The kind folks over at Kohler’s bath products division (about whom I’ve had nice things to say in the past) were generous enough to recently send me one of their new Moxie wireless speaker shower heads for evaluation and review. Kohler states that Moxie allows you to “Shower out Loud” by letting you listen to music from your smartphone (or tablet, or laptop, or anything else that can play music and has Bluetooth) while in the shower — without needing to wrap your phone in a plastic Zip-lock bag (yes… I’ve tried that, and yes… it works).

Here’s their 16 second teaser spot to make you want one:

So, who’s the perfect customer for a Moxie? While geeks (like me) make up a worthy potential target market for Bluetooth shower heads, I thought of at least one other market segment that might want this product even more: teenage girls who listen to One Direction… all day… every day. And since my 16 year-old daughter Brooklyn happens to fit that description perfectly, I enlisted her help in testing out the Moxie for this review. Normally, Brooklyn plays her music via her iPhone’s built-in speaker, and rests her phone on the bathroom counter during her showers. So when I asked her if she’d be interested in letting me install a shower head in her bathroom that actually let her play One Direction in her shower, I got an enthusiastic “YES!” in reply.

Let’s get some standard product review stuff out of the way first. Kohler’s part number for the 2.5 gallon-per-minute Moxie is K-9245, but you can also pick one up that’s rated at 2.0 GPM. The Moxie retails for $199, but you can find them on Amazon for around $150. The shower head portion comes in four available finish colors, none of which will surprise you: oil rubbed bronze, polished chrome, vibrant brushed nickel, and white. However, the Moxie is actually made up of two separate pieces: a shower head with a concave void and a “sound capsule” that’s the actual speaker (which magnetically fits into the concave void in the shower head). The sound capsule’s standard color is white, but you can coordinate your bathroom with four additional sound capsule colors, which you can see in this 30 second spot. But before you press play, I triple-dog-dare you to crank up your computer’s speakers all the way and press your nose right up to the screen. Unless you’re prone to seizures from Wang Chung videos, in which case you should keep your distance.

As with most Kohler products, the shower head has a lifetime limited warranty (and Kohler has never let me down with their warranties in the past), while the sound capsule only comes with a one year warranty (and that’s probably because it’s a speaker that lives in your shower).

Before diving into the guts of my review, I couldn’t help but post some of Kohler’s marketing photos for the Moxie. It’s clear their messaging is that the Moxie will turn your shower into a full on dance party, and that if you’re really cool, you don’t shower nude:

When is the last time you rocked out this hard in the shower?

Clearly, this photo confirms that you can indeed rock out to Mötley Crüe’s Shout at the Devil at full volume in the shower, but you’ll make a huge mess if you don’t rinse out all the conditioner before you commence with the head banging. Unfortunately, Brooklyn was unwilling to re-create the above shot for our review, so my product photos of the Moxie are much more boring:

My boring Moxie product shot.

Oh, and those channel lock pliers don’t come in the box. I just had them handy in anticipation of my install, and they snuck into the photo. So to apologize, here’s another look at what Kohler says “shower time” will look like with Moxie installed:

Shower time is fun time!

And here’s what I say your “shower time” will look like with Moxie installed:

No red-headed models were inconvenienced during the making of this photo.

Also, keep in mind that you should always coordinate your hair color, watch, towel, and shower graphics:

Choosing your shower time playlist.

OK, I’ve poked enough fun at Kohler’s marketing team, which I probably shouldn’t do since they hooked me up with a free shower head.

Removing our old old shower head (which was also a Kohler) and installing the Moxie was a 5 minute job with my channel locks (although a Crescent wrench would work fine, too). I made sure to reapply fresh Telfon tape before attaching the new shower head to reduce the chance of a leak. Once in place, the shower head portion looks and works pretty much like a regular shower head, with the spray pattern providing good water pressure.

The Moxie base was installed easily.

For my readers who are picky, yes… you can see in this shot that the existing shower hardware is brushed nickel, and my review Moxie was polished chrome. I wasn’t about to call up Kohler’s PR group and complain that the free shower head they’d sent me didn’t match my existing hardware’s finish, so let’s ignore that minor cosmetic detail and focus on the actual product.

Before popping in the sound capsule and cranking up the tunes, we needed to plug the capsule in to charge. The Moxie sound capsule’s mini-USB charging port is hidden on the rear of the unit, under a round rubber cover. The charging cord is a standard USB to mini-USB cable, which came in the box. The box didn’t contain an actual plug that goes into a wall, but that’s not really a big deal, since you can charge it from your computer’s USB port, or from any USB charging plug… of which most potential owners of this product probably already have a plethora. I plugged mine into an Apple wall charger, and after six hours, the blue indicator light on front of the sound capsule (which doubles as a power and sync button) was still flashing, indicating that the unit was still charging. I left it overnight, and the light was solid blue (indicating a full charge) in the morning. So I don’t know exactly how long the initial charge took, but just be prepared to plug it in overnight the first time, or if it ever goes completely dead.

Once the sound capsule was charged, syncing it with a Bluetooth device was as straightforward as any other such gadget: hold down the button until it beeps, look for “Moxie” in your device’s Bluetooth setup screen, then connect to it. Then, if you’re using an iPhone (as we did), you can press the AirPlay button to select the Moxie as an output device.

As far as music quality goes, it’s fine… as long as you set your expectations reasonably. It’s a single speaker, and you’re playing it in your shower. Audiophiles are not the intended customer. It sounds way louder and better than your phone’s built in speakers, and can be heard easily over the spray of the shower head. Also, I don’t see any reason you couldn’t take the sound capsule out of the shower and use it like any other portable Bluetooth speaker… except that the conical design makes it prone to rolling around on anything other than a perfectly flat surface.

After letting Brooklyn “shower out loud” with the Moxie for a couple of days (emphasis on the “loud”), I asked her for her feedback. “It’s cool” were the first words out of her mouth, which is high praise from any teenager. However, not everything was perfect, and she did have some suggestions for improvement.

First, Brooklyn didn’t like the fact that the Moxie has no volume control. The volume can be controlled only via the playback device (an iPhone, in her case), and so changing the volume involves getting out of the shower and handling your smartphone while you’re wet. She also didn’t like that it had no track selection abilities. You can’t skip tracks or fast forward with the Moxie, since the only button on the device is the power/sync button. And speaking of the power button, if you forget to turn it off when you get out of the shower, the Moxie stays on until it runs its battery dead (which takes about 7 hours per our testing). A device like this really should have an auto-off feature when it senses no audio source for a few minutes. Finally, Brooklyn wasn’t crazy about the fact that  you have to remember to remove the sound capsule to recharge it. I explained to her that any in-shower speakers were probably going to require the same… but my fellow geek and buddy DaveQ had another suggestion. Dave wondered why the Moxie couldn’t have been designed to allow the pressurized water flowing through the shower head to charge the device hydro-electrically, like water flowing through a hydro-electric dam. Of course, that would increase the price of the Moxie, but it would solve that problem… and raise the Moxie to an even higher level of geeky “wow” factor. Version 2.0 maybe?

Bottom line, the Moxie is a shower head with a Bluetooth speaker. It will allow you to sing in the shower with a better background track, practice your close-quarters dance moves, or not miss a single second of your favorite “Morning Zoo” radio show.

But if I’m being honest (and my reviews are always honest), I wonder how many of them Kohler will sell at its street price of $150. That’s a big jump up from devices such as the AquaAudio Mini Ultra, which costs less than $20, sticks onto the wall of your shower with a suction cup, has 6 hours of play time, allows you to skip tracks and adjust volume directly on the device, plus includes a built-in microphone to act as a hands-free device for your phone.

Kohler’s plumbing products have always been considered on the high end of performance and customer service, and have traditionally come with a deservedly premium price. And while the shower head portion of the Moxie is exactly what I’d expect from Kohler, the sound capsule is lacking. At this premium price, volume control, track selection, and auto-off really should be standard features. And if Kohler ever makes that happen, I’ll gladly shell out some of my own money to replace this 1st generation sound capsule with an updated one. In the meantime, Brooklyn continues to blissfully sing along with One Direction in the shower thanks to Moxie, just like I’m sure you will if you decide to pick up a Moxie of your own.

Before any dancing, however, I highly recommend some aggressive use of these non-slip shower treads.

As always, I welcome your comments below!

I little over a year ago, I made my very first plumbing-related blog post: a report on how I learned I should flush my water heater to eliminate rust-colored water, and should replace its anode when it’s fully eroded. Since that first post, I’ve enjoyed progressively attempting more complex DIY plumbing projects, and have shared most of them with you here on my blog. And bolstered by the success of those projects, I decided last week it was time to take on what I consider to be my first “major” DIY plumbing project: replacing a water heater!

How to Know When to Replace Your Water Heater

On average, a quality water heater should last between 12-15 years. As a general guide for how long yours will probably last, check the warranty on your unit. As with most warrantied items, they’re designed to wear right after the warranty period ends. Although, if you have extremely hard water in your area, the lifespan of your water heater could be significantly shorter. Or, if you have average water and/or maintain your water heater by flushing it annually and replacing the anode when needed, you could potentially double or triple its expected lifespan.

Most homeowners, however, don’t maintain their water heaters at all. Hey, I’m not judging — I didn’t do anything with either of the water heaters in our main house until that very first plumbing post over a year ago…  after both water heaters had been in service for over 15 years! And even though I finally “saw the light” and eventually started maintaining them, I still couldn’t fight the feeling that I was living on borrowed time (and it turns out, I really was).

There are a few obvious signs that it’s time to replace your water heater. The most obvious, of course, is if it starts leaking from the sides or from the bottom. If it’s leaking from a hose or fixture, those can just be tightened or replaced.  But if the tank has rusted through its wall or bottom and is leaking, you’re in trouble… and you’ve waited until the most expensive time to replace your water heater. Why the most expensive? Two reasons. First, if the leak causes water damage in your house, repairs house can get real expensive, real quick. Second, a major water heater leak will force you to shut off your water heater — meaning nobody in the house will be able to shower, do laundry, wash the dishes, or otherwise use hot water until you get a new one. And when you call up that plumber (in Beverly Hills… you know the one… “Mr. Everything Will Be Expensive)” and tell him to hurry over because you don’t have any hot water, all he’ll be able to hear is “ka-CHING, ka-CHING!” He’ll buy the replacement from a plumbing supply warehouse for $400, tell you it costs $700, and charge you $500 more to install it. And you’ll be far less prone to price shop, or even take a few days to research your options, when replacing your water heater is an urgent priority… and you’ll end up paying way more than you really should.

But what if your water heater isn’t leaking, but has visible rust or corrosion on the top, sides, and/or bottom? That’s still a sure sign it’s time to replace it.

Rusty water heater is no bueno.

Bite the bullet and spend the money to replace it now, before you end up spending money on replacement plus home repairs.

In my case, my two water heaters weren’t showing any signs of rust, but they had both been installed in 1997. Back then, this neighborhood shared a community well, and the water was extremely hard. And even though we’ve now got city water (and fire hydrants — yay!), those water heaters are now 17 years old, spent most of their life with hard water, and were neglected by me for all but the last year. So even with no exterior signs of trouble, I had a feeling that my aging water heaters probably looked like this on the inside:

Scale and rust buildup inside your water heater.

Build-up like that not only turns your water brown, but it forms an insulating barrier on the bottom of your tank… which requires more burning of natural gas to heat your tank. So by proactively replacing my water heaters now, I’ll save money every month by using less energy to heat our water.

Choosing a Replacement Water Heater

There are plenty of options for water heaters, but the two leading US brands sold by professional plumbers are Bradford White and Rheem/Ruud (Rheem/Ruud also make Richmond and GE water heaters). I’ve got two Bradford White electric units out at our cabin, and two Bradford White gas units at our Utah house. I like the Bradford Whites — they have a solid reputation as quality water heaters. But their anodes are integrated into their hot water tube (unlike the Rheem/Rude units that have standalone anodes), making it harder to extract the anode during my annual flush and inspection. Here at the main house, we’ve got two Rheem units: a 75 gallon tank that services some bedrooms, the laundry, and the kitchen, plus a 50 gallon tank that services a few other bedrooms. They’ve both been worry-free for 17 years, so I decided there’s no reason not to trust the same brand again. I located their model numbers, called Rheem’s customer support department, and asked for the current model numbers that correspond to my existing units. One major advantage of using a direct replacement is knowing I wouldn’t have to worry about modifying the existing overhead venting, and I also knew that the existing cold “in” and hot “out” water locations would work fine with the replacement units.

My existing 50 gallon tank is a 1997 Rheem 21V50-2, which is the same as a 2014 Rheem or Ruud PRO+G50-38N RU58. My 75 gallon tank is a 1997 Rheem 21VR75, which matches the current Rheem/Ruud PRO+G75-75N RU. I got the best price on the 50 gallon unit for $399 from a local hardware store (yay McLendon!) and picked up the 75 gallon monster at a commercial plumbing supply company (Keller Supply) for $899. I also picked up new expansion tanks for each of the new water heaters, because both of the old ones leaked water when I pressed their Schrader valves to test. Water from an expansion tank’s Schrader valve means its bladder has ruptured and it needs to be replaced (see this separate blog post on the importance of expansion tank testing and replacement).

Out With The Old…

Of course, before one can install a new water heater, one must remove the old one! I decided to start with the 50 gallon unit first, so for the rest of this article, I’ll focus on that one. I probably would have been fine using all of the existing hoses, pipes, and fittings that were already in place with the old tank, but since I wanted to make a few upgrades (I’ll explain below), I decided to replace most of the surrounding plumbing at the same time.

The day before doing the swap, I snapped some close-up photos of all the existing connections with my iPhone. Having them for reference makes it way easier than standing in a hardware store, scratching your head, trying to remember whether you needed a 3/4″ male NPT, or a 3/8″ compression fitting. Here are some of the shots I took of my old water heater and connections (click on any image to launch the gallery):

Armed with my photos, I met my Dad at the McLendon hardware store near his house for some old-fashioned hardware store father/son bonding time (when I was a kid, we used to hit Parkrose Hardware pretty much every Saturday morning). At McLendons, we tracked down their plumbing section expert (he wasn’t hard to find… he was behind the desk in the plumbing section), showed him the photos, and he walked around with us for 30 minutes, answering questions and making suggestions, until we had all the necessary bits and a more than a few helpful tips.

When I know exactly what I’m looking for, I go to the “big box” hardware stores like Home Depot or Lowes. But… if I actually need help with a project, it’s totally worth paying an extra dollar or three for the service and expertise that comes only at a hardware store filled with people who’ve actually used the tools and parts they sell. Rock on, McLendons!

After returning home with my bag of plumbing bits, I waited until everyone had gone to bed, then shut off the main gas outlet in the utility closet that houses the water heater. This turned off the burner, allowing the water in the tank to cool overnight. I also shut off the cold water inlet and the recirculating pump.

