My wife thought she occasionally smelled gas in one of the drawers in the kitchen. She even said, offhand, "Do you have a gas leak detector?" I said, "No." So she said, "You ought to get one." That was enough motivation for me. I went to Amazon, compared features and prices, and chose the Yeezou 201 Combustible Gas Detector.
When operating the Yeezou 201 features six LEDs that light up from 1 to all 6 depending on the concentration of the gas it discovers. There is a calibration knob, allowing the user to set a zero state. Just take the unit into fresh air, turn it on, wait about 10 seconds for warm up, and then rotate the calibration knob until the unit is just on the edge of alarming. Then place the tip of the gooseneck near joints and connections to see if there is a leak.
While sampling the air, the Yeezou 201 clicks at a low rate, just a few times a second. If it detects a leak, the clicking increases, the LED lights come on 1 to all 6 as I mentioned, and an audible alarm sounds.
Testing.
I took the 201 unit and put the sensor under the cooktop, and got a one-light low alarm on two connections. So those need attention. Curious, I went outside to check a gas stub in back of the house. It was okay. Then I went to the gas meter at the service entrance and checked each joint. At the shutoff valve, the unit lit up a 6 alarm leak. I called the gas company and they sent out a representative who used the bubble check method to check the leak. He said it was a very low leak, enough to form bubbles, but not enough to break them. He replaced the leaky shutoff valve. I tested all the joints he had unscrewed and the Yeezou 201 found no new leaks.
Bottom Line: This is an excellent unit for detecting even very small gas leaks. For the price, every homeowner should have and use one. In addition to natural gas, the Yeezou 201 also detects other kinds of combustible vapors, such as propane, methane, gasoline vapor, butane, and more.
Five stars
Monday, November 26, 2018
Thursday, November 15, 2018
Garmin Drive 60 USA LMT 6" GPS Navigation System
Well, my wife has a very fancy navigation system built into her car, and it is very handy for times when we are in need of directions to a new address and when we want to get home from a strange area. So I thought, Why not get a GPS unit for my pickup truck?
As I usually do, I did some moderate research, educating my self on features and reviews and prices. A number of years ago, I owned a TomTom which was marginally okay. (The female voice would always pronounce 0 as "west," so when she told me to get on the 405 freeway, she would say, "Turn left onto the four west five freeway."
Anyway, I added my experience to the research and started looking at my options. I ruled out the unknown brands (too risky) and the huge displays (too costly and too intrusive in the windshield) and the "factory reconditioned" units, and I fairly quickly settled on the Garmin brand, because so many users liked its products. The choices in the Garmin brand are extensive, so I did a bit more research and ended up choosing the Drive 60 USA LMT 6". The screen, as you will astutely notice, is 6 inches diagonally (the unit itself is just short of 7.5" diagonally). The screen is thus almost 5.5" wide and almost 3" high.
Criteria I used included size of the screen (I wanted a screen I could see while driving), lifetime maps and traffic free (paying for updates every six months gets expensive). Free traffic updates was a bonus but not a criterion. I considered a couple of units that reviewers got excited about, but one was discontinued and the other's reviews seemed to be faked. I considered the $104 model (I'm cheap); but decided ultimately to splurge and get the Drive 60 USA LMT 6" (for about $160)
From my initial use, I am very impressed and even almost delighted with the unit. Unfortunately, the software that must be installed on Windows in order to download and update the maps and software is very poorly done, not intuitive, and not easy to figure out.
For example, the software might say "Installation complete" at the top of the screen and then "ready to download" in the middle of the screen. I might have downloaded the same thing three times because of these confusing messages. Then, while I was just wandering around the tabs and scrolling windows, I came across a message with a fat red line, saying, "You're memory is almost full."
The Owner's Manual, which is very poorly arranged and presented, says, in an appendix on page 13, that a memory card can be installed. The instructions say to "insert the memory card into the slot." Oh, and go back to page one to learn where the slot is. Then "press it in until it clicks." There is no indication about how to orient the card--connectors up or down.
I also have been unable to find how to check too see if the amount of memory has changed.
The most common use I have had for a GPS Navigation system is to find an address. Get the address of Joe and Jane's house. I must be an oddball because, even though "Navigating to Your Location" starts on page 3, "Finding an address" doesn't show up until page 7, and then is treated perfunctorily.
