HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: wb8foz@skybridge.SCL.CWRU.Edu (David Lesher)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Another dead clothes dryer
Date: 12 Dec 1992 04:24:21 GMT
Organization: NRK Clinic for habitual NetNews abusers - Beltway Annex
Reply-To: wb8foz@skybridge.scl.cwru.edu (David Lesher)
NNTP-Posting-Host: skybridge.scl.cwru.edu

Others said:
# I have another dryer problem.  Ours won't start.  It buzzes and sits
# there.  After a while it just quits altogether.  A few hours later, it
# will buzz again.  

Dryers are pretty simple. If you have enough brains to avoid doing
something stupid, such as 'testing' live circuits with your fingers,
almost anyone can fix'em.

This 'buzzes, but won't run' problem sounds like a bad starter winding
on the motor. A single phase motor has one winding used all the time,
and a second starting one. The starting winding is only on for about
500ms as the motor comes up to speed, then a centrifical switch turns
it off. If that switch fails, the starter winding may never turn on, or
never turn off.

The first case means it won't start until you fix the switch.  The
second case means the starting winding gets roached, and the motor
won't start until you get it rewound & you get the switch
working......

But an easy test is to remove the drive belt, then figure out how to
observe the motor WITHOUT getting lit up. Plug'er in, put it in
'air-only' mode, and push start. The motor should spin up ASAP. Then
turn it off. It should coast to a stop. As it does, you'll likely hear
the switch reset.

It the motor sits there, or twitches, here is the next part.  Figure
out how to SAFELY spin the motor. If you succeed, the motor will FLY,
so DO NOT GRAB THE PULLEY, ok? I 'kick' the pulley around with a
work-booted foot. If this makes the motor go, you are virtually
sure that it is the starting circuit.

If the starting system of the motor is bad, you can work on it
yourself, or find a shop that fixes motors. Just write down where EACH
wire came from. Do the same for the nuts & bolts. It's OBVIOUS where
they go - when you're taking things apart. But when you want to put it
back together.......

Also give the drum a spin before replacing the belt. It should turn
easily. It is possible the bearings supporting it are FUBAR.

--
A host is a host from coast to coast..wb8foz@skybridge.scl.cwru.edu
& no one will talk to a host that's close..........................
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433
From: hester@hplvec.LVLD.HP.COM (Bob Hester)
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 20:04:59 GMT
Subject: Re: Cleaning Blinds?
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Co., Loveland, CO
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house


>One of the things the old owners of my condo left behind for me was
>a miniblind cleaner ... you know, one of those things with half a
>dozen fuzzy fingers.  It was brand new.
>
>The blinds, however, appear to have been put up when the place was
>built, and never cleaned.  I'm sure that they were white in a previous
>life, but it's hard to tell.  I tried cleaning them with the cleaner
>gizmo, but no such luck.
>
>All of the blinds are off the windows right now, so I was thinking
>about trying to hose the dirt off.  I don't know, though, if I'd wind
>up rusting them.  Any suggestions?



Hi Patti,

	I haven't seen any posting in *.aquaria for along time. Glad to
see your still around. Back to the post.

	I have a friend that cleans blinds for a living.  He has a long narrow
type horse troff with soapy water that he puts the blinds in. He scrubs them
down, then rinses them off with either a hose with regular water pressure,
or sometimes he uses a  pressure type washer like at the car wash to rinse 
them off. I don't know why though.

	Here in Colorado the humidity is low and things dry off quickly, so
he does not seem to have a problem with rust.

	Good Luck 

Even though Aquariums are long and narrow like  horse troffs, your fish 
wouldn't like the soapy bubbles. Happy fishing and blind cleaning.


Bob Hester  (mailstop AU-121)                    hester@hpsmpa.lvld.hp.com
Hewlett Packard                                  phone: (303)679-2185
PO BOX 301                                       fax: (303)679-5951
Loveland, CO. 80539
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house,comp.os.msdos.apps,comp.os.ms-windows.apps
From: bwb1@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (BRENT W. BENSON)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: What causes a washer to squeak real bad?
Date: 17 Dec 92 16:21:23 GMT
Organization: Lehigh University


