some larger than code fuse values
Real fuses, not breakers? So that means the wiring is more than 55 years old? I guess that is consistent with no separate earth on the circuits.
some larger than code fuse values
House is old and cheaply built****. The old fuse box has Edison base fuses. I have replaced all the too large branch circuit fuses with 15A fast blow fuses. I have a smoke detector but rather not have a house fire to test it.Real fuses, not breakers? So that means the wiring is more than 55 years old? I guess that is consistent with no separate earth on the circuits.
Even though the lamp appears to have a ceramic base it did not like continuous duty operation inside a closed air duct, despite plenty of air flow.
worry can be useful, but I do not see much dust accumulation or fire risk. I also run conventional air cleaners in my house.Hmmm ... not being critical, but I wonder about the propriety of enclosing a light bulb in a closed space with a substantial amount of dust nearby ... but then maybe I am more of a worrier than a warrior.![]()
My old black mold problem is pretty much under control after years of mitigation efforts. My strongest weapon is dehumidification. When black mold is dying it releases massive amounts of spores but I am well past that stage. I am not looking for 100% but over time running indoor air past any amount of UVc radiation will reduce the microbial load. I had a similar size (25W CFL UVc) lamp that also made some ozone, but that ozone was clearly too irritating to circulate in my home air. I now use that 25W UVc+ozone bulb for sanitizing my beer fermenter. The replacement 15W UVc lamp should run proportionately cooler.Are you sure the lower wattage bulb emits sufficient UV to truly sanitize the air as it moves through the duct?
I have a wall switch that can cut off the blower, and a 3 position blower speed switch on the blower (basically capacitors wired in series with the fan motor).The lamp is wired in parallel with the blower, so lamp is on only when the blower is on.I presume you the old bulb was on all the time ... but was air being forced through the duct all the time? Were there times when the heat pump or fan were off?
It is not completely clear why the old lamp fell apart. UV light can destroy some plastics, and prolonged high temperature can degrade anything. One tidbit, the lamp is mounted horizontally FWIW. Perhaps the light/heat degraded the adhesive holding the fluorescent glass tubes to the ceramic base.Fascinating idea ... Neat notion, as long as the bulb is a) cool enough, and b) has sufficient oomph to really sanitize the air passing through the duct.
Another possible variation is disconnecting the input duct that is now drawing cooled/heated air from my main room, so it could draw air directly from the bathroom and dump it into my bedroom that now has excess heating/cooling capacity.Fun stuff. James
My pour over coffee rig is a Rube Goldberg hodge podge of several components from different coffee makers combined together to make what I consider "good" coffee.
I thought they took those filters off the market because of some kind of toxic problem with them.PS: Ideally I'd like to just replace the old clog prone metal filter, but it is no longer available, or at least I couldn't find one for sale.
another reason to replace it....I thought they took those filters off the market because of some kind of toxic problem with them.
Pour over coffee brewing is like a multi-variate equation with too many variables. Extraction of goodness and badness from coffee grounds depends upon temperature and duration (time) the grounds are in contact with hot water (not to mention fineness or coarseness of grounds).
I observed today while rinsing out my recently cleaned paperless melita pour-over filter that it appeared to be clogging up again.
No problem, I have two different paperless cone filters on order to experiment with.
slower flow through, caused over extraction that reveals more bitterness notes than the quicker flow through using metal first.
I like to say that life is too short to tolerate inferior beverages. Thats why I make my own beer and coffee.Yes ... but you are STILL working too hard at this !!!![]()
I do not obsess. My coffee making routine is pretty much on automatic pilot. I have a temperature regulated kettle that delivers 1 liter of 200' water quickly.My recipe:
* Pour 7 oz (220 g) of 190-195 degree F water over* 1.5 tablespoon (rounded tablespoon - 15-17 g) fine grind coffee,* brew/soak grounds 2 - 2.5 minutes.
It is just hot water run through ground coffee for around two minutes - longer if you want more caffeine. It only gets complicated if you obsess over it !![]()
I haven't tweaked my grind coarseness for a long time I have a decent burr grinder that works well.Yep - too finely ground clogs both paper and paperless, which IS an aggravation.
I am not aware of coffee grounds clogging a sink, while I dump mine into my compost heap. Along with the paper filters since they are biodegradable too.Cool beans. I use paper filters because paperless holders are too dag blamed hard to clean without rinsing spent grounds down the sink (which eventually clogs the drain.)
