Illinois News Index

McHenry Plaindealer (McHenry, IL), 14 Dec 1977, p. 14

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/ I Fire-Emergency Tips \ .^-^w68 on .^re Preventi°n and other emergencies wrftten^for your information by the Firefighters of Company l, Ask Mike Barliant of the Austin Lamp shop in Chicago for his SSt«e ,mP reP®ir story, and he's off and running: ®°« a call from a lady who wanted me to h8ht-When I walked in, the first thing I noticed was an old lamp plugged in on a table. The insulation on the Cora was completely gone; there were just two bare wires. i?e lldy .how dangerous it was, she said, l} worLks f"*- The one that needs fixing is oHhare" 1 Wed to explain, but she wouldn't listen. I walked out lon,g as a works, it's okay," says Kay Keating, a Maryland handywoman who teaches courses in basio^ home repairs for women. "After I talked about lamp problems in ffiS'i .T i H tn!i.Went t0 "spec* her lamps and' was Wfrlfied to find that the insulation on the lamp cord beside her SOB s bed was so brittle it just fell off when she touched it." Lamps and cords age along with their owners. Any electrical flm hef"M brit,le At ,he Abuse will age the cord faster, as Kay Keating found from personal experience. "When my son was 5,1 asked him to crawl under a table for me and unplug a lamp cord. When he pulled the pug out, it came apart in his hand ana burned him. It turned out heavy buffet had pressed the plug against the wall and cracked it. Crushing a cord with furniture, stepping on it, jerking it from the wall or twisting it around a nail will weaken the small wires inside the cord, although the outside insulation may look fine at first. When the wires are broken, electrical resistance increases, can spot if you look for them. A cord or plug with cracked insulation, or one that does not bend easily should be replaced. If a bare wire shows, the hazard is especially urgent. If a lamp flickers when you move the cord, there are probably broken wires inside the cord or a loose connection at the socket or plug. Replace it. A 'PAGE 15 - Pl.AlNnFAI.F.R . WEDNESDAY. DECEMRFP 14. 1*77 plug with loose prongs is a hazard too, because the poor connection will generate heat. Conservation News (McCullom Lake) only exception being tenance vehicles. No animals on lake. main- or power there You should poor You should suspect a loose connection or faulty switch in the lamp socket or plug if the light flickers even though the bulb is screwed in firmly, or if you can turn the light on but no off, or if the light goes on when the switch is pushed in just part way. Have it checked. If a fuse blows or a circuit breaker trips, you either have an overload or a short circuit. If unplugging high-energy appliances in the circuit such as air conditioners or irons doesn't solve the problem, then you have a short and it will have to be fixed. Never ignore a shock. It's an indication that something is wrong- deadly wrong. Unplug the lamp and don't use it Until it's been repaired. Some lamp repairs can be done simply and cheaply at home. You can replace a damaged plug just by clipping it off and substituting an inexpensive clamp-on plug purchased at your local hardware stcve. (Get one with the UL label) You can replace a cord or a socket with the h&p of one of the illustrated home repair manuals local bookstore. available at your Splicing a frayed cord or covering bare spots with electrical tape is not a long-term solution because in an old cord, other danger spots will soon turn up and they may go unnoticed. Unless a splice is properly soldered, it can increase electrical resistance and generate a lot of heat. If you're not absolutely sure what you are doing, take the lamp to a professional. Every lamp repairman has a story about a do-it yourselfer who mis wired a lamp or left out the insulating sleeve creating a shock hazard. An electrical home repair shouldnot be a The owner - - «1 -- -- •* circuit breaker, caused when the "hot" wire and neutral wire are allowed to touch each other. But there may be no warning. In Cordele, Ga., a three- vear-old boy was sitting on his bed putting on his shoes when he leaned against a nearby space heater and at the same time brushed the metal frame of nis bed. The bed frame was touching a faulty lamp cord. The boy was electrocuted. Fires started by worn electrical cords are all too common. Fire investigators now think that a worn cord caused a short circuit that was responsible for the Kentucky supper-club fire last May that killed 161 persons. An ordinary light bulb creates light by generating intense heat in a small metal filament inside the bulb. That heat can also start fires if it comes close to combustible materials. A young boy died in Maryland when he made a tent by draping a blanket over a lamp. The blanket caught fire. In another case a lamp by a window was blown onto a bed and a fire started. Top-heavy lamps are a particular problem, as are lamps placed near a window or in the reach of small children. The lamp itself can be damaged by heat from the bulb. If the lamp has a large, open shade, most of the heat will escape through the top. But in a lamp enclosed in a small metal shell, the heat can't get out easily, which