|
disgraceful posted:Part of my kitchen sink appears to be leaking. It's very slow, and I'm wondering is it possible for me to fix this, or do I need a plumber? Plumbers are incredibly expensive here in France which is why I am trying to do it myself. If you can buy rubber washers it would be very easy to fix. First make sure that you can turn off the water on the valves underneath the sink. If you have those valves, and you can turn them off, then it is a simple matter of prying the middle part of the handles, undoing the screw to remove the handles, and then unscrewing the bit that (right now) is hidden under your handles. Take that whole bit into a hardware store (it they have them in France ??), and make sure you match the rubber bits that should be on the deep end of the thing you unscrew. Often it is just a flat rubber washer that is held in place by a screw. Replace that rubber washer, and the metal washer that goes on top of it and the rescrew into the faucet fixture. Before you reattach the handles make sure it is not leaking by turning the valaves undernesth the sink back on. If all is OK then you are golden, if not then you might need to get a 'seat tool' and replace the seat that the rubber washer mates with. In my experience, the hot is usually the culprit if is a bad seat.
|
#
?
Aug 18, 2008 23:34
|
|
EVERYTHING I SAY ABOUT JAPAN OR LIVING IN JAPAN IS COMPLETELY WRONG, BUT YOU BETTER BELIEVE I'LL 
ABOUT IT.
|
|
| # ? May 9, 2024 22:19 |
|
|
Since it appears to be leaking out of the handles, my money is on the o-ring inside one of the spindles. Unscrew the spindle entirely, and inside there will be a small o-ring that is (in Australia) usually 8.5mm. Replace that and you should be golden. If it isn't leaking out of the spout, I don't think it is the washer itself or the seat. Mind you, if you're opening up the tap anyway, you should be able to get a set of all the washers and o-rings for fairly cheap, so you might as well just replace the lot.
|
|
#
?
Aug 19, 2008 01:05
|
|
|
Haikeeba! posted:Since it appears to be leaking out of the handles, my money is on the o-ring inside one of the spindles. Unscrew the spindle entirely, and inside there will be a small o-ring that is (in Australia) usually 8.5mm. Replace that and you should be golden. If it isn't leaking out of the spout, I don't think it is the washer itself or the seat. Mind you, if you're opening up the tap anyway, you should be able to get a set of all the washers and o-rings for fairly cheap, so you might as well just replace the lot. Also what he said... EIther way it's not hard, go for it. As long as you can actually turn the supply lines off easily, it is pretty satisfying to fix plumbing. Of course I started posting in this thread when I busted my house's main valve trying to turn it off while trying to replace a busted supply line. ANd then when the water company came out to fix the main valave, they busted something called a curb stop which meant our houses was without water for three days, and there was a backhoe digging around our foundation for a day and a half to get at the water line. SO things can go wrong. So if you cannot turn off the supply lines, stop there and get the plumber to fix it.
|
|
#
?
Aug 19, 2008 03:26
|
|
|
I have a quick question. I just bought a house (signed and finalized yesterday)and all is well and good except for one pressing thing at the moment. Everytime I go in to finish up the painting and work on the yard, the bathtub has one or two more spiders in it. Large spiders. What are the chances that they are coming up from the sewer? Could it be because the house was vacant for some time and they moved into the pipes or something? There are no spiders I've been able to spot in the entire house besides here. Anyone else encountered this? edit: I just realized I sound a bit retarded asking this, but I am honestly curious if someone with a knowledge of plumbing has any insight. I didn't want a lot of "kill them with fire" answers from elsewhere. OlyMike fucked around with this message at 04:17 on Aug 20, 2008 |
|
#
?
