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I have a 1/2" natural gas pipe in the rear of my home, and I used this natural gas hose to connect to my Tri-fuel PowerLand Generator. The hose was large enough to feed the generator. A 3/8" hose will starve a NG generator. This appears to be a good quality hose and very flexible.
Showing posts with label lowes gas heaters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lowes gas heaters. Show all posts
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Buy Solaire 12-Foot Flexible Hose for Natural Gas Grills, 1/2-Inch
The gas hose on my natural gas Weber Summit grill was leaking from a wear spot. No local replacement could be found, and on-line Weber sites wanted outrageous prices. I wasn't sure about this hose when I ordered it from Amazon, but it's an exact match to the original. Between the price difference and free shipping, it saved me $40. Thanks, Amazon!
Monday, November 24, 2014
Presto HeatDish Parabolic Electric Space Heater Plus Footlight Review
I purchased the Costco version of this Presto heater and LOVE IT, but it's critically important to know what you're getting into:
Infrared radiant heat from these parabolic dish heaters does NOT heat ROOM AIR much at all! It heats primarily water, things saturated with water (like we Humans), and coincidentally many Plastics---all assuming a narrow infrared focus range peaking at 3 microns (3000nm wavelength). Even longer wavelengths (3-10 microns) are possible but less specifically-aimed at human bodies and thus put heat into nearby concrete, wood floors, people, and most other materials, including many metals.
*Directional Infrared Heat* (i.e., focused Radiant Heat from these dish heaters) is VERY EFFICIENT if your goal is to put all/most of the heater's energy into YOU and not into a large room's air (or outdoor air).
BUT, this means you have to stand IN FRONT of the heater :) Otherwise, you'll barely notice much heat at all (just the small fraction of heat that escapes via convection into the air, or the wavelength falloff range that extends sufficiently to radiantly heat concrete, wood, rocks, plastics, metals, etc.
IF you use regular forced-air heaters (often the same tungsten filaments found in cheaper radiant dish heaters, nearly all quartz heaters, and heat lamps) you'll be heating most everything via convection through the air which means the larger the room and more objects to heat the more the heater's energy must be divided. That is, 500 watts of directional radiant heat will feel MUCH hotter to someone standing in front of the parabolic dish heater than would standing in front of a forced-air 500 watt heater due to air turbulence and molecules that don't have the opportunity to conduct by colliding into you (think of convection as touch-conduction in a fluid medium where each molecule of air/water/fluid is an individual messenger or heat carrier that drops off/transfers some heat to each thing it bumps into). However, you needn't stand in front of a forced-air heater vs a dish radiant one, but if you don't then the same watt forced-air heater will take a loooong time before you start feeling warm.
Most Metals Reflect Infrared wavelengths similar to a household mirror, which is why a parabolic dish heater's thin metal dish won't feel hot on its backside unless ran for extended lengths of time where convection and the non-100% infrared reflectivity efficiency losses have time to heat it (pure elemental gold metal reflects infrared best at around 95% and is why applied to backside of expensive quartz filament bulbs :)
The BEST filaments for radiant heating of water/humans are the pricier carbon filaments. They have near instant-on heat and generally peak closest to our target 3000nm wavelength we humans like to feel when we stand out in the sunlight warmth. I've not checked whether or not these dishes use carbon vs tungsten, but looks like decent tungsten upon casual inspection.
FYI: Old "radiant" steam heaters are a misnomer since they primarily heat the air by creating a natural heat-rise current in the air (aka: convection heating). Incidentally, this is the same reason why the gap size between double-glass insulating windows is so important since otherwise those windows become mini-convection heat-loss/heat-transfer panels in your wall :)
Try this at home: hold a piece of UNCOATED/UNPAINTED metal in front of a true parabolic dish heater with tongs/whatever such your hand doesnt heat the metal, and at same time place your bare hand at the same safe distance beside it and observe which heats up. Result: metal has barely warmed at all whereas your hand gets toasty fast and if too close even starts to get too hot feeling. If the metal is flat think of it as a mirror---you can make some of the heater's heat "turn a 90-degree corner" like using a mirror but to heat.
Plastics & Radiant Heater CAUTION: Some plastics like common polyethylenes coincidentally absorb infrared radiation optimally at 3500nm (3.5 micron wavelengths) which is near that of water's 3000nm. This means many plastics will absorb and heat as fast as you will in front of heaters like these, which weakens/ages them by fracturing polymer chains.
Finally, for those curious about what differentiates this type of 'radiation' from 'nuclear radiation', remember that any lightbulb (LED, CFL, FL, Incandescent), radiant heater, all radio and TV signals, lasers, x-rays, and of course sunshine is ALL electromagnetic radiation (EM) delivered by way of photons and it is the EM wavelength (energy per photon rather than number of photons) that determines whether the radiation is 'scary'. Scary or bad EM usually means ionizing radiation like UV, x-ray, or worse) whereas non-ionizing EM includes all visible light, infrared, TV/radio, microwaves, etc. Note, however, that right at the border of deep violet visible light and UVB/UVC ultraviolet is non-ioninizing UVA/violets now thought the principle cause of the deadliest melanoma skin cancers fueled by indirect DNA damage of free radicals generated by UVA/violets EM energy and catalysts (such as, ironically, non-metals-based suntan lotion as well as other naturally-occurring compounds in our tissues). Once you get into regular visible light and longer wavelengths (radio, microwaves, etc.) most people believe to be safe as the energy per photon falls to such low levels. Nuclear radiation, on the other hand, is entirely different yet and deals with non-EM particle radiation (e.g., stray neutron bombardment) which is extra 'scary' of course and not found in our heaters or lights LOL (unless you bought a second-hand looted chernobyl-irradiated heater I suppose).
Hope that helps. :-)
Like one of the other reviewers, I bought this at CostCo but for some friends who smoked on their patio and froze during the winter. They've both passed on now and their relatives gave it back to me. (I also have one in my shop.)