Tip for using address searching. I had to engage in a chat session to learn this, so once again the manual failed me. During an address search, if, when the address is found, you have the bottom (Map) tap selected, you will not be told the city name of the address you had put in. Select the top tab (with the magnifying lens) and you will find the city listed.
By the way, the chat guy was very helpful. So I give customer service / technical support an A.
Bottom line: I, at this early point, highly recommend the Drive 60. I will update this review as time goes on.
As I usually do, I did some moderate research, educating my self on features and reviews and prices. A number of years ago, I owned a TomTom which was marginally okay. (The female voice would always pronounce 0 as "west," so when she told me to get on the 405 freeway, she would say, "Turn left onto the four west five freeway."
Anyway, I added my experience to the research and started looking at my options. I ruled out the unknown brands (too risky) and the huge displays (too costly and too intrusive in the windshield) and the "factory reconditioned" units, and I fairly quickly settled on the Garmin brand, because so many users liked its products. The choices in the Garmin brand are extensive, so I did a bit more research and ended up choosing the Drive 60 USA LMT 6". The screen, as you will astutely notice, is 6 inches diagonally (the unit itself is just short of 7.5" diagonally). The screen is thus almost 5.5" wide and almost 3" high.
Criteria I used included size of the screen (I wanted a screen I could see while driving), lifetime maps and traffic free (paying for updates every six months gets expensive). Free traffic updates was a bonus but not a criterion. I considered a couple of units that reviewers got excited about, but one was discontinued and the other's reviews seemed to be faked. I considered the $104 model (I'm cheap); but decided ultimately to splurge and get the Drive 60 USA LMT 6" (for about $160)
From my initial use, I am very impressed and even almost delighted with the unit. Unfortunately, the software that must be installed on Windows in order to download and update the maps and software is very poorly done, not intuitive, and not easy to figure out.
For example, the software might say "Installation complete" at the top of the screen and then "ready to download" in the middle of the screen. I might have downloaded the same thing three times because of these confusing messages. Then, while I was just wandering around the tabs and scrolling windows, I came across a message with a fat red line, saying, "You're memory is almost full."
The Owner's Manual, which is very poorly arranged and presented, says, in an appendix on page 13, that a memory card can be installed. The instructions say to "insert the memory card into the slot." Oh, and go back to page one to learn where the slot is. Then "press it in until it clicks." There is no indication about how to orient the card--connectors up or down.
I also have been unable to find how to check too see if the amount of memory has changed.
The most common use I have had for a GPS Navigation system is to find an address. Get the address of Joe and Jane's house. I must be an oddball because, even though "Navigating to Your Location" starts on page 3, "Finding an address" doesn't show up until page 7, and then is treated perfunctorily.
Tip for using address searching. I had to engage in a chat session to learn this, so once again the manual failed me. During an address search, if, when the address is found, you have the bottom (Map) tap selected, you will not be told the city name of the address you had put in. Select the top tab (with the magnifying lens) and you will find the city listed.
By the way, the chat guy was very helpful. So I give customer service / technical support an A.
Bottom line: I, at this early point, highly recommend the Drive 60. I will update this review as time goes on.
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
Thermostat Replacement Errors and Attempts and Troubleshooting
I'm not normally into self-humiliation, but for the good of mankind, I am willing to expose my thoughtlessness in this case.
It all began when my mother-in-law told my wife that her thermostat was too complicated to understand. I did some quick research for an ordinary, simple thermostat and ended up buying the Honeywell RTH5100B. It is a non-programmable unit, where you simply press the up button when you want the room warmer and the down button to make the room colder. During setup, you tell the thermostat whether or not you want it change automatically from heat to cool. I did.
Error 1. I neglected to turn the system off at the circuit breaker (or the switch on the furnace unit) before I started unscrewing the old thermostat.
Consequence of Error 1. Two of the thermostat wired touched together and made a tiny spark. Unbeknownst to me, a fuse inside the forced air unit was fried out of its mind, giving its life as a sacrifice to protect the valuable electronics in the furnace, and to save the bacon of the idiot doing the repair.