The next morning, I drained the tank by opening a nearby hot water faucet to break suction:

Open a hot water faucet any time you drain a water heater

then connected my Simer M40P mini pump (seriously – that thing has come in way more handy that I ever imagined) and sucked all the water out of the tank and into a nearby drain:

Using a pump really speeds things up!

Once the tank was empty, I warned my wife that I needed to shut off the water main to the whole house for a few minutes. Normally, you wouldn’t need to do that when replacing a water heater — you’d just close the cold water shutoff valve on the cold water inlet to the tank. However, during this project, I wanted to replace the old “faucet-style” shut-off valves on both the cold water inlet and the recirculating pump return line with “lever-style” ball valves, which are less prone to leaks, can be shut off quickly with a 90 degree turn of the lever, and can be quickly glanced at to determine whether or not they are open.

With the water to the whole house shut off, I used channel lock pliers and a Crescent wrench to disassemble and remove everything between the cold water inlet nipple on the tank and the threaded end of the cold water copper line sticking out of the wall:

Cold water inlet sticking out of the wall

Now came the first opportunity to use an awesome new tool I’d recently picked up: a four-in-one copper pipe cleaning tool. I used it to quickly clean the threads on the 3/4″ cold water inlet pipe, wrapped the threads with Teflon tape, screwed on a 3/4″ Shark Bite ball valve, and tightened it down with a wrench.

Shark Bite 3/4″ ball valve installed

With the new ball valve closed, I turned the main water back on to the house. Next, I removed the Taco 007-SF5 recirculating pump  from its flanges (that’s the same pump I replaced in this YouTube video).

Recirculating pump removed

Next, I used a pipe wrench to remove all the brass and bronze fittings from the drain outlet of the old tank.

Bronze fittings removed from tank’s drain

Finally, I was able to remove the hot water line that connected to the hot water stub in the wall, disconnect the TPR valve from its discharge tube, unscrew and lift off the overhead vent ducting, then unscrew the lame excuse for an earthquake strap from the wall. Not surprisingly, I discovered that the “professional” that had installed the strap used tiny screws and put them directly into the drywall… nowhere near a stud. It’s not exactly “earthquake proof” when a strong sneeze could have knocked that tank over.

Final connections removed

At about this time, my Dad showed up at the house to help me with the swap. An old-skool farm boy from Idaho, he’s who I get my “handy gene” from. When I was a kid (and he was the age I am now), I’d “help” him with his DIY projects around the house every Saturday… mostly by handing him tools, holding flashlights, reading instructions, and playing “go-fer.” Now that he’s retired, we’ve swapped roles. I placed a comfy chair in the hallway in front of the water heater’s utility closet, and he settled in to watch me help.

With everything disconnected it was time to remove the old tank. It’s considerably lighter when it’s empty, but still heavy enough to require a hand truck. I muscled it out of the metal floor pan and onto the hand truck, then wheeled it outside to the driveway. Just as I was wheeling it down the outside steps, some rust-colored water that remained in the tank started pouring from the bottom side seam. I’d dodged a bullet — the tank was in the early stages of failure, and could have let go at any minute! I’d been right about living on borrowed time!

With the old tank gone, the utility closet seemed a whole lot roomier!

An (almost) blank canvas to work with!

But I wasn’t ready to bring in the new tank just yet. The old tank’s TPR valve had been mounted on top and discharged horizontally into a copper drain pipe in the wall, but new tank’s TPR valve was mounted on the side and discharged downward. So for the first time in my life, I got to use a propane torch to remove the plumbing sweat joint on the old copper drain pipe!

No sweat! Literally. I removed the sweat joint.

I did the same thing to the old-style recirculating shut-off valve near the floor. Note the awesome char marks I made on the wall!

Old faucet-style recirculating line shut-off valved removed

I used my four-in-one pipe cleaning tool once again to clean both exposed copper pipes, then used a Shark Bite cap to plug the old TPR valve discharge drain, and did my best to clean out all the crud in and around the metal floor pan (which, I discovered, had a drain into the floor in the far corner – cool!). Now I was ready to bring in the replacement water heater!

In With The New!

Using the hand truck once again, I brought the box containing the new water heater into the house, cut it open, and wheeled the new tank into place.

Looks exactly like the old one… but awesomer!

With the new tank in place, the first thing I did was use a pipe wrench to unscrew and remove the existing drain from the front of the water heater, then screw in a new 4″ red brass nipple with male threads on both ends (look near the bottom of the above photo).

Because most of the old fittings and flanges from the recirculating pump return line were bronze, I was able to clean them (using my new brush tool) and re-use them with the new water heater. Here’s a “before & after” shot of the two bronze Taco recirculating pump flanges:

All the bronze hardware cleaned up nicely!

I spent a good chunk of time disassembling, brushing, cleaning, and re-applying fresh Teflon tape to all the threads of the brass and bronze recirculating pump and drain line components, but it was totally worth it. I put them all aside for re-assembly later.

Next, I re-installed the vent ducting on the top of the water heater, and used my original sheet metal screws from the old water heater to attach it. Because the new tank was the same height as the old one, the ducting didn’t need any modification; it just popped right back into place!

In order to make connecting everything on the new water heater as easy as possible, I decided to use CVPC pipes and Shark Bite fittings everywhere. CPVC is a special type of PVC pipe that’s rated for use anywhere you’d use copper, but it’s 1/3 the price of copper, easier to cut, and easier to connect (you can glue CPVC vs. sweat soldering copper).

Shark Bite fittings are “push-on” fittings that make plumbing almost as easy as playing with Legos. And the best part is that you can remove them with a small orange plastic horseshoe-shaped tool and re-use them any time. It really is ridiculously easy to use, and is perfect for rookie DIY plumbers like me:

Armed with my Shark Bite fittings and CPVC, I decided I’d connect everything up in the direction of water flow from the shut-off valve. The first thing I wanted to install was my new Amtrol ST-5 expansion tank. The factory-set precharge on this expansion tank is 40 PSI, but you’re supposed to modify your tank’s pre-charge to the actual pressure of the water coming into the water heater.

Because our city’s water pressure is a wimpy 40 PSI, we use a pressure boosting tank here at the house which keeps the water pressure between 50-65 PSI (the pump turns on when water use in the house drops the pressure down to 50 PSI, and turns off again when the boosted pressure reaches 65 PSI). But our pressure tank is down in the basement on the south side of the house, and this water heater’s location is on the main floor on the north end, so I needed  to know the exact water pressure at the expansion tank’s location. Using CPVC and Shark Bite fittings, finding the pressure was easy. I made sure the pressure tank was boosted to its max of 65 PSI, then clicked together some Shark Bite fittings, CPVC, and a pressure gauge to quickly get an accurate reading:

Building “temporary plumbing” is easy with Shark Bite

My glycerin-filled gauge showed that 57 PSI should be the max I’ll see at this location, so I took my new expansion tank out to the garage and pumped it up to 57 PSI. After that, connecting everything up was like playing with Tinker Toys. I turned off the shut-off valve again, used the Shark Bite disassembly clip to take apart  the pieces I’d put together, then used my Rigid Plastic Pipe Cutter to cut all the small pieces of CPVC that I’d need, click everything into place, screw in the expansion tank, and attach brand new stainless steel hot and cold hook-up hoses to the tank.

Everything clicked right into place

That round black plastic gadget to the left of my pressure gauge is a Watts Vacuum Relief Valve. My old tank didn’t have one installed, but after reading about how they can save your tank from crushing in on itself if a vacuum occurs on your water line, I decided it was cheap insurance. In some locations, they are actually required by code, so I recommend you spend the extra $30 to install it.

With the water connections up top completed, it was time to turn my attention downward. I put a 1/2″ Shark Bite ball valve on the exposed copper recirculating return line near the floor (the one where I toasted the wall), and also installed a new gas hookup hose on the gas line just above it. I used yellow gas pipe Teflon tape (different than the stuff rated just for water or air use) to make sure all the fittings were sealed tight, then connected the hose to the water heater’s gas inlet. Before turning on the gas valve at the wall, I covered all the joints with some Oatey Leak Detector, which creates highly visible bubbles if there’s a gas leak. You can also diluted dish detergent (which was always good enough for Dad), but I had some of this stuff handy anyway, so I used it.

Gas line installed… and leak free!

I turned on the gas valve, and was thrilled to see no gas leaks. There was no water in the tank yet, but I wanted to make sure the pilot would light properly before I continued, so I turned the water heater’s gas valve to PILOT and pressed the ignite button (which was cool, since my old water heater had to be lit with a match). After a few attempts, a small blue pilot flame sprang to life behind the viewport:

We have pilot light!

I turned my attention next to rebuilding the recirculating pump return line. I started by placing a bronze tee on the 4″ threaded nipple I’d attached to the tank’s drain hole, connected the original ball valve drain on the right side, then worked my way back toward the recirculating pump’s flange connections using the bronze fittings I’d cleaned, as well as some new brass threaded nipples and a new bronze check valve.

I re-installed the recirculating pump and connected the flange on the other side. At this point, it was now easy to custom cut the correct length of 1/2″ CPVC pipes and use a couple Shark Bite 1/2″ elbows to finish the job.

Recirculating and drain line installed

I realized at this point that the anode rod in my old water heater was only about a year old, since I’d replaced it when I made my very first plumbing post in 2012. So in a massive fit of frugality, I decided to remove the brand new anode from this tank, add it to my collection of spares, and re-use my 1 year old rod from the old tank. Removing the old anode from the tank I’d taken outside to the driveway was easy, since I’d put fresh Teflon tape on it the last time I’d inspected it, and didn’t over-tighten it.

Removing the anode in the new tank that had been installed by the factory, however, was another story altogether. They had torqued that thing down big time. It took everything I had to break that thing free with a two-foot long long socket wrench. Hmmm… it’s almost as if the manufacturer doesn’t want homeowners to be able to remove them, so the tanks will wear out faster and you’ll have to buy a new tank sooner…

Anyway, once I got the anode out, I noticed that the factory had used only a minimal amount of Teflon pipe dope on the threads:

Factory installed anode rod

I cleaned it up, put it in my spares pile, then put fresh Teflon tape on the 1 year old anode from the old tank, before popping it in the new tank:

Slightly used anode ready for its new home

With the old anode in place and all the connections complete, I decided it was to time turn on the water and let the tank fill. I held my breath… and opened the newly installed Shark Bite ball valve up top. I heard cold water gushing into the tank, and kept a keep eye open for any leaks. To my surprise, there were none! I also opened the recirculating line valve near the floor, but waited to turn on the recirculating pump until the tank was full.

As the tank filled, I turned my attention to the discharge tube for the TPR valve on the front of the water heater. Because the floor pan has a built-in drain, I decided to make it easy on myself and have the TPR valve discharge straight down into the pan. I’d purchased a Watts 100DT drain tube for $4 at Home Depot, which is the cheapest way to go. I measured and cut off a small amount from the bottom of the pipe so that it would reach past the lip of the floor pan, then hand-tightened it into the TPR valve.

Once everything was in place, I added a real earthquake strap, and used a socket set to drive the long lag bolts deep into the wall studs. This tank is going nowhere!

When the tank finished filling, I turned the gas valve’s thermostat to HOT, and heard the satisfying “whoomf” of the burner firing. I was making hot water!

My first water heater install – and I didn’t ruin anything!

Finishing Touches

As the water in the tank heated, I cleaned up my work area, verified the timer settings for my recirculating pump, then measured and cut some rubber pipe insulation tubes for all the hot water pipes. I used black duct tape to seal the joints and ends of the insulation tubes.

Insulation tubes around the hot water outlet hose and the TPR valve

Insulation tubing around the recirculating pump return line and drain

And that’s how I installed my very first water heater!

Final Thoughts and Lessons Learned

My final thoughts are that I’m extremely glad I decided to tackle this project myself. It seemed major at the outset, but after completing it, I realized it’s like anything else: if you have the right tools and supplies, work without rushing, and think ahead, there’s nothing “magic” about installing a water heater. Anyone can do it.

I also learned the CPVC and Shark Bite fittings are the novice plumber’s friend. I know plenty of pros who also use them, but for those of us who will probably only install 2 or 3 water heaters in our lifetime, they are no-brainers.

I also re-confirmed that while you may get the best prices from big box stores or e-commerce websites, there’s simply no substitute for an old-skool hardware store with an expert behind the counter who will steer you in the right direction.

So go check your water heater. The manufacture date will probably be on the sticker on the side of the unit. If it’s over 12 years old, you might want to start looking for signs of wear. If it’s much older than that, you may want to consider being proactive and swapping it out now. And feel confident that if a computer geek like me can swap his out in a single afternoon, you can, too!

I welcome your questions, comments, and feedback below!

UPDATE: I replaced my 75 gallon unit yesterday (1/22/14). Here are some before pics and the “after” shot!

Cold inlet and hot outlet on old 75 gallon water heater

Corrosion from leaky hot water outlet

Corrosion on cold water side, too

Old 75 gallon water heater removed

New 75 gallon water heater (with new expansion tank) installed!

If you’ve got kids, then you’ve probably noticed that they never have problems finding a switch to turn lights on. Yet mysteriously, they lack the ability to turn lights off. I’m convinced it’s just never something that becomes important for a human… until they’re paying their own electricity bill. Using an occupancy sensor switch can help — by lowering your electric bill and saving your sanity.

But I had a unique situation at our Utah house where I wanted to combine a motion sensing switch on the same circuit as a standard 3-way switch. As I imagine is the case with most people, we don’t usually enter our Utah house through the front door — we come in from the garage. Our door from the garage opens into a long hallway with a mud room area and coat closet on the right, and doorways to the the laundry and a bathroom on the left. This entrance hallway continues about 20 feet where it hits the kitchen and the living room. The switch for the entrance hallway lights is on the left wall, immediately after you come in the door from the garage. But there’s another switch at the end of the hallway near the kitchen that also operates the hallway lights, meaning the switches are wired as “3-way” switches.

What I needed was an occupancy sensor switch on the wall near the door that could turn on the hallway lights as soon as someone walked in from the garage (especially nice when carrying groceries). But I also didn’t want to lose the standard on/off functionality of the switch near the kitchen to manually control the hallway lights. I also didn’t want a motion sensor on the kitchen end, because it would turn on the hallway lights any time someone moved in the kitchen of the family room. My search for an occupancy sensor switch that could also function as 3-way switch led me to the Lutron Maestro 600 Occupancy Sensor Switch, and this post explains how it worked for me.

Lutron Maestro 600 Occupancy Sensor Switch

The Maestro 600 Occupancy Sensor Switch can support up to 600 watts on one circuit (hence the “600″ in the name). I counted 27 available colors on Amazon, but I settled for the Light Almond to match all the other switches at the house. The Maestro 600′s part number is MS-OPS5M, followed by a two letter designation for the color (so mine was the MS-OPS5M-LA). It can be configured via simple push-button commands to act as an occupancy sensor or a vacancy sensor. What’s the difference? An occupancy sensor turns the light on automatically, then shuts off automatically after a pre-determined amount of time (5 minutes by default in this case). A vacancy sensor requires you to turn the light on manually, but then shuts it off after it doesn’t sense motion for an amount of time. By default, this switch operates as an occupancy sensor, so that’s how I left its settings.