Our furnace is out at the moment and it is doubtful we can afford to fix it before winter is over. Here in Las Vegas it is currently 41 outside with an expected low tonight of 29. Last night it was 21.
I'm sitting here writing this with this heater about six feet from me and on medium. I'm comfortable (and shirtless) even though it is only in the low 60s in the house. (We have a couple of oil filled heaters.) My right side (heater side) is hot to the touch, my left side is cool. Over all though, I'm comfortable.
Where this unit excels is in my shop which is basically a walled in carport, but walled in by louvers. I.E. it's 41 in my shop. But I just aim this at my workbench from about six feet away and stay toasty while there at the bench.
My wife is a lizard. Very cold blooded and is always cold if the room temp is below 80. All I have to do is aim this at her on the couch and she's warm and toasty without driving me out of the room.
If you use these types of heaters as intended, they are more than enough to cook you.
The one thing I really like about these is that at full power, they only consume 1,000 watts. Our oil filled and ceramic/quartz heaters start at 900 watts on low and go up to 1,500 watts. That will run up the electric bill (about $100 a month per heater) and two of them on the same circuit will blow our circuit breakers. So using these radiant dish heaters as spot heaters do a better job for less money.
The footlight is pointless and stop working after a year. One of the Costco reviewers had this to say: "Owned a few of these and the experience is the same and matching quite a few others here.This is an effective, LIMITED LIFE, product. It does what it says sends a very nice stream of heat in a very limited direction. BUT it has a limited life span of 1-3 years, depending on use and luck.
The problem always seems to come down to a faulty "tip" sensor, so that the "alarm feature" meant to warn you that the device has fallen off its perch goes off continuously, rendering the device useless. Clearly Presto has skimped on parts there and has little interest in correcting this as evidenced by user reports of this problem going back years... .
Note to Presto spend a few more pennies on parts and design improvement, and a few less on the marketing required to re-package the exact same thing every year and you have a winner here. As is however, strcitly, buyer beware."
I couldn't agree more.
So ignoring it's lifespan issues, I have exactly two complaints:
1) Very limited ability to direct the heat the heat dish has a fixed angle and elevation, so if you want to prop this up and have it warm you while you're sleeping, you can't. So it pretty much only works if you're directly in the beams path.
2) No incremental heat the dial on top of the heat dish appears to have gradual levels of heat. This is an illusion. The dish actually has 4 modes: off, low, medium, and hot. Low is unusable because you have to be hugging the dish to get any heat. Medium is the only usable one, although you have to move the dish around every few minutes to avoid burning any one part of your body. Finally Hot is only useful if you're interested in setting your house on fire. Realistically, it's only useful at great distances and very short periods of time, otherwise you will actually burn your legs and face.
Some positive aspects include the really good range, and its ability to get hot fairly quickly. Overall, I felt the heat dish was very useful and worth the money, but my two complaints prevent it from being a great product.
As a side note, this heat dish (even in Medium mode) will probably literally set fire to leather, so keep that in mind if you planned to use the heat dish near a leather office chair.
Infrared radiant heat from these parabolic dish heaters does NOT heat ROOM AIR much at all! It heats primarily water, things saturated with water (like we Humans), and coincidentally many Plastics---all assuming a narrow infrared focus range peaking at 3 microns (3000nm wavelength). Even longer wavelengths (3-10 microns) are possible but less specifically-aimed at human bodies and thus put heat into nearby concrete, wood floors, people, and most other materials, including many metals.
*Directional Infrared Heat* (i.e., focused Radiant Heat from these dish heaters) is VERY EFFICIENT if your goal is to put all/most of the heater's energy into YOU and not into a large room's air (or outdoor air).
BUT, this means you have to stand IN FRONT of the heater :) Otherwise, you'll barely notice much heat at all (just the small fraction of heat that escapes via convection into the air, or the wavelength falloff range that extends sufficiently to radiantly heat concrete, wood, rocks, plastics, metals, etc.
IF you use regular forced-air heaters (often the same tungsten filaments found in cheaper radiant dish heaters, nearly all quartz heaters, and heat lamps) you'll be heating most everything via convection through the air which means the larger the room and more objects to heat the more the heater's energy must be divided. That is, 500 watts of directional radiant heat will feel MUCH hotter to someone standing in front of the parabolic dish heater than would standing in front of a forced-air 500 watt heater due to air turbulence and molecules that don't have the opportunity to conduct by colliding into you (think of convection as touch-conduction in a fluid medium where each molecule of air/water/fluid is an individual messenger or heat carrier that drops off/transfers some heat to each thing it bumps into). However, you needn't stand in front of a forced-air heater vs a dish radiant one, but if you don't then the same watt forced-air heater will take a loooong time before you start feeling warm.
Most Metals Reflect Infrared wavelengths similar to a household mirror, which is why a parabolic dish heater's thin metal dish won't feel hot on its backside unless ran for extended lengths of time where convection and the non-100% infrared reflectivity efficiency losses have time to heat it (pure elemental gold metal reflects infrared best at around 95% and is why applied to backside of expensive quartz filament bulbs :)
The BEST filaments for radiant heating of water/humans are the pricier carbon filaments. They have near instant-on heat and generally peak closest to our target 3000nm wavelength we humans like to feel when we stand out in the sunlight warmth. I've not checked whether or not these dishes use carbon vs tungsten, but looks like decent tungsten upon casual inspection.
FYI: Old "radiant" steam heaters are a misnomer since they primarily heat the air by creating a natural heat-rise current in the air (aka: convection heating). Incidentally, this is the same reason why the gap size between double-glass insulating windows is so important since otherwise those windows become mini-convection heat-loss/heat-transfer panels in your wall :)
Try this at home: hold a piece of UNCOATED/UNPAINTED metal in front of a true parabolic dish heater with tongs/whatever such your hand doesnt heat the metal, and at same time place your bare hand at the same safe distance beside it and observe which heats up. Result: metal has barely warmed at all whereas your hand gets toasty fast and if too close even starts to get too hot feeling. If the metal is flat think of it as a mirror---you can make some of the heater's heat "turn a 90-degree corner" like using a mirror but to heat.
