christie pont

Joylynn Hardesty wrote:
I have an old top loading clothes washing machine that needs repair. Yesterday, my helper loaded it all the way to the top, and ran the machine. It didn't like it.
It now has a slooow spin cycle and leaves several inches of the water still in the drum.

What do you think needs to be repaired on it? I suspect the pump. But maybe the motor too? A new, or even new to me machine was not in our plans!

Here is one list of available parts for my model. https://find.partswarehouse.com/?q=maytag+a112
I have ordered from this company for vacum parts and I am happy with their service.

I had fixed my washer so many times my wife wanted me to buy a new one. NEVER i gasped, the only thing that breaks cost $7.50 and dies every 1.5 to 2 years it lives until the tranny dies. And then we bought another machine, I can't even tell you how old it was. I wanted to bury it in the yard!!

But your iussue, there are a few sites that give free video's on diagnostics and repair. One site had a yearly fee, or per problem fee for a good price and I think it was 3 months of lookups. Repair clinic sold me 500 bucks worth of parts that I returned. My local guy will not take back a screw once you buy it. In most cases a pump is an easy fix, and well worth the cost.

New appliance are made to live 10 years , not a millisecond more. The gent who sold me my new fridge explained, at a sales meeting "to the trade" a rep from the trade association announced it, no more 20 year fridges/washer/dryers. You will make money, he told them, guaranteed, appliances are now made to a 10 year standard.

that said, in my washer there are 2 expensive hard to fix parts, the tranny and the actual drive motor. Everything else is easy to replace, cost vary. I went from not being able to get the washer apart, to pulling the motor and replacing half of the coupling of it, and putting it back together in 1.5 hours to 25 minutes or less. I swear I fixed it 8 times at least. I even had a notation in my ratchet set, for which sizes I needed, also had that for certain fixes in my cars. I am not a mechanic, so if you know certain things will be needing help 1-2 times a year, a "note to self" on what size driver/extention is needed and left in the tool kit, it is great. I kid you not my wife said we can afford it you have fixed it 4 times, by that point I could fix it in under an hour.  I said but this is easier then a tune up on a car, this is easy and clean, and I can do it. Buy a new machine and you are tied to a repair man.

My machine did die from transmission leakitis and the replacement was difficult and worth half a new machine.  We did splurge our new machine is a Speed Queen, they come with 3 year in home guarantee, and are very fixable after that.  I do not fear a break down.  I have 1 gripe, there is no Buzzer to tell you the wash is done.

If you can not find the how to video's let me know, I will see if I can find them,

The machine is well worth fixing (to me).

I also fixed the dryer, which was way older then the last washer b4 death, that was hard to do. Since I only have 2 short arms, to replace the pivot/axle the drum turns on I used 8 very strong magnets to hold parts steady while I almost climbed in to start the first bolt, then 2 , then the rest. It was difficult, but doable. If I had a helper it would have gone much faster, But magnets worked very well. Heck if they can hold a screw nail they can hold a bolt or an axle in place!

Here is another post with a video on how to and is a smaller unit


http://knowledgeweighsnothing.com/make-a-diy-bio-sand-water-filter-for-safe-drinking-water/


right from bottom of the youetube video


For more information about "biosand" water filtration technology and a different design, check out this web address: http://www.cawst.org/en/resources/pubs/

Biosand water filter manual .pdf: https://www.calvin.edu/academic/engin... (Design, construction, installation, operation, maintenance)



This has been around a long time so have at it. There used to be a filter called a missionaries (water) filter, it was KINDA LIKE A BRITA PITCHER ON STEROIDS, it had an insert like a tea infuser made from superfine porous stone and every few years you used ultra fine sand papers to "clean" the inside then rinse.

enjoy

Hi,

I am on LI in NY and do not have a homestead, but I did read articles here on things like water sterilization. Solar sterilizing has bene's but a sand filter lasts about 10 years when fully going it does a very impressive job assuming there is no chemical contamination here is a link to a CDC web page on solar sterilizing which is ok, and the way they do it not very hot. Using a solar cooker gets it way hotter and if you hit the 155-162 sweet spot then do this I think you got a nice deal

http://www.cdc.gov/safewater/solardisinfection.html

here is an over view of the sand filter

http://www.cdc.gov/safewater/sand-filtration.html

The sand filtration system I read about many years ago and if you build it right and load it right it will develop a protective layer of bacteria. Lasts about 10 years, so it is a nice investment.

Waterwise and others sell a steam distillation unit that will work off any heat source, in Stainless Steel, it is impressive and maybe 400 bucks, but as there are no moving parts not much can go wrong.

Feel free to move this as I do not know where to put it, and I hope others find this useful!

R Ranson wrote:

christie pont wrote:Isn't california poppy an opium poppy? And as such if you scar it for the goo you go to lock up?

