Several residents have called the Millgrove Wood Shop to ask questions that should be submitted to the Ask the Woodchucks email. The phone in the wood shop is usually answered by the foreman on duty. This takes his attention away from watching that members use the equipment safely. We know from experience that there are no quick questions. Many of the questions submitted require research. We use members of the wood shop who are electricians, plumbers, and carpenters who can answer some of the questions; others are researched on the internet. Some require watching a YouTube video to see how to repair an appliance we may not have.
Please give us a chance to properly research your question by submitting it in an email to the Ask the Woodchucks gmail account.
911 flasher switch
This column is now in its tenth year, and one item that is in the top five asked about is the 911 flasher switch that came with each Sun City house. Houses built before 2004 have a switch built by Leviton. They no longer make that switch. Houses built after 2004 have Pass and Seymour switches. If you need a replacement these switches are still available.
As different technology lightbulbs were introduced to reduce power consumption, questions came into the column about problems with the lights. Some pulsed, some would not turn on and some flashed continuously. The original incandescent bulbs worked fine. When compact florescent bulbs (CFL) were introduced questions started. When light emitting diode bulbs (LED) were introduced many more emails came in with problems. I was able to duplicate some of these problems but was not able to find a reason or a solution. Last week I received the answer from one of my resources, Larry Bernstein of Larry’s Home Maintenance.
I have been asked why some LED bulbs work and others don’t with the 911 flasher switch. Finally, we have an answer. The switch has a minimum wattage requirement. There must be at least 25 watts of load on the switch for it to work properly in the steady on and the flasher modes. Houses that only have 2 exterior lamps will not have the minimum wattage (25w) as the average LED bulb uses only 9 watts each, for a 60-watt equivalent bulb.
If you are having problems with CFL or LED light bulbs not performing properly in your outdoor light fixtures try replacing one of your bulbs with an incandescent bulb, either 25w or 40w. This will increase the load on this circuit to over the 25w required for your 911 flasher switch to work properly.
Question: Two of my Merillat kitchen cabinet doors will not close completely. They open slightly after being closed. Is there a way to adjust the hinges so that they remain shut?
Answer: The hinges on your cabinets have springs built into each hinge. These springs lose their elasticity over time and no longer close the cabinet doors. There is no adjustment that will solve your problem; however, Merillat will replace any hinges for the original homeowner that no longer work. If you are not the original homeowner, you can purchase hinges online by visiting here and searching for hinges or by emailing merillatconsumer@mascocabinetry.com.
Tip: If you usually change the batteries in your smoke alarms on New Years Day, but didn’t get to it this year, be sure to do it this week.
If you have suggestions for future tips or have questions about maintenance around your home submit them to ask.the.woodchucks@gmail.com
