring the tub toys with you.. just get creative.. if hes too young for that carry him around in one of those baby bjorn things.. get creative and get a specific game plan.. if you can’t figure it out you shouldn’t do it.

There is no limit to measure a professional’s capacity. All said and done, for every piece of work an expert works on, a lot of scrutiny and minuteness must go into it. Take for instance, all of Home improvement works. Whether its plumbing, polishing, grinding, tiling, roofing, gardening, painting or any electrician job- actually! It can all turn into a futil flush of money depleted if one does not ensure that sufficient care and proficiency is dedicated to it. Analyzing our chief aspiration to own a house and consequent to that make it look extra glam and exclusively marvelous, it actually is a battle to initially, get a professional who knows his art and consequently, to get him/her to work on it with full vigor and impulse without their making a big void on our pockets. Now this very statement reminds me of the Mc Lean Roofers (Need one? click here!) who once remarked –“In case you want a so-so roof, might as well call a gardener for it!!” they were very firm on the quality notion. They consider that every worker should render his best, ideally his heart and soul, and that’s exactly what they want to charge their client for!!. All said and done, for every piece of work an expert works on, a lot of analysis and accuracy must go into it. Take for instance, all of Home improvement works. Whether its plumbing, polishing, grinding, tiling, roofing, gardening, painting or any electrician job- actually! It can all twist into a futil flush of money spent if one does not guarantee that adequate care and expertise is dedicated to it. Home Enhancement works have never been mighty easy. If someone thinks that it’s all about blindly coming in doing some manual work on a wall, or a shaft or a ceiling or a roof, then they are sadly mistaken. In fact, this reminds me of the poster Kensington Electricians (Need one? click here!) took out last autumn. It was extremely inspiring and let out a very concrete message to the effect- housing work accomplishes utter care for it to be of good and standing quality. Our latest meeting with the administrative of the Pascagoula Plumbers (Need one? click here!) accelerated on the fact that every Housing work professional should get to work on his assignment only after his mastery has been decided upon. After all, this isn’t a prank!!

A hammock can be a great addition to your outdoor space as a place to relax and unwind after a day at work. These days it’s my husband and kids that get the most use out of our hammock. It wasn’t very pretty, but we loved it just the same. Because they have a tight weave, they do not ventilate well and are more suitable for cooler climates. Nicaraguan Hammocks – Are hand-woven from 100% soft-spun cotton. Mayan Hammocks – Made in Mexico mostly by women to help supplement their incomes. Comes in a wide variety of bright colors and made of cotton. Single fabric hammocks are made from a treated fabric to resist mildew and fading.

Then you spend a half an hour or more setting everything up. At two in the morning, you wake up when a curious animal tries to come inside. Your only effort is timing your hammock swings from side to side just right so that you catch hold of your chilled bottle of champagne. Stroll along the trail, unburdened by anything but the makings of a good dinner. When you feel like going to bed, you look around until you spot two trees about the right distance apart. You shake out a camping hammock weighing one pound, no more than two, and stretch it out.

Hammocks are often associated with white and sandy beaches. They are usually made up of cloth, or sometimes, twine or very thin ropes that are intertwined in such a pattern so as to be able to support a person. Also, there are hammocks that have been crafted to be very light, thus making them very ideal for people who are always on the go or to take on road trips. Going back to earlier times, hammocks have also been used on ships.

Mayan hammocks are woven together to make them mold to your body shape which makes them very comfortable to sleep, lie or just hang out in. Of course to spend quality time together as a family you want to get a king sized Mayan hammock that spans eight to ten feet wide. The support structure of the Mayan hammock not only minimizes back pain, it is actually therapeutic for your back making it comfortable to everybody. Hanging out in a Mayan hammock will provide an unlimited amount of time so you can spend up close and personal with your family.

As soon as you find mold in your home you should take steps to remove it. Cleaning up mold as soon as you find it can help prevent added damage to your house. Mold has the ability to spread very quickly and can take over before you know it. Before you launch your mold removal plan it is good to take a look at the different mold removal products available. 
 
While some will do an excellent job others will be like throwing your money away. Pick your mold removal products carefully to avoid harmful side effects on your family and the continued growth of mold. This article is full of tips that are helpful for choosing the right mold removal product to help get rid of mold. When buying a mold removal product buy natural or organic if at all possible. 
 