Installing the Maestro in the location near the door was straightforward. Throw the breaker to cut off power, remove the old switch, then install the new switch using the same wires. Here’s a quick video from Lutron, which even includes the additional info needed when wiring to another 3-way switch:

The only slightly tricky part was that I had to rewire the “companion” switch on the kitchen end of the hallway with a jumper wire in order to let it work with the Maestro occupancy switch. However, the included instructions explained it nicely (as does that video above), so it only took a few extra minutes to access the second switch and modify the wiring.

Once everything was wired up and the power turned back on at the breaker, I was pleased to see that everything worked exactly as I’d hoped. When walking in from the garage, the hallway light turns on automatically. I can turn it off manually with the companion switch when I reach the kitchen, or just wait 5 minutes and it will turn itself off. Additionally, I could manually turn on the hallway lights with the companion switch, and then the Lutron would turn them off again after sensing no motion for 5 minutes. When hitting the companion switch, I can hear the “click” of the relay in the Maestro switch, but that’s not a big deal. I also noticed that if I quickly hit the companion switch repeatedly, it would “ignore” some of the clicks. But that shouldn’t be an issue with standard use.

The Maestro Occupancy Sensor Switch retails for $41, but can be picked up for around $30 at most big box hardware stores (I got mine at Home Depot), or slightly less on Amazon.

It’s affordable, easy to install yourself, and does exactly what it promises on the box. It also looks sleek and modern, and will blend in with pretty much any decor. So if you’re tired of constantly reminding your kids to shut off their bedroom lights, I recommend buying one and installing it in vacancy sensor mode. That way, they’ll have to manually turn their lights on (and it won’t automatically turn on the lights if they get up to go to the bathroom), but their lights will shut off if the switch doesn’t sense movement in the room for whatever amount of time you set. Or install one in a pantry, closet, or laundry room and set it to turn the lights on automatically when you walk in with your hands full.

I’ll be buying a few more myself, and installing them in rooms where I’m always complaining about lights not being turned off.

I’m going to start out this blog post by saying you should NOT do this. I repeat: do NOT do this. There’s at least a 50/50 chance that if you try this, it won’t work and you could potentially fry your router beyond the point of recovery. You might even start World War III, instantaneously deplete the ozone layer, bring Hitler back to life, and kick off the Apocalypse… all at the same time.

Seriously. Super bad things could happen if you try this. There are far more reliable ways of recovering a bricked router (like using a JTAG or serial cable, for example) that will give you a 100% chance of a successful recovery without toasting your router. I want to get that out in the open right now so that you can’t whine in the comments if you try this and ruin your router. If you do, it’s your own darn fault. You have been warned.

Now, with that all said, I ignored all those warnings and recovered my bricked Netgear WNDR3400 N600 router this week in a few short minutes by shorting two pins on the control board with a tiny jeweler screwdriver.

How did I brick it? It’s a funny story, actually. OK, not really. I had flashed a “mini” trailed version of DD-WRT on the Netgear N600 WNDR3400 router, and was attempting to flash a later “mega” NV64K build of DD-WRT onto it… but apparently the mega build was too big, and I bricked it. So I stumbled across this post by JuanPedro012 on the DD-WRT forums (apparently all of the usernames between JuanPedro001 and JuanPedro011 were already taken?) who described how he also threw caution to the wind and pin-shorted his Netgear WNDR3400 and recovered it. Here are my instructions based on his, with some additional explanations and “safety” measures (even though this isn’t really “safe” for your router).

1. Download the two files you’ll need onto your computer (I used a laptop): the stock Netgear firmware for the router from http://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/WNDR3400-V1.0.0.34_15.0.42.chk and the TFTP2 utility (for Windows) from http://www.shadowsoftware.net/shadowgameworld/downloads/tftp2.exe
2. With the power cord unplugged, open the router by removing the rubber feet from the four corners on the bottom, then use a small Torx screwdriver remove the four screws under the feet, as well as the two screws in the middle (six screws in total). Here’s what it looks like all opened up:

   Netgear WNDR3400 router open and ready to be pin-shorted

3. Connect an Ethernet cable from the laptop to one of the router’s LAN ports (don’t use the WAN port).
4. If using a WiFi network, disable the WiFi adapter on the laptop so that your wireless network IP settings don’t interfere with the local wired connection to the bricked router.
5. Configure the local network adapter on the laptop to a Static IP of 192.168.1.25, Netmask 255.255.255.0, and Default Gateway of 192.168.1.1.
6. From a command prompt, type ping -t 192.168.1.1 (which will show the laptop attempting to repeatedly ping the bricked router)
7. Plug the router in and press in the power button on the back. Watch the command prompt and note that immediately after a specific LED light on the board starts blinking (like it’s sensing network traffic), you’ll see three successful pings at the command prompt before getting the “Destination host unreachable” message again. This small window of opportunity during those three successful pings is when the ping short must be completed. Leave the power cord plugged in, but use the power button on the back of the router to turn it on and off a few times while watching the LED blinking light and corresponding pings, just to get a feel for the timing.
8. Locate the two pins closest to the front of the router on the chip designated by the black arrow in this picture from JuanPedro012 (you can click the image for a higher-res version):
   
9. With the router turned off, use a tiny screwdriver (or other piece of metal that is small enough to only touch those two pins) and practice a few times (again, with the router off) to verify that you can quickly touch those two pins at the same time which touching nothing else!
10. When you’re ready to go for it, turn the router on, and as soon as you see the LED blinking that corresponds to the successful pings in your command prompt, short the two pins for 1 second, then remove the screwdriver. If the pin short was successful, the router will begin to ping continuously.
11. If it doesn’t work, try again a few times (I attempted the pin short 5 or 6 times before it worked for me).
12. Once the router is pinging continuously, open the TFTP2 utility and enter 192.168.1.1 in the Server field, then browse for the stock Netgear firmware file in the File field. Hit the Upgrade button. You should see a “success” message within a few seconds.
    

    TFTP2 Client Settings

13. Wait for 6 minutes. Seriously. Wait. It doesn’t say this on JuanPedro’s instructions, but you need to do it. Go get a drink. Leave the room. Don’t feel any temptation to power cycle the router, or touch it, or even make eye contact. Let it do its thing for 6 whole minutes. Heck, maybe even wait 10 minutes. You’ll brick it again if you try to power cycle it too early.
14. Power cycle the router after 6-10 minutes.
15. Try to connect to the router as normal, using the Netgear default of admin/password as the login credentials.

With your router recovered, you can now attempt to re-flash a trailed mini build of DD-WRT specifically for this router per the instructions on the DD-WRT WNDR3400 wiki page, after which you should do a 30/30/30 reset before attempting to flash any other K2.6 build of DD-WRT ending in -nv64k and that will fit in an 8MB flash.

But seriously, you shouldn’t do this. For a safer way to recover a bricked router, search for “JTAG recovery” or “serial recovery” along with the model number of your router. That should shove you in a safer direction. Shorting pins can let out the “magic smoke,” and can destroy your router forever.

I’ve seen reports of this pin shorting working on other Netgear routers, but different models will have different pin locations for the two that you’ll need to short. Don’t guess. Find a post somewhere online that shows the specific pins for your router. This post only shows the ones for the Netgear WNDR3400, since that’s the only Netgear router I’ve personally done this with (and I’ve done it successfully twice).

So again — don’t do this. But if you do, and it works, please tell me about it in the comments.

During a visit with family over 2012 Christmas holiday, my nephew Jake introduced me to the world of “Plasti-Dipping” car parts. Jake drives a white VW Jetta, and used a product called Performix Plasti Dip to “blacked out” a few key elements of his car (grille, emblems, wheels, tail lights, and other trim pieces) to give it a custom look. Here’s a pic of Jake’s Jetta that I stole from his Facebook page:

Jake’s Jetta with Plasti Dip swagger

With cars that are relatively ubiquitous (such as a Jetta), I really dig the custom look. My 2008 GMC Yukon Denali (which lives at our house in Utah) is also a very common car — especially around Utah. I’d challenge anyone to drive more than 5 miles anywhere in Utah without spotting at least one… probably in black (like mine).

I bought my black Denali used at a car auction, and the previous owner had already customized it with wheels and tires, and also by removing the “GMC” and “Yukon” badges from the rear — giving it a clean look. I took the customization a bit further by installing these Escalade-style LED tail lights a couple of months ago, and by replacing all exterior incandencent white bulbs with “hyper-white” LEDs, but seeing Jake’s Jetta over Christmas inspired me to change out one more exterior element of my black Denali that had always quietly bothered me: the red “GMC” logo on the front grille. I always believed it would look way better in black.

Recently, I dropped by Home Depot to pick up a can of black Performix Plasti Dip (it comes in lots of colors), and found some time yesterday afternoon to tackle my first Plasti Dip project.

My good friend and master house painter Jerry Whalen has demonstrated to me over the years that applying the paint isn’t the most important part of a quality painting project: it’s all in the prep. So I initially started this project by applying four wide painter’s tape strips around the external edges of the GMC logo’s red sections, then I tried tearing small pieces to mask off the internal bits:

Masking attempt #1

It didn’t take me long to realize that a far better approach would be to simply cover the entire logo with four strips of painter’s tape:

Masking attempt #2

and then use the blade of my pocket knife to carve out just the red parts. However, while using my thumbnail to try and locate the correct spot to insert my knife, my nail pierced through the tape perfectly, and I found it quicker and easier to get a precise edge just by using my thumbnails and fingernails to unmask the red parts:

“M” unmasked with my fingernails

After discovering this trick, unmasking the rest of the logo only took a few minutes:

Just the red bits exposed

Since I’d never used Plasti Dip before, I didn’t know how bad the potential overspray could be, so I used some more painter’s tape to mask off a wider area around the logo:

Ready for a first coat of Plasti Dip

Next, I followed the directions on the can and shook it for a full minute. I did a test spray on my snow-covered front lawn to get a feel for how wide the spray pattern would be, and then I shot my first coat on the emblem:

First coat of Plasti Dip applied

You can still see a lot of red through the first coat, but that’s fine. The can says to wait 30 minutes between coats, and then keep applying until you’re happy with the result.

I went a little heavier on coat 2 (maybe a bit too heavy) and probably went a bit too early, too:

Coat #2 applied

I had some drips and bubbles, but I did my best to smooth them out with my finger.

Eventually, after 4 coats, I was happy with the color and texture:

All dry after 4 coats

Before removing the masking tape, I used my pocket knife to quickly run around the outside edges of the letters, just to make sure everything would separate properly. Then I carefully removed the tape to reveal the finished product:

My GMC logo is black!

I’m pretty happy with the result, especially for a first attempt. Although, If you know where to look, and you look really close, there are a few minor imperfections… but those are my fault for going too heavy and quickly on the second coat. That’s OK, though, because one of the great things about Plasti Dip is that while it stands up to weather and car washes just fine, it can be easily peeled off with your fingers. So I might take another shot at this the next time I’m down in Utah.

Also, the finish I used is a matte black, but Plasti Dip makes a “Glossifier” that will give a shiny finish to anything — including something that’s already been Plasti-Dipped. That’s something else I might try in the future.

Thanks again to my nephew Jake for introducing me to Plasti Dip, and for encouraging me to go ahead and give it a shot. It’s a cheap, easy, and non-permanent way to customize your car (and if you’re really crazy, you can even Plasti Dip your entire car).

After texting him photos of this product, Jake is now encouraging me to “dip my wheels.” That will take a few more cans of Plasti Dip… and a bit more courage. But I’m seriously thinking about giving it a go!

This post is a follow-up to a previous one I made last year about what to bring to (and do at) IATC 2013 in Atlanta. This year, IATC has moved back to Raleigh, NC — and much of that advice still applies, so I’ll re-hash it again here… with some additions and a few Raleigh-specific tweaks.

What to Bring

Your Own Bedding

One of the things I’m most looking forward to this year is staying in the newly renovated University Towers off-campus dorms. The photos and video on their website look great, and they’ve clearly made some major upgrades to the building. And while new linens might be among the things they upgraded, I’m not going to take any chances. I have a set of my own very comfy Costco twin sheets I take with me to IATC, and this year I’m also bringing my own pillow and a blanket. If you’re picky about what you sleep on, and you’ve got room in your luggage, I highly recommend bringing some… just in case.

Your Own Toiletries

I’ve heard that dorms are providing soap and shampoo this year (yay!), but if you’re partial to your own stuff, then bring it. You may want to pack some tissues, too — and save the toilet paper in your room for when you really need it…

Extra Uniforms

Training camp is about training, and if you train hard, your uniform is gonna get sweaty. That’s a good thing, but it’s not a good thing to wear that same sweaty uniform for three days straight. You have to have at least one all-white gi for bow in and bow out, and test candidates need to be in all-white gis on Friday night. Colored uniforms are fine all day Saturday and Sunday morning. I recommend bringing at least 2 complete uniforms to IATC.

Casual Clothes

Training camp is also about hanging out and socializing with Cuong Nhu friends, so bring come casual clothes, too. You don’t need anything fancy (unless you feel like gussying up for the final night dance party).

Training Weapons

People are generally willing to share, but it’s still a good idea to pack your own martial arts weapons if you’re planning to train with them at training camp. Some dojos mail them in one large box, but I generally take my tambos on the plane in my backpack (when questioned, I call them Filipino dancing sticks… and sail right through) or check my Bo as “odd sized luggage.”

Sparring Equipment

If you want to take part in the massive brawl sparring class, you’re going to need your sparring equipment and a mouth-guard. Don’t miss out on the fun because you forgot to throw your equipment in your bag!

Swimsuit and Towel

One of the big features of University Towers is the swimming pool. There’s plenty of room in the pool area to swim, lay out, and enjoy the sunshine that often prevails during Memorial Day weekend in Raleigh. So don’t forget to bring a swimsuit, and maybe even a large beach towel.

And while we’re on the subject of towels, you may want to consider bringing your own bath towel(s) with you. I don’t know how the new bath towels in the dorms will stack up, but I do remember that the dorms in Raleigh were very good about replacing them upon request during previous IATCs hosted there. In my experience, college dorms don’t exactly have a stellar reputation for high quality sheets and towels, so plan accordingly.

Meds

If this is your first IATC, don’t be frightened off by this suggestion. But you’re going to want some Aleve, Advil, or other favorite pain reliever. Pack the big bottle. Trust me.

I also like to pack some Tiger Balm and heat pads. By Day 3, you’ll probably be needing it.

Don’t forget to pack your vitamins, too.

Athletic Tape and Proper Footwear

The gym at NC State has hardwood floors, so if you’re used to working out on that type of floor, you’re probably already prepared. If not, however, then give serious consideration to what type of footwear you plan to bring. Tennis shoes or Vibram Five Fingers are great for those who like something on their feet. But if you like to go barefoot, it’s probably not a bad idea to pack some athletic tape. Your feet might be used to hardwood floors, but they’re probably not used to working out this hard, for this many hours a day, over so few days.

