28 replies to this topic

[Luther]

And one call from a lady about a washer that had "tripped the circuit breaker". 

It's down here she said as I entered the side door by the basement stairwell.  I stopped at the second step as several cats scurried by and I was met with an horrendous smell of ammonia.  She said "I have 21 cats but they are harmless"!!! The odor was absolutely terrible and after checking her washer I found the power cord had been liquified by the urine fumes and the wires had shorted together. 

The odor had permeated my clothes and I could do nothing until I showered and changed clothes before checking in again with Luther:  260 724-2463.

I now introduce those customers of mine with computers to this website and encourage them to explore the wealth of advice which is at hand and accept the challenge of self repair with a resource of diagnosis and parts availability right in their home, except those with cats.

Dogs have owners, cats have staff.                                                                   . 

 

  

[sheldontv]

:)heres one which caught me out in a microwave i recently serviced....

Attached Files

•  MICROWAVED MOUSE.jpg   231.48K   61 downloads

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

Great pic, Sheldon! Looks like a fresh kill.

[sheldontv]

:):Dit makes you wonder how it got in there in the first place.....maybe it was there  when the microwave was first built-if so then what happened to the quality control  inspection ??.......

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

Rodent Rage... Feline Style:



(click it for a larger view... if you dare!)

[Jedi Appliance Guy]

Looks like that mouse hit line and neutral at the same time.  He looks pretty well grounded also.

[Luther]

SARM, do you reward the cat?

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

The best reward is to appreciate their present. The cat brings it to you as a sign of affection; it sees you as part of its lair and so is providing sustenance for you. Accordingly, with the cat present, we crouch down in our most dignified manner and pretend that we're feasting on the fresh rodent con carne with mucho gusto and much satisfied moaning. And then there's the obligatory belch and cigarette afterwards. Funny thing, I don't even smoke!

[AztecWolverine]

To anyone who has a rodent problem: I highly recommend the "Rat Zapper"-- a device that relatively humanely, quickly, electrocutes rats & mice. You never have to touch them--just drop them from the zapper into a Ziploc, and throw away (or feed to birds of prey in a neighborhood field). I've used them for years and have been very pleased with them. I also highly recommend the rat tail--a device that connects with it, with a 12 ft. cord, that alerts you with a red flashing light if you've caught something. This is useful for hard to get to or see places, like behind appliances, or in attics, etc. I used sunflower seeds as bait, and would set out a Johnny Appleseed trail leading into the zapper, and put a pile of them way in the back (none on the stun plate). I'd let them have free meals for several days before turning the trap on, and then, ZAP! -- you'll usually be successful the first night, and no messy cleanup. No dead animals in the walls that died a slow death from poison :poison:, and no horrendous smell.
I used to be able to order them directly from the manufacturer, at ratzapper dot com, but I just checked their web site, and it looks like they rely on dealers now. Maybe you could become a dealer, oh great Samurai!! Call them, toll Free, (888) DEAD-RAT (888) 332-3728. They give great advice on baiting & rat psychology, and on how to clean them periodically....They are great at repairs, too -- they never charged me......
The only dealers in NH are the following:

Freedom Hardware 603-539-4965 Route # 25 169 Porter Rd Freedom, NH USA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Goffstown True Value Hardware 603-497-2682 24 Main St.
Goffstown, NH USA
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Jack's True Value Hardware #3476-9 603-352-1517 37 Park Ave. Keene, NH USA
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Many Ace and True Value hardware stores sell them. For a complete list of dealers see ratzapper dot com.
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A great online source, at a discount price, is cheapzappers dot com. Here are their prices:

Rat Zapper ULTRA - $44.99 - NEW, bigger, uses 4-D batteries rather than AAs(gets small squirrels & chipmunks,too) (and small bunnies)

Rat Zapper Classic (2000)- $29.99-what I've used for years....only gets rats and mice, and very small young bunnies. Since I would add the Rat Pack to this, which allows the use of 4-D batteries, rather than the originally configured AAs, I'd now recommend buying the ULTRA model instead, which doesn't need the retrofit...I'd probably buy this one again though if I only had a rare use for it, or if I wanted another loaner to lend to unconvinced friends ( I currently have 2 loaners).

Rat Tail - $11.95 --I've definitely found this useful, so the trap can be set where you can't see the flashing light on the top of it, indicating a kill. (Attics, behind appliances,etc.)

Rat Pack - $12.95-- add-on kit for the original Classic 2000 ratzapper -- allows use of 4 D batteries rather than AAs, giving you much longer battery life.

cheapzappers ships UPS ground and only charges tax for CA.

And No, I don't have any connection to the companies--I'm just a devoted fan who has referred many people to them in Southern California. When we had fires here a few years ago that burned hundreds of thousands of acres, the critters decided that our homes would be more pleasant to live in, and many of us found them to be very unpleasant,destructive, house guests. One neighbor had to have their car rewired twice because the critters found wires to be a delicacy...

I've appreciated your wisdom over the years. :) I hope you or your fans appreciate this tip for the day.... I haven't posted since you moved away from ezboard, but I used to contribute when you went on vacation, etc.....