Covid-19 and toilet paper hysteria

[TragicMonkey]

Originally Posted by Dave Rogers

Definitely a concern. A friend of mine found a half-cooked dead rabbit in his engine compartment once.

Dave

How long did he have to run the engine to finish cooking it?

[Nessie]

Another top tip for vehicles, since fuel is so cheap, top up with the super unleaded, which has additives that will help to stop fuel going stale and gives the fuel system a clean.

[Delphic Oracle]

Originally Posted by Nessie

Another top tip for vehicles, since fuel is so cheap, top up with the super unleaded, which has additives that will help to stop fuel going stale and gives the fuel system a clean.

The gas station chain I frequent most always appears to have only 2 tanks. I've been buying middle grade (89 octane equivalent) nearly my whole life based on the understanding that mid-grade is a blend of regular and premium. So I get some additives, but don't break my bank.

I often wondered how much there really is to it. Now being quite familiar with gardening equipment, I certainly believe that -at least ever since ethanol came along- yes, there is absolutely a benefit to stabilizers and detergents. Passenger vehicle engines don't need nearly as much (ratio) of additives as tiny lawn equipment does, but they are doing something. Tiny fuel channels and float-bowl/jet carburetors clog up constantly without ethanol treatment. I push them pretty aggressively at people buying equipment.

I picked up a nice refurbished mower for myself 2 years ago. Sure enough on the 2nd run it sputtered to a stop. One YouTube video, one can of carb/choke cleaner and 10 minutes later, it fired right back up.

[Nessie]

It is from a tip about laying up motorbikes for the winter. You need to run the engine for 10 minutes to get the mix all the way through the fuel system to the cylinders.

Our vehicles all now have fuel in them that has been there for at least a month.

[Darat]

THis is getting ridiculous I was at Waitrose today and they had no saffron!

[Delphic Oracle]

Originally Posted by Nessie

It is from a tip about laying up motorbikes for the winter. You need to run the engine for 10 minutes to get the mix all the way through the fuel system to the cylinders.

Our vehicles all now have fuel in them that has been there for at least a month.

Stabilizers will be useful for the sitting fuel, especially if you're in an area like me where the temperatures have been up and down between the 40s and 70s several times (moisture can build up, "poisoning" the fuel).

If problems occur getting them started, delivering detergents via aerosol into the intake manifold is the best bet, as it is much more direct than waiting for clean fuel to work up through the lines.

You may know this stuff, just sharing for the class :9.

[Emily's Cat]

Originally Posted by Pixel42

My weekly shop was delayed this morning because my car wouldn't start. I wasn't surprised, a single weekly 10 minute drive to the nearest supermarket is not good for the battery. Fortunately I have a battery charger, so I was only delayed for about 45 minutes. I went to the Tesco in the next town to give the car a longer run, but I suspect this won't be the last time it needs a charge. I suppose I could just run it in the drive occasionally, but that seems a bit antisocial.

My spouse goes for about an hour drive twice a week - once for his car and once for mine. He doesn't actually go anywhere, mind you, and he doesn't exit his vehicle. He just drives.

[Emily's Cat]

Originally Posted by Darat

THis is getting ridiculous I was at Waitrose today and they had no saffron!

I really want to nominate this, but we don't have a "First World Problems" competition...

[Garrison]

So got a text from work today, good news, still have a job, bad news, furlough extended until the end of July. Thing is despite being on 90%wages(employer topped up 10%) I'm actually better off financially ATM courtesy of reduced outgoings and in theory its all the more time to do my writing and 3D rendering, but there comes a point where you are trying to remember what month it is and you feel like screaming at the walls...

[Meadmaker]

Originally Posted by Garrison

So got a text from work today, good news, still have a job, bad news, furlough extended until the end of July. Thing is despite being on 90%wages(employer topped up 10%) I'm actually better off financially ATM courtesy of reduced outgoings and in theory its all the more time to do my writing and 3D rendering, but there comes a point where you are trying to remember what month it is and you feel like screaming at the walls...

For me that time came in......April....I think. I am working at home, though. For me, that's worse. My job can be done at home, but, frankly, I'm not as good at it as many of my coworkers, and I need some help sometimes, and it's a lot easier to get in the office.

I'm told that unless something changes, like the law of something, I can expect to be back to the office soon. We are opening up in waves. 25% return to the office on June 1, and we add another 25% in roughly two week intervals. I'm going to be in the second wave. I was scheduled for the first wave, but I begged "comorbidities" that make me more vulnerable. I figured there wasn't much point in me being back at the office if I was the only one of our group, so I would let one of the young guys take the first crack at it.