    In article <1gichkINNlp6@eagle.natinst.com>, darrenl@natinst.com (Darren Lilie)
writes:
>We have a Maytag washer that squeaks real bad(I think it is during the rinse
>cycle).  It doesnt squeak 100% of the time but every so often it lets out
>this loud squeak that sounds like real loud crickets.
>Anyone have any ideas?
>
>Darren
>
    Our old Maytag makes a *really loud* squeak whenever it stops spinning. It
    has done this for many years with no apparent harm.  We use it as a
    siginal that a load is done.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: vvdmtp@ariel.lerc.nasa.gov (Donna Pavlik (Sverdrup))
Subject: Re: Cleaning Blinds?
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
Date: 15 Dec 1992 08:57 EST  

In article <1992Dec15.000509.5111@aus.intel.com>, patti@hosehead.hf.intel.com writes...
>built, and never cleaned.  I'm sure that they were white in a previous
>life, but it's hard to tell.  I tried cleaning them with the cleaner
>gizmo, but no such luck.
> 
>All of the blinds are off the windows right now, so I was thinking
>about trying to hose the dirt off.  I don't know, though, if I'd wind
>up rusting them.  Any suggestions?
>-- 
About a year ago when I moved into my hose I had the same
problem.  The previous owner had put mini-blinds on all
the windows and had never cleaned them.  Wiping them off
with a damp rag didn't seem to help.  What I ended up doing 
is filling the bathtub with water, Spic-n-Span, and Lysol
and letting them soak.  After about 30-60 minutes the dirt
washed of easily and by brown miniblind were now white!  I 
wiped most of the water off with a rag and then just them
air dry.  Good as new!

Good luck!
D.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: edwards@world.std.com (Jonathan Edwards)
Subject: honeywell programmable thermostats
Organization: IntraNet, Inc.
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1992 00:47:40 GMT

I have a choice between models that allow separate programs per day, or
only one for M-F. My question is whether the per-day model will still
make it easy to set a program for all weekdays, or force you to enter
5 duplicate programs. Any experience with these things?

-- 
Jonathan Edwards				edwards@intranet.com
IntraNet, Inc					617-527-7020
From: howie@voodoo.boeing.com (howie)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: T1-11  What is it?
Date: 15 Dec 92 23:38:32 GMT
Organization: Boeing Graphics project, Bellevue WA

Just curious.  Anybody know about this for siding.  How good is it?

					thanks,
--
				       howie              

				       howie@voodoo.boeing.com
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: pjh@mccc.edu (Pete Holsberg)
Subject: Re: How to tell a REAL buyer's agent
Organization: The College On The Other Side Of Route One
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 19:17:51 GMT

In article <Bz2DpM.IFA@magpie.nycenet.edu> manes@magpie.nycenet.edu (Steve Manes) writes:
=Ed Green - Pixel Cruncher (egreen@east.sun.com) wrote:
=: I have heard *many* buyers, both on the net and in real life, tell
=: stories about how wonderful their RE agent was, "how hard he worked for
=: us, how he negotiated for us with the seller and got the price down,
=: etc."  It is clear that these people have no idea that their agent, far
=: from "working for them," was ethically, morally, and legally obligated
=: to the seller.
=
=Technically true

In the traditional sense, only. An RE who works with buyers can legallly
represent the seller or the buyer. The latter occurs when RE and buyer
execute an agreement, and obligates the RE to the buyer.

=Even after we closed on the property, Catherine's been
=very helpful.  (Examples of helpfulness deleted to save space.)
=She's already got her commission and had
=nothing to gain at this point.  Maybe she's atypical but she's
=certainly not working for the sellers now.

=She's working for referrals
                   ^^^^^^^^^
This is the point that almost all "anti-RE" posters seem to miss. No one
stays in the RE business without referrals. No matter who the agent has
a fiduciary relationship with, s/he *must* satisfy her client/customer
if that client/customer is to provide referrals.

=Stephen Manes					   manes@magpie.nycenet.edu
=Manes and Associates/Commontech-NoHo		   New York, NY, USA  =o&>o

Well said, Steve.

Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: hbb@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (harlan.b.braude)
Subject: Re: Cleaning Blinds?
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 14:49:02 GMT

In article <15DEC199208572651@ariel.lerc.nasa.gov> vvdmtp@ariel.lerc.nasa.gov (Donna Pavlik (Sverdrup)) writes:
>problem.  The previous owner had put mini-blinds on all
>the windows and had never cleaned them.  Wiping them off
>with a damp rag didn't seem to help.  What I ended up doing 
>is filling the bathtub with water, Spic-n-Span, and Lysol
>and letting them soak.  After about 30-60 minutes the dirt
>washed of easily and by brown miniblind were now white!  I 

Be careful! As a kid, I helped someone wash their blinds in 
a bathtub and got a nasty cut from one of the edges. Consider
wearing gloves that can be used when wet (and make sure your
Tetanus shots are up to date!)


