Life with Pratts – Page 9 – Prattling before the Pratfall

Exterior Decorating

This is how the patio turned out. Not too big or fancy, but not too small or plain.

We bought those resin chairs for our first house, so they must be at least thirty years old. A resin table we had was damaged in the move, making the metal table less than 25 years old. The umbrella was purchased the day the picture was taken.

To hide the view from under the deck and porch I ordered some curtains that are intended for outdoor installation.

Looking for a way to keep the curtains from sliding back and forth in the wind, I came across these table cloth clamps.

Hidden behind the folds of the curtains, they’re perfect for positioning the panels and holding them in place.

Total Partial Recall

A couple of days ago, a message from Consumer Reports said the Consumer Products Safety Commission has issued this recall notice for dehumidifiers.

https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2023/Gree-Recalls-1-56-Million-Dehumidifiers-Due-to-Fire-and-Burn-Hazards-Reports-of-At-Least-23-Fires

That evening I heard my Frigidaire dehumidifier making a terrible sound. Running downstairs to check it, the fan wasn’t running and the thing was extremely hot. The power button didn’t work, so I pulled out the power cord. After letting it sit overnight, yesterday morning I plugged it back in but didn’t hit the power button, and it did this.

The buzz wasn’t as loud as the noise that caught my attention, but it wasn’t a good sound. After pressing the power button the display flashed “88” and the fan spun up, but the compressor was dead and the buzzing persisted. Purchased nine years ago, I’m just glad it didn’t catch fire. Obviously, it should be one of the recalled units.

But is that particular make and model and serial number on any recall notice, past or present, I could find? Nope, of course not. So I put it in the trunk of my car and paid $40 to drop it off at the local trash and recycling center.

A replacement I ordered from Lowe’s should be here on Monday.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Whirlpool/5013975113

Elsewhere downstairs, a Goldstar (pre-LG brand) dehumidifier I bought in 1989 for our first house continues to work. It clanks when turning on and off, but when running it does what it’s supposed to do.

Fake Plumber at Work – 3

Whew! What a tough, all-day job this was, especially removing the old fixture and drain, but it’s done.

In my previous plumbing-related post I mentioned a tool.

Fake Plumber At Work – 2

It turned out to be a completely useless gimmick, and a total waste of $20. I went out and spent another twenty bucks on a proper plumbing tool, a basin wrench.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-1-1-2-in-Quick-Release-Telescoping-Basin-Wrench-80-546-111/206830601

It wasn’t easy to use, twisting myself into the cramped space under the sink, but it worked.

Saturday Night and Sunday Morning

I’m planning to see Oppenheimer this week. Saturday night’s 3-hour Christopher Nolan movie was Interstellar.

The MoCA Wi-Fi extender worked very well for movie night on the patio, and equally well for using a tablet on the deck Sunday morning. On the screen is a 1952 Atlas war comic story illustrated by Joe Sinnott.