HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: ChazL@county.lmt.mn.org (Chaz Larson)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Insurance question
Date: 25 Jan 93 20:13:42 GMT
Reply-To: ChazL@county.lmt.mn.org (Chaz Larson)
Organization: LaserMaster Corporation

This weekend I put these insurance questions to my dad, an insurance agent 
here in Minnesota.  His responses:

--------------------
Auto insurance; what happens if you lie about your driving record?  Is 
coverage denied in the event that the company finds out about the deception?

Dad's answer: Wouldn't happen with the timing mentioned in the question.  If 
the agent doesn't check your driving record himself that day [which dad does 
with each application] the company will, on receipt of the application.  From 
my experience working in dad's office, the agent will quote a rate based on 
what the prospect says is on his record.  Before the policy is actually 
issued, the driving record will be checked, either by the agent or the 
company.  If that actual driving record is worse than was indicated, the rate 
will be adjusted upwards accordingly.

--------------------
Health insurance; what happens if you conveniently "forget" about your cancer 
[or AIDS, or whatever] on the application?

Dad's answer: If the condition you have "forgotten" about has been diagnosed 
by a physician in the past [and therefore, the insurance company can show 
that you knew about it] the policy would just be terminated at that point, 
and any further coverage denied.  I would expect that if the company had paid 
claims for this condition prior to terminating the policy, they would demand 
reimbursement for these claims from the insured.

If the condition exists, but you truthfully have no knowledge of it, the 
situation is a bit different.  Most health and life insurance policies have 
an initial period [I believe he called it a "period of deniability] during 
which the company can require the insured to be examined for any preexistant 
conditions, and can terminate the policy or deny benefits based on that 
information.  For dad's company, that period is two years.

For example: Bob takes out a health policy, two years go by without the 
company examining him, and in year three he begins to exhibit symptoms of 
some disease with which he was infected [unknowingly, so far as the insurance 
company can show] at the time of the policy's inception [and which, 
presumably, can be detected with appropriate tests].  The company has, in 
theory, lost the ability to refuse Bob coverage based on this prexisting 
condition, since they didn't bother to have him examined.  I say "in theory" 
because, as my dad said, "They're going to try to get out of paying the 
claim, anyway."

This is one company in Minnesota.  Your mileage may vary.

chaz

..must think...bubble pipe will relax me and I think...
LaserMaster Macintosh Typesetting Tech Support
Xref: sparky misc.consumers.house:17320 misc.kids:33297
From: Renee@cup.portal.com (Renee Linda Roberts)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house,misc.kids
Subject: Re: Hot water too hot
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 93 09:10:18 PST
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Distribution: world
  <JEFF.COOK.93Jan21165137@pigpen.FtCollinsCO.NCR.COM>

Tell the landlord (or property cooperative leaders) to turn it down! It
wastes energy, especially if it is over 140 degrees. Turning it down to
120 will make it so it will take more than 5 minutes to sustain a burn,
thereby also saving them from potential liability claims (If the energy
idea doesn't work, the legal usually does).

Renee Roberts
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: alh@cypress.com (Andy Hawkins)
Subject: Re: Replacement Windows: Vinyl versus Aluminum
Organization: Cypress Semiconductor Southeast Design Center
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 18:36:23 GMT


>From: hester@hplvec.LVLD.HP.COM (Bob Hester)
>Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 16:34:51 GMT
>Subject: Re: Replacement Windows: Vinyl versus Aluminum

::::::::: stuff deleted...

>
>	I have heard alittle about these two manufacters of windows,
>
>Alumax  - vinyl windows
>Anderson  - wood windows
>
>Any comments about these manufacters, other manufacters, best type of window,
>or any other comments would be welcome.
>
>Thanks for your response,
>
>Bob Hester
>Hewlett Packard
>hester@hpsmpa.lvld.hp.com

You could add:

anderson - wood/vinyl clad
Pella - wood/vinyl clad
caradco - wood

I installed anderson.  I priced anderson and pella. and I had
heard from a friend that Pella didn't have as good a seal.
they were the two I had heard most about wood/vinyl clad.

I would say definitely go with a wood/vinyl clad vs just wood.

both have several options for gas filled/low-e/..... double
pane windows.
Down here it doesn't get nearly as cold as it does in CO. but
the anderson windows do a great job down here, compared to the
alum. windows I was used to in my old apartment.....  Also,
I got the Low-e/tinted windows to help reduce heat gain in the
summer...  Now I wish I wouldn't have done that.  Our house has
a large vaulted ceiling 5/12 pitch and 10/12 pitch roof so It COOLS
very well in the summer but with the tinted glass it doesnt gain as
much heat in the winter as I think It could????



