Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Measure your water hardness Find the right size softener. Choose a type of softener. Find out how to maintain the softener. Check the leasing plan. Install the softener

Answer: . Look online for cheap test strips, or a more accurate water hardness test kit. Most test kits in the United States measure the hardness in "grains per gallon." Multiply this result by the gallons of water your household uses each day, on average (according to your water bill). This is the number of "grains" of hardness the device would soften each day. Choose a softener labeled for about 10 times this number of grains. This means the softener will work for about ten days before it needs some downtime. The average US resident uses 100 gallons of water a day (or 70 gallons if you're only softening indoor water use). For example, your household water hardness has 9 grains per gallon. You use 300 gallons per day, so 9 x 300 = 2,700 grains per day. A softener in the 27,000 grain range (2,700 x 10) is about the right size. Ion exchange softeners are by far the most effective home softener. Most other devices are much less effective, or even just scams. Ion exchange softeners come in two types: Sodium chloride: the most common and most effective type. This adds a tiny amount of salt (sodium) to your water. Potassium chloride: less effective, but useful if you can't have sodium. The potassium can harm people with damaged kidneys or on certain medications that prevent potassium absorption. If you don't want sodium or potassium, pick either type and install a reverse osmosis (RO) filter as well to remove them after softening. Once you've narrowed down the choice to some good models, look at the details. Many softeners refill themselves automatically, going offline for a while during this time. Some do this whenever the softening resin drops too low. Others can be set for a specific time once a week, so you're never caught with hard water unexpectedly. You can buy the softener in one go or lease it for a monthly payment. Besides reducing the upfront cost, leasing it usually comes with a professional installation, so you don't have to do it yourself. Try to get at least two quotes on the installation and lease. . If you decide to install the softener yourself, follow the instructions in the linked article. Most softeners also come with detailed installation instructions, although basic plumbing experience will help.

Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Stay inside the car if possible. Don't touch the inside of the car. Call 911. Warn people not to touch the car or power line. Follow the police's directions.

Answer: Unless your car is on fire, it's very important to stay inside your car once a power line falls. When a power line falls on your car, it often charges the metal parts of the car with electrical current, meaning that if you attempt to exit as you normally do, you will be electrocuted. After the line falls, look around the inside of your car and out the windows. If you don't see flames or smoke, you aren't in any immediate danger. The safest thing you can do is to stay inside. If you see flames and smoke, refer to Method 2 for instructions on safely evacuating the car. If there are other passengers in the car, communicate with them that the safest thing to do is to stay inside the car. Even one person exiting the car incorrectly could put you all in danger of electrocution. Sit still in your car with your hands in your lap. Take extra care not to touch the frame of your car, which is very possibly charged with electrical current. As long as you stay still and don't touch the frame of your car, you are safe inside your car. Use your cell phone to call 911. Give them your address, and tell that that a power line fell on your car. They will likely give you some advice such as staying inside the car, but if they give you specific pieces of advice make sure to follow them. If you notice cars coming behind you or approaching the power line from the opposite lane, honk your horn to signal to them that they should not get near the line. If anyone gets out of their car to investigate or try to help you, shout over to them that they should not touch your car or get anywhere near the fallen power line. If you don't have your cell phone on you and weren't able to dial 911, ask anyone who approaches if they will call 911 for you. Do not have them hand you the phone; instead, tell them to call 911, explain the situation, and provide the address of the downed line. Once the dispatchers arrive to the scene, they will approach the car and possibly ask questions or give you instructions. Follow whatever advice they give you, as they will be able to assess your individual situation. Only exit the car after they tell you that the power to the line is out and grounded, and it is safe to get out of your vehicle.

Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Remove light from the equation, if possible, for an advantage. Keep a hand-held flashlight next to your weapon of choice. Consider outfitting your firearm with various sights. Allow your eyes to adjust. Be aware of your surroundings. Identify a possible target and temporarily blind him by flashing your light at their eyes in order to disorient them. Get a good look at the intruder and with a bright enough light, the light-splash should allow you to see if he is holding a weapon. Engage the target as described above.

