jaredharley.com | Blog

Fixing the furnace

2009-01-13T18:02:00.003-07:00

I mentioned last week that our furnace was acting up. After crawling up there and restarting it, everything worked fine, so we thought the problem was a single occurrence. It turns out that we were wrong. Since that post, every time the furnace should have heated the house and didn't, we would flip the power switch off and back on, restarting the furnace. It would start up again, and we would hope it work. This led to several very chilly mornings.

So, I turned to the interwebs in search of information. It turns out a few other people have posted on home repair forums about the same model furnace, a Lennox G40UH(X) having problem heating. The combustion air inducer would turn on (the initial motor sound we could hear), and then the burners would light. They would burn for 4 seconds while the furnace checked for a flame, and when the check failed, the furnace would turn off the gas, reheat the ignitor, and try again. According to the maintenance manual, the furnace tries 5 times to light the burners, and if it fails, it enters a WatchGuard mode (the error code I saw blinking on the LEDs), and waits one hour to try again, preventing leaking gas or overheating.

The answer I found online said that the flame sensor sometimes needs to be cleaned, especially if there's buildup on the sensor. So today, I climbed into the attic with a piece of steel wool, found and removed the sensor, cleaned the buildup on it, and then put it all back together.

So far, the furnace has worked each time it should have - we'll have to see if we wake up to a house that's 60 degrees again tomorrow morning to see if my fix will be permanent.

For anyone who needs it (ie, Google searchers):

Bullshit line of the day

2009-01-06T08:28:00.003-07:00

I'm on the phone waiting to cancel my XM Radio subscription (you can't manage your account online, you have to call in) and I hear the following:

Sorry, but we are currently experiencing heavy call volume due to the high demand for our new "Best of Sirius" radio package. Please stay on the line and a representative will be with you shortly. Be sure to tell your representative you would like to start receiving "Best of Sirius" today!

Yeah, sure, that's why you have high call volume... and their "hold music" is nothing but a series of advertisements. XM, now you know why I'm canceling. This is worse than the Preview channel!

Update: And then they have the representative, who is obviously from some country not my own (despite XM only providing service in the US), recommend channels for me to listen to. I JUST CANCELED MY ACCOUNT....

I jinxed myself!

2009-01-04T22:23:00.004-07:00

Yesterday my car broke. It sucked. Totally.

Admittedly, the problem was probably caused by me. Personally, though, I'd like to blame XM Radio. As you may or may not know, XM recently merged with Sirius Radio. Without warning to customers, they combined their programming in December. Like many others, my radio did not enjoy the transition, as it was an older XM Radio. After about a week, it finally adjusted to the new channel listings. My major complaint, though, was the fact that they changed the format of every channel I listened to. After a while if not being a huge fan of the new XM Sirius radio, I decided to cancel.

Since I had an inline FM modulator installed, I decided to see if I could use that for my iPhone/iPod - I can! The problem was that I couldn't find a way to turn the modulator on and off (it's a specialized XM-brand modulator, not your run of the mill one). I was playing with the wiring, and after giving up, my car wouldn't start! I assumed I somehow accidentally tripped some obscure security feature of my car. After trying and trying, my car just wouldn't start. Turn the key, and all I got was a click-click-click sound and flashing lights. No turning over, just clicking. Of course, I called to find out the dealer service center had just closed and would be closed Sunday too. I started trying to figure out how I would work having my car towed on Monday - I figured I'd have to call in to work, abandoning my trainee on her first day.

This morning, I thought I would give my car one more shot before calling my boss and explaining why I wouldn't be in. I turn the key, expecting a click, and instead got a brief crank before it went back to clicking. Tanis and I dragged the jumper cables out, and vroom! My car starts up!

Tanis and I took my car up to the new Firestone in Fort Collins (very nice, by the way). They checked the electrical system and everything was fine, but apparently the battery was corroded and swollen. They replaced it and we were good to go. What I figure is that I drained the battery enough while playing with the radio that it wasn't able to start the car afterwards, but had enough power to tell me in a non-obvious way the battery was low.

Thankfully, everything's back to normal now - so here's hoping the FSM gives me a problem-free week!

Posted from my iPhone.

Tanis lost her job!

2009-01-02T20:45:00.004-07:00

But it's not what you think. First, an overview of the last few days:

The last day of 2008, I woke up to a very chilly house. I climbed out of bed, quickly grabbed my robe, stumbled over to the thermostat and stared at it. It was supposed to be 68, and it was 62. I poked a few buttons, and it wasn't until I turned the furnace off and on that it finally kicked on. It made the usual heating sounds, and then just stopped without blowing hot air. Being that I was working my holiday shifts, it wasn't until this afternoon I finally got around to taking a look. My furnace has diagnostic LEDs on it that blink different error codes, like a printer - only you don't have to get the ladder from the garage to climb into your dusty, fluff-filled attic and lie on your back at a weird angle to watch your printer (if you do, you might want to consider relocating it).