--
Andrew L. Hawkins, (Andy), alh@cypress.com
Cypress Southeast Design Center, Starkville, Mississippi
Ph:(601)324-4634                       Fax:(601)324-4614
"The Weather is Here, Wish You Were Beautiful."
--        J.B.-- "COCOANUT TELEGRAPH"
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: walker@eplrx7.es.duPont.com (Scott Walker)
Subject: Re: Deer in the yard
Organization: DuPont Central Research & Development
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 20:17:51 GMT

My father lives backed up to some woods and has seen many bushes eaten
to the nubbins by deer.  He has tried dried blood and soap shavings, two
recommended methods, but has had no success.  I assume he just sprinkled
these around the bushes, which are up against the house.  There is 
supposed to be a certain brand of soap to use, but he couldn't remember
which one.  As food becomes scarcer, they get bolder and will routinely
feed on his bushes even after being scared away.
    We'd really like to know of any methods which have succeeded!

Scott Walker
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: news@tct.com (Usenet)
Subject: Re: Cat Repellant
Organization: TC Telemanagement, Clearwater, FL
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 18:51:04 GMT

brett@sr.hp.com () writes:
>Brad Rullman (brad@ssd.intel.com) wrote:
>> I have a problem:  a neighborhood cat likes to hang around under the  ...
>>
>> Is there some kind of repellant I can use on the ground under the
>> cedar tree to discourage this kind of anti-social activity?  
>A dog?
>A .22?
>A few rat-traps?

Now, now, children...

Actually Hartz makes a product called "No!" that works very well for a friend
of mine.  He uses it to keep his cat off the kitchen counter.  They make an
indoor and an outdoor variety (I have no experience with the outdoor).

Humane, effective, cheap, unobtrusive.

jeff@tct.com


Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: sasa3d@morisot.unx.sas.com (Ali Dogrusoz)
Subject: How to keep deer off my backyard
Originator: sasa3d@morisot.unx.sas.com
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 18:15:14 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: SAS Institute Inc.
Keywords: deer, hedge plants


well the subject mostly says it. Bunch of suspected deer come over
at nights and have a chow down on the hedgeplants that I planted in
the fall. How do I keep them off of them so they have a chance to grow
come spring time. are there other plans whose scent would drive them
off or some spray to discourage them. Thanks

Ali

-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ali Dogrusoz | SAS Institute Inc. | Phone (919) 677-8000 |sasa3d@unx.sas.com
             | SAS Campus Dr      |                      |
             | Cary, NC 27513     |                      |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: clewis@ferret.ocunix.on.ca (Chris Lewis)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Power and current
Keywords: Power and current
Date: 24 Jan 93 08:27:16 GMT
Organization: Elegant Communications Inc., Ottawa, Canada

In article <laird.727847558@pasture.ecn.purdue.edu> laird@pasture.ecn.purdue.edu (Kyler Laird) writes:
>dunne@math.okstate.edu (Ed Dunne) writes:

>>If I have an appliance with a heating element rated at 850 watts, how
>>much current (in amps) is it going to draw in a standard 110V circuit?

My first thought was that this was a trick question - along the lines of
"the passengers in my car weigh 300 pounds, how much does the car weigh" ;-)

We'll presume, for the moment, that the "appliance" contains only
the heating element, and not additional circuitry that draws a lot of
power.

>Heating elements are purely resistive - they have no appreciable
>inductance or capacitance - so their power factor is considered to
>be 1.0.  This means that that current is in-phase with voltage.

>So...this is one of the few instances where Watts are equivalent to
>Volt-Amps (VA).

It's also worth remembering that no matter what the power factor is,
the actual watts can't be higher then VA (unless the current draw
is higher than a pure sinusoidal curve).

>Thus, current is found by dividing watts (VA) by voltage.  In this case,
>850VA/110A=7.7A.

Or 850/120=7A (120 is the nominal no-load voltage on a "110V circuit", or
maybe even 850/125.  Remember that the voltage can vary by up to about 10%,
so the plate rating should be relative to the highest permissible voltage
on the line.  That being said, I'd personally call this 10A for circuit
planning purposes.

>No need to worry about start-up or overload surges either...

