HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: patter@dasher.uucp (24224-guthrie)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Eletric dryer - running but not drying
Date: 3 Sep 92 22:19:20 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ

In article <!wjns3p.greg@netcom.com> greg@netcom.com (Greg Bullough) writes:
>In article <1992Aug31.225525.9895@desktalk.desktalk.com> eric@desktalk.com writes:
>>In article 24358@oasys.dt.navy.mil, diprosp@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Michael DiProspero) writes:
>>>I recently purchased a home in which the washer/dryer combo was included
>>>by the previous homeowner.  Everything was fine for about a month -
>>>but a couple of days ago when I tried to dry a load of clothes the
>>>dryer kept on running and running, but never got hot.  The dryer is
>>>a Kenmore and electric (I forget the model number).  Does anyone have
>>>any ideas what might be causing this?  Thanks.
>>>
>>>Mike
>>
>>
>>The heat element/coil has probaly burnt out.
>
>Many 220 volt dryers use a 110 motor, which only uses one side of the
>two lines. If one of the circuit breakers pops, and the other doesn't
>(quite possible with dual breakers) you can get this symptom.

No, you can't. The timer is on the other 110 volt line. If the breaker
of that line tripped, nothing would work. The problem can be anywhere
from (and including) the timer to (and including) the heating coils.
The timer fails more often than anything else.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                    |
George Patterson -  | "Zero Defects": The result of shutting down a
                    |    production line.
                    |         Kelvin Throop - The Management Dictionary
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: vonzelow@adobe.com (Jon von Zelowitz)
Subject: Re: Bulbs fusing too often
Organization: Adobe Systems Incorporated
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 01:13:53 GMT

>In article <1992Aug23.232505.23790@linus.mitre.org> nigam@mwunix (Alok Nigam) writes:
>Another possibility is that there is a bad connection somewhere in the
>neutral wire of the 220 circut such that the voltage is unbalanced, i.e.
>90 on one side and 130 on the other instead of 110-110.
>If some lights seem dim (or motors slow) this is likely.

My band practices in a warehouse building populated with various bands,
artists, 'ahtists', and small businesses. One day we had nightmarish
problems with electrical things in our practice room. Light bulbs would get
bright, then dim, etc.

Somebody brought a voltmeter and found that we were getting ~220 at times,
then down to ~50. Blew the refrigerator, some lights, and an amp before we
managed to turn everything off.

Eventually this problem was traced to some clown who had tapped into the
power downstairs and was doing home-brew arc welding.

Have a nice day...

   Jon von Zelowitz   vonzelow@adobe.com   ...sun!adobe!vonzelow
From: majidi@rwja.umdnj.edu (Masoud Majidi)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: recommendation for real estate lawyer needed
Date: 25 Aug 92 18:56:27 GMT
Organization: Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway NJ

Dear netters,

I am looking for a good real estate lawyer in central New Jersey. If
you know of such a person I will greatly appreciate it if you give
me his/her name and tel number.

Thanks in advance,

Masoud Majidi (majidi@umdnj.edu)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: scholl@uvmark.uucp (Kathryn Scholl)
Subject: Hardwood Floor Poly/Types Info needed
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 92 12:53:34 GMT
Organization: Vmark Software, Inc.


As I will be installing my hardwood floors next week, I have some "final
touches" questions on things that I just can't decide upon:

  1.  - What is the usual preference for poly types?
      Hi-gloss looks nice, but semi-gloss (satin) appears that it would
      have the same look longer, and looks decent as well.
      - Is there a difference in maintenance for gloos v. semi?
      - Will it give the floor a different look in the long run?

  2.  - Are most poly brands pretty much the same?  I've gotten recommendations
      on "Fabulon", but alot of installers use "Floor-Guard".
      - Has anyone heard of one over the other, and which is preferred?

  3.  I've seen the difference when using a primer before poly-ing, as the
      primer retains the wood's "natural" look, and not priming allows the
      poly to somewhat darken the wood, which I actually like.
      - My question, will not priming make the wood become darker and darker
        the older it gets?
      - Is there a problem with no primer?  I get the feeling that most
        people don't use primer.

If it makes a difference, I have decided on red oak versus white oak, as I
much prefer the pink-hues 'richness' of the finished red oak versus
the brown/taupes of the finished white oak.

Thanks for the advice,
Kathryn
-- 
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 Kathryn Scholl  -- Above text reflects opinions of the author, not VMark --
 Vmark Software, Inc., 30 Speen Street, Framingham, MA  01701, USA
 Internet: uvmark!scholl@merk.com, UUCP: uunet!merk.com!uvmark!scholl
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: miller@dg-rtp.dg.com (Mark T. Miller)
Subject: Driveway widening - good price?
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 92 23:38:38 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Data General Corporation, RTP, NC.

I have a single car concrete driveway that I was thinking about having 
widened at the house end to accomodate two cars across. The current
plan is to add to the driveway as shown below in beautiful ascii art:

		   16 ft   10 ft
		+--------+------+
		|	 |	|
		|	 |	|
		|Existing| New  |  22ft
		| Slab	 | Slab	|
		|	 |	|
		|	 |	|
		+--------|------+
		|	 |     /
		|	 |    /
		|	 |  /	14ft taper
		|	 | /
		|	 |/
		| Etc on +
		| back   |


Questions for the net are:

1.) do these dimensions seem reasonable?
2.) does the following estimate look reasonable:
	- 4 yds concrete 4" thick	$ 275.00
	- Reinforcing wire		$  50.00
	- Grading 			$  50.00
	- Forms				$  25.00
	- Expansion joints (pt wood)	$  50.00
	- LABOR				$ 200.00
					--------
					$ 630.00

    I think the costs for the wire and joints looks high, labor might be
    OK, I just noticed the "grading" item and didn't ask what it was, and
    I have no idea how much concrete goes for.

    These are independant laborors that just finished up work next door,
    and their work looks good.


    Thanks for any feedback,
    Mark M.

	Mark T. Miller					miller@dg-rtp.dg.com
							...uunet!xyzzy!miller
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: cox@cadence.com (Henry Cox; x6410)
Subject: Re: Another brick patio question
Organization: Cadence Design Systems/CAE Div, Lowell MA
	<1992Aug13.192353.2426@cbfsb.cb.att.com>
	<1992Aug17.131551.14490@ll.mit.edu>
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 02:26:27 GMT


>>> I plan to make a wall around the base of the tree and put a planter around the
>>> tree, but I'm not sure how far from the tree the wall should be.  I know not to
>>> change the ground level of the tree, so this planter would probably either be a
>>> place to put pots of flowers or I'd construct a planter box which was supported
>>> off the ground.
>
>>How come you can't change the ground level of the tree?
>>Is it improper to build a 2-2.5 foot tall planter around a tree and then
>>just fill it with dirt?  Was thinking of doing just that around a pine
>>(not sure of the variety) tree in my yard.  The tree is currently about
>>30 feet tall if that matters.  Thanks.  Dave

>I have been told by a landscaper that you can kill a tree by raising or
>lowering the ground level by as little as 6 inches.

What you can do is to build an "inverse planter" around the tree -
leaving the "planter" empty while you fill dirt around it.  

					Henry
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: brokaw@flamingo.weeg.uiowa.edu (Pete Brokaw)
Subject: Re: Painting Garage Floor
Organization: Weeg Computing Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 18:47:12 GMT

In article <MACRAKIS.92Aug26122918@next4.osf.org>, macrakis@osf.org (Stavros Macrakis) writes:
|> In article <1992Aug25.174501.9993@ncrcae.ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM> cooper@endeavor.ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM (Bob Cooper x7429) writes:
|> 
|>    I just bought a 15 year old house with a 2 car garage.  I want to paint
|>    the floor with (I guess) an glossy epoxy paint.  Any suggestions or
|>    problems?
|> 
|> It depends on how humid the current floor is.  If it is bone-dry, you
|> can use epoxy or polyurethane-reinforced floor paint (California is a
|> good brand, but I don't think it's distributed outside New England).
|> You don't really need to go to two-component epoxy.
|> 
|> If on the other hand it is humid -- especially if it is below grade --
|> you should use a paint that `breathes', otherwise the hydrostatic
|> pressure will lift it off.  There are latex floor paints for this.  Go
|> with a good manufacturer, e.g. California or Pratt and Lambert.
|> 
|> 	-s

I've always heard that painting the garage floor is a bad idea because it
will be very slippery when wet.

