Browsed by
Category: Home & Office

Coyote Urine Protects My Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookies

Coyote Urine Protects My Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookies

Comments 0 Comment

Every night when the outside temperature drops enough, I open one of our three garage doors to the height of 4 inches to cool the garage down during the night hours.  This particular garage door is manual open and I can real easily set this to a small opening. The other two garage doors have motor drives and I found they can not open to just  a few inches but the smallest opening is just over a foot.  I do not want any humane or animal critter getting into our garage so I only open the manual operated door.

One morning I went into our attached garage to find my Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookie box that I had just purchased from COSTCO was on the floor, partially opened, and some of the individual cookie bags pulled out, opened, and some cookies eaten.  I taped the box closed where it was torn open and put it back on the shelf after cleaning up the mess on the garage floor.   I did not take the box into the house because I already had a box of these cookies in our pantry.  I do like these cookies.  In three days the same box was moved to the front of the garage, as if the animal was trying to get the box outside of the garage.  The distance was well over 24 feet.  Not being able to get the large box out a 4 inch opened garage door, the critter then opened the box up again and more cookie bags pulled out, some eaten.  This time, I called animal control and was told the following:

  • Probably a Opossum.
  • Place the Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookie box in a safe place and keep all food items out of our garage.
  • Purchase coyote urine and spray it around the garage door outside should keep opossums out.
  • Do not trap the critter.  To do so, requires a license.
  • You can call a licensed trapper to come to remove the animal.

I went to the local feed store and purchased a 8 oz spray container of  Bare Ground Coyote Urine and sprayed some on the outside corners of the garage door and along it’s full opening just in front of the door on the cement.  I was told by the feed store employees to reapply the urine spray if the area that is sprayed gets wet from dew or rain.

I then placed the box of Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookies into our pantry.  We still store quite a bit of packaged food items on higher shelving in the garage.

I then texted some selected friends what happened and what I did to resolve the issue and received some really playful replies.

Using A Nut Cracker To Remove A Rusted Nut

Using A Nut Cracker To Remove A Rusted Nut

Comments 0 Comment

Our upstairs bathroom had been leaking water from a drain line for some time.  It took us some time to figure out we had this problem. We called a wonderful plumber and he had to repair three badly glued sewer line pipe joints.  It appears that the person who installed the sewer lines failed to apply enough glue to the inside of the joints but rather made the outside of the joint look quite nice outside.  I consider this an attempt of a trades person to sabotage our track home, possible out of spite due to it’s high cost or ignorance.  (We have one other instance of alleged delayed track home construction sabotage.)  Water came from an upstairs bathroom over part of our laundry room ceiling and down the outside wall where it rotted out a small wood wall footing.  After all the plumbing repairs were completed to the upstairs bathroom I had to face closing up the ceiling and walls.  A significant problem stalled any effort.  Next to the main sewer drain line coming down from the second floor bathroom at main floor slab level was a short wall footing that had rotted out.  All that was left was a singular rusted threaded bolt sticking out from the slab and a 1/2 inch course thread nut that could not be removed.

Frozen bolt
The ice was applied to cool the threads while I applied intense heat to the bolt. Note the black surface behind the bolt. That black surface is a carbon fiber fabric that is used to protect surrounding surfaces from fire.

I first tried to apply gas torch heat because an internet web site promoted this as a viable method for removal of the nut.  I even applied ice to the bottom of the threaded shaft thinking that that might help break loose the bolt when I torched that nut.  This did not work.  I tried twice.

One night I remember hearing about nut crackers.  It took a whole day to find one   It is a Craftsman Universal Nut Cracker CMMT14117 which cost me just over $16 with tax at Lowe’s.

It took me three tries to best figure out how to work the tool.  Soon as I tried the tool the first time, I came to realize that I needed to hold the tool in place with a crescent wrench.  The tool is clever because the top and bottom sides are flat for applying a wrench.  I used a socket driver to make tightening the nut cracker easy.  This method worked.  I did have to apply a lot of pressure to the socket wrench handle to turn the nut cracker threads as the device tightened against the nut.

 

The crescent wrench is necessary to keep the nut cracker from rotating. The blue box in the upper right corner is to help keep the crescent wrench from rotating. I had very little space to work with and had to resort to some tricks.

