Engine Oil

Engine oil, or motor oil, is a lubricant for internal combustion engines, found in cars and even lawnmowers.  The lubrication increases the efficiency of moving parts which move against each other. Lack of it increases fuel consumption and can lead to engine failure.

Rubbing of engine parts can lead to microscopic metallic parts deposited and circulated in the oil. Therefore an oil filter is often used to clean the oil.

Fog Lights

In fog, you should use fog lights due to limited visibility. They are designed for use in dangerously thick fog. They are completely separate units from regular lights.

Fog light beams are flat and wide, positioned low on the car. Their goal is to cut through fog and light up the road surface so drivers can see the road and stay in lane.

Fog lights are strong - so most places outlaw their use except in severe weather including thick fog. As soon as fog clears or mist dissipates drivers should turn off their fog lights.

Modern vehicles are typically equipped with front and rear fog lights.

Microwave Wattage

Microwave wattage ("microwattage") typically ranges from 700-1200W. The higher the wattage the faster the food cooks.

AA Batteries - 1.5V versus 1.2V

AA batteries come in two voltages - 1.5V and 1.2V which is more common on rechargeables. Most modern electronic equipment should take into account the lower voltage of rechargeable batteries.

Duracell make a rechargeable AA HR6/NiMH at 1.2V (the prefix HR refers to rechargeable batteries, as compared to LR which are standard alkaline batteries). They last 25 hours in a wireless game controller based on an ANSI Digital Audio test.

Duracell Rechargeables AA-type come in two varieties - 2400mAh which is called Rechargeable Ultra and Rechargeable Plus which is 1300 mAh. The Ultra and Plus are not marked on the batteries themselves, but the mAh are. From a buyer's perspective, the higher the mAh the longer the battery will last. An analogy is the size of a gas tank. A possible way to increase mAh is to increase the strength of the electrolytic solution in the battery. They are made in Japan.

NiMH stands for Nickel metal-hydride and these types of batteries were invented in 1967. The European Union Battery Directive caused NiMH batteries to replace Ni-Cd batteries for portable consumer use. Metal hydrides are metals bonded with hydrogen often in a covalent bond, where atoms share electrons.

What is a Ballast in terms of light fittings?

The ballast regulates the current to the lamps and provides enough voltage to start the lamps in a fluorescent lighting system.

What are encaustic tiles?

Encaustic tiles are ceramic tiles which have a pattern on the surface. That pattern is not a product of glaze but of different colours of clay.

The Radiator Key

Radiator keys are used to bleed radiators.

This process starts with first turning off your central heating. thus preventing more air from entering the system.  The key is inserted into a valve and carefully turned anticlockwise (usually a quarter or half turn). The trapped air will start to escape with a hissing sound. When water starts to dribble out the air has been purged.

A cloth or small bowl should be kept underneath the bleed valve to absorb any leaking water. Also protect your hand as any escaping water may be very hot.

Tighten back the valve once done (be careful as water leaving the radiator may be very hot).

Turn back on central heating, check radiator heats up and no more water is coming from the valve.