Different type of poppy.  I think it's a different family to the poppies that give goo.

I'm not comfortable telling you how to do it as it's illegal in much of the world.
Here's an article about poppies that explains some of the legal quagmire around this beautiful flower and how to make a soothing tea for pain relief

Not much to it actually, but I grew them once a few years back as a back plant (that is they were behind another plant, and grew taller), I needed to plant a lot to look good and so I just chopped them down and moved on. I grew veggies not "pretties", although a carpet of thyme in bloom is rather stunning. I am more interested in Tea as a plant, but I think it is worse even then fig trees, but thanks fer responding!!

Isn't california poppy an opium poppy? And as such if you scar it for the goo you go to lock up?

Eben Campbell wrote:Our locale is getting drier,  used to be quite wet. I have been mulching and burying wood downhill from existing trees and plantings in an effort to keep moisture in the soil over the dry season. However, the gopher tunnels are efficiently draining away water.  We are thinking of strategies to interrupt the network of drainage tunnels. We have set traps, so far no luck. We hope to dig down and interrupt the tunnels so that the upcoming rains will silt up the holes.
We are thinking of adding some hugelkultur beds, starting below ground. Has anyone had gopher incursions into hugel beds?  We only have maple and Doug fir to use , not ideal but what we have.
Any ideas?

If you are here in the states I suggest an air rifle, a 22 rim fire is good as well, but practice practice practice. Or you can smoke them out (they make smoke bombs just for this purpose),  also up to the task are M-80's or ash cans which used to be available only in rural areas, you drop them in and wham.  Poison is discouraged as your dogs might find them and eat them and then they die.

This is the most confusing forum site I have ever logged into.

My 2 cents plain.

Sun tea, as I was taught is just put water and leaves in water sit in sun.... no sugar, noting else, sugar and lemon come later.

If you water is good it should be fine, can you say Kombucha, I personally toss the stuff as it makes me want to toss my cookies and milk.

That said, with all the hype year back when the WWW was new I read on a site dedicated to solar energy, that the WHO tells us that 155 degrees for 10 minutes sterilized about 95 % of pathogens. I know tric dies at 162 and salmonella dies faster then that so, steep 10 minutes pull the leaves and allow to sit for a while, to kill all others.

If anyone would like to look up the actual accepted kill temps I would be grateful. The reason , (I read on the solar cooking site) that people are told "a full rolling boil" is because they can see it. 182-5 degrees , (simmer) is when tiny bubble form and start to stream. If you hit that and hold for 10 everything is dead. People who have never used a thermometer and have not practiced simply do not do it right.  As far as caffeine killing some bacteria, I believe, but don't know. They did say solar pasturizing is fine and it only is looking at 155%F, and the WHO issued wax plug water sterilizers testor were set to 155!

Need caffeine free tea, boil water and put some in a cup, let sit, dump it then add more rapidly boiling water and a tea bag, DO NOT TOUCH, SWISH, SQUEEZE, after 1 minute remove the bag and dump water, use fresh water . The first minute releases almost all the caffiene. , not perfect, but better then the DT's some people will get.


My daughter had a chart for teas and water temperatures. If you keep it to simmer (i 85) you do not get a bitter tea (or at least less bitter). Not all teas steep for same amount of time.


The best tea I ever had was done as follows, big faberware SS pot 11 tea bags cold good water (as in from the tap). Allowed to sit overnight, bags pulled NOT squeezed, then 1 whole orange sliced thin, added with any juice, plus lemon juice, plus real cane sugar. Being old fat and creaky, (or is that cranky)I do 185-90 degrees steep tyme oh 6 minutes, light squeeze, but no squeeze is better, I then add the volume of iced tea mix that my "water" is calling for. My iced tea is dark and distinct. I use 8-10 bags to about 1/12 qts water. ( I should measure it to be sure).  If I were not going to add the mix and do my own lemon and sweet, I would double the tea bags.

Oh and do not use crappy yea, as 1 reference article says is done by the tea importers. (Lipton Etc). Crappy tea bags make crappy tea. Just like cooking with wine. If you can not drink it because it is off/odd/not your style, you usually find you just ruined the dish.
My thoughts on herbal tea, I would rinse them and use a hot water method, I think they would extract more flavor, plus kill off some bad guys. All tea is green when picked, it is then crushed between the finger and allowed to darken, think of a bruised Basil leaf, what would one look like after you rolled it in your hand, but did not tear it. In fact, it would blacken. Teas does exactly that and the amount of "fermentation " varies by type/area/style. This oxidizes the tea, kinda like opening a bottle of good red wine and letting it sit.  Fresh gound coffe is also like that. I prefer mine ground the day/night before.

hope I did not offend anyone

feel free to look for the kill  temps for bad things, and where AI used to get my info was, "THE SOLAR COOKING ARCHIVES" I believe it is now a "wikie" site.

ciao