Since updating the number of smoke alarms in my residences, I now have many
weak batteries. I know they can be a dangerous fire hazard, having seen
demonstrations, and having had one in my pocket that was trying to copulate
with my car keys.

My standard practice is to put some duct tape on them and toss them. My
main concern is to get them off my property without event, yet I can't
disregard those downstream who might suffer if the tape comes off or is worn
through.

Is there some way to just totally discharge these, and toss them, but still
taping them? I have had some that were dead as a hammer, and couldn't get a
voltage reading on them with a good digital electricital measuring device.
That's the way I want them when I toss them so I'm not worrying about them
while in my big trash cans, a very good fuel source.

TIA, idiots, flamers and phobics, please don't reply.

Steve

--
"...the man who really counts in the world is the doer, not the mere
critic-the man who actually does the work, even if roughly and imperfectly,
not the man who only talks or writes about how it ought to be done."
Theodore Roosevelt 1891

"SteveB" toquerville@zionvistas wrote in message
...
Since updating the number of smoke alarms in my residences, I now have
many weak batteries. I know they can be a dangerous fire hazard, having
seen demonstrations, and having had one in my pocket that was trying to
copulate with my car keys.

My standard practice is to put some duct tape on them and toss them. My
main concern is to get them off my property without event, yet I can't
disregard those downstream who might suffer if the tape comes off or is
worn through.

Is there some way to just totally discharge these, and toss them, but
still taping them? I have had some that were dead as a hammer, and
couldn't get a voltage reading on them with a good digital electricital
measuring device. That's the way I want them when I toss them so I'm not
worrying about them while in my big trash cans, a very good fuel source.

TIA, idiots, flamers and phobics, please don't reply.

Steve

--
"...the man who really counts in the world is the doer, not the mere
critic-the man who actually does the work, even if roughly and
imperfectly, not the man who only talks or writes about how it ought to be
done." Theodore Roosevelt 1891


I assume you live in the US. Just drop them off at Radio Shack. If you are
worried about them discharging put them back in their original container or
wrap them up like you do. I put all my old batteries in one box and take it
to Radio Shack ocassionally. They keep them in 5 gal drums until a company
comes by to pick them up for recycling.

jthread wrote:

Is there some way to just totally discharge these, and toss them, but
still taping them? I have had some that were dead as a hammer, and
couldn't get a voltage reading on them with a good digital
electricital measuring device. That's the way I want them when I
toss them so I'm not worrying about them while in my big trash cans,
a very good fuel source.

I assume you live in the US. Just drop them off at Radio Shack. If
you are worried about them discharging put them back in their
original container or wrap them up like you do. I put all my old
batteries in one box and take it to Radio Shack ocassionally. They
keep them in 5 gal drums until a company comes by to pick them up for
recycling.

Wouldn't it be cheaper (considering the cost of gas and all) just to mail
them away?

I can think of any number of government agencies that would be thrilled to
receive them.

"jthread" wrote in message
...

"SteveB" toquerville@zionvistas wrote in message
...
Since updating the number of smoke alarms in my residences, I now have
many weak batteries. I know they can be a dangerous fire hazard, having
seen demonstrations, and having had one in my pocket that was trying to
copulate with my car keys.

My standard practice is to put some duct tape on them and toss them. My
main concern is to get them off my property without event, yet I can't
disregard those downstream who might suffer if the tape comes off or is
worn through.

Is there some way to just totally discharge these, and toss them, but
still taping them? I have had some that were dead as a hammer, and
couldn't get a voltage reading on them with a good digital electricital
measuring device. That's the way I want them when I toss them so I'm not
worrying about them while in my big trash cans, a very good fuel source.

TIA, idiots, flamers and phobics, please don't reply.

Steve

--
"...the man who really counts in the world is the doer, not the mere
critic-the man who actually does the work, even if roughly and
imperfectly, not the man who only talks or writes about how it ought to
be done." Theodore Roosevelt 1891


I assume you live in the US. Just drop them off at Radio Shack. If you are
worried about them discharging put them back in their original container
or wrap them up like you do. I put all my old batteries in one box and
take it to Radio Shack ocassionally. They keep them in 5 gal drums until a
company comes by to pick them up for recycling.

Thank you. How simple. I would have never thought of that.

