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Re panel chat: I have a sub panel that has 24 knockouts but when I opened it there are only 20 spots to put breakers. What's the easiest way to add 4 more spots? I'm not sure if I can use double breakers (I need afci  ) it's a Square D homeline panel
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Jul 22, 2023 13:25
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FISHMANPET posted:Upgrading your service requires a new panel, it's more than just pooping a bigger main breaker in. Why is this, anyway? Do they need to make the bus bar out of thicker material or something?
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Jul 22, 2023 15:12
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I have a crappy-ish Hunter ceiling fan I got from Home Depot and installed myself a few years ago. Unfortunately, the medium and low speeds are effectively useless, so I pretty much only run it on high. In the last year or so, it started sometimes not switching to high, or it would switch to high but not actually get up to speed. It's unclear to me if it's the motor, the switch, the speed controller, or something else, but now it won't go on high at all, which makes it an ugly light fixture. Any tips to figure out what the problem is? And what's the non-landlord special ceiling fan that I can replace it with if not? A medium/low speed that actually moves some air would be nice for the colder months.
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Jul 22, 2023 18:04
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more falafel please posted:I have a crappy-ish Hunter ceiling fan I got from Home Depot and installed myself a few years ago. Unfortunately, the medium and low speeds are effectively useless, so I pretty much only run it on high. In the last year or so, it started sometimes not switching to high, or it would switch to high but not actually get up to speed. It's unclear to me if it's the motor, the switch, the speed controller, or something else, but now it won't go on high at all, which makes it an ugly light fixture. You may have blown the motor running it full speed all the time
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Jul 22, 2023 18:09
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HootTheOwl posted:You may have blown the motor running it full speed all the time I'm willing to believe that just because it's a lovely contractor model, but if it's not designed to run for 8 hours a day at one of its preset speeds, it shouldn't be like that.
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Jul 22, 2023 18:13
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It was doa and should have been returned, as much as that sucks with a fan. See if there is a warranty but it sounds like the windings on the motor are busted.
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Jul 22, 2023 18:31
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There is a world of difference between the contractor special big box fans sold under the Hunter brand and the real Hunter fans. The real ones can stay on for decades at a time with maybe an occasional bit of lubrication.
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Jul 22, 2023 19:14
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Kaiser Schnitzel posted:There is a world of difference between the contractor special big box fans sold under the Hunter brand and the real Hunter fans. The real ones can stay on for decades at a time with maybe an occasional bit of lubrication. How do I know the difference
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Jul 22, 2023 19:22
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HootTheOwl posted:How do I know the difference E: good hunter, will last 50 years and more: https://www.ceilingfan.com/hunter-original-1 Mediocre hunter fan, possibly not actually manufactured by hunter: https://www.ceilingfan.com/hunter-sea-wind Kaiser Schnitzel fucked around with this message at 19:47 on Jul 22, 2023 |
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Jul 22, 2023 19:44
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But but but my hunter green uses the official app!
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Jul 22, 2023 20:14
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H110Hawk posted:It was doa and should have been returned, as much as that sucks with a fan. See if there is a warranty but it sounds like the windings on the motor are busted. It wasn't DOA, it worked fine for several years, like I said. The medium setting was slower than what I wanted. If there was a warranty I'm sure it's out of it by now.
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Jul 22, 2023 21:37
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Pulled the Champion 4 turdmaster and tried putting my scope down the line. Got about 5 feet and the lens got covered in, uh, probably what you think from riding along the side of the pipe. So you can imagine that the picture was pretty much useless. Pulled it out, cleaned it. Went in slower trying to pay attention. As I got to the same area the camera started pushing up the ooze on the side of the pipe again so it was kinda useless.. but the little 5mm scope will probably come in handy for wrenching so money not lost. Filled a couple of big stock pots full of water and dumped down the flange, you could hear it wasn't draining right, as to be expected. But the water was slowly flowing. Then all of a sudden you could hear a change and it rapidly drained. Grabbed the snake and shoved it down, got oh, roughly the same, little further and you could hear the water definitely change and I pulled it back... Yeah, it looked like and smelled like exactly you'd think. Rinsed it off, put it back but this time I was able to point the toilet tank fill line down the flange and lit it rip as I passed the snake down. Got probably 20ish feet, I'm sure far enough to hit the stack, and pulled it back. No nice klingons that time so washed it off, and re-assembled toilet. All seems to be fine. Hoping I don't need to do this again. I can't prove evidence of costco papertowels, but I DO know they were often used in cleaning the washroom and flushed up until about a year or so ago, so that is my suspicion for what cause the periodic hang up. Will see if this ever happens again.
