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I used some pb blaster to make my patio door to help it open a bit easier, but it still takes a ton of force. It's a pella door with a multi-point lock. any thoughts? you do need to hear the louder sound when pulling up on the handle, otherwise the lock won't engage. the manual says to just lift up and turn the lower lock, but if you don't hear that loud sound before you turn the small lock, it will just open right away when you push down on the handle, and it's not supposed to do that until you turn the lower lock again. https://i.imgur.com/mxgEOlF.mp4 actionjackson fucked around with this message at 01:50 on May 29, 2022 |
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May 29, 2022 01:47
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Its probably like that because some dude is hammering on it like a gorilla instead of using a firm steady motion to twist it open and closed.
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May 29, 2022 02:43
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Corla Plankun posted:Its probably like that because some dude is hammering on it like a gorilla instead of using a firm steady motion to twist it open and closed. it doesn't open if you just push down normally
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May 29, 2022 03:41
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Try to oil/lubricate the moving parts.
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May 29, 2022 06:03
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ok i'm going to eat crow here and admit that a regular motion opened it (some resistance but after holding down a bit it came open), I did apply more of the lubricant (PB blaster) as well so maybe that helped I do wonder if the multipoint lock mechanism needs some lubrication though, which is not something you can really access without taking the handle apart actionjackson fucked around with this message at 18:58 on May 29, 2022 |
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May 29, 2022 16:18
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Who knows anything about sump pumps? Mine is short cycling. What I mean is, every 10-15 minutes or so, it will run for a solid second. I unplugged it overnight and the pit collected more water and it was able to evacuate it all successfully. I put some food dye in the basin even to see if the check valve was failing, theory being that if the water color doesn't dilute over a day or two then ostensibly the water isn't coming from the discharge pipe. It's clear now. I bought a telescoping tool to reach down and manually engage the float so I can personally moderate how often and how long it runs. Float switch is almost certainly bad, but not sure if it's reparable thing or if I should just replace the pump outright? I have no idea what the age of the pump is and the pit is quite deep so I can't see any identifiable information without, y'know, cutting the pipe and removing the pump entirely.
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May 29, 2022 19:12
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Washing Machine & Water Leak Monitoring Stuff: I've tried to properly balance my [top loading - no center spindle] washing machine by adjusting the feet and still with bulky uneven loads of sheets/towels it bounces itself out from the wall sometimes up to 2 feet away. Any suggestions on how to better fix this would be great. As a related question to try and avoid a horrible mess, I want to get a water leak sensor thing that I can place ideally on the floor behind the washing machine. There is no plug available there so it would need to be battery powered (rechargeable?), make loud noises when water is detected, maybe it does wifi connectivity for internet-of-poo poo stuff?
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May 29, 2022 21:51
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SimpliSafe is a fairly popular brand of home security/monitoring products, they’re all DIY installation and thus battery powered, and I know a water leak/flood sensor is among their lineup.
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May 29, 2022 22:31
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Protocol7 posted:Who knows anything about sump pumps? I don't know anything about sump pumps. I believe they sell somewhat universal sump float kits at ye olde lowesdepot. No matter what you have to haul it out to diagnose it. If you want to commit to do it yourself I would go buy whatever you need to repatch it into the pipes, plus a universal kit, plus whatever you need to affix it, heck maybe a replacement sump pump, and don't lose the receipt. Haul it out and try. Even if you don't hook it up to the drain again you should know easily if it is short cycling again. If it's not - hook it back up. If you aren't comfortable with that level of commitment then I would have a plumber out. There any rain in the forecast? Do you have an emergency backup pump and hosing? How long will your pit hold water before overflowing with no drainage?
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May 29, 2022 23:00
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See I thought about doing a piggyback switch of some kind, that seems easy enough to install on my own, but that would require me to bypass the existing float somehow and at that point I may as well just hack it out and replace the whole thing anyway. No backup or anything. I haven't tested how long it'll hold before overflowing. I usually let the pump run once in the morning and once before bed just to keep the level down. While the actual pump itself is still seemingly operational I don't think it's bad to let it run, just less frequently and for longer (i.e., y'know, the standard usage.) The highest I've let it get is just above both of the drains that drain into the pit and they're probably... a foot from the bottom, and 1.5 feet from the top of the pit? I think I could probably do it myself because a bit of PVC isn't difficult to work with at all but then there's considerations like size of the pump, style of float, adjustment of float if it's capable of adjustment, etc and that's probably where I'd want a professional's opinion anyway.
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May 29, 2022 23:57
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actionjackson posted:ok i'm going to eat crow here and admit that a regular motion opened it (some resistance but after holding down a bit it came open), I did apply more of the lubricant (PB blaster) as well so maybe that helped Unless they've started to bastardize the name, PB Blaster isn't a lubricant. It's a penetrating oil for freeing stuck fasteners. It's not meant for lubrication of moving parts.
