HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: trb@cbnews.cb.att.com (tom.balent)
Subject: Re: I was dive bombed by a bat!
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1992 11:42:43 GMT

In article <1992Dec18.213321.26981@adobe.com> kendall@adobe.com (Janice Kendall) writes:
>
>Bats eat insects and are not generally harmful to humans, although some may 
>carry rabies(?).
>

More people are bitten by rabied dogs than bats.
From: to@teecs.UUCP (Norman To)
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 19:29:27 GMT
Subject: Re: honeywell programmable thermostats
Organization: Litton Systems, Toronto ONT
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house

My honeywell thermostat allows me to program temperature profile for
a whole week and then change anything I want afterward.  So basically,
you program the whole week as weekdays and then modify Sat and Sun
to suit your weekend needs.

Norman To

o---------------------------------------------------------------------o
     Computers talk to each other worse than their designers do.
o_____________________________________________________________________o
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: mguyott@eriador.prime.com (M. Guyott)
Subject: Re: energy saving rebates (was: FREE gas logs!)
Organization: /etc/organization
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1992 15:04:12 GMT

In article <2D53VB2w164w@carrera.wvus.org> pete@carrera.wvus.org (Pete Gregory) writes:
>Philip Barr <pbarr@convex.UUCP> writes:
>
>yes, but.... where is the economy for the utility company that gives
>cash rebates for appliances (ie. refrigerators) that use LESS energy
>instead of more energy?  in other words, why would the utility pay
>me to use less energy?  what's in it for them?

At least here in Reading, MA, where we deal with Boston Gas, there is nothing
in it for them.  The gas company charges me an extra amount per therm of gas
used each month that goes into a fund to pay for energy conservation
improvements that people make to their homes and/or apartments.  The rate
payers are the ones paying for the energy conservation programs.  I would not
be surprised if this program was required by the state of Massachusetts.

In some ways this makes a little sense.  The less gas that is used the lower
the demand so the lower the rates.  Therefore it makes some sense for me to
help others to conserve to help keep my rates down.

But you have to wonder ....

Marc
----
Two of the worst things we teach our children are that a knowledge of science
is nice but not necessary, and a knowledge of sex is necessary but not nice.

Marc Guyott              Constellation Software, Inc.          (508) 620-2800
                         Framingham, Mass. 01701 USA                Ext. 3135
mguyott@primerd.prime.com       ...!{uunet, decwrl}!primerd.prime.com!mguyott
mguyott@eriador.prime.com       ...!{uunet, decwrl}!eriador.prime.com!mguyott
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: "balancing" a power panel
From: gary@cdthq.UUCP (Gary Heston)
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 92 14:01:10 CST
Organization: Garys' Home for Obsolete Computers

fredch@phx.mcd.mot.com (Fred Christiansen) writes:

> My electrician, my wife, and I walked around the house indicating where
> we wanted light switches, light fixtures, outlets, telephone, and TV hookups.
> Then he started working out circuits and where they would be on the power
> panel.  He mentioned that he had to "balance" the panel.
> 
> What does "balancing" a power panel mean?  Why is it necessary?  How
> is it typically accomplished?  Yes, I know I can ask my electrician,
> but the Net often has many gems of wisdom which I would not get from
> a non-talkative tradesman.  Thx.

Your power feed coming into the panel is a 220V with neutral, three-
wire circuit. From the neutral to either hot gives you about 110V.
"Balancing" the load divides it as much as possible between the two
hots (for 110V circuits; 220V circuits are inherently balanced) so
that as little current as possible goes thru the neutral. This is a
Good Thing, and the fact that your electrician knows to do it is 
a sign that he knows what he's doing.

Balancing makes life easier on the utility transformer, as well as
making the overall power distribution a little more efficient, which
reduces electrical costs a little.

Gary Heston, at home....
gary@cdthq.uucp
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: asalerno@cbnewsm.cb.att.com (antonio.j.salerno..jr)
Subject: Re: Home Humidity Level?
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 17:48:11 GMT

In article <1992Dec21.201017.11077@nntpd2.cxo.dec.com> marks@ssdevo.enet.dec.com (Randy Marks) writes:
>
>In article <1992Dec7.143034.24424@crd.ge.com>, dangelo@emmax3.ge.com (john d'angelo) writes...
>> 
>> 
>> Does anyone known the proper humidity level for a home?  The Readers Digest
>>book on home repair suggests 30-50 percent which seems a bit dry to me.
>
>I just read over the weekend that museums and art galleries strive for
>55%.  FWIW.
>

I just had a humidifier installed on my furnace.  The the humidity setting 
is based on the outside air temp.  I don't recall the exact numbers, but
something like +20Deg=35%, +10Deg=25%, so on.

