Coffee 1-26-2013

Freddy wrote:Wow, everyone is going through the coal this week. I see "Plumber" in RI burned 1,020 pounds? That's moving some coal! But, gosh, to think of the cost if we were burning oil. Ouch! I hope the weatherman is right for once. He's saying this coming week will be the end of this bitter cold.

Amen to that! I've been "processing" a good 125-130lbs. of coal a day this past week between the range and the 116.

That stove coal looks like egg but you'll always get some bigger or smaller in a load of bulk. My stove coal was large this year but the nut was way small. Both bulk Blaschack.

Hey NoSmoke, I'm burning the same stuff and You're right, the stove size is bigger this year. I take a hammer to the bigger pieces and it helps extend my burn time and keeps the stove temp around 500*. I don't have much of a choice up here the 2 suppliers close to me carry the same stuff.

No train needed, as the Ole Vogelzang does not mind it, and I like burning it, it is just...well...BIG!

When I burn Nut Coal, I can really get the temps cranking in the house as you saw in my photo the other day. Top end on Nut Coal can bring the inside temperature to 92 degrees pretty easily. But with this stove coal, about all I can get out of it is 82 degrees. That works for me as I get long burn times with it and the ash is easier to shake out.

The wife was telling me today, that she always thought I was crazy for burning coal. She said that since propane is all hands off, and we got plenty of firewood, but after last weeks cold snap where I was in bed with her instead of getting up and dumping firewood into the stove all night, and yet the temp was still a soothing 82 degrees, she realized how nice coal is. We even had a nice long conversation this afternoon on our bi-weekly 160 mile round trip of picking up the kids in Sumner, about what to get for a stove to help heat our radiant floors. I was shocked to see that despite pumping the wood and coal to the ole Vogelzang all winter, we have burned a staggering 100 gallons of propane this year. I obviously am not getting all the heat I am producing to the right spot. We discussed every possible scenario, including corn...so who knows where this will go, but I got to make my Vogelzang my back-up-only stove and pump some heat into my floors without using propane that is for sure.

One hell of a day today I tell ya!

First off, I missed out on a big rally today because I can't breathe.

Then, the almost 10 year old Maytag frontloader decides to puke 5 gallons of water all over the floor. Been leaking a little for 5 years or so. Never got around to chasing the issue ... but now it's just ridiculous. Ended up finding multiple, big tears in the door boot. Stupid assed design ...

Then my wife comes home with 240 lbs of salt for the water softener that's been empty for months. I notice the engine sounds like a diesel. Fantastic ..... So I pop the hood .... of course - coming from the timing belt area - definitely not a sound the accessory belt or idlers could make. So I made the wise decision of eating supper before tackling that, and found the tensioner ... with 4,000 miles on it .... has NO TENSION!! Spring inside the thing busted. What a piece of *censored*!! On the bright side, it didn't jump time (how, I have no friggin' idea!!). She drove it 8 miles, & it was shut off & restarted 4 times ... and it still didn't jump. After all that work I did to this damn shitbox it would've really sucked to mash up a brand new head. So guess the day wasn't THAT bad ....

Ain't life f'in fun!! There goes this weeks cash .... $42 for a stupid seal for a washing machine. WTF ............

is that a Matag? I had the same friggin issues on my Maytag Neptune I used to grab the rubber cement and west system and kept that machine glued together for years that way and finally when stuff started braking inside I just tossed it and never bought another Matag since we should class action those *censored* for defective door boots.

I brought my first Maytag frontloader back when frontloaders were new; it was wonderful so when it died I brought another Maytag. Big mistake. The repairman mentioned that the front seal allows coins to pass by it and the nickel was just the size of the hose running to the pump. He told me that removing coins and other items from this hose was his most frequent repair visit. When I asked him if knowledge of this design flaw had been passed on to the company he said of course, they really don't care; “that’s a trait of all front loaders.” I called corporate and they told me to be more careful checking my pockets.

Funny, that’s not what I’m experiencing with my new Whirlpool Frontloader. Its front seal catches coins and whatever miscellaneous items my kids leave in their pockets while they do their laundry.

To say I’m unhappy with the Maytag position is an understatement. I had an all Maytag kitchen but that didn’t last either and I’m in the process of replacing all that crap. I’ll never buy another Maytag product again. Lisa

My customer has a GE washer and dryer, prolly ca.1980's. Tanks. Simple, thick metal, cast iron trans in the washer. Washer had a leak. It was just leaking from a rusted out clamp on the drain hose. The guy goes, "What was it?" I said it was just a 50 cent clamp. I charged them less than what a service co. charges just to show up.
Got a brand new Admiral washer for the church pastor's house. HD It had a yellow plastic shipping strap you're supposed to pull out of the back of the machine when you install. I installed the machine, then left without testing. The machine was bad outta the box! Somebody else took over from there.

