FreeLists / homeclinic / [homeclinic] Here's Your DRSNews!

[Dave Harnish <drs@xxxxxxxxxx>]

The DRS News
  July - August 2002

Dear Homeclinic Friends,

Welcome to your current issue of the DRSNews!
This eNewsletter is published monthly, and sent ONLY by request. 

You are subscribed as: homeclinic@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To unsubscribe please see the instructions at the end of this message.

I sincerely hope these notes will be of value to you by supplying useful 
appliance information, 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

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In this issue:

1)  Another recall announcement from Whirlpool
2)  Icemaker connection tubing: Copper vs. Plastic
3)  Refrigerator feverish? How to "take its temperature"
4)  Beware! More email nastiness

1)  Whirlpool has just announced another recall; this one concerns 
24 inch gas (only - electric not affected) "Thin Twin" stack washer/dryer 
units manufactured between 1/00 and 5/02.  It involves a relatively 
small number of units - around 17,000 - but because the potential for 
overheating exists, we're concerned that these are all found ASAP.  No 
injuries or property damage have been reported to date, and that's the 
way we'd like to keep it.  Units in question carry the Whirlpool, Kenmore, 
and GE  brand names, and in some cases are missing a wiring harness 
clip, or the clip has fallen off.  The problem occurs when the wiring this 
clip is supposed to hold in place contacts the heater box and melts.

Model numbers involved: 

Whirlpool:  LTG5243DZQ, ..DT3, ..DQ2, ..DQ3, ..DT2
GE "Spacemaker":  WSM2480TBAWW, ..TCAWW
Kenmore "Laundry Center": 110.98752792

Note that only SOME of these are affected, depending on serial number. 
If you own any of these, please visit Whirlpool at:  
www.repair.whirlpool.com  or call them toll-free: 866-251-1607

2)  This time of year we see too much water leakage and resultant floor 
damage due to refrigerator water supplies connected with plastic tubing.  
If mice don't chew through it first, the plastic will crack with age. The 
leak may start small, often damaging the floor before you notice it. It's 
easy tubing to run, but it WILL "get" you, and there's just never a good 
time for this tubing to leak.  I can't stress it enough: only use refrigeration-
grade copper tubing for this - you'll be glad you did!  Beware "water line" 
copper and some icemaker hookup kits sold for this purpose; the tubing 
walls are thinner and it just doesn't last as long.  Any plumbing/heating 
supply will have rolls of 1/4" OD refrig copper in stock, and though a bit 
more expensive, this will usually last for several decades (2-3 
refrigerators these days)!

3)  "My Refrigerator isn't keeping my food cold enough."  Feels like 
I've heard that at least 10 times/day the last few weeks!  So what's "cold 
enough", you ask? Well, the inside temps we're looking for are around 
40F refrig, and 0-5F freezer.  And what's the best way to check them?  
The best way these days is with an IR thermometer, one of the 
slickest tools ever invented for the appliance servicer!  Open the door, 
point the laser and "shoot", and in about a second the temp pops up in 
the display.  Used to be very expensive, but these days one can be had 
for under $100, a great tool at a great price if you need fast, accurate 
temp tests on just about anything. (And guys, it makes a great stocking-
stuffer - drop a few hints!).  

PS - any of you "handies" that have experience with the IR units: 
email us your various uses for them, and we'll put them together in 
a future issue.

Barring an IR unit, the old pickle-jar method still works fine.  Pull that PJ 
out of the back of the refrig (not off the door shelf).  I like the PJ because 
I assume it's been in there a while, and probably not sitting on the counter 
recently.  Be sure to use an accurate thermometer - a mercury or digital 
one will work. To check its accuracy, stir some ice-water with it. The closer 
it reads to 32F, the better.  Stir your Gherkins for 1/2 minute or so, and 
you'll get an accurate product temperature, which is what you want rather 
than air temperature, which immediately starts to rise when the door's 
opened and can vary widely.  

BTW, for you pickle-lovers, it's OK to eat all the pickles and leave the 
juice (you know who you are!)  Tell your spouse you need to leave it in 
there for temperature tests <grin>.
  
Oh, and don't rely on those inexpensive dial thermometers that hang 
on a shelf; they just aren't accurate enough for refrigerator use. They also 
are reading air temp, which we don't want.

OK, a freezer temp test takes a little longer, but is about as simple.  Just 
be sure to stuff the thermometer between food packages so you're reading 
product vs. air temp.  Or (if it's your own) stab the ice cream - digital, 
probe type thermometers are great for this.  Leave it in there 10 minutes 
or so for an accurate reading.  Again, you're looking for 0-5F. 
(If there's any doubt, or you can't find your thermometer, open and stab it 
with a spoon. The "spoon test" may have to be repeated quite a few times 
for accuracy, though).

Tip: Icemakers contain their own thermostat, and require proper freezer 
temps to operate.  If yours isn't making any ice, and the ice cream's getting 
soft, the temperature's probably 12-15F or above, and that's not good!

4)  Again this month, here's a subject a little off-topic, but I wanted to save 
you the hassle several of our friends have experienced with this.  A very 
clever form of email 'virus' is going around, and unlike most viruses which 
automatically cause damage when an attachment is opened, this so-called 
'virus' is self-inflicted. It simply fools you into deleting essential files 
from your hard drive, which can do serious damage.

McAfee and Norton will not find this 'virus' simply because it's not an 
actual virus. It's just a trick to make you damage your own computer. 

A word to the wise... if you EVER get an email that tells you to manually 
delete something from your hard drive, DON'T DO IT!


Well, that's it for this month.  Thanks once again for subscribing; I'm really 
enjoying this and sincerely hope you are too! Remember to keep sending 
me your suggestions for topics you'd like to see addressed here.  We've 
had some good ones, and look forward to sharing them with you.

May the Lord richly bless you and yours,

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

"A God who is small enough for our mind 
is not big enough for our need." - C. Missler

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