Cold again, after temps rose above freezing for a WHOLE DAY in Houston Texas…\u00a0 this globull warming is killing me.<\/p>\n
It was 28F when I went to bed.<\/p>\n
I spent yesterday doing silly things so you don’t have to.\u00a0 Strike that, I’m too short to fill those shoes.<\/p>\n
I did do some experimenting, which I duly chronicled in the comments yesterday evening.\u00a0 The clothes came out clean and fresh smelling, and the kerosene heater I tested worked fine- except for being out of kerosene.\u00a0\u00a0 I swear I have a white and yellow round 5 gallon can somewhere, but I couldn’t find it when I went looking.\u00a0 If I was desperate for heat, I’d siphon some from my other construction heater.\u00a0 I’m not desperate at all though, so I’ll just buy some the next time I see it.\u00a0 I like flexibility and redundancy for heat, water, and cooking.\u00a0\u00a0 Honestly, all the other things too, but especially those.<\/p>\n
I helped out several neighbors with plumbing issues and did some of my own.\u00a0 What made it possible was having the parts in storage.\u00a0\u00a0 The local stores are empty of the kinds of things people need right now.\u00a0 Even pros can’t get parts.\u00a0\u00a0 I’m a firm believer in having stuff you might need close by where you can lay hands on it.\u00a0 Like what?\u00a0 You know your gear and your stuff better than me, but I’ll list some here to start you thinking…<\/p>\n
Plumbing parts.<\/p>\n
I think you should have a variety of fittings and some pipe on hand in a couple of pipe sizes.\u00a0\u00a0 They should be whatever you have in your house, and what is common in your area.\u00a0\u00a0 Besides fittings and pipe, you should have the glues, tape, solder, and tools to put the parts to work in a simple repair.\u00a0\u00a0 You should also have a toilet seat, toilet tank flush system replacement kit, toilet bolts, and a wax ring.\u00a0 You should have some of the flexible hoses to connect faucets and the toilet.\u00a0 Some of the quarter turn shut off valves, and a spare hose bib.\u00a0\u00a0 Plumbers putty.\u00a0 Sprinkler parts if you have sprinklers, replacement heads, riser pipe, sharkbite repair fittings, and some sprinkler pipe fittings too, as well as at least one valve and solenoid.\u00a0 You should have some garden hose repair ends, and some other hose parts like washers and nozzles.\u00a0 If you have gas appliances, you should have at least one ‘gas appliance installation kit’.\u00a0 All of this and more will fit in one flip top bin…<\/p>\n
Electrical parts.<\/p>\n
You should have a couple of light switches, outlets, and at least one GFCI outlet that match what’s in your house.\u00a0\u00a0 25ft of Romex or similar for wire.\u00a0 Replacement ends for extension cords.\u00a0\u00a0 10ft of lamp cord and lamp repair parts, like a harp, a bulb socket, and a 2 prong plug.\u00a0 You should have light bulbs for all your fixtures.\u00a0\u00a0 Tape and wire nuts.\u00a0\u00a0 Next level, have a spare 20amp breaker for your panel.<\/p>\n
Automobile parts.<\/p>\n
At least one complete oil change for each vehicle.\u00a0 Replacement windshield wipers.\u00a0 A tire plug and patch kit, and a tire inflator.\u00a0 One headlight bulb.\u00a0 One set of tail light bulbs (assuming your vehicle uses bulbs).\u00a0 One complete filter change (air, cabin, oil).\u00a0\u00a0 Spare fluids, including the “leak stop” ones for each system.\u00a0 Fuses that match your vehicle.\u00a0 If you can swing it, one set of mounted spare tires, but at least one extra tire (can be used, or one you took off, it’s an emergency backup after all.)<\/p>\n
General repair parts.<\/p>\n
Screws, nails, bolts, nuts, washers, “plumber’s tape”, bailing wire (rebar tie wire); glues (white glue, yellow woodworkers glue, cyanoacrylate (crazy glue), gorilla glue, five minute epoxy, and JBWeld metal repair); tape- masking, blue painters, good duct tape, electrical tape (3M only), zip ties, aluminum tape for ducts; a couple of 2x4s, and half a sheet of 3\/4 plywood.\u00a0 Depending on where you are, you might want a piece of window glass and a glass cutter with a can of glazing compound and some points.\u00a0 Drywall compound and a leftover piece or a patch kit.\u00a0 And paint.\u00a0 Kilz primer, and some spray cans in black, white, brown, tan, your house color, and one florescent color.\u00a0 White latex interior paint or whatever your walls are.<\/p>\n
Sewing and clothing repair parts.<\/p>\n
This is a whole separate topic, but a selection of needles, stout black thread, a couple of buttons, shoe goo, a roll of velcro, some safety pins, and a few buttons salvaged off stuff you threw away are a minimum.\u00a0 I have\u00a0 18″ of black thread on a needle wrapped around the golf pencil in my altoids tin everyday kit.\u00a0 SUPER handy to fix some web gear, or a tear.\u00a0\u00a0 I also have a kit of iron on clothing patches in my travel bag for quick fixes of tears in clothes.\u00a0\u00a0 ‘Fusible interfacing’ is like an iron on glue for cloth and can be used to hem pants, or attach patches.<\/p>\n
And finally, buckets, lids, and plastic sheeting in clear and black.<\/p>\n
It’s a big list but it doesn’t have to all show up at the same time.\u00a0\u00a0 I bought most of mine at yard sales and estate sales, or by picking up more than I need when I go to the hardware store for a project.\u00a0 It took a while to build up a fairly comprehensive stack…<\/p>\n
Ideally you already know how to use those parts to make simple repairs, but if you don’t, there are several good books on household repairs.\u00a0 Home Depot and lowes both have a display rack with some of the books and you can leaf through them to see what level they’re aimed at..\u00a0 and Goodwill almost always has several of those types of books on the shelf.\u00a0 But even if you don’t have the skills, knowledge, or desire, you might need to have the part so that someone else can do the work.\u00a0 That is certainly playing out here in Houston this week.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The usual caveats apply, seek out expert advice if you don’t know what you’re doing, read books, watch videos, watch home improvement shows on tv, and consider what could go wrong before undertaking something new.\u00a0\u00a0 That said, there is tremendous satisfaction in fixing things, and they are already broken, so sometimes you might as well give it a try.\u00a0 And sometimes, you might be the only one available TO try.<\/p>\n
Keep stacking!\u00a0 It works!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
nick <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Cold again, after temps rose above freezing for a WHOLE DAY in Houston Texas…\u00a0 this globull warming is killing me.<\/p>\n
It was 28F when I went to bed.<\/p>\n
I spent yesterday doing silly things so you don’t have to.\u00a0 Strike that, I’m too short to fill those shoes.<\/p>\n
I did do some experimenting, which I duly chronicled in the comments yesterday evening.\u00a0 The clothes came out clean and fresh smelling,<\/p>\n