Actually, there are start-up surges with resistive heating elements.
Most resistive loads (lamps and heaters) exhibit a positive
temperature:resistance coefficient.  That is, as the temperature goes
up, the resistance goes up too.  The surge wouldn't be that large,
not like a motor with startup surges of a factor of 3 or more, or
an incandescent bulb where surge is probably on the order of a factor
of 1.5 to 2.  But 30% isn't unreasonable - I wouldn't put a fast-blo
8A fuse in series with that appliance...
-- 
Chris Lewis; clewis@ferret.ocunix.on.ca; Phone: Canada 613 832-0541
Psroff 3.0 info: psroff-request@ferret.ocunix.on.ca
Ferret list: ferret-request@ferret.ocunix.on.ca
From: Roland=Henrie%Gazelle%Terminals@Ops3.AtlantaGA.NCR.COM (Roland HenriRoland=Henrie%Gazelle%Terminals@Ops3.AtlantaGA.NCR.COM (Roland HenriRoland=Henrie%Gazelle%Terminals@Ops3.AtlantaGA.NCR.COM (Roland HenriRoland=Henrie%Gazelle%Terminals@Ops3.AtlantaGA.NCR.CRoland=Henrie%Gazelle%Terminals
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Cantilever max overhang?
Date: 22 Jan 93 19:38:35 GMT
Organization: NCR Engineering and Manufacturing Atlanta -- Atlanta, GA

What is the maximum overhang for a cantilever with 14' or 15' floor joists?  
Is 3' too far?

Do the joist need to be 12" on center or is 16" fine?

It will be a cantilever with the gable end of the roof sticking out with it.  
The width is 13' and the peak of the roof is 16.5' from the bottom of the 
floor joists.  It is and should be standard frame construction.

Thanks,
Roland.
From: tvervaek@col.hp.com (Tom Vervaeke)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: magnetic latch no longer magnetic
Date: 26 Jan 1993 16:16:00 GMT
Organization: HP Colorado Springs Division
NNTP-Posting-Host: itchub21.cs.itc.hp.com


Perhaps sending the magnets on a long vacation to someplace romantic
will get them attracting again.... Virgin Islands, Hawaii, etc..

Seriously, can the magnets be replaced easily?
From: egreen@East.Sun.COM (Ed Green - Pixel Cruncher)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Cat Repellant
Date: 26 Jan 93 19:08:12 GMT
Reply-To: egreen@East.Sun.COM
Organization: Sun Microsystems, RTP, NC
NNTP-Posting-Host: laser.east.sun.com

In article 1k18irINNjb0@hp-col.col.hp.com, tvervaek@col.hp.com (Tom Vervaeke) writes:
>
>In Colorado,
>unlike places like New York City, people who live in the "Country" are
>private folks.

Yeah, those people who live in the "Country" in NYC are just so...
city-fied!	:^)

>The bottom line is that there ought to be a test prospective pet owners
>take to determine if you are a person who genuinely cares about your
>pet. If not, no pet. 

The Stupidity Test.  It should be required of anyone wishing to own a
firearm, pet, or terminal with net access.  It should also be required
before being allowed to operate a motor vehicle, bicycle, power tool,
or to vote.   Just think of the $Billions of savings in liability suits
alone!

---
Ed Green, former Ninjaite |I was drinking last night with a biker,
  Ed.Green@East.Sun.COM   |and I showed him a picture of you.  I said,
DoD #0111  (919)460-8302  |"Go on, get to know her, you'll like her!"
 (The Grateful Dead) -->  |It seemed like the least I could do...
From: jim@grafix.eid.anl.gov (Jim Kuiper)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: The Dutch Challenge
Date: 21 Jan 93 18:50:59 GMT
Organization: Argonne National Laboratory

In article <1993Jan21.161825.6739@mcs.anl.gov> you write:

>For water problems this severe during wet spells I've heard that people
>who build in farm land can find that there are field tiles running though
>the property to drain off low areas of farm land.  Where my father lives
>(near Joliet) the area our house was built on had field tiles running
>through it.  You may find that those tiles could be one of your problems.
>Luckily those field tiles never caused him any problems (then again I think
>they helped some of his water problems).

I've heard about those tiles.  Maybe looking at some old records would tell
me.  That's one reason for wanting to try some dye.  Ex: If water in the ditch
on the side flows rapidly back to the house, maybe we should add it to the
lake in back instead.

>What Chicago suburb are you from?

Westmont, on the border of Downers Grove.