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May 30, 2022 00:20
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TacoHavoc posted:Unless they've started to bastardize the name, PB Blaster isn't a lubricant. It's a penetrating oil for freeing stuck fasteners. It's not meant for lubrication of moving parts. it does also have a lubricant. i got it because that's what pella recommended trying when I described the situation to them https://blasterproducts.com/product/pb-blaster-penetrant/
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May 30, 2022 04:37
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It is - the same way WD-40 is; but the 'lubricant' component doesn't hold up well for long, you need to follow it with some thicker oil.
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May 30, 2022 14:57
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oh... well the other thing is the multi-point lock is inside the door itself, so to lubricate that I would have to take the handle apart I think. since pushing down with enough force seems to work I won't mess with it
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May 30, 2022 17:35
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Bad Munki posted:SimpliSafe is a fairly popular brand of home security/monitoring products, they’re all DIY installation and thus battery powered, and I know a water leak/flood sensor is among their lineup. Not sure what features I'll get from it without buying into their hub and/or monitoring but I might just spend the $20 off amazon and return it if I don't like it, thanks.
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May 30, 2022 19:36
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I bought some light fixtures to replace some poo poo ones left by the PO. Until now I haven't even examined these fixtures closely. Can anyone explain to me what I'm seeing? I'm guessing this is some sort of weird Russian doll of can light inserts. Old fixture:  Can behind old fixture  Box behind can of old fixture plus mystery hatch that I can't seem to get open  Trying everything I can to try and open that hatch in the last picture (which I presume opens to some sort of attached j box). I might get a little more destructive if I have to. In addition to hoping someone can shed some light on what I've uncovered, I'm hoping for some guidance on how I can possibly get a box up in here with some standard mounting holes for the new fixture, preferably something the doesn't involve ripping this entire thing out of the ceiling and wiring in a new box. For reference, this is a first floor ceiling, above is another room, not attic or anything accessible.
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May 30, 2022 22:52
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tangy yet delightful posted:Not sure what features I'll get from it without buying into their hub and/or monitoring but I might just spend the $20 off amazon and return it if I don't like it, thanks. Yeah I know you can do a little bit of local monitoring/alarming without paying for the service, but I think it might still require the hub.
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May 30, 2022 23:13
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couldcareless posted:I bought some light fixtures to replace some poo poo ones left by the PO. Until now I haven't even examined these fixtures closely. Can anyone explain to me what I'm seeing? I'm guessing this is some sort of weird Russian doll of can light inserts. What’s up there is probably something like this https://www.lowes.com/pd/Halo-New-Construction-IC-Recessed-Light-Housing-Common-6-in-Actual-6-5-in/1094343 So there’s no traditional box to mount a fixture to. At some point the PO wanted brighter halogens so they got a screw base to bi-pin adapter. You can buy can light conversion kits that will get you a mount for a regular fixture but they have weight limits, so what you bought might or might not work
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May 30, 2022 23:20
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That makes sense. So something along the lines of this is probably what I need then?
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May 30, 2022 23:27
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couldcareless posted:That makes sense. So something along the lines of this is probably what I need then? That should do the trick
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May 31, 2022 00:44
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tangy yet delightful posted:Washing Machine & Water Leak Monitoring Stuff: Is this what you're looking for (but didn't know existed?) https://www.amazon.com/Watts-IntelliFlow-Automatic-Washing-Machine/dp/B00093DU5A
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May 31, 2022 01:29
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devicenull posted:Is this what you're looking for (but didn't know existed?) https://www.amazon.com/Watts-IntelliFlow-Automatic-Washing-Machine/dp/B00093DU5A That looks very cool but for my use case I actually anticipate the drain hose being more likely to leak if the machine decides to bounce around and this would just catch the inlet hoses springing a leak. Also wow that sure is a price of dollars ($444). edit: Decided to get this Govee WiFi Water Sensor. Looks like I can do some connectivity without a subscription plus audible alert. tangy yet delightful fucked around with this message at 20:31 on May 31, 2022 |
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May 31, 2022 20:24
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Downstairs has some...weird...finishing choices. Most notable is this corner of the room that was finished with cheap wood board on top and something weird on the bottom. Didn't realize until yesterday it was dry erase board. Underneath is styrofoam. I haven't torn all it away yet, but I want to replace it and a lot of the finishing with something that doesn't look like total rear end.    Couple of contractor friends of mine say this isn't a big deal and as long as I get the panels I want cut right, this is pretty straightforward. I also want redo the molding/trim. I know I'll need a miter saw for the molding, but corner round in the corners is pretty straight forward, right? Basically is replacing this lovely molding, trim, and lower boards this something I could pull off on my own with no experience if I watched the right youtube video? Also please direct me to that video. Also this is all getting painted afterwards.