Some slip-ons or sandals for walking between the dorms and the gym is probably a good idea, too.

Batteries and Chargers

Don’t forget chargers for your camera, phone, or other electronic devices. And if they take batteries, bring extras. Buying them from the convenience stores near campus can get expensive.

Duct Tape

I never travel without it. Seriously. It comes in handy. Have you ever heard the story of Master John Kay and what I now refer to as the “motion sensor incident?” Some duct tape to cover the motion sensor in his dorm room would have really helped him get a better night’s sleep!

What to Do

These are mostly a repeat of last year’s advice, but they’re worth repeating.

Manage your Time Change

If you’re travelling across time zones to get to IATC (and particularly if you’re coming from the West Coast like me), you’re going to want to plan ahead for jet lag. I like to fly in at least a day early and stay the night off-campus — especially if it’s a testing year for me.  This year, however, the host dojos have arranged for anyone arriving on Wednesday to be able to spend the night at the dorms for a nominal fee (you can select that option when you register).

Also, the week before IATC, I start to wake up a bit earlier, and try to fall asleep a bit earlier, just so the early mornings aren’t so brutal. Waking up at 6:30AM in Raleigh is the same as waking up at 3:30AM in Seattle, so I try to wake up at 5:30AM in the week leading up to camp. I’ll use Ambien to zonk myself out at 10PM on Wednesday night, since that’s only 7PM back home. Then I’ll wake up and have breakfast at a “normal” time on Thursday, since eating on a local schedule always helps the body adjust to a new time zone.

Take Lots of Photos… then Tag and Share

It’s now easier than ever to share the IATC experience with friends who couldn’t come this year. Cuong Nhu has a Twitter feed (@cnomaa), a Facebook group, a FourSquare location for the event, a Google+ page, and our official hashtag for the event is #iatc2014.

Stay Hydrated

It’s generally warm in Raleigh in May, especially for those of us travelling from more Northern parts of the country. Drinking lots of fluids (especially water) is key. There are drinking fountains around the gym and across campus, but you’ll need your own water container (I recommend a 32oz BPA-free wide-mouthed Nalgene bottle). Be sure to put your name on it somehow (masking tape and marker works great). I’ll also pack a small bottle of Mio liquid flavoring to squirt in, which generally results in me drinking more water faster.

Lay off the Soda

It’s extremely tempting at the cafeteria to take advantage of the “all you can drink” soda machines. Do yourself a favor and stick to healthier options. The sugar, caffeine, and other chemicals in soda is actually working against what you’re trying to accomplish in a training environment.

Talk to Strangers

One of my favorite parts of IATC is catching up with old friends I only get to see once a year. So at the cafeteria (where lots of socializing occurs), it’s natural to look for those friends when walking out with my tray to try and find a place to sit and eat. I also tend to see groups of people from the same dojo, who see each other all the time back home, sitting together at the cafeteria — and there’s nothing wrong with that. But if only hang out with people you already know, you’ll miss out on meeting new friends, and if you’re an old-timer, you’ll miss out on the opportunity to make a new-comer feel welcome. Demonstrate the Cuong Nhu principle of Open Arms by inviting someone who is walking alone with their food tray to come sit down with you and your friends. Or do the opposite by walking up to a table of complete strangers and asking if you can join them. If they’re rude and say “no,” don’t worry — you know karate. Punch them in the face!

Try Something Different

It’s natural for people to gravitate toward things they know, or to which they have a natural affinity or ability. But force yourself out of your comfort zone with at least one class at IATC. Even if you have no rhythm whatsoever, maybe give Capoeira a try. Maybe you’ve never touched a Sai in your life, but Raphael is your favorite Ninja Turtle, so go learn the kata. Or maybe you’re scared to death of Master John Kay. Don’t be. He’s actually a nice guy when you really get to know him. Really!

Get Some Video of Katas You Want to Learn

It’s often helpful to have a video of someone performing a kata you’re trying to learn so you can review it back home. And at this annual event, you’ll meet some of the (literally) best in the world at performing some of these katas. Trying to learn Crane? Go introduce yourself to Sensei Karen Bradshaw and ask her if she’ll let you video her performing it. Track down Sensei Joe Varady or Master Bao and ask them to do Tiger for you. See if you can convince the normally camera-shy Master Thu to perform a Bo kata. Master Kirk will be glad to perform a Wing Chun for you, and Master John Burns can usually be talked (or bribed with Vegan food) into acting like a monkey for your recording pleasure. Keep in mind that the only “official” videos are the ones on the DVD or the Cuong Nhu website, but even non-official videos can be invaluable in gaining insights into a kata.

Here’s another helpful tip. Remember that the first move of the first Cuong Nhu kata involves a 90 degree turn. Do that same 90 degree turn to your smart phone when you use it as your recording device. The result will be a well-framed shot that can play nicely on a 16:9 TV or computer screen, rather than a tall skinny shot that is choppy because you had to move it around too much to follow the kata’s movements.

Don’t Try to Learn Too Many Different Katas

One of the great things about training camp is that there are so many different katas available to learn. And one of the bad things about training camp is that there are so many different katas available to learn. Listen to the sage wisdom of Sensei Kenric Lai: “After my first campout, I learned not to take every section with a kata. I think I took like four kata classes during my first campout. Guess how many I remembered??? ZEROOOOOO!” Sensei Kenric is right — and he’s no dummy. He tutors Biomedical Technology. He’s the Asian Lex Luthor (just as smart, same hair-do). If Kenric can’t remember four brand new katas from camp, normal people like you and I don’t stand a chance. Learn one… maybe two, and video tape them for later reference.

Take a Moment to Remember

On Friday night, after testing, many IATC participants like to celebrate. But before you crank up the party, take a moment to remember those who came before us, and who are no longer with us — including O’Sensei, Master Mary, and other members of the Cuong Nhu family who have moved on from us. Remembering our past is the best way to guide our future.

Find Someone from Shiwa or Wolfpack and Say “Thanks!”

The host dojos for IATC 2014, Shiwa and Wolfpack Dojos, spend lots of time and energy preparing for hundreds of Cuong Nhu members to decent on Raleigh. Look for members of their dojos, introduce yourself, tell them “thank you,” and give them a hug.

Got your own tips for getting the most out of IATC? Share them in the comments below! Hope to see you all at this year’s training camp!

Fair is fair. When a company gets it wrong, I blog about it. When a company gets it right, I also blog about it. This week, a couple of companies got it right.

The first company is Grohe, makers of high-end kitchen and bath products. They have the rare distinction of being the only non-Kohler faucet inside our house. All of our bathroom fixtures (showers, toilets, sinks, faucets) are Kohler. All three of the stainless steel sinks in our kitchen are Kohler. But the faucets in our kitchen are Grohe (sorry, Kohler). After years of worry-free performance, I noticed that the metal cover on the faucet hose (visible when you pull the faucet handle away from its neck) was beginning to unravel. The faucet was originally installed 16 years ago, and otherwise still looks and functions wonderfully. I called Grohe’s toll-free number, they walked me through identifying the correct model (apparently I have a LadyLuxe Plus), and popped a new hose in the mail… free of charge. An email confirmation and tracking number hit my inbox within minutes. Impressive.

Next up is InSinkErator. They’ve earned by blog praise before, when they replaced one of my instant hot water tanks for free, even though it was out of warranty. I actually have three of their tanks, and my oldest one (and therefore the one furthest out of warranty) ran great for many years in the Utah house (where the water is very hard and required a few DIY flushes to keep it going). But this month, a flush wasn’t enough to keep it working, and it finally died. I called InSinkErator with my model and serial number, and while they weren’t able to replace it completely free of charge this time (probably because it was so old), they offered me a one-time discount code for 65% off a replacement HWT-F1000S tank in their online store. My old tank was years out of warranty, and I really wouldn’t have been able to complain if they’d just said “sorry” and hung up. But I appreciated that they wanted me to have a positive customer service experience with them.

To be honest, when I wrote down the discount code, I didn’t really think it was a big deal. I figured that if they were so quick to hand out that code, I’d probably be able to find a better deal from an online retailer (like Amazon) that discounts the products anyway.

I was wrong.

The retail price for a new tank at InSinkErator’s online store is $398. Amazon’s price (including shipping) is $234.49. With the discount code, I got it direct from InSinkErator for only $139.30 (including shipping). That’s almost $260 off retail, and nearly $100 cheaper than Amazon’s best price. Score!

The moral of these stories is that while it may be possible to save a bit of money in the short term by purchasing discount brand appliances, paying a bit more up-front to companies that will stand behind their products long-term (like Grohe and InSinkErator) will always pay off.

So the next time something in your house breaks, don’t just toss it out and buy a new one. If it’s not something you can fix with some simply DIY skills, try calling the manufacturer and see if they’ll help you out. Customer service agents generally have a wide range of options available to them… so being calm, courteous, friendly, and non-demanding on the phone will go a long way toward convincing them that you’re the lucky customer who is going to get their most generous solution of the day.

Here’s my latest how-to video, in which I unbox my new Sig Sauer 1911 TACOPS and walk through how to easily field strip and re-assemble it. Hope you enjoy it!

Let’s be honest. You probably only bought this gun because it’s what the Navy SEALs carry. There are way worse reasons to buy stuff.

But owning a Sig Sauer P226 MK25 does not make you a Navy SEAL. However, at least you can field strip yours like the Navy SEALs do! Because this is how everybody field strips them…

The Glock 17, 19, and 26 are the “Daddy Bear,” “Momma Bear,” and “Baby Bear” of the handgun world. In this how-to video, I discuss how to field strip them quickly and easily… just as with any other Glock out there!

If you know how to field strip a Glock, then you already know how to field strip a Walther PPQ. But that shouldn’t stop you from watching this awesome video anyway!

If you’re ever lucky enough to get your hands on a bad boy like the Desert Eagle .50, then you better figure out how to take care of it. This field stripping video will walk you through it.

Everybody knows that James Bond doesn’t field strip his own Walther PPK… he leaves that kind of rubbish to the crew at Q Branch. But now YOU can field strip your Walther PPK, so it will always be ready for whatever secret agent adventures you’re planning.

Among hard-core geeks, the speed of your Internet connection is a source of pride. Back in 1996 when I moved to the Seattle area, I paid a couple thousand dollars a month for a frame-relay full T1 connection to my house, giving me a 1.4 Megabits per second (Mbps) connection. The only other alternative at the time was dial-up or ISDN (which is still basically dial-up, just faster), and since I was running my business from home, I needed a fast connection.

Residential Internet access has come a long way since 1996. I remember when I was able to first get over 10 Mbps at my house with Comcast’s cable internet, then 20, then 30, then 40, then 50, and now I consistently get 55+ downloads and 11+ uploads with them:

Seattle, WA – Ethernet on PC

When the local public utility in Wenatchee, WA ran fiber to the area near our cabin, I couldn’t wait to hook it up, and was finally able to break the 100 Mbps barrier with our connection there:

Wenatchee, WA – Ethernet on PC

We added another vacation home in Provo, UT, and I was glad to learn that a local company was also offering fiber. However, their speeds were capped at around 12 Mbps up and down:

Provo, UT – Ethernet on PC

But all that changed last Wednesday, when this truck pulled up in front of the Utah house:

Google Fiber Install Van

Oh yes… Provo, UT is one of (currently) only three cities in the country where Google Fiber is available. For a one-time $30 connection fee, they’ll install their “Basic” service it at your house… and then you never pay anything again. That’s right, you can get free monthly fiber Internet for just the price of the connection. The speeds are “only” 5 Mbps down and 1 Mbps up, but that’s still pretty awesome for only $30.

But not awesome enough for me.

Their next tier of service still costs $30 for the install, and then $70 for upgraded Internet… but oh, baby, what an upgrade. They install 1 Gigabit Internet.

Let me say that again:

They.

Install.

1 Gigabit.

Internet.

Now maybe someone in future is reading an archive of this post, laughing at how I was making a big deal out of 1 Gigabit Internet, just as I used to make a big deal out of 1MB of memory on my 286, or a 20MB hard drive, or the “turbo” button on my PC that doubled my processing speed to 32Mhz.

But in 2014, 1 gigabit per second (both up and down) is lightening fast.

It’s almost 100 times faster than the Internet connection I had here before. I couldn’t wait to try it out.

Installing the Fiber Wire

My service tech’s name was Matt. He didn’t arrive on time for our 11AM appointment… he arrived ten minutes early. I welcomed him in, and walked him downstairs to the utility room, where all the cables in the house are accessible (called “home run” wiring). Even though I already had fiber routed into the house from the street through my previous provider (Veracity Networks), he said Google insisted on running new fiber, with fewer splices. I didn’t complain. That job wasn’t expected to be difficult, since I had “Smurf tube” (a blue corrugated  pipe build for running wires) running from the utility room to the outside of the house. He taped one end of the new fiber run to the exposed end of the old one, then went outside and pulled… for about 20 seconds. The Smurf tube’s angles were a bit too tight, meaning the connector on the end of the new wire couldn’t make it through. For the next little while, we tried everything we could think of, but we just couldn’t get the new line through. Eventually, he decided to call his supervisor, who had some additional wire-pulling tools in his truck. He showed up within minutes:

2 x the install vans, but 100 x the speed!

Using a combination of fish tape, string, and a shop-vac, we were able to get the new fiber wire where we needed it. The supervisor headed off, and Matt wasted no time continuing the install with a small weather-proof connection box on the outside of the house (next to all the other connection boxes) to protected the newly spliced connection, and he didn’t even mind when my OCD kicked in and I used my iPhone’s level app to make sure the box was perfectly installed.

Installing the Connection Devices

Once the physical connection was done, we went back inside to install a small white box that converts the fiber signal into Ethernet:

Google Fiber to Ethernet Box

After powering it up, the light flashed red for a while, indicating it was updating its firmware, then it turned a solid blue.

The next step was to install the Google Network Box, which does all the “heavy lifting” for the network connection inside the house. It’s a router, and a WiFi antenna, and a four port Gigabit Ethernet switch:

Google Fiber Network Box

Matt informed me that they are instructed to install the Google Network Box on the main floor of the house, not in the basement (where I wanted it). I totally understand why: they don’t want to take support calls for bad WiFi antenna placement. He also explained that he could do it, but that his manager would have to OK placement in the basement on the phone… and then promptly called his manager and handed me the phone! I explained that I was fine taking the risk of the basement placement, and that I was using an additional WiFi access point for the upstairs, and that was good enough for the manager! I wish all installs could go this easy!

When powered on, the Google Network Box also flashed its LED to show a firmware update was happening, and then all the Gigabit ports started blinking. I was ready to test out my new found speed!