I knew that I was going to have a real problem cleaning up the bolt threads.  When the nut finally cracked apart by applying the tool, It did not fall apart but widened a bit due to one side being open from the tool wedging the nut apart a bit.  I was able to back that nut off the threads quite easily.  I quickly realized that the nut was helping to clean those threads to some degree as I removed it.  I really do NOT want to buy a die to clean up those threads  because a (14 piece) Dewalt set would cost me $60.  I put a wire brush tool on my drill and cleaned the bolt threads as best as I could.  My thinking is to put a new (1/2 inch course thread) bolt and hope it will do the cleaning.

 

This image shows the nut being FINALLY removed from the bolt coming out from the house cement slab along the laundry room wall. Not the really bad thread conditions of the bolt.

 

Close up image of the it nut being cracked by the Craftsman “Universal Nut Cracker” CMMT14117.

 

I next used this combination of techniques to clean the threads:

  • I purchased a stainless steel (I like better replacements) nut: 1/2 inch, coarse threads and used it to clean the threads by winding and unwinding it up and down the corroded bolt threads.  Almost every time I performed this trick, I was able to move the bolt a slight bit closer to the floor.
  • White vinegar soaked napkin squeezed up against the threads when I was away from the project.  I did this once and then cleaned the threads with water.
  • Drill with a wire brush attachment used to really dig into the threads to remove any removable coats of rust.

  • Applying Liquid Wrench to the threads and winding the bolt up and down those threads.

After spending a couple of hours cleaning the threads to the bolt coming out of the foundation, I was able to easily thread the bolt down to within one inch from the concrete floor. Because a 2″ by 4″ board measures close to 1 and 3/4 inches I now can place a replacement board into that spot and bolt it in place.  The replacement wood piece has no vertical wall studs laying upon it.  It is only there offer a backing for dry wall screws.

The tape measure confirms that the nut is now just above one inch from the cement floor.

Note the corrosion in the threads at the top and bottom of the bolt as seen in the image above.  The cleanest threads are where the pre-existing nut was.  My treading and un-threading this nut really gave me confidence that a new replacement nut will definitely work.

Summary:  The use of the heat method failed for me. What really worked was using a Nut Cracker.  It is way more safe than using a propane torch and resulted in perfect success.  In fact, being able to back off the nut after it cracks, helped to clean the threads above where the nut was attached.  I did not have to buy an expensive die to clean up the treads but just use a high quality nut and chemicals to clean the threads.

 

Posted August 10, 2019
Updated August 11, 2019
Updated August 12, 2019

Southern California Edison might not be all that concerned in saving energy.

Southern California Edison might not be all that concerned in saving energy.

Comments 0 Comment

(Or allegedly stupid about some energy factors).

Our pool pump went out the end of 2009.  I did quite a lot of research and found out the following:

  • Two speed or variable speed pumps are required in California to save energy.  These motors are way more expensive than single speed motors.
  • Every pool supply vendor failed to inform me of that California requirement and would be most willing to sell me a single speed motor.  I was extremely surprised that the pool supply stores and wholesale outlets were not helping to enforce the requirement but allegedly flaunting it.
  • A dual speed and variable speed motor requires a costly controller/timer (The one we purchased, the Intermatic P1353ME costs about $200).
  • Our city required a permit for installing a new pool pump.  Our cost was $98. The city was enforcing the dual or multi speed motor requirement.
  • Southern California Edison gives a $200 rebate on approved pumps but watch out, there are significant exclusions which is the main point of this posting.

Here is the rough cost of replacing the pool pump with a single speed, $200 to $300 (rough material cost).

Here is the rough cost of replacing the pool pump with a dual speed, $1,000 or more if a variable speed motor is purchased. ($1000 for our electrical and plumbing materials, dual speed motor, special timer and permit cost).  I also had to pull a second neutral wire to meet code requirements and pull out two mechanical timers (one for the pool sweep).

