Do You Know About My B.S. Box?

 

You may know that my blog is private and therefore not searchable on your browser, however there is an effective place to find people, places and things. Check out the search box at the upper left corner of the home page. The blog contains nearly 2000 pages of mundane and other events, cruises and diary entries going back to December 2006 so there is lots to look at. Try it out!
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Before You Scrap It - Try Fixing It.

I've said this before (see washing machine Jan. 2009) This was me talking about household appliances:
"I wonder how many hundreds of thousands wind up in the dump when $50 could make them like new?"

Before we left to go up to Wood Lake for our visit at MullBain Lodge, the dishwasher quit working. It would fill with water, then just sit there, doing nothing. When we returned home we faced a few days of hand washing the dishes while I diagnosed the problem.

The serial number ends in "WS". This means August 1999.

The best way to figure out what's up is to turn to the Internet. Appliance parts websites often host forums to discuss problems and YouTube can be invaluable in showing how to remove and replace defective parts. Check for your make and model and start your Google search. Appliance repair usually requires only basic tools and a multimeter.

In our case, the ultimate problem was not something that would be diagnosed on line. Suggestions included the door interlock switches, float switch and jammed pump impeller. After testing the motor and finding it worked fine, the trail of wires led back to the "brains" of the machine.

The main circuit board is usually just replaced in this case. This was not my favorite option as the board lists out at RepairClinic at $236 USD. (although eBay has them for much less) As a last resort, I removed the circuit board and examined the connections and solder joints. 

There was the culprit! One of the solder connections was a "cold solder" joint. This would have happened in manufacturing at the time the board was made. It held together for 18 years or so until finally the weak connection gave up. You can see the evidence of a white smoke mark on the board around the bad joint. That would have been caused by arcing and heat as the joint failed and the dishwasher did its last and final load.

Although it took me two days to figure this out, a quick re-solder and the joint was restored to as good as new. NO COST! The dishwasher was saved from a humble banishment to the scrap-heap and could live another 20 years, much to the chagrin of Wendy who was secretly looking forward to a new dishwasher I'm sure. Before you scrap it, give fixing it a try. What have you got to lose?

NOTE: You should disconnect the power before you start. Don't play around with live electrical circuits. Even if you have a good working knowledge of electricity, remember - it gives no warning when it's going to bite. That's why they call it a shock, and one slip-up can kill you!

Don't let that scare you. Every test and repair I am talking about here was able to be safely performed without the power connected. Still, if you are in doubt call a repairman.
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'Tis The Season To Trim The Trees

With some healthy Black Walnut trees encroaching in the "air space" over our house, son Tim rose to the challenge and lopped a few intruding branches that could eventually damage the roof.
 

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OMG Not Again! This Time Maria.

If Debbie's Loxseen Bar survived Irma, I fear Maria will finish it off.

Debbie, I hope you are okay.

God be with you Debbie and St Kitts.
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Dying In Slow Motion

September 11, 2012

You might remember this beautiful old clapboard farmhouse near Strathroy that I featured on this blog almost exactly 5 years ago. CLICK HERE to see the post.

September 9, 2017

I was sad to see that this old dear is sinking further into an agonizing death. The house has survived for well over a century I'm sure, but the last 5 years has taken its toll. Not long now before she crumbles to rubble I'm afraid.
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MullBain Lodge Sept 6 to 9, 2017

 

Click the pic to enlarge this serene scene.

 We drove up to Wood Lake, in maybe record time as I broke from tradition and used the 407 pay highway to bypass the 401 Toronto parking lot. Always worth the drive though!

Mark and Louise and their beautiful daughter Niamh were visiting so it was especially nice to see them.

John and Cheryl's son-in-law Ty dropped off baby Wyatt for our enjoyment. He has really grown since we saw him last year!

John's brother Chris, and Deb work the kitchen for our first dinner at MullBain.

Louise wears a "bug hat" after a mosquito bit her face. Wendy and Holly chat.

Louise tells a tall tale as Niamh and Barry listen intently.

Mark shows off my Trump MAGA hat at the apparent frustration of his daughter Niamh. I cautioned him to never wear this hat in public as he would risk getting punched out. And definitely never wear it to work.

Every meal is a highlight of the day at MullBain Lodge.

Mark and Louise head off to meet with the others to chop down some trees in the 100 acre woodland surrounding MullBain. An attractive couple, what?

Deb makes friends with some native fauna.

Lunch snacks too. Never a shortage of good treats.

Harvesting the winter firewood makes the crew very hungry.

Meanwhile the pork shoulder spins on the rotisserie.

More work to do now. Wood must be split ready to stack tin the wood shed.

Compare this near-empty shed with the picture of the full wood shed update below.

"This is what an afternoon of splitting logs looks like,a full shed!
It took us about 5 hours of hard work to complete."
UPDATE: By the time we drove home, Cheryl sent an AFTER picture of the wood shed showing it packed full of wood for the coming winter. Good work crew!

The hungry woodsmen split all the wood in record time.

Niamh holding baby Wyatt.

Mom (Jesse) in background Wyatt stealing the show with Cheryl.

FOOTNOTE: Niamh is an Irish feminine given name (meaning "bright" or "radiant"), anglicised and pronounced as Neve or Neave. In Irish mythology, Niamh is the daughter of the god of the sea, Manannán mac Lir and one of the queens of Tír na nÓg, the land of eternal youth.
 
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Hurricane Irma Poised For Devastation

This could be the end of my friend Debbie's Loxseen Bar. With Irma, the most powerful hurricane in history heading for a direct hit, I fear that this and other beautiful islands will be devastated. With Irma pushing 175 mph winds there is little chance that the beautiful island of St Kitts will survive unscathed, let alone Debbie's bar right on the beach. Say a little prayer for this beautiful, hard-working lady and her friendly and welcoming countrymen. Many of our other favorite islands are in the path of Irma and we can only hope that by some miracle tragedy is averted.

Loxseen Beach Hut was built by Debbie herself; with her own hands, so she says "Every ting is not level and straight." See older posts CLICK HERE.

Good luck Debbie!

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More Flowers Poolside

I had to snap a picture of these lovely Geraniums back-lit by the setting sun reflecting off the surface of the pool.
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Sorry! Another Cat Picture.

Ben-z is just so photogenic. Click the pic to see the close-up detail.
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