Testing for Speed

I ran to my PC, disabled and re-enabled the network adapter to get a new DHCP address from the new router, and ran a speed test. I got:

94.49 down, 72.97 up

That’s fast… but not fast enough. After some investigating, I discovered that I had a 10/100 network switch connected between my computer and the Google Network Box, limiting my speed to no more than 100 Mbps. Doh! Not to worry. Matt ran to his van and grabbed me a Netgear GS105 ProSafe 5 port Gigabit switch (retails for $70, but you can pick them up for $30). After installing that in the place of my old one, I got:

320.87 down, 78.86 up

OK – I’d broken the 100 Mbps barrier, but not even the half-gig barrier. Matt explained that “normal” speed test locations wouldn’t be able to keep up with the connection speed, so he gave me the address for a private location at http://provo.speedtest.googlefiber.net/. You can try the link, but it won’t let you access it unless you’re on their fiber network. Those results were way better:

671 up / 690 down

Matt explained that the only systems he’s seen actually show close to the 1 gigabit ceiling are Macs, and that most PC users can expect to see around 700 Mbps. I still haven’t tinkered much with my PC’s settings, and so I’m optimistic that with some time and some help from Google’s tech support guys, I’ll be able to get even faster.

But I’m not complaining – 700 Mbps is blazing fast. Netflix pops instantly. Web pages pop instantly. Basically, everything pops instantly.

Matt stuck around a bit longer to make sure all my connections in the house were running at Gigabit speeds, which required him busting out 2 more Netgear switches from his van and giving them to me — free of charge.

We located one Ethernet cable that should have been showing Gigabit speeds on the switch, but that was only running at 100 Mbps, so Matt clipped the end off the network cable and re-wired it with a new RJ-45 jack… and that did the trick. Every device in my house was connected internally at 1,000 Mbps, and able to access the outside world at almost 70% of that speed. Not too shabby at all!

Google Fiber SWAG

The Google marketers are no dummies, and so Matt also left me a swag bag, which included some manuals, the original boxes for all the network hardware he’d just installed, and a fridge magnet. The bag has the rainbow-colored Google Fiber rabbit on the outside, and is the size of one of those re-usable shopping bags that everyone in Seattle seems to love to tote around to show how environmentally conscious they are. But I’m taking the bag it back to Seattle with me, just to make my geeky friends jealous.

Final Post-Install Thoughts

It’s still early, and I’ve only been living with Gigabit Internet for a few days now, but I know I’m going to miss it when I fly back home to Seattle tomorrow. My installer Matt deserves top marks for his professionalism and friendliness. I hope his boss reads this and gives him a raise. He showed up early, knew his stuff, and never hesitated to go the extra mile for me during this install. Before he left, he handed me a Google Fiber business card with his direct mobile phone number on it, and told me just to call him directly if I have any issues (I called him the next day just to say thanks… and yep, it was his phone). Try asking a Comcast technician for his mobile number. He’ll laugh in your face.

So if you’re lucky enough to live in one of the areas that offers Google Fiber, go ahead and take the plunge. I’m sure I’ll be making more Google Fiber blog posts in the future (I’m already working on one addressing some of the more advanced networking features of the Google Network Box, since they differ somewhat from what most users are probably accustomed to), but for now, I’m just enjoying life in the fast, fast, fast lane.

If you’re a DirecTV customer, and you want to watch your local channels and get shows from the “big” networks like ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox, then there’s a good chance you’re coughing up extra money for their local channels.

Or maybe, you like to take your DirecTV receiver on the road in an RV or trailer, and you’d like to watch the local channels in the area you’re visiting.

Or maybe (and this one is completely hypothetical) you own a vacation home in a state that’s outside your home state’s Satellite spot beam. And maybe you’ve installed a dish on the roof of that vacation home, and brought a DirecTV receiver with you to that vacation home, so you can watch satellite TV there by paying only $6 per month for the additional receiver, rather than paying for an entirely separate account that you’ll only use a few weeks per year, meaning you haven’t been able to watch any channel under 200 at that vacation home for years, but you’ve been searching and searching for a way to get local channels so you can watch and DVR hi-def local programming.

Maybe.

So, if one of those situations describes you, I’ve found a solution. In addition to the satellite dish and DirecTV receiver you already have (assuming it’s one of the newer receivers like an HR21 that has a USB port in the back), you’re going to need two pieces of hardware:

• A DirecTV AM21N TV Tuner ($57 on Amazon, or try eBay)
• An indoor HDTV antenna

Which antenna you choose will depend upon a number of factors, but most important is the broadcast strength of the local channels in your area. To find out what type of signals you can expect, I recommend the TVFool.com TV Signal Locator. Just type in your address, and it calculates your coverage based on the terrain and known transmitters in the area. Click here for a copy of my report, showing what I can expect in the Provo, UT area.

If your report looks like that, then you’re going to need an amplified HDTV antenna, such as the Mohu Leaf 50 Indoor HDTV Antenna, or the AmazonBasics Extreme Performance Ultra Thin Amplified Indoor HDTV Antenna (which is a clone of the Mohu, only cheaper). If your report shows stronger signals, then you may be fine with a standard (non-amplified) Mohu or AmazonBasics antenna for a few dollars cheaper. I’ve also seen the Winegard amplified antennas at Costco for under $50. I purchased the Amazon amplified version for about $60, just to be safe. When it arrived, I was shocked at how small and light it was. Antenna technology has come a long way!

Connecting the AM21N

DirecTV AM21N Tuner

The AM21N is a DirecTV-branded device, although I get the sense they don’t want anyone to know about it, because I can’t find it advertised anywhere on their website. In fact, a Google search with results restricted to just the DirecTV.com website shows the word “AM21N” only occurs in the user forums and in the user manual hidden in the support section.

It’s an ATSC off-air tuner, meaning it picks up standard TV signals that are broadcast (for free!) through the air.

In any case, assuming you can get your hands on one (I bought mine on Amazon), connecting it is easy.

1. Stack it directly on top of, or underneath, your DirecTV receiver.
2. Remove the power cable from the back of your receiver.
3. Plug the power cable from the AM21N into the power plug port on the back of your receiver.
4. Connect the provided USB cable from the AM21N to the USB port on the back of your receiver.
5. Connect your HDTV antenna to the antenna port on the AM21N.
6. Plug the power cord that used to connect to your receiver into the power plug port on the back of the AM21N.

As your receiver is booting up (which can take a while), you can take a first guess at where you want to install your HDTV antenna.

Positioning your HDTV Antenna

Flat HDTV Antenna

You can use any type of HDTV Antenna you want with the AM21N, including attic- and roof-mounted options. You can find plenty of online help setting those up, but since I went with a small, indoor, flat antenna, that’s the only one I feel qualified to discuss.

My experience was the height matters. The higher I was able to place the antenna, the better my reception. One side of my antenna was white, and the other was black, but that’s merely cosmetic. It doesn’t matter which way you install it.

I used blue painters to place the antenna in a number of temporary locations and positions before finding the “sweet spot.” Placement in a window didn’t seem to have any advantage over mounting on a wall. In the end, it turned out I got the best results by laying the antenna flat on the top of a bookcase. By routing the cable behind the bookcase, you can’t even tell there’s an antenna in the room.

Once my receiver finished booting, it automatically took me to the Antenna Setup screen, where I could enter my local zip code. After that, it scans for the channels it “knows” about in the channel guide. If it finds one, it adds it to the list of your available channels in your guide.

My first scan got me ABC, CBS, and Fox, but no PBS or NBC. I moved the antenna and tried again, and got NBC, but at the expense of Fox. After 30 minutes of moving and re-scanning, I found the sweet spot… and ended up with great reception of everything in the area… including a bunch of Spanish language channels I didn’t want! I was able to shut them off in the Antenna Setup screen so they didn’t appear in the guide.

In addition to the “standard” local channels, I also got a number of sub-channels, which are digitally broadcast by the local affiliates. Those aren’t available on the satellite local feeds.

Image and Sound Quality

I fear that by publishing this post, DirecTV may send out their men in black to “get me,” but the image and sound quality of the off-air HD channels is actually better than the ones I get over the satellite back home. It’s not massively better, but it is noticeable to a home theater geek like me. Maybe it’s because the broadcast signals aren’t compressed like the satellite ones are. Regardless, quality is nothing like it used to be with the old rabbit ears in the basement TV when I was a kid. It’s true HD image and surround sound.

Channel Guide and DVR Functions Also Work

The combination of my DirecTV receiver (which is a DVR) and the AM21N means that the local programming appears in my channel guide alongside everythign else, and that I can pause and record the live TV signals from the antenna… just like I’d be able to with the local channels through the satellite feed. Changing channels takes a little bit longer, but not enough to bother me.

Final Thoughts

Even if you’re not a satellite customer, you can still use an HDTV antenna to pick up your local network affiliate stations on your TV: just connect the antenna to your TV and do a channel scan (that’s basically what the AM21N tuner is doing — acting as a TV tuner).

Combine an HDTV antenna with streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, and it’s no wonder the big boys like DirecTV and Comcast want you to forget that the FCC still requires local channels to broadcast their signals for free, over the airwaves.

So if you’re looking to add local HD channels to your TV, grab a $30-$50 antenna and you’re set. If you want to add them to your satellite setup, then spend another $60 on the AM21N tuner.

I’m just glad I can now DVR “my shows” while I’m visiting Utah.

Hypothetically, of course.

Shh… I borrowed my wife’s Ruger LCR to shoot this video. Don’t tell her!

And apologies for the slightly blurry video. I touched the lens after cleaning and lubing a gun, and still had some FrogLube on my hands!

In 2007, I purchased a brand new, stainless steel, side-by-side KitchenAid refrigerator for the Utah house. It worked great for almost 7 years, until two months ago… when I noticed a small puddle of water coming from under the fridge. Upon further investigation, I also noticed that the unit wasn’t able to keep the freezer below 0° F or the fridge below 38° F, and and that the metal divider between the fridge and freezer (which is called a mullion strip) was warm enough to make the rubber door seal give off a faint melting/burning odor. I guessed that all the problems might be related, but I wasn’t sure how. I decided to attack the temperature and mullion strip problem first. One of the most common causes of a fridge not being able to keep temperature (as well as a warm mullion strip) is dirty condenser coils. If not cleaned regularly, they can get clogged with dust and prevent airflow from cooling the coils as the condenser fan tries to draw air through them. I removed the vented plastic cover on the bottom of the fridge, where air is supposed to come in, and inspected the coils. Ewww. They looked like this:

This is what condenser coils that haven’t been cleaned in years look like.

As gross as that looks, it actually made me happy, as I presumed this was the cause of at least one of my problems, and that cleaning the coils with a vacuum would solve it. After a quick cleaning, they looked much better!

Cleaning the coils would certainly fix my problem… our would it?

With the condenser coils clean, I rolled the fridge forward so I could check behind it. The puddle of water was bigger back here, so I knew I was closer to the source. I put my hand down next to the vent at the bottom corner of the fridge, expecting to feel warm air coming out as the condenser fan drew room air from the front of the fridge, across the newly cleaned condenser coils, and out the vent:

Checking for air flow from the condenser fan

To my dismay, I felt nothing… which meant my problem was worse than simply dirty condenser coils. Time to take things to geek DEFCON 3, which meant busting out my tools! Using a 1/4″ hex head drill socket, I removed all the sheet metal screws from the fridge’s rear panel:

Removing the rear panel to access the condenser fan

I could hear the compressor running, but I could see that the condenser fan wasn’t spinning. That’s bad. That’s very bad. To oversimplify it a bit, that means that while the compressor was circulating coolant through the metal tubes inside the fridge (to absorb heat) and through the tubes attached to the condenser coils outside the fridge (to release that heat and cool off), the condenser fan wasn’t drawing any air from the front of the fridge and across the coils to help them cool off. That’s explains why the mullion strip (which houses some of those heat-exchanging tubes inside the fridge) was warm, and why the the unit wasn’t able to keep things cool. I also noticed that the small plastic tube feeding water to the ice maker was resting against one of the copper heat-exchanging tubes. That tube was hot (due to the fan not working), and it had melted a small hole in the ice maker supply tube. Every time the ice maker called for water to make more ice cubes, water would spray out of the hole, forming a puddle on the floor. Here’s a close-up of the slightly melted water tube:

Over-heated heat copper exchange tubing melted a hole in my ice maker feed tube

I still didn’t know why the condenser fan wasn’t working, but at least I’d solved the mystery of the puddle! So to help cool off the condenser coils while I continued to troubleshoot, I grabbed a floor fan, turned it on HIGH, and set it at the rear of the fridge (my floor fan actually has double fans, but for obvious reasons I only turned on the bottom one).

Floor fan blowing air across the condenser coils

Normally, the fridge’s condenser fan would pull air from the front of the fridge and push it out the vent in the rear. But because I still wanted to be able to open the fridge doors, I put my fan at the rear of the fridge pushing air across the coils and out the front. As long as air is flowing across the coils, they’ll cool properly, and after a few minutes with the fan running, the mullion strip started to cool and temperature inside the fridge began to drop! As the fridge cooled off, I turned my attention to what I knew would be the easy fix: the melted ice maker tube. First, I shut off the supply valve in the wall behind the fridge.

Ice maker water shut-ff valve

Next, I used scissors to cut out the melted section of plastic tube.

Cutting out the melted section of tube

It looks like a sad and deformed piece of macaroni!

After a trip to a nearby hardware store, I returned home with a 1/4″ quick-connect plastic coupler, which is a far easier (and reliable) way to repair refrigerator water lines than trying to use copper fittings.

1/4″ quick-connect plastic coupler

I pushed the connector onto one side of the ice maker tube:

Quick-connect half-way done

then pushed the remaining tube into the other side:

…and done!

I turned the supply valve back on, and re-routed the plastic tube away from any copper heat exchange tubing to avoid such problems in the future, and turned my attention to the condenser fan. A condenser fan is designed to run any time the compressor runs. If your compressor is running, but your condenser fan isn’t, then one (or possibly both) of the following two things is (are) broken:

1. The condenser fan itself
2. The control board that provides voltage to the fan when it’s supposed to run

In most cases, your fridge’s condenser fan will go bad long before its control board does. Swapping out the fan is relatively fast and inexpensive, assuming you can get your hands on one (and they’re not hard to find). I removed the wiring plug from the fan, and checked the fan’s label to see what voltage it required:

The label says the fan wants 115V

I also noted the fan’s part number (UDQR007W7), and was happy to find that I could buy a new one on Amazon for less than $60. Please be a dead fan… please be a dead fan… I pressed buttons inside the fridge to lower the desired temperature, which kicked on the compressor. Using my volt meter, I checked the voltage on the wiring plug that I’d removed from the fan. At first, I read 109V:

109V reading

Then zero: Then 112V:

112V

Then zero again. The low and intermittent power readings let me to suspect that maybe the problem wasn’t with the fan, but rather with the control board that’s supposed to send at least 115V (and probably more like 120V) to the fan whenever the compressor is running. To find the part number for the control board, I went to my fridge’s secret compartment. Did you know your fridge has a secret compartment? Yep – it probably does! Because professional appliance repair dudes can’t possibly remember all the various part numbers for every electronic piece on your fridge (and let’s face it… if they did have that ability, they probably wouldn’t be working as appliance repair dudes), most manufactures hide printed wiring and service sheets somewhere in a part of your fridge that anyone other than a repair dude would probably never look. On this KitchenAid fridge, it’s tucked inside the rear of the plastic vented cover that I’d removed to clean the condenser coils:

The secret compartment where the printed schematics are hidden

And here’s what it looks like unfolded:

It may not be a treasure map, but it’s still got what you’re looking for!

