Fire department checks fire alarms
Dear Heloise: I read your recent column in the Orange County Register. The fire alarm comments from P.K. in Springfield, Illinois, brought to mind a conversation I had with a member of the Huntington Beach, California, fire department.
The fire department will come out annually to check your fire alarm and also will replace your fire alarm, if needed.
Please check with your local fire department to see if they offer this comple- mentary service. — Hilda K. Pope, via email
Clean that dryer filter
Dear Heloise: I have a hint that works so well every time I do it. I think I have got to share it. If you really want to clean off your dryer filter, use an old toothbrush. There will not be a speck of lint left on the filter, and it takes five seconds to do. Easy, clean and fast. — G.H., Arkansas
Tips for gas-powered equipment storage
Dear Heloise: The recent hint from Robert A. Lip correctly pointed out the problems with gasoline with ethanol. The easiest way to solve this problem is to buy non-ethanol gasoline, which is available at many gasoline stations for a slightly higher price. I usually keep non-ethanol gasoline for over a year without any issues.
Another pro blem can occur with storing gasoline in tanks that get cold and hot, like my boat’s gas tank that was stored outdoors all winter long. Such gas should be non-ethanol, and the tank should be full. If not full, water will condense from the air into the tank and have to be siphoned off the bottom of the tank. The full tank of non-ethanol gas will be good to use if the tank was full. — Charles Barrow, via email
Fleece bedsheets
Dear Heloise: Recent news reports tell us we will have a cold winter in a lot of regions throughout the country. And fuel prices will be higher. To help people stay warmer at night, I rec- ommend purchasing fleece bedsheets.
We no longer need to use an electric blanket. — Bruce Brungard, Youngstown, Ohio
Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001, or you can fax it to 1-210-HELOISE or email it to Heloise@Heloise. com. I can’t answer your letter personally, but use the best hints received in my column.