| Don't throw your appliances away! Recycle your | | | | community. I'm careful not to throw the parts that I |
| electronic appliances at home and help save our | | | | have "dissected" from inside the electronic appliances |
| environment. | | | | so as not to aggravate environmental degradation in |
| That's simple. Know the 3Rs: recycle, reuse and | | | | my community. And with the countless television sets |
| reduce. Here's what you should know. Electronic | | | | and electronic appliances that I have repaired and |
| appliances are made of ICs and other | | | | recycled, I have done a bit in fighting climate change |
| semi-conductors. Some of them, like the blender, | | | | and global warming. |
| water heater, and others, are just made of simple | | | | You see, those appliances become "monsters" once |
| transformers and capacitors. If you know the basics | | | | you throw them away. They are made of plastic and |
| of consumer electronics, you can do simple repair at | | | | chemicals harmful to the surrounding, our garden and |
| home. These semi-conductors are just inserted in | | | | the atmosphere. |
| sockets in PCBs or printed circuit boards. You can | | | | Appliances in our home operate with |
| even assemble them at home. But don't think about | | | | semi-conductors, transistors, capacitors, resistors, and |
| that for now. Here are facts I'm laying down. These | | | | complex ones like ICs or integrated circuits. New |
| facts are interconnected with climate change and | | | | brands of television and other electronic appliances |
| global warming. Remember, if you throw your | | | | are made up of ICs inside that they can be |
| appliances away, you are helping increase the intense | | | | mass-produced and manufactured by hundreds of |
| heat that we are experiencing right now. | | | | thousands. You can just imagine how this can affect |
| More appliances manufactured by businesses means | | | | the environment. |
| more garbage. Recycling helps in reducing carbon | | | | How can we help in reducing the manufacture of |
| dioxide emissions. | | | | appliances? Or you may ask, how can you recycle if |
| Do you know how a television set was made? I'm | | | | you don't know how to repair? By just knowing the |
| particularly interested on the TV because for others | | | | simple details inside the television set and other |
| it seems really ordinary, yet intriguing, or even | | | | electronic appliances, you can have simple repair. By |
| impossible. And personally, I've spent years mastering | | | | knowing how to repair a busted fuse, you are helping |
| the workings of a television electronic circuit. Like | | | | the environment. By orienting yourself of the |
| you, I was really puzzled from the start. | | | | semi-conductors, transistors, capacitors, resistors and |
| How did that TV newscaster's personality and voice | | | | ICs, you are preserving our environment. Right away, |
| ever enter into that tube and speaker when I just | | | | buy yourself a multi-tester and learn to use it. There |
| bought this little thing from an appliance store? | | | | are instructions inside on how to use a multi-tester. If |
| Everybody who is not familiar with an electronic | | | | not, watch out for my simple basics in electronics. I'm |
| circuit will ask the same question. How did the voice | | | | offering it for free. |
| and picture enter the television? It's not an illusion. It's | | | | Also, know the basics of electronics, such as a |
| not magic. It's simple electronics applied scientifically. | | | | power supply. All electrical and electronic appliances |
| The voice or the sound signal enters the components | | | | have a power supply. This is the heart of the |
| through the micro and milli-volts in small transformers | | | | working appliance. It is connected to the power cord |
| inside. So do with the picture signal - it enters the | | | | and into the electrical outlet in your home. To me, |
| picture section of the television through the | | | | this is very simple, but for you, some basic can help |
| super-small voltages inside. | | | | you get started. There's only one word that you |
| How does a television set work? I'm going to simplify | | | | have to know before anything else - safety. Then |
| this question so it would be very easy for a novice | | | | read and read. |
| or anyone like who hasn't gone to a vocational | | | | I can provide you with the readings and the basics of |
| school. I've spent years repairing and "rebuilding" | | | | recycle, reuse and reduce. |
| electronic appliances in my small shop in my | | | | |