Otherwise you'll get condensation on/in your windows, doors and walls.


Tony

-- 
=-=-= These opinions are nothing but my own, and I may not even want them =-=-=
Tony Salerno
antonio.j.salerno@att.COM                          "We're living in a society!"
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- - Seinfeld =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: bobpassl@boi.hp.com (Bob Passell)
Subject: Corporate-owned housing
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1992 20:27:53 GMT
Organization: Hewlett-Packard / Boise, Idaho
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1.4 PL6]

I was touring a major american city (thinking about a job
transfer) with a real estate agent who took me through 
a number of vacant homes that were currently held by
corporations who relocated the former owners. She said
she preferred this because it didn't require a lot of
appointments (and I did give her short notice). It made
me wonder, though...

When someone is transferred and the relocation company
takes over the house, who owns it? The relocation company
is the obvious answer, but I was wondering if the former
owner's employer still had some interest in it. Never having
been transferred in this manner, I was wondering if housing
like this might be easier to acquire at bargain prices. 
Or would the fact that the owner was a corporate entity
with a capital budget and no emotional reason for selling
the house pretty much mean that it would be priced (and sold)
at pretty much the prevailing market rate no matter how long 
it took?

Anyone know how this works?

Bp

Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: clewis@ferret.ocunix.on.ca (Chris Lewis)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: "balancing" a power panel
Date: 3 Jan 93 03:43:57 GMT
Organization: Elegant Communications Inc., Ottawa, Canada

In article <1993Jan1.005238.15689@porthos.cc.bellcore.com> patter@dasher.cc.bellcore.com (patterson,george r) writes:
|In article <1992Dec30.201122.18677@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> cthorne@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Charles E Thorne) writes:

|<Lots of good stuff about balancing a panel>

It was a trifle garbled tho.

|>Now, say you have a 100 amp main breaker.  You will have more than a total
|>of 100 individual circuit amps.  The 220 circuits aren't a problem since
|>each one take half off of each side.  The 110 circuits need to be balanced
|>so that at any point only 50 amps is being used from each side.

|Uh - if you have a 100 amp main breaker, you can pull 100 amps off each
|side.

Right.

|In this area of the country, the total of each side's breakers cannot
|exceed the size of the main breaker by law. Previous postings on this
|subject indicate that this is not a universal code.

In fact, previous postings show that your area is the exception.  Most
places don't require this.  Must make wiring really wierd.  If you have
more than a dryer, stove and kitchen, you'd have to have 300A or bigger
services.  My house would need a 600A main...
-- 
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: mguyott@eriador.prime.com (M. Guyott)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Dish washers available that run on 120Volts????
Date: 22 Dec 92 16:30:53 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: /etc/organization

In article <7214@atlas.cs.nps.navy.mil> erickson@atlas.cs.nps.navy.mil (David Erickson) writes:
>
>Come on, now, Chris.  Most houses built since the mid-fifties (at least)
>have had circuit breakers, not fuses.

My house was built in 1966 and has a 100 Amp fuse box.  No circuit breakers.

Marc
----
Two of the worst things we teach our children are that a knowledge of science
is nice but not necessary, and a knowledge of sex is necessary but not nice.

Marc Guyott              Constellation Software, Inc.          (508) 620-2800
                         Framingham, Mass. 01701 USA                Ext. 3135
mguyott@primerd.prime.com       ...!{uunet, decwrl}!primerd.prime.com!mguyott
mguyott@eriador.prime.com       ...!{uunet, decwrl}!eriador.prime.com!mguyott
From: rrw@naucse.cse.nau.edu (Bob Wier)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Propane leak detector
Date: 26 Dec 92 01:07:26 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff AZ
Originator: rrw@sunset.cse.nau.edu

Since we are on the subject of propane and heating
in general, some may recall that I've gotten into 
a bit of a crack because I've been informed that
a below grade (ie, in the basement) propane furnace
no longer meets code requirements.  In fact, what
I'm given to understand is that there has to be a
clear path to daylight from *any* P.  appliance on the 
theory that since propane is heavier than air, if you
develop a leak it will flow outside and not "pool".

