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stevewm posted:But would draining it solve the problem? it could be a cause depending on what's settled in your tank and now you're possibly sucking it up. I asked regarding electric / gas becuase the next statement was going to be anode rod. But I forgot that Gas ones also have Anode rods due to the fact my last electric one had a rod on it's own (more obvious) and my gas ones all have rods on the inlets. I'd be aware that at this point in the age of your water heater draining or replacing anodes may result in the need for a new tank depending on condition of the components you're touching. this all reminds me I need to get a plugin pump so I can drain my tank into the sink next to it as its' a year old. tater_salad fucked around with this message at 15:30 on Nov 12, 2021 |
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Nov 12, 2021 15:27
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stevewm posted:But would draining it solve the problem? Maybe? You should contact your city water department and request TDS test results on your tap water. Likely, sulfur is just high in concentration in your water. It's only noticeable from the hot water because it's more odorous with heat. Really solving the sulfur issue is going to come down to putting a filtration system or water softener between the city tap and the house lines. So wherever your supply line is in the house, before it tees off to the water heater or anywhere else. Then you'll have to keep up with filters or salt. You might look at buying a cheap TDS pen ($15~) and checking what the output water from each tap for results, and compare that to the city numbers. You might find the city test results online somewhere on a city or county website. If they're on the high side, start looking at filtration or softeners. Like sulfur isn't the only thing that's high in your municipal water. If you really want to know what's in the water, expect to pay $50-75 for a water test from a lab. A TDS pen is only going to tell you the total of all minerals, a breakdown needs a lab test. If you wind up leaning towards replacement, consider a tankless water heater.
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Nov 12, 2021 15:29
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CRUSTY MINGE posted:Maybe? The sulphur thing only started about a month ago. The water system I'm on does have their report online, but doesn't appear to have TDS listed. https://www.napwatercorp.com/water-quality-report I would wonder if I even have the electrical capacity for a electric tankless. Gas is not available in my town. I have 200A service, but my house is fully electric. I already have a few high draw devices; heat pump with 10kW of backup heat strips, stove, dryer, electric car charger, etc.. I am going to give it a try draining it partially to check for sediments and taking a look at the anode rod. If I have to replace the tank, so be it.
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Nov 12, 2021 15:49
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stevewm posted:The sulphur thing only started about a month ago. Wow that's a lovely water report. I mean in terms of what they actually list as tested. Also the lead test being more than 5 years old wouldn't really be instilling confidence, and none of those tests have dates from this year. TDS is an acronym for total dissolved solids. TDS uses parts per million for units, and there are different scales depending on what is being tested specifically. TDS pens measure overall solids in the water, so not having it listed on a water report isn't surprising as they're breaking down the solids listed, just seems weird it's not listed. I could see being concerned with having the electric capacity of your panel, tank heater does make sense there. E: oh, I see, they only list what was detected. Just seems odd to me, my last water report I got was pages long, but Colorado Springs doesn't exactly have reputably clean water (I've since moved). CRUSTY MINGE fucked around with this message at 16:12 on Nov 12, 2021 |
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Nov 12, 2021 16:07
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CRUSTY MINGE posted:Wow that's a lovely water report. I mean in terms of what they actually list as tested. Also the lead test being more than 5 years old wouldn't really be instilling confidence, and none of those tests have dates from this year. Yeah I just realized it said sample date of 2018. ha!
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Nov 12, 2021 16:18
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Yeah. The general testing being dated last year, I get that, because they're reporting averages. But every water report I've seen or gotten in the mail has been much, much more thorough than a 2 page bullshit pdf like that. Maybe I missed it but I didn't even see a pH range listed.
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Nov 12, 2021 16:21
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CRUSTY MINGE posted:Yeah. The general testing being dated last year, I get that, because they're reporting averages. But every water report I've seen or gotten in the mail has been much, much more thorough than a 2 page bullshit pdf like that. Maybe I missed it but I didn't even see a pH range listed. I would assume they are doing the minimum that is legally required.
