Things Get Dirty

[AlittleSalt]

Over my life, I have seen so many people throw away products that quit working right. Then they go out and buy a new one.

Even when we did have extra money, I wouldn't give up on things. Just take them apart and see if they're too dirty to work right. Often times, an air compressor with a blow nozzle, a vacuum, or a water hose will clean things up just fine. Then dry it out and put it back together. Plug it back in and it works again.

This morning, my wife wakes me up around 5am. "Honey, the floor is wet!"
It was the window unit air conditioner leaking condensation inside the house. The, "Oh no it's broken approach" would have cost us around $350 to buy a new AC, and then rent a machine to dry the carpet - or pay someone to do it...it would have added up to around $500.

Everything about the AC looked right. The front cover is clean. The filter is clean. The coils look clean. The AC has a slight slant down away from the house...etc. Nothing looks wrong, and it is still blowing good cold air.

My son and I took the AC out of the window. Took the cage off and what I couldn't see before - was dirty. There was dirt and leaves stopping it up. I took a water hose after it and washed the inside and outside coils. They were dirty too - you just couldn't see it until taking a water hose after it.

After cleaning it out, we let it dry out some - put it back in the window - plugged it in and turned it on. Good cold air is flowing again without leaking condensation inside the house.

For the wet floor/carpet - I've got a large high velocity shop fan drying it. (A fan you can feel air movement 40' away.) Total cost = maybe a dollar or two for water and electricity. We might have to use one of those carpet shampoo machines for the carpet, but I doubt it.

Things get dirty in places you can't see without taking it apart. Cleaning them can save you a lot of money. If it had been the compressor went out or a short in the wiring that would have been another story.

[matereater]

Great advice salt ! I once had a chainsaw that wouldnt run properly, took it apart and the air intake / filter was clogged with woodchips and sawdust, cleaned it out good, blew out the filter with compressed air, works like a champ now.

[Rockporter]

I have a whole house fan that suddenly was spinning, then not spinning. It was really strange. Hubby kept it clean by vacuuming and wiping it down. I did the same if I had the vacuum in hand. So, he took it apart and discovered my long hair was wrapped tightly around the center post which was stopping the fan from spinning. Cleaned it up and it runs like new again. It's a hunter whole house fan about 20" and sits on the floor. This thing gets the air moving around the whole house.

[AlittleSalt]

Sometimes things get beyond dirty. Last night, I was sitting at the computer writing about a red fox here at the place - when all the sudden, the bar stool/chair I was sitting on started leaning. There was no fixing it. The legs gave out on it.

Today, I went and found another bar stool I have out in the barn. That stool had good legs but the seat was beyond repair. I should have taken before pictures. It looked like both were headed for the burning pile.

Three options came to mind:

I could stand at the computer. No
We could buy a cheap Walmart stool. No
Or I could build one stool using parts from the two stools. Yes

It may not be pretty, but it's not going to fall apart either. Together, it is the last piece of furniture that my biological mother and father had before their divorce in 1974. I have no idea how old the chairs are. This one will work until we find a couple of bar chairs we like. Then it can go out to the barn to be used to sit on while working on stuff. (No duct tape was used )

[Worth1]

Looks good to me.
Worth

[Rockporter]

Originally Posted by Worth1

Looks good to me.
Worth

LOL, I swear we think the same often. I was just going to post the exact same thing.

Yep, "looks good to me too!".

[AlittleSalt]

Thank You

It made me feel good to make something useful.

[imp]

Re using and re purposing things not only helps keep the landfills down, and saves money, it makes you think and feel goof about using something longer/better/effectively.

I think your barstool looks just fine, too.

[AlittleSalt]

Imp, Thank You.

~~~ Separate

I am sitting here thinking of all the people whom have sat in those two bar chairs since the earlier 1970s. A lot of those people are no longer with us. Many of them were mentors good and/or bad.

The lower end of the chairs are supposed to have a back that I didn't replace years ago. The newer generations seem to figure out their comfortable spot. They swivel the chair seat around to fit them. Five generations have sat in that chair I rebuilt today.

[Worth1]

Things not working right?
Some older guy at work I dont really know was going to buy a new meter he said his fluke stopped reading amps.
Really, the fuse is blown I said.
He said the fuse was for ohms I said no the fuses are for amps.
Here is how you check them.
I should have kept my mouth shut let him buy a new meter and bought the broken one for pennies on the dollar.
Next time I will.
I could have a chest full of these so called broken meters owned by electronics gurus.
Worth