Hi Tru, Unless you see rust and/or corrosion on the metal parts in the white plug, or a wire has come off of the back of it, my guess is the problem is at the other end of the light wire. Many of those lights use a self piercing (vampire) tap that just clamps on to the wire and has two sharp points that pierce the insulation of the main wire and allow electricity to flow to the light bulb. It is an easy to install system, but often not very reliable long term. The good news is if you can find the clamp, you can fix it. Usually, a wire comes down from a big transformer, (often black plastic box on a wall) and just goes around near the lights locations. The wires attached to the lights normally will go straight to the main wire, from where ever they come out of the pond or little light post. They are not buried very deep, normally just a inch or two, should be within a foot or so of the pond unless there are other out of pond lights that you didn't mention. If you can find the little connector, some times just squeezing it with pliers will restore the connection for awhile, but best that it is removed, cleaned, and reinstalled to get a longer life. If it breaks during the process, you might be able to find another connector at a home supply store, or good hardware store. This is (if installed properly originally) a very safe low voltage system, so don't be too concerned about grave danger. None the less, it is always best to remove power when working with electricity, and I encourage you to do so. Also, it would be good to know if the light(s) that don't work are the furthest from the transformer. If they are, the main wire could be broken, but unless someone has cultivated or used a shovel near the pond, it is more likely to be the connector mentioned above. If metal tools of any sort have been used in the area, (my Mrs. prefers a long handled weeder...) it could be a break or nick in the main wire. There are splicers available for those too, you just need enough loose wire to use them. Good Luck! I am a little confused regarding "they installed three lights that ultimately feed into a transformer. Two of the lights work, the other two do not." I assume it is just a typo, and one does not work. I can say, in my limited experience, it is either the vampire tap of some one cut/nicked the wire(s). -TT

It is really hard to decide; my rule of thumb has always been, which will require the least out of my pocket in the long run? Without doing all kinds of calculations (that I can't do, but I believe that there are websites that can calculate it for you) I can't say for sure. There are advantages to the fixed rate refi, especially lowering the interest rate on your original balance; but could you get a lower rate and less out of pocket from a HELOC, paying it off first with the same discipline that you have been using? Have you talked to a credit union? I did take out a HELOC from my local credit union in order to pay off my mom's condo loan; there were no closing costs, fees, etc and the lowest interest rate in town. That was before the crash -- and it was long ago paid off, so I don't know if such a good deal might still be available. Don't know what repairs you need, but some large companies (hvac, roofing, siding) will offer low cost financing too -- you have to read the contract very carefully to be sure that you are getting what was promised.

well, it is very streaky with a lot of white stuff, so the pool guys said they are going to do a wet acid start up based on advice from SGM. I am going to call them tomorrow and confirm that is the best route to take. Any advice?

Procedures to Cook Frozen Lobster Tails Defrost the Lobster Tails The first step in cooking frozen lobster tails is to thaw the lobster completely. Defrosting is essential prior to cooking because it helps in maintaining the flavor of the lobster tails. You may cook lobster with ice intact, but the resultant meat will be less delicious than the one which has been thawed before. When you get the lobster tails from the market, keep them in the refrigerator for a day. Remember not to take out the lobster tails from the packaging before keeping in the refrigerator. After twenty four hours, the lobster tails will get defrosted. Another method to defrost the lobster tails is to keep them in water for some time. This is a quicker way to defrost them. While defrosting in water, keep the lobster tails in storage bags before immersing them in water so that the water does not reach the meat and render it tasteless. Some people even use an oven to defrost the lobster tails, but I personally will not recommend it as the lobster might lose its softness because of the heat in the oven. The best way to cook frozen lobster tails is by thawing it in a refrigerator overnight, before cooking. After the lobster tails have been thawed, you may choose any of the lobsters recipes to cook frozen lobster tails of your choice. Bake the Lobster Tails To cook frozen lobster tails which are baked, you have to use an oven. Start with pre-heating the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, wash the lobster tails with cold water, after they have been thawed, using the methods mentioned above. After washing and drying them, put them on a baking sheet. Now make a lengthwise cut on the shell in such a way that the meat is visible. Now keep the lobster tails for baking in the oven for about ten minutes. Take the meat out after ten minutes, sprinkle salt, pepper and some herbs such as oregano on top of it for taste. A scrumptious, tender, baked lobster tail is ready. Read more on lobster roll recipes and lobster meat recipes. Steam the Lobster Tails For cooking frozen lobster tails which are steamed, first of all clean the lobster tails with cold water so that the germs and bacteria are washed away. Once the lobster tails have been cleaned and dried, skewer the lobster tails before setting them up for steaming in a steamer. This is done so that the lobster tails do not curl upon steaming. Now put the lobster tails in the steamer and cook for about three minutes. Remember to leave enough space in between the lobsters while steaming so that they are cooked on all sides. Read more on how to steam a lobster. For steaming, you may put water or beer or white whine in the steamer. Alternately you can make a sauce by mixing wine, cream and paprika and steam the lobster in it. After the steaming has been done, put the lobster tails under cold water for a while. Steamed lobster tails are now ready to be served. Just like a steamed lobster, grilled lobster is also quite tasty. To know how to grill lobster tails, read grilling lobster tails.