The service sheet showed the main circuit board’s part number was 2307028. I looked up that part number, figuring I’d able to quickly get my hands on one for decent price, especially since my fridge was only 7 years old, right? RIGHT? WRONG! My search results included a number of major online appliance parts outlets that listed the control board’s part number… but all of them showed it as “Out of Stock.” After 20 minutes of searching through parts providers’ websites and owner DIY forum posts, I was shocked to discover that I was far from the first to have these types of problems with a KitchenAid, Whirlpool, Maytag, Kenmore, or JennAir fridge — all of which used this exact same Whirlpool control board with part number 2220398, W10219463, AP4411082, 2307028, W10185291, 2307005, 2303934, 2252111, or 2223443 (depending on the brand). But the kicker was that all sources reported the same thing: that part is discontinued, and Whirlpool Corporation (who owns KitchenAid and all those other brands) doesn’t make it any more! I figured there’s no way that could be true. My “high-end” fridge had cost thousands of dollars… and was barely seven years old! KitchenAid’s website, however, still showed the part priced at $225.79 as a “Special Order” item:

This actually doesn’t make me feel special…

I called KitchenAid’s customer service line and asked for their parts department. They informed me that their website was mistaken — they no longer make the part. But they did give me a phone number for an independent repair company that I could contact and arrange to ship my board, have them repair it, and ship it back. I took down the number, but wasn’t ready to give up so quickly. Further online research revealed an apocryphal story about the Japanese manufacturer of these boards being destroyed in the tsunami of 2011. I’m not sure if I believe that, but even if it is true, I find it hard to believe that Whirlpool Corp was unable to find another source willing to make them. They probably didn’t want to incur the cost of establishing a new vendor and going through quality control… although, with the seemingly high failure rate of these boards, it doesn’t seem like quality control is really that big a deal to them. Anyway, when my “regular” DIY parts sources don’t come through for me, I go where all power shoppers go: eBay! I searched for “2307028″ on eBay and was flabbergasted by what I found. Turns out you can buy a replacement control board… for $850! Obviously, once this problem became widespread among the thousands of owners whose refrigerators rely on this defect-prone board, the laws of supply and demand took hold… driving the price of this control board to nearly half the price of a new fridge (or a tenth of the price if you bought a $9,000 Architect Series model). eBay listings also included repair services for the control board priced around $250. That’s still nuts for a board that used to cost less than that brand new! In my geek rage, I decided I’d do a little more tinkering before I caved and paid for the repair. It was time to yank the control board and see if I could identify the problem myself. I unplugged the fridge, moved my fan out of the way, then used a screwdriver to remove the inverter box (the grey plastic box in this photo):

The grey plastic inverter box needs to be moved out of the way to access the metal control board housing

With the inverter box out of the way, I removed the screws holding the metal control board housing in place, then pulled the housing out to expose the control board:

The infamous Whirlpool / KitchenAid control board!

I unplugged all of the connectors (it’s always smart to snap photos like this before taking anything apart), and got my first clear look at the naughty control board:

Control board with all connectors removed

I removed the board from the metal housing by pinching the five plastic pins (one in each corner plus one in the middle) and put it on a towel on my kitchen counter to get a better look:

Control board, up close and personal

Because I knew the problem manifested as intermittent power to the fan, I speculated that cause was most likely one of the following three things:

1. A bad physical connection where the board connected to the wire running to the fan
2. A failed (or failing) capacitor that regulates the power to the fan
3. A failed (or failing) relay that switches power to the fan

I traced the two condenser fan wires back from the fan to determine which of the six plastic plug connectors on the board fed voltage to the fan, and it turned out to be two of the pins in the connector marked P5 on the board (lower right corner in the photo above). I tested the wires for continuity, and they checked out fine. I flipped the control board over, and re-soldered the pins on connector P5, thereby (hopefully) eliminating possibility #1. To eliminate possibility #2, I inspected the capacitor nearest the P5 connector (looks like a silver cylinder wrapped in black plastic in the photo). It was a 220 uf 35V (pronounced “two-twenty microfarad thirty-five volt”) unit, and if you carefully compare its top to the other two capacitors in the above photo, you’ll notice that the light reflects off it differently… meaning it could be slightly bulging at the top, which is a sure sign of failure (or impending failure). Here’s a closer shot of all three capacitors (the one in question sits in position C32):

Faulty capacitor? Maybe…

I figured I wouldn’t take any chances, and capacitors are cheap… as in $1.49 at Radio Shack for a new one. I don’t shop at “Da Shack” much these days, but I can still rely on them for capacitors, and there’s a store less than two miles from the Utah house. A few minutes later I was back home with a replacement:

Will Radio Shack part 272-1029 do the trick?

I unsoldered the old one:

Old capacitor removed from location C32

and soldered in the new one, making sure to keep the “stripe” on the side of the capacitor facing the same direction (toward the bottom of the board) as the original (which is more important than just cosmetics):

New capacitor in place

To eliminate potential problem #3, I’d have to figure out which relay controlled the fan. I flipped the board over, and traced the circuit with my finger from the connecting pins and determined that the potentially faulty relay was the second one from the top in this photo:

Relays on the control board

It’s a 4A 125VAC (“four amp, one-twenty-five volts alternating current”) relay, and among all three possible problems, it had the highest probability of being the actual culprit. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a source for these relays in Utah, and I was headed back to Seattle in two days, so I wouldn’t have time to find one online and get one shipped. I hoped that maybe fixes #1 and #2 had solved the problem, so I re-installed the board and powered up the fridge. After a few minutes, the compressor came on… and so did the fan! Hooray! But after another minute or so, the fan stopped… while the compressor kept running. Nooooooo! I tested the voltage to the fan connector once again, and was disappointed to read only 88V:

88 is the perfect MPH for a time travelling Delorean, but bad for a 115V fan

And then zero volts again. Arrgggh…. Power still wasn’t getting off the control board reliably. I don’t leave a lot of food in the fridge when I’m not in Utah, but I didn’t want the food inside the freezer the thaw, so I decided I’d throw a temporary fix at the fridge while I was back in Seattle for a few weeks, and then deal with the control board issues again when I returned the following month. Using an old VCR power cord and some spare computer power cables, I cobbled together a 120V power cord and spliced it directly into the condenser fan. This meant that the fan was plugged directly to the wall, and no longer powered by the control board, so it would run 24/7:

Home-made fan power cable

Why did I make a connector instead of just wiring the fan directly to the cable? Good question! It was so I could easily disconnect it and install the back vent panel on the fridge, which is an important part of ensure proper air flow over the condenser coils:

Fan connector through the vents

I used the fridge normally for the next couple of days, and then returned to Seattle. On my next trip down to Utah the following month, the fridge continued to work fine with the compressor fan running 24/7, and I was tempted to leave it as it was… but the question of that final relay was still nagging me. So, at the end of my week there, I emptied the fridge (we used all the frozen food that week), removed the control board again, and decided I’d wasted enough time on the board myself. I phoned the company that KitchenAid’s customer service had suggested: CoreCentric Solutions. They quoted me $121 (including shipping) to “recondition” the board and send it back to me with a one-year warranty. I figured that’s a far better deal than some of the other online locations such as FixYourBoard.com that offer to do it for $220! I shipped it off, using the Utah house’s address as the return shipping address, so the repaired board waiting for me the next time I went to Utah (which was a three weeks later). As you can imagine, I was extremely curious to examine the board and compare it to the “before” photos I’d taken. Here’s what my “reconditioned” board looks like now:

Reconditioned board from CoreCentric Solutions

At first glance, it was obvious they’d replaced the C32 capacitor (the exact same one I’d already replaced myself), but their “RECONDITIONED” sticker conveniently covered the other new item on the board. Here’s a close-up shot with that sticker removed:

One of these things is not like the other…

I knew it! The original board had four identical NAIS-branded relays here, but CoreCentric Solutions had replaced the second one from the trop with an Omron 5A 250VAC relay… which is considerably beefier than the original 4A 124VAC one (Omron’s part number for this relay is G5Q-14-DC12). The heart-breaking news is that a relay like that costs about $5. I flipped the board over to inspect the solder joints:

Checking which solder joints are new

It’s easy to see a human-made solder joint vs. a machine made one, so I was able to quickly verify that CoreCentric had replaced nothing else on the board. I’d spent $121 to confirm exactly what I’d thought… the fix for the board was a capacitor and a relay totaling around $6. Live and learn. I installed the “reconditioned” board back in the refrigerator:

Repaired board back in place

I buttoned everything back up, and fired it up. After a few minutes, the compressor and fan came on… and they stayed in sync the entire week. The fridge now works great again. To make my $121 “tuition payment” worthwhile, I hope that anyone else experiencing this problem finds this blog post, tracks down the capacitor and relay I’ve mentioned above, then replaces them on their own control board themselves (or you can ask a geeky friend with basic soldering skillz to do it for you). I’m very disappointed in Whirlpool Corp’s lack of customer service with this issue, particularly since this one control board affects so many of their products. Here are just a few of the model numbers of Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, Kenmore, and JennAir refrigerators that use control board W10219463 or 2307028: 10641522500 10641523500 10641524500 10641529500 10644022600 10644022601 10644022602 10644022603 10644023600 10644023601 10644023602 10644023603 10644024600 10644029600 10644029601 10644029602 10644029603 10644032600 10644032601 10644032602 10644032603 10644033600 10644033601 10644033602 10644033603 10644034600 10644039600 10644039601 10644039602 10644039603 10644322400 10644323400 10644324400 10644329400 10644422600 10644422601 10644422602 10644422603 10644423600 10644423601 10644423602 10644423603 10644424600 10644424601 10644424602 10644424603 10644429600 10644429601 10644429602 10644429603 10644432600 10644432601 10644432602 10644432603 10644433600 10644433601 10644433602 10644433603 10644434600 10644434601 10644434602 10644434603 10644439600 10644439601 10644439602 10644439603 EC3JHAXRL00 EC3JHAXRL01 EC3JHAXRS00 EC3JHAXRS01 GC3NHAXSB00 GC3NHAXSQ00 GC3NHAXST00 GC3NHAXSY00 GC3NHAXVA00 GC3NHAXVA01 GC3NHAXVB00 GC3NHAXVB01 GC3NHAXVQ00 GC3NHAXVQ01 GC3NHAXVS00 GC3NHAXVS01 GC3NHAXVY00 GC3NHAXVY01 GC3PHEXNB00 GC3PHEXNB01 GC3PHEXNB02 GC3PHEXNB03 GC3PHEXNQ00 GC3PHEXNQ01 GC3PHEXNQ02 GC3PHEXNQ03 GC3PHEXNS00 GC3PHEXNS01 GC3PHEXNS02 GC3PHEXNS03 GC3PHEXNT00 GC3PHEXNT01 GC3PHEXNT02 GC3PHEXNT03 GC3SHEXNB00 GC3SHEXNB01 GC3SHEXNB02 GC3SHEXNB03 GC3SHEXNB04 GC3SHEXNQ00 GC3SHEXNQ01 GC3SHEXNQ02 GC3SHEXNQ03 GC3SHEXNQ04 GC3SHEXNS00 GC3SHEXNS01 GC3SHEXNS02 GC3SHEXNS03 GC3SHEXNS04 GC3SHEXNT00 GC3SHEXNT01 GC3SHEXNT02 GC3SHEXNT03 GC3SHEXNT04 GC5NHAXSB00 GC5NHAXSB01 GC5NHAXSB02 GC5NHAXSB03 GC5NHAXSQ00 GC5NHAXSQ01 GC5NHAXSQ02 GC5NHAXSQ03 GC5NHAXST00 GC5NHAXST01 GC5NHAXST02 GC5NHAXST03 GC5NHAXSY00 GC5NHAXSY01 GC5NHAXSY02 GC5NHAXSY03 GC5NHAXVB00 GC5NHAXVB01 GC5NHAXVQ00 GC5NHAXVQ01 GC5NHAXVS00 GC5NHAXVS01 GC5NHAXVY00 GC5NHAXVY01 GC5SHEXNB00 GC5SHEXNB01 GC5SHEXNB02 GC5SHEXNB03 GC5SHEXNB04 GC5SHEXNB05 GC5SHEXNQ00 GC5SHEXNQ01 GC5SHEXNQ02 GC5SHEXNQ03 GC5SHEXNQ04 GC5SHEXNQ05 GC5SHEXNS00 GC5SHEXNS01 GC5SHEXNS02 GC5SHEXNS03 GC5SHEXNS04 GC5SHEXNS05 GC5SHEXNT00 GC5SHEXNT01 GC5SHEXNT02 GC5SHEXNT03 GC5SHEXNT04 GC5SHEXNT05 GC5THEXNB00 GC5THEXNB01 GC5THEXNB02 GC5THEXNB03 GC5THEXNQ00 GC5THEXNQ01 GC5THEXNQ02 GC5THEXNQ03 GC5THEXNS00 GC5THEXNS01 GC5THEXNS02 GC5THEXNS03 GC5THEXNT00 GC5THEXNT01 GC5THEXNT02 GC5THEXNT03 JCB2488MTR00 JCB2581WES00 JCB2582WEF00 JCB2582WEY00 JCB2585WEP00 JCB2585WEP01 JCB2585WES00 JCB2585WES01 JCB2587WEF00 JCB2587WEY00 JCB2588WER00 JCD2395WES00 JCD2395WES01 JCD2395WES02 JCD2591WES00 JCD2595WEK00 JCD2595WEK01 JCD2595WEP00 JCD2595WEP01 JCD2595WES00 JCD2595WES01 KBLC36FMS01 KBLC36FMS02 KBLO36FMX01 KBLO36FMX02 KBLP36FMS02 KBLS36FMB01 KBLS36FMB02 KBLS36FMX01 KBLS36FMX02 KBLV36FPM01 KBLV36FPM02 KBLV36FPS01 KBLV36FPS02 KBRC36FMS01 KBRC36FMS02 KBRO36FMX01 KBRO36FMX02 KBRP36FMS01 KBRP36FMS02 KBRS36FMB01 KBRS36FMB02 KBRS36FMX01 KBRS36FMX02 KBRV36FPM01 KBRV36FPM02 KBRV36FPS01 KBRV36FPS02 KBUDT4265E04 KBURT3665E01 KSBP23INSS00 KSBP23INSS01 KSBP25INSS00 KSBP25INSS01 KSBP25INSS02 KSBP25INSS03 KSBP25IVSS00 KSBP25IVSS01 KSBS23INBL00 KSBS23INBL01 KSBS23INBT00 KSBS23INBT01 KSBS23INSS00 KSBS23INSS01 KSBS23INWH00 KSBS23INWH01 KSBS25INBL00 KSBS25INBL01 KSBS25INBL02 KSBS25INBL03 KSBS25INBT00 KSBS25INBT01 KSBS25INBT02 KSBS25INBT03 KSBS25INSS00 KSBS25INSS01 KSBS25INSS02 KSBS25INSS03 KSBS25INWH00 KSBS25INWH01 KSBS25INWH02 KSBS25INWH03 KSBS25IVBL00 KSBS25IVBL01 KSBS25IVSS00 KSBS25IVSS01 KSBS25IVWH00 KSBS25IVWH01 KSCS23FSBL00 KSCS23FSBL01 KSCS23FSBL02 KSCS23FSBL03 KSCS23FSBT00 KSCS23FSBT01 KSCS23FSBT02 KSCS23FSBT03 KSCS23FSMS00 KSCS23FSMS01 KSCS23FSMS02 KSCS23FSMS03 KSCS23FSSS02 KSCS23FSSS03 KSCS23FSWH00 KSCS23FSWH01 KSCS23FSWH02 KSCS23FSWH03 KSCS23FTBL00 KSCS23FTBL01 KSCS23FTBL02 KSCS23FTBT00 KSCS23FTBT01 KSCS23FTBT02 KSCS23FTMS00 KSCS23FTMS01 KSCS23FTMS02 KSCS23FTSS00 KSCS23FTSS01 KSCS23FTSS02 KSCS23FTWH00 KSCS23FTWH01 KSCS23FTWH02 KSCS23FVBL00 KSCS23FVBL01 KSCS23FVBL02 KSCS23FVBL03 KSCS23FVMK00 KSCS23FVMK01 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That’s a bunch of them. And there are probably more! If you’re the owner of one of these refrigerators and have experienced this problem, please tell me about it in the comments!