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Jun 1, 2022 01:14
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This is probably more of a legal question(and ultimately vary by jurisdiction), but figure someone here might have an answer. I've put in for a permit to build a shed. The setback requirements laid out by the city don't really cover my exact situation(I don't back up to an alley\open space, etc). In the permit request, I enclosed the property layout with the shed placement as required. If they approve it, am I scott free even if its placement is against the rules? IE, if I go to sell the house in 2 years and the shed is 3ft from the property line when the setback requirement was 7ft, is the approved permit basically as good as a variance? Why not just ask them? A. I'd rather an overworked inspector miss it and rubber stamp it. B. No one I've called regarding rules, property lines, gas line clearances etc etc for this dinky little project has called me back going on a month.
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Jun 1, 2022 02:34
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bobua posted:This is probably more of a legal question(and ultimately vary by jurisdiction), but figure someone here might have an answer. Probably going to vary a lot depending on the city. When we bought our house and had a survey done the fence was like 15ft onto city property, thought oh poo poo this might be an issue! Could not find anyone who cared, including the city peeps who come out to do poo poo on "their" property occasionally. I also pulled a couple permits last year for improvements, no one ever came out and I just got an email notice that it was approved... 
Rakeris fucked around with this message at 02:54 on Jun 1, 2022 |
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Jun 1, 2022 02:52
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I mean, breaking the rules is always a risk. It depends on how much the city cares. But no, getting a permit to do X and then doing Y instead is not automatically OK with everyone.
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Jun 1, 2022 02:58
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bobua posted:This is probably more of a legal question(and ultimately vary by jurisdiction), but figure someone here might have an answer. You included the setback distance as a measurement on the drawing? |<--3ft-->[shed]? Probably fine. But someone later might get really butt hurt about it. There is really no way to know. I assume you're pouring a pad and that's why it matters?
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Jun 1, 2022 03:00
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:I mean, breaking the rules is always a risk. It depends on how much the city cares. But no, getting a permit to do X and then doing Y instead is not automatically OK with everyone. No, getting a permit to do X and then doing X. Hoping in the future if someone says 'hey X is against the rules I can show a permit that says the city okay'd X. H110Hawk posted:You included the setback distance as a measurement on the drawing? |<--3ft-->[shed]? Probably fine. But someone later might get really butt hurt about it. There is really no way to know. I assume you're pouring a pad and that's why it matters? yes on the drawing. Not pouring a pad just using decking blocks but moving the thing in the future is not an option, any set back more than about 4ft would make it pretty weird placement, so demolishing it would be the only real option. Planning on moving soon I hope, only reason building it is really on the table is that I'm paying $200 a month for a storage unit, it covers an eyesore gas meter\neighbors old nasty fence section that shows up in my yard, and I like building things.
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Jun 1, 2022 03:23
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I'm not going to tell you it's going to be 100% OK forever, but it's pretty likely that it won't be a thing. You can always lay the first course and ask for a preliminary inspection. You're not obstructing the gas meter right? Is there a minimum clearance for that meter you're missing? If so don't gently caress with it or the gas company will absolutely make you tear it down, probably with VERY little notice.
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Jun 1, 2022 03:46
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bobua posted:No, getting a permit to do X and then doing X. Hoping in the future if someone says 'hey X is against the rules I can show a permit that says the city okay'd X. Is that a universal truth? Who knows. But I wouldn't gamble on something like what you're proposing.
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Jun 1, 2022 03:47
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bobua posted:No, getting a permit to do X and then doing X. Hoping in the future if someone says 'hey X is against the rules I can show a permit that says the city okay'd X. Oh, I misunderstood, my apologies. I think in that case that you'll have a much firmer foundation to stand on if someone raises a fuss. The city can approve whatever buildings it likes, really; if someone wants a variance and the city approves it, then that's fine. There may be some procedure you're supposed to follow if you want a variance, but it'd take a pretty mean city official to raise a fuss if you said "look, I wanted X, I submitted a plan that clearly specified X, that plan was approved, I thought I did everything correctly". Of course, the city can also raise a fuss over whatever it wants. It's all about risk mitigation. I'm not a lawyer, this isn't legal advice, but like H110Hawk said, I think you'll probably be fine.
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Jun 1, 2022 03:49
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Slugworth posted:I had an inspector come in once to check some plumbing I was doing. He failed me for some minor thing. I fixed it, and when he came back he dinged me for something else that was already there the first time he inspected, and he missed. When I argued the point, his words were something along the line of "it doesn't matter when we notice it, if it's not to code, it's not to code". Mmmm, I didnt even think about an onsite inspection. For a simple shed I didn't even figured they'd physically come out. Jesus, what a nightmare. I can see why everyone loving hates this process.