Error 2. In this old house, I assumed without checking, that the gas furnace was just a simple gas furnace. I didn't know what that extra brown wire was for, connected to the W2 terminal.
Consequence of Error 2. Of course, nothing worked with the fuse blown. I ended up calling Honeywell. The representative said that the brown wire on W2 meant that the furnace had two-stage heat and that the RTH5100B would not support that. So I had to buy a new thermostat, the RTH6360 series, the purchased model being RTH6306001002. At some point in the process, I learned about the fuse, maybe from the Honeywell rep or from the documentation. Home Depot helped here by supplying replacement fuses ( I bought several).
Error 3. I installed the new thermostat (turning off the power first) and wired it up as indicated in the manual. It was a warm day, so I turned on the AC and lo and behold, the system started up and ran fine. So I congratulated myself, packed up my tools and took off--without checking the heat function.
Consequence of Error 3. I got a call the next day with the news that the heat did not come on. I drove on over and checked the wiring, the circuit breaker panel, the furnace switch, and the programming. I couldn't get it work.
Error 4. I left the installation manual at home, so I didn't have the codes to double check the system setup.
Consequences of Error 4. I was limited in what I could check. I tried to use my cell phone to get on the Web and find the manual, but it was hopeless. So I basically wasted the trip.
So now I made list of things to check not make assumptions about:
1. Check to see that the connections of the wires are tight and that they are all metal to wire, with no wire insulation preventing a connection. (Make sure the connecting screw didn't accidentally push down on the insulation instead of the wire itself.)
2. Check to see whether the furnace is high efficiency or standard. High efficiency has plastic pipe vents (white PVC or black ABS), and standard has metal vents. I recall now that the thermostat selection in setup required a choice between the two types. Its default is for high efficiency. If the furnace is standard efficiency, change that setting in setup.
3. Check the connection between R1 and RC (sometimes labeled RH and RC). The RTH6360 does not use jumpers between R1 and RC because there is an internal connection made by sliding a small switch inside the thermostat. Check to see if the switch is in the right position for a one R wire (position is UP) and that there is continuity between the two. (I put a short piece of wire in each of the sockets for R and RC to check.)
Results:
1. All connections proper.
2. Furnace is standard efficiency, so I set the thermostat to match that.
3. R1 and RC are properly connected to each other and the switch is in the right position.
So I called Honeywell and spoke to a technical assistant. We went through the configuration settings. Then he had me connect the control wires R1 and W together, bypassing the thermostat and sending power directly to the furnace logic board. We waited ten minutes. (By the way, the furnace interlock switch worked, and thermostat clicked, the furnace clicked and I had turned the power back on. The green "heartbeat" light blinked as normal. But no furnace.)
So now it's time for some YouTube research.
It seems that the inducer fan motor might be the problem. Will have to check it out.
Error 5. I didn't check the extremely unlikely. When I got back to the furnace, I checked and rechecked everything. I read the panel notes and discovered a way to run a test cycle by shorting between a TEST post and one other wire. The inducer fan started, the igniter glowed, the fan came on. Seemed as if everything worked. Frustrated, I put the old thermostat back on, since I thought that the system was working before. No luck. I just couldn't figure out what the problem could be. So humiliated for the third time, I left. On the way home, I thought, "Maybe I should have checked for continuity of the W wire." But how likely is it that a thermostat wire would be broken? And the W wire, at that? And none of the others? Yeah, right." You can see where this is going.
Weary of failure and humiliation, I called a professional furnace repair company. George went over the things I had gone over and then checked for the continuity of the W wire. It was open. George didn't have any thermostat wire, so he called Albert, who came over and ran the new wire. He had to climb into the attic to achieve this, so I consoled myself with the thought that, even if I had figured out the problem, I couldn't do the attic work (not as young and limber as I used to be), so I would have had to call a pro anyway.
So the furnace works now. And now I know that the unlikely does happen. Should I therefore start buying lottery tickets?
P.S. The thermostat works very well.
It all began when my mother-in-law told my wife that her thermostat was too complicated to understand. I did some quick research for an ordinary, simple thermostat and ended up buying the Honeywell RTH5100B. It is a non-programmable unit, where you simply press the up button when you want the room warmer and the down button to make the room colder. During setup, you tell the thermostat whether or not you want it change automatically from heat to cool. I did.