Plastics & Radiant Heater CAUTION: Some plastics like common polyethylenes coincidentally absorb infrared radiation optimally at 3500nm (3.5 micron wavelengths) which is near that of water's 3000nm. This means many plastics will absorb and heat as fast as you will in front of heaters like these, which weakens/ages them by fracturing polymer chains.
Finally, for those curious about what differentiates this type of 'radiation' from 'nuclear radiation', remember that any lightbulb (LED, CFL, FL, Incandescent), radiant heater, all radio and TV signals, lasers, x-rays, and of course sunshine is ALL electromagnetic radiation (EM) delivered by way of photons and it is the EM wavelength (energy per photon rather than number of photons) that determines whether the radiation is 'scary'. Scary or bad EM usually means ionizing radiation like UV, x-ray, or worse) whereas non-ionizing EM includes all visible light, infrared, TV/radio, microwaves, etc. Note, however, that right at the border of deep violet visible light and UVB/UVC ultraviolet is non-ioninizing UVA/violets now thought the principle cause of the deadliest melanoma skin cancers fueled by indirect DNA damage of free radicals generated by UVA/violets EM energy and catalysts (such as, ironically, non-metals-based suntan lotion as well as other naturally-occurring compounds in our tissues). Once you get into regular visible light and longer wavelengths (radio, microwaves, etc.) most people believe to be safe as the energy per photon falls to such low levels. Nuclear radiation, on the other hand, is entirely different yet and deals with non-EM particle radiation (e.g., stray neutron bombardment) which is extra 'scary' of course and not found in our heaters or lights LOL (unless you bought a second-hand looted chernobyl-irradiated heater I suppose).
Hope that helps. :-)
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This is a radiant heater, designed to throw a "beam of heat". As a science teacher explained in junior high some 40 years ago, they do not heat the air or a room, but the objects in the path. If you are looking to warm a room, especially quickly, you want a forced air ceramic/quartz heater. If you want to warm yourself in an otherwise cold room, this is your baby. Sadly, almost every time I go to CostCo, I see someone returning one of these. Reading reviews of similar products on the web, it is clear that many folks have no clue about radiant heaters.Like one of the other reviewers, I bought this at CostCo but for some friends who smoked on their patio and froze during the winter. They've both passed on now and their relatives gave it back to me. (I also have one in my shop.)
Our furnace is out at the moment and it is doubtful we can afford to fix it before winter is over. Here in Las Vegas it is currently 41 outside with an expected low tonight of 29. Last night it was 21.
I'm sitting here writing this with this heater about six feet from me and on medium. I'm comfortable (and shirtless) even though it is only in the low 60s in the house. (We have a couple of oil filled heaters.) My right side (heater side) is hot to the touch, my left side is cool. Over all though, I'm comfortable.
Where this unit excels is in my shop which is basically a walled in carport, but walled in by louvers. I.E. it's 41 in my shop. But I just aim this at my workbench from about six feet away and stay toasty while there at the bench.
My wife is a lizard. Very cold blooded and is always cold if the room temp is below 80. All I have to do is aim this at her on the couch and she's warm and toasty without driving me out of the room.
If you use these types of heaters as intended, they are more than enough to cook you.
The one thing I really like about these is that at full power, they only consume 1,000 watts. Our oil filled and ceramic/quartz heaters start at 900 watts on low and go up to 1,500 watts. That will run up the electric bill (about $100 a month per heater) and two of them on the same circuit will blow our circuit breakers. So using these radiant dish heaters as spot heaters do a better job for less money.
Best Deals for Presto HeatDish Parabolic Electric Space Heater Plus Footlight
I owned this for about 3 years before it died. Purchased from Costco (there are more reviews on there).It gives off a tremendous amount of heat in a limited space of 3 feet but that's it.The footlight is pointless and stop working after a year. One of the Costco reviewers had this to say: "Owned a few of these and the experience is the same and matching quite a few others here.This is an effective, LIMITED LIFE, product. It does what it says sends a very nice stream of heat in a very limited direction. BUT it has a limited life span of 1-3 years, depending on use and luck.
The problem always seems to come down to a faulty "tip" sensor, so that the "alarm feature" meant to warn you that the device has fallen off its perch goes off continuously, rendering the device useless. Clearly Presto has skimped on parts there and has little interest in correcting this as evidenced by user reports of this problem going back years... .
Note to Presto spend a few more pennies on parts and design improvement, and a few less on the marketing required to re-package the exact same thing every year and you have a winner here. As is however, strcitly, buyer beware."
I couldn't agree more.
Honest reviews on Presto HeatDish Parabolic Electric Space Heater Plus Footlight
We purchased this two years ago for use primarily in the office, which happens to be one of our cooler rooms. It works very well for this. It is plugged in on the opposite wall and directed towards the desk which is approximately 8/10 feet away. You must remember it heats objects in the room not necessarily the room. If you are sitting/working at the same place it will keep you very comfortable. It makes a small hum when it comes on but not annoying. We have two other older coil type space heaters and an infra ray one. They all use more electricity than this one--1000w vs 1500w or 2000w. However, they do heat an area and not an object. So it depends on what your needs are: moving around more, space heaters might be better. In the same area most of the time, then the Parabolic would be my choice. It has three heat levels and off which gives a very good temperature range. It has a night light that I feel is not needed but it is only a 1.5 v bulb. I guess the only thing I sometimes think would be nice is if it was oscillating. This is the second winter and so far so good.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Presto HeatDish Parabolic Electric Space Heater Plus Footlight
Like many of the other users on here, I purchased this from Costco. I bought it about 2 years ago and just recently caught the first sign of its imminent demise, the footlight has stopped working and the buzzer started malfunctioning. Based on other comments I've read, it appears this is fairly common, so you should know that this product seems to have a ~2 year lifespan. Not bad, not great.So ignoring it's lifespan issues, I have exactly two complaints:
1) Very limited ability to direct the heat the heat dish has a fixed angle and elevation, so if you want to prop this up and have it warm you while you're sleeping, you can't. So it pretty much only works if you're directly in the beams path.