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Nov 12, 2021 16:40
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mr.belowaverage posted:It's a basement. There are several causes to the moisture, the primary one in that area being the unfinished floor with a crappy sump pump. You could lay down 6 mil plastic vapor barrier/sheeting beneath the plywood substrate. Problem is that if there are several causes to the moisture as you're saying and none of them have been addressed the moisture will get back into the problem areas even with the 6 mil laid down beneath the plywood then you'll be right back where you started. Also it would probably be beneficial to get a good dehumidifer in the interim and put it in the basement. But if you do that it'd have to be a good one that feeds the discharge line into your sump pump basin. And not one of those poo poo big box retail ones with the bucket that needs to be emptied every couple hours. melon cat fucked around with this message at 01:16 on Nov 13, 2021 |
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Nov 12, 2021 23:04
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melon cat posted:You could lay down 6 mil plastic vapor barrier/sheeting beneath the plywood substrate. Problem is that if there are several causes to the moisture as you're saying and none of them have been addressed the moisture will get back into the problem areas even with the 6 mil laid down beneath the plywood then you'll be right back where you started. Oh yeah, the lack of long term mitigation is understood. Those steps will take place starting in spring. For now, I’m just looking for the simplest most effective way to add protection to the ply until the basement is damp proofed and de-humidified. Right now a dehumidifier will do exactly nothing. There’s too much ingress and no management happening. I looked at deck sealants, latex paints and drying oils. I looked at pressure treated ply. I even thought about painting the underside with redgard. I’m just checking with the goon hivemind to see if there’s a best option.
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Nov 13, 2021 04:57
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Hello goons, because SA continues to have a thread for every topic imaginable, I come to you for help. A while back I put a patch over a hole in my drywall and covered it, but it was never flush with the wall, just a smoothed over lump. Thinking of it now, I don't think I was ever one hundred percent sure how far i should sand it down. Basically, am I supposed to be sanding into the nylon mesh of the patch to make it smooth? Or will that damage the structure of the patch and cause it to fall in?
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Nov 14, 2021 13:37
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You're supposed to feather it out it will never be flush/smooth because well it's higher than what exists. You're supposed to apply a wide berth of mud so you can sand it smoothly with a sanding sponge so that it kind of disappears. Depending on skill level this can take between 3 and 1000 applications of mud and sanding.
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Nov 14, 2021 15:49
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CuddleCryptid posted:Hello goons, because SA continues to have a thread for every topic imaginable, I come to you for help. tater_salad is right, you're supposed to feather it out wide. How many rounds of coating and sanding did you do? How far beyond the patch did you coat?
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Nov 14, 2021 18:27
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kid sinister posted:tater_salad is right, you're supposed to feather it out wide. How many rounds of coating and sanding did you do? How far beyond the patch did you coat? I went about two inches past the patch on each side, and did I believe four layers with smoothing out in between. I think I just need to feather it more and then it will be what it will be, unfortunately it's a narrow room so having a bump really stands out, but if I can work it then maybe it will blend more. Thanks all
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Nov 14, 2021 18:39
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Only 2 inches of feathering is your problem. It should be more like 4 to 6.
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Nov 14, 2021 18:44
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Digging back up water heater chat. We have never drained our electric water heater in the 8 years we have lived in the house. It was a newish water heater when we bought it. I'd be willing to drain it and get into that habit, but how likely am I to do this then realize the thing is hosed and then I'm scrambling to call a plumber to install a new one in an emergency? We don't really have any hot water issues in the house currently, just thinking of this being a deferred attempt at proactive maintenance (new thread title?)
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Nov 14, 2021 22:05
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So, I was going to drill up from my crawlspace to run ethernet through my house. I have a giant crawlspace, so that isn't an issue, but is there an easy way or a tool or something to tell me exactly where to drill up? I want to drill directly up from the crawlspace into a wall and turn part of a coat closet into the place where I locate my networking gear. I really don't want to drill up into my hardwood floors.
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Nov 15, 2021 03:10
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Peachfart posted:So, I was going to drill up from my crawlspace to run ethernet through my house. I have a giant crawlspace, so that isn't an issue, but is there an easy way or a tool or something to tell me exactly where to drill up? I want to drill directly up from the crawlspace into a wall and turn part of a coat closet into the place where I locate my networking gear.
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Nov 15, 2021 03:41
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Peachfart posted:So, I was going to drill up from my crawlspace to run ethernet through my house. I have a giant crawlspace, so that isn't an issue, but is there an easy way or a tool or something to tell me exactly where to drill up? I want to drill directly up from the crawlspace into a wall and turn part of a coat closet into the place where I locate my networking gear. Definitely drill down, and if you're putting wall plates in to mount your network jacks then you can pick the spots, like Kaiser Schnitzel said. If it's hard to see the floor behind the drywall due to framing there's long flexible drill bits they make for that kind of thing: https://smile.amazon.com/Installer-Drill-Auger-Style-16inch/dp/B08MLJ2LZV/ for example, but there's lots available in different lengths. I've seen an electrician use a super long one to get an outlet put in like 6 feet up in a kitchen for a cabinet mounted microwave.