Aug 20, 2008 02:59
|
|
|
OlyMike posted:I have a quick question. I just bought a house (signed and finalized yesterday)and all is well and good except for one pressing thing at the moment. Everytime I go in to finish up the painting and work on the yard, the bathtub has one or two more spiders in it. Large spiders. What are the chances that they are coming up from the sewer? Could it be because the house was vacant for some time and they moved into the pipes or something? There are no spiders I've been able to spot in the entire house besides here. Anyone else encountered this? You can organise a pest treatment if you haven't moved in completely yet (or even if you have, maybe). Next time you go outside, block the plumbing with plugs to determine if it is the plumbing they are coming from. Check the bathroom for any cracks in the wall esp ones that give direct access to outside. Fill your bathtub and any sinks with water. If there is a main bathroom drain, pour some large buckets of hot water down there. Then let the sinks drain and pour more hot water down them, then same with bathtub.
|
|
#
?
Aug 20, 2008 09:37
|
|
|
Looking for the best (legal, OTC) local anesthetic to be applied topically and (inevitably) subdermally for some quick DIY surgery. Any suggestions?
|
|
#
?
Aug 20, 2008 11:22
|
|
|
quadreb posted:Looking for the best (legal, OTC) local anesthetic to be applied topically and (inevitably) subdermally for some quick DIY surgery. Any suggestions? You do know that you now have to go into detail about what you are doing, right? If you are really as crazy as I think, I'd say go for the localized dental numbing stuff for toothaches whos name is completely escaping me right now. It's sold next to the toothpaste.
|
|
#
?
Aug 20, 2008 12:13
|
|
|
Fire Storm posted:You do know that you now have to go into detail about what you are doing, right? It's pretty simple, I've watched some YouTube videos of the procedure. If it weren't for the probable pain, I'd have no qualms about it at all. The dental stuff you're talking about (for like canker sores?) is what I was thinking of, might have to try that.
|
|
#
?
Aug 20, 2008 12:17
|
|
|
quadreb posted:Looking for the best (legal, OTC) local anesthetic to be applied topically and (inevitably) subdermally for some quick DIY surgery. Any suggestions? Lidocaine and Benzocaine are the most common OTC anaesthetics. You can buy Neosporin with Lidocaine in it and it works pretty well for cuts; it has very little numbing agent in it; just enough to take the burn out of deep cuts. Benzocaine works a bit quicker, and is usually sold with aloe and moisturizers in the sunburn remedy area; but I've seen it as just a straight Benzocaine spray, too. Both work on direct contact with nerve endings, so you can't dope up an area and expect more than the skin to lose feeling. Orajel (for canker sores, etc) is a benzocaine gel.
|
|
#
?
Aug 20, 2008 12:26
|
|
|
babyeatingpsychopath posted:Lidocaine and Benzocaine are the most common OTC anaesthetics. You can buy Neosporin with Lidocaine in it and it works pretty well for cuts; it has very little numbing agent in it; just enough to take the burn out of deep cuts. Benzocaine works a bit quicker, and is usually sold with aloe and moisturizers in the sunburn remedy area; but I've seen it as just a straight Benzocaine spray, too. Thanks for this! I'll be posting in a thread here soon with pictures (maybe video). I still need to find some sutures, though.
|
|
#
?
Aug 20, 2008 12:30
|
|
|
quadreb posted:Thanks for this! I'll be posting in a thread here soon with pictures (maybe video). I still need to find some sutures, though. Bend a small sewing needle into a curve, and use 100% synthetic thread, keep all of it in rubbing alcohol until you go to sew yourself up. I'd had to stitch a few dumbass wounds shut myself...have something to bite on in your mouth.
|
|
#
?
Aug 20, 2008 16:44
|
|
|
The concrete walkway to my house is filthy. I have a multipurpose detergent for my pressure washer that I plan on using to get it cleaned up. Will the concrete need to be sealed afterwards? If so, what and how do I do it? Thanks!
|
|
#
?
Aug 20, 2008 19:10
|
|
|
So my friends just moved into an apartment with a yard and they have this sort of shed/storage building in the back of the yard. THe yard has a vine(i believe its ivy but not sure) growing all over the front of it. Can anyone recommend a way of removing the vine from the building? Thanks a ton in advance.
|
|
#
?