Steve

On Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:36:31 GMT, "jthread" wrote:


I assume you live in the US. Just drop them off at Radio Shack. If you are
worried about them discharging put them back in their original container or
wrap them up like you do. I put all my old batteries in one box and take it
to Radio Shack ocassionally. They keep them in 5 gal drums until a company
comes by to pick them up for recycling.

A guy at RS told me they only take rechargeable batteries. What I
think that means in practice is that they only want rechargeable
batteries, but often don't look when you drop them off.

"mm" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:36:31 GMT, "jthread" wrote:


I assume you live in the US. Just drop them off at Radio Shack. If you are
worried about them discharging put them back in their original container
or
wrap them up like you do. I put all my old batteries in one box and take
it
to Radio Shack ocassionally. They keep them in 5 gal drums until a company
comes by to pick them up for recycling.

A guy at RS told me they only take rechargeable batteries. What I
think that means in practice is that they only want rechargeable
batteries, but often don't look when you drop them off.

Yeah. You're probably right. I know the non-rechargeable are not recyclable.
They probably dump them in landfills that can handle the heavy metal.

toss 'em in the trash and get a life.

s


"SteveB" toquerville@zionvistas wrote in message
...
Since updating the number of smoke alarms in my residences, I now have
many weak batteries. I know they can be a dangerous fire hazard, having
seen demonstrations, and having had one in my pocket that was trying to
copulate with my car keys.

My standard practice is to put some duct tape on them and toss them. My
main concern is to get them off my property without event, yet I can't
disregard those downstream who might suffer if the tape comes off or is
worn through.

Is there some way to just totally discharge these, and toss them, but
still taping them? I have had some that were dead as a hammer, and
couldn't get a voltage reading on them with a good digital electricital
measuring device. That's the way I want them when I toss them so I'm not
worrying about them while in my big trash cans, a very good fuel source.

TIA, idiots, flamers and phobics, please don't reply.

Steve

--
"...the man who really counts in the world is the doer, not the mere
critic-the man who actually does the work, even if roughly and
imperfectly, not the man who only talks or writes about how it ought to be
done." Theodore Roosevelt 1891

"S. Barker" wrote in message
...
toss 'em in the trash and get a life.

s

http://www.ehso.com/ehshome/batteries.php

We all need to do our part.

jthread wrote:

"S. Barker" wrote in message
...
toss 'em in the trash and get a life.

s

http://www.ehso.com/ehshome/batteries.php

We all need to do our part.

On the site that you referenced, it states that for Alkaline batteries
you should simply place in the trash (normal municipal waste).
Exceptions: California which requires non-households to dispose of
these batteries in accordance with the California Universal Waste Rules.
Also, Minnesota (Hennipen County only) requires these batteries be
disposed as a hazardous waste. So unless the OP was from one of those
two places, "toss 'em in the trash" is the correct thing to do!

"IGot2P" wrote in message
...
jthread wrote:

"S. Barker" wrote in message
...
toss 'em in the trash and get a life.

s

http://www.ehso.com/ehshome/batteries.php

We all need to do our part.

On the site that you referenced, it states that for Alkaline batteries you
should simply place in the trash (normal municipal waste). Exceptions:
California which requires non-households to dispose of these batteries in
accordance with the California Universal Waste Rules. Also, Minnesota
(Hennipen County only) requires these batteries be disposed as a hazardous
waste. So unless the OP was from one of those two places, "toss 'em in the
trash" is the correct thing to do!

I noticed that about the Non rechargeable- alkaline but Radio Shack accepts
all batteries. I'd rather drop them off there and let them deal with them.
At least if there is away to recycle them they can. Also it said not to put
in incinerators. I'd rather not assume where and how the OP disposes of his
batteries.

The part you are reffering to reads

"Non-rechargeable (typically "alkaline batteries") still don't have a
recycler and general just must be disposed in the trash. If you have large
quantities or are a business, talk with your permitted sanitary landfill
operator (otherwise known as "sanitation services", the "dump" or
"landfill"). Waste batteries should not be burned because of the metals, and
they could explode. When burned, some heavy metals such as mercury may
vaporize and escape into the air, and cadmium and lead may end up in the
ash. "

We all need to do our part. :-)

"jthread" wrote in message
...