Tomorrow my wife and I are doing the "vulnerable shopper" hours at Costco. We'll see what's there. Our Costco sized mega-pack toilet paper I bought just before the lockdown is nearly out, so hopefully we'll get another one. I know that we will only be allowed to buy three packages of meat, but that isn't any problem. Once we discovered curbside pickup at Gordon Food Service, we've had plenty of meat. After that, we'll see what they have in stock.

Ahhhh….interesting times.

[alfaniner]

Originally Posted by Delphic Oracle

Stabilizers will be useful for the sitting fuel, especially if you're in an area like me where the temperatures have been up and down between the 40s and 70s several times (moisture can build up, "poisoning" the fuel).

If problems occur getting them started, delivering detergents via aerosol into the intake manifold is the best bet, as it is much more direct than waiting for clean fuel to work up through the lines.

You may know this stuff, just sharing for the class :9.

This may be a dumb question, but which version has the stabilizers and detergents? Is it the regular, or the premium? "Additives" sounds like "fillers", which gives the impression of a cheaper fill.

[EHocking]

Originally Posted by TragicMonkey

How long did he have to run the engine to finish cooking it?

Rabbit is always a medium-hare.

[bruto]

Originally Posted by alfaniner

This may be a dumb question, but which version has the stabilizers and detergents? Is it the regular, or the premium? "Additives" sounds like "fillers", which gives the impression of a cheaper fill.

No, in this case, the additives are more in the premium, as they're probably more expensive than the gasoline itself. Some pumps I've seen have little bottle icons to show the theoretical increase in additives in premium.. One bottle for the regular, two for mid, three for premium.

You might also find in some places that the premiums are alcohol-free, and that, in turn, might also give you better gas mileage and help a little to offset the added price, though not to cover it.

[The Don]

Originally Posted by Darat

THis is getting ridiculous I was at Waitrose today and they had no saffron!

As I said earlier, I'm becoming convinced that it's a plot to mildly inconvenience the middle classes

I don't smoke any more but I suspect that while there's plenty of Lambert and Butler and Benson and Hedges in stock, Silk Cut supplies are likely running low.

Likewise in the drinks aisle, plenty of cans of Heineken and Carling, but where were the bottles of Birra Moretti - Alla Siciliana or Duvel ?

[alfaniner]

I haven't had to buy toilet paper since all this started, and I did not do any unusual hoarding at the beginning. I typically get the mega-pack of mega rolls which has something like 24 rolls in it. I also buy bulk paper towels at the same time. One thing I've noticed is that both items come close to running out at the same time (which is getting close now), and I'm often lucky that there's a sale on paper items at Target so I usually get an extra gift card to boot!

[Rolfe]

I bought two packs of four rolls just before all this started - or maybe it had already started and I didn't know about it, because I remember thinking that I couldn't find the type I was probably looking for (but I'm not all that fussy). I'm still not through these eight rolls, in fact I think I have one in the holder in each of my two toilets and one still unused.

I also picked up a pack of nine rolls in the newsagent's shop when I ducked in quickly to pay my newspaper bill, and I saw he had the packs on display. That's still not been started. So the 16-pack I had in the loft in case of emergencies is still there.

[Nessie]

We have given our stockpile, which was about £30 of basics, to the local food bank.

[Rolfe]

I just sent a donation of money to the food bank, and another to a homeless charity. Don't forget BoJo is heading for a no-deal Brexit in seven months time. You may still want to have a stockpile.

[Meadmaker]

Just got back from Costco. Successfully got the mega pack of TP to replenish our dwindling supply, although they were out before the end of "vulnerable shopper hours".

Meat selection was very small.

Spent insane amounts of money.

[Nessie]

Originally Posted by Rolfe

I just sent a donation of money to the food bank, and another to a homeless charity. Don't forget BoJo is heading for a no-deal Brexit in seven months time. You may still want to have a stockpile.

Well, I have donated to the lady climbing her stairs to the height of Suilvan and to a charity supporting care workers who whistle blow, as they have been very busy what with all the scandals around Covid-19 and care homes.

What should I stockpile for Brexit? The usual?

[TragicMonkey]

Originally Posted by Nessie

What should I stockpile for Brexit?

Europe! As much as you have space for!

[Rolfe]

Originally Posted by Nessie

What should I stockpile for Brexit? The usual?

My stockpile was put aside for Brexit, most of it accumulated in December 2018. I just went for day to day things I'd be hacked off about if I couldn't find them in the shops, with the objective of lasting for three months if necessary. I reasoned that if things hadn't settled down by then we were in too much trouble for a stack of tins to alleviate.

Ironically the two things I hadn't thought about both related to cat parasites. Tapeworm treatment (TBF I thought I had one pill left but I hadn't) and antihistamine cream for me when the revolting one brought in a couple of cat fleas and got into my bed. (He's on an injectable flea sterilisation medication that doesn't stop the occasional minor incursion. I did have a couple of spot-on vials for him, but no Anthisan for me!)

