Today starts of with a nippy -1 C (30F) and warms up to an almost nice 16 C (60F).
This is a cold from; as you can see things will be warming up in a few days.
It’s good to see my smart mirror is still running perfectly. Sadly we still have a burn ban (lower right) so fires are not allowed. There’s no rain in the forecast for the rest of the year.
The wind was gusty yesterday but that’s gone, so with the clear skies and sun, it will be comfy outside.
As part of deep cleaning, I was cleaning all windows inside and outside. I had finished downstairs and as I was cleaning the upstairs bedroom window, I heard a strange noise coming from downstairs. As I walked down, I saw what was making the noise; a hummingbird had flown through my open door, and was now desperately trying to fly out through the picture window. I reached for it with an index finger for him/her (it’s hard to tell with a hummingbird) and within seconds it was sitting on my index finger. As I walked to the door, the little bird flew away, so luckily it wasn’t hurt.
It just goes to show that there is also a thing as too clean windows. Hopefully no other birds will mistake my picture windows for an opening. All but three windows have screens, so those are never mistaken for openings.
The deck was stained in the color Federal Blue. As that did not show anymore, it was time for a re-staining;
I ran out of stain, so got two new gallons to do the rest.
After replacing the brake pads and the battery, I thought it was time for a less vital, but fun update in light of my upcoming road trip to Big Bend; a new car stereo.
It’s not super fancy, but does have a USB link to my phone, and can play music from it. It is a big upgrade from the original 2001 Ford car stereo with only FM/AM and CD.
No Apple Car Play, but that’s ok, as my iPhone mounts just below the radio, so I can easily see that and use it hands free.
The pellet stove pipe kit arrived today and as I already had the hole in the wall, installation was pretty easy. On the outside it looks like this;
I may extend the pipe upwards a little bit, but this was taken when it was burning so you can see there’s not a lot of smoke. It actually smells quite nice as I’m currently burning Cherry “Fruity and Sweet” pellets that can also be used for the BBQ.
It took about 7 minutes to light up, which also has to do with the auger being empty when starting it
There’s a fan that recirculates living room air and passes through the hot parts of the stove. Right in front of it, it’s the best place if you’re cold.
As it’s 77 F (25C) in here and a little warmer outside I turned it off again. The fan then keeps running but the flames extinguish within a few minutes.
The only downside I can hear so far is the fact that the fan does make some noise, as does the auger. But I’m sure that when it’s cold, anyone will gladly put up with the noise in exchange for a comfortable temperature.
If you’re old enough you’ll know this is a Phil Collins reference. Not only can you hear through the wall, but you can give it a thumbs up;
The stove pipe that will come through this hole is only 3″ but this 8″ hole allows space between the thimble and the wall. Just to be sure, I will also coat the hole with heat resistant tape, as an extra safety layer.
Today the pellet stove was delivered. It’s not installed yet, as the exhaust pipes are still underway, but this is how it will look;
It’s not a huge one, but does come with a remote and an app, as it’s wifi connected. I chose this one because it’s compact and has the exhaust pipe low to the ground, so I don’t have to cut my way through the middle of a 7″ thick cedar wall.
It’s a little odd to be installing a pellet stove this time of year, but like they say; fix the roof when it’s dry, not when it’s raining.
The advantage of my tile floor is that it’s fire proof, so no need to put something under the stove.
The stove comes with a small fresh air hose, that will use outdoor air for combustion. The smoke exits the home through a thimble that runs through the 7″ log wall. A thimble is a double walled pipe to prevent heat coming in contact with the log wall. Once through the wall, the pipe will make a 90 degree turn up and end with a cap to prevent rain or birds entering it.
The big advantage of a pellet stove is that it burns cleaner than a wood stove, and doesn’t require a pipe that extends 3ft above the highest point of the roof, which in my case would be pretty high at around 12 meters. It’s also easier to start;
A simple press on the remote or the app will light it up and within 5 minutes the flames are full.
Then every x seconds, some pellets are dropped into the firepot by an auger.
It’s a little safer and a lot cheaper than a wood fire place, yet has a real fire. Fans blow air that passes the hot sides of the stove, and make it very efficient.
Monday I’m expecting the thimble and pipes, so then I can install it.
Today the front break pads arrived. The old ones were not completely worn, but close enough to the indicator to replace them all.
When the line in the middle is gone, they have to be replaced. Now all brake pads are new again.
On April 1st 2017, I first used the Huntington BBQ. Two years ago I replaced the burner cover with Aluminum, as the original one had rusted away. A few weeks ago I was informed that the BBQ had stopped working, as the electrical ignition was broken. As it turned out, it was a little more work that needed to be done; the picture below explains why.
It shows what was left of the burner, ignition , and on the right the aluminum cover. So I ordered a new ignition, a new burner and a new stainless steel flame cover.
The burner is of a better quality than the original with thicker metal and partly stainless steel. The ignition is at the bottom and will ignite both left and right burners.
The flame cover is nice and thick stainless steel, which should last a lot longer. The vent holes will help better heat distribution.
Fully assembled it looks like this. I can’t wait to initiate it with a nice big steak. 🥩
Last time I was over, I noticed my truck made some grinding noise when driving slow and breaking. It was coming from the rear on the right side. So I ordered some new brake pads to replace the old ones. I never worked on anything mechanical on my truck so I figured I’d be able to 😉
Turns out it was (over)due;
The one on the right is the old one I took out. It was down to 0, so breaking was metal on metal.
My truck did still have a Jack, but no lug wrench, so I ordered one. Getting the wheels off was no easy task; jumping on the wrench with my full body weight (which at 70kg is a modest weight, admittedly) none of the nuts would give. Being not strong nor heavy, but luckily also not stupid, I extended the arm of the wrench, after which the nuts came off easily.
It can be so convenient to have an engineer’s brain and not two left hands.
The left rear wheel went a lot faster, and the pads weren’t as worn either. I guess even breaks are right oriented here 🤣
Now the car runs silent again and the breaks definitely work better. Friday I will receive the front wheel break pads, and I’ll inspect and if needed replace those. They likely have been replaced before, but from the looks of it, the pads on the rear were the original pads from 2001!