Aug 21, 2008 02:10
|
|
|
Sapper posted:Bend a small sewing needle into a curve, and use 100% synthetic thread, keep all of it in rubbing alcohol until you go to sew yourself up. Super glue works as well for a little while, if you're really up the creek.
|
|
#
?
Aug 21, 2008 08:28
|
|
|
FYAD KNIGHT posted:Super glue works as well for a little while, if you're really up the creek. Yeah, this is just removing a mucocele - no rush. Plenty of time to get it as right as possible to prevent having to pay $400+ for the 5-10 minute procedure + novacaine.
|
|
#
?
Aug 21, 2008 09:32
|
|
|
FYAD KNIGHT posted:Super glue works as well for a little while, if you're really up the creek. Does this work for covering up holes? (Never tried covering places where skin is missing) I have used it for gluing down flaps of skin (with varying success).
|
|
#
?
Aug 21, 2008 09:59
|
|
|
Can I splash-proof my bathroom door and doorstop somehow? Right now, the water from showering hits them and there's a nice puddle outside. I'd like to avoid installing a shower curtain since the showering area is pretty small. I can't think of any reasonable alternative, though... am I just going to have to put up a curtain?
|
|
#
?
Aug 21, 2008 09:59
|
|
|
kapalama posted:Does this work for covering up holes? (Never tried covering places where skin is missing) I guess it would depend on the size of the hole. I only used it when I had a fairly deep but thin cut and didn't have the means to go to the doc straight away. If skin is missing, I generally let it scab, though I've never got anything worse than a fairly good graze.
|
|
#
?
Aug 21, 2008 10:20
|
|
|
The Human Cow posted:You'll have to look around a little, but there are some really cool projects being built at http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?board=10.0 Thanks for the link. I like the look of this one (http://tazmame.com/) I got off it.
|
|
#
?
Aug 21, 2008 10:53
|
|
|
This may be more appropriate for PI, but does anybody know a good way to keep cats out of a room? I've heard that lavender plants are good, and that a spray exists that they hate if you put it on the carpet, and I'm willing to make my room smell like a grandmother if I have to, but I thought I'd ask here first. I just moved into a new apartment (only for a semester, or I'd consider putting up a screen door or something) and my roommate has two cats that I don't want getting into all my stuff. I'd just shut the door, but the sun shines directly into my windows in the afternoon and it's like a greenhouse if I can't open the door and ventilate into the rest of the apartment.
|
|
#
?
Aug 21, 2008 15:02
|
|
|
The Human Cow posted:This may be more appropriate for PI, but does anybody know a good way to keep cats out of a room? I've heard that lavender plants are good, and that a spray exists that they hate if you put it on the carpet, and I'm willing to make my room smell like a grandmother if I have to, but I thought I'd ask here first. I just moved into a new apartment (only for a semester, or I'd consider putting up a screen door or something) and my roommate has two cats that I don't want getting into all my stuff. I'd just shut the door, but the sun shines directly into my windows in the afternoon and it's like a greenhouse if I can't open the door and ventilate into the rest of the apartment. I've heard that about lavender as well, and I'm kind of skeptical of it. My neighbors have a ridiculous amount of lavender in their front yard, and their cats are always lounging around in the garden. I've never tried this, but I understand that cats hate walking across tinfoil. Give that a shot and see if it works I guess.
|
|
#
?
Aug 21, 2008 18:33
|
|
|
I have 16 aluminum lever door handles that have some white gloss paint around the edges due to crappy painting, any advice on how to remove the paint please?
|
|
#
?
Aug 21, 2008 22:16
|
|
|
quadreb posted:Yeah, this is just removing a mucocele - no rush. Plenty of time to get it as right as possible to prevent having to pay $400+ for the 5-10 minute procedure + novacaine. Quoting myself and crossposting for maximal... something. At any rate, I elected to post this in the Goon Doctor subforum for those who are interested. I plan to update with picture of the procedure sometime this weekend. http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=2937670
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2008 10:41
|
|
|
Soup Dragon posted:I have 16 aluminum lever door handles that have some white gloss paint around the edges due to crappy painting, any advice on how to remove the paint please? Magic Eraser http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melamine_foam
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2008 17:13
|
|
|
Soup Dragon posted:I have 16 aluminum lever door handles that have some white gloss paint around the edges due to crappy painting, any advice on how to remove the paint please? NickNails posted:Magic Eraser Good suggestion, but I what I had in mind was something liquid based to soften the gloss paint and allow it to be scrubbed off easily, without tarnishing the aluminum. I have tried soaking one in white spirit for a week, but that achieved nothing. I will try some caustic soda tomorrow on a non visible part of the handle, unless there are any other ideas?