Error 1. I neglected to turn the system off at the circuit breaker (or the switch on the furnace unit) before I started unscrewing the old thermostat.
Consequence of Error 1. Two of the thermostat wired touched together and made a tiny spark. Unbeknownst to me, a fuse inside the forced air unit was fried out of its mind, giving its life as a sacrifice to protect the valuable electronics in the furnace, and to save the bacon of the idiot doing the repair.
Error 2. In this old house, I assumed without checking, that the gas furnace was just a simple gas furnace. I didn't know what that extra brown wire was for, connected to the W2 terminal.
Consequence of Error 2. Of course, nothing worked with the fuse blown. I ended up calling Honeywell. The representative said that the brown wire on W2 meant that the furnace had two-stage heat and that the RTH5100B would not support that. So I had to buy a new thermostat, the RTH6360 series, the purchased model being RTH6306001002. At some point in the process, I learned about the fuse, maybe from the Honeywell rep or from the documentation. Home Depot helped here by supplying replacement fuses ( I bought several).
Consequence of Error 3. I got a call the next day with the news that the heat did not come on. I drove on over and checked the wiring, the circuit breaker panel, the furnace switch, and the programming. I couldn't get it work.
Error 4. I left the installation manual at home, so I didn't have the codes to double check the system setup.
Consequences of Error 4. I was limited in what I could check. I tried to use my cell phone to get on the Web and find the manual, but it was hopeless. So I basically wasted the trip.
So now I made list of things to check not make assumptions about:
1. Check to see that the connections of the wires are tight and that they are all metal to wire, with no wire insulation preventing a connection. (Make sure the connecting screw didn't accidentally push down on the insulation instead of the wire itself.)
2. Check to see whether the furnace is high efficiency or standard. High efficiency has plastic pipe vents (white PVC or black ABS), and standard has metal vents. I recall now that the thermostat selection in setup required a choice between the two types. Its default is for high efficiency. If the furnace is standard efficiency, change that setting in setup.
3. Check the connection between R1 and RC (sometimes labeled RH and RC). The RTH6360 does not use jumpers between R1 and RC because there is an internal connection made by sliding a small switch inside the thermostat. Check to see if the switch is in the right position for a one R wire (position is UP) and that there is continuity between the two. (I put a short piece of wire in each of the sockets for R and RC to check.)
Results:
1. All connections proper.
2. Furnace is standard efficiency, so I set the thermostat to match that.
3. R1 and RC are properly connected to each other and the switch is in the right position.
So I called Honeywell and spoke to a technical assistant. We went through the configuration settings. Then he had me connect the control wires R1 and W together, bypassing the thermostat and sending power directly to the furnace logic board. We waited ten minutes. (By the way, the furnace interlock switch worked, and thermostat clicked, the furnace clicked and I had turned the power back on. The green "heartbeat" light blinked as normal. But no furnace.)
So now it's time for some YouTube research.
It seems that the inducer fan motor might be the problem. Will have to check it out.
Error 5. I didn't check the extremely unlikely. When I got back to the furnace, I checked and rechecked everything. I read the panel notes and discovered a way to run a test cycle by shorting between a TEST post and one other wire. The inducer fan started, the igniter glowed, the fan came on. Seemed as if everything worked. Frustrated, I put the old thermostat back on, since I thought that the system was working before. No luck. I just couldn't figure out what the problem could be. So humiliated for the third time, I left. On the way home, I thought, "Maybe I should have checked for continuity of the W wire." But how likely is it that a thermostat wire would be broken? And the W wire, at that? And none of the others? Yeah, right." You can see where this is going.
Weary of failure and humiliation, I called a professional furnace repair company. George went over the things I had gone over and then checked for the continuity of the W wire. It was open. George didn't have any thermostat wire, so he called Albert, who came over and ran the new wire. He had to climb into the attic to achieve this, so I consoled myself with the thought that, even if I had figured out the problem, I couldn't do the attic work (not as young and limber as I used to be), so I would have had to call a pro anyway.
So the furnace works now. And now I know that the unlikely does happen. Should I therefore start buying lottery tickets?
P.S. The thermostat works very well.
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