Tanis, my always lovely assistant, was at the thermostat waiting for my instructions - of course, we didn't grab our walkie-talkies, so it went a little like this: "Okay, go!" "What?" "Turn it on!" "Okay! - The heat too?" "Yeah!" "What?" "Heat!" "Okay!" The furnace starts up, and I contort myself into an unusually uncomfortable position to watch the little LED lights. Everything is just fine, and it's been working great all night - but I expect the worse, so the ladder is sitting in the other room until I have to climb up there again.

Tanis caused the next problem. She started a load of laundry earlier today, which included a maroon-colored blanket (you know where this is going). I went to switch loads, and all the whites (which were mostly mine) are now pink. And not that "if you look in the right light it looks a little pink" - no, it's "holy crap, why are you wearing pink clothes!" As you would expect, I asked Tanis for her resignation from laundry duty, and she immediately gave it.

Then, a bit of karma revenge, I'm sure, I walked out into the living room cleaning my glasses, and they fell apart! The frame broke at a joint around the lens. I tried oculus reparo with no luck, so I ended up soldering it back together. I guess it's a good thing that I have an eye appointment on the 6th.

Here's hoping my weekend goes just a little smoother!

He has returned

2009-01-02T12:27:00.002-07:00

After my nice, long hiatus, I am back! It's not that I went anywhere physically, just that life and Twitter dragged me away. For those of you who follow me on Twitter, good for you! I've found myself spending much more time detailing my day-by-day experiences there, rather than writing here. But, for some reason, I want to start blogging on here again as well.

The quick catch-up: Things are well. Monday I begin training our new employee (yeah, again - but this one has experience!). Hopefully it won't be too bad - I don't know how ready I am to train, but once our two trainees are out, we'll be full-staff once again, and I can go back to working four days a week, rather than five. I miss having my extra day off.

And for anyone who cares: I made this blog iPhone-friendlier!

Sam's Club opening in Evans

2008-10-25T11:11:00.001-06:00

Yum!

Another awesome product by ThinkGeek

2008-09-23T23:31:00.005-06:00

Today's "damn that's a good idea" product is the Dissolving Travel Toiletries set.

They are little plastic containers (TSA-compliant, even) that have these paper-like sheets of soap - you take them out, get them wet, and voila!, soap. ThinkGeek sells shampoo, body wash, and hand soap for $4.99 each, or all three for $12.99. The only one I would want would be the hand soap - a nice thing to have in the car, on a hike, or India (I've heard it's dirty there, and thanks to my mom, I've got that crazy hand-washing compulsion...).

Slacker Uprising now available!

2008-09-22T23:27:00.004-06:00

Michael Moore's latest film has just been released on the internet (legally, I might add...), and it's downloading as I write this.

Learn more about Slacker Uprising

or

Watch online

or

download it.

Enjoy!

A Colbert Christmas

2008-09-21T21:06:00.003-06:00

Stephen Colbert is releasing a Christmas special November 25th starring Elvis Costello, Feist, Toby Keith, John Legend, Willie Nelson and Jon Stewart, and of course, Colbert himself.

According to Comedy Central Insider, the song list includes:

"Another Christmas Song" – Stephen Colbert
"Have I Got A Present For You" – Toby Keith
"Little Dealer Boy" – Stephen Colbert and Willie Nelson
"Hannukah" – Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart
"Nutmeg" – Stephen Colbert and John Legend
"Please Be Patient" – Feist
"There Are Much Worse Things to Believe In" – Stephen Colbert and Elvis Costello
"(What's So Funny 'bout) Peace, Love And Understanding" – Stephen Colbert, Elvis Costello, Feist, Toby Keith, John Legend and Willie Nelson

Here's a picture of Feist for Toby - check out Stephen's boots (click for larger version):

I cannot wait for this to come out!

Ninja cat comes without moving

2008-09-18T21:06:00.000-06:00

It's about to get busy

2008-09-15T23:30:00.002-06:00

After weeks of change in our workplace, a small sense of normalcy is about to return - the first of the two new full-time dispatchers we need has been hired, and I'm going to be the one who trains him. This prospect, of course, makes me nervous as hell - it's been a long time since I've trained anyone, and never a full-time employee. My boss bolstered my spirits by ending the email informing me of the trainee with "Do a good job." I've got my work cut out for me.

So, needless to say, I will be spending the next week preparing for a trainee - mainly reading our training manual and making sure it's current, as well as preparing handouts and such. It's going to be a busy few months!