I had a Fridgidaire washer I got new at PC Richards. Tent sale. It had cardboard wrapped around the bottom. Got it home, dent under the cardboard. Didn't care, the machine was $165 15 yrs. ago. That was a good simple machine and I got ten years out of it. Left it in the apt. when I moved.

Got a Whirlpool washer/dryer off Craigs, used but rarely used from a big condo up in North Jersey. I don't think the guy ever used the condo either, vacation place or something. They're still going strong. I have a small Whirlpool refrigerator- I got it used 20 years ago!

Top loaders have pin catchers, a little cylinder with an inlet and outlet for the typical stuff to settle before it goes to the pump. I don't trust them new fangled frontn' loaders

A buddy of mine got an antique 1930's Grunow refrigerator, with Cerrine refrigerant in it. Tank, still working!

SMITTY, I told ya you'd find stuff to spend that extra money on Hey, did anybody ever think about emptying pockets before throwing stuff in the washer I've got a front load Whirpool ( that's right you smart ass's, I do my laundry--once a month in fact) & I love it--been going for 15 yrs.

freetown fred wrote:SMITTY, I told ya you'd find stuff to spend that extra money on Hey, did anybody ever think about emptying pockets before throwing stuff in the washer I've got a front load Whirpool ( that's right you smart ass's, I do my laundry--once a month in fact) & I love it--been going for 15 yrs.

Don't remind me. I left my wallet in the jeans about 2 months ago just before a washing!

SZ, even when the 5 kids were home they always emptied their pockets because I had instilled the fear of GOD in them. I'd bet that's a lost art in way to many households in this day & age--ex: that's OK johnny, Mommy will do everything for you,go back to your xbox, I'm sorry I bothered you.

freetown fred wrote:SMITTY, I told ya you'd find stuff to spend that extra money on Hey, did anybody ever think about emptying pockets before throwing stuff in the washer I've got a front load Whirpool ( that's right you smart ass's, I do my laundry--once a month in fact) & I love it--been going for 15 yrs.

Do you do laundry on your monthly bath day ?????

Rick

That's what I need , Fred. I'm a freakin' handyman; I use my pockets as parts bins I get nails, screws, pop rivets, brads, matchbooks, and parts lists going through the wash all the time The worst is paper towels or tissues I forget in my pockets. They disintegrate in the wash and all the little pieces have to be picked out
Steve, I modified a canoe once; cut 4' out of the middle of an 18' canoe. Put it back together, pop rivets, body work, fresh sprayed coat of nice green paint. Just to see if I could do it. Maiden voyage at the reservoir, I stepped in it in street clothes, fell right in the lake, went completely underwater. Got out fast enought to save my cell phone, wallet was soaked. My buddy laughed at me all day Gave the canoe away.

Hell no, I do my shower on the 30th & laundry on the 1st--do I look like the kinda guy that would put any stress on my hot water heater????

Rob R. wrote:

Rick 386 wrote: Do you do laundry on your monthly bath day ?????

Rick

He might use the same water for both...not sure what gets washed first.

I guess Whirlpool makes all the parts for Maytag now. My neighbor was telling me he asked a repair guy which brand was the best. He said they're ALL junk nowadays. Half of the ones out there are made by the same company now. Explains alot. I hear Bosch is pretty good - one of the only ones I hear good things about today.

Yeah this one's a Maytag Neptune - MAH6500AWW. Suppose I can't complain too much about it, since this is only the second repair in nearly 10 years. It will be 10 years old this July - I wrote the date on the back of the washer & dryer the day I bought them - 7/12/03. The first repair was when a chunk of plastic foam had fallen from somewhere up top, and got wedged under the drum. No biggie ... but when there was the slightest imbalance, the out-of-balance safety switch would hit the foam & cancel the spin. Had no spin cycle. Was drying clothes for 2 hours, and the electric bill that month was insane. At least that didn't cost me anything as far as parts go.

I had the dryer apart a couple years ago. Just cleaned it out, and lubed the bone-dry and squealing idler wheels in there for the drum. Been quiet as a mouse since.

Maytag portable dishwasher has been trouble free so far, aside from the racks rusting out to nothing. Now I load the plates to the rear where there are still tines standing. That thing will be 9 this coming July.

I've got a Maytag fridge too. That turned 5 this past August. So far so good ... knock on wood ... From what I've been hearing, that was the last year of good Maytags. They closed their factory that had been in IA forever around '07, & moved overseas somewhere. Hasn't been the same since. Paid some hefty prices for all those appliances. I expect no less than 30 years out of them. I'll just keep fixing them as I go.