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Nov 15, 2021 04:46
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Kaiser Schnitzel posted:Drill down from the closet/wall and drop something bright and shiny down the hole so you can find it in the crawlspace. You don't need an app or tool for this, I promise. Eh, I wouldn't try without a flexible shaft. If you're willing to rip out drywall to do this then you can do it with a regular drill/bit. But if you just want to open a hole for the wall plate then you'll need a flex shaft to reach down to the floor. Rexxed posted:Definitely drill down, and if you're putting wall plates in to mount your network jacks then you can pick the spots, like Kaiser Schnitzel said. If it's hard to see the floor behind the drywall due to framing there's long flexible drill bits they make for that kind of thing: I've found that the placement tool is really helpful: https://www.amazon.com/Flex-Placement-Klein-Tools-53715SEN/dp/B00D3QPTZO In addition to the above placement tool, I have these: https://www.amazon.com/Greenlee-921-Quick-Change-Extension/dp/B003649AQM The greenlee shaft is nice because the bit is detachable, so you can swap it out with larger/smaller bits if you want. Piece of advice: watch your torque. It's easy for these bits to get snagged, and the flex shafts can only take so much before they break. If you get jammed, back up and try again. Trying to power through or force the shaft to turn will end poorly.
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Nov 15, 2021 13:43
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I watched my HVAC contractors use a straightened out wire coat hanger in a drill chuck to do this very thing when locating new vent runs. It worked beautifully. Of course these were going to be cut into the floor, not a wall cavity.
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Nov 15, 2021 17:29
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Peachfart posted:So, I was going to drill up from my crawlspace to run ethernet through my house. I have a giant crawlspace, so that isn't an issue, but is there an easy way or a tool or something to tell me exactly where to drill up? I want to drill directly up from the crawlspace into a wall and turn part of a coat closet into the place where I locate my networking gear. If you pay attention, you'll be able to look up from the crawlspace and see where the sill plates of your walls were nailed through the sub floor. Closets are usually easy to spot since they have walls close together with several corners and tees. Another thing I've done before was to drill a tiny hole in the floor nearby and leave the drill bit poking through while I went to the basement and shone my flashlight until I spotted the drill bit. Yet another thing I've done was to wait until night, then turn a strong flashlight on and set it on top of the hole pointing down. Then you just have to go down to the basement and look for the bright spot on the floor. Still, those flexible drill bit kits are really nice and handy to own. Regardless of your method, doing this in an exterior wall is a pain since they're full of insulation. It may be impossible to drill up with a normal, straight bit because the hole may need to be too close to the foundation wall for the drill to fit. In these cases, you need to use a flexible drill bit from above. Lastly, old work low voltage brackets are your friend. They let you may holes in the wall big enough to reach your hand in or use one of those flexible drill bits. If you want to match the heights of your existing outlet boxes, then take the face plate off of one of your existing outlets and measure the distance between the bottom screw to the base board. Match that distance with your new brackets. kid sinister fucked around with this message at 21:29 on Nov 15, 2021 |
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Nov 15, 2021 21:27
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Where do i find something this small? Im too stupid to understand how to convert it to a size or whatever that i can search for on Amazon or somewhere. Everything i find is way too big. thread count or spacing doesnt matter as long as they fit each other help a moron out please. 
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Nov 19, 2021 02:01
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That looks like it'd probably be a #0 machine screw.
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Nov 19, 2021 02:11
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banned from Starbucks posted:Where do i find something this small? Im too stupid to understand how to convert it to a size or whatever that i can search for on Amazon or somewhere. Everything i find is way too big. thread count or spacing doesnt matter as long as they fit each other I'm sure McMaster Carr would have something for you https://www.mcmaster.com/fasteners/
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Nov 19, 2021 02:13
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banned from Starbucks posted:Where do i find something this small? Im too stupid to understand how to convert it to a size or whatever that i can search for on Amazon or somewhere. Everything i find is way too big. thread count or spacing doesnt matter as long as they fit each other It could be a #0 or it could be metric, what did it come off of? If it's something made overseas that's a big clue that it's metric.
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Nov 19, 2021 02:38
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Cyrano4747 posted:Something to note about this is that if you have an old - think more than 10 years - water heater and it's never been drained you might gently caress yourself if you drain it. Basically if the valve gets clogged with the poo poo that's in the tank you might not be able to get it closed again.
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Nov 19, 2021 02:48
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NomNomNom posted:It could be a #0 or it could be metric, what did it come off of? If it's something made overseas that's a big clue that it's metric. No clue actually. I found it in a random parts container and it fit what I needed it for and now i need more.
