American Standard Toilet Lid Problem – Solved

American Standard Toilet Lid Problem – Solved

The customer complained that one of their bathroom toilet lids kept falling down.  This is a real problem for men.

I checked to see if the floor was level.  I was darn near level but had an ever so slight tilt backward which should have helped the lid to stay up.  It appeared to be a defective design.

The only identification is inside the water tank: American Standard 1112 tank, made in Mexico.  I suspect that this toilet came with the new home.

American Standard has a pretty awful score at Consumer Affairs web site.

The quick solution was to shim the tank backward a slight bit.  I used white heat shrink plastic tubing.  The top water tank rests upon a front and rear ridge.  I put the shim between the front ridge and the tank and then tightened the tank bolts.

In practice, this solution did work.  The customer had to make sure the toilet lid was firmly put up against the tank for it stay in place.  I now wished I had used a second plastic tubing shim.

Image shows a closeup of the tank resting upon a plastic tubing shim which has been placed upon the front base ridge.
This image shows the plastic shim in place before the tank is tightened down.

 

The image shows a side view and very close view of the toilet seat on the left in a up osition. In the center of the image shows the first tank ridge which the water tank rests upon. A red arrow points to where the shim was inserted before the tank was tightened. The bolt for mounting the tank can be seen. Near the right edge of the image is the rear tank mounting ridge.
This image shows the toilet seat placed in the up position as seen on the left side of the image. The red arrow points to the shim placed upon the forward ridge. The bowl bolt can be seen next as you view the image from left to right. At the very right edge of the image is the rear ridge which the water tank rests. The whole concept is to get the water tank to tilt backward slightly so when the lid is placed up, it will stay in place.

 

Revised April 7, 2018

Husky 3200 Lumen Multi-Directional LED Work Light Review

Husky 3200 Lumen Multi-Directional LED Work Light Review

I had to do a some room remodel and needed a good portable work light.  I wanted the following features:

  • Powerful light source.
  • Easy to move the unit around.
  • Good light spread so lots of wall space would be lit.
  • Collapsible to a manageable size for movement and storage.
  • Low heat generation so the work space would not become any more uncomfortable from heat emanating from the light source.  I had up to now used tungsten halogen lights and the rooms would really get warm.
  • Low power use.  This became a feature after my choice was made.  I came to realize that in emergencies, this light could offer a reasonable light source from battery or generator.

The unit I chose was a Husky 3200 Lumen Multi – Directional LED Work light.  Husky Product number: 1001 713 235

I have been very happy with this device.  Here are some surprises:

  • I found that I could more easily see the texture coat shooting spray if I positioned the light off to one side of the my texture gun or position the light low when shooting the ceiling so I could see the spray pattern.
  • The three LED panels which can be swung around to best point the light is an incredible clever feature.   I tend to move the two side LED panels around each time I re-position the light to customize where I want the light to fall.
  • I could put this light into a tight space (see image below).
Image shows the light head illuminated and all three panels.
Image shows the light head turned on. Note that the two side LED panels swing back and forth from the main panel.

 

 

This image shows the work light extended to its full upward height. The image also shows the tripod at the bottom and the vertiacal three section stand which can be adjusted from two adjustment knobs.
This image shows the light fully extended to its tallest height. Note there are three stand sections and two stand adjustment knobs shown in red color.
The image shows the light head upon the collapsed stand but the stand legs are still extended to hold the light upward. The two LED side panels have been swung around toward the center panel to effectivly close the light from damage.
This image shows how the two side LED panels fold in toward the main panel to make a stored brick like solution to protect the LED light panels.
This image shows the light having its tripod partially collapsed against a bathroom corner and with the light stand fully drawn down so the light is as low to the floor as possible. The light is turned on and you can see the light pattern of the two side panels brighten two walls.
This image shows this light instrument being used in a very small space. In this cases, the light was used to offer light into a very small bathroom for painting.

 Update: April 7, 2018.  I have come to realize that this is not a light for professional use but rather for home owners that take good care when using their equipment.  My major complaint is the column locks and the tripod.  The column locks are, at times, difficult to lock and unlock.  Never use a wrench on those plastic locks.  The tripod is often times a pain to deploy and retract.  I have read reviews for this light and there is probably a much better unit to consider. that being PowerSmith.

Updated: April 7, 2018
Updated: March 6, 2019.  The following web page timed out:  http://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-3200-Lumens-Batm.  New web page: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-3200-Lumen-Multi-Directional-LED-Tripod-Work-Light-DE007/206839059
Don’t Let People Talk Over One Another

Don’t Let People Talk Over One Another

In a conversation with my sister about the crazy US politics, I asked her if she watches CNN TV?  Her answer is no.  I asked why and she replied that she hates to hear people talk over one another.  She is correct.  I agree!  It is rude. I want to hear each person’s complete statement.  I do not want anyone talking over another which interferes with my making out what is being said.