"IGot2P" wrote in message
...
jthread wrote:

"S. Barker" wrote in message
...
toss 'em in the trash and get a life.

s

http://www.ehso.com/ehshome/batteries.php

We all need to do our part.

On the site that you referenced, it states that for Alkaline batteries
you should simply place in the trash (normal municipal waste).
Exceptions: California which requires non-households to dispose of these
batteries in accordance with the California Universal Waste Rules. Also,
Minnesota (Hennipen County only) requires these batteries be disposed as
a hazardous waste. So unless the OP was from one of those two places,
"toss 'em in the trash" is the correct thing to do!

I noticed that about the Non rechargeable- alkaline but Radio Shack
accepts all batteries. I'd rather drop them off there and let them deal
with them. At least if there is away to recycle them they can. Also it
said not to put in incinerators. I'd rather not assume where and how the
OP disposes of his batteries.

The part you are reffering to reads

"Non-rechargeable (typically "alkaline batteries") still don't have a
recycler and general just must be disposed in the trash. If you have large
quantities or are a business, talk with your permitted sanitary landfill
operator (otherwise known as "sanitation services", the "dump" or
"landfill"). Waste batteries should not be burned because of the metals,
and they could explode. When burned, some heavy metals such as mercury may
vaporize and escape into the air, and cadmium and lead may end up in the
ash. "

We all need to do our part. :-)

I really don't care about the disposal part. What I want is to be safe in
the interim when they still have enough juice to start a fire if shorted
out. That rarely occurs with other batteries that have terminals both ends.
I did have some AA batteries in my pocket once for my camera, and they
contacted with my keys enough to burn my skin through my pants.

Steve

"S. Barker" wrote in message
...
toss 'em in the trash and get a life.

s

That was the point, S. I don't want to toss them into the trash, have them
start a fire, and have it end my life or someone else's.

Were you born stupid, or did you just practice a lot?

Steve

"SteveB" toquerville@zionvistas wrote in message
...
"S. Barker" wrote in message
...
toss 'em in the trash and get a life.

s

That was the point, S. I don't want to toss them into the trash, have
them start a fire, and have it end my life or someone else's.

Were you born stupid, or did you just practice a lot?

Steve

I'm not sure but I think his point was that a 9 volt battery causing a fire
is pretty remote. I gotta admit I thought that too. But I guess it's
possible. Maybe with some fuel?

"jthread" wrote in message
...

"SteveB" toquerville@zionvistas wrote in message
...
"S. Barker" wrote in message
...
toss 'em in the trash and get a life.

s

That was the point, S. I don't want to toss them into the trash, have
them start a fire, and have it end my life or someone else's.

Were you born stupid, or did you just practice a lot?

Steve

I'm not sure but I think his point was that a 9 volt battery causing a
fire is pretty remote. I gotta admit I thought that too. But I guess it's
possible. Maybe with some fuel?

Like the stuff in a trash can? All it takes is for the contacts to short
out on a tin can. (hope the tin can dates me) But really shorting out on
most any metal would get it hot. They are fire starters and used on special
effects along with just a little wiring and steel wool. Contact. Steel
wool glows red hot. You got ignition. Now run like hell.

Steve

"jthread" wrote in message
...

"SteveB" toquerville@zionvistas wrote in message
...
"S. Barker" wrote in message
...
toss 'em in the trash and get a life.

s

That was the point, S. I don't want to toss them into the trash, have
them start a fire, and have it end my life or someone else's.

Were you born stupid, or did you just practice a lot?

Steve

I'm not sure but I think his point was that a 9 volt battery causing a
fire is pretty remote. I gotta admit I thought that too. But I guess it's
possible. Maybe with some fuel?

S's point is right there on top his head. I have him filed. You'll have to
admit, he could have pared his statement, expounded on it to grace us with
his eloquence, or just passed. Isn't the point of the group to TALK about
things?

Steve

"SteveB" toquerville@zionvistas wrote in message
...
"S. Barker" wrote in message
...
toss 'em in the trash and get a life.

s

That was the point, S. I don't want to toss them into the trash, have
them start a fire, and have it end my life or someone else's.

Were you born stupid, or did you just practice a lot?

Steve
I guess most of us are stupid. Afraid to put a 9V in the trash because of
fires?! Amazing.

