Category Archives: Rants and Raves

Things that I find interesting and disturbing

Fence Post Replacement

Reading Time: 8 minutesFence Post Replacement This article is about fence post replacement or how to replace one or several fence posts or how to replace a post for a gate. The keywords are fence post replacement. So if your fence needs a post replacement no matter where it is or what it does this is the right… Read More »

Chlorine Resistant Algae Treatment

Reading Time: 4 minutesChlorine Resistant Algae Treatment Are you looking for a chlorine resistant algae treatment? This spring I was in the same boat. I had started up my pool this spring when something changed. I thought that it would be the usual process. Clean the pool filter. Test the water. Set the pH to the low end… Read More »

Delta Faucet Leaks

Reading Time: 8 minutesMy Delta Faucet Leaks My Delta faucet leaks. It doesn’t just drip when its turned off, it runs water out of the stem whenever I turn it on. It’s time to rebuild it. It’s a name brand faucet so I can easily find parts for it. But I need to take it apart first to… Read More »

Installing Bearings Without Damage

Reading Time: 3 minutesInstalling Bearings Without Damage Installing bearings without damage is very easy to do. But as I was watching a Youtube video I found myself cringing as another “expert” beat on the outer race of a brand new bearing as he installed it on a shaft. I kept thinking that he was shortening the life of… Read More »

DIY Plastic Welding

Reading Time: 7 minutesDIY Plastic Welding I needed tips on DIY plastic welding. Welding plastic was in my future. I needed a wet saw for a future project and the saw that came up had a crack in the water pan. The seller was very straight forward and listed it as a flaw in the advertisement so I… Read More »

A Strong Rain Gutter Splice Technique

Reading Time: 3 minutesA Strong Rain Gutter Splice Technique A strong rain gutter splice technique is definitely needed for my new gutter. The gutter material I have chosen comes in standard lengths. My new gutter is going to be longer than that standard “off the shelf” length. So somewhere along the gutter, there will need to be a… Read More »

Yellow Mustard Algae Treatment

Reading Time: 5 minutesYellow Mustard Algae Treatment My pool needs a yellow mustard algae treatment. I don’t know when it first showed up. But there was a small patch in the usual place for mustard algae to show up. You know the place, north-facing on a wall. So I did the normal maintenance thing I brushed it down… Read More »

Watch Batteries

Reading Time: 2 minutesWatch Batteries What happens when you need watch batteries. This happened to me recently. It all started out so simply. Watch batteries My wife brought me one of her watches and tasked me with getting it a new battery. I naively said “Sure, a piece of cake”. I’ll take it apart and get the number… Read More »

Unclogging A Slow Bathroom Sink

Reading Time: 4 minutesUnclogging A Slow Bathroom Sink  Unclogging a slow bathroom sink is something I needed to do recently. We all use sinks and over time hair and soap will build up and slow the flow of water from the sink. It is inevitable sooner or later we are faced with the slow running drain. FreeImages.com/Nick Colomb… Read More »

Rust Removal on Outdoor Cast Iron Umbrella Stands

Reading Time: 4 minutesRust removal on outdoor cast iron umbrella stands I needed to perform rust removal on outdoor cast iron umbrella stands. We recently had the need to use our outdoor umbrellas to provide some extra shade. As I was moving the umbrella stands around it was very evident that they were going to need some work… Read More »

Title 20 no more single speed pool motors for California

Reading Time: 2 minutesTitle 20 no more single speed pool motors for California Title 20 no more single speed pool motors for California. I was trying to help my neighbor when I got slammed with this news. Let me explain. My neighbor asked for my help in locating a replacement motor for his pool. Since he has always helped… Read More »

Kreepy Krauly Not Moving Inspection

Reading Time: 4 minutesKreepy Krauly Not Moving Inspection It’s time for a Kreepy Krauly not moving inspection. My pool cleaner won’t move when the pump starts up. I know the drill, I’ve been thru this before. Check that nothing is blocking the flow of water at the cleaner(Check for debris in Kreepy Krauly’s flapper and tubes). Make sure that the pool… Read More »

Why is My Lawn Looking Yellow

Reading Time: 3 minutesWhy is my lawn looking yellow? Why is my lawn looking yellow? That is the question I recently had to ask myself. For many years my lawn has taken the heat of summer without looking this bad. I did the normal things for lawn maintenance.  A thorough lawn aeration in early spring to increase the… Read More »

Review Golden Bowl

Reading Time: 3 minutesReview Golden Bowl Recently I had dinner at the Golden Bowl. I consider it to be the only Chinese restaurant to consider when Chinese food comes to mind. My wife and my granddaughter filled out those at the table. Please note that they(Golden Bowl of Hughson, Ca.) have moved from their original location. The new place is… Read More »

A No Lawnmower Maintenance Life

Reading Time: 3 minutes  A No Lawnmower Maintenance Life I confess I believe in a no lawnmower maintenance life. My lawnmower has a hard life and it’s all on me. I think it goes back to my youth when I worked in a rental yard. Let me explain. We would rent new mowers at the start of the season… Read More »

Plumbers Putty and Plumbers Grease

Reading Time: 4 minutesPlumbers Putty and Plumbers Grease I recently had a job where I needed to use plumbers putty and plumbers grease. Let me explain. My kitchen faucet developed a leak and it only leaked when the water was turned on. A quick inspection showed the leak to be coming from a place where the hoses from… Read More »

Cracking Lowe’s Discount Codes

Reading Time: 3 minutesCracking Lowe’s Discount Codes Cracking Lowe’s discount codes was something I stumbled across recently. Let me explain. I was looking at upgrading my shelving system for my shed. It currently does not have enough shelves to store all the stuff I have. I had recently found a pair of loppers(they had been missing for six months) under… Read More »

Frugal Living: Buying By The Piece

Reading Time: 2 minutesFrugal living: Buying by the piece I was grocery shopping and lettuce was on my list. I was doing what I normally do. Grabbing a head of lettuce and mentally weighing it in my hand. Accepting only the heaviest head and discarding the others. Putting the candidate head aside as I went thru the process… Read More »

How Not To Bid On ebay

Reading Time: 2 minutesHow not to bid on eBay How not to bid on eBay, is it the right winning strategy for you? Are you new to eBay? Are the items you want slipping thru your digital fingers? Do you want a winning strategy? If you answered yes then you’ve arrived at the right place. We’ve all had… Read More »

Sleep Apnea and Me

Reading Time: 3 minutesSleep Apnea and Me Sleep apnea and me it was always something that I didn’t believe could happen. It is such an insidious condition. It sneaks up on you without a warning. But I take that back there were warnings. Years earlier, my wife had noticed my breathing difficulty while I slept. I dismissed it. Complete and utter… Read More »