2) No incremental heat the dial on top of the heat dish appears to have gradual levels of heat. This is an illusion. The dish actually has 4 modes: off, low, medium, and hot. Low is unusable because you have to be hugging the dish to get any heat. Medium is the only usable one, although you have to move the dish around every few minutes to avoid burning any one part of your body. Finally Hot is only useful if you're interested in setting your house on fire. Realistically, it's only useful at great distances and very short periods of time, otherwise you will actually burn your legs and face.
Some positive aspects include the really good range, and its ability to get hot fairly quickly. Overall, I felt the heat dish was very useful and worth the money, but my two complaints prevent it from being a great product.
As a side note, this heat dish (even in Medium mode) will probably literally set fire to leather, so keep that in mind if you planned to use the heat dish near a leather office chair.
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Reviews of Holmes Compact Heater Fan Model: HFHVP3
I've owned this for 4 years, and have used it every night for at least 365 days. Still runs beautifully. Quiet. Turns itself off for safety if it gets knocked over. Perfect! Get it. Not the best looking, but does the job.
I have dropped the heater a couple of times and it still worked pretty good. It blows the heat out quickly when you turn it on.
I recommend this heater.
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I really like this portable heater. I left it on at night and it kept me warm.I have dropped the heater a couple of times and it still worked pretty good. It blows the heat out quickly when you turn it on.
I recommend this heater.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Long Term / Emergency Food Storage Supply Kit (1 Gallon Size) Review
Tim Jones went above and beyond the call of duty getting the product out to us! We are EXTREMELY happy with what we received and would recommend them to others. Dollar for dollar I couldn't find a better deal when you combine the O2 packs and the bags!
I like the ease of the heater and it works very well. I thought I would "over heat" the seal but thats not the case. The heater itself is self explanitory as are the bags. Some folks use a clothing iron but this is more convenient and does a better job.
The oxy absorbers are packed 20 in a pouch. No issues there but as soon as you open them you have to work quickly. It's better to have 20 bags ready to go so you can pop the the little guys in there then seal them up. When it's done correctly, those absorbers are great.
All in all I'm happy with it. I can see the heater lasting for quite some time as long as I don't go cowboy crazy with it. It's a decent built quality all around but it's up to the user to take care of it. The bags are hefty but when sealed properly, then can be damaged easily. For example: I stored some pasta and one rouge piece was a little sharp. When stored in a 5 gallon bucket, that one piece damaged three other bags.
I will buy more bags but not another heater just because I won't have to.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
I love this product. The only thing that I would suggest to a buyer is to also have a vacuum sealer. I suggest this because the oxygen absorbers that are not immediately being used need to be revacuumed sealed or they will be useless. Have the vacuum sealer and a bag out and ready to use for the ones that you are not using right then.Best Deals for Long Term / Emergency Food Storage Supply Kit (1 Gallon Size)
This is my first go around at storing food this way so I have nothing to compare it to. For some reason I can see storing food this way as a little addicting. I'm already planning more projects.I like the ease of the heater and it works very well. I thought I would "over heat" the seal but thats not the case. The heater itself is self explanitory as are the bags. Some folks use a clothing iron but this is more convenient and does a better job.
The oxy absorbers are packed 20 in a pouch. No issues there but as soon as you open them you have to work quickly. It's better to have 20 bags ready to go so you can pop the the little guys in there then seal them up. When it's done correctly, those absorbers are great.
All in all I'm happy with it. I can see the heater lasting for quite some time as long as I don't go cowboy crazy with it. It's a decent built quality all around but it's up to the user to take care of it. The bags are hefty but when sealed properly, then can be damaged easily. For example: I stored some pasta and one rouge piece was a little sharp. When stored in a 5 gallon bucket, that one piece damaged three other bags.
I will buy more bags but not another heater just because I won't have to.
Honest reviews on Long Term / Emergency Food Storage Supply Kit (1 Gallon Size)
we just recieved this kit and put it straight to use. We are very pleased with it . very easy to use.Thursday, April 24, 2014
Reviews of Sure Heat Blue Flame Space Heater with Connection Tube and 99.9
List Price: $179.99
Sale Price: $169.78
Today's Bonus: 6% Off
I have had no problems with this heater but as I didn't read enough I come up short of what I wanted. I wanted one like I had before which was very similar with the exception it had a thermostatic control in side and would turn on and off.
This one stays on constantly. Beyond that it is ok. I am not faulting the heater as it was my error.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Review of EdenPURE Space Saver Quartz Infrared Heater
Product works as advertised, but is much noisier than expected. It has a fan that turns on every few minutes to draw air through the system to check room temperature. The fan is very noisy. Aside form that, it's a nice little unit. I bought it specifically to use in the bedroom. I will probably sell it because it's so noisy, it keeps me awake.