I did make one trip to the village Co-op about ten days ago but that's because I judged it to be reasonably safe and was craving oven chips. If the place had been swimming in virus or totally out of all stock I would have been OK without going.

[Nessie]

Originally Posted by TragicMonkey

Europe! As much as you have space for!

The irony being, due to Covid-19 and Brexit, the EU is pretty much a no go zone and will remain so for some time.

The British will be last allowed to travel, as we have the highest risk of having the virus.

[Rolfe]

Sweden isn't doing so good either. Belgium and the Netherlands also.

[Nessie]

Originally Posted by Rolfe

.... craving oven chips. If the place had been swimming in virus or totally out of all stock I would have been OK without going.

The most noticeable part of the recent stockpile/shortages is that the supermarkets were still full of food. There was no danger of going hungry. We are not fussy eaters and years of watching Ready, Steady Cook means we are happy to get creative from odd bags of food.

The only thing that could have caused issues was loo roll as there is no sensible substitute, unless you want to risk blocking the drains.

[P.J. Denyer]

Originally Posted by Darat

Yeah I’ve been looking for paella rice for a few weeks and there isn’t any anywhere.

#OhTheHumanity!

Sorry. Couldn't resist

[P.J. Denyer]

Originally Posted by Pixel42

My weekly shop was delayed this morning because my car wouldn't start. I wasn't surprised, a single weekly 10 minute drive to the nearest supermarket is not good for the battery. Fortunately I have a battery charger, so I was only delayed for about 45 minutes. I went to the Tesco in the next town to give the car a longer run, but I suspect this won't be the last time it needs a charge. I suppose I could just run it in the drive occasionally, but that seems a bit antisocial.

I'm using my car every day (still working). But a few months ago I picked up a USB powered car jump starter off a certain internet shopping company I won't name for about £50 that got me going when my battery failed. I'm hoping it will sort out one of my customers who in the same position as you tomorrow (to save me the hassle of getting my car on his awkward drive to use jump leads). For what they cost they're worth considering to cover you if your car has been standing or if you've jumped out and left the lights on (which I'll admit to having done a few times as I'm used to bikes which turn them off with the ignition).

[P.J. Denyer]

Originally Posted by The Don

In these times of computer control, fuel injection and electronic ignition it's probably pointless and possibly counterproductive but it feels good.

Well, it's good for the battery in the absence of a maintenance charger, and benefits a deisel that spends too much time in slow traffic as it will should clear the particle filter.

But all engines benefit from a bit of regular usage, even if only to keep everything lubricated.

[P.J. Denyer]

Originally Posted by Dave Rogers

Definitely a concern. A friend of mine found a half-cooked dead rabbit in his engine compartment once.

Dave

Meals on Wheels

[P.J. Denyer]

Originally Posted by Rolfe

I just sent a donation of money to the food bank, and another to a homeless charity. Don't forget BoJo is heading for a no-deal Brexit in seven months time. You may still want to have a stockpile.

I think this is a much better idea. Why do shops act like they're being altruistic by selling you extra food at full price for them to collect and give to a food bank?

[Rolfe]

Originally Posted by Nessie

The most noticeable part of the recent stockpile/shortages is that the supermarkets were still full of food. There was no danger of going hungry. We are not fussy eaters and years of watching Ready, Steady Cook means we are happy to get creative from odd bags of food.

I went to Sainsbury's at the very beginning of the lockdown. I wanted to get a bit more because prior to the lockdown Johnson seriously seemed to be intending to have a single-peak unmitigated epidemic in which case I would not have wanted to go into any public place for about six months. I was holding off in the hope that rationing would ease, but made the slightly irrational decision to go just as the lockdown was announced. My main concern was cat food and I got that no problem in Pets At Home but decided to go to Sainsbury's anyway while I was there.

There was quite strict rationing. I saw a notice at the entrance saying that a few scarce items were limited to three per shopper, see notices on the shelves, but when I got to the checkout they were imposing a three-item limit on everything. This was widely interpreted too, so that only three of any sort of cheese, and only three cartons of any sort of juice, whether fresh or long life. There was nothing like that indicated on the shelves, and an assistant had to take several things back that I had put in my trolley. If I'd known I would have got some different items or perhaps larger pack sizes, but I didn't want to linger any longer.

When I went to the Co-op in the village ten days ago, a much smaller shop and I would have thought under pressure because a lot of people who usually drive out to the bigger supermarkets would be using it, there was no real sign of a shortage of anything. Except diet Pepsi, which I presume was just out of stock for normal reasons,

Originally Posted by Nessie

The only thing that could have caused issues was loo roll as there is no sensible substitute, unless you want to risk blocking the drains.

I think you're a bit lacking in imagination there. (I'm also quite startled by how much loo roll some people seem to get through.)