Glock’s marketing tagline is “Perfection,” but that doesn’t prevent many of us from wanting a little something extra from these popular striker-fired pistols. This article will include links to my YouTube video series on Glock Upgrades.

My general philosophy around any firearms modification is that in order to truly be considered an “upgrade,” the modification must improve the functionality of the weapon for how you use it. That means that depending on the owner and the gun’s purpose (competition, home defense, carry, etc.), one man’s upgrade is another man’s downgrade.

Further, I tend to give preference when modifying a weapon to using OEM components. There are exceptions to this, like when I feel that a third-party manufacturer has designed something that exceeds the original functionality of the gun. But in most cases, when choosing between two similar upgrade components, I’ll tend to choose the OEM manufactured one if the choice is available.

If you like these videos and would like to see more, I invite you to please subscribe to my YouTube Channel!

Glock Field Strip

For many of these videos, knowing how to field strip your Glock is a necessity.

Glock Upgrade: Installing a 3.5lb Trigger Connector

Glocks come from the factory with a 4.5-5.5 lb trigger by default. In this video, I install a Lone Wolf Distributors 3.5lb trigger connector to slightly reduce the amount of trigger pull necessary to fire your Glock. Price: $12 – $15 online.

Glock Upgrade: Grip Plug

In this video, I install a Glock grip plug from GlockPlug.com, which improves the reliability of magazine swaps, keeps dirt from entering your Glock, and gives a more “finished” look to your Glock. Price: $4 – $6 online.

Glock Upgrade: Extended Slide Lock

If you’re “all thumbs,” then this upgrade is for you. In this video, I install a Glock OEM extended slide lock, which comes standard on some Glocks (such as the Glock 17L or the GLock 35). The extended slide release allows the shooter to more easily and reliably manipulate the slide lock lever. Price: around $17 online.

Glock Upgrade: Rail-Mounted Light

You can’t shoot what you can’t see. In this video, I install a tactical light on the Glock 19′s rail, and discuss the circumstances under which you’d want to run a light on your Glock.

Questions, Comments, and Feedback

I’ll be adding to this post as I make more videos in this series. If you have suggested Glock upgrades for me to investigate, or would like to discuss my upgrades or your own, I welcome your questions and feedback in the comments below!

I’d been planning to write a post about carbon monoxide (CO) detectors for some time now, ever since I installed one not long ago while replacing my first water heater here at the house. I wasn’t in any rush. I’d get around to it eventually.

But a pair of recent and shockingly sad occurrences have forced this project to the top of my DIY list — and to the top of my “must blog about this now” list.

The first story was reported in the February 25, 2014 Idaho State Journal. The headline read: “Four family members found deceased in Pocatello home; carbon monoxide suspected.” The family had two of their grown children away from home serving full-time missions for their church (like the one I did from 1990-1992 in France), who were forced to come home early to face this tragic loss. This single sentence in the middle of the article made my heart sink:

“There was no carbon monoxide detector in the Parrish home.”

The second story is a bit more recent… and hits a bit closer to home. This obituary reports that on March 6, 2014, 45 year-old Christopher Joel Starkey “passed away unexpectedly.” What wasn’t reported in the news or the obituary, however, is the cause of his tragic and unexpected death: carbon monoxide poisoning. He was cooking on a fuel-burning stove inside a building that didn’t have sufficient ventilation. How do I know this? Because as a divorced dad, when my daughters aren’t living with me, they live with their mom in Mapleton, Utah… two houses down the street from the Starkeys. I’d met Chris. His outgoing wife Julie was my oldest daughter’s church group leader. My kids went to school, and to church, with his kids. Chris was an Eagle Scout, an accomplished outdoorsman, served a full-time mission for his church, went to BYU, loved the Seattle Seahawks, and was a tech entrepreneur with computers and networks. All of those attributes describe me… which maybe explains why (even though I had only met Chris a few times) the tragic news of his untimely death caused me to go immediately to Amazon.com and order nine CO sensors; six for the Seattle house, and three for the Utah house.

So the goal of this DIY blog post is to share with my readers what I’ve learned in my research of CO poisoning and CO sensors. If it can help make even one fewer story like the two mentioned above, I’ll sleep better at night knowing I did my best to spread the word.

What is Carbon Monoxide?

Carbon Monoxide (abbreviated as “CO”) is a gas. It’s made up of one atom of carbon and one (mono) atom of oxygen (oxide). It has no color, no odor, and no taste. Carbon monoxide is formed as a byproduct when fuel is burned in an enclosed space and when there’s not enough oxygen available to create carbon dioxide (CO2).

Common sources of CO include combustion engines (like your car), water heaters, lanterns, burning charcoal and wood, and all gas-powered appliances like ranges, furnaces, dryers, or fireplaces.

What is Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?

According to the CDC, CO poisoning occurs because “red blood cells pick up CO quicker than they pick up oxygen. If there is a lot of CO in the air, the body may replace oxygen in blood with CO. This blocks oxygen from getting into the body, which can damage tissues and result in death. CO can also combine with proteins in tissues, destroying the tissues and causing injury and death.” The CDC reports that over 20,000 Americans visit an emergency room every year from CO poisoning. Over 4,000 of them are hospitalized. And worst of all, over 400 Americans die from CO poisoning every year. And in nearly every case, no CO detector was present. The CDC’s Carbon Monoxide Poisoning FAQ has a lot of additional information about the causes and prevention of CO poisoning. It’s worth checking out.

But my goal for this post is to convince you to immediately determine whether you need to install, check, or replace CO sensors in your home. And if you do, to immediately do so. No tomorrow, not next week, but the second you finish reading this post.

CO Sensors

Carbon Monoxide sensors can be found at any hardware store, home improvement center, or major online retailers like Amazon.com. They are easy to find, easy to install, and not expensive. You have no excuse for not having them in your home.

My preferred CO sensor the First Alert CO615.

First Alert CO615 Carbon Monoxide Detector

This unit can plug directly into a wall outlet, or can be mounted higher on a wall with included hardware and plugged in with the included long cord. It uses two AA batteries (provided) for backup power and has a digital display for easy visibility of battery life and sensor function. You can press the “Peak Level” button on the front of the unit and it will display the highest level of CO it’s detected in the previous 24 hours, even if the levels didn’t reach high enough to sound the alarm. And even though I consider it one of the “higher-end” consumer CO sensor alarms, it only costs $30 online (shipping included).

You can also buy “combo”detectors that combine smoke detection with CO detection, ranging from this $31 Kidde KN-COSM-BA Battery-Operated CO and Smoke Detector (with talking alarm) to this hi-tech Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Sensor from Nest for $129.

At first thought, you might think a combo unit is the way to go. If you’ll allow me, I’d like to talk you out of that notion. CO detectors have a much shorter service life than smoke detectors (50% shorter on average), so my preference is to split CO detection and smoke detection into two separate devices, and then replace each unit individually when its service life is over.

Smoke detector manufacturers recommend that you replace their units every 10 years (although most experts note that it’s the manufacturers who have an interest in you buying more smoke detectors who suggest that… and that smoke detectors will likely function just fine for much longer).

The first CO detectors to hit the market only had a life-span of 2 years, through some of the most recent models advertise up to 7 years of service life. Keep in mind these recommendations are not based on battery life, but on the life of the sensor itself. My research shows that on average, industry experts have determined that the CO sensors lose their ability to sense carbon monoxide gas after an average of 5 years, and should therefore be replaced every 5 years. Based on that, I have replacement of CO detectors scheduled in my home maintenance calendar at 5 year intervals. I’m scheduling the replacement of the single hard-wired version I use at 7 years, since it states on the box that it’s indicated to reach “End-of-Life” 7 years after it’s installed:

The Macurco CM-E1 box says the unit reaches “end of life” after 7 years.

Where to Install CO Sensors

There’s some minor debate as to the most effective placement of a CO sensor. Because CO is slightly heavier than air, some experts recommend that sensors be installed on a wall, about a foot or two above the ground (outlet height, conveniently enough). Others suggest that CO from an exhaust will be warm, it will therefore rise and be best detected by a ceiling-mounted unit. The prevailing opinion seems to be that either location is effective for CO detection, as long as the detector isn’t installed in a corner where air will be stagnant. At my house, I’ve installed all the CO sensors at outlet height or higher.

As for the best room(s) in your house for CO detector installation, don’t put one where it’s normal to expect a small or temporary amount of CO to exist… such as inside your garage. If you installed one there, the CO sensor alarm would sound every time you start your car!

Instead, place a CO sensor in or near every sleeping area in your house, as well as in “common areas” of your house where carbon monoxide from a poorly ventilated device could potentially collect and be dangerous, like a living room with a gas or wood-burning fireplace or stove, the laundry room if you have a gas dryer, a furnace room, or the kitchen with a gas range.

I installed a detector in the utility room near one of my water heaters — but not right above the water heater where it might falsely alarm, but next to it, like this:

First Alert CO Monitor and Alarm

We have three gas fireplaces in our Seattle house: one in the living room, one in the family room, and one in the master bedroom. So I installed a CO monitor in each location. I also installed one in the hallway outside the laundry room, which is the hallway that connects three bedrooms upstairs.

Hard-Wired CO Detectors and Alarm Systems

Before I truly considered the dangers of CO poisoning as a result of the above news stories, I had convince myself that the Macuro CM-14A hard-wired CO detector, which the builder had installed in the basement utility room… and which was wired as a separate zone in our DSC whole-house alarm system, was sufficient.

Macuro CM-14A Carbon Monoxide Detector

The basement utility room houses two furnaces, as well as the larger of our two water heaters, and is therefore the location in the house with the highest concentration of major fuel-burning appliances. It also shares a hallway with our son’s bedroom.

The hard-wired sensor had been hooked up in 1997, when the house was built and the alarm system originally installed. I didn’t realize, however, that like all CO detectors, the actual sensing unit inside the detector loses its ability to sense carbon monoxide after only a few years, and so I trusted the happy little green LED on the unit that may have been falsely informing me that everything was fine. In reality, that LED maybe have only been informing me that the detector had power, and that the sensor (which had probably already lost its ability to sense) wasn’t sensing anything dangerous. That’s kind of like a bloodhound whose nose has fallen off not barking because he can’t smell anything.

Macurco (now owned by 3M Corporation) no longer makes the CM-14A. They’ve replaced it with the Macurco CM-E1, which costs around $80 online. I considered just throwing another $30 detector into the basement utility room instead, but I liked the idea of having a detector in that room that trip the house alarm and automatically call the fire department , so I coughed up the extra money.

Installing the Macurco CM-E1 in place of the older CM-14A was pretty straightforward. Simply unscrew the old detector from the wall and expose the low voltage wires:

Macurco CM-14A removal

The two red wires coming from the sensor are the 12V power wires, and the blue and orange wires are the relay leads that trip the alarm when the unit senses CO gas. The brown wire sticking out to the left was never connected, and I’m still not sure what its purpose was (the unit’s so old that a web search didn’t produce a manual or wiring diagram). I didn’t have much time to think about it, however, because as soon as I disconnected one of the red power leads, the alarm interpreted that as the relay tripping and triggered the whole-house alarm! Thankfully, I’d phoned the alarm monitoring company a few minutes earlier to ask them to put my system in “test mode.” This is not my first time messing with a monitored alarm.

The new CM-E1 came with a cute little wiring harness, so I connected the two 12V power and two relay leads to the appropriate wires from the alarm panel:

Macurco CM-E1 wiring harness

Note the unused green and brown wires on the harness, which I terminated with wire nuts. Unlike the older CM-14A, the newer CM-E1 detector has a trouble relay on-board. The good news is that my alarm panel supports trouble relays — meaning my new sensor could potentially turn on the yellow trouble light on my alarm keypads to alert me if something went wrong with the sensor. The bad news is that whoever installed this sensor originally only ran four-conductor wire from the alarm panel (grrrrrr!). Had they run a full Cat-5 cable (like a real professional would), I could have easily hooked up the trouble relay.

Once all the wires that could be connected were connected, I mounted the new sensor’s wall plate and plugged in the wiring harness to the back of the circuit board:

Macurco CM-E1 wall plate installed

The unit beeped and flashed the LED… which the instructions said was the normal start-up procedure. I checked one of the alarm keypads, but it complained that the “Gas Detector” zone was “open” — which isn’t what I wanted to so. Combining that info with the fact that killing the power to the old unit had tripped the alarm, I deduced that the old unit must have been configured in “normally closed” mode, so I set the jumper on the rear of the CM-E1 to “NC,” which fixed the problem.

Jumper switch settings on the back of the Macurco CM-E1

With everything reporting properly, I clicked the new unit into place:

Macurco CM-E1 installed

then held the test button for 5 seconds to trigger the on-board relay. The whole-house alarm sounded again, confirming that if the relay opens (which it’s supposed to do if the sensor detects gas), it will sound the alarm siren and call the fire department.

How to Test a CO Detector (and/or a Smoke Detector)

You might assume that testing a CO detector is as easy as testing a smoke detector. And you’d be right… but not in the way that you think.