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I don't think it will save you any money. All depends on your situation of course. Not working that good for us. Blanket works better. Have a blessed day. The unit is very noisy and I'm a little hard hearing. A, what did you say?Sunday, January 19, 2014
Zojirushi #CD-K03EJU Inner Container Cleaner for Electric Pots, 4 Reviews
We have a 5L Zoji hot water pot and recently, used 1 packet (per directions) of this stuff to clean it. It worked great! We did do the cleaning cycle twice, just to be sure we got all the lime scale out. We have hard water, use the pot daily and after several months, it was EXTREMELY scaled up inside. For those who were wondering... This product is just 100% pure granular citric acid. Nothing else. Citric acid is also called SOUR SALT. The same stuff you would use for canning, cooking Jewish foods, etc. Each packet contains 30 grams or 2 tablespoons. There are 4 packets per box, 120 grams total or 4.23 ounces. Citric acid is available in powdered and various granular forms (for VARIOUS prices). This granular product had about the texture of regular table salt. Any form would work just fine. First, you need to dissolve this product in 1 cup or 240 ml warm water. Next, fill pot with plain water to just below max fill line and pour citric acid mixture into inner container. Then, turn on unit and warm for 1-3 hours. Dump water, then refill with fresh water, bring to a boil, dispense a cup (240ml) or so, to flush dispenser tube and pump, then dump remaining water. KEEP WIRE FILTER PLUG IN PLACE DURING ENTIRE PROCESS, IF YOUR UNIT IS SO EQUIPPED. Zojirushi says to use the programed cleaning cycle and follow the directions in your owner's manual, if your unit has this feature. Also, to adjust the amount of citric acid and the length of warming time, depending on the amount of scale in your pot. Zoji says this product may be used for all brands of water pots, probably because they are all made the same in one or two factories. Clean as a whistle, when done! Looks and works like new! Easy, too! Hope this is helpful! PS: It clearly states in the owners manual NOT to use vinegar (instead of citric acid) to clean your pot, as it will permanently damage your pots inner coating.
We used to use vinegar, which works well but smells like vinegar. Some people report some corosion, though we used it on our old Zoji hot pot for about 7 years without noticing any corrosion. Perhaps it's because we only descaled it twice a year.
Add a glass jar to the inside and you use a lot less (Think of how you displace water when you get in the tub) You can also save the vinegar to use again later, though white vinegar in bulk is quite inexpensive.
This product is 100% Citric acid which doesn't smell, however for the same price here on Amazon you can buy almost 10 times as much if you buy food grade (Citric acid is used for lots of things including cooking.) We also use Citric acid in our dishwasher as the newer non phosphate detergents are much more susceptible to hard water deposits.
Two tablespoons are about the right amount for each cleaning cycle
Citric Acid 1 lb., (Frontier)
Citric Acid, priced per pound
Citric Acid 4 Lb tub
Citric Acid (Lemon Salt) 5 Pounds Bulk
Citric Acid 1 Lb tub
Zojirushi recommends this product to clean the pot. It's easy to use use 1 packet, dissolve in water and fill the pot as directed, set the cleaning cycle, and voila, the pot is clean.
I have never had a strange taste or smell after cleaning, but note that I typically dump the first batch of water I use after I clean the pot, and use it as usual after that.
The cleaner is food grade citric acid. You can buy citric acid in bulk, and at a price that is much lower than this product.
Amazon does carry bulk citric acid labeled "food grade", but since citric acid is also widely used in industrial applications, I didn't want to take any chances, so opted for this product, but next time may opt for a cheaper option.
Some reviews mention using vinegar to clean out the pot. My pot's product manual specifically mentions not to use vinegar. Both vinegar and citric acid are mild acids, and I wonder why the manufacturer seems to be so anti-vinegar?
The only reason I can come up with is that vinegar may react with the lining of the water container or with the inner lining of the transparent plastic water level indicator (and thus make it hazy instead of transparent)?
Most Zojirushi water pots have a small thimble-like filter that may fall off when you dump out the water (mine did), so you may want to make sure it stay where it is supposed to when you empty your pot.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
Works well but this a very expensive way to go. All you need to dissolve the scale is a mild acid.We used to use vinegar, which works well but smells like vinegar. Some people report some corosion, though we used it on our old Zoji hot pot for about 7 years without noticing any corrosion. Perhaps it's because we only descaled it twice a year.
Add a glass jar to the inside and you use a lot less (Think of how you displace water when you get in the tub) You can also save the vinegar to use again later, though white vinegar in bulk is quite inexpensive.
This product is 100% Citric acid which doesn't smell, however for the same price here on Amazon you can buy almost 10 times as much if you buy food grade (Citric acid is used for lots of things including cooking.) We also use Citric acid in our dishwasher as the newer non phosphate detergents are much more susceptible to hard water deposits.
Two tablespoons are about the right amount for each cleaning cycle
Citric Acid 1 lb., (Frontier)
Citric Acid, priced per pound
Citric Acid 4 Lb tub
Citric Acid (Lemon Salt) 5 Pounds Bulk
Citric Acid 1 Lb tub
Best Deals for Zojirushi #CD-K03EJU Inner Container Cleaner for Electric Pots, 4
I live in the mountains and we have well water. To say the least its incredibly hard water. Our Zojirushi was completely coated with white film. I used 4 of the packets and followed the instructions and i was shocked when i opened up the pot. Completely spotless. Great product.Honest reviews on Zojirushi #CD-K03EJU Inner Container Cleaner for Electric Pots, 4
I use this to clean my 3L Zojirushi electric water boiling pot. Since I boil tap water in my pot, over time the interior of the pot becomes stained with minerals such as limescale and iron that precipitate from the water.Zojirushi recommends this product to clean the pot. It's easy to use use 1 packet, dissolve in water and fill the pot as directed, set the cleaning cycle, and voila, the pot is clean.
I have never had a strange taste or smell after cleaning, but note that I typically dump the first batch of water I use after I clean the pot, and use it as usual after that.
The cleaner is food grade citric acid. You can buy citric acid in bulk, and at a price that is much lower than this product.
Amazon does carry bulk citric acid labeled "food grade", but since citric acid is also widely used in industrial applications, I didn't want to take any chances, so opted for this product, but next time may opt for a cheaper option.
Some reviews mention using vinegar to clean out the pot. My pot's product manual specifically mentions not to use vinegar. Both vinegar and citric acid are mild acids, and I wonder why the manufacturer seems to be so anti-vinegar?
The only reason I can come up with is that vinegar may react with the lining of the water container or with the inner lining of the transparent plastic water level indicator (and thus make it hazy instead of transparent)?