-pete
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
							pete-brokaw@uiowa.edu
							weeg computing center
							   university of iowa
							  iowa city, ia 52242
							       (319) 335-5453
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Bulbs fusing too often
From: gary@cdthq.UUCP (Gary Heston)
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 92 19:59:03 CDT
Organization: Garys' Home for Obsolete Computers

smb@ulysses.att.com (Steven Bellovin) writes:

> In article <1992Aug23.232505.23790@linus.mitre.org>, nigam@mwunix (Alok Nigam
> > 
> > I moved into a new house and have had to change the bulbs in some
> > fixtures four times in the last six months.  I'd appreciate any
> > suggestions on what might be the problem, and how I might fix it.
> 
> In my experience, the usual cause of this is excess vibration.  I have
> problems with a hall light that's near our whole-house fan; in a previous
> house, I had trouble with the light in the laundry room.  You might want
> to try using ``rough service'' bulbs.  I'd do that for my hall light,
> except that I don't think they make them in the proper style...

Look for a CF fixture. They're quite resistant to vibration.

Or, get some of the foam outlet/switch sealers (to stop air infiltration)
and use a few of those to pad the fixture a little.

Gary Heston, at home....
gary@cdthq.uucp
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: harrism@aquila.rtp.dg.com (Mike Harris)
Subject: Re: ARGH! Crickets!
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 92 12:08:42 GMT
Reply-To: harrism@dg-rtp.dg.com
Organization: Data General Corp., Research Triangle Park, NC

In article <1992Aug27.235017.6508@socrates.umd.edu>, nick@socrates.umd.edu (Nick Lemberos) writes:
|> Its that time of year again...I can hear them outside just 
|> waiting to sneak just ONE into my bedroom behind an
|> unmoveable piece of furniture.  3AM you hear it, track it down,
|> begin to close in..and it stops chirping...you emtpy half
|> a can of raid in the general direction....
|> 
|> I seem to remember the best way of getting rid of them is to
|> get them while they are still outside....does anyone know/remember?

	Sure - sync up with the poster on the net that has the frog
	problem.
From: lgoodman@BBN.COM (Laurie Goodman)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Garden hose
Date: 2 Sep 92 18:11:59 GMT
Reply-To: lgoodman@BBN.COM (Laurie Goodman)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc., Cambridge MA
NNTP-Posting-Host: bbn.com


What are opinions about rubber vs plastic garden hoses viz. durability,
weight and cost etc.?

Thanks in advance,
Laurie Goodman
From: meltsner@crd.ge.com (Kenneth J Meltsner)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: How do I compute the maximum the bank will loan me?
Date: 26 Aug 92 21:22:44 GMT
Reply-To: meltsner@crd.ge.com
Organization: GE Research and Development Center



In article <19920826140756SASRWW@mvs.sas.com>, SASRWW@mvs.sas.com
(SASRWW) writes:
|>   As a general rule, your mortgage payment should be 28% of your gross
|>monthly income.  Your total debt should not exceed 36% (this gives you
|>some flexability with your mortgage payment...ie. up to 36%).
|>Ronda

*WARNING* -- Everything changes, everything varies by area.  In boom
times, a warm body may be sufficient, in bad, nothing will help.  The
only rule is: will the bank lose money on the deal if worse comes to
worse?  Is there a large enough down-payment to cover a foreclosure
loss?  Will a private mortgage insurer cover the loan (for a fee)?  Is
the borrower depending on commissions or bonuses that might not be
awarded again?

By the way, Mortgage payment = interest + principal payment + taxes [+
insurance, depending on the bank].  Don't forget the taxes and other
add-ins: when interest rates are around 8-9%, a 2% property tax will
have a significant effect on the house you can afford.

Do real research.  Talk to your local banks.  There is no substitute
for a little research in your area.  The exact percentage, and whether
you can exceed it given no other payments, depends on the exact loan
package.  FHA, for example, is somewhat higher, but more draconian on
actually meeting the limits.  Banks that don't resell their mortgages
(rare these days) have much more flexibility.  Banks in areas with
really high real estate prices may be more flexible (higher fraction
of income to housing) since no one could afford to buy a house at 28%
of income.  Areas with high heating/cooling costs may also decrease
your borrowing power as well.