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2008 21:01
|
|
|
I'm studying abroad this upcoming term and I want to lock my bedroom door so my housemates can't gently caress poo poo up. We rent the house, so I was wondering if there's anything I can use that would cause the least amount of damage to the door. If it matters, the door swings in.
|
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2008 03:39
|
|
|
Making my own Phone cords with a crimper. Is there a standard Yellow to the right or yellow to the left (As seen from the non metal side of the plug)? Wow this cable cord is messed upI have a 3 inch piece: On one end it is yellow red green black On the other it is Yellow green red black kapalama fucked around with this message at 04:05 on Aug 23, 2008 |
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2008 03:54
|
|
|
I have a new couch and chair that are pretty light and they have these little 1" plastic nubs on the bottom that hold them up that love to slide all over my wood floor. It sucks sitting in your couch and having it fly 3 feet back into a bookshelf as these plastic nubs make it want to do. I tried using the rubber shelf liner stuff and it worked okay but after about 2 weeks the furniture shifted off of them and it's an issue again. I want something that I can leave and not have to fix every couple weeks. Recommendations?
|
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2008 16:14
|
|
|
ashgromnies posted:I have a new couch and chair that are pretty light and they have these little 1" plastic nubs on the bottom that hold them up that love to slide all over my wood floor. Staple the rubber stuff to the bottom of the couch. When it eventually wears through, do it again. That, or take the plastic nubs off and put rubber nubs on.
|
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2008 17:52
|
|
|
BulimicGoat posted:I'm studying abroad this upcoming term and I want to lock my bedroom door so my housemates can't gently caress poo poo up. We rent the house, so I was wondering if there's anything I can use that would cause the least amount of damage to the door. If it matters, the door swings in. I would check with the landlord / university before you do anything, from the British perspective each Uni has different rules; Warwick Uni - has basically outlawed any physical locks on students own rooms. Leicester Uni - seems to allow locks, and most of the buildings seem to have them pre installed. If you can find a new door handle that has the same or a smaller footprint (screw holes) as the current handles, then you could go for something like this; http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002YQW1U?smid=A3LDAX1Z8QDFC&tag=nextag-tools-tier4-20&linkCode=asn This has an external key and an internal push lock. Rather like the locks on a public toilet door. Just make sure you remove it and replace the original handle each summer when the landlord inspects the property. Otherwise I would go for; http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav/nav.jsp?isSearch=true&fh_search=3520190922861&selected=products&x=20&y=9 (Diy.com & search for 3520190922861 if that link is broken.) These are 90 degree rotary locks and can be mounted vertically on the top of the door frame, which is a good option if you have hollow (cheap) doors. A window lock has a small footprint and if you get one with an obscure key shape (not an allen key type) then you could just fill the holes with a flour & water paste at the end of each year and tipp-ex over it, to conceal the holes. Failing that, buy a webcam and get some (free) motion detection recording software, that way you will know if the person that entered your room stuck your toothbrush up his arse or just wanted to borrow a pen. Soup Dragon fucked around with this message at 21:06 on Aug 23, 2008 |
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2008 21:03
|
|
|
Wapp posted:The concrete walkway to my house is filthy. I have a multipurpose detergent for my pressure washer that I plan on using to get it cleaned up. Will the concrete need to be sealed afterwards? If so, what and how do I do it? Thanks! The short answer? Probably not. The long answer? It really depends on how much traffic and what sort aesthetic you're going for as to whether you want to seal it or not. Personally, for a garden path, I wouldn't bother. Sealing concrete is really only necessary in my opinion when you are going to paint over the top of it, or it is in an application where it is important that moisture doesn't move through it - e.g. shower, basement floor. My advice would be to just blow all the dirt and poo poo away with the pressure washer