Yearly Archives: 2014


Rasmus Lerdorf's opcache-status script 2
When I upgraded to PHP 5.5, I also said goodbye to my beloved APC cache (which never let me down) in favor of Zend OPcache, because it’s already part of the PHP package. Back when I used APC, one of my favorite tools was the apc.php script that showed cache status and allowed me […]

My Favorite Zend OPcache Status Scripts


Gas Water Heater Timer with included timer 13
I own a whopping eight water heaters between five houses: two at the main house, two at the Utah house, two at the cabin, and one at each of two rental houses. The cabin and one of the rental houses use electric water heaters, so the majority of my water heaters (5 out of 8) run on […]

Product Review: Save Money with a Gas Water Heater Timer


Control options for the ZigBee control module 20
One of my favorite features of my Ecobee WiFi thermostats is the ability to heat or cool a location so that it’s nice and comfortable by the time we walk in the door. For example, our furnace and heat pump at our cabin both use electricity, so I save money on my electric bill by allowing a […]

Product Review: Remotely Controlling an Electric Water Heater with a ...



Caliber 4R digital hygrometer and thermometer 1
I recently purchased a dehumidifier to place in my gun safe (product review is coming), but I wanted to make sure it was doing its job properly. The only way to ensure that is to test the humidity inside the safe before placing the dehumidifier in there versus after. And […]

Product Review: Western Humidor Caliber 4R Digital Hygrometer and Thermometer


Caliber 4R hygrometer in a salt test 4
“It’s not the heat… it’s the humidity that gets you.” Not only is that true for personal comfort, but even more so for important items that need to be kept at a specific humidity (like cigars at 70%) or metal parts on guns (which want to be stored in a […]

How to Calibrate a Hygrometer (Humidity Sensor) using the Salt ...


Honeywell EconoSWITCH Review 1
When my primary residence was built in 1998, the builder installed a Lutron HomeWorks whole-house lighting system. Basically, it’s a set of three panels (one on each floor) that can control all the lighting loads in the house. It also allows any keypad in the house to control any light […]

Adding Astronomical Clock Functionality to an Original Lutron HomeWorks System



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If you’re trying to set up an Apache web server on CentOS  as your origin server for Google PageSpeed service, you need to take certain steps to make sure that Apache can see (and also log) the IP address of the visiting host. Otherwise, all you’ll see in your Apache log files […]

Configuring Apache on CentOS 6 for Google PageSpeed Service


New fittings installed in minutes 4
If you’ve read any of my previous plumbing DIY posts, you know I’m a fan of SharkBite slip-fittings. Yes, they’re more expensive than standard copper or CPVC fittings, but their primary benefit is how easy they are to install… and remove for re-use or reconfiguration. Normally, you don’t have to remove plumbing fittings […]

DIY: SharkBite Fittings Make Adding a Check Valve Easy


Color temperature can change the "feel" of a room. 63
One of the reasons I enjoy doing DIY projects is because I love saving money. But not all DIY projects are created equal — and the least equal is replacing light bulbs. I hate replacing light bulbs. I feel very little satisfaction after doing it, and I often put if […]

Choosing the Right LED Bulbs



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I’d been planning to write a post about carbon monoxide (CO) detectors for some time now, ever since I installed one not long ago while replacing my first water heater here at the house. I wasn’t in any rush. I’d get around to it eventually. But a pair of recent and […]

Install, Check, Replace Your Carbon Monoxide (CO) Detectors… Right Now!


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Glock’s marketing tagline is “Perfection,” but that doesn’t prevent many of us from wanting a little something extra from these popular striker-fired pistols. This article will include links to my YouTube video series on Glock Upgrades. My general philosophy around any firearms modification is that in order to truly be […]

Video: Top Glock Upgrades to “Rock your Glock!”


New capacitor in place 590
UPDATE: Whirlpool has finally publicly admitted (kind of) that they’ve left their customers “high and dry” with this control board issue. They published this Class Code 91 Letter (though they never actually explain what “class code 91” means and Google wasn’t any help) with a list of all the model numbers that […]

How to Fix a Whirlpool & KitchenAid W10219463 / 2307028 ...




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If you’re a DirecTV customer, and you want to watch your local channels and get shows from the “big” networks like ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox, then there’s a good chance you’re coughing up extra money for their local channels. Or maybe, you like to take your DirecTV receiver on […]

How to Get HDTV Local Channels “Off Air” with DirecTV


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Among hard-core geeks, the speed of your Internet connection is a source of pride. Back in 1996 when I moved to the Seattle area, I paid a couple thousand dollars a month for a frame-relay full T1 connection to my house, giving me a 1.4 Megabits per second (Mbps) connection. […]

Review: Google Fiber Provo Install











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Fair is fair. When a company gets it wrong, I blog about it. When a company gets it right, I also blog about it. This week, a couple of companies got it right. The first company is Grohe, makers of high-end kitchen and bath products. They have the rare distinction […]

Rave: Grohe & Insinkerator Customer Service