Most Zojirushi water pots have a small thimble-like filter that may fall off when you dump out the water (mine did), so you may want to make sure it stay where it is supposed to when you empty your pot.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Zojirushi #CD-K03EJU Inner Container Cleaner for Electric Pots, 4
I followed the cleaning instruction and this works like magic. All the mineral debris were gone after just one clean. Love this!Saturday, January 4, 2014
Discount Amcor ALTL12000EH 12000-BTU Portable Air Conditioner with Heat
This is the most terrible piece of electronic/small appliance/ home equipment I have ever had to deal with. The unit is ridiculously heavy, and therefore difficult to move and very frustrating and difficult to position near windows of various heights from the floor. It heats the room as much as it cools, rendering it as "useful" as a fan sucking in air in a window on a hot and humid day. It does this because the pipe that "vents" to the outside radiates heat through itself. The hot part of the A/C unit is still in the room with you, not hanging out the window, and therefore renders the cooling ineffective.
Go to insulate this trash thin plastic pipe, and its fitting cuff teeth that fasten it to the back of the unit snap off. It is poorly built, over-priced, and a frustrating waste of money and time.
The graphical display on the unit takes a thorough re-read of the manual to interpret all its obnoxious symbols for operation. I cannot wait to bring this back and retrieve every wasted nickel spent on it.
My advice to you is to buy a window unit. If you must get a "portable" one, don't buy Amcor. They Amsuck.
So how did it work? Not well at all. On a hot day starting with the room in the mid 80 degree range with say 60 percent humidity it cannot cool the room down. It may drop the temperature 1 degree per hour. If we cool the room with a fan it can drop the temperature from say 78 degrees to 74 degrees in 2-3 hours. It of course provides comforting cool air if you focus on you.
A call to AMCOR support revealed that the technician thought I was definitely at or above the limit of its capacity at 300 sqft.
In use it is easy to see why it is slow. It adds considerable heat load to the room through the exhaust tube and in particular the large plastic attachment the connects the tube to the window vent. This plastic can be very hot to the touch and it is of course inside the room. The tubing is less hot however I have it as close to the window as possible (2 feet) to minimize the length the tube is played out. Presumably a long stretch of tube will also generate a lot of heat like a dryer duct. In sum, the unit is adding substantial heat load to the room severely compromising cooling efficiency. I addressed this issue by placing wet towels on the tubing and large plastic fitting. So long as they are wet they do keep it cool.
I also learned from the service rep you cannot operate the heating feature without also having the tubing installed in the window. Of course on a cold day you probably do not want an insert in your window.
Since the compressor, fans, etc. are inside the room it makes more noise than a window unit.
The filters (3) are white so it is easy to miss seeing that they should be cleaned.
On the plus side it is easy to roll around and install the vent in the window although I had to upgrade the insulation around the edge of the window insert to keep hot air that was vented circulating back into the room. I looks nice and it avoids having an unsightly window unit sticking out of a front window.
In sum, if you want cooling you are well advised to get a good window unit many of which are not that hard to insall. This unit would be best used in a room of 200 square feet or less.
Living in coastal Georgia it does get the temperature to comfortable level in both summer and winter.
Go to insulate this trash thin plastic pipe, and its fitting cuff teeth that fasten it to the back of the unit snap off. It is poorly built, over-priced, and a frustrating waste of money and time.
The graphical display on the unit takes a thorough re-read of the manual to interpret all its obnoxious symbols for operation. I cannot wait to bring this back and retrieve every wasted nickel spent on it.
My advice to you is to buy a window unit. If you must get a "portable" one, don't buy Amcor. They Amsuck.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
I purchased a NanoMaxA12000EH several years ago to cool a large bedroom of around 300 sqft. The equipment is advertised for up to 400 sqft. Presumably more than adquate for this application. Window units are sized at about 20 btu per sqft or in this case 6,000 btu. To be immediately noted is that it takes a lot more btu per square foot for this and other portable air conditioners to achieve the same outcome as a window unit half the size in btu.So how did it work? Not well at all. On a hot day starting with the room in the mid 80 degree range with say 60 percent humidity it cannot cool the room down. It may drop the temperature 1 degree per hour. If we cool the room with a fan it can drop the temperature from say 78 degrees to 74 degrees in 2-3 hours. It of course provides comforting cool air if you focus on you.
A call to AMCOR support revealed that the technician thought I was definitely at or above the limit of its capacity at 300 sqft.
In use it is easy to see why it is slow. It adds considerable heat load to the room through the exhaust tube and in particular the large plastic attachment the connects the tube to the window vent. This plastic can be very hot to the touch and it is of course inside the room. The tubing is less hot however I have it as close to the window as possible (2 feet) to minimize the length the tube is played out. Presumably a long stretch of tube will also generate a lot of heat like a dryer duct. In sum, the unit is adding substantial heat load to the room severely compromising cooling efficiency. I addressed this issue by placing wet towels on the tubing and large plastic fitting. So long as they are wet they do keep it cool.
I also learned from the service rep you cannot operate the heating feature without also having the tubing installed in the window. Of course on a cold day you probably do not want an insert in your window.
Since the compressor, fans, etc. are inside the room it makes more noise than a window unit.
The filters (3) are white so it is easy to miss seeing that they should be cleaned.
On the plus side it is easy to roll around and install the vent in the window although I had to upgrade the insulation around the edge of the window insert to keep hot air that was vented circulating back into the room. I looks nice and it avoids having an unsightly window unit sticking out of a front window.
In sum, if you want cooling you are well advised to get a good window unit many of which are not that hard to insall. This unit would be best used in a room of 200 square feet or less.