When I was informed about this, I asked the guy
that suppose I move the furnace UPstairs onto the 
first floor.  Won't the propane STILL pool in the
basement if a leak develops?  He kind of looked
sheepish and said well, yes but not as fast.

Uh - huh... Well, in any case, it looks like I 
MIGHT be able to stall off a major expenditure
about replacing the furnace for a few years
(until it really NEEDS replacing) if I put a
gas detector down in the basement.  I gather
these are pretty much like smoke detectors - they
go off if they sense something, except that 
they are sensitive to volitile hydrocarbons.

I looked in some of the instrumentation catalogs
here and the price is BREATHTAKING. We are talking
maybe a kilobuck  - this is in the Davis
instrumentation catalog.  

If anyone has experience with this and maybe can
suggest some reasonable prices/sources, I'd appreciate a 
note.

THANKS!

- Bob Wier

  ---------- insert favorite standard disclaimers here ----------
                   College of Engineering
      Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff Arizona
  Internet: rrw@naucse.cse.nau.edu | WB5KXH | fax:602 523 2300
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: schultz@halley.est.3m.com (John C. Schultz)
Subject: Re: burning coal in a wood stove?
In-reply-to: callahanj@woods.ulowell.edu's message of Thu, 31 Dec 1992 21:49:08 GMT
Organization: 3M Company, 3M Center, Minnesota, USA
Date: Fri, 1 Jan 93 03:14:45 GMT

My woodstove (Wilkening) manual specifically says NOT to burn coal.
Coal burns too hot. (They can't use wood to smelt steel :-).

--
   John C. Schultz   +1 (612) 733-4047   schultz@halley.serc.3m.com
   How to include the taste of Glendronach in a multi-media system?
From: majidi@rwja.umdnj.edu (Masoud Majidi)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: are mortgage points tax-deductible?
Date: 21 Dec 92 21:58:57 GMT
Organization: Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway NJ

I just bought a house and was wondering if the points that I paid on my
mortgage are tax-deductible. I asked my lawyer but he wasn't sure.

Thanks in advance,

--
Masoud Majidi                           Internet: majidi@umdnj.edu
Academic Computing Services             Voice: (908) 463-4839
University of Med & Dent of NJ          Fax:   (908) 463-5252
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: US Housing Factories?
From: schubert@ab.wvnet.edu
Date: 30 Dec 92 11:36:28 -0500
Organization: Alderson-Broaddus College

        I need information on US housing factories making single story,
        handicap accessible, passive solar or Swedish style homes.

        I understand that there are several such factories in the US,
        including one in Wyoming.  Any help in locating them would be
        appreciated.

Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: richard@sfu.ca (Richard Chycoski)
Subject: Re: Woodburning Stoves - outlawed?
Reply-To: richard@sfu.ca
Organization: Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada
Date: Sat, 2 Jan 1993 18:52:14 GMT

In article <1992Dec28.130252.1882@falcon.aamrl.wpafb.af.mil>  
jberlin@falcon.aamrl.wpafb.af.mil writes:
> 
>    An article in Sunday's real estate section proclaimed that home builders
> in the Dayton area are refraining from installing woodburning fireplaces
> and inserts in new homes and condominiums because of *possible* future
> legislation against the burning of wood.  Is this a trend nationwide?
> Does a 1990 EPA rating or use of a catalytic unit in the stove circumvent
> any such legislation?  Are old units grandfathered? 

This is certainly happening here in parts of Canada. Most of the area  
surrounding Vancouver has either banned, or is planning to ban, heating with  
wood *unless it is your only source of heat*. 

- Richard Chycoski
  Academic Computing Services
  Simon Fraser University
  richard@sfu.ca (NeXT Mail OK.)
From: cola@hplvec.LVLD.HP.COM (Ken Colasuonno)
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 19:19:59 GMT
Subject: Re: Whole house humidifiers.
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Co., Loveland, CO
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house

> I'm looking for a good Humidifier to install on my furnace.  I
> have looked at AprilAir and Sears versions so far.  They operate in
> completely different ways.  One has a spinning drum and the other
> sprays water into a metal mesh. Anyone have any reccomendations on
> which type/brand is better and on how hard to install these things can
> be.  Thanks in advance for any help.