These days you can find a wide selection of green products to use. They can be very effective while being planet friendly at the same time. Read the label carefully of any product you are thinking about buying. Look out for any products that can be harmful to your health. It is also a good idea to gather information about a products effectiveness. 
 
Read online reviews of products and ask people if they worked well and if they noticed any side effects. You should also compare prices for the the mold removal and prevention products you are interested in buying. You will notice many different price points for the various types of products. Be sure that the product you buy is designed to solve your type of mold problem. 
 
Your choice in mold removal and prevention products will play a big role in solving your mold problems. You need a product which will be quick acting and effective. You also want something that is safe to use around your family and pets. Using the wrong product can leave you with a massive mold infestation that can cause significant damage to your home.

You have just moved into your new home, and although the neighborhood looks safe, a recent conversation with some of your neighbors reveals that burglary has happened in the past. You have several really valuable items, not to mention the house itself. So, you shouldn’t take a risk; rather, you should install a Lowes home security system.

About Lowes Home Security Systems

Lowes home security systems are varied in their selections. The Lowes home security system that you choose will vary according to what it is in your home that you would most like to protect. Lowes home security systems are offered in two main forms: safes, and locks.

No doubt you have seen a movie or a television show in which some valuables were stored in a safe. Perhaps you think that a safe is something that would not actually be all that safe, since the robber could just take the safe in its entirety. However, this is not an issue when it comes to Lowes home security systems that are in a safe form.

The safes these days are stronger than ever, meaning that they have a variety of different features that would make them completely protected from robbers. The best thing about safes is that they can be used in either your home or your office.

The safes that Lowes offers are varied in both their construction and their size. Lowes offers safes that are water and fireproof, safes that are small, and safes that are the size of a school locker. Many of the safe that Lowes offers are also made of solid steel, meaning that unless the person knows the lock combination, no tool or weapon of any kind could open that safe.

When it comes to locks, Lowes offers several varieties. An example of a lock that Lowes offers is one that looks like a bigger version of a lock that you might put on a gym locker. In addition to the standard combination feature, this lock can be places on a variety of different things, including doorknobs.

The prices of Lowes home security devices will vary according to the intricacy of the design, as well as the size of the safe. The price will most likely be at least several hundred dollars. However, the price is definitely worth it, because by purchasing a home security system you are keeping your loved ones safe, and that is priceless.

So you are interested in redoing your kitchen but you don’t want to have to pay the high end cost to remodel a kitchen. Well you should know that there are ways to get around this, different things that you can do so that you can just pay the average kitchen remodel cost but still get the look that you are trying to achieve.

If you want to pay the average kitchen remodel cost, here are a few tips that are really going to help you out.

Get Familiar With a Company

If you want to only pay the average kitchen remodel cost and not have to pay ridiculous costs for your kit homes, then one of the best things that you can do is make yourself more familiar with a company. Whether you are already friends with someone in a construction company or not, you are going to want to start getting more familiar with one if you want to get a deal.

You may have smaller jobs that you need to get done around the house and this would be a great opportunity for you to start a working relationship with the company and then progress and you will probably be able to get some sort of a discount for your larger job, the renovating of your kitchen.

This is definitely one of the best tips that you can get if you want to pay the average kitchen remodel cost for your kit home.

Do What You Can Yourself

Also if you want to pay the average kitchen remodel cost, you should know that there are things that you can do yourself. The more you do yourself the less then contractors are going to have to take care of, and this means savings for you. There are lots of different things that you could take care of before the contractors come in.

Even if you don’t have any handyman experience you will be able to figure some things out and this way you are not going to have to pay a dime more than you need to.

These are great tips, and the more effort that you put into this, the more likely you are going to be to find a great company that is going to offer you the services that you need and for a great price. Redoing your kitchen does not have to be a major deal but it can be costly if you don’t put in the legwork.

Answer:
You mean some enamel is chipped off? They sell paint for stoves, to paint over where enamel chipped off, and that’s your best bet but don’t expect it to really last on a pot, and there won’t be a lot of colour choice. If there’s a hole in the pot, they used to sell a tiny little bolt and thin washers to put through the hole. Tighten it up and it sort of fills the hole. I haven’t seen these pot menders for years but you could make your own.