-- 
Harlan B. Braude
hbb@karin.att.com
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Musty Smell When the Heat Comes On
From: gary@cdthq.UUCP (Gary Heston)
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 92 19:51:50 CST
Organization: Garys' Home for Obsolete Computers

margaret@infonode.ingr.com (Margaret Wiginton) writes:

> We have central heat and whenever it comes on, the air coming
> out of the vents has a peculiar musty/moldly/stuffy odor.
> We change the filter on the intake (located in a hall closet
> with louvered doors) regularly.  Could someone please recommend 
> other things we might check?

Check the heat exchanger and plenum to see if there's any lint
collecting on it; also, clean out any of the ducts you can get to.
There may also be lint collected on the blower.

Gary Heston, at home...
gary@cdthq.uucp
From: dougl@mail.boi.hp.com (Doug Leno)
Subject: Re: Programmable Thermostat
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 00:11:37 GMT
Distribution: usa 
Organization: Hewlett-Packard / Boise, Idaho
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1.4 PL6]

Stavros Macrakis (macrakis@osf.org) wrote:
: Are there any programmable thermostats that allow a different program
: for every day, not just weekday/Sat/Sun?
: 
: 	-s


The Honeywell 8621 (trade model) does this.  I'm sure there are others.



--
Doug Leno                                    Hewlett Packard Company
Manufacturing Engineering                    11413 Chinden Blvd
Heads and Media                              Boise, Idaho  83714
Disk Memory Division                         (208) 323-3693
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Internet: dougl@hpdmd48.boi.hp.com        dougl%hpdmd48@relay.hp.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------
X.400: AD=ATTMAIL  PD=HP  CC=US  ON=HP  OU1=CORP  OU2=UNIX  OU3=X400
  SN=LENO  FN=DOUG  DDAT1=HPMEXT1  DDAV1=dougl@hpdmd48.boi.hp.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: simnet@plato.ds.boeing.com (Mark R Poulson)
Subject: Re: big antenna in suburban area
Organization: Boeing Defense & Space Group
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 19:04:30 GMT

jongsma@benzie.si.com (Ken Jongsma) writes:
> shawn@grok90.ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM (Shawn Shealy) writes:
>> need to buy a directional VHF&UHF house antenna for 
>> suburban area.  I want to be able to receive as many channels as possible.
>> have noticed that the antenna sizes are rated by ranges
>> 25 miles, 60 miles, etc.) and location (urban, suburban, rural, fringe,
>> deep fringe).
> 
>> Even though I am in a suburban area and can get some stations with a
>> simple wire antenna, I was thinking about getting the big deep fringe
>> antenna in hopes that I would receive more stations.
> 
>> Any comments?  Will I get too much?  Will this actually cause any
>> reception problems (i.e. overloading)?
> 
> My understanding is that the longer range antennas work by "squishing"
> the circular zone of reception. I don't think you'll need to worry about
> overloading the TV unless you are right under the transmitter.

Very true -- the deep fringe antenna will be very directional compared to
the urban antenna. These antennas don't boost the signal, they just receive
less garbage by being more directional. I don't think you need to worry
about a too strong signal with any antenna. If it is a problem, attenuators
are available.

The antenna reception pattern is also far from circular. Its more of a
figure 8 shape with the 8 getting stretched taller and skinnier as you
go towards the fringe and deep fringe antennas.

> 
> What you probably will need is a rotor to optimize the antenna direction
> for each station...

A rotator is not necessary if the stations you wish to receive are all located
in one or two areas. If you're lucky and they are all relatively close (like
each is North-NorthWest from your house), then buy just one urban or suburban
antenna and you'll be fine. The deep fringe antenna will HURT performance for
most people in a suburban area because it is too directional.

If the stations are in two locations, then buy two suburban antennas and
connect them in parallel. Point each antenna in a different direction.
This works best when the two antennas are perpendicular, but it will work
(with occasional ghosts) when the angle is much less than 90 degrees.

