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

From: Dave Harnish <drs@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: homeclinic@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Sat, 08 Mar 2003 19:19:09 -0600
The DRS News
March 2003

Hello Homeclinic'ers,

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

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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)  The 'No Heat' Electric Oven
2)  Every Refrigerator's Built-in System Diagnostics Tool
3)  Thoughts While Shoveling Snow

1)  Thought I'd run through a fast diagnosis procedure 
on an electric oven that's not heating.  This is a pretty 
common problem, and if you're reasonably handy, not 
all that tough to figure out.

First, as always, verify that you have power available. 
Turn on a surface burner and ensure it heats to a nice 
red glow, and you'll know you have the necessary 240V.  
Be aware that it's possible for one side of the 240V supply 
to 'drop out', allowing the surface burners to heat slightly 
and other components to look normal.  But if yours get red 
hot, you know you have 240V.

Next, and I may be dating myself here, but if your range 
uses an analog clock, be sure this is set to 'manual'.  There 
are several different 'manual' and 'time-bake' arrangements, 
but the instructions are usually found on or around the clock 
face.

We have corrected this many, many times over the years 
and saved running a service call by asking about this on 
the phone when receiving a 'no heat' call.  With some ranges 
it's really easy to turn the oven off without realizing it, even 
while cleaning the range, so be sure and check for this if 
your clock is analog.  If your range uses a red light that 
indicates the oven's on - and you're sure it's been working - 
you'll be able to tell when you get the clock set back to 
'MAN', because this indicator will come on (and you'll be a 
hero!).

If your range uses one of the  newer electronic controls and 
it's not displaying any 'error codes', you'll need to progress 
further.

First, power the range down and run your hand over the 
bake element, looking for any rough areas.  If the unit is 
electrically open, you'll *usually* feel and see a burnt area, 
and often this will be obvious. In some cases the element 
will actually be blown apart, and if that describes yours, 
the element is definitely bad!  These aren't expensive; 
most cost between $20 and $30.

But if there's no obvious damage to the element surface, 
we'll continue.

The fastest way to proceed is identical to what we discussed 
on the 'no heat' dryer, and the same 240V test bulb is again 
put to good use.  If you're not comfortable dealing with 240V, 
though, all the usual disclaimers apply - call a technician! 

Power down the range and pull the bake element partway out 
of the oven cavity, usually by removing 2 screws.  Connect 
your 240V bulb to the element terminals, being sure they 
aren't touching the cabinet, and power back up.  Turn the 
oven to 'bake' and watch that bulb.  Light: open bake 
element.  No light: control or wiring problems.  

If there's no voltage to the bake element, you might want to 
power down and remove the range back panel, looking for 
burnt wires. If there doesn't seem to be any wiring damage, 
you're advised to call a pro.

In most cases, you'll find either a burnt terminal (use only 
high temp nickel plated ones) or an open element, and either 
of these are well within the capabilities of a handy homeowner.

2)  Here in the Northeast, we've been somewhat fixated on 
snow this winter, and since 'snow' happens to be the handiest 
tool for refrigeration sealed system diagnosis, I'd like to talk 
about that a bit.

If a refrigerator is 'running but not cooling', or is 'poor 
cooling', and everything seems to be clean and running 
(clean condenser, fans and compressor running), our attention 
turns to the sealed system.

So many times over the years I've looked at a refrig that a 
previous servicer has checked, and found an access valve 
clamped to the suction line (and very often leaking).

When questioned, the owner usually says something like, 
'yes, he had to attach a set of gauges to check the system', 
and I always find it hard not to groan.  Folks, it's just not 
necessary to poke a hole into a refrigerator to get a glance 
at what's going on inside it.  If a tech knows his business 
and is at all interested in being efficient, he'll know this.

If the above conditions describe your refrig or freezer, do 
this: leave it running if you can, and remove whatever covers 
are over the evaporator (cold) coil.  If you see a nice, EVEN 
frost pattern covering the entire coil, even if it's 1in. thick, 
you do NOT have a system problem. It's just that easy!