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Jul 22, 2023 22:37
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Please mock my awful drywall mudding and taping job. It's so bad but I think if I use enough compound and then sand a lot and then use some texture and paint it'll be passable. My mud hardened up before I finished so it's not quite all done yet as you can see in the corner there. Ignore that it's greenboard. That was used in place of normal sheetrock because my partner really wanted it. 
SpartanIvy fucked around with this message at 23:29 on Jul 22, 2023 |
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Jul 22, 2023 23:26
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more falafel please posted:I have a crappy-ish Hunter ceiling fan I got from Home Depot and installed myself a few years ago. Unfortunately, the medium and low speeds are effectively useless, so I pretty much only run it on high. In the last year or so, it started sometimes not switching to high, or it would switch to high but not actually get up to speed. It's unclear to me if it's the motor, the switch, the speed controller, or something else, but now it won't go on high at all, which makes it an ugly light fixture. I wonder if the brushes for the motor just need to be replaced. I don't know if they're brushless or what but if you can turn the breaker off and remove the housing, maybe you can pull the brushes and see.
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Jul 22, 2023 23:48
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Good call on the giant one, I'd go bigger if I bought mine again.
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Jul 23, 2023 00:02
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  Automower 430XH Robotic Lawn Mower with GPS Assisted Navigation (1/2 Acre To 1 Acre) https://www.lowes.com/pd/Husqvarna-Automower-430XH-Robotic-Lawn-Mower-with-GPS-Assisted-Navigation-1-2-Acre-To-1-Acre/5013582143
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Jul 23, 2023 01:00
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slidebite posted:Pulled the Champion 4 turdmaster Not all heroes wear capes
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Jul 23, 2023 01:18
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Tiny Timbs posted:
Also I think robo mowers should be illegal. Too much danger.
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Jul 23, 2023 01:36
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SpartanIvy posted:Please mock my awful drywall mudding and taping job. It's so bad but I think if I use enough compound and then sand a lot and then use some texture and paint it'll be passable. My mud hardened up before I finished so it's not quite all done yet as you can see in the corner there. The gouges in the corner and the fat bulge on the bottom of the tape on the right will be annoying, but the rest is fine. The mud hides all. You should consider pre-filling those big gaps at the ceiling, maybe even flat tape before taping the corner.
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Jul 23, 2023 02:11
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Consider a pass with a wet sponge versus trying to sand down a large glob.
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Jul 23, 2023 03:35
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SpartanIvy posted:Please mock my awful drywall mudding and taping job. It's so bad but I think if I use enough compound and then sand a lot and then use some texture and paint it'll be passable. My mud hardened up before I finished so it's not quite all done yet as you can see in the corner there. Next time, put the top sheet in first. I know. It seems wrong. It's heavy. It's harder. It's the right way. The top sheet should support the outside edge of the ceiling drywall, and when they're nice and tight it doesn't crack. Ideal you don't screw off the ceiling drywall close either so if the structure moves it'll flex and maintain a close relationship with the walls. Also go pick up a box of drywall mud to finish the rest. When you mention it hardening I know you must be using 45 minute hot mud. It's very nice to have on hand, but the mixed box is more forgiving, ready to use, and will last through the job even if you do 10 coats over the next month. It's also dirt cheap. Looks to be about $13 local to me. Mix it up, add a bit of water to loosen it for finishing. I did some patching with hot mud today, it rocks to have around. I put back a piece I cut for an access. It also looks like poo poo! Partly because of where and what it is. I used a hole saw and just secured the scrap back in. It was out of level. Round holes are annoying to tape. The scrap always ends up too deep in the hole despite the backer wood being straight and secured on all ends. And it's on the ceiling, so gravity isn't my friend. I'll wet sand with a sponge in the morning and give it a skim coat with a wetter mix and it'll be close. 
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Jul 23, 2023 03:50
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H110Hawk posted:
It uses little razor blades instead of regular blades. I think you’d have to try pretty hard to get cut. The creepiest part is it’s utterly silent. Even my electric push mower makes a loud whirring sound.