You have GOT to be kidding right? How is tossing a 9v battery into a pile
of paper and garbage gonna start a fire.? And if you're really THAT worried
about it, then take them out and sledge hammer them into little bits and
leave them lay on the street. OR throw them in a dumpster behind the local
quik trip. DUH!

s


"SteveB" toquerville@zionvistas wrote in message
...
"S. Barker" wrote in message
...
toss 'em in the trash and get a life.

s

That was the point, S. I don't want to toss them into the trash, have
them start a fire, and have it end my life or someone else's.

Were you born stupid, or did you just practice a lot?

Steve

QUICK TRIP DUMPSTER FIRE RASH; ARSON SUSPECTED
by Fulla H. Ottair
F. U. News service; all rights reserved. No part of this story may be
retransmitted in any form without written consent of the service and of the
author.

Pantsadowna Iowa. A small town where not much happens. But the local fire
chief has been scratching his head, and wondring. Jose Nozzlnut, the local
chief has been running his equipment and volunteers ragged the last two
weeks. Dumpster fire after dumpster fire has left the town low on resources.
Chief Nozzlnut says the year's fuel budget has been spent, and it's not even
Memorial Day.

Chief Nozzlnut was talking to reporters, when a fireman came up and asked
"Should we roll up the hose, Jose?" The reply "Give er another squirt, you
nozzle nut", said Chief Nozzlnut.

The chief was talking to reporters when a man approached and threw in a bag.
We interviewed the person, a S. Barker, from Flametown, Iowa. "I'm just
disposing some nine volt batteries, as instructed on Usenet", Barker tells
reporters. "Been disposing of a couple dozen batteries, in Quck Trip
dumpsters all over town."

Even as life goes on for every day America, we strive to keep you informed.
Tune in your local F.U News Service for details on the hour. Also watch us
on Cable. This is Fulla H. Ottair, reporting.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"S. Barker" wrote in message
news You have GOT to be kidding right? How is tossing a 9v battery into a pile
of paper and garbage gonna start a fire.? And if you're really THAT worried
about it, then take them out and sledge hammer them into little bits and
leave them lay on the street. OR throw them in a dumpster behind the local
quik trip. DUH!

s

In article , S. Barker wrote:
You have GOT to be kidding right? How is tossing a 9v battery into a pile
of paper and garbage gonna start a fire.? And if you're really THAT worried
about it, then take them out and sledge hammer them into little bits and
leave them lay on the street. OR throw them in a dumpster behind the local
quik trip. DUH!

Throwing bare batteries into dumpsters is something I avoid.

Even though that should only start a fire every several blue moons, I
don't want my tossed battery making just the wrong resistive short, such
as against someone else's steel wool or fragment of bicycle brake cable
or something carbonized or graphite pencil lead.

I also do not want to see what happens if a 9V battery with 1 of its 6
cells more discharged than the other 5 gets shorted when buried in paper.
Maybe 99.9999% or so of the time everything is fine and hunky dory - cells
have to have moisture to conduct.

One thing I do is use rechargeable batteries when I can. Then I don't
have to throw out so many batteries. I also have an easier time having
only dead ones to get rid of - for one thing, rechargeables self-discharge
more.

When I throw out dead batteries, I usually dump them in a municipal
trash can well removed from buildings when I cycle by that trash can on my
way to work.

Although dumped batteries rank low on the list of causes of fires, I get
a bit paranoid here - I have been burned out of my apartment twice from
fires started by neighbors, and I do some fair amount of electronics work
and LED lighting device prototype development work. I have more than my
share of batteries and I do not want any fire problems that I can possibly
avoid - especially any that can be blamed on me!

- Don Klipstein )

OH pluuuulease......



"jthread" wrote in message
...

"S. Barker" wrote in message
...
toss 'em in the trash and get a life.

s

http://www.ehso.com/ehshome/batteries.php

We all need to do our part.

"S. Barker" wrote in
:

toss 'em in the trash and get a life.

s


"SteveB" toquerville@zionvistas wrote in message
...
Since updating the number of smoke alarms in my residences, I now
have many weak batteries. I know they can be a dangerous fire
hazard, having seen demonstrations, and having had one in my pocket
that was trying to copulate with my car keys.

My standard practice is to put some duct tape on them and toss them.
My main concern is to get them off my property without event, yet I
can't disregard those downstream who might suffer if the tape comes
off or is worn through.