is why the manufacturer often puts a label in the lamp warning against the use of more than a 60-watt bulb (or less). Unfortunately many people disregard that warning. "I see a lot of burned up lamp sockets," says Ken Kaiz of the Admiral Lamp company. "People use too large a bulb or they leave the lamp on too long. If you put in one of those three-way 50- 200-250 watt bulbs and leave it on for six hours, that's too much for any lamp. "Ail that heat bakes the insulating shell in the socket and it crumbles off, leading to a possible shock or blown fuse." Second-hand and antique lamps merit extra care, since you don't know what kind of abuse they have suffered. A New Jersey family was given an old lamp by a neighbor who was moving to Italy. The rickety old lamp sat around in the basement unused until one day the 21-year-old daughter was sweeping the basement and needed more light. She grabbed the old floor lamp, plugged it in and was electrocuted. How do you know if a lamp or cord is dangerous? Sometimes you can't tell. For that reason it's best to take a few simple precautions when handling an electrical appliance. The New Jersey woman probably would not have been electrocuted if is: don't touch an electrical source when your body or clothing is wet, or when your bare skin is touching a wet or metal surface. When handling an electrical appliance, it's a good idea to keep one hand at your side so that you won't accidentally touch some grounded object such as a faucet or the metal trim on the kitchen sink. • Although an electrical flaw may be hidden, there are many you hit-or-miss proposition. If you miss, you may not get another chance. CAN YOU STOP IN TIME? Wk* , . 1 iw owing r|MwhMI teM _ jpm of tires, crams 8110 oin#r#c|uip*TKfni aro fvtiiinito in the annual tut program. (About McCullom Lake) Auction The auction sponsored by the Conservation club, held Dec. 4, was not a big success to say the least., Poor attendance, and lack of interest was the problem; however, all items were sold. For those donating sale items and time, the club recognized their efforts. Hopefully we can put it all together and have another try later on. Cook Books Mrs. Ed. (Harriet) Hammer, has had word from the publishers, the conservation cook book will not be ready for Christmas giving. For those who have placed orders, gift certificates are available from Mrs. Hammer. Fish Derby The dates to remember for the ice fishing derby, are Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 4-5, at the McCullom Lake Beach house. More information on prizes, and activities as they become available. The Con­ servation club is iucky to have the facilities such as the beach house available for the derby and various other activities throughout the year. Winter Lake Activities In order for everyone, and all age groups to be able to use the lake for winter activities, it becomes necessary to establish guidelines and regulations to follow so that residents and guests can pursue the activity they choose safely and fairly. Ice fishing is quite popular on the lake, and enjoyed by many people. If fishermen plan to put an ice shack on the lake, please attach your name and address for identification. Ice skating areas are plowed and maintained at most beaches. Many homeowners along the shore line also plow and establish ice skating areas. These skating areas are used by very young children. Moms feel more comfortable having the small ones skating close by. Please watch out for these young ones. Snowmobiling has become an equally popular activity on the lake. It is also an activity not too compatible with ice fishing or skating. A lot of cooperation and consideration will need to • be exercised if snowmobiles are to continue to use the lake. First, all rules and regulations of the State of Illinois regulating snowmobiles must be observed on McCullom Lake regarding age, licenses, operation, etc. Snowmobiles must operate at least 150 feet from any shore line, except to ingress or egress, must not be operated on private property, must not buzz ice fishermen or operate close and annoy fishermen. In the next issue of Conservation News we hope to have a complete set of regulations published. In the meantime, please cooperate and keep the lake open for all uses, and safe as well. Other Vehicles No motorized vehicles, such as cars, trucks, jeeps, motorcycles, mini bikes, etc., are allowed to operate on the ice on McCullom Lake. The Dredging Program Continuing with dredging news: In the Nov. 30 issue of the Conservation News, we reported the dredge has been beached for the winter. This does not mean all plans and programs havejttopped. During ^e ' coming winter months, the engineer, Ed Hammer, hopes to have dredging and related programs ready to implement in the spring. To continue these plans, there must be financing available. The dredge fund must have cash flow to operate, pay insurance, make loan payments. There seems to be some confusion as to how much the dredging program will cost. To set the record straight, there is a specified cost per family, or homeowner, in all the following subdivisions or villages: Lakeland Park, McCullom Lake, Germantown, Flanders, Spojnia, West Shore Beach, Lakewood. If