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Nov 19, 2021 03:03
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banned from Starbucks posted:No clue actually. I found it in a random parts container and it fit what I needed it for and now i need more. If you already have one, just try a hardware store. Like go to lowes-depot, ace, or wherever. An auto parts store *probably* wouldn't have something like that although you could try if none of the others have them. My order of operations for finding something like that would be: Hardware/big box store - convenience Industrial supply place - Some don't sell to the public, or you otherwise need an account Auto parts store - just in case Online - but then you have to wait for shipping.
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Nov 19, 2021 03:25
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Ace does metric much better than home Depot or Lowe's from my experience. Take them there and they even have little things you can thread the nut onto usually to find the pitch.
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Nov 19, 2021 03:42
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Hobby store that sells R/C kits and hardware. Specifically, DuBro: https://www.dubro.com/collections/fasteners I used their stuff to replace rivets when rebuilding the window tracks in my Econoline.
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Nov 19, 2021 04:32
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Yeah take it into a hardware store (ideally an ace/tru-value, i find their loose hardware sections better than lowes depot), or a fastener shop if there's one around you, or even a hobby shop as someone said. You can sometimes figure out a bolt with good calipers but it's so easy to just try it out in a gauge. Also, if you find the right bolt but it's too long, it's really easy to cut bolts down to length. Hacksaw, then lightly deburr with a file.
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Nov 19, 2021 06:39
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alnilam posted:or a fastener shop if there's one around you Not sure if you’re in the US, but I was surprised to find out these guys are only in Canada. Do y’all have Fastenal?
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Nov 19, 2021 13:10
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alnilam posted:Yeah take it into a hardware store (ideally an ace/tru-value, i find their loose hardware sections better than lowes depot), or a fastener shop if there's one around you, or even a hobby shop as someone said. You can sometimes figure out a bolt with good calipers but it's so easy to just try it out in a gauge. A thread gauge is the best answer. Any hardware store should have one in the fastener aisle. I feel like calipers would be too hard to get something like the thread pitch, but maybe I'm just not patient enough. Also there are a couple metric fasteners that are drat near identical to imperial. I think like M5 and 10-32 or something like that, and the dimensions are so close you could fool yourself in to thinking you measured them wrong. Also you have to engage more than a couple threads to be sure that it's the right fit. DaveSauce fucked around with this message at 13:46 on Nov 19, 2021 |
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Nov 19, 2021 13:43
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mr.belowaverage posted:Not sure if you’re in the US, but I was surprised to find out these guys are only in Canada. We have fastenals here but usually I can get whatever I need at the local ace/tru-value.
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Nov 19, 2021 14:29
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I don't know where any of y'all are, but in Canada, Fastenal doesn't do non-commercial sales anymore. Only businesses and account sales. And if you're not a business, you don't get to have an account.
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Nov 19, 2021 14:53
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I referred a lot of people to our local Ace Hardware when I worked the retail counter at my current job. I had a lot of fasteners but they were almost all sheet metal screws. Anything machine thread was highly specialized and the smallest thing I had was a 10-24. Did some looking on Bolt Depot but the smallest Phillips truss head I can find is a #2 diameter. Echoing Ace.
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Nov 19, 2021 14:54
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PainterofCrap posted:Hobby store that sells R/C kits and hardware. Specifically, DuBro: Definitely this. That's only marginally larger than a lot of the screws and bolts that I use in my model trains. I just rolled open my small bits drawer and it took me one seconds to find something exactly the same size as that drawing.
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Nov 19, 2021 17:41
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The light in my house's staircase has two switches, one at the bottom and one at the top. However, unlike regular setups where flipping either switch toggles the light, both switches have to be flipped on for the light to be on. I haven't opened up the boxes to take a look yet...how are these supposed to be wired? I have a sneaking suspicion that this is one of those cases where you need to have four conductors (hot, neutral, third leg, ground) and the PO didn't want to run new wires.
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Nov 20, 2021 05:40
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Sounds like a couple of two way switches in series. They should have three way switches and a three conductor wire.
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Nov 20, 2021 06:13
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:The light in my house's staircase has two switches, one at the bottom and one at the top. However, unlike regular setups where flipping either switch toggles the light, both switches have to be flipped on for the light to be on. I haven't opened up the boxes to take a look yet...how are these supposed to be wired? We have one of those sets of switches too, but ours is a rental house and I'm not messing around with someone else's wiring.
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Nov 20, 2021 13:20
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