FreeLists / homeclinic / [homeclinic] Homeclinic'ers, Here's Your DRSNews!

[Dave Harnish <drs@xxxxxxxxxx>]

The DRS News
May 2003

Hello Homeclinic'ers,

Welcome to the 1st anniversary issue of the DRSNews!
This newsletter is sent once each month, by request only. 
If you enjoy it, you're welcome to tell your friends about it.
They can subscribe by simply emailing us : drs@xxxxxxxxxx 
with the subject 'SubscribeDRSN' & their first name in the text.

You're subscribed as: homeclinic@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Unsubscribe instructions are at the end of this message.

My goal is to supply you with useful appliance information, 
$-saving DIY tips, an occasional encouraging word, and maybe 
even a smile from time to time.  I've wanted to do something 
like this for our friends for many years, and am thrilled to 
finally have the opportunity!  Thanks for subscribing!  
  - Dave Harnish, Dave's Repair Service, New Albany, PA
    Email: drs@xxxxxxxxxx Phone: 570-363-2404
***************************************
In this issue:

1) 'Clutch your belt!' - Top Load Washer Drive Systems
2) Your Personal Invitation to a Valuable Web Seminar
3) Handiest Tools Dept: the Snap-around Ammeter


1) Washer drive systems - belts as clutches:

Many washers today still use a drive belt of one type or another, 
and most of these LOOK like common 'V-belts' that can be 
bought at any auto-parts store.

But: They're NOT!  Be aware that most of these belts also serve 
as the spin *clutch*, and are specially treated so they can endure 
'controlled slippage'. Regular, non-treated belts will *fit* and the 
machine will agitate just fine, but will not slip, and all you'll hear 
is 'hummmm' when the machine tries to spin. 

This applies to those of Maytag manufacture (Maytag, 
Amana/Speed Queen, Norge, Admiral, Magic Chef) as well as 
Frigidaire/Electrolux products (Frigidaire, Gibson, Kelvinator, 
Tappan, Westinghouse)

Trouble is, by the time you hear the dreaded 'hum', the tub's 
already full of soapy water and laundry, and the machine won't 
pump it out because it can't spin with a 'regular' v-belt, designed 
NOT to slip! It agitated just fine, your tools are all put away, and 
you're enjoying the admiring glances of the laundry person, but...

There are a couple of exceptions to the rule. GE/Hotpoints still 
use a spin clutch and regular belt (although on their newest 
'Profile' models, the belt usually slips within 2-3 years anyway - 
from becoming oil-soaked!), and a 'generic' replacement will 
work. But the genuine GE belts are very reasonable and readily 
available. 

I've been desperately searching for something positive to say 
about GE lately <grin>, and here it is: All the GE full-sized 
machines use the same belt, part # WH1X2026.

BTW, if your GE or Hotpoint belt IS oil-soaked, I nearly always 
recommend you replace the machine with another manufacturer's 
product. Shame on GE for the low quality of their current top 
loaders - I know they can do better than this!

Another exception that can confuse the issue: the newer 
Frigidaire products, and some others, are using 'remote' pumps. 
These are small stand-alone pump/motor assemblies that run 
independently of the main motor and belt. This means the 
washer may pump its water out but still not spin if the belt is bad 
or the wrong type installed.

The standard Whirlpool - built top loaders, called 'direct-drives', 
use no belt at all, as you probably figured out from the name. 
They use a rubber and plastic 'coupler' instead. This has been a 
weakness on these otherwise fine washers. But now, after 4 or 5 
revisions of this part, they've hit upon a pretty reliable design, 
the 'triangular' version, part #285753.

2) From the 'Cool Resources' Dept:  

If you haven't yet found the ideal home business, I'd like you to 
consider one that is very low cost, pays extremely well, and 
where the company does all the sales presentations for you so 
you don't have to!
 
You're invited to be my personal guest at a very short Web-based 
Financial Seminar that's coming up --- it's called the 'Quick 
Retirement Seminar' and it's presented by a Chartered Financial 
Consultant. 
 
You can just sit back and watch from home through your 
computer, and it doesn't cost you anything because it's on the 
Internet. There's also a LIVE Question & Answer session 
after the Seminar so you can ask a question, or just sit back 
and listen to other people's questions.
 
The information in this Seminar will be very valuable to you, 
no matter what you decide to do with the business.

All you need to do is visit www.QuickRetirementSeminar.com 
at the scheduled time and then sit back and enjoy.

Here's the schedule
(Eastern Time):

Monday 9:00 AM, 3:00 PM, 9:00 PM 
Tuesday 9:00 AM, 3:00 PM, 9:00 PM 
Thursday 9:00 AM, 3:00 PM, 9:00 PM, 11:00 PM 

Remember, after the seminar you'll have a chance to get 
any questions you have answered.

(I love this company, and can't endorse it highly enough!)

3) And from the 'Handiest Tools Dept: 

The 'Snap-Around' Ammeter
It's surprising just how handy this tool is. Use it for fast 
diagnosis of most anything electrical. I use mine most often to 
quickly check dryers. If I read approx. 22A on one 'leg' of the 
supply, for example, I know there's 240V present and can be 
pretty sure the heating element is working OK. With the older, 
two-element GE's, for example, this is the quickest way to see 
if one of the two coils might be open or grounded, a common 
problem.

To read very small current values, wrap the wire under test 
through the jaws more than once. Then divide the reading by 
the no. of wraps. 

As an aside, when I was a teenager, the operating principle of 
this tool inspired me to design a cool little device to tap into my 
older sister's private phone line from our basement, without 
making a 'click'. (Oh my, the conversations I heard! Hope 
nobody ever tells her!)

As in our previous 'survey' of wet-vac uses, I'm looking for 
tips on uses for your ammeter. So any of you 'techies' out there, 
tell us how you use yours and we'll publish all of them in a future 
issue. Maybe a month or two before Christmas - these make 
terrific stocking stuffers <wink, wink>!


---

Thanks so much for allowing me into your inbox again this 
month. I hope you're enjoying reading this project half as much 
as I'm enjoying sharing it with you.  What great friends we're 
making through this cool medium!

May the Lord bless you, and may He continue to bless America.

Your friend,

Dave Harnish 
Dave's Repair Service
New Albany, PA
drs@xxxxxxxxxx
(570) 363-2404

***************************************
'Better is a little with righteousness 
than great revenues without right.' 
-- Prov. 16:8  
***************************************

A Big DRS 'Thank You' to Our Sponsors:

Our Product: The Joy of a Debt-Free Life!
www.RetireQuickly.com/26556
(Get Your FREE REPORT Yet?)

The 'Silent Sales Machine' Hiding on Bay:
(This WORKS, folks!!)
http://hop.clickbank.net/?birdguy/silentsale

Postmaster - The Ultimate in Automation! 
Free Demo Download:
www.post-master.net/rs/DLH

***************************************

The DRSNews is sent by 'opt-in' request only.
Your name and email address are held in strictest 
confidentiality and will never be shared with anyone.

To unsubscribe anytime, (no hard feelings!), click: 
mailto:drs@xxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribeDRSN

Or send us a blank email: drs@xxxxxxxxxx
with 'unsubscribe DRSN' in the 'Subject' line





********************************************************************
To unsubscribe send 'unsubscribe homeclinic'in subject line to    
Ecartis@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
View the Archives at http://freelists.org/archives/homeclinic
********************************************************************