Dometic thermostats are a brand of thermostats that regulate the operation of your furnace and air-conditioning system to maintain the temperature of your home at a desired level. Proper setting of a thermostat can help lower your utility bill. When you leave your home, set the temperature higher in the summer and lower in the winter. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you can save 5 to 15 percent on your annual utility payments by doing so.

Making a blowgun out of bamboo is a simple task that has been perfected by many generations of our human ancestors. According to James Stuart Koch, owner of blowgun makers Alchem Incorporated, bamboo is one of the best natural structures to craft a blowgun from because of its uniform hollow structure. Bamboo stalks are long and straight, providing the perfect material for a blowgun. Things You Will Need + Bamboo stalk Iron rod Gas stove Oven mitts The one hang-up in crafting bamboo blowguns is the solid structure that grows at the node, or joint, of the bamboo plant.

A porch swing offers a quiet place to read a book or enjoy your morning coffee, a place for romance or simply a place to have a good conversation with friends and neighbors. Gently swinging back and forth is soothing and calming, a great way to unwind from a long day at work. A properly mounted swing provides years of enjoyment. Hanging a porch swing is not difficult and only requires a few basic skills.

Belts on a Kirby Ultimate G series vacuum require replacement due to age, wear and tear. Vacuum belts can stretch when they age or when objects suck into the roller plate and wedge themselves between the brush and the roller plate. Belts may also break due to extra tension from sucking up larger objects. A belt can alsol dry rot after a few years and be ineffective in turning the roller.

You attach wires to printed circuit boards (PCB) in a process called soldering. You heat the wire and PCB pad, melting the solder wire and allowing it to flow onto the wire and pad. The solder wire used is typically a lead-tin alloy although in some special cases, silver is used. Soldering a wire to a printed circuit board may be part of making, repairing or modifying the board or connecting it to another device.

Louis Comfort Tiffany is as famous for his legendary store as he is for the lampshades he began to create in the late 1800s. His first lampshades were made of blown glass and exhibited for the world at the 1893 World's Columbian Exhibition in Chicago. Tip The Tiffany mark is found on the base of the lampshade, as Mr. Tiffany was sure to mark all of his work. However, sometimes authentic bases are combined with non-authentic glass lampshades.

The General Electric Hotpoint ice maker usually functions properly, but occasionally something can go wrong. Instead of buying a brand new ice maker, troubleshooting the problem is the first thing to do. Finding out what is wrong with your ice maker by process of elimination usually isolates the problem. Of course you want to make sure the freezer is cold enough before you begin. You cannot assume that just because the water flow to the in-door water dispenser is good that the water flow to the ice maker is also sufficient.

Refrigerators revolutionized food storage by allowing people to keep food cold at a constant and often adjustable temperature, which keeps food fresh longer. Refrigerators are complex machines that utilize numerous active and inactive chemicals to keep food cool, while wasting as little energy as possible. Tetrafluoroethane Tetrafluoroethane, also known as Hydro-Fluorocarbon Type 134a, is commonly used in many modern refrigerators. It begins its cycle as a gas that gradually condenses into a liquid when moving through the interior liquid coils of the refrigerator's inner workings.

Drainage pipe attaches to your gutter downspouts and carries water away from the foundation of your home. This prevents foundation damage and basement flooding. The pipe should run underground around the perimeter of your home, to allow all of the downspouts to feed into it. Consider installing a clean-out valve near your home to allow for snaking out these pipes if they become clogged with leaves and debris from the gutters.

Build a homemade rotisserie for your barbecue grill that is motorized and turns the meat at a smooth and even rate to ensure that all sides of the meat get the same amount of exposure to the heat. Rotisseries are also popular because some of the fat melts and runs down the meat into the coals, allowing the proper searing of the meat and reducing the fat content. Things You Will Need + Safety goggles and clothing (including welder's gloves) Barbecue grill (with notches on either side for a rotisserie) Grinder Iron bar stock (1/2-inch diameter, the width of the grill plus 8 inches) Iron bar stock (1/4-inch diameter, 14 inches long) Steel pipe (1/2-inch internal diameter, 6 inches long) Hacksaw Drill with carbide tip bit (1/2 inch) Nuts and bolts (four of each, 1/4 inch) Equipment for welding metal Motor (2 horsepower) Motorcycle gears (one very large and the other as small as you can find) Motorcycle chain Square piece of scrap metal (large enough to cover the motor as a heat shield) Soldering equipment Light dimmer Electrical extension cord Tip Cookbooks are available for rotisserie cooking.