When you press the “test” button on a CO detector or a smoke detector, you’re actually only testing the circuitry inside the unit. You’re testing to see if the alarm speaker is capable of making a loud and annoying sound. You’re testing to see if the on-board relay will close (or open) properly and trigger the whole house alarm. You’re testing to see if multiple inter-connected detectors will tell the rest of the detectors around the house to also start beeping. You might even be testing whether the back-up batteries are functional. You’re definitely testing whether or not the test button works.

But what you’re not testing, however, is whether the sensor inside your unit can actually detect smoke or carbon monoxide… and that’s the most important test of all!

Rather than smoke a cigarette under a smoke detector, or route a hose from your car’s exhaust to your CO detector, there’s an easier way to verify that your smoke and CO detectors can actually do their jobs. For $10, purchase an aerosol can of Smoke Detector Tester Spray (which will last for years) and spray it at your smoke detectors annually when you change the backup batteries (you do change your backup batteries, don’t you?). Also, for $16, pick up a can of Solo C6 Carbon Monoxide Detector Tester so you can test the actual effectiveness of your CO sensors.

Remember, your CO detector’s test button and LED might tell you everything is fine… even if the sensor inside the unit has stopped working. If you want to save some money, split the cost of the test spray cans with a neighbor, then get together once a year to check both house’s smoke and CO detectors. You’ll probably be more likely to test regularly if you have a test buddy.

Final Thoughts

I am deeply saddened by the tragic deaths that served as the catalysts for this blog post. I don’t scare easily, but stories like those truly scare me.

Carbon monoxide poisoning strikes with little warning… and with no odor, or color, or taste. The only way to protect your family from this silent killer is by:

• installing quality CO detectors in appropriate locations throughout your home
• replacing their backup batteries on schedule
• testing them regularly with aerosol spray (not the test button)
• replacing the CO detector after 5 years of use — or when the aerosol test fails, whichever comes first
  

Even though I’m a DIY junkie, I will admit that there are some maintenance and DIY projects that can be put off until the weather, or schedules, or finances are more favorable. This is not one of them.

Go to Amazon right now and search all their carbon monoxide detectors. Find the right one(s) for your needs and purchase the appropriate number of units for your house. They’re not expensive. Well-reviewed CO detectors are available with free shipping for less than $15 each.

Seriously. Please. Do it. Right now. Right. Now.

As always, I welcome your comments, feedback, and suggestions below.

One of the reasons I enjoy doing DIY projects is because I love saving money. But not all DIY projects are created equal — and the least equal is replacing light bulbs. I hate replacing light bulbs. I feel very little satisfaction after doing it, and I often put if off until enough bulbs in a room have burned out that it makes my wife pester me nicely remind me to get it done. I’d seriously rather replace a toilet than replace a light bulb.

But what if there was a way to save money, while at the same time massively reduce the frequency of light bulb changes? That’s exactly what LED light bulbs and fixtures can do for the DIY handyman (or handywoman).

But be warned: not all LED lights are created equal. There are some specifics to watch out for, and tips for picking the right ones for your application. I’ve purchased plenty of the wrong LED bulbs in my search for the ones I like the best. I’ve also had bad luck with a few manufacturers, and great luck with others. The purpose of this blog post is to help you learn from my mistakes, and pick the right LED bulbs the first time.

LED vs. CFL

Maybe you’re reading this blog post thinking “Bah. I don’t have to worry. I’ve already got CFL bulbs at my house. Those are just as good as LED, right? RIGHT? Please say I’m right, Steve!”

Sorry… I can’t say you’re right. But I’ll try to let you down easy. Yes, CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lamps) were first on the residential scene, and so they got a lot of attention initially, and they’re still around on store shelves. And because they’ve been available longer, they’re slightly less expensive than LED options. But the LEDs really are superior in practically every way. LED’s are even more efficient, they last longer, they turn on to full brightness instantly (CFLs are notorious for needing a “warm up” period every time they’re switched on), they’re available in “warmer” color temps, they’re more likely to be dimmable, and best of all, you don’t have to look at that weird curvy tubing trying to pass itself off as a bulb! So when your CFLs burn out, replace them with LEDs. Trust me, you’ll be happier.

Choose the Right Color Temperature

Probably the most important, yet most overlooked, factor in choosing an LED bulb is the color… or more precisely, the color temperature.

Let’s geek out for a bit. Light that is visible to the human eye ranges from red on the “low” end of the visible spectrum to purple (or violet) on the “high” end. Our eyes can’t see light that’s “below” red (called infra-red) or light that’s “above” violet (or ultra-violet). We can see everything in between, but how we perceive and interpret light differs based on where it falls within the visible light spectrum. Visible light that’s closer to red is interpreted by our brains as “warm,” while visible light that’s bluish or closer to violet is perceived as “cool.” So keep that in mind when choosing a color temperature for your LED bulbs, based on the “feel” you’re trying to achieve in the space you’re lighting.

Most LED bulbs and fixtures will have labels that say “soft white” or “bright white” or even “daylight.” My advice is to completely ignore those labels. Instead, flip the packaging over and look for a section on the packaging that shows the color temperature in degrees Kelvin. That’s the only true indicator of how “warm” or “cool” the light output will be. Check out this chart:

Color temperature in Kelvin

Notice that the lower the number, the “warmer” the light. The higher the number, the “cooler” the light. Standard incandescent light bulbs output light that’s around 2500K in color, which is soft and just slightly yellow. The warmest LED lights I’ve been able to find are 2700K, and that’s a perfect color temp for nearly all interior spaces in a residence (bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms, living areas, etc.). Even if the package says “soft white,” don’t be fooled. I’ve seen plenty of 3000K bulbs that are labelled as “soft white,” and there’s nothing soft about them. As you can see from the above chart, that’s the same light color as a standard fluorescent bulb… which is not at all what you want for your living spaces. This picture shows (approximately) 3000K on the left, 2700K in the middle, and 2500K on the right:

Color temperature can change the “feel” of a room.

For garages, utility rooms, and maybe even pantries, 3000K is fine. You can still get away with 2700K, but I personally prefer something a bit more “industrial” and cooler for those types of spaces. Again, ignore the words on the package and look for the number.

For exteriors, either 2700K or 3000K will work… depending on the look you’re going for. The 2700K bulbs are a softer more traditional look, while the 3000K bulbs are slightly harsher, but not too harsh that it looks bad.

You can find 3500K LED bulbs for residential use, but I’d stay away from them. That color is so cool that it has a blue tinge to it, kind of like modern Xenon headlights. It’s not at all pleasant to look at, or live with. And please… for the sake of your neighbors, don’t use them on the outside lights of your house or around your driveway. They’re way too harsh and visually abrasive. You don’t want your house looking like a gas station:

3500K lights are what you’ll usually see at gas stations

Be Consistent with Your Color

Regardless of which color temperature(s) you go with, you need to be consistent. Don’t mix 2700K and 3000K fixtures outside your house — it sticks out like a sore thumb. I won’t say which neighborhood it’s in, and since we’ve got houses in three different places, I won’t be “outing” any of my neighbors by saying this, but I have a neighbor near one of our houses that has one 3500K light in one soffet and a 2700K bulb in the one next to it…  and every time I drive by it at night, it drives me crazy! That 3500K color is overly harsh, but it’s made worse by being near a much softer light. You’re better off buying the proper color to replace all your exterior lights at once, and then spend an afternoon putting them all in.

Get the Same Lumens for Fewer Watts

Apart from your light’s color, you also need to decide how bright you want your light to be. Color is measured in Kelvin, while brightness (or light output) is measured in lumens. Most homeowners can’t conceptually visualize the difference between 900 lumens and 450 lumens. But because we’ve all been raised with traditional incandescent bulbs, we can generally visualize the difference between a 40 watt compared to a 60 watt compared to a 100 watt bulb… even though wattage is a measurement how much power the bulb burns while lit, and not light output.

The “problem” (if you can call it that) is that LED bulbs are insanely more efficient than incandescent bulbs. They can put out the same amount of light output (lumens) as a traditional 40 watt bulb… while only burning 8 watts! That’s why you’ll often see LED bulbs with a “wattage equivalent” shown on the package. So pick the equivalent wattage for the light output you want, but make a note of the lumens (which will also be on the package). As we move away from traditional bulbs, start trying to think in lumens you want for a fixture, not watts. Here’s a comparison chart to help you choose the lumens you want:

Standard vs. LED Light Output

Also, if you’ve got a light fixture with a warning label on it that says something like “60 watts max” — keep in mind that’s a limit on the energy usage of the bulb, not the light output. So if you found a 100 watt “equivalent” LED bulb that actually only uses 14 watts, that’s fine to run in that fixture.

LEDs aren’t just Cool, they’re Cooler

Another major benefit of LED bulbs is that they operate at a much cooler temperature (actual temperature, not color temperature) than traditional bulbs. That means you don’t have to worry as much about them melting or burning lamp shades, you can touch them sooner after turning them off, and they won’t raise the temperature of the room while they’re lit.

LEDs Last Way Longer

For me, one of the biggest benefits of LED bulbs is that they last longer than traditional incandescent or halogen bulbs. Much longer… like decades longer. Normally, you’ll find a rating on the packaging for number of hours the LED is designed to last. The EcoSmart 6″ LED fixtures I use throughout our Seattle house are rated for 32 years, based on 3 hours of daily use. But even if I double that average daily use to 6 hours a day… that’s still at least 16 years before I’ll have to change it! Not only will that save you money in the long term, but quality of your marriage will increase as a result of not needing to be nagged lovingly reminded that you need to replace light bulbs.

Not All Brands Are Equal

As I said during the intro, I’ve had some bad luck with a few LED brands. The worst was “Lights of America” — which are sometimes sold at Costco. They didn’t last anywhere near as long as they promised on the package… so I removed them all and took them back to Costco for a full refund.

That doesn’t mean that all the LED light brands at Costco are bad, however. Costco also sell a number of bulbs from Feit Electric (also available on Amazon), and I’ve had very good luck with those — especially for my exterior soffit lights and motion detector security lights. I can recommend you try these out, but note that their color temperature tends to be a bit on the “cooler” side, even though it says 2700K on the package. I use these small Feit BR30 flood lights in multiple places both inside and outside our houses.

My favorite LED manufacturer, however, is CREE. They started out providing the “guts” of other manufacturers’ LED devices such as light fixtures and flashlights, but recently got into manufacturing complete bulbs. They make the internals for my favorite LED fixture, which is the EcoSmart 6 inch LED downlight, sold at Home Depot and Amazon. I wait for them to go on sale for around $25, then I buy a dozen of them. If you have 5″ or 6″ can lights at your house, replace them with these EcoSmarts. They are dimmable, the color is perfect, and they update the look of any room without being obnoxious.

My favorite stand-alone bulb is made by CREE, and I’ve also been able to find them at Home Depot and Amazon. My favorite is this 60W equivalent 2700K “warm white” bulb. It puts out 800 lumens of light, while only using 9.5 watts of energy, and is warranted to last for 10 years. I always keep a few of these on hand for interior lamps, fixtures, and wall sconces. CREE’s standalone replacement bulb is also available in a 2700K 40W equivalent (that only uses 6 watts of power), which is great for accent lighting. You can also pick them up in “cooler” color temps, all the way up to their “daylight” 60W 5000K bulb. But that’s way too harsh and blue-ish for anything other than a utility room, or maybe a garage.

I also love these Feit Electric candelabra base LEDs, which are perfect in our entry chandelier. That fixture takes 18 bulbs, and these all burn 4.8 watts each, instead of 40 watts each like a standard bulb. And I won’t have to change them for almost 23 years! I normally prefer 2700K for all lights inside the house, but I like the 3000K color in a chandelier because it creates a more “dramatic” look.

Changing chandelier bulbs is a pain. Using LEDs, you only have to do it every 20 years.

I also have to give a shout-out to Phillips, who have been making great LEDs for a while now. I like their color and light output, but they tend to be far more expensive than other LED options.

But whichever brand you choose, I recommend keeping an empty box (or snapping a photo of the package) so you can remember which bulbs you liked for a specific application. That will help you eliminate visual differences between bulbs in the the same room.

Check for Dimming Capability

If you plan on using LED bulbs with a dimmer switch, make sure the bulb says “dimmable” on the package. The dimmable ones are sometimes slightly more expensive, but worth it if you need that function.

Look for “dimmable” on the packaging if that’s something you need.

Buy and Compare

If you’re new to LED bulbs, my advice is to buy a few different versions or brands for your application, then install them and see how you like them. Keep your receipt, then return the ones you don’t like to the store and buy a full batch of the ones you’ve decided to go with.

Lots of Pros, But Also Some Cons

As you can probably tell, I’m a huge fan of LED bulbs and fixtures. But there are some drawbacks to using them.

First, their purchase cost is much higher than standard bulbs. Over the life of the bulb, you’ll save money — from energy usage as well as not having to replace them as often. But the higher up-front cost can be prohibitive. My advice is to think long term and just bite the bullet. Their costs have come down since they first hit the market, and will probably continue to do so as technology improves.

The other possible drawback is that some older timer and motion sensing switches are sometimes not compatible with LED (or CFL) bulbs. I had timers at the Utah house that turned on the exterior lights at dusk. During the day, however, I noticed that the LED bulbs were flickering a bit, albeit very dimly. When I replaced the older timer switches with these newer Honeywell EconoSwitches, the problem was solved.  Most current dimmers and motion switches will support newer technology bulbs, and will say so on the package.

And speaking of the packaging, this is more of a vent than an actual drawback of the product, but it seems the packaging for LED bulbs is overkill. Most of the LED bulbs I buy come in huge plastic blister packs, or bulky boxes with excessive cardboard and 2-3 times the packaging material they really need. I realize it’s probably to help reduce theft (because the LED bulbs are more expensive), and maybe it’s to attract your attention on the shelf to convince you to try LED over traditional bulbs. But for a product that’s advertising itself as a way to save money and energy, it seems like there’s an awful lot of waste in their packaging. I’d prefer the simple paper boxes, like you get with traditional bulbs. Perhaps as LEDs become more mainstream, we’ll get there.

Final Thoughts

Again, as is probably obvious from this post, I’m an LED light fanboy. Because they use much less energy, I’m slightly less annoyed when the kids don’t turn off their lights (although that still doesn’t stop me from installing occupancy sensors in their bedrooms). I really love the fact that once I install one, I don’t have to go grab a ladder for 10, 20, or maybe even 30+ years. I like the fact that they run much cooler, and present less of a fire hazard. And as long as you keep in mind the color temperature when you purchase them, the light can be warm, welcoming, and soothing. So if you want to save time, money, and maybe some of your sanity, give LED bulbs and fixtures a try. This might be the perfect time to wrap up this post by saying something like “LEDs are helping to create a brighter future,” but ending a blog post with something so cheesy is lame.

So instead, I’ll simply remind you that I always welcome your questions, comments, and feedback below!