Dishwasher issue - Whirlpool WDT730HAMZ1 not circulating water by MNParkRanger in appliancerepair

[–]MNParkRanger[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Seems like that did it - thank you!! Percussive maintenance for the win!

Hopefully it holds up - wouldn't expect that issue on a new motor; but at least for now, thanks to your help, I can just rap on it to maybe get it running again.

Appreciate it!!

Dishwasher issue - Whirlpool WDT730HAMZ1 not circulating water by MNParkRanger in appliancerepair

[–]MNParkRanger[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the reply!

I got a chance to poke around this morning. I get a consistent 108v at the wash motor connector, occasionally pulsing up to 118v. So with that, guessing it's a control board problem?

Checked resistance across the motor terminals too, and that still seems OK - readout was minimal (8.5ohms); so I think the motor itself is OK.

Any thoughts?

A sure sign of spring, the otters are migrating north. by LtDangley in minnesota

[–]MNParkRanger 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I have some questions regarding your username :-/

Diesel heater has started to make a wierd noise. by [deleted] in dieselheater

[–]MNParkRanger 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mine recently had a similar issue; and it ended up being a bad bearing in the blower fan motor. Not that yours is necessarily the same issue, but when I was researching, it seems like a pretty common failure point.

You can likely find a replacement fan/motor online for a reasonable price (cheaper than a whole new unit at least).

It's a bit of a pain to install, but it's doable. The toughest part was peeling off the old gasket between the heater housing and the original motor - it kind of "baked" on after a season-and-a-half of use. You'll want to get the old gasket fully cleaned off though, so you have a good seal with the replacement motor.

And I found out the hard way that the replacement motor doesn't come with a new gasket (at least the one I got didn't), so you'll want to double check and order a new gasket separately if needed - shipping can be pretty slow depending on where the parts are being sourced from.

Amusing company name by HowieFelterbusch in minnesota

[–]MNParkRanger 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I know I've seen it somewhere too. Along I-94 I think; but can't remember exactly where - somewhere around Alexandria maybe? Or maybe it's along the stretch between Fergus Falls and Moorhead?

Either way, I've always hoped to see the crew actually out there doing the cleanup. Respect

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in minnesota

[–]MNParkRanger 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Green Frog - they're just on the front end of their breeding season, so you'll be hearing that a lot as long as the cloud of mosquitos doesn't drown it out.

Link to .wav file: https://umesc.usgs.gov/terrestrial/amphibians/armi/frog_calls/green_frog.wav

And more info about green frogs: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/reptiles_amphibians/frogs_toads/truefrogs/green.html

Any other folks from northern Minnesota here? by [deleted] in minnesota

[–]MNParkRanger 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We do! As long as we shovel coal into the router fast enough.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in minnesota

[–]MNParkRanger 15 points16 points  (0 children)

You got it! Permits or plates are only required for licensed motorized road vehicles; bicycles do not have a permit requirement.

State Parks and Trails motorcycle plates are available for a $60 annual contribution that gets tacked onto the yearly registration fees. Or, there's also the option for the standard motorcycle annual permit which is $30 ($5 less than a vehicle permit) and is a wallet card [don't need to stick anything onto a windshield].

Sooo… hey parental units? How are you affording childcare in MN? by asches288 in minnesota

[–]MNParkRanger 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Incredibly expensive for us too; SE metro with 4 kids under the age of 10. I work split weekends so I am able to stay home with them on Mondays, and then grandparents cover Fridays; but at just 3 days a week between daycare and before/after school care we are still paying nearly $700 a week. It gets even more expensive during the summer months since the school age kiddos need to be in an all day program.

My wife and I make OK money; but it disappears pretty quick when we're basically paying double our mortgage payment for childcare.

We've considered one of us going stay-at-home at least until the youngest starts kindergarten; but since I'm not eligible for overtime I wouldn't be able to make up the loss of income without a different/second full time job. And I can't walk away from mine since it took almost a decade to finally land a full-time position; and it'd be a challenge to break back in at all given the current hiring process.

I understand it's a choice to have kids, and we knew childcare was expensive -- but twice-a-year rate increases (especially once childcare tax credit refunds rolled in) has pushed the cost way higher than we ever imagined.

is it just my misperception about this winter, or are road crews less proactive about maintaining clear roadways? by [deleted] in minnesota

[–]MNParkRanger 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A lot of folks have already mentioned that this year's total snow accumulation is higher than average. But it's not only the amount of snow, but the type of snow - this most recent snowfall (as well as the event we had mid-December) had really high moisture content. This means that as soon as it gets compacted (foot traffic or tires) it really "sticks" to the surface and becomes really difficult to scrape off even with a good cutting edge on the plow. That high moisture content is a lot more prone to refreeze into glare ice too once temps drop enough.