you are a homeowner in any of these subdivisions, or village, and want the dredge program to continue, inquire further as to costs. If you have paid this amount it is recorded and appreciated; for those who have not paid, your prompt payment will insure the dredge program will continue, If these monies are not received dredging cannot continue. It is as simple as that. Payment can be made to the McCullom Lake Conservation Club Dredge Fund, P.O. Box 523 McHenry, 111., 60050 Another point on dredging that needs to be cleared up--the filling in of any portion of McCullom Lake, or shore line, with dredge spoils. Provisions have been made to deposit dredge spoils at various land locations only. Altering the shore line, or filling in of the lake is illegal, and will not be permitted. In coming weeks, the on-going dredging plans for the five-year program will be in the Conservation News. Questions, and comments are encouraged and welcome. Meeting Don't forget the December regular conservation meeting, Dec. 15 at 8 p.m. at the Mc­ Cullom Lake Beach House Mrs. Harold (Audis( Bowlin 4802 W. Shore Drive 385-8910 Ask Industrial Zoning For Land Near Richmond A petition has been filed for hearing before the McHenry county Zoning Board of Ap­ peals by petitioners, William S. Smith and H.F. Katzenberg, record title owners and William Hammer for amendment of the zoning ordinance of McHenry county. They request reclassification from "F" Farming district to "1-1" Light Industrial district. > The premises is located on the west side of Route 31, about 300 feet southwest of its in­ tersection with Spring Grove road, and contains ap« proximately 8 acres. The hearing on this petition will be held Dec. 22 at 2 p.m. in the village hall, Richmond, at 10308 Main street, at which time any person desiring to be heard may be present. Poor Advantage One advantage to being poor i$ the doctor will cure you faster. -- 1 /1 I I \ ' I 1 REINFORCED TIRE CHAINS •REGULAR! SNOW TIRES •STUDDED! SNOW TIRES DO YOU WANT A KARASTAN FOR CHRISTMAS? Tidy stocks over 30 rolls of Karastan Carpeting and can install or deliver before Christmas. ON DRY PAVEMENT "v r ON GLARE ICE AT 25°F. Ofb* V/'W . • J Vib t-i Pointing up the extreme hazard of driving on glare ice, these much as i ' tests show that stopping on glare ioe may take as nine times the normal, dry pavement distance. The tests also disclose that con­ ventional snow tires are of no help in stopping on ice, while studded tires reduce braking distance by 19%, and reinforced tire chains by 50%. John Chapman's new heating system pulls eneigy out ol ttiin aiL John Chapman ot Woodridge is one of the homeowners in northern Illi­ nois who recently installed a heat pump. HoWd he like irrirs Just been great--one unit that both heats and cools. It really does the Job." says John How the heat pump woxks. Most heating systems heat Dy burning fossil fuels, like natural gas or oil The heat pump Is different It doesnl bum anything. It uses electricity to move heat from one place to the other--heat that already exists Where? In the air around us. Even on cold cloudy days, there's an abundance of heat in the air--solar heat energy that the heat pump cap­ tures and moves indoors. In warm weather, the process auto­ matically reverses for cooling The heat pump captures excess indoor heat and humidity and removes them to the outside TheRemaikabl* , stearic necn rump. letter efficiency. Today the heat pump is the best al- * temative to heating system? which consume scarce iossil fuels. It taps an eneigy supply that's virtually llmlt- less-heat energy from the sun con­ tained in the air around us. And It . is the most practical system to capture solar eneigy efficiently. IK In northern Illinois the heat pump, based on average performance for a heating seasoa can deliver more than 1-1/2 units of heat energy lor every unit it consumes This means the heat pump not only saves eneigy. it can also gen­ erate long-term operating cost savings. If you want additional heat pump information call your local Commonwealth Edison office and talk to one of our marketing engineers. To get the full advantages of the heat laquaHty installers In your area, call G.W. Berkheimer Co. (Wfestinghouse Distri­ butors). 312-374-4411; General Electric Co , 312-496-6200; Lennox Industries. Inc.. 312-593-2820. Temperature Equipment Corp. (Carrier Distributors). 312-681-6220, or Central Fumace Supply (Bard Distributors). 312-355-1220. Working lor you. n popular texture...an ultra fashionable "Saxony" nylon plush. Colors... 17 contemporary sollld tones P0PUI3f priGB..a remarkable - ^sq ̂ m TIDY STOCKS 7 COLORS FOR IMMEDIATE INSTALLATION OR DELIVERY. If we had to pick a candidate for a carpet popularity contest...» Karastan's Tremendous would be it. It features today's popular "Saxony" nylon yarns in a sumptuously elegant pile. Engineered for beauty and extra-easy care. * Tremendous has all the quality and luxury that comes along with that famous Karastan label / and a remarkably value-packed price. •-,< . "iy. : ' .-:r HOURS: M0N., THURS., FRI. 8-9/TUES., WED., SAT. 8-5/SUN. 12-5 200 WASHINGTON/WOODSTOCK, ILLINQIS/815-338 1000 m

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