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

This entry was posted in Linux Reference Technology and tagged APC apc.php cache memcache memcached OPcache opcode cache php cache script user data cache Zend on by (updated 3709 days ago)
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

This entry was posted in DIY Home Theater & Automation Product Reviews and tagged American Pacific gas control valve gas water heater timer home automation remote control smartphone water heater WeMo on by (updated 3651 days ago)
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 ...

This entry was posted in DIY Home Theater & Automation and tagged 240V 30 amp ecobee Leviton product review remote control schedule smart thermostat water heater wireless control module ZigBee on by (updated 3644 days ago)
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

This entry was posted in Guns Product Reviews and tagged Caliber 4R cigar gun safe humidity hygrometer product review temperature Western Humidor on by (updated 3832 days ago)
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 ...

This entry was posted in DIY Reference and tagged 75% calibrate cigar how to humidity humidor hygrometer relative humidity salt test on by
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

This entry was posted in DIY Home Theater & Automation Technology and tagged astronomical clock HomeWorks HWV-IP5 Lutron on by
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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

This entry was posted in Linux Reference Technology and tagged Apache CentOS configure Google mod_remoteip PageSpeed PageSpeed Service PSS wrong IP on by (updated 3833 days ago)
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

This entry was posted in DIY and tagged check valve hot water tank plumbing SharkBite water heater on by (updated 3855 days ago)
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

This entry was posted in DIY and tagged 2700K 3000K CFL color temperature compact florescent CREE DIY EcoSmart LED LED bulb LED bulbs LED fixtures light bulb lumens on by (updated 2895 days ago)
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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!

This entry was posted in DIY and tagged carbon monoxide CO CO detector CO sensor detector First Alert install CO detector Macurco sensor smoke detector test CO detector test smoke detector on by (updated 3933 days ago)
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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!”

This entry was posted in Guns Reference Videos and tagged connector Ferrari Steve field strip Glock mods Glock upgrades how to light plug trigger video on by (updated 3590 days ago)
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 ...

This entry was posted in DIY Reference and tagged 2307028 capacitor control board CoreCentric DIY fix FixYourBoard fridge JennAir Kenmore KitchenAid Maytag refrigerator relay Repair replace W10219463 Whirlpool on by (updated 3103 days ago)
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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

This entry was posted in Home Theater & Automation Technology and tagged AM21N antenna channel guide DirecTV DVR free local channels HDTV local channels Mohu Leaf off-air tuner Winegard on by
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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

This entry was posted in Product Reviews Technology and tagged gigabit Google Fiber Google Network Box Install provo review on by (updated 3948 days ago)
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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

This entry was posted in DIY Rants and Raves and tagged customer service faucet Grohe InSinkErator insta-hot instant hot water kitchen rave replace warranty on by (updated 3961 days ago)