What you need to do with any antenna is to sit on your roof with one and a
small TV, and rotate the antenna to see which directions cause a specific
channel to come in best. Write down all this data and then try to find one
bearing that makes you happy for all the stations you watch. If you can't
find one, but it looks like two bearings will cover it, then buy a second
antenna and you're set. If the stations are scattered all over the place,
then you'll have to get a rotator.

		Mark
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: mje@pookie.pass.wayne.edu (Michael J. Edelman)
Subject: Re: big antenna in suburban area
Reply-To: mje@pookie.pass.wayne.edu
Organization: Wayne State University
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 13:16:09 GMT

In article 19199@tellab5.tellabs.com, chrz@tellabs.com (Peter Chrzanowski) writes:
>In article <111338@siemens.siemens.com>, aad@siemens.com. (Anthony Datri) writes:
>> 
>> I just moved into a place in a fairly rural area east of Princeton, NJ.
>> There's a very simple antenna in the attic, with the old-style flat
>> dual-conductor cable coming down.  Reception is nothing to brag about.
>> I recently saw an ad for a ~$70 indoor antenna from Winegard, but haven't
>> heard anything about it.
>
>If there's a long length of downlead from the antenna, or if you're connected
>to more than one set, adding an amplifier as close to the antenna as possible
>should help.
>
>Aside from that, I wouldn't spend $70. for an indoor antenna.  If there's
>space in the attic for an outdoor one, replace that instead.

Most antenna amplifiers are worthless. Mounted anywhere except right at the 
antenna, all they do is amplify the noise. The only decent ones mount on the
antenna and are powered remotely through the coaxial cable. 

But generally a good antenna and a rotor is sufficient. Now, if the Wineguard is the 
one that looks like a flying saucer and mounts in the attic, it's a good one. They
and RCA both made a similar antenna, though I don't know if both are still on
the market. If you look at the mobile units that the various TV stations use, you'll see they have a similar antenna mounted on their trucks in order to monitor the station.             --mike
From: cab@col.hp.com (Chris Best)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Q: washer not spin dry properly
Date: 18 Dec 92 21:17:58 GMT
Article-I.D.: hp-col.1gtf66INN9d3
Distribution: usa
Organization: your service
NNTP-Posting-Host: hpctdke.col.hp.com

> My Whirpool washer has  3 setting: regular, perm, and knit.  It has not
> been able to spin dry properly 1 1/2 yrs. after I bought it new whenever I
> use the perm and knit cycles.  In fact, the clothes came out so wet that
> water was dripping.  Does anyone know what went wrong?

----------

No, but here's a workaround until someone has a better answer:
Either look in the instructions, or watch while it's running,
to see where the dial is when the spin cycle starts.  After 
it's done, you can manually set it to spin again, without
going through all the other steps.  Probably, that is - it
usually involves turning the washer OFF (by pressing the dial
in?), moving it to where you want it to start, and then turn
it ON (pull out?) again.

If this still leaves the clothes too wet (because all you did
was use the wimpy spin twice), you could always use the GOOD
spin (from the "regular" setting) to finish it off.
From: sol0@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (Stephen O. Lidie)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: WATER SOFTENER/PURIFICATION QUESTIONS - HELP!
Date: 12 Dec 92 22:39:53 GMT
Organization: Lehigh University


Hello;

Questions for you water heavies:

Given:
	I have well water
	bacteria = 5 ppm +
	hardness = 11
	iron = .3 ppm
	PH = 7.5

I have information from 2 vendors:

	Vendor A suggests:
		3 foot UV light for bacteria                 @ $1000
		water softener                               @ $1200 
			mechanical timer
			64 gallons/recharge
			4300 grains/pound salt
			                                       $2200 installed
			option for metered softener
			25 gallons/recharge		     + $ 200
                                                   total       $2400 installed

	Vendor B suggests:
		3 foot UV light for bacteria
		metered water softener		   total       $1700 installed
			21 gallons/recharge

Both vendors offer lifetime warranty on tanks, 5 years for other.

Vendor A is well-known, Vendor B is a local business.

. Is 20 gallons/recharge sufficient to clean the resin bed?
. How do I determine how many recharges/month I need?
. Could I get by with a simple inline filter instead of the softener?