Finally, I've heard a few banks "de-rate" a wife's earnings when
calculating total income, especially if you make comments like "We'd
like a house big enough for a family."  This is probably illegal, but
next to impossible to catch.

FYI: IMHO, the Capital District is fairly conservative (28%); my
sister in LA used a number more like 40%.

Ken

===============================================================================
Ken Meltsner                        | meltsner@crd.ge.com (518) 387-6391
GE Research and Development Center  | Fax:  (518) 387-7495
P.O. Box 8, Room K1/MB207	    | Nothing I say should be attributed
Schenectady, NY 12301               | to my employer, and probably vice-versa
================ Materials and Manufacturing, World O' Stuff ==================
From: smb@ulysses.att.com (Steven Bellovin)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Little brown bugs
Date: 4 Sep 92 02:16:03 GMT

In article <185o56INNslg@early-bird.think.com>, soberg@think.com (Stephanie Oberg) writes:
>      Do not shop at little Asian grocery stores.  Most bug infestations
>      come from foods bought there.  If you must shop at Asian food stores,
>      buy only canned or bottled goods and wash the outside of the container
>      (remove loose paper labels) immediately upon bringing it home.

Another source of infestation is bird food, especially wild bird seed
for feeders.  We've never had any problems with Asian foods, and we buy
a lot, at a couple of little stores around here.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: danc@milton.u.washington.edu (Dan Comden)
Subject: Re: CARPET: Burber (sp) recommendations?
Keywords: carpet, burber, berber
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 20:24:21 GMT

In article <1992Aug31.193811.23513@news.weeg.uiowa.edu> brokaw@flamingo.weeg.uiowa.edu (Pete Brokaw) writes:
>I don't know how to spell it, but I like the look of it.  Can you 
>recommend or disparage burber carpet? (It looks like a woven rug rather
>than a standard latch-hook carpet.)  I'm wondering how it stands up 
>over the long haul.  Is it hard to clean and keep clean?  

We installed berber (?) carpet in our living room about 4 months ago.  It's
held up better than other carpet we've had in the same amount of time.  With
two large, active dogs, it's hard to keep things tidy.

The biggest problem we've found is that it's VERY easy to snag this stuff
and have it unravel.  Be extremely cautious moving furniture or anything
else across this type of carpet!  Once you snag a loop, it'll run like
cheap stockings (according to my wife).  Also, one of the dogs had the wire
loop that holds his license tag get snagged on the carpet as well.  We
experienced the first problem the day that the carpet was installed.  
To our luck, the snag was easily repaired.  The incident with the dog collar
didn't result in much damage, since we were able to dive onto the dog to 
keep him from yanking free.

We were also cautioned that it's not the best choice if you have cats that
do much clawing.

But as far as being resilient, clean looking and easy to care for, it's been
great!  Maybe not the best choice for everyone, though.

>Thanks in advance.
>Pete

-*- Dan
(danc@u.washington.edu)
From: miller@FS1.cam.nist.gov (Bruce R. Miller)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: ARGH! Crickets!
Date: 2 Sep 92 18:46:31 GMT
Organization: NIST - Computing and Applied Mathematics Laboratory


In article <1992Aug27.235017.6508@socrates.umd.edu>, Nick Lemberos writes:
> I seem to remember the best way of getting rid of them is to
> get them while they are still outside....does anyone know/remember?

The only thing I know of is temporary.  Send them off as escorts on camping
trips with your children.  It makes 'em feel important.  Keeps the kids
out of trouble ... well, sort of...
From: hester@hplvec.LVLD.HP.COM (Bob Hester)
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 16:41:49 GMT
Subject: Re: Basement Finishing - What to do????
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Co., Loveland, CO
From: tpc@bnr.ca (Thomas P. Chmara)
Subject: Sound insulation for ceiling/floor:  ideas?
Keywords: sound insulation fibreglass
Reply-To: tpc@bnr.ca (Thomas P. Chmara)
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd.
Distribution: na
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 92 02:37:16 GMT


Our master bedroom in our 1970s bungalow is right above the TV in the
basement rec room.  This doesn't work well when Mom is trying to nap and
the kids have The Great Mouse Detective blaring away.

