I give up

If you know me, I pride myself in being able to fix/replace/repair/or generally make better, most anything. However I officially given up on this furnace.

January 14th I "fixed" it when it began to sound like a cat in a washing machine. Last weekend it went out again. So upon further review it seems like the motors bearing were going out and that might have shaken the screw loose on the motor/fan mount that I found the first time. After I "fixed it", it worked for about a week but I got up on Saturday and no hot air. I inspected the it and could tell that there was power to the motor but the fan would not spin.

My boss who is a DIYer told me about a place called Appliance Part Center to find a new motor. Last night when I removed the motor/fan I found some scary crazy wiring. Not sure who did it but HOLY CRAP!!! I knew that once I replaced the motor I would have to call our electrician to come and fix this mess because even I would not try to tackle this.

To the right of the furnace there are two outlets and I have no idea why. I have two connections from the furnace and one is plugged in each. The outlet on the left is controlled by a switch in the hallway and the one on the right has no power. So I got to thinking.... (that can be very dangerous)... that maybe the one on the right is the problem.  What if....(also very dangerous)... I was to plug both of the plugs in the left socket because it has power.  You can probably guess where this is going. I flicked the switch and we had fireworks in the closet. I proceeded to blow the igniter box. Not good.

Today I went to the parts store and they had a motor that was similar to mine but maybe a 1/4 inch smaller so the guy said I would have to remove the motor to determine if it would fit because once I bought the motor it could not be returned. The igniter switch they had in stock. The motor cost around $120 and the switch around $160 for a total just shy of $300 with tax. So the plan was to remove the motor and then go back the next day to ensure a proper fit.

I spent almost 2 hours on that damn motor and could not remove it. I took off the mount and unscrewed the bolt that held the shaft and it would not come out. Massive amounts of WD-40 and consistently larger hammers did not work. I only smashed the end of the shaft almost guaranteeing it will never come out now.

I have finally conceded that it is time to look into a new furnace. But maybe I could....no just kidding.

This sucks!

Master bedroom part 1

We just switched rooms and now have to transform this room into a master. First thing is to build a decent bed frame. The old one was the metal frame with wheels that came with the bed and it just wasn't cutting it.

We could either buy one for $400 or $500 bucks or build it ourselves. Easy decision. Bought all the wood at home depot for about $140 and had the frame built in a couple of hours. We didn't know if we should paint the wood or wrap it. If we decided to paint it then the next choice was what color? Flat/semi/gloss? If we decided to wrap it in fabric then what kind/color. We decided to sleep on it.

The next day it was decided after I smashed my toe into the corner ripping the toe nail in two. WRAP IT!!

We already had the leather and the batting so no $$$$ spent woo hoo. OK it's not real leather, it's pleather.

Right now it looks like a 70s water-bed but once the legs and headboard are built and added it should look pretty nice.  We also plan on building a bench/ottoman at the foot. Stay tuned.

Moonset part deux

You might remember in December 2009 that I wrote about the moon setting. Well this morning I got up and could not resist a sequel. I have a new camera and wanted to test it out to see if the photos were better than my last ones. 

You be the judge.

Screw loose

On Tuesday our adventure begins. I got home from work and being the thin blooded Californian that I am, turned on the furnace because it was 59F in the house.  Once the blower started I thought that I had found the missing neighbors cat, because the furnace was thumping and screeching. I quickly shut down the furnace and had visions of $$$$ flying up the flue.

I contemplated calling a repairman but because the furnace is so old either the repairman would have to call his grandpa or he would just run away. My next thought was buying a new one. This was not a pleasant thought because part of the furnace is wrapped in asbestos (I told you it was old) and it would have to be abated.

Then I thought, screw that, I can fix this thing. I pulled the motor off because I figured that was where the problem was and I was right. A mounting screw had came loose and once I fixed that all was bliss and warm again. One positive side note is the motor and fan were extremely dirty and I was able to clean it up making the airflow more efficient.

If women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy~ Red Green

Wyoming

This year I went home to Wyoming for Christmas. As usual I drove but had to rent a car this time because I didn't trust my truck to make it there and back.  And I didn't think a two wheel drive truck would do well in the Wyoming winter.  I rented from Avis and got a Dodge Avenger which was a decent car but the wipers sucked.

According to Google the distance is 1,132 miles and the time is 18 hours and 16 minutes.  I did it in 17 hours and 25 minutes. If I did not have to go through the storm that hit California and have wipers that sucked I could have done it in under 17 hours.

My traveling companion was Kuuipo and she travels wonderful. However I think at the end of each trip she was ready for it to end.

 
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 What a great traveler!!!