Comments on: Stocking Up 101: Stuff {Storage, Part II}

By: Scotia48

Scotia48 — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 01:46:00 +0000

Wow, about a third of my former house was wired with the extremely strange aluminum/copper wiring. I didn’t know what to think, but the period 73-74 was when the builders used this in housing in this area. Weird!
I was careful with it and replaced as much as I could. (You don’t want to know why I didn’t replace all of it!).

By: Translator

Translator — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:46:40 +0000

The wiring was odd in this place, too. First strike is that it aluminum, which can be a disaster waiting to happen, but I ameliorated that threat.

The second is that whatever jakeleg electrician the renovator used did not understand wiring, so I had grounds carrying current, neutrals that were hot, and hots that were neutral.

I fixed all of the problems, and now do not worry about burning the place down (with me it it!) so all is well.

IF anyone out there has aluminum wiring, common on houses built in the mid to late 1960′s, you are in danger unless you have taken measures to compensate. Let me know if you have, and I will point you towards some resources that can keep you alive, and preserve your property. Warmest regards, Doc.

By: Scotia48

Scotia48 — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 05:08:26 +0000

Ohh, cool idea, Doc.
The house I moved into in 1998 had the WEIRDEST wiring I have ever seen. Plugs in the same room were on different circuits. Ceiling lights were off center of the rooms, water was routed really strange to the back bathroom that was right next to the other bathroom that was next to the kitchen, that all backed up to the input lines. The landscaping was also weirdly planted. Trees 3′ from the house, no flowerbeds at all. One garage door GLUED shut. I found a dissicated squirrel standing on it’s hind legs with it’s arms upstretched in the attic insulation. Scared me to death! ICK! I feel like the dollhouse lady’s sister and brother-in-law lived there!

By: Translator

Translator — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 02:29:41 +0000

Go to your power panel and turn off your primary water heater, or turn off the gas to it and let it cool overnight. Then turn on hot water taps.

If most are cool and one or two are hot, you have a second heater, unless it is on the same circuit, and you should be able to see that if there are two, rather than one, leads screwed into the power panel. If you are on gas, then just turn off the gas to the one that you know is there.

Next morning, see what is hot and what is not. Warmest regards, Doc.

By: biscuit

biscuit — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 01:39:45 +0000

The dollmaker who owned this house for some — er, from 1959 until this year would be 50 years! — completely rearranged all the rooms in the house.

::blink::

So the water heater is in the middle of the house. And the laundry room is where one of the back porches used to be (I presume).

I think. Unless there’s another water heater in here, which one friend of mine swears there is. Danged if I can find it, though!

By: Translator

Translator — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:46:37 +0000

Labeling and dating is extremely important. It is not a bad idea to take a Sharpie and write on the ends of cans what is in them, even if they are store bought and have paper labels on them. Just let the hot water supply hose to the washing machine rupture and see how long the paper labels last.

One caution about a laundry room, in addition to the one just above. In many cases the water heater is there, too, and, except for very cold climates, may make the room to warm for optimum storage conditions. And if things are in glass, dark helps a lot. Warmest regards, Doc.

By: Scotia48

Scotia48 — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 20:12:06 +0000

I only have them because of garage sales in the distant past and figuring out how to “use them up!”

By: biscuit

biscuit — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 18:41:44 +0000

Thanks, Scotia!

Sometimes I think *I* write them more for my benefit than anyone else’s.

I’ve never been a particularly organized person, after all. So it really helps me to put it down in writing, and to do some research along the way.

Along those lines, I swear, I must be the only person who’s never had the good sense to buy those round label thingies! Then again, there’s my organization issues …

By: Scotia48

Scotia48 — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 18:20:18 +0000

I keep those little bright colored round labels and a sharpie in my kitchen junk drawer for labeling stuff. The other thing is stuff in the freezer, that I must label because it keeps longer and is harder to recognize what it is sometimes. What it is and the date.
Thanks for this series and the pantry suggestions, guys, it all helps organize our lives.

By: biscuit

biscuit — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 15:36:45 +0000

You are for sure The Pantry Goddess!

The TEOTWAWKI guide suggests color coding everything with those tiny round stickons.

And your Jello story reminds me of my mother’s stocks. It’s why the guide’s suggestion of shelves rather than cabinets is such a good one.