Opinions/comments? (-:

Thanks,

SOL
From: carl@Cayman.COM (Carl Heinzl)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Maybe you can get FREE gas logs!
Date: 17 Dec 92 21:29:05 GMT
Organization: Cayman Systems Inc., Cambridge, MA
In-reply-to: cab@col.hp.com's message of 15 Dec 92 18:17:49 GMT
bcc: carl


>As was said, if you'd use something like this anyway, it's
>probably a good deal.  I have a real fireplace (which I seldom
>use) and a woodstove (which cooks me out of the room), so I
>can't comment on gas logs otherwise.  I always pictured them as
>purely decorational, since I can't imagine they put out much
>heat.

Why don't you think they can put out much heat, at least in relation
to normal "wood"???  Of course, most fireplaces are loosing
propositions anyway since more heat tends to go up the chimney along
with air that was warm and inside the house) than gets dispersed in
the house.

I believe that the only fireplaces actually good for heating draw air
for their combustion from the outside and have fans to force the air
around the timber box and circulate the warmed air into the room.

Other than that it's mostly just (nice) decoration.

-Carl-
--
From: hester@hplvec.LVLD.HP.COM (Bob Hester)
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 18:05:15 GMT
Subject: Re: staining pine vs staining lauan
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Co., Loveland, CO
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house



> Can one stain pine and lauan (possibly with two stains) to something
> acceptably similar?  Thx.

	I just finished a basement. The trim was oak, the door frames were
pine, and the door were mahogony I believe. I used Watco walnut oil stain on
everything. Then put Varathene over it all.

	I wanted things to match as well as possible, so I scraped one
door and frame and a piece of oak trim. I light sanded the wood, just like 
I thought I would If I were going to install these peices. I went down and 
bought all the different shades of watco walnut stain pint cans (light, 
medium, dark, black). 

 	I divided the wood into sections. At the same time I tried 3 different 
clear finishes.  I wrote in each section what type of stain and finish I was 
going to use. I then went to work staining each section. I waited a few
days for the stain to dry then finished them. I compared all of the diffeernt
shades of stains and finishes againist the different kinds of woods to find
the best possible match in the effect that I/We desired. 

	I wanted the oak grain characteristics to be very pronounced and yet
still not get things to dark for my tastes. What I come up with is the 
following. The oak didn't take the stain very well, the pine next in line
and lastly the mahogony soaked up the most stain. I also found depending on 
how the wood is sanded will make a difference in the shading. I rougher
sanding job the darker, finer sanding makes the wood a lighter shade. 

   Oak: 150 grit sandpaper, Watco dark walnut stain.
   pine 100 grit sandpaper, Watco Medium stain.
   mahogony: 150 grit sandpaper, Watco Medium stain.

	The rougher sanding on the pine caused it to be closer to the shade
on the mahogony. Also the finer sanding of the oak with the dark stain
allowed the  grain characteristics to stand out and yet have the overall
color not be near as dark as the grain paterns.

	I also found one other small thing is the stain would soak up in the
open grain structures of the oak. If I tried to put the Varathene on the oak
before the stain had dryed enough, the stain would start to seep out of the 
dark grain paterns. I let the stain dry atleast 4 days before finishing.

	I was doing a whole basement, probably atleast $2000 worth of doors,
trim, oak around windows, stain and Varathene, the cost and time of scrapping
a door, frame, and some trim was worth the cost to get it looking the way
I wanted.
--

Bob Hester                                       hester@hpsmpa.lvld.hp.com
Hewlett Packard                                  phone: (303)679-2185
PO BOX 301                                       fax: (303)679-5951
Loveland, CO. 80539
From: suthers+@pitt.edu (Daniel D Suthers)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Replacing old (K&T?) push-button switch with dimmer
Summary: how to replace 4-wire push button switch with 2-wire dimmer
Keywords: wiring, switches
Date: 14 Dec 92 18:56:57 GMT
Followup-To: suthers+@pitt.edu
Organization: University of Pittsburgh

Just bought a 1917 Pittsburgh house with old push-button switches. 
One switch doesn't work so I bought a modern switch to replace it with
(it's a dimmer, but that's not relevant). The new switch has 2 wires
and clear instructions for how to install it ... in modern wiring. But
the old switch has 4 wires connected to it.

Did they break the neutral as well as the hot in these old switches? 
Or might there be two circuits involved? (One of the rooms with these
old switches has 2 sets of lights, but another has only one.)  In
either case, how do I proceed? 

Please respond directly even if you post.




-- 
..........................................................................
 Dan Suthers            | LRDC, room 505A
 suthers+@pitt.edu      | 3939 O'Hara Street
 (412) 624-7036 office  | University of Pittsburgh
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house