How do I...?

Drip system installation tips?

feeds@yuku.com (Lin) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:41:06 GMT

I'm installing a drip watering system for my veggie patch and want to do another one for the container garden.

I got all the materials: hose, connectors, clamps and drippers/tricklers. I'm making a pretty tight grid for the veggie patch 5 rows of hose across and one down on both sides. It's frustrating work because the hose curls up so I have to weight it down at one end while I work on the other. But the most irritating thing is getting those bloddy connectors into the...

know how to fix / replace a gargage roller door lock ?

feeds@yuku.com (chocchip3101) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 05:31:13 GMT

late yesty arvo eldest went to get her bike out of the shed and accidently left the key in the lock when she rolled it up ...result one snapped off key and once piece stuck in the lock ...trying to get it out made it worse - the piece has moved but seems to be stuck somewhere so the spare key wont turn.

I don't have any lights in the shed so have to wait til today to see what the lock looks like from the inside - whether I can take off the cover if that's possible - I have...

Solar chargers advice

feeds@yuku.com (Lin) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 15:43:00 GMT

I don't expect many people to have an extensive knowledge of specific solar charger products, but I'm hoping some of you may know more about how electricity works than I do.

I want to be able to charge some of my gadgets from solar power when I'm camping. Mainly my walkie talkies, maybe my phone and Nintendo and in the future I might buy more gadgets that I can charge that way. There's a whole range of solar panels on the market now, but what I cannot figure out is...

How do I replace screening on a security door?

feeds@yuku.com (natalex) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 20:45:27 GMT

Thanks to wear and tear and a little help from a dog I have gaping holes in a couple of my security screen doors. The holes are too big to patch and I need to replace the whole screen but I simply have no idea how. I have a house inspection on Wednesday. Normally I don't bother fixing it but with a new housing manager on board I thought maybe I should give it a try.

Any hints?

Protect my pc from lightning and similar

feeds@yuku.com (Lin) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:49:06 GMT

I assume I need a surge protection powerboard that has a phone outlet too? But should I plug everything computer related into that powerboard? Eg. could I get a 4-outlet surge-protected powerboard and plug my cpu, phone, modem, phone into it and my monitor, printer, speakers and desk lamp into a "normal" powerboard? They're quite expensive.

Also, my desk currently is probably about 2.5 metres away from the nearest powerpoint. So I've been using an exentsion cable...

let the water flow out of a basin with a permanent plug?

feeds@yuku.com (xClancyx) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 07:44:00 GMT

HELP!! DS and I have moved to our new house, and the bathroom basin has one of those plugs, stainless steel, that you push in to hold water in the basin, and then release the water by....what???? I pressed the plug in, but can't get it out again. I thought there would be a button or something to push, or a lever on the tap. Can anyone help, I don't want to call a plumber for such a stupid problem?

Buying a DVD recorder, what should I look for?

feeds@yuku.com (Lin) — Tue, 19 May 2009 11:03:32 GMT

I'm fed up with my VCR. We have too many favourite shows that are on at times when we cannot/won't watch them. So I am going to splurge and finally buy a DVD recorder with hard drive.

I think we should be ok with 160GB of hard drive space? If I manage to fill that up, it's probably time to clear space by burning the stuff we want to keep to DVD.

I have an old tv, which I won't replace until it truly dies. Should this affect my choice? I shouldn't worry...

Changeover to a new computer

feeds@yuku.com (xClancyx) — Sat, 16 May 2009 12:52:43 GMT

I"m planning to upgrade my computer soon, to a desk top from this crappy laptop. Is the thing to do, to copy all the files I want from the laptop onto a portable standalone harddrive, so I have them if I ever want them?

How do I replace my remote car key battery (cheaply)?

feeds@yuku.com (Lin) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 11:32:23 GMT

I tried to Google this, but am not getting any answers. My car's a 2001 Holden Astra and it has a remote key head - ie. attached to the ignition key. I cannot see how to open it.

