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Author Archives: ellen
New RV Toilet
When the plumbing leaked in the RV the toilet also overflowed with water. I had read that the valve often breaks in newer Thetford toilets so I ordered the kit, watched a couple of YouTube videos and took the pedal … Continue reading
Posted in Maintenance and Repair, RV Camping
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RV Water Woes
I installed a pressure tank next to the water pump in the wiring and plumbing bay under the bed. I had winterized the system before I did the installation when we returned from Arizona in March. When I was getting … Continue reading
Posted in Grandkids, Maintenance and Repair, RV Camping
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DIY Motorized Outdoor Rollup Shades
After observing the cool outdoor shades John Avenson installed on the exterior of his passive solar wall, I wanted to add solar shades to the Trombe wall to prevent it from heating up in the summer. I priced automatic shades … Continue reading
Posted in Reduce Reuse Recycle, Solar, Trombe Wall
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May
Of course May is crazy for everyone with it being the last month of the school year here. I also have a tradition of spending a weekend camping near my birthday. This year we did it the weekend before and … Continue reading
Posted in Crafts, Grandkids, Maintenance and Repair, RV Camping
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Springtime Activities
April is a busy month. Both our grandson Leonidas and his mom Haewon have birthdays and we prepped for an early 5th birthday party for Clementine and our 50th anniversary cruise to Alaska. Plus there were a couple of new … Continue reading
Posted in Crafts, Diversions, Grandkids
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Germany at Easter
We always have a wonderful time visiting our daughter’s family in Germany. This year they met us at the Frankfurt train station to tour a few German cities. We walked to our hotel in Frankfort and the next day we … Continue reading
Posted in Friends and Family, Travel
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Sewing a Dress
I wanted to sew a “designer dress” for my 12 year old granddaughter’s birthday. Spoonflower sells specially designed material in hundreds of patterns that are printed on a variety of materials. I successfully bought Spoonflower organic cotton material and sewed … Continue reading
RV Storage
RV trips seem to require a lot of accessories. Or at least most RVers love accessories. We recently went on one such trip where I’ve noticed the use of the RV cubbies and shelves had become a matter of interest … Continue reading
Posted in RV Camping
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Broken RV Water Pump
We like to visit our son in Arizona at least once a year. Last year was exciting because he and his fiancée got married at a beautiful outdoor wedding in late February. This year we are visiting again in February. … Continue reading
Posted in Maintenance and Repair, RV Camping
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New Condensate Medium
When I realized the boiler’s condensate filter was gunked up it was reasonable to clean it out and replace the filter medium. I was mistaken to believe the filter used plain limestone. When it came as a powder I had … Continue reading
Posted in Condensing Modulating Gas Boiler, Maintenance and Repair
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Boiler Issues
We woke up after a below zero night to the carbon monoxide alarms in the morning. Even though it was below zero I turned off the boiler function and opened the back door to let in fresh air. The alarms … Continue reading
Posted in Condensing Modulating Gas Boiler, Fireplace Boiler, Maintenance and Repair, Trombe Wall
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New Energy Star Dishwasher
Even before I gave up on the old dishwasher I started shopping for a replacement. I was even considering a drawer dishwasher like the one I once installed for my son and his wife in California. The kitchen counter we … Continue reading
Posted in Appliances, Kitchen
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Giving Up on Dishwasher Repair
I ordered a new pump and it was not the right fit but it had the same type of magnetic motor. The motor on the original pump slipped right off but the new one was enclosed in plastic. So I … Continue reading
Posted in Appliances, Maintenance and Repair
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What Was Wrong with the Boiler Pump?
We came home from vacation to no heat. The boiler was firing but the Grundflos secondary pump was not running to distribute it through the radiant pipes. The first thing I did was turn off the heat function of the … Continue reading
Posted in Condensing Modulating Gas Boiler, Electrical, Maintenance and Repair
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New Year Challenges
We took a trip to our grandson’s birthday celebration at Wolf Lodge in Colorado Springs. The place was fully booked. I found out they have 300 rooms! We were in one of 42 suites with kid cabin a darling section … Continue reading
Posted in Appliances, Grandkids, Maintenance and Repair
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Boiler Carbon Monoxide Alarm!
We were jarred awake by our carbon monoxide alarms when the temperature was eighteen below zero. We immediately opened a living room and back hall door and let fresh air flow. We tried leaving the boiler on but when the … Continue reading
Posted in Condensing Modulating Gas Boiler, Maintenance and Repair
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Upgraded Motor on Sailrite Sewing Machine
I have sewn just a few projects with the heavy duty walking foot sewing machine I bought to sew vinyl. I have bolts of vinyl (and white material) from a Repurposed Materials auction. The machine is their LZ-1 model and … Continue reading
Posted in -Recent Posts, Reduce Reuse Recycle, Sewing, Tools
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Thanksgiving Crafts
Here’s a twist for my blog topics. I have never been much of a crafter. I’m more likely to build something or even sew something. But my sister gave me a Cricut Explore machine and I have been learning how … Continue reading
Posted in Crafts, Reduce Reuse Recycle
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Oh No! Broken Glass in Trombe Wall
Some of the plastic lattice trim around the Trombe wall glazing has been curling away from the house from the intense heat from the sun. I don’t think I used enough nails to tie it to the boards behind it. … Continue reading
Posted in Maintenance and Repair, Solar, Trombe Wall
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Our Green Home Tour on October 1, 2022
We were on the Metro Denver Green Homes Tour this year! We had a nice crowd visiting the house and while I showed them around inside, Dave showed them the Tesla roof and his greenhouses and urbanite retaining walls outside. … Continue reading
Posted in Energy Efficiency, House Systems, LEED Project, Outreach
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