Archive for Home Improvement
Recycling Old Appliances
Per my previous post on hacking a washing machine, I had a conversation about what to do with the broken machine. Since it’s not mine, it will likely occupy a cornerof the basement for the foreseeable future. The delivery company offered to take it away, but finding ways to reuse some of the parts and do some self-sustaining recycling seems more interesting. The guys at Vela Creations offer a number of useful suggestions for . They use the metal casing for making the blades on their wind generators (which I believe appeared in an issue of MAKE. The motor becomes a magnet generator. They’ve also got a trick or two for turning aluminum cans into hydrogen through an oxidation process.
oxidation process, recycling, self sustaining, washing machine, wind generatorsWashing Machine Hacking
One of the many selling points on the house I’m currently renting in Seattle was the washer and dryer. We had them in while I still lived in Iowa, but I didn’t want to take up that much room on the moving truck with bulky appliances. A couple of months ago the cold water function on the washing machine stopped working. This effectively made the cold-only rinse cycle dead and made hot-only washing an unattractive option for dark clothes due to color bleeds and fading. The landlord opted not to fix the washing machine, instead suggesting we buy one we could take with us when we move out. At the time, I went shopping for a machine but the one I wanted was out of stock so I blew it off.
I hate laundromats, so in the short term I came up with a hack to solve the problem (the hack worked well enough I didn’t purchase a new machine until the one in the house died this week).
First I turned off the water and disconnected the hot and cold water hoses from the machine. Next, I got a Y-adapter meant for attaching to outdoor garden hose spouts and connected it to the hot side. I connected the hot and cold hoses to the Y-adapter.
I capped off the cold water side of the machine with a cap designed for outdoor faucets. Despite it not working - it still had a means of leaking water during cycles.
This provided three temperature cycles depending on whether I had hot on, cold on or both hot and cold on for a warm wash cycle. For rinsing clothes, I simply re-ran a shorter wash cycle with cold only and no soap. Spin worked as expected.
While I would recommend this for a fully functional washer, this solution will extend the life of a washing machine that costs more to repair than replace.
garden hose, laundromats, outdoor faucets, washing machineEasy House Paintng Cleanup
House painting sucks - I’d rather eat glass than pickup a roller or brush. My solution to avoiding cleanup is to let someone else do the painting in the first place. If you happen to be more inclined to paint, cleaning up the paint tray is just part of the process. The Future Steel Buildings blog offers a reader’s tip for using plastic wrap in the paint tray in order to eliminate the need actually clean the tray. Just wait for the paint to dry (doesn’t that sound like fun ;), peel the plastic wrap off and pitch it. What’s your favorite way to avoid painting cleanup?
house painting, paint tray, plastic wrapHow to Install Wooden Shelves
I haven’t watched This Old House in years, but I can remember a number of cold Iowa winter afternoons spent watching Bob Villa yammer as Norm Abram did all the real work. The show typically involved projects no mere mortal would attempt alone, but their Web site is loaded with tips and home improvement projects that don’t require hiring a contractor. This particular tip walks you through the process of adding shelves to any room in the house.
bob villa, improvement projects, norm abram, shelvesHow to Test if Your Light Switch Works or Not
This one hits close to home because we just had a ceiling light stop working in my house (and no, new lightbulbs didn’t fix the problem). The house is 80 years old, so there could be one of several things wrong, but I was leaning toward a defective dimmer switch. Gilchrest Electric offers some good advice on how to test the light switch to see if it’s broken. Some knowledge of voltage testing required.
How to Wire Your Own Ethernet Cable
If you plan on wiring your house with CAT-5 or CAT-6, knowing how the wires work is a necessity. Without proper pinouts on the connectors, you get nothing but Local Network Connection Unavailable balloons from the Windows system tray. Along with proper tools, like a cable crimper, wire cutters and a mountain of patience, a configuration diagram will save you hours of troubleshooting later on. Follow the Internet Centre tips on wiring Ethernet cable to avoid frustration and acheive maximum throughput.
cat 6, crimper, ethernet cable, wire cuttersDIY Infrared Security Camera
Home security is equal parts fun and functionality if you’re implementing the whole system yourself. Sure it’s less headache to call up the local security firm, have them install a bunch of motion detectors and cameras, and monitor the whole operation, but that’s friggin’ expensive. Instead, there are plenty of DIY alternatives for building your own security system from components easily monitored via the Web. This one takes the guts of a Webcam and an old VHS camcorder and remixes them to create a functional infrared security camera capable of functioning in low light. No more having the neighbor’s cat sneaking up on the porch unannounced with this contraption on duty. ComputerGuru365 offers all the details on making a DIY infrared security camera from spare parts you might already have lying around.
diy, motion detectors, security camera, security system