>Dan Ciarlette

--
Jim Kuiper - Building 900-C42, x6206
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: garyp@rmtc.paramax.com (Gary Palangian [RMTC/ISP])
Subject: Re: Hot water too hot
Organization: Paramax Systems
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 23:35:54 GMT

In article <1993Jan21.174722.23457@cbfsb.cb.att.com>, hbb@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (harlan.b.braude) writes:
|> In article <LOWRY.93Jan21110918@rotor.watson.ibm.com> lowry@watson.ibm.com (Andy Lowry) writes:
|> >I'm wondering whether anybody knows of any gizmo or technique that I
|> >could use to locally reduce the temperature of the water coming out of
|> >my faucets.  Of course we'll try to teach my daughter to understand
|> 
|> I've heard of special faucets that adjust the temperature of the water
|> by mixing the hot and cold water for you. I've also read (in Consumer
|> Reports a couple of years ago?) about faucets that display the temperature
|> of the water in a digital readout (I believe these were battery operated
|> gizmos.)
|> -- 
|> Harlan B. Braude
|> hbb@karin.att.com


Moen makes a series of shower controls that include the Moentrol
cartridge.  This cartridge maintains steady water pressure and temperture
as long as possible.  It costs about $60 more than their standard controls.

Delta makes a similar set of shower controls, but I don't remember
the name off hand.

I would guess that other manufacturers make similar controls, but....

These faucets that provide for temperture control from Moen and Delta
both have a screw or cam adjustment that allow the owner to
set a maximum water temperture.  It is all in the temperture control
built into the cartridge.

I would guess that other manufacturers provide similar controls, but...


Party On...

Gary P.

P.S.  I have been extremely happy working with Moen and with Russell Brooks
at Paragon Plumbing (Mail Order Plumbing Supplies, call 800 information for
both Moen and Paragon).
From: weiss@cs.unc.edu (Steve Weiss)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Grout problems
Date: 22 Jan 1993 11:18:32 -0500
Organization: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
NNTP-Posting-Host: hatteras.cs.unc.edu

I'm having problems with the grout in a tile floor

We just had a bathroom floor tiled with 8 inch tiles.  The grout line
is pretty thick: about  three sixteenths of an inch.  The problem is
when you walk across the tile in socks, the grout seems to pull at the
material.  It's an annoying feeling and may also be damaging my socks.

What can be done to smooth the grout so it doesn't grab me?

Thanks  

Steve Weiss
UNC-CH
From: ben@yenta.alb.nm.us (Ben Klausner)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Wood Floors Using Pine!
Date: 21 Jan 93 21:14:08 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Department of Redundancy Department

rickt@rmtc.paramax.com (Rick Thompson [RMTC/ISP]) writes:


>I have house that was built in (around) 1907 and need to replace the wood
>floors.  The floor will have variable width (2" to 6") planks from 6 to 10
>feet in length.  Currently the floor is fur, I think.  After calling around for
>prices on oak and fur flooring...(deleted)...  I've therefore decided
>to look at pine flooring (lodge pole, sp?).  My question is, is using pine a
>very wise decision?

Other alternatives include hardwood veneer plywood strips, and old
construction lumber taken from demolished buildings and re-sawn into
flooring boards.

-- 
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  inet: ben@yenta.alb.nm.us     |  N5DJL       | My opinions are my own.
  CI$:  76337,1730              |              | Who else would want them?
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: johne@PROBLEM_WITH_INEWS_GATEWAY_FILE (John Eaton)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Buying a FSO?
Date: 26 Jan 93 20:11:09 GMT
Organization: Hewlett-Packard VCD
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5

Tom Vervaeke (tvervaek@col.hp.com) wrote:
: 
:   I guess I should have been more explicit, I didn't mean for the
:   sellers to actually fix the items. I meant for them to have the items
:   fixed and the house then reinspected by either your or the
:   professional again.
:--------------------------
Same thing. Suppose the house needed a new roof. You can get a quick and
dirty job where they slap on a new layer on top the existing roof or you
can pay extra and have them strip the old roof and do it right. Both would
satisfy a professional inspector. A buyer who plans on living in the house
and selling it later would probably chose the more expensive route while
the seller would chose the quick and dirty route. Reduce the price by the
amount of the job and hire your own contractor.

The big gottcha in buying a FISBO is to ensure that the "owners" really
do own the place. Some con men will rent a house and offer it for sale
at a great price. Show it to a couple dozen buyers, collect a $1,000 
earnest money from each and the skip town. Try sorting that out.

If you buy a home from a married couple make sure that the woman he calls 
"Mrs Smith" really is or you may have a long discussion with the real Mrs
Smith and her lawyers.

