Fixit: U, Historical Society might take old photos

By KAREN YOUSO, Star Tribune

Last update: November 8, 2009 - 6:31 PM

Q I'm puzzled about what to do with old photographs of relatives and trips to China and Australia. Do I just throw them in the garbage? I live in an apartment and don't have room for them.

A Before tossing any photographs, check with family members and friends to see if they would like them. It's hard to know without seeing the photos, but because they are old, they may be something you can donate.

• The Minnesota Historical Society has been known to take donations of family photographs that are well-identified and dated, but only those of historically significant Minnesota scenes. For information on possible donations, check its website: mnhs.org/collections/donate.

• A university program, such as the University of Minnesota's China Center, might have suggestions on what to do with such a donation.

Programmable thermostat

Q Can we use a programmable thermostat with a hot-water heating system?

A You can use a programmable thermostat with a boiler to save energy; it just works a little differently from a forced-air furnace.

A boiler will have a lag time. (Older systems with large radiators will have a longer lag time than those with newer baseboard systems.) You can compensate for this by turning your heat back sooner and having it come back on sooner. For example, if you want your house warmed to 68 degrees by 7 a.m., try setting the thermostat to turn up the temperature at 6:30 a.m. Adjust as needed.

From Minnesota's Energy Information Office

Send your questions to Fixit in care of the Star Tribune, 425 Portland Av. S., Minneapolis, MN 55488, or call 612-673-7032, or e-mail fixit@startribune.com. Past columns are available at www.startribune.com/fixit. Sorry, Fixit cannot supply individual replies. Fixit appears every day except Friday.