Best Deals for Amcor ALTL12000EH 12000-BTU Portable Air Conditioner with Heat
Purchased my Amcor ALTL 12,000EH about three years ago. Wanted one to cool and heat my windowless two car attached garage. I decided to set it up on a work bench and vent to the attic area rather that cutting a hole in a wall or door.Living in coastal Georgia it does get the temperature to comfortable level in both summer and winter.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Best Waring Pro WPM10 Professional Popcorn Maker Deals
List Price: $110.00
Sale Price: $55.53
Today's Bonus: 50% Off
Like many customers on-line I seem to be replacing an older "stir-crazy" model only to find poor reviews on the newest model (and every other unit too)so I had to choose among the models/brands that seemed to be the least frustrating. That is how I ended up with Waring unit. But, as many mentioned, it is almost impossible to get popcorn that is not burntyou have to take it out BEFORE all the kernals are popped or there is no way to keep that from happening. Also, the popped corn is not as crisp as the older unit (I've tried with top lid on and off).
So a little frustrating to replace a 10 year old unit that saws lots of usage to only find the quality on all these products seems to have gone down.
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My Westbend popcorn popper was hard to wash, the lid cracked after only a few uses, and after a summers use, it was just old and yucky. This waring pro is fantastic! First it has an on/off switch!!! Second the lid... it is thicker, the top for melting butter is larger and the lid stays attached. Third and very best of all, the base separates from the electric heating unit! This makes for a product that will last a long time, stay clean and get a lot of use. Bravo! to Waring for making such a thoughtful and great popcorn maker. Butter flavored olive oil is great! There is also butter flavored grapeseed oil. If you like oil popped popcorn and you want something that can be easily maintained and cleaned, this is hands down the very best of the best! Worth the extra buck!Best Deals for Waring Pro WPM10 Professional Popcorn Maker
I bought this popcorn maker as a Mother's Day gift for a mom who frequently pops bowls of popcorn over a stove top. The main benefit of the Waring popcorn maker is that it requires less oil than you would need with the traditional stove top method. Another perk is that the top of the appliance doubles as a bowl for your popcorn once it's popped. The bowl is a decent size, but if you regularly use your biggest mixing bowl to serve your pots of popcorn, keep in mind this bowl is a more modest size.The primary downside (and this goes for many specialized appliances, not exclusive to this one) is that it's somewhat hefty and will take up a good chunk of space on your counter top. For that reason, I'd really only recommend buying it if you're truly a popcorn enthusiast and will use it frequently enough to warrant the kitchen space you'll need to store it.
Honest reviews on Waring Pro WPM10 Professional Popcorn Maker
We were excited to get this as a Christmas present to replace a Presto Power Pop (a bowl you use in the microwave to pop the corn) that saw HEAVY use. The idea behind this is great, the execution not so much.We used this one day to make three different batches of popcorn, using both yellow and white corn to see which was better. Every time each batch was done, as with other reviewers, no matter how fast you flip the corn into the bowl there are burnt and scorched pieces. After replenishing our supply of popcorn kernels at the store, about a week later when we tried to use this again. The arm would not spin, the gear that spins it, coming out exactly a few inches away from the searing heat ring, it was discovered the gear was PLASTIC, not metal!!!
Seriously, who does that? What chinese designer, and this is made in China, thought a molded plastic gear was good next to an extremely hot surface? The gear didn't melt, but disintegrated into myriad pieces. So we got exactly one day of use out of this for three batches of popcorn. Not a great way to spend $60. This junker is going back to the store, we are sticking with the Presto Power Pop, and if you are smart you will steer clear of this popcorn maker and find a better alternative.
Pros: When it works, makes ok popcorn with very little kernels left and uses little oil
Cons: Poorly designed and constructed, substandard materials, relatively high price for what you get
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Waring Pro WPM10 Professional Popcorn Maker
Discovered problem with this product but did find a workaround... although not ideal and are reporting to this the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
Monday, December 2, 2013
Discount Sengoku CTN-110 KeroHeat 10,000 BTU Portable Radiant Kerosene
List Price: $109.99
Sale Price: $99.99
Today's Bonus: 9% Off
Bought this heater through Northern tool. It functions well and really puts out the heat. It's a small unit and really easy to move around the house where heating is needed. I like the removable fuel tank and the ignition system.
Smells just a little bit upon start up and shutdown, but other that that, it really burns clean and almost odor free. Use only fresh K1 kerosene in this heater, dry burn the wick once every 5 tanks of fuel and the wick should last you 3-4 heating seasons. Just make sure your kerosene does not have water in it. A trick I learned a long time ago is to add 1/2 tsb of ISO-HEET fuel line deicer and water remover to each gallon of kerosene. The Iso-HEET alcohol will absorb any water and burn it off without messing up the wicks ability to wick up the kerosene.
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Got it for $89 bucks + shipping from Amazon. Arrived, very timely. Does everything it says it does, but gives off a fair amount of fumes. Would work great for a garage, workshop, or emergency use, but can't see how you can use it "semi-regularly" in your house. A carbon monoxide detector is a must. It's "fair". Update: After the initial break-in period, there's no smell at all. My CO detector says "zero". Heats my entire 1 bedroom apartment great. I recommend this heater. Next time, I'll be more patient when reviewing something!Best Deals for Sengoku CTN-110 KeroHeat 10,000 BTU Portable Radiant Kerosene
REally a reliable heater. Mine burns all night without a problem. Starts eazy and love the new no break started plug instead of the little wire that brakes on most ignighters. Burn wick time is cut in 1/2.You can't fill tank without putting it out first-real saftey feature. No kero smell during, after burning. or shutting off. Miles knows his stuff, we all know who miles is by now.Honest reviews on Sengoku CTN-110 KeroHeat 10,000 BTU Portable Radiant Kerosene
I purchased this heater as a backup in case power is off for a extended time.I purchased kerosene at a local gas station, undyed was $4 a gal. (here in TN.) Local WMart sells kero for $10 a gal.
I like the removable tank, seems well made. filled it up, let sit for about a hr. (per instructions) and lit it up outside to burn off any residues. brought it in and adjusted flame to lowest setting, no flames on top.
the heater puts off a nice amount of heat, for it's size. and no stinky smells like heaters I used many years ago. I like it!