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Jun 1, 2022 03:55
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No, that’s a code inspector being a dickhead. And before you build that shed, find out for sure. When I was building my garage, my plans, which I drew and notated, including two 36” deep, 18” wide footings, were approved. I did have to make some changes before they did, but not to the footings. Right before the concrete folks poured, the code inspector asked where the cross-footing (under the threshold of the garage) was. I told him there wasn’t one, and that my plans were approved & permitted as was dug. His response was something like, “well, I won’t approve it without it. We just assumed you knew what you were doing.” I was so pissed, I hand- dug the goddamned thing myself. I needed a variance for my property-line set-back too: from six feet, to two. Even though the garage I replaced was literally 4” off the line. If you don’t want to demo or move your shed: bite the bullet and make sure, and that it is documented I know, it’s only a small shed…but these guys can be righteous, and they can be assholes. You’ll get rear end in a top hat Day, sure as poo poo. PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 03:58 on Jun 1, 2022 |
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Jun 1, 2022 03:55
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PainterofCrap posted:
Jesus christ, I always heard that permitting\code inspection was the world's cheapest way to get an engineer to look over your plans and the naysayers were idiots. This whole process is going to turn me back into a republican.
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Jun 1, 2022 04:13
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There is a pretty standard disclaimer in construction submittals noting that approval of construction documents does not necessarily relieve you of the need to follow laws and code requirements. If you don’t have something in writing saying that a variance is approved then you should assume that it is not and someone could notice at any time. Up to you what kind of risks you want to take there, I imagine that enforcement can vary significantly. withak fucked around with this message at 04:23 on Jun 1, 2022 |
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Jun 1, 2022 04:21
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Its extra funny that what kicked this off was insurance wrote a check(hail damage) to replace the last shed I put in that I never got a permit for(didn't think it was even required at the time). Real glad I never bothered to try and permit it.
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Jun 1, 2022 04:30
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A lot of it depends on the mood of the overworked city employee that day, their relationship with you, how crazy you are trying to be, and how crazy your neighbors are historically. It unfortunately creates a negative feedback loop. Your absolute best bet is to just go down there and talk to them about it. There are no guarantees in life but a friendly smile and willingness to talk to them about it, including bringing up stuff you're worried about failing on, is a great way to grease the wheels. The whole thing would be a non-issue if you were working within the confines of your property. You are technically, ever so technically, the wrong one here. There is a process to get a variance. I have never been more nervous than when I supplied my city inspector with a ladder of all the dangerous things to climb into my attic. One shorter than OSHA would approve as the only way in is to get a good push off the top. 
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Jun 1, 2022 04:31
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H110Hawk posted:There are no guarantees in life but a friendly smile and willingness to talk to them about it, including bringing up stuff you're worried about failing on, is a great way to grease the wheels. This bears emphasizing. The building & planning department is used to people trying to do an end run around them, dodging the rules, hiding poo poo, and getting mad when they get caught. For many of them, it'll be a breath of fresh air to have someone come in and try to do things properly and with good humor. And if they tell you no, for god's sake don't get mad to their faces. They have the power in this relationship, and you don't want to give them an excuse to abuse it.
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Jun 1, 2022 04:42
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H110Hawk posted:A lot of it depends on the mood of the overworked city employee that day, their relationship with you, how crazy you are trying to be, and how crazy your neighbors are historically. It unfortunately creates a negative feedback loop. Your absolute best bet is to just go down there and talk to them about it. There are no guarantees in life but a friendly smile and willingness to talk to them about it, including bringing up stuff you're worried about failing on, is a great way to grease the wheels. My town has been in the top 5 fastest growing towns in the US for the past ~10+ years I think, the online permitting process seems solid on the technical side, just slow on the people side. I have to imagine the only people showing up in person are people that can't use and computer and/or think they should get to jump the line. I'm guessing in another week they'll respond with a denial or want more info, ill just go ahead and ask what the actual set back is, wait 3 weeks for that response, then ask if a variance is even worth trying for in his opinion, wait 3 weeks for that response, then scrap the whole project and do my best to avoid anything at all requiring interacting with the local government in the future.
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Jun 1, 2022 04:46
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bobua posted:My town has been in the top 5 fastest growing towns in the US for the past ~10+ years I think, the online permitting process seems solid on the technical side, just slow on the people side. I have to imagine the only people showing up in person are people that can't use and computer and/or think they should get to jump the line. Hope they have a survey on file. The city didn't when I built my garage last year so that was an extra $1500 I hadn't planned on.
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Jun 1, 2022 12:10
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