Category Archives: Appliances

Appliance choices and installation

The Wrong Tool

Posted on October 27, 2020 by ellen

Unfortunately I tried to use my Singer 9960 sewing machine to sew a spa cover with vinyl. I didn’t stop the first time the machine jammed. Just cleared the jamb and continued. Then it jammed again and I could not … Continue reading →

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Dishwasher and Refrigerator

Posted on November 7, 2019 by ellen

The appliances in the house were in decent shape and about 7-9 years old. They were all stainless steel although not high end. When I found a hardly used GE dishwasher at the Restore I thought it was a good … Continue reading →

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Gas Stove and Hood

Posted on November 5, 2019 by ellen

The house had an electric stove and over the stove microwave. As dedicated cooks, the young couple wanted a gas stove and a hood to carry away cooking odors and fumes. This was a relatively large project. The electric stove … Continue reading →

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Refrigerator Recycled

Posted on January 8, 2019 by ellen

Our used Energy Star refrigerator was making a lot of noise. It was also starting to use more electricity and forming ice at the top of the freezer. The temperature was not staying constant either. All of these issues led … Continue reading →

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Replacing the Oven

Posted on November 5, 2018 by ellen

This is our third oven. Fourth if we count the temporary countertop model we have used when in between broken ovens. First we used a fun technology with the purchase of an Advantium oven. A combination microwave and halogen heating … Continue reading →

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Drawer Dishwasher

Posted on July 23, 2018 by ellen

Shortly after returning from Germany we went out to see our son’s family and meet his new baby girl. I decided to order a Fisher and Paykel tall tub single drawer dishwasher to install in their apartment. This will be … Continue reading →

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SPT Dishwasher Repair

Posted on June 24, 2017 by ellen

We use our small dishwasher regularly and over the past months we noticed the dishes have not been getting as clean. I cleaned the filters, took apart the arms and cleared them of debris and cleaned the stainless steel interior. … Continue reading →

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IKEA/Whirlpool Oven

Posted on December 27, 2016 by ellen

We decided that it was impossible for us to fix the Advantium oven. I am sad about this because it was a great experience having this combo microwave and infrared oven for about a year. But it overheated and burned … Continue reading →

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Central Vac Arrives

Posted on August 16, 2016 by ellen

I’m unaccountably excited about the new Central Vac. I don’t like cleaning at all. It seems like such a relentless and thankless task and I’m wired to want to do something more permanent I guess. But installing the vacuum is … Continue reading →

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Re-Piping the Chiller

Posted on July 17, 2016 by ellen

I tried repiping the chiller to a primary/secondary delivery system. The Taco 11 pump was set up to pump through the primary loop and feed into and out of the secondary loop powered by the Grundfos variable speed pump. I … Continue reading →

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Short Walls and Shower Ceiling

Posted on July 16, 2016 by ellen

A few extra walls have been built and we are very close to being finished with them. I have scheduled a structural inspection for next week. I hope the walls pass inspection without issues. This short shower plumbing wall had … Continue reading →

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From Heating to Cooling in One Week

Posted on April 22, 2016 by ellen

I bought a little something to help with cooling this summer. It is an older Convair Award 2000 portable evaporative cooler. Again from Craigslist and only $20. I brought it home just in time as today is in the upper … Continue reading →

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Compare Energy Star 2008 to Energy Star 2016

Posted on February 2, 2016 by ellen

So I know you are wondering, how efficient is an eight year old Energy Star appliance– especially compared to today’s standards? I wondered myself. Energy Star minimums have decreased over time. I happened to have downloaded the clothes washer excel … Continue reading →

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Energy Star Washer and Gas Dryer

Posted on February 2, 2016 by ellen

I noticed that our older washing machine was leaking every time we did a load. The leak seemed to increase in volume and I had wanted to replace this older washer with a more energy efficient one for our LEED … Continue reading →

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Advantium Still Dead, Oster Alternative

Posted on November 6, 2015 by ellen

Despite the new TCO (Thermal cut off) the Advantium is still dead. Sad to say. There is some more testing I can do for the other TCO and various boards. Ebay has some of the parts that are not too … Continue reading →

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Dead Advantium

Posted on October 11, 2015 by ellen

Unfortunately this morning I was going to melt the butter and sugar on some cinnamon flat bread in the Advantium and the control panel was completely blank. Dave had done some roasting in it just yesterday and didn’t notice it … Continue reading →

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New Twist on the Chiller Problem

Posted on August 25, 2015 by ellen

I have been doing a lot of reading about DIY chilling systems and looking at systems that immerse a coil in a box of water and pump water in and out etc. Most of them are rather primitive, but there … Continue reading →

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Switcharoo to Penguin Chiller

Posted on June 17, 2015 by ellen

I was very disappointed about the new/old Arctica Chiller not working, although ebay is fantastic in providing free return shipping. I let it drain for a day and packed it up in the original box and plastic bag making sure … Continue reading →

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Killer Chiller (DOA)

Posted on June 10, 2015 by ellen

For the past couple of years I have installed a window evaporative cooler that I bought on craigslist in one of the front windows. This year, however, that window has been replaced and there is not a new window that … Continue reading →

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RecoupAerator

Posted on March 9, 2015 by ellen

LEED recommends an HRV or ERV mechanical ventilation and air purification system to provide adequate ventilation and air quality in a super tight structure. AE Building Systems also carries one of the most energy efficient Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERV). The … Continue reading →

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