I use the cheapest I can find.Paper is so much more convenient, just drop in the trash bin. I use the natural, non-bleached type.
I have a nice Japanese tea pot but don't drink much hot tea in this weather.I ALSO BREW LOOSE TEA the same way.
Preaching to the chiorYep - Right - Once again, timing is the essence of good comedy!
BOTTOM LINE - it turns on 1) sourcing good beans with the right roast level, 2) correct grind, and 3) optimum brew time. As I roast my own beans, I control all variables and get what I like every day.
or ask him where he gets his? I buy my green beans from Sweet Marias, a major importer located in Oakland (was Seattle). He buys great coffee from all around the world and charges fair prices.If you don't roast your own, the key is sourcing a good blend of beans properly roasted at an affordable price. As I hate paying big money for anything simple, I source green beans from a local commercial roaster for around $7 a lb. He charges $16 a lb for roasted coffee - so I get the same result for lower cost ... allowing better bourbon.
Roger wilco.Good luck with your new filter holders! Tell us what you get and how they work out.
James
As promised I just finished my first brew using a new metal filter. Objectively it seems to empty slightly slower which should result in slightly more extraction (stronger coffee). Subjectively it tastes a little stronger but still good.
Good luck with your new filter holders! Tell us what you get and how they work out.
James
I am bailing on the slow draining metal filter, I could have reduced the number of grounds but it is harder to clean because of the slow draining ...My new slow draining metal filter is harder to clean without letting grounds go down the kitchen sink... I'll see how that works out.
JR
People typically underestimate the engineering content inside cheap drip coffee makers. The heater that boils water generally pushes it up through a narrow plastic tube to drip out above the coffee grounds. If they manage it right, the water dripping out has cooled down into the 200' ballpark for optimal extraction.Coffee makers. I love them and hate them. They don't last and by the time they break you may or may not be able to find parts to fix. They aren't cheap anymore for new ones. I have Crux 14 cup unit that has been good for 10 years! Then.....intermittent percolate or none at all. Opened up the controls and found a single 100uf 16v electrolytic. Replaced with a 100uf 25v I had on hand. Works like a charm again. About 20 minutes of work. This is not typical as the last two couldn't be fixed. I saved a place in the landfill and about $100 for a new unit.
I'm old school. I try to fix everything before tossing. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose but most of time I come out as a winner.
Coffee makers. I love them and hate them. They don't last and by the time they break you may or may not be able to find parts to fix.
I'm old school. I try to fix everything before tossing. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose but most of time I come out as a winner.
People typically underestimate the engineering content inside cheap drip coffee makers. The heater that boils water generally pushes it up through a narrow plastic tube to drip out above the coffee grounds.
I am a fan of using UV light to control undesirable microbes. I even located a CFL UVc bulb (similar to the image) inside the 8" air duct circulating air from my main room to my back bedroom.
Pour over coffee brewing is like a multi-variate equation with too many variables. Extraction of goodness and badness from coffee grounds depends upon temperature and duration (time) the grounds are in contact with hot water (not to mention fineness or coarseness of grounds).
The UVc + ozone is uncomfortable to use inside my air duct because of the ozone, but I use the 25w UVc+ozone bulb to sanitize my glass beer brewing fermenter, I have it on an X hour timer.My wife and I bought a couple of fairly large ozone generators to nix the cigarette smell in her Dad's house after he passed away. We use them in our own home every now and then to kill mold and musty smells, and temporarily clear out the unending spider infestation. I turn the central AC fan on so it'll circulate the air and pull ozone throughout the ductwork, then set the ozonator timers to max and leave for 6 or 8 hours. When we return, we'll open the windows for half an hour or so, and all that remains is a clean smell somewhat like the smell after a really major lightning storm (go figure, lol), but stronger. Works very well.
Been there done that... with french press you can control extraction somewhat by how long you wait before hitting the plunger. Not fun to clean.Have you guys ever tried a French press? You get a really thorough extraction yet it's hard to over-extract because (1) the coffee grounds end up bathed in a relatively saturated solution that prevents a lot of additional extraction, and (2) you need to use a coarse grind anyway. Great flavor and very full body, without bitterness, The only issue is that you do end up with a bit of sediment in the bottom of that last cup if you're not careful.
When I was a yout my mother had a vacuum pot...BTW, that's a NICE espresso machine, James! I'd love to wrap my taste buds around a double shot from that thing... ooh lah lah!
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