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Jul 23, 2023 04:10
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StormDrain posted:Next time, put the top sheet in first. I know. It seems wrong. It's heavy. It's harder. It's the right way. I went and bought the big 200 pack of these: https://www.prest-on.com/products/prest-on-insta-back-drywall-fastener-200-pack They work significantly better then loving around with backer wood.
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Jul 23, 2023 04:22
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Tiny Timbs posted:
Gas grill question. We're slowly getting into the market for a new NG grill. No rush, my old one does still work, but it's getting up there and I'd really like a side burner for frying things periodically. Example, if I'm doing burgers I like frying some mushrooms and onions for a toppings. I noticed that Napoleon (and other "good" brands) commonly has sear burners (typically for searing steak) as a side burner, not so much regular burners. Can you use a side sear burner as a "regular" burner for a frying pan? I typically use an ancient 10ish" cast, well seasoned iron pan for frying when I can.
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Jul 23, 2023 16:51
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I just put a cast iron on the grill. I would go to the manufacturer website and look through their complete catalog. The stores aren't going to stock more niche stuff, but any BBQ store can order whatever you want. Basically anything can be NG by adding that to the part number. You don't need to limit yourself.
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Jul 23, 2023 16:57
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Yeah I put the pan on the grill right now as well. It's not ideal. I'm not limiting myself, just waiting for something to go on sale at end of season and snag it. I'm aware that propane and NG are generally swappable with slight modification. Just curious about using a sear burner as a regular burner, that's all. My local Costco actually has ready to go NG Napoleons with the side sear right now which I think will be marked down to a .97 soon (that's their closeout pricing) but just trying to do some research.
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Jul 23, 2023 17:45
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devicenull posted:I went and bought the big 200 pack of these: https://www.prest-on.com/products/prest-on-insta-back-drywall-fastener-200-pack They work significantly better then loving around with backer wood. You're right. Wish I had bought a pack of them a decade ago. Maybe I'll remember to get some next time I patch something. I'm also hoping to go a year or more without needing them! Oh guess what I'm doing today? Ripping out a section of drywall to put in a new backsplash.
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Jul 23, 2023 18:08
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I'm looking at filling in the grass between my two concrete driveway tracks with concrete (or maaybe gravel) and adding a bit of an apron to my garage. Apron would be ~16'x5-6' (80-100 sq ft) and the area between the two existing concrete areas is ~3'x125' (400 sq ft). I plan to do the excavation myself, but how thick should the concrete be and do I need to add any reinforcement mesh or rebar? I'm in an area with no frost heave or anything, hardly ever freezes. It wouldn't get much traffic, but occasionally I might drive a big pickup truck full of mulch or a tree trimming truck might have to get back there. For that amount of concrete, would I be better off to hire someone to pour it from a truck or is that something I could do myself? By my math it's around 4 yards. My prior concrete pouring experience is pretty limited, but I remember even with renting a mixer from HD it wasn't much fun, but I did also have a broken hand at the time, lol.
Kaiser Schnitzel fucked around with this message at 19:30 on Jul 23, 2023 |
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Jul 23, 2023 19:07
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slidebite posted:Gas grill question. Weber uses regular burners on the side, the sear function is integrated into the grill part. I have been very pleased with my propane Genesis for the last ten years. Nothing needed beyond the stuff you'd expect like new grates, heat distribution bars, and new casters thanks to the Texas sun baking the rubber off the old ones. It shows absolutely no sign of slowing down anytime soon, but if a tree fell on it or something I wouldn't hesitate to get another Weber.
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Jul 23, 2023 19:29
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I would hire out 4 yards of concrete. Including the rebar if you can swing it. Excavation and forming is easy by comparison and without that the pour should be reasonably priced and done in a morning.
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Jul 23, 2023 19:58
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Concrete is such a chore. Between the sheer mass of the materials, and the fact that you have to get all your work done in a relatively small timeframe, it's just stressful and exhausting. The biggest pour I've done was for basically 2 sidewalk squares' worth, and I'm pretty confident I wouldn't want to go bigger without assistance. 4 yards of concrete is about 16000 pounds (sixteen thousand, not a typo). It's close to half what a cement mixer truck can carry. No way, no how would I try to do that solo.