If only part of the coil is frosted and the rest is bare or only 
wet, you DO have a system problem - leak, restricted, or 
compressor - and these days I usually recommend replacing 
the refrig or freezer.

Wasn't that easy?!

3)  Speaking of snow (it's the main topic around here lately!) 
I noticed something very interesting about it last month.  
Forgive me, this is not related to appliances, but if you're 
the curious type like me, you'll find it food for thought.

On February 18 our forecast called for rain/freezing rain. 
With our nearly flat back porch roof already bearing about 
2 feet of heavy, crusted snow, this forecast worried me a bit.  
So up the ladder I went and spent a leisurely hour shoveling 
it off.

I found it intriguing that there were 5 very distinct layers 
of snow with dark lines separating them, and the lower 
layers generally thinner than the upper ones.  The 5 storms 
that laid down these layers had all visited us within the 
previous 6 weeks, and we had snow up to our windowsills 
for a while!

I can hear you saying 'Wow, now THAT'S really, um, 
interesting, Dave, but you need to get down off the hill more 
often' - and you're right, I do <grin>.  But please bear with 
me, I really do have a point!

The reason this so intrigues me involves memories of my 
high school science classes (yes, I CAN remember that far 
back!).  Textbooks still have articles about drilling ice-cores, 
primarily in Antarctica, and they all describe counting the 
tens of thousands of light/dark 'ANNUAL' rings seen in 
these cores.

This is where I said 'wait a minute'; if these 5 distinct layers 
on my roof were laid down in 6 weeks, maybe those layers 
in ice cores aren't annual, after all!  And maybe it DIDN'T 
take 40,000 years for that Antarctic ice to form...

That's also about the time I remembered a news item about 
'The Lost Squadron' of WWII.  The short version: in 1942, 
a squadron of 6 P-38F Fighters and 2 B-17 bombers was 
forced to land in an isolated area of Greenland.  Vintage 
WWII Aircraft, and, if recovered, would be worth a fortune 
today, and a great legacy to those who flew them!

Trouble was, several expeditions spread over some dozen 
years couldn't locate them. They were finally found in 1992 
using radar and steam probes, buried under 268 feet (!) of 
solid ICE! In only 50 years! I emailed TLS webmaster 
Greg Werner recently and asked about the appearance of 
this ice, and he was kind enough to email a response on 
March 4.

He spoke to expedition manager Bob Cardin about this, 
who replied that, from memory, there were at least 100-150 
obvious layers in the ice as they melted their way down 
and finally retrieved one of the P-38's, now restored and 
flying (!) (also see 'iceringspic.jpg' I've posted below - a 
picture of one of the bore-holes in the ice, and showing 
many 'rings').

The reason I wanted to pursue this is because the Author 
of the Bible has gone to great lengths to make the point 
that our planet is NOT billions, nor even millions, of years 
old, but 'only' about 6,000 years of age!  And if you've 
ever wondered, as I have, about whether these 'annual' 
ice-core rings refute that idea, then my sincere hope is 
that this only strengthens your faith in the Author of the 
world's only 100% trustworthy Book, the Bible.

But please, do what I did.  I didn't take anyone's word on 
ice-cores, and I hope you don't either - check it our for 
yourself.  Oh, and Happy Shoveling!

Resources:
http://www.thelostsquadron.com/museum3.html
http://www.p38lessonplan.com/
http://fixit.fcpages.com/DRSN/iceringspic.jpg

PS - I just read that a program on this recovered P-38, 
'Glacier Girl',  was scheduled for The History Channel 
March 3rd. We don't get the HC, but maybe some of 
you saw it.

Homeclinic'ers, thanks again for subscribing to these 
ramblings; I hope they've been of benefit to you!

God bless you all,

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

***************************************
'Thy Word is true from the beginning: and 
every one of thy righteous judgments endureth 
forever.'     -- Psalm 119:160
***************************************

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

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