DIY Life

QVC, in cooperation with the U.S.Consumer Product Safety Commission, has issued a voluntary recall of about 28,000 SoleusAir Space Heaters. The space heaters can overheat and pose a fire hazard to consumers. QVC has received nine reports of flames inside or coming out of the heaters, along with 70 additional reports of smoking, overheating, sparking, melting, and/or burning odors coming from the space heater.

Manufactured in China and sold through QVC's televised shopping programs, website, and in QVC's Studio, employee and retail stores from December 2007 through March 2008 for between $65 and $80, the recalled black and charcoal colored 1,500 watt heater is canister shaped and has three heat settings. Please see the CPSC press release for more information on the recalled space heater.

Consumers are advised to stop using the space heater and unplug it. Those who purchased the heater through a QVC television program or QVC.com have been mailed instructions on how to receive a refund. Consumers who purchased the heater at a QVC store should return the heater to any QVC store to receive a full refund. Consumers who have not received an information packet should contact QVC at (800) 367-9444 or visit their website at www.qvc.com.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Gecko Alliance, has issued a voluntary recall of about 1,670 Serenity Spa hot tubs. The spa control on the hot tub can overheat, posing a fire hazard. Although no injuries have been reported, Gecko Alliance has received 28 reports of the spa control overheating, including one report of damage to spa equipment.

Manufactured in Canada and sold exclusively by Hydropool dealers throughout Northeastern United States from January 2002 through December 2004 for between $3,900 to $8,200, this recall involves the Hydropool Serenity Series Spa hot tubs with serial numbers 01350XXXX through 03210XXXX. Check the cpsc press release for more information.

Consumers should stop using the hot tub immediately and reduce the water temperature control to the minimum setting, and contact the Back-Pak support center to receive the free retrofit enclosure kit. For additional information, contact the Back-Pak support team at (800) 784-3256 or visit their website at www.back-pak.com.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Avon Products is voluntary recalling about 113,000 Cozy Warming Polar Bears.

The bear features a warming pouch that can overheat and ignite when the pouch is heated in the microwave oven, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers. Avon has received 41 reports of the warming polar bear overheating, including six reports of minor burns.

Manufactured in China and sold exclusively by Avon independent sales reps and at www.avon.com from July 2007 through February 2008 for about $13 when sold alone, or as part of a gift set that sold for about $100, the recalled white plush warming bear is about 17 inches long and comes with a pouch filled with buckwheat that inserts into an opening in the bear's belly. Check the CPSC press release for more information on the recalled bear.

Stop using the warming bear immediately and return the buckwheat filled pouch for a full refund. Avon will contact owners of the warming bear. For more information, contact Avon at (877) 217-0916 or visit their website at www.avon.com.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with JCPenney, has announced a voluntary recall of about 27,000 Cooks deep fryers.

A faulty heating element in the deep fryer can cause it to overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers. JCPenney has received five incident reports concerning the deep fryers, including one report of a minor burn and three reports of damaged counter-tops.

Manufactured in China and sold exclusively at JCPenney stores nationwide, catalog, and www.jcp.com from August 2007 through January 2008 for about $50, the 1/3 gallon capacity Cooks deep fryer has a brushed stainless steel exterior, a wire mesh basket with a handle, black handles, and a lid with a window. Please check the CPSC press release for model number and more information.

Consumers should stop using the recalled deep fryer immediately and return it to the nearest JCPenney store for a full refund. For more information, contact JCPenney at (888) 333-6063, or visit their website at www.jcp.com.

The U.S. Consumer Product and Safety Commission, in cooperation with All-Power America, has announced a voluntary recall of about 64,000 Strike Force portable air compressors.

The motor on the compressor can overheat and ignite the protective cover, posing a fire hazard. The cover might not prevent internal components of the compressor from being touched, posing an electrical shock hazard. Although no injuries have been reported, the firm has received four reports of fires.

The recalled twin air tank compressors were manufactured in China and exclusively sold nationwide at Advance Auto Parts stores, and online at www.partsamerica.com, from October 2006 through December 2007, for about $90. The model and serial numbers for the recalled compressor are located on the compressor's housing.

Stop using the air compressor and return it to any Advance Auto Parts store for a full refund. For more information on the recall, contact All-Power America toll free at (888) 896-6881 or visit www.allpoweramerica.com, or www.advanceautoparts.com.

The U.S. Consumer Safety Product Commission, in cooperation with Aloha Housewares Inc., is voluntary recalling about 152,000 portable electric heaters. The unit can overheat and melt plastic parts, posing a fire hazard. Aloha Housewares has received 29 reports of electric heaters catching fire, smoking, or melting. They have received 18 reports of property damage, and have received one report of minor burns to a person's hands and feet.

Manufactured in China, the recall involves "Aloha Breeze" white electric oscillating tower heaters sold at Walmart and small retail chain stores nationwide from August 2006 through November 2007 for between $35 and $45. Check the CPSC press release for model numbers and date codes.

Stop using the recalled portable heater immediately and contact Aloha Housewares for a replacement. For more information on the recall, contact them at (800) 295-4448, or email them at ahitexaslq@aol.com.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with The Wenzel Co., has issued a voluntary recall of about 3,900 car charging units. The batteries in the unit can overheat and cause the unit to burst, posing an injury hazard to consumers. Although no injuries or property damage has been reported, The Wenzel Company has received one report of the batteries in the car charging unit overheating and bursting.

The car charging units, included with all LL Bean Raised Insta-Beds, were manufactured in China and sold at L.L. Bean Stores nationwide and catalog from June 2007 through August 2007 for about $150. Please check the CPSC press release to see the model number and the recalled car charging unit.

Consumers should stop using the unit immediately and contact L.L. Bean anytime at (800) 555-9717 for instructions on how to receive a free replacement car charging unit, or contact them at www.llbean.com.

In my many years of IT and Help Desk work, and being the resident geek for everyone, I have had many a relative or friend ask me what to do about a Windows-based computer (not sure if Macs do the same thing) that turns on and acts just fine and then inexplicably shuts off minutes later, for no apparent reason. It is a common problem for many PC desktop users, incredibly aggravating, and more common than you might think.

The problem is that this seems so sinister. You saunter over to your desk, flip on your PC, and everything looks peachy when it starts up. Then a few minutes later, in the middle of watching yet another YouTube video on who knows what, you PC decides to take the law into it's own hands and shut-down with no notice, no warning, and you don't have a choice.

Why, for the love of Steve Ballmer, why? Well, since I have had a long history with many a PC, let me explain the scenario I have seen most often. When the PC shuts down abruptly like that, it is doing it for your own good. No, seriously, please believe me, put down the sledge-hammer, don't even think about doing your own DIY PC demolition just yet.

The PC has a built-in safety mechanism that turns off the PC if the power-supply gets overheated. The power-supply is that big portion of the PC case that generates and coverts voltages for you and has the power cord plugged into it. You'll notice that in general, the PC will have a giant fan on the backside of your system right near the power cord socket. This is power-supply fan. When this fan stops working, the power supply overheats and shuts your computer down. Here is what to do about it.

Are you tired of getting into a 150 degree vehicle after a long day at work? Are you sick of grabbing your sun glasses off your vehicle console only to have them melt into your nose when you put them on? Have those vinyl burns on the backs of your thighs healed up yet? There's a simple solution to vehicle interior overheat that will take you about 10 minutes to make and the chances are that you already have what you need to make it right at your finger tips. It's simple, cheap and easy to store when not in use.