Is there some way to just totally discharge these, and toss them, but
still taping them? I have had some that were dead as a hammer, and
couldn't get a voltage reading on them with a good digital
electricital measuring device. That's the way I want them when I toss
them so I'm not worrying about them while in my big trash cans, a
very good fuel source.

TIA, idiots, flamers and phobics, please don't reply.

Steve

--
"...the man who really counts in the world is the doer, not the mere
critic-the man who actually does the work, even if roughly and
imperfectly, not the man who only talks or writes about how it ought
to be done." Theodore Roosevelt 1891




I second that.

On Wed, 9 Jul 2008 12:19:26 -0800, "SteveB" toquerville@zionvistas
wrote Re 9v. battery disposal:

My standard practice is to put some duct tape on them and toss them. My
main concern is to get them off my property without event, yet I can't
disregard those downstream who might suffer if the tape comes off or is worn
through.

Instead of a small piece of duct tape, how about two or three full
turns of duct tape? That should completely encase the battery in tape.

Hell, why not just build a little wood box for each and every battery? A
guy could kill a week that way.

s


"Caesar Romano" wrote in message
news
On Wed, 9 Jul 2008 12:19:26 -0800, "SteveB" toquerville@zionvistas
wrote Re 9v. battery disposal:

My standard practice is to put some duct tape on them and toss them. My
main concern is to get them off my property without event, yet I can't
disregard those downstream who might suffer if the tape comes off or is
worn
through.

Instead of a small piece of duct tape, how about two or three full
turns of duct tape? That should completely encase the battery in tape.

In article , S. Barker wrote:
Hell, why not just build a little wood box for each and every battery? A
guy could kill a week that way.

I already have lamps on 9V battery connectors. Not much time wasted to
drain the duds.

As for other sizes - I toss them in a municipal trash can far enough from
buildings (in a township with an aggressive fire department and only a
few blocks from the nearest fire station) when I cycle by that trash can
on my way to work. Heck, I dump 9V ones there also.

Nothing is a cause of a majority of home fires. Some college campus
areas have exceptions to that - either from overcooking of microwave
popcorn (awfully easy to do very spectacularly, easily catastrophically)
or horseplay with fire.

Other more significant fire causes are smoking in bed, children playing
with matches/lighters, unattended cooking, malfunctioning/abused/substandard
electrical products (extension cords rank somewhere significantly here),
misused space heaters, and somewhere after that malfunctioning home
wiring.

- Don Klipstein )

"Don Klipstein" wrote in message

stuff snipped

Nothing is a cause of a majority of home fires. Some college campus
areas have exceptions to that - either from overcooking of microwave
popcorn (awfully easy to do very spectacularly, easily catastrophically)
or horseplay with fire.

Sorry, but I have to differ with you. Cooking is by and far the largest
culprit:

http://www.nfpa.org/itemDetail.asp?c...ookie%5Ftest=1

says:
Cooking

a.. Cooking fires are the #1 of home fires and home fire injuries.
b.. In 2005, cooking equipment was involved in 146,400 reported home
structure fires, the largest share for any major cause. These fires resulted
in 480 civilian deaths, 4,690 civilian injuries, and $876 million in direct
property damage.
c.. The majority of home fires - 40% - start in the kitchen.
d.. Unattended cooking is the leading factor contributing to ignition in
home cooking fires, accounting for one-third of such fires. More than half
of all cooking fire injuries occurred when people tried to fight the fire
themselves.
e.. Most home cooking fires (67%) in 2005 started with the range or stove.
f.. Electric ranges or stoves have a higher risk of fires, deaths,
injuries and property damage, compared to gas ranges or stoves.

"Don Klipstein" wrote in message

stuff snipped

Nothing is a cause of a majority of home fires. Some college campus
areas have exceptions to that - either from overcooking of microwave
popcorn (awfully easy to do very spectacularly, easily catastrophically)
or horseplay with fire.