Would I be able to maybe go to one of those key-cutting places for this?

anyone know anything about fixing washing machines ?

feeds@yuku.com (chocchip3101) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 19:39:48 GMT

My washing machine is making some shocking noises (high pitched grating noises) during the wash cycle. I don't think it's agigating at all in the wash cycle, but spins ok in the spin cycle.
It's an old hoover and has been great - doesn't owe me anything, but I'd like to prolong it a bit more. Anyone know anything about them at all?

Save photos off my phone

feeds@yuku.com (xClancyx) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 06:35:56 GMT

Do you need a cable to do this? My phone's memory is clogged up and I want to remove all the photos. Maybe I can just go to Harvey Norman or somewhere, and they'll have a cable?

save text messages off my phone?

feeds@yuku.com (Mary2) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 19:09:48 GMT

I have a number of text messages that I would like to keep a record of by saving onto my pc, but cannot find a way to copy/move off the phone...
If I sent/forwarded them via email from the phone, would they have the inital file info, ie sent date and time etc?

Turn a down light into a pendant light?

feeds@yuku.com (xClancyx) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 09:51:03 GMT

I bought this fantastic big lightshade at an opshop recently and I want to be able to have it hanging down from the ceiling above my dining table, in the new house.

But the new house has downlights installed. Is it easy to somehow pull a cord out and have it hang down instead, or is it an electrician job?

Connect my set top box?

feeds@yuku.com (Lin) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 15:44:18 GMT

I just bought a digital tv receiver and I cannot understand how to connect it so also my DVD player and VCR still work. I tried to Google, but only get forum posts that I don't understand.

My tv only has the video in/out and audio in/out thingies. I have a bunch of cables with different coloured plugs.

Any tips?

Ants Ants Ants Ants Ants Ants

feeds@yuku.com (TanyainSydney1) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:18:47 GMT

Ok, for years, no ants. Not a single one.

Now over the last month I've had little black ant trails into my food cupboard!!

It's driving me insane. I can't think of any new food I've put into the cupboard and they don't appear to be targeting anything in particular. Everything is in sealed packets/jars/containers. I wipe them away and wipe everything down and squirt some insect spray in appropriate places.

But they come back. Over and...

Books / paper storage??

feeds@yuku.com (A and CO) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 11:55:11 GMT

I am so sick of having books and folders and bits of paper floating around everywhere! Help! It's driving me crazy!!!!
The girls' home learning stuff makes up about half of it and we use it regularly, so I need something easily accessible. Then there's the folders with important paperwork like bills,bills, bills, money stuff, business stuff, bills... There's stacks of miscelaneous stuff too, that I can't really get rid off. Did I mention we are travelling and living...

Prevent Yuku from resizing my images - Updated: It was my photo editor!

feeds@yuku.com (Lin) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 09:57:29 GMT

When I try to insert images from my Yuky album, it usually comes out all pixelated? Even when I make sure that the image is not bigger than the max size.

Any tips?

ETA: I believe it was the settings in my primitive photo editor at work causing the granulation.

Get mould out of clothing

feeds@yuku.com (Three Butterflies) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 12:33:04 GMT

I had some clothes stored in our shed and with the storms a box got wet and I didn't realise, now one of my favourite tops has spots of mould on it. Is there any way to wash it out? It's on the second cycle in the machine, the first time faded them a bit, but you can still notice it

Doh!

Choose a freezer?

feeds@yuku.com (Lin) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:27:35 GMT

I need a freezer as my freezer compartiment above my fridge is too small for our needs.

I was going to buy the one from the K-mart catalogue, but they sold out on the first day! Might go look at some of the cheaper appliance stores this weekend, but may end up buying a reconditioned one.

What are the things to look out for?

I know I want it to have at least a 3 or 3.5 star energy rating
I only really need an 80-90 litre size
I want it to be frost-free....

Hang curtains

feeds@yuku.com (Lin) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 10:36:00 GMT

I'm fed up with my ugly, broken blinds in my lounge room so decided to buy curtains. My loung room has one of those windows from ceiling to floor and from the street it looks like a fish bowl, so I want to get transparent curtains as well as dark ones.

There is one rail there that I can hang the drapes on - which you can buy from Spotlight ready to hang, so that's not going to be an issue.

However there's nothing else to hang the transparent curtains on and...