[bruto]

Went out for our weekly grocery shopping. Most things in more or less normal supply but big gaps in the meat and flour counters today at the supermarket. I think it's part shortage, part sporadic supply.

One amusing bit, though, after the part of the thread about exercising one's car more often. We took my wife's car for its weekly spin, and were met by an awful smell. Warm enough to go with windows open, but when I got back, I opened up the heater, and sure enough, mice had nested in it, and a pair had managed to die in the fan and were starting to get very raunchy indeed. Fortunately the fan is pretty easy to remove, but it took a while to pick all the nesting material out. At least they hadn't had babies yet.

[Nessie]

Hastings Insurance have given me free RAC cover due to being on their files as a key worker, which within days proved invaluable as the car battery packed in (fault rather than went flat due to relative lack of use). Turns out it had the wrong sized battery anyway. It was great I could just buy a new battery there and then and I checked, it was less than Halfords would have charged.

Between that and money back from Admiral, the vehicle insurers have come out well.

[Rolfe]

I've ordered more fresh produce from the hotel in Carlops. After some chopping and changing they're no longer charging a delivery surcharge to our village because it's within three miles. However I phoned them to say don't make a special journey for some tomatoes, a lettuce and a cauliflower. In the end we arranged that I'd pick the order up myself tomorrow some time, and that will give me a chance to give the car a run for the sake of the engine and the battery.

Fortunately, although the car is more than ten years old, I bought it a new battery about two years ago so it should be OK. It was OK sitting at Avonmouth for ten weeks when I was on the cruise. But I'll take it for a longer spin anyway because three miles to Carlops and three miles back again isn't going to help a lot.

[P.J. Denyer]

One of my customers texted me yesterday to ask if I had jump leads,so I popped round today with the little gadget I mentioned in #1547.

It's a fairly new Honda CRV so I wasn't expecting anything complicated, until I notice that both battery clamps have a "+" sign on them... Okay... Still one cable was red, the other black so easy right? I connect up the leads and get an audible warning from the starter pack, so disconnect and check the battery itself, the embossed symbols on the battery were directly under the clamps and a bugger to see, but sure enough the red cable went to negative and the black to positive. WTF?

I got it started though and he ran it round for half an hour, all good.

ETA: I'm glad I had the jumper pack, that mix up could have had really bad consequences if I'd been using the jump leads I'd normally use.

[Rolfe]

My jumper pack needs one lead connected to the battery and the other to the chassis of the car. There's a stern warning about damage that can result from putting boch leads on to the battery. I needed it to start Elsie's car (which she had left in my garage) when we got back from the cruise, and I was really glad I read the instructions before using it because it was new and it had been ages since I'd used the one I had previously. My first instinct was to do it wrong.

[P.J. Denyer]

Originally Posted by Rolfe

My jumper pack needs one lead connected to the battery and the other to the chassis of the car. There's a stern warning about damage that can result from putting boch leads on to the battery. I needed it to start Elsie's car (which she had left in my garage) when we got back from the cruise, and I was really glad I read the instructions before using it because it was new and it had been ages since I'd used the one I had previously. My first instinct was to do it wrong.

Electrically there's really should be no difference (unless your grounding strap is defective in which case it's worse) if you've got it right. It would protect your car if it was the wrong way round though, possibly at the cost of the pack of course. With jump leads I always go to chassis, but it still wouldn't be good.

[bruto]

Originally Posted by P.J. Denyer

Electrically there's really should be no difference (unless your grounding strap is defective in which case it's worse) if you've got it right. It would protect your car if it was the wrong way round though, possibly at the cost of the pack of course. With jump leads I always go to chassis, but it still wouldn't be good.

Electrcally it doesn't make a difference, but batteries emit hydrogen when they charge, and even a correct connection can make a goodly spark, and if it's wrong, a big one. So making your last connection to vehicle ground avoids the possibility of a hydrogen explosion, and also makes it non-critical which vehicle gets the last connection.

My sister in law actually had a battery blow up in her face. It's not entirely certain whether she had it right way around, though she says she did, but whatever the situation, she got some nasty acid burns.

[P.J. Denyer]

Originally Posted by bruto

Electrcally it doesn't make a difference, but batteries emit hydrogen when they charge, and even a correct connection can make a goodly spark, and if it's wrong, a big one. So making your last connection to vehicle ground avoids the possibility of a hydrogen explosion, and also makes it non-critical which vehicle gets the last connection.

My sister in law actually had a battery blow up in her face. It's not entirely certain whether she had it right way around, though she says she did, but whatever the situation, she got some nasty acid burns.

Good point. I still think in terms of motorbikes, most of which have (or at least had) vent pipes to avoid this.

[Skeptic Ginger]

You know everyone is stuck at home when there are almost 40 pages of BS-ing like there is in this thread.