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Jul 23, 2023 20:09
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Speaking of dumb ideas, I used to have a list of pre-fab or semi-custom "fancy sheds" which I have lost. I want to get something that can basically be delivered by giant forklift or crane into my back yard that's like 12x12, insulated, electrified, window, to-be-air-conditioned, etc. to use as a work from home office. Anyone have any suggestions or personal experience with these before I go off and see who has paid Google the most money?
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Jul 23, 2023 21:23
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H110Hawk posted:Speaking of dumb ideas, I used to have a list of pre-fab or semi-custom "fancy sheds" which I have lost. I want to get something that can basically be delivered by giant forklift or crane into my back yard that's like 12x12, insulated, electrified, window, to-be-air-conditioned, etc. to use as a work from home office. Anyone have any suggestions or personal experience with these before I go off and see who has paid Google the most money? It's regional... I was dealing with these guys https://pleasantrunstructures.com/ but never ended up paying them for anything but plans. I got denied zoning permission to install one unless I wanted to spend a poo poo ton of money on some permitting stuff (minimum permit cost was at least $10k and a year of time... yay wetlands)
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Jul 23, 2023 21:44
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devicenull posted:It's regional... I was dealing with these guys https://pleasantrunstructures.com/ but never ended up paying them for anything but plans. I got denied zoning permission to install one unless I wanted to spend a poo poo ton of money on some permitting stuff (minimum permit cost was at least $10k and a year of time... yay wetlands) Ah, got it. That makes sense. I sort of assumed there were national chains of these companies. Thankfully it's not wetlands in my back yard, it's a pre-existing cement pad. I'll ask around locally. I'm in Los Angeles county if anyone coming along has any ideas locally. 
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Jul 23, 2023 21:52
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Shifty Pony posted:Weber uses regular burners on the side, the sear function is integrated into the grill part. The biggest deal with Weber is that parts exist and will exist 10 years from now. None of that will be available for a no name grill from a big box store so you'll be throwing the whole thing out in 6-10 years when you can't find basic wear/repair parts.
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Jul 23, 2023 21:53
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Big brand names made in North America are really the only ones that interest me, like Weber, Vermont, Napoleon, BroilKing (family). Before I was 40 I bought on price and features. I won't do that anymore. The Broil king I have now has been made for something like 30 years. That said, does anyone know who makes the Kirkland (Costco) grills? Passing glance looks a lot like a Napoleon.
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Jul 23, 2023 22:08
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StormDrain posted:Next time, put the top sheet in first. I know. It seems wrong. It's heavy. It's harder. It's the right way. Just want to say you were right on all counts. The box of mud was not only easier to work with but longer lasting than the hot mud, and gave a smoother finish. I also picked up a "corner tool" while I was buying it and that thing paid for itself easily. I added a little water to the mud and sealed it up for next weekend where I will hopefully be doing more of a skim coat and doing finish sanding for painting. All the taping is done now at least.
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Jul 24, 2023 00:31
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Hot mud does have its place. The big difference is it doesn't shrink as if hardens. Premix shrinks as it hardens because it dries out. Hot mud sets as a chemical reaction. So if you're pre-filling a big gap hot mud is the way to go.
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Jul 24, 2023 00:40
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Vim Fuego posted:Hot mud does have its place. The big difference is it doesn't shrink as if hardens. Premix shrinks as it hardens because it dries out. Hot mud sets as a chemical reaction. So if you're pre-filling a big gap hot mud is the way to go. Well I hosed up then because I used the premix to fill the gap along the top.
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Jul 24, 2023 00:47
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Vim Fuego posted:Hot mud does have its place. The big difference is it doesn't shrink as if hardens. Premix shrinks as it hardens because it dries out. Hot mud sets as a chemical reaction. So if you're pre-filling a big gap hot mud is the way to go. Hot mud is excellent for patching, especially on your first coat. Not only fast and non-shrinking, it's really strong. It sands hard, doesn't sponge at all. So if I have time I like using light premix for my final coat(s). SpartanIvy posted:Well I hosed up then because I used the premix to fill the gap along the top. You'll be fine. Just see how it looks tomorrow. If it's a big gap/shrink just do a light coat of hot mud to fill it in before you continue. You're learning this the hard way, the way we all do.
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Jul 24, 2023 00:47
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