John Eaton
!hp-vcd!johne
From: Lyle_Seaman@transarc.com
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Glass Block - Suggestions??
Date: 26 Jan 93 19:26:23 GMT
Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

burton@misty.boeing.com (Brandy Burton-Tarantino) writes:
>    needed for shower.  But....  It seems the only two places in the area
>    that carry block are Seattle Glass and Mutual Materials - and 
>    the prices! ouch!

>      maybe a flexi-hose of some sort and a raised platform?  Is there an
>      alternative to glass blocks I just don't know about?   Any suggestions
>      appreciated.


I've wanted to install a shower enclosure of glass block, also, but I
wonder about keeping it clean.  In particular, I'm worried that the
{grout,mortar,cement} between the blocks will accumulate crud.  What
about a big sheet of tempered glass?

Lyle	
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: philip@mentorg.com (Philip Peake)
Subject: Re: Sensing that remote pump motor is running
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 17:54:07 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Mentor Graphics
Keywords: 
Followup-To: 

In article <wood.728059544@amigo12>, wood@rtsg.mot.com (Dan Wood) writes:
|>    My parents have a lifting station installed in their septic tank to raise
|> effulents to the level of the city sewers.  They have had some large
|> fluctuations in their electric bill lately, and suspect that the pump
|> may be the culprit.
|> 
|>    They would like a means to alert them that the pump is running.  The
|> circuit supplying the pump is accessible from the main distribution panel
|> in their home.  The pump is 110V, about 1/2 or 3/4 hp.  Basically I'm
|> looking for a simple way to turn on a light (flashlight buld or bigger)
|> when there is current flowing in the pump circuit.  Obviously something
|> that will not damage the pump, nor disable it if the detector fails.
|> 
|>    The local rep. from the power company suggest wiring a standard light
|> bulb in series.  My Dad wasn't sure it even worked, and I told him to
|> disconnect it, because I felt that the voltage drop might damage the
|> pump.  I've thought of a mini-transformer, a couple of power diodes pointing
|> in opposite directions (dropping about 1/2 V AC), a power transistor, etc.

That power company rep should be shot !

I had a similar (well, sort of ..) situation once - we had a motion detector
turning on a halogen flood light, as part of an outdoor security system - but
during the winter, with window shutters fastened, and other times when we were
in bed, just turning on the light didn't seem to be enough - so what I did
was to buy a small 12v transformer (Radio Shack) and connect this accross
the light (the motor in your case). The 12v ac is then safe to run anywhere -
it eventually fed into a full wave rectifier, feeding a (Radio Shack - what else :-)
siren - you could just feed it to a 12v bulb.

Obviously, you need access to the supply to the pump motor (after the switch), and
you need to run a cable (but only carrying 12v, therefore relatively safe) to the point
at which you want to put your warning device.

The other thing to think about is weather (water ?) proofing the transformer.
My solution was to seal it in a plasic container ...

Philip
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house,news.answers,misc.answers
From: house-archive@jester.rtp.dg.com (Topher Eliot)
Subject: misc.consumers.house FAQ (frequently asked questions)
Supersedes: <posting_726151719@dg-rtp.dg.com>
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 93 05:00:14 GMT
Expires: 21 Feb 1993 05:00:06 GMT
Reply-To: house-archive@dg-rtp.dg.com
Organization: Data General Corporation. RTP, NC.
Followup-To: poster

Archive-name: house-faq
Last-Modified: Wed Apr 22 10:30:32 EDT 1992

Welcome to misc.consumers.house.  Many of the questions that come up here,
quite possibly including yours, have been covered before.
A collection of discussions on various topics is available from the 
misc.consumers.house archive server.  To learn about the archive server, send
an empty piece of mail to:
	house-archive@dg-rtp.dg.com
(You should be able to just reply to this posting.)

If for some reason you have problems, send mail the address that you get by
substituting 'admin' for 'archive' in the above address.  (Why do I state
this in such an odd way, rather than just writing out the address?  I'm
tired of people carelessly sending mail to the wrong place!)
If you have to send mail to 'admin', be sure to include every conceivable
piece of information that I might need to reply to you, up to and including
a phone number where you will accept collect calls.  If the daemon can't
figure out how to get mail back to you, I probably won't be able to, either.

Topher Eliot             Data General DG/UX Systems Administration Development
(919) 248-6371      eliot@dg-rtp.dg.com       {backbone}!mcnc!rti!dg-rtp!eliot
Obviously, I speak for myself, not for DG.
misc.consumers.house archivist.  Send mail to house-archive@dg-rtp.dg.com
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house