I installed an AprilAire 550 a month or so ago.  It took about 2 hrs,
plus two hours of planning.  I happened to have a neighbor with an
identical furnace and humidifier, so the electrical hookup was a snap.
I chose the AA because it is mechanically simple (no moving parts to
fail, except for a selenoid valve) and has no water standing around.

Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: ktong@shannon.jpl.nasa.gov (Kevin Tong)
Subject: Manufactured (Modular) Housing, NOT Mobile Home
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Section 331
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1992 23:13:20 GMT


Does anyone out there know anything about manufactured (modular) 
housing or has any experience with a house built using manufactured 
housing.  I'm not referring to a mobile home, I'm referring to a 
house that is built in a factory and then shipped to the site and 
assembled together.  The finished house should look no different than a
stick built house.

I'm doing research on this to see if this is a good (and cheaper)
alternative to custom building a home on a lot.

Information that I would like to get is

	* Companies and/or factory that manufactures this type
	of house in the Southern Calif. area.
	* Industry Assn. and or books that I can call or look
	up to find companies that do this
	* Experiences that people have had in having a home
	built this way.
	* References that I should consult (articles, books, etc)

     And any information that I need before I should even consider
using this method of building a custom house.

     I'm considering this method because of the horrible experiences
my relatives have had with general contractors in adding a bathroom,
bedroom and building a house.

Thanks.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Kevin Tong, (818) 354-0657      Jet Propulsion Laboratory, MS 238-420
ktong@shannon.jpl.nasa.gov       Pasadena, California  91109
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-- 
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Kevin Tong, (818) 354-0657      Jet Propulsion Laboratory, MS 238-420
ktong@shannon.jpl.nasa.gov       Pasadena, California  91109
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: patter@dasher.cc.bellcore.com (patterson,george r)
Subject: Re: Drywall Repair Questions
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Date: Sat, 2 Jan 93 02:03:06 GMT

In article <1993Jan01.093719.147406@ultramac.uucp> GioF@ultramac.uucp (Gio Favignano) writes:

>Hanging the sheet horizonally lets the recessed edge run horizontally. and the
>Butt Joint run vertically which can be screwed or nailed every few inches on a
>stud (which is Better) rather than every 16 or 24 inches (which ever the stud
>layout is).

In a properly done wall, there *are* no butt joints; the rock is bought
long enough to run the entire height or width of the wall and hung
accordingly.  Properly done, the butt edge of the rock is at the top and
bottom of the wall, where it can be screwed to the header and footer, and
each tapered edge splits a stud. You will have no unsupported edges of
either type if the hanger does his or her job correctly. The only exception
is a bathroom behind a tub. There, you want the factory paper edge (the
tapered edge) against the tub (actually, one leaves a half inch gap) to
keep water from "wicking" up into the plaster core.

The only place you have unsupported joints is in ceilings. I've seen
them hung both directions and fail to see any reason to prefer one over
the other. Still, I personally hang ceiling rock in my house with the
tapered joints on the joists. Elsewhere, the boss called the shots.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                  | Love, n; A form of temporary insanity curable either
                  | by marriage or by removal of the afflicted from the
George Patterson  | conditions under which he incurred the condition. It
                  | is occasionally fatal, but more often to the physician
                  | than to the patient.      - The Devil's Dictionary -
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: CPLS13@email.mot.com (Steven_Cohn)
Subject: Re: Home Automation -- NOT X10
Organization: Motorola_CoveragePLUS
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1992 11:49:09 GMT
Followup-To: misc.consumers.house

In article <1992Dec23.141107.11146@microware.com>, adam@microware.com (Adam
Goldberg) wrote:
> 
> I've gotten the Home Automation FAQ, and called several companies to
> send me their sales info--and was struck by the following:
> 
>    No one that I've received info from has any products for sale that
>    are NOT X10.
> 
> I'm building a new house, and was hoping to put wires in the walls
> which would do some home automation.  I am not particularily happy
> with the X10 idea.  I want to use physical wires.
> 
> Does anyone know of any company which sells home automation stuff
> which is not X10?? Anyone?
> 
> (Please reply directly to me, I'll post a summary of any responses)
> -- 
> Adam G.
> adamg@microware.com, or ...!uunet!mcrware!adamg
> The above is not to be construed in any way as the official or unofficial
> statements of Microware, or any Microware employees.