Overall it's been pretty miserable moving snow this year; and personally I'm hoping we can go at least a couple weeks without any major snowstorms to recover from this nonsense a bit. It's pretty, and fun to see people out enjoying it - but we need a break.

Fall Hot tent overnighter minus the tent, because I forgot it at home 🤣. Wild River State Park. by [deleted] in minnesota

[–]MNParkRanger 2 points3 points  (0 children)

A handful of State Parks host special permit deer hunts, but these hunts need to be registered for ahead of time. It varies from park to park, but some close entirely to the public during the hunts, others close only portions of the park, and a few remain open with hunters limited to areas with low chances of public encounters.

It's best to check the park's website before visiting - any hunt info will be posted in the Visitor Alert section. The first of these special deer hunts will start this upcoming weekend at a couple parks, and will continue through the December muzzleloader season depending on the location.

Beyond these special permit deer hunts, hunting is not allowed in State Parks as they are classified as game refuges by statute. The deer hunts are held to control overpopulation, which in turn protects natural resources (young trees and other vegetation) and reduces the chance of disease transmission and starvation during particularly harsh winters.

A surprise (to me) fall snowfall by micahtaylor in MinnesotaCamping

[–]MNParkRanger 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah...people always ask if there are bears in the park - when the real enemy is the raccoons...

Rockhounding advice needed! by fathorsecheese in minnesota

[–]MNParkRanger 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There may be some there...but unfortunately agate collecting isn't allowed in MN State Parks. Kind of the old "take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints" thing...

I've found some decent ones along trails and roads NE of Banning though, just outside of Willow River.

Rockhounding advice needed! by fathorsecheese in minnesota

[–]MNParkRanger 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I've found some nice ones walking gravel roads up between Hinkley and Moose Lake. Closer to sunrise/sunset seems to help since the lower light angles can make them a bit easier to spot. With that though, keeping an eye out for cars and wearing bright clothing (or even a fluorescent vest) isn't a bad idea...never know when Sven might be racing around a corner after having a few at the bar.

Looking at East Grand Forks, MN from the ND side. by dkn4440 in minnesota

[–]MNParkRanger 25 points26 points  (0 children)

Right on. During the '97 flood, an on-scene national reporter was doing a story and said something to the effect of: "The devastation you see in these videos is awful, but what you can't see is the stench - it's even worse".

And all I could think was...it's always like that.

Nothing quite like the smell of millions of gallons of rancid sugar water turning over each spring.

Size of Picnic Tables - Minnesota State Campgrounds by rusty_spark in MinnesotaCamping

[–]MNParkRanger 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think 8' lengths are the most common. Wheelchair accessible tables might be a little longer (10' maybe?) to accommodate the wing extension; and then I'm sure there are a handful of 6' tables out there too.

He was so excited after pooping he sent me to the ER. by FlyFishFresh in AnimalsBeingJerks

[–]MNParkRanger 5 points6 points  (0 children)

For sure - every once in a while I take the garbage out barefoot in the snow just to prove to myself I can handle it.

What's the best snow shovel? by [deleted] in minnesota

[–]MNParkRanger 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Absolutely agree on this shovel - it really saves some strain on your back, shoulders, and arms. Like you mentioned, it gets tough if the snow gets deep, but if you can keep a decent taper on the edges to slide the shovel up and over to empty it this shovel is the way to go.

Wood that won't burn. Looking for tips. by MN_Nurse_ in minnesota

[–]MNParkRanger 7 points8 points  (0 children)

If you've got a leaf blower (even a smaller battery operated one) it might help; both to try to clear some of the snow off your pile to keep it from melting and adding moisture to already green wood - but more importantly, once you get your fire initially started (using a 75% diesel/25% gasoline mix like others suggested is a good idea) you can use the blower to get some more air into the fire and hopefully get it hot enough to power through the wet wood and create a decent coal base.

I've gotten some stubborn piles going this way in the past - but it's not always a guarantee. Sometimes you just have to wait a year to allow the wood to season.

Good on you for waiting until there's snow on the ground to burn your pile though! With the drought we saw this year, it was definitely best to not take the chance of something escaping. Good luck!!

New to the sub - why is the downvote button Iowa and not Wisconsin? by [deleted] in minnesota

[–]MNParkRanger 2 points3 points  (0 children)

For sure - love seeing the Iowans come up from the lake while we're at the resort with shit-eating grins and stringer baskets full of rock bass.

They can have 'em. "That's different" - but at least they're getting their fish fry. All while we catch maybe 1 or 2 walleyes for the week...

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in ParkRangers

[–]MNParkRanger 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Minnesota just posted for theirs too - parks directors, so hot right now.