Consumer Q - January 25, 2007
January 25, 2007
Contact: Teresa Jenkins (404) 656-3645
1-800-282-5852
CONSUMER Q’s
Prepared by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, Office of Public Affairs
Tommy Irvin, Commissioner
Call Consumer Q’s Hotline at 1-800-282-5852
CONSUMER ALERT/RECALL: Tower Fans Recalled by the Holmes Group Due to Fire Hazard
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. Name of product: Holmes® Oscillating Tower Fans; Units: About 300,000; Distributor: The Holmes Group, of
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I am trying to follow a custard recipe that calls for eggs. How do I know what size eggs to use?
The American Egg Board advises that although any size egg may be used for frying, scrambling, cooking in the shell or poaching, most recipes for baked dishes such as custards and cakes are based on the use of large eggs.
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I want to cut and use timber from my property to build a detached garage. Where do I get the structural guidelines?
You will need to contact the building permit office of the county where the property is located in order to get these guidelines and to have the structure inspected.
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I want to purchase weather stripping to further insulate my home. What type should I buy?
The longest lasting type of weather-stripping is tension strips, both metal and plastic. Tension strips are relatively inexpensive and can be used for nearly any type of door and window joint. Weather stripping is a cost-effective way of improving the energy efficiency of your home. The different types of weather-stripping vary in cost, durability, ease of installation and invisibility.
Plastic self-adhesive tension strips are easier to install than metal ones, and are almost as durable.
Re-enforced strips…You can use reinforced strips and tubular gaskets with all types of doors and windows. Their major drawback is their visibility. Vinyl reinforced strips are quite durable. Reinforced felt and foam strips and tubular gaskets will last several years.
The foam strips and gaskets will fill gaps in irregular surfaces, whereas the vinyl and felt strips will not. The vinyl and foam reinforced strips cost about the same as tension strips. Felt strips and lower quality gaskets are less expensive.
Self-adhesive strips…You can install self-adhesive foams quickly and easily. They can fill gaps in irregular surfaces—but self-adhesive foams don't always stick well. It's best to use these foams where they will be held in place by compression. Self-adhesive foams should not be placed between sliding parts. They are subject to abrasion and may be difficult to remove when worn. They vary widely in price and durability.
Felt strips…You can use non-reinforced felt strips much like non-reinforced foam strips. Felt strips are more resistant to abrasion than foam strips, and will last several years. But they absorb water and should only be used where they dry quickly. Felt strips are inexpensive and can be easily installed with a staple gun, using rustproof staples.
Special weather-stripping is used to seal large gaps at the bottom of a door. You can use door sweeps or door bottoms.
Door sweepsattach to the inside face of a door that swings in or to the outside of a door which swings out. They work well and are easy to install.
Door bottomsattach to the bottom of a door to fill the gap between the door and the threshold. Two types can be used. Those with an "L" or "U" shaped channel are more visible, but easier to install.
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I have an area where I start my lettuce and broccoli seeds indoors that gets very warm, 78-85 degrees under 4 ft. tubes. The seeds germinate very quickly but heat seems to have an adverse affect on the plants, causing wilting. The containers are new. Is the heat too hot for these cool season vegetables and if so what is the warmest they should be during the day?
Once the seeds are up and growing, they prefer less warmth and will do best at 60-70 degrees F. during the day--cooler (10 F. less) at night. High temperatures tend to cause spindly, weak growth. Also, be sure to keep them moist. They could be drying out. Keep the fluorescent lights on for 12-16 hours each day.
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What is a Boer goat?
About fifty years ago, using the goats available to them, several goat breeders in the Eastern Cape of South Africa developed a true meat type goat, which they called “Boerbok”. In Afrikaans, Boerbok means “farmer’s goat”. Striving for good conformation, fast-growing kids, high fertility rates, hardiness and adaptability, the efforts of these early South African breeders have brought the present day Boer goat very near to the ideal.
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If you have questions or problems with products or services regulated by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, you may write the Office of Consumer Services, Room 224, 19 Martin Luther King Drive, Atlanta 30334 or call 404/656-3645 (Atlanta area) or 1-800-282-5852 (state wide).
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