I still think Don Lemon is wonderful and will still watch but can you instruct show participants to show more respect for what each person says?

[The above text was sent to Feedback CNN May 21, 2017]

Revised: April 7, 2018

PayPal Review

PayPal Review

For me using PayPal has been a pain and comes close to a scam operation.  I made past purchases using PayPal but for some reason some charge(s) gets shifted over to their credit unit.  I always pay off all my purchases immediately using my credit card.  I never carry a balance.  I see no reason PayPal credit unit should get involved.  When that department does get involved they charge huge late fees for any small amount.  I got so pissed off at this practice that I asked to have my complete PayPal accounts closed Feb 1, 2017.  The person I talked to was instructed to pay any balance and close the account.    May 21, 2017 I found that I had a $3.39 balance outstanding which now had risen to $19.39 because of late fees.  I talked to a very nice woman and authorized payment, got the late fees taken away.  I asked to have my account closed out, for a second time, with the admonition that I never want to do business with this company again.

When I contact any company and want to close out my account, I do NOT want to hear from them again!  If I get any more notices of still owing money, I will contact state and federal regulatory agencies as well as Internet product review web sites to report this alleged criminal activity.  Not recommended!

See also Consumer Affairs rating for Pay Pal (1 out of 5): https://www.consumeraffairs.com/online/paypal_02.html

Updated: April 7, 2018

LA Times: The Problem with President Donald Trump.

LA Times: The Problem with President Donald Trump.

Finally, the 4th estate exhibits it’s responsibility to the people of this nation and the world  to work for the greater good with this series of sharply critical but true articles about President Donald Trump.

A series of Times editorials:

This post was first placed on our news page, May 12, 2017.
Revised: April 7, 2018

Family Room – Items Used – Part 8

Family Room – Items Used – Part 8

Here is a list of some of the items that I used to complete this project.  This is only a partial list.  It may be updated to include more items.

TV wall mount: Sanus SLF9 (excellent to the point of being perfect).  Vendor: COSTCO.

Smart TV:  LG 65UH615A.  This is a 65 inch diagonal flat screen smart TV.  It has 4 HDMI connectors, 1 optical audio, 1 Ethernet port, 1 USB port.  The image quality is very good.  This particular model was chosen mainly because the mounting screw holes are centered below half the vertical height.  This means that the TV can easily be mounted higher than your typical TV.  Most flat screen TV sets have their mounting screw holes centered.  We needed to have our TV clear the mantel and allow some space for the center surround speaker to shoot its audio just under the TV.  Vendor: COSTCO.

Mantel over the fireplace:  Stoll, Carolina Mantel, Aspire Rustic is a standard finish.  Size: 60” x 8” x 4”.  Cost $659.  Vendor: West Coast FirePlace, Santa Fe Springs, Calif.  Easy installation if you know where the studs are.  I had to use photographs of the fireplace rocks and the bare studs to confirm where the studs were located.  The texture coat wall made it difficult to get a stud finder reading some times.

Conduit pipe used to make HDMI and optical audio runs:  1 and 1/8 inch I.D. PVC thin wall.  I then used 1 and 1/2 inch thin wall cut into 1/2 inch segments to be used to glue and lock the conduit runs into the plastic (blue) boxes.  I had to use wire lubricant and a rubber mallet to get the pipe to run through my pre-drilled stud holes.

Rear wall speaker mounts: Panavise Stud Speaker Mount, Model 105108 (black).  Vendor: Orvac Electronics, Fullerton, Calif.  For the life of me, I could not remove the stock wall mount.  My intention was to remove the stud mount and attach the mount to a steel electrical box plate out of which ran the speaker wires.  I may call Panavise and get some advice as to how to unattach the wall mount portion of this mount.

Ceiling light wall (switch) dimmers:  Lutron, C L digital dimmer, model MACL-153MH-WH. (very good)  Vendor: Home Depot.  I love these dimmers.  You can preset the light level you want and simply turn the light switch on to that level.  You can easily override the preset to turn any of these dimmers on full.

TV bias light:  PPA Int’l OLS Home Accent Kit.  (does not provide a good white light).  I may replace this with a true white light source.

Fireplace Mortar:  I had to shoot caulking under the steel Stoll mantel to fill in the space between that metal shelf and the fireplace rocks.  Rutland, Fireplace Mortar, gray, 10.3 oz, interior use only.  It withstands 2,000 degrees F.  I paid $9.

HDMI cable from wall connector to TV:  Vanco, Ultra Slim HDMI High Speed Cable with Ethernet, SSHD03.  Vendor: Orvac Electronics, Fullerton, Calif.