The basement ceiling is the (soft) fibreglass 2'X4' suspended ceiling
tiles.  I figured they'd provide better insulation than *this*; I guessed
wrong.  Has anyone stuffed standard insulation between the joists for
sound insulation?  How did you keep it up there (aside from simply from
friction)?  Are there any other alternatives I might consider to the
fiberglass batts?
	Thanks...
		---tpc---
--
I am sole owner of the above opinions. These opinions are furnished without
warranty or liability expressed or implied.  Your mileage may vary.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom Chmara, P.Eng.|  INTERNET:  tpc@x400gate.bnr.ca	|  Fone:  (613)765-2925
BNR Ltd.	  |  					|  FAX:   (613)763-2626
From: kunda@hanuman.Eng.Sun.COM (Ramachandra P. Kunda)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Security Alarms
Date: 1 Sep 1992 16:24:17 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems
Distribution: world
Reply-To: kunda@hanuman.Eng.Sun.COM
NNTP-Posting-Host: hanuman


Forgive me it this is an FAQ.  I looked through the FAQ for this
newsgroup and did not find what I was looking for.

What are peoples opinions about home security/burglar alarms?

Which ones are better?  The inside the wall wired or wireless FM
driven?  Which ones can be easily disabled by a burglar? (This
depends on the burglar of course). Or how much more difficult is
to disable the inside wall wiring burglar alarm system?  How easy
is it to disable the outside wired or wireless alarm system?

Does it really deter the burglars or is it just a peace of mind
type of idea?

Do you know of anyone who were robbed and got a security alarm
after that?  (Obviously I am not looking for names, just yes or
no type of answer)

Do you know of anyone who were robbed even though they had a
security alarm?

Do you know of cases where it seems like an inside the neighborhood
job, where some kid in the neighborhood robbed a place?

Do you really get 10% off on your home insurance?  I have heard there
are easier ways to get the 10% off (fire extinguisher, smoke
detector, etc.)

What are the important features of a security system?

If you had a choice what kind of security alarm system would you
get?  What is a good/average price?

Does the sign "Security Alarm" on the window of the house deter
the burglar?  Do they check and see if there is an actual alarm
system?

What other should be considered?

Thanks for your responses.

ram

Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: tmkk@uiuc.edu (Khan)
Subject: Re: Telephone Outlets
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 13:42:43 GMT


In article <180b2aINNkh@sixgun.East.Sun.COM> egreen@east.sun.com (Ed Green - Pixel Cruncher) writes:
>In article 5443@naucse.cse.nau.edu, rrw@elden (Robert Wier) writes:
>
>>   Being
>> in a somewhat rural location perhaps helps also (not too many houses
>> within a half mile or so).
>
>Half mile?!?  The phone itself has a range of ~1000 ft.  How can a
>snooper pick up the signal past where it's too weak for the phone to?

Because the snooper has a REAL half wave antenna, tens of feet in length
(forgive me, I've forgotten the formula for calculating the wavelength
of a 49MHz radio wave ;-). By contrast, the antenna on your phone is
only a few inches long, and is thus far less efficient and has a far
shorter range.

Check out a scanner-oriented magazine sometime; every month there are ads
for outdoor 1/2 wave dipoles specifically designed to receive cordless
phone transmissions. They're very good at it, too. Couple a good antenna
with a good quality receiver (which is most likely MUCH better and more
sensitive than the receiver inside your cordless phone) and you extend
that 1000' range quite a bit.

On my scanner at home I have a little telescoping whip, not much longer
than that found on most cordless phones. With it, I can receive cordless
phone broadcasts from several blocks away, much MUCH more than 1000'.
And that's *without* one of these gigantic outdoor dipole jobs.

A half mile range is conservative. A better estimate would be 2 miles or
more, depending on the terrain and the antenna used.

The bottom line here is that CORDLESS PHONES ARE NOT PRIVATE. Anyone
with the right equipment can pick up your conversations effortlessly.