When we first went outside this morning there had been overnight rain but the crescent moon and stars were clearly visible almost to every horizon. Looked good, especially considering that yesterday was nonstop gloom.
Heh. Yeah. I didn’t know more clouds were barreling in, and it started snowing the moment we left on the morning walkie. By the time we got to the top of the ridge…
…the snow was starting to stick even though the wind was blowing it all directly into my face.
Snowfall acted more and more like it really meant business as time went by, though happily the wind fell off…
“Tobie, get your nose out of your ass. I’m trying to take a picture here.”
“Don’t give me that look.”
Anyway, by the time we started down the grade and home was in sight…
…home was well on the way to getting buried. My nice heavy black Carhartt coat* was completely white on one side and needed to be beaten free of snow out on the porch…
And now it’s time to get to work on this morning’s repair chore.
At the onset of winter I replaced my ailing bedroom thermostat with the just-in-case spare I bought a few years ago. Which, unfortunately, is identical to the original and turns out to have the same ailment – Electronically it works fine but the electrical contacts apparently have enough resistance that they don’t always operate the actual heater. Naturally, one learns about this only on a cold morning. The problem can (usually) be temporarily corrected by disconnecting the thermostat from the wall and then re-connecting it, which is NOT THE WAY THERMOSTATS ARE SUPPOSED TO WORK. Come on, people, electronics are supposed to be BETTER than old-fashioned mercury switches and bimetal coils, which would outlive the houses they were installed in.
Well, last Friday I took delivery on a[nother] replacement…
Which, upon inspection, unfortunately has the same connectors between the part that screws to the wall and holds the wires and the part with the electronics. So I’m not completely confident this will fix my problem – at least not permanently. But here we are. I’m going to trudge out to the powershed and get my drill now.
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*Which I’ve had for seven years as of last month, and except for a little fraying on the cuffs is still in perfect condition – Still not completely over finally having a decent winter coat.
Carhart makes good gear. I’d been wearing it long before it became trendy. My winter coat lasted me something like 13 years before I retired it for something a little more stylish.
Tobie is such a good fella… 🤣
Carhartt makes a good quality product. I have two of their coats, with one for winter and the other for spring, summer, and fall. They are both around a decade old and, aside from a little fading, are in great shape.
As for the weather, it could always be worse… I have friends down east where this past weekend they experienced a snowstorm that dumped a huge amount of show. Check it out…
https://www.theweathernetwork.com/en/news/weather/severe/mega-banks-the-daunting-clean-up-after-100-cm-of-snow-walloped-the-east-coast
I spray the contacts on mine every couple years with contact cleaner. It does the job, and its cheaper than a new thermostat.
I cleaned the contacts on this one a couple of weeks ago with alcohol. Worked only briefly.
Doncha wish they still made bimetallic springs with a vial of mercury on the end thermostats?
I do
There are bimetal, no battery, thermostats on ebay, e.g. Honeywell Home CT30A1005.
I discovered that even the venerable Honeywell round, which was bulletproof, is now battery operated.
Hi Joel, two things – a medium size Carhart is what I think you use. Now is just about the time they go on sale at Tractor Supply. Will stop in and have a look next chance I get. As to the thermostat, maybe it is your climate and dust causing issues because my Honeywell 7day programmable with up to 4 event selections per day lasts and works without issue so long as one remembers to change the two AA cells every few years (usually last about 3 or 4 years before needing new ones). I might be able to find an old school mercury/bimetal around here somewhere if that is what you really want.
Hi Terrapod, I really don’t need a new coat – that was my point, it has worn so well – and I’m morally certain that a retro thermostat in the Lair’s bedroom is not the right thing to do. But thanks a lot for offering.
No worries. Keep on wearing it till the thing needs patches 😉 then let me know.
Don’t know if you will get this, all your comments from all your posts have disappeared from my computer for days. I hope no misfortune or illness has given you grief. Best wishes and good fortune to you and Tobie.
Tree Mike