Answer: Most situations which would have you creeping around your own house will likely happen at night. It is recommended that you keep the area as dark as possible as you clear your house. Darkness gives you a few advantages: You surely know your house better than an intruder, and if you have a flashlight with you, you have the ability to completely remove the intruder's night vision. There is also the option to have an additional attached flashlight. Most tactical, or combat, weapons have the ability to attach certain lights to the frame of the firearm. Hand-held light gives you options that the attached light does not, so while an attached light is a great feature to have on a weapon, it cannot always replace the hand-held light. Night sights are a welcome feature because they allow you to line up your sights when there is no light. This isn't a panacea, however: If you can't see your sights you may not be able to see your target, and you will have an even more difficult time identifying your target. (Make sure you're not dealing with your next-door-neighbor's son!) Laser sights are also options. Laser sights will allow you to see where your firearm is pointed without having to use the sights to aim. This can be very helpful if you don't have your corrective lenses in. As always, you must identify your target as hostile before firing, which means that you will want to have a flashlight, even if you are using a laser. Your best "accessory" is your own body. If something happens while you are sleeping, your eyes are already adjusted, but if something happens and you are around light (but you must go into a dark area) be sure you let your eyes adjust before you proceed. It can take up to 30 minutes for your eyes to fully adjust. You do not want to be silhouetted against the light behind you, or highlighted by light on you. Try to approach danger areas from the shadows or from behind other areas of concealment or cover. Aim the light right at the head and turn it on for only a moment (a flashlight with a temporary-on switch is preferable). You need a flashlight with at least 50 Lumens to temporarily disorient an attacker at night. This action will also get a reaction which will give you an idea into the intruder's head. They now know you know where they are, and being blinded is not a comfortable situation. The chemicals in his eyes which allow humans to see in almost complete darkness will have been burnt away and will take up to 30 minutes to fully return, which gives you a big advantage.

Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Check the lighting. Make sure your camera is camouflaged. Follow any applicable installation instructions for commercial cameras. Test your camera. Maintain your hidden camera.

Answer:
Many hidden cameras require bright light to work their best. At the same time, they are unable to clearly record images when such light is shone directly into their lenses. Position your camera facing away from major light sources. Make sure that whatever you're trying to film is well-lit at the specific time of day it's most likely to be seen. A hidden camera does you no good if your target knows it's there. There are two major strategies for making sure hidden cameras stay hidden: Make the camera itself small and difficult to see. In other words, a camera with a tiny visible lens that is put in a discreet location. This is what comes to mind when most people think of hidden cameras. The truth is this type of disguise is much easier to spot since an effective hidden camera must have an unobstructed view of whomever it's watching. If the lens can see a person, the person can see it. Disguise the camera as an everyday object. Tissue boxes, coffee makers, alarm clocks, digital picture frames, wall hooks, and even plug-in air fresheners are all examples of commercial nanny cams that blend seamlessly into the home environment. A person is much less likely to see a lens that was designed to look like a button compared to a separate camera that has simply been hidden. There are hundreds of different commercially available hidden cameras and each comes with its own particular set of installation instructions. If you've purchased your camera secondhand, try looking up its model number online. The user manuals for many electronic devices are freely available for download. Don't forget to install any necessary software. Most hidden cameras rely on external software to function. This can be a program that was bundled with your camera or one made by a third party available for download. Some programs are even meant to be installed on you smart phone for you to keep watch while on the go. It's very important to check your camera's functioning, especially if it's motion- or sound-activated. It's a good idea to make sure that your camera switches on when given the right stimulus. How you do this will vary greatly depending on your particular camera and any companion software. Start by waving your hand in front of the camera to see if your camera records at all. Check your computer or the camera's internal storage to see whether or not this motion was recorded. Try mimicking a real world scenario, such as walking into the room, to see if the camera records your actions with appropriate image quality. Test it again in a few hours and yet again a few days later to ensure that it continues to work. Even if setup was a breeze, you will likely need to do some maintenance from time to time to make sure your camera is still working. If your camera runs on battery power, you will need to either swap in fresh batteries or recharge the device. Consult the owner's manual for advice on how often this should be done. If no suggestion is provided, make a note of how quickly it takes the battery to discharge. Clean out the camera's memory regularly. For cameras with limited internal storage, you should review and purge footage often. If your camera is hooked up to a server with a vast storage capacity, you may never need to do this. Like all electronics, your camera may break or wear down without you immediately knowing. Periodically double-check your camera to make sure it's still working.