Sorry, Don, but I have to differ with you, just slightly. Cooking is by and
far the largest culprit:

http://www.nfpa.org/itemDetail.asp?c...ookie%5Ftest=1

says:

a.. Cooking fires are the #1 cause of home fires and home fire injuries.
b.. In 2005, cooking equipment was involved in 146,400 reported home
structure fires, the largest share for any major cause. These fires resulted
in 480 civilian deaths, 4,690 civilian injuries, and $876 million in direct
property damage.
c.. The majority of home fires - 40% - start in the kitchen.
d.. Unattended cooking is the leading factor contributing to ignition in
home cooking fires, accounting for one-third of such fires. More than half
of all cooking fire injuries occurred when people tried to fight the fire
themselves.
e.. Most home cooking fires (67%) in 2005 started with the range or stove.
f.. Electric ranges or stoves have a higher risk of fires, deaths,
injuries and property damage, compared to gas ranges or stoves.

The stats are indeed complicated because although there are a lot of kitchen
fires, the much fewer number of space heater and tobacco smoking fires prove
far more deadly on a "per fire" basis, probably because the residents are
asleep when most space heater or cigarette fires begin. More than half of
all home fire deaths result from incidents reported between 11:00 p.m. and
7:00 a.m., but only 20% of home fires occur between these hours.

You can reduce your risk of death by one half, simply by using enough smoke
detectors. Stealing just a little more from the National Fire Protection
Association site:

a.. 65% of reported home fire deaths in 2000-2004 resulted from fires in
homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
a.. The fire death rate in homes with working smoke alarms is 51% less than
the rate for homes without this protection.
a.. In one out of every five homes equipped with at least one smoke alarm
installed, not a single one was working.
a.. When smoke alarms fail it is most often because of missing, disconnected
or dead batteries. Nuisance activations were the leading cause of disabled
smoke alarms.

The fact that electrical wiring is indicted in so relatively few fires (20K)
is really a testament to the continual advances in electrical safety
technology that tend to protect all but the most stupid. One interesting
fact from the above site is that cords and plugs were involved in one-eighth
(12%) of the 2002-2005 home electrical distribution and lighting equipment
fires, but roughly two-fifths (39%) of associated civilian deaths.

Someday, all stoves and ranges will have built-in fire supression systems
that are computer controlled and can easily distinguish between someone
cooking cherries flambe and a towel leaning against a burner. Compared to
the safety interlocks on most furnaces, stoves and ranges have a long, long
way to go before cooking drops out of the top spot as an ignition point for
home fires.

--
Bobby G.

SteveB wrote:
Since updating the number of smoke alarms in my residences, I now
have many weak batteries. I know they can be a dangerous fire
hazard, having seen demonstrations, and having had one in my pocket
that was trying to copulate with my car keys.

My standard practice is to put some duct tape on them and toss them. My
main concern is to get them off my property without event, yet I
can't disregard those downstream who might suffer if the tape comes
off or is worn through.

Is there some way to just totally discharge these, and toss them, but
still taping them? I have had some that were dead as a hammer, and
couldn't get a voltage reading on them with a good digital
electricital measuring device. That's the way I want them when I toss
them so I'm not worrying about them while in my big trash cans, a
very good fuel source.
TIA, idiots, flamers and phobics, please don't reply.

Steve


I just throw mine in the trash,
BUT I also used to store them in my top bureau drawer out of their package
with my 9mm bullets rolling around in the same drawer.... somehow they got
discharged.?.?.
I have since stopped that practice..
But I never got shot, go figure!
I think they are not a threat.
Clark...
--
Don't you have Google in your part of the world?

SteveB wrote:
Since updating the number of smoke alarms in my residences, I now
have many weak batteries. I know they can be a dangerous fire
hazard, having seen demonstrations, and having had one in my pocket
that was trying to copulate with my car keys.

My standard practice is to put some duct tape on them and toss them. My
main concern is to get them off my property without event, yet I
can't disregard those downstream who might suffer if the tape comes
off or is worn through.

Is there some way to just totally discharge these, and toss them, but
still taping them? I have had some that were dead as a hammer, and
couldn't get a voltage reading on them with a good digital
electricital measuring device. That's the way I want them when I toss
them so I'm not worrying about them while in my big trash cans, a
very good fuel source.
TIA, idiots, flamers and phobics, please don't reply.


You have to come to grips with the fact that there is no reliable, cheap,
and legal way to dispose of used batteries.

What I do with things that fall into that category is to leave them in a
school-yard. At night.

I got the idea from a Dilbert cartoon - Dilbert's boss said that's what he
did with his old refrigerator.