I'll post a pic of what my cat thinks about it.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Sengoku CTN-110 KeroHeat 10,000 BTU Portable Radiant Kerosene
You don't see many of these heaters anymore these days. I grew up with three Aladdins in my family. Two still work after 32 yrs at my parents place. But no stoves or parts are made anymore. It's really a shame.In my home, I used a small Enviroheat 11000BTU kerosene heater. A combination of the hand crank and impossible wick replacement finally lead it to the junk heap. And this is the only modern "floor model" kerosene stove I've seen. You'll find three different manufacturers all put their name on this same model stove. Sengoku is actually the original maker....all other just import it and put their brand sticker on it.
When you first fill up the cartridge tank, you will notice a dark oil already inside there. This is normal and mixes with kerosene fine. I assume it's just something to keep the tank from drawing in moisture as it sits for long periods.
Be sure to let the first full cartridge tank set for about an hour. This lets the wick soak up the kerosene fully and evenly for the first time. The igniting method is just great. I've used the round crank on older heaters all my life. This simple "lever" style igniter is just great. Push the slider all the way down, you'll hear a buzz and see the stove ignite. Then simply let go. The slider will return the the "high" position. A slight push up and the flame will go 1/4" down to the "low" position.
It puts out quite a lot of heat. Moreso than my previous 11000 BTU I think. But now this leads me to the only "drawback" of this stove. If you've had experience with kerosene heaters, you'll know that some have a blower built in. Other models like the Alladin could be outfitted with an external blower attatched to the top of the stove. The Sengoku doesn't come with any internal blower. I had planned on using one such external blower on it. But just below the top "shelf" of the heater, just above the lamp, there's some kind of metal (carbon?) plate. This plate dampens most of the heat going to the top of the heater.
Now, on one hand this is good. Keeps all the heat coming from the front of the heater. And while the top is still hot,it won't melt your skin off if you touch it like older heaters would. But the major drawback is an external blower, putting a fan behind the unit, or anything else like that has little effect. But nowhere does the manufacturer say that you should put accessories or blowers on their unit. Nor do they claim to have an internal blower. So this "drawback" is more about my general expectations than a fault of the product itself.
The backside of the heater is cool. The sides are even touchable, although the front edge of the sides are a little warm. But from the handles back, you're cool to the touch. I would be careful not to put this in a "tight" place. At least leave a little room on the sides. It really just begs to be pushed up against the wall and between your furniture b/c it's only about as wide as a surround sound receiver. But do be careful with your placement.
It has a manufacturer's warranty and contact information card is the first thing you see when you open the box. Every part number is found inside the manual. I know Ace carries the wick for this heater b/c they sell this heater with a different brand name for 20 bucks more. I'm not sure how the part numbers match up, but they definitely have it. Search Ace's website for kerosene heaters and you'll see this one.
The manual also has very detailed info on wick maintenance so please read it. It needs to be done with every new wick at least a few times, or you'll have to change it every season. So far I'm very pleased with it's performance and price.
Bionaire BCH9221-UM Ceramic Tower Heater with LCD Control Review
List Price: $69.99
Sale Price: $69.98
Today's Bonus: $0.01 Off
Not sure why. I had it on temperature setting of 78 degrees doing the circular fan mode and started smelling something like burning plastic. I'm watching it and then poof spark and a flame. It burned out pretty quick but still considering how tall this unit stands I wouldn't trust it. I warmed a small area in my RV and did a good job cutting off when the temperature was reached but after seeing this thing just catch flames, I wouldn't recommend it.
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I purchased this heater and after one use (4 hours) in my daughter's room, it blew a flame spark and died. Luckily, the floor was not carpeted or else the flame spark could have started a fire in my 5 year old's room. Make sure you don't place the heater too close to the bedding or the bedding could have caught fire.Best Deals for Bionaire BCH9221-UM Ceramic Tower Heater with LCD Control
November 11, 2010:I got this in October the day before Halloween and have been using it in place of gas heat in the house. It is amazing. It heats up my 12x12 bedroom nicely and very quickly and leaves no plasticy or metal odor. It also surprisingly stays very cool. When I am wanting to take it to the living room I hit the OFF button, it gives you a count down while it runs a cooling fan, and then it shuts off without you having to worry about burning yourself. I carry in the room and I want and start over! It has a temperature you can set it to and it will heat the room up to that temp, shut off, and restart again when the desired temperature has dropped. It's awesome and we're looking into purchasing another for the guest bedroom.
Honest reviews on Bionaire BCH9221-UM Ceramic Tower Heater with LCD Control
I've only had the unit for a week or two so my comments are just based on first impressions. I've had many space heaters over the years and ship them off to electronics recycling after a few years when I start getting paranoid about the age contributing to a fire hazard. The only space heater that has ever earned my notice was a Bionaire tower that I bought several years ago. So I decided to purchase what I presumed to be the updated version. In this case, newer does not mean better. Nothing major to report just little things. First thing I thought was strange is that the display no longer reports the room temperature. It seems fairly basic and important to know what the temperature of the room IS, in order to decide what temperature that you'd like to set the unit. Honestly, I'm used to the old display showing the ambient room temperature so I find that having it missing is really irritating. Second, I miss the handle for easy lifting/moving rather than the new partial grab spot in the back. Third, the buttons are hard to depress I'm not sure if it is the buttons themselves or the strange tilted angle of their placement. Because the buttons are so hard to use, I am forced to use the remote control. And lastly, the unit is so much lighter that the tipping potential makes me nervous. However, we are careful to leave the unit on only when an adult is present for supervision. I'll reserve final judgment after more use.UPDATE: I would rate this at "zero" stars if I could. It lasted approximately 3-4 months with very limited use. Like many of the other reviewers the heating element blew out with a giant spark flying out of the unit and the smell of something burning. The best I can say about it is that it didn't burn down my house.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Bionaire BCH9221-UM Ceramic Tower Heater with LCD Control
Suddenly it smelled like burned plastic and sparks came out. Luckily I was close and I was able to unplug it quickly. It's a fire hazzard!
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