kjw

We're smelling a burnt-rubber odor in our garage and hoping to find out where it is coming from.

We use our garage primarily for storage. We don't keep a car in it. Appliances that we use in there are the washer, dryer, and hot water heater. I don't think the smell correlates to the use of the washer or dryer. We notice it about once every one or two weeks. Could it be the hot water heater? Or any other things I should look at? If the hot water heater, what parts should I look at? Any good tricks for figuring something like this out?

I know we don't use any natural gas. All our appliances are electric. Initially we thought the smell was mouse droppings, but a few other people we asked to "sniff it out" thought it was burnt rubber, and I agree now, that's how I would characterize it.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and help!

I am thinking about buying a used Canon G5; I like that it has a hot-shoe for an optional, external flash, but I know little about them. Is the hot-shoe a universal attachment? Will any brand of flash with a hotshoe fit and work with the G5?

What are the larger (lens) Canon cameras that are not DSLR but have been made in the last 10 years or so? Thanks for the help! (specifically I am wanting a camera to take good macro shots in dentistry that will hold me over until I can get a dslr/macro lens setup)

I want to buy a wired headset for my cell phone. What online stores would you recommend? (I like Newegg, but their selection is pretty low for this kind of thing.) Thanks for the help.

I need to find one for my mom. Really just need the basics such as fix-red-eye, resize, basic lighting adjustments, black and white conversion, and cropping. The ideal one would have a low learning curve and be easy to use. I tried Faststone, but it was not really intuitive. I tried GIMP, but way too big / complex. Photoshop Elements might be good, but probably has way more than she would use. Free would be ideal, but we wouldn't mind spending some for a good fit. Thanks for your thoughts!!

I would like to install a free, simple-to-use, image editor for my mom on her computer...Any suggestions? A lot of the programs I have looked at either have a ton of features (making it more difficult to learn) or are not friendly/intuitive. The ideal one for her I think would be one that could easily resize, crop, and possibly fix red-eye. Thanks for the help!

I am looking at buying a combination, water, sharpening stone for kitchen use. I would like to only buy one. Mostly it will be used for sharpening a cleaver. Which grit would be best to buy? My options are 220/1000, 1000/4000, 1000/8000, and 4000/8000 grit. Thanks for the help!

My family will be moving to the Middle East from the US soon. We are trying to figure out if it is better to freight some household goods or just to bring extra suitcases and pay the extra fees. How much does it cost (and I know this could vary per airline) per extra suitcase for airlines? Is it per flight or per itinerary?

Thanks for the help!

I am looking to get the Verizon Nationwide Basic Family SharePlan. In the "small print", it says that I need to have a "GPS–capable CDMA tri–mode or all–digital phone with Verizon Wireless software." Would the Verizon Razr V3m fit this description, i.e., would it work?

Also, to have uninterrupted use of a phone when I switch from a different carrier, should I just go ahead and buy a used Razr V3m prior to signing up for the Family SharePlan?

Thanks all for the help!

(he is solo now)

My wife and I are looking at purchasing a medical insurance plan. Some of the package options include deductibles that are higher than the out-of-pocket maximum. How is it possible for the deductible to be higher than the out-of-pocket maximum? Then wouldn't everyone buy the highest deductible possible, since you would not ever have to pay it since you had a lower out-of-pocket maximum? Thanks for the help...

We just acquired an older cell phone that does not have a charger. My charger for my other phone has a plug that fits it. The input on the phone says 5V/1A. The output on the charger says 5.1 V/800 mAmps.

Are these compatible?

Thanks!

I am having trouble getting my radiator cap off. It turns left and I can feel it loosen, but then it won't lift off vertically. Any tips? Or what is the best way to force it off so I can put on a new one?

Thanks!

When the guy changed my oil, he showed me some cracks at the top of my radiator (Toyota Corolla '92). I can definitely see the leaking antifreeze.

Does Silver Seal Heavy Duty Radiator Stop Leak work well or would it be better to get a new radiator. (My wife and I are trying to save money for a baby right now.) How much do you think a new radiator (including installation fee) would cost?

Thanks for your thoughts and advice!

I am attempting to charge my friend's car battery (it is low from the car being off for months) with a Vector 2 amp charger (AC to DC). Do I need to first disconnect the battery from the car to charge it or can I leave it connected? (Ease is more important to me than length of time it takes.) Thanks!

I am wanting to charge my friend's 4 door Volvo sedan's dead battery (due to not being used for months). I bought a used Vector Smart 2 amp charger (AC to DC) with no user manual. About how long should I expect it to take? Thanks!

I am a dentist who is very out of touch with pop culture. I have a female, teenage patient who, if she doesn't start taking care of her teeth and coming to her dental appointments, will probably need dentures are partial dentures by age 25-30.

Could you please give me some names of attractive females she would be familiar with in the age 25-30 range approximately? I plan to write her a letter with an example or two of who is in the age range where she might be needing dentures to help her understand the longer term consequences of irresponsibility now.

Thanks for the help!

Nearly every time I go to an oil change place, they recommend a random extra service such as replacement of fuel filter or radiator flush. I am unable to find recommendations for my '92 Corolla in the owners' manual and everywhere else I have looked. Can someone please tell me an internet resource that would tell me in general how often to do the various maintenance services?

What percentage do you think of drains you unclog are caused by coffee grounds? (And how many drains do you unclog a year?) Thanks!

We have a 300W torchiere halogen lamp and the switch is broken. I found a switch on the internet which is 500W. Can I use a 300W bulb with the 500W switch (i.e. any wattage 500W or less?)? Thanks!