For a new house you should look into one of 2 things:

SMARTHOUSE - I will get the phone # tommorrow if I remember
or ELAN from Square-D (see your local Electrical supplier for phone #)

Steven Cohn
Motorola CoveragePLUS Engineering
CPLS13@EMAIL.MOT.COM
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: patter@dasher.cc.bellcore.com (patterson,george r)
Subject: Re: "balancing" a power panel
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Distribution: usa
Date: Sat, 2 Jan 93 01:43:07 GMT

In article <x6srbaf@dixie.com> jgd@dixie.com (John De Armond) writes:

>By Code, the breakers must be interconnected so that both trip when one
>does.  One-legging is not an issue with code-compliant installations.
>Older installations that have main fuses DO have a concern.

Breakers also usually have a fuseable link which is supposed to blow if
the breaker doesn't trip rapidly enough. I have had one side of a GE
breaker blow in this fashion without tripping. That was a double pole
20 amp; I don't know if the main breakers also have this feature.

There also exist (or existed) breakers (can't remember the brand) which
have a jointed steel rod for the tie. You can recognise these because
they have what appears to be a ball bearing between the breaker handles.
I have seen many of these trip only one side, but, again, these weren't
main breakers.

I've never seen a main breaker trip at all, but I have no reason to
believe they would behave differently from the smaller ones.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                  | Love, n; A form of temporary insanity curable either
                  | by marriage or by removal of the afflicted from the
George Patterson  | conditions under which he incurred the condition. It
                  | is occasionally fatal, but more often to the physician
                  | than to the patient.      - The Devil's Dictionary -
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: jeffz@cray.com (Jeff Zais)
Subject: Patching Ceiling Plaster Cracks
Followup-To: misc.consumers.house
Organization: Cray Research, Inc
Date: 30 Dec 92 13:57:05 CST


I'm about to paint the parlor ceiling in my 100-year old Victorian. 
There are some minor cracks in the lath and plaster that I'm going
to patch before painting.  Any suggestions on how to proceed?  Any 
products that you can recommend or warn everyone about?

Some of the books I've read suggest enlarging a crack into a 
dovetail shape so that they'll hold the patching compound better.  
This seems counterproductive to me since the cracks that exist
are really pretty small right now.  Any advice is welcome.  I'll
summarize mail responses, but feel free to respond here on the net.


                                               Jeff
From: fredch@phx.mcd.mot.com (Fred Christiansen)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Home Automation -- NOT X10
Date: 29 Dec 92 22:04:42 GMT
Organization: Motorola Computer Group, RT Software

In article <1992Dec23.141107.11146@microware.com> adam@microware.com (Adam Goldberg) writes:
>Does anyone know of any company which sells home automation stuff
>which is not X10?? Anyone?

Builder magazine contains many ads for something called SmartHouse.
Try 800-333-2411.
-- 
Fred Christiansen, Motorola, 2900 S Diablo Way, Tempe, AZ 85282  "Canajun, eh?"
fredch@phx.mcd.mot.com  ||  uunet!phx.mcd.mot.com!fredch  ||  +1 602-438-3464
  ".. I have set before you Life and Death, blessing and cursing;  therefore
      choose Life, that both you and your children may live"  Deut 30:19
From: masticol@cadenza.rutgers.edu (Steve Masticola)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: sanding old cabinets -- lead paint?
Date: 22 Dec 92 14:34:04 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

shapiro@hydra.gmr.com (Vadim Shapiro CS50 CS/50) writes:

>(1) is there a problem with sanding the painted surfaces?

Yes; it generates dust.

>(2) if the paint does have lead, does the dust stay in the air for 
>a while?  (We have a 7-year old, who can be removed from the premises
>for a while ... but how long?)

It won't stay in the air, but it will settle and contaminate the
house. Best to strip instead of sand; that way, you won't generate the
dust at all.

BTW, if you suspect your cabinets may be painted with lead-based
paint, the rest of the house might be too. If your child knows not to
chew on things, it's probably not a problem, but otherwise it would be
a good idea to test the paint.

- Steve (masticol@cs.rutgers.edu).
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house