Just by chance, I called the manufacturer of the pool motor we intended to buy because no one could tell me with any certainty the correct size pool motor.  The technical support person asked me how large was the plumbing going to the pump.  I said 3/4 inch.  He told me that you can only push so much water through that soda straw and by his calculations, all we needed was a 3/4 horse power motor of the design I had selected.  I had contacted quite a few pool supply vendors and they all were trying to sell me a 1 horse power or higher motor.  The motor that broke was a 1 and 3/4 horse power.  We had been wasting vast amounts of energy with that old brass pool motor.  The new pool motors are way more efficient as they can push more water even at lower horse power.

Now here is my point.  The politicians and utilities want you to conserve energy.  What you need to take into consideration is the often times huge front end expense involved making the change over to energy efficient systems.  I am also a bit suspicious that conserving energy is all about certain businesses making buckets of money and your only benefit might only be a decline in your bank balance.  You can see the cost difference shown above between a direct same motor replacement, single speed  vs the new required multi speed motors of about double and when you add the special timer and city permit, the cost starts to really go up.  Now you would think that the government and utilities might help the little guy a bit to soften the huge front end cost of making an energy saving conversion.  Southern California Edison did just that by offering  $200 rebate on pool motors.  The problem is they allegedly seem to have a short list of pool motors, which I can not explain, and get this, they required that you buy a 1 horse power motor or more to qualify for the rebate.  Does that make sense?

Now let me see.  I just dropped my original horse power motor from 1.75 to less than half of that and I purchased the required dual speed motor which is way more energy efficient and expensive.  I did my civic duty and pulled a permit for the work and it was approved.  But, I get no benefit from SCE for making the energy conversion and providing the rather large energy savings.   SCE should require a matching of pool motor performance flow to the pool plumbing pipe size.  They don’t seem to get the point that vendors are pushing pool motors that are over sized, allegedly due to ignorance or wanting to make more profit.

Now looking back, I figure I could have purchased a 3/4 hp single speed motor, kept my original pool timer and saved even more money by not pulling a permit or reworking my electrical and plumbing.  The cost savings would be about $800.  By putting in a new more efficient motor with lower horse power, I still would be way more energy efficient than before my old motor died.   Southern California Edison, allegedly, just does not get it and neither did I when this all started but you are now the wiser for my mistake.

——————

April 15, 2010 I used the Southern California Edison web site portal to send the following message:

“Our pool motor quit.  I purchased a Pentair Whisperflow 3/4 HP two speed motor, model WSDS-3 012530 on 11/17/2009.  It was delivered a few days later.  It took weeks to install as I did the plumbing and electrical work myself.  The motor, being two speed, required me to purchase and install a special controller, Intermatic P1353ME, to run the high / low  speed motor and the pool sweep motor.  Our total cost approached a thousand dollars.  The city inspector signed permit February 8, 2010.  I have looked at your web site and I do not see the pool motor, we purchased, listed.  My research showed the motor I purchased as being the best, most recommended by installers and very efficient.  Is there any way I can qualify for the $200 rebate?”

My computer screen showed this image after I sent the message:

———————

The Contact Us computer image said they would send me a respose within 2 days.  It also stated that if the subject requires specialized knowledge, it might take longer.  Look at your calendar and calculate how many days it has taken from April 15, 2010.   We received NO ANSWER!

Note: This blog post went up July 4th.  We believe we waited long enough for Southern California Edison to respond before we shared this issue with the general public.  It is not our purpose to embarrass but to improve our society.

Apple Repairs Computer That Is Out Of Warantee

Apple Repairs Computer That Is Out Of Warantee

Comments 0 Comment

We have a iMac 20 inch computer that was purchased September 2004.  Beginning the summer of 2008 it began to exhibit some disturbing symptoms.  It would not wake up from sleep mode.  The fans would race at high speed for hours.  Some times the computer would begin to shut itself off.  We took the computer in to the Genius Bar, at an Apple store, September 2008.  The technician looked the computer over and told us they would repair the unit for free even though we did not have any Apple insurance.  It seems that this computer had a serial number that fell within a range of computers with a known problem.  In about a week we got the computer back.  The receipt showed that the logic board and power supply ambient light sensor was replaced for no charge.  We have had the computer running for months now and the repair did solve the problem.   I wonder how many other computer manufacturers would repair a computer 4 years old.