On the brighter side of things, I am almost done with grave shifts - 64 hours over the next two weeks (8 8-hour days). I don't know yet whether my trainee will come with me or stay on graves to work with the other trainer in the department, but I imagine he'll be following me. I'll find out in the next day or two after talking with my colleague.

So, it's back to reading for me - here's hoping it goes well!

IKEA is coming to Colorado!

2008-09-10T05:56:00.005-06:00

Just heard on the news that IKEA is going to be opening a store in Centennial, CO - in other words, Denver! I can't wait - I've always wanted to go to an IKEA store!

According to Fox31, as of 6am, there will be a press conference in a few hours, announcing the exact location and when the store is expected to open - I will update with details!

6:30am - Update: While waiting for the IKEA news, enjoy "IKEA" by Jonathan Coulton (lyrics) - thanks Toby!

Air Show and WWII Reenactment

2008-09-06T18:31:00.002-06:00

Tanis and I traveled out to Akron, CO (yeah, we didn't know where it was either) to see the National Radial Engine Exhibition, which is the fancy name for awesome airshow! Tanis and I both took quite a few pictures, but most of them involved the same plane pointing in different directions in the blue sky. Check out the best of the ones I took below.

Nooooooooo!

2008-09-02T05:31:00.001-06:00

I never got to see it!

Vegas attraction 'beams up' to its final frontier
The Star Trek Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton will close Sept. 1 after a 10 year run at the hotel.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26460463/

Fog!

2008-08-19T06:29:00.001-06:00

I get to ride my bike home in this beautiful morning fog - fall is slowly coming! Woohoo!

Rest in Peace, Snot

2008-08-12T16:21:00.001-06:00

Snot, from the infamous Puke and Snot, died yesterday. He will be missed.

Smart Tanis

2008-08-06T05:10:00.001-06:00

Tanis was fortunate to see a glimpse of her future parked in front of her office yesterday - a Smart ForTwo! One day, Tanis will be driving one of those herself...

Praise the gods!

2008-08-05T03:02:00.002-06:00

It looks like we're in for some actual precipitation the next few days! Tanis and I will have to get the yard mowed tomorrow (sorry, Tanis!) before it starts to rain, or we're going to have a small jungle to deal with!

Gilcrest Daze

2008-08-03T16:48:00.003-06:00

Tanis, Toby and I marched in the "Gilcrest Daze" (a play on "days") parade yesterday. For those not in the know, Gilcrest is a little town about 15 minutes south of Greeley. We marched for Tom Pettit, who you'll remember is running for Weld County Commissioner, and we offered to help by handing out fliers to all 100 people who came to the parade.

We had fun - and thanks for the picture, Toby!

My art in real life

2008-08-01T20:05:00.003-06:00

The challenge coins I mentioned so long ago are finally in! Over the course of 6 months, the design changed a bit, but they look awesome in real life!

The original design that was submitted to Northwest Territorial Mint:

The final front side (or back, as my boss calls it...):

And the back (or front) of the coin. You'll notice the Colorado's state seal was changed from my original design because it turns out the sample coin I based it off of was wrong:

Hopefully I'll earn one soon...

Somewhere over the rainbow...

2008-07-27T19:23:00.001-06:00

Seen on my way to work for my second 12-hour shift in a row. Nothing like working 11 days straight!

Cute Puppy Post of the Week

2008-07-26T21:07:00.000-06:00

Tanis shared this video with me:

Weldstock

2008-07-21T13:27:00.003-06:00

Yesterday Tanis, Toby and I attended "Weldstock" - a fundraiser for Tom Pettit's run for county commissioner. It was a great afternoon, and we got to hear several different local bands - and Elvis even showed up! Tanis had the "honor" of feeling Elvis' sweaty chest, but Toby and he just held hands.

Day at the zoo!

2008-07-19T13:46:00.002-06:00

Tanis and I spent the day at the zoo! Sadly it was hot, so most of the animals were already asleep. Silly animals.

Rocky Mountain National Park

2008-07-14T00:03:00.009-06:00

It's summer, so of course that means that once again, Tanis and I went with Tanis' dad up to Rocky Mountain National Park for a photography trip. The weather was just perfect, and we had a wonderful time - it was great to drive up in the mountains and breathe some of that wonderfully fresh air. Don't forget to click the pictures for the nice large versions!

The columbines are in bloom this time of year, and I took some wonderful shots of a maroon and classic blue columbine:

I also took some pictures of a plant called Hen and chicks (the green plant) and a small yellow flower that looks a lot like the sunflower. Tanis knows the name of that one, but I don't remember:

I didn't take any moose pictures this time (we did see some, but didn't chase them through the bog like normal - too many people around), but I did see quite a few other animals, including a mountain sheep on the way home:

And last but not least, I took a panorama of one Tanis' favorite spots in the park, the Beaver Lake: