Amana Products
July 16, 2011My Review of Bresser Junior – Digital Hand Microscope with 1.3 MegaPix
December 9, 2010Originally submitted at Toys R Us
Bresser digital microscope places the natural wonder of the world in the palm of your hand. The USB-hand microscope provides you almost unlimited possibilities in the world of microscopy! Features: Digital handheld USB microscope,1.3 megapixel resolution, magnification 20x or 200x, USB cable for d…
Reviews say no bang but only whiz!
By Poppa John from Huntsville, AL on 12/8/2010
Cons: Poor Design
Describe Yourself: Grandparent, Education Oriented
Was this a gift?: Yes
I couldn’t really find this product on internet with an “edu science” branding as shown on the box but the ToysRUs item code on the receipt lead me to this “Bresser Junior” product site. I was skeptical when my wife brought it home that it only illustrated a minor magnification such as might work with a hand held lens. There was no way I could equate that to 600 power and other magnifications I have seen elsewhere on internet. The outside of the box gives no measure of its power.
(legalese)
Summertime and the temperature goes up!
May 25, 2010We are entering the season of Summer and we all expect the temperatures to go up. Many times the temperatures are more than we find comfortable. Artificially cooled air in our homes and workplaces can make the season more tolerable. We may be more productive in our activities and when it comes to resting we may sleep better with a cooled environment. All together we find it more enjoyable with cooling in our spaces.
Artificial cooling may be accomplished by several types of air conditioners. Many newer homes and offices are built with central air conditioning which may be quite satisfactory. Even with that acknowledged there may be workshops, garages and outbuildings that could benefit by some spot cooling devices. For buildings constructed without satisfactory air conditioning, the owner or tenant may find it useful to added limited cooling units to control the temperature wherever challenges are encountered. Several options are available.
Our website offers a number of these options. Probably the easiest to install are the the self-contained room air conditioners. These may be installed through an opening such as a window permitting the cooling function to direct air over cooling surfaces and return it directly to the room. During the time this is operating, the portion of the unit that extends outdoors beyond the wall discharges heat into the outdoor air. These self-container room air conditioners can also be installed through a wall sleeve which are available in various sizes suitable for the size of the cooling unit. If not already in place, such sleeves require a suitable hole being made in the wall to receive the sleeve. But the end result can be a much more sealed fit to maintain efficiency of performance. Self-contained room air conditioners may operate on either 110 volt for smaller units or on 220 volts for the larger units.
At our website, we also offer mini-split or ductless cooling units. These appliances are installed on indoor walls with air-handling-units which are connected with line sets plus power and control cables to outside compressor units. A refrigerant fluid passes through the line set from the compressor to the inside air-handling unit where the refrigerant evaporates and thus cools the air. The refrigerant vapors are returned to the compressor unit and an associated condenser to discharge the heat to the outside air. In the condenser the vapors condense to liquid before returning again to the inside component. The inside unit operates with a quiet and efficient fan to distribute the cooled air to the room and the louder operating compressor sound is isolated beyond the outside wall. This is distinguished from the room air conditioner appliances described in the previous paragraph which are notably more noisy in their operation because of the self-contained compressor function. Mini-split products come in two forms. One form operates exclusively as ductless (i.e., mini-split) air conditioner. Another form will operate either as an air conditioner or as a cool weather heater. This second form alternately reverses the evaporating and condensing locations for the refrigerant resulting in a delivery of heat in the cool seasons as well as delivering cool in the warm seasons. These second forms are called ductless heat pumps.
Click on any of the links to see the products: room air conditioners, ductless (i.e., mini-split) air conditioner, and/or ductless heat pumps.
Summertime and It Might Become Humid!
May 20, 2010We are entering the season of Summer and in many areas of our country the conditions become especially humid. Humidity makes us feel more uncomfortable because we can not cool our bodies as easily as when the air is drier. This is because our skin is cooled by the effect of moisture evaporating which takes away the heat. But the effectiveness of evaporation depends upon how much moisture there is in the air. When the humidity is high there is not much encouragement for our skin moisture to become vapor.
A portable dehumidifier is only one of the ways you may use to remove moisture from the air in your rooms. Frequently, homeowners and tenants will want to have cooling added to there spaces. Many air conditioning systems are very effective in reducing both the humidity and the temperature in the spaces they service. Both dehumidifiers and air conditioners remove moisture from the air that passes through them by cooling the air to the point that water vapors condense and drip away from the artificially refrigerated surfaces. Thus, the returned air comes out with a lower humidity and people in the spaces can be more comfortable.
If you have a home or an office space without an effective central air conditioning system to dehumidify and cool your living and working areas, you may consider adding an appliance to alleviate this short coming. Our site “Certified Comfort” offers portable dehumidifiers, window (or wall) room air conditioners, ductless mini-split air conditioners, and combination heating and cooling ductless heat pumps. Besides the arrays of products offered, this site provides assistance to a buyer by discussing a series of frequently asked questions. We also offer chat boxes on several of the pages to permit your inquiry about other concerns that you may have.
Thoughts on Obamacare passage
March 22, 2010We have come to a time where the evidence displays a constitutional failure in process in the enactment of a healthcare overhaul. The mask of a process of representative governance has come off revealing the face a socialistic hegemony capable of ramming through a program without proper regard for process and certainly not representing the majority of citizens in forcing through the radical agenda of a new healthcare paradigm. Instead of the members of congress continuing to represent their constituents, some of the “apparatchik”-like congress people have abandoned any strongly held regards of their constituents and are ultimately only beholding to the titular figures of their party. It is very disconcerting to see party members cave to “apparatchik” coercion who have previously offered principled objections to both the content and the process of the bill currently being enactment. One can certainly hope that the constituents of each socialist-leaning member of congress will remember these departures of their district politicos from constitutional processes so that they never reward their actions in the coming elections. Why would citizens ever trust these rascals again, anyway?
Consider. Whether these congress persons deserted their constitutional obligation to represent their constituency early or in the last-minute crush of back-room deals shouldn’t matter. They have surrendered principle whenever they sold out to this program that so radically damages the independence of all the nation’s citizens. As a republic we deserve a more sympathetic regard from these members of congress who now have moved to enact strong-handed government dominance on a people who have long cherished personal independence. The new paradigm is extremely punitive in forcing a government fix that is really no business of the federal entity anyway. Tenth Amendment provisions of the U.S. Constitution require that matters not specifically mandated by the Constitution are reserved to the States or to the people (in the absence of State provision). We have been denied due process when the national governing (Federal) entity subsumes the role of independent people. It is no doubt true that the United States Congress has through history flagrantly violated constitution principles of this Tenth Amendment.
Why would any constitutional officer of the Federal government violate such a sacred trust? This writer is reminded of the salacious act of certain male persons to proposition a virtuous woman to deflower her purity. If he first offers an outrageously generous price for her to surrender that she even entertains the notion and, subsequently, he begins to offer reduced compensations, she may recoil with protestations. Party leaders are like this lecherous one who in search for their continuing self aggrandizement and dominance have repeatedly offered all manner of largess (often at cost to the citizens) to the junior legislators for them to squander their reputation in order to join ranks in any such aggrandizing scheme. It is true that lobbyists have played this scenario too. When any novice legislator succumbs to these offers it is proved that they are not beholding to any principle that they may have had as they entered the arena of public role. Henceforth, it is no longer a question of whether principle is surrendered but rather at what price they are willing to sell out. Seemingly, it then becomes a way of their continuing behavior. It is analogous to the lecherous lout’s retort to the virtuous female who upon negotiation of lower prices for her surrender exclaims that “I am not that type of a woman.” His reply may be that they had already established that she is “that type of a woman.” Instead the lout informs her “we are now only negotiating the price.” This writer sees an awful abundance of similarity with the machinations of the American Congress and Executive and that nefarious solicitation of sexual favor. In fact, it is too often the proffering of salacious sexual acts that also influences the legislators. With law makers so often compromised in any native principle, why should we ever keep them in office?
Energy Efficiency in Heating and Cooling Systems
December 1, 2009Energy efficient systems are good for private entities, public agencies, the economy and the environment. We do not subscribe to the current political hoax about anthropogenic global warming (AGW) and don’t wish our reader to assume that these ideas drive this posting information. We believe that without punitive taxing policies the economy can flourish with people and populations all gaining through the efficient use of energy to produce goods and services for all participants. Energy efficiency of the tools that we use can each be addressed system by system. We address in this post energy efficiency in the heating and cooling of dwellings and, in particular, the advantages of ductless heat pumps and air conditioners to support comfort in these spaces. We contrast the ductless systems (also known as mini-splits) with ducted HVAC systems. Unlike the latter, the ductless system has no ducts to pass through attics (over), or crawl spaces (under), or even along the outside walls which are not part of the zones for comfort control. We gain efficiency by eliminating the losses of heated, cooled or dehumidified air to these external areas as occurs with leaks in the ducting and or wasted heat exchanges through the duct walls to the non-used zones . Users gain further efficiency by eliminating the extra power to operated fans needed to distribute the air through the extended paths of the ducted flow. Instead, the two functions of both heat pumps and air conditioner systems are split with the ductless systems. The installer places the compressor (which is also a noisy component) outside of the controlled space. The compressor brings the working fluid (often call a refrigerant) to a high temperature but still in a gaseous form. This hot gas condenses to a liquid and gives up significant heat when exposed by means of a heat exchanger (like a car radiator) to cooler air around it. We plan for this to happen outdoors for air conditioners but it occurs indoors when operating a heat pump in heating mode. In either case, the working fluid circulates to an inside heat exchanger where the condensed fluid evaporates absorbing heat from the air as an air conditioner or where the compressed hot gas surrenders its heat to the air in order to heat the inside space. The system conveys the fluid from the compressor unit to the inside unit through piping arrangements. One pipe conveys the fluid in and another tube conveys it back to the compressor and the outdoor heat exchanger. These pipes and control circuits are what join the split components of the ductless system. How efficient are these systems? The SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) is a measure for cooling with 13 being a good number. Even higher values are on the horizon but 13 exceeds the value of older technologies (e.g., 8 to 10). Likewise, we consider for heat pump efficiency a HSPF (Heating Season Performance Factor) with values of 7 to 8 good and higher values are even better. The Andersons’ WebNterpizes Incorporated offers ductless mini-split devices for both heating and cooling at its web store. See http://www.certifieddehumidifier.com/ductless.
To see other blogs by this contributor you may link here http://webanderntp.wordpress.com.
A Healthier Season with Steam-Sanitized Cleaning
November 27, 2009Make it a healthier gift-giving season with steam-sanitized cleaning. One way to make your spaces more healthy may be to use steam-cleaning devises. These devises employ a generator to produce steam that is released through various nozzles, brushes or applicators in such a manner as to permit cleaning and sanitizing. Toys, door hardware, kitchen appliance surfaces and many more durable surfaces can be cleaned and sanitized with the steam produced. Bathroom surfaces which might otherwise support mold and mildew problems may be quickly cleaned. Floors including hardwood and other durable compositions can be cleaned and sanitized with applications by a mop head. Compared to standard mop or sponge efforts to clean floor surfaces (which quickly involve dirty water in a bucket), a steam mop will absorb the residue into a pad that can be washed in a normal wash cycle at the laundry and returned to the mop head for more actions. Unlike the dirty water that is spread about by the traditional mops and sponges, steam transfers the filth to the pad or other cloth wiped across the surface. But the steam also rapidly sanitized surfaces by the effect of lethal temperature that will destroy growing bacteria, mold, mildew and other agents of illness. Shoppers may buy a variety of steam cleaning products from http://www.steamcleansmart.com. One item at this site offers a three-in-one product that with a microfiber pad on a mop head serves to clean floors. By replacing the mop head with one of several nozzles or brushes, surfaces above the floor can be rapidly cleaned. A third tool converts the steam generator into a fabric and upholstery conditioner which can press out wrinkles and freshen materials as may absorb smoke and other airborne pollutants and odors. See this listing also in the EasyPlacetoShop mall under the floor care category. For a You-Tube video of the 3-in-1 product follow this link .
Healthier Living Environments with Steam Cleaners
November 27, 2009Easy steps to a healthier environment make sense to many of us. One way to make your spaces more healthy may be to use steam cleaning devises. These devises employ a generator to produce steam that is released through various nozzles, brushes or applicators in such a manner as to permit cleaning and sanitizing. Toys, door hardware, kitchen appliance surfaces and many more durable surfaces can be cleaned and sanitized with the steam produced. Bathroom surfaces which might otherwise support mold and mildew problems may be quickly cleaned. Floors including hardwood and other durable compositions can be cleaned and sanitized with applications by a mop head. Compared to standard mop or sponge efforts to clean floor surfaces (which quickly involve dirty water in a bucket), a steam mop will absorb the residue into a pad that can be washed in a normal wash cycle at the laundry and returned to the mop head for more actions. Unlike the dirty water that is spread about by the traditional mops and sponges, steam transfers the filth to the pad or other cloth wiped across the surface. But the steam also rapidly sanitized surfaces by the effect of lethal temperature that will destroy growing bacteria, mold, mildew and other agents of illness. Shoppers may buy a variety of steam cleaning products from http://www.steamcleansmart.com. One item at this site offers a three-in-one product that with a microfiber pad on a mop head serves to clean floors. By replacing the mop head with one of several nozzles or brushes, surfaces above the floor can be rapidly cleaned. A third tool converts the steam generator into a fabric and upholstery conditioner which can press out wrinkles and freshen materials as may absorb smoke and other airborne pollutants and odors. See this listing also in the EasyPlacetoShop mall under floor care category. For a You-Tube video of the 3-in-1 product follow this link.
Andersons’ WebNterprizes Inc. Announces new offering ductless mini-splits.
November 14, 2009Andersons’ WebNterprizes Incorporated dba CertifiedDehumidifier.com announces the offering of ductless air conditioners and heat pumps as its newest line in their array of products. Ductless products, also known as mini-split items, offer much improved energy efficiencies for heating and cooling. By contrast to ducted HVAC systems, these systems do not have ducts passing through attic spaces, crawl spaces, or outside the structure. Thus, efficiencies are gained in part by eliminating the distribution of conditioned air through extended paths subject to leakage and especially heat transfer to and from the environment not used for or intended for controlled conditioning. Instead of ducting air from a combined compressor-condenser-evaporator and air handling unit the functions are split. An outside unit is employed to compress the refrigerant gas and then direct it through a heat exchanger to cool and condense the hot gas to a liquid (in the case of air conditioning operations). This liquid refrigerant is then conveyed through piping from outside of the structure to any particular location (frequently an interior wall) where the pressure is reduced to facilitate the fluids evaporation at a low temperature. This component in the an air conditioning system is known as an evaporator where heat is absorbed from air passed over the heat exchanger coils so that the air is chilled. A fan moves the air across the heat exchanger and directly around into the room to cool the environment. The circuit is completed through a return line with the vaporized refrigerant returned to the outside unit into the compressor suction side. For heat pump operations, evaporation and condensation processes are switched between inside and outside units. With the compressor located outside the structure, noise is isolated from the dwelling space. Air handling from the indoor component is more effective without the flow resistance through extended ducting and thus the fan can also run more quietly.
Products identified here are offered at this page [http://www.certifieddehumidifier.com/ductless].
Comments regarding a very wet SouthEast in September
September 27, 2009It appears that much of this region (Georgia, Alabama, the Carolinas and Tennessee) have been deluged with excessive rainfall for more than a week. Besides some devastating floods, there are locales with substantial accumulations that make structures pretty damp. With varying conditions one will need to consider what capacity of drying will be needed to restore the property. This chart offers estimates of drying capacity one may need. For the outright soaked structures due to several inches of standing water there are flood recovery schemes that require professional intervention with strong fans and extra-heavy duty dehumidifiers to attempt to restore spaces to usable living and working spaces. For the less devastated structures (that are without standing water other than in little puddles) homeowners and businesses will want to dry them the best way possible. While air conditioners can remove water from an enclosed space, they may not function for long enough durations until they cycle down upon reaching the set-point temperature. Portable consumer dehumidifiers can be turned on and will continue to draw moisture from the air and surroundings until the relative humidity set point is reached. After events resulting in an unhealthy damp environment, these dehumidifier units can be set to a constant or continuous operation to expedite the drying of the insides of these structures.