and leave it at that. Internet Overlord posted:So my friends just moved into an apartment with a yard and they have this sort of shed/storage building in the back of the yard. THe yard has a vine(i believe its ivy but not sure) growing all over the front of it. Can anyone recommend a way of removing the vine from the building? Thanks a ton in advance. Honestly, I would just cut it off at the base, and pull it down. There isn't really any special technique required other than to wear gloves. The only other thing is to keep an eye out in case it has got itself caught around guttering or something like that when you are pulling it down. If it has, just snip it with secateurs and pull the little bits off afterwards. EssOEss posted:Can I splash-proof my bathroom door and doorstop somehow? Right now, the water from showering hits them and there's a nice puddle outside. I'd like to avoid installing a shower curtain since the showering area is pretty small. I can't think of any reasonable alternative, though... am I just going to have to put up a curtain? How big is the gap, and is the water getting around the side of the door or just the bottom? If it's not a sliding door I would install some weatherproofing strip around the edges. If the gap at the bottom is too big for just stripping, you could put in one of the sealers they usually use for exterior doors to stop rain. Just in case they're called something else in the US, for reference I'm talking about : Stripping:  and Sealer:  Soup Dragon posted:I have 16 aluminum lever door handles that have some white gloss paint around the edges due to crappy painting, any advice on how to remove the paint please? Just use paint stripper. Apply it carefully with a little brush so it only goes on the paint and not on the bare metal, wait for the stuff to do its job (don't leave it on too long) then scrape off the paint with a plastic scraper so it doesn't scratch the metal, and finally give the metal a quick clean down to remove any residue. BulimicGoat posted:I'm studying abroad this upcoming term and I want to lock my bedroom door so my housemates can't gently caress poo poo up. We rent the house, so I was wondering if there's anything I can use that would cause the least amount of damage to the door. If it matters, the door swings in. I would agree with Soup Dragon on this one. Most door handles these days are standard size, so if the house is reasonably recent, then you should be able to simply buy a handle that incorporates a lock, take off the old handle and slip the new one in without any alterations. ashgromnies posted:I have a new couch and chair that are pretty light and they have these little 1" plastic nubs on the bottom that hold them up that love to slide all over my wood floor. Take off the plastic caps and put rubber ones on would definitely be the simplest way to do it. Otherwise you could try castor cups. They're normally used for castor wheels, but there's no reason they wouldn't work for you.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2008 00:54
|
|
|
Haikeeba! posted:How big is the gap, and is the water getting around the side of the door or just the bottom? If it's not a sliding door I would install some weatherproofing strip around the edges. If the gap at the bottom is too big for just stripping, you could put in one of the sealers they usually use for exterior doors to stop rain. Hmm... I don't think that would look very good, unfortunately. In any case, I gave up and installed a shower curtain. I had to bend it a bit to create enough space but it seems to be workable now. kapalama posted:Is there a standard Yellow to the right or yellow to the left (As seen from the non metal side of the plug)? I believe this diagram (from http://www.lanshack.com/wire_phone_jack.aspx) is correct:  A question about light fixture wiring: I'm trying to install some lights onto the ceiling and have run into a snag. Namely, I don't know where the wires run! Therefore, I don't know where it is safe to drill. I have a wire detector but it seems to detect wires just about everywhere in the walls and ceilings, for reasons I cannot understand. It appears to detect straight lines almost everywhere - now, perhaps the chassis in my drywall is grounded but the ceiling should be solid concrete - surely the iron reinforcement in concrete is not connected to any wiring?! Yes, it's a wire detector, not a metal detector  What should I do here? I'll try to get some wiring diagrams from the property developer but the accuracy of any such thing is always suspect. Other than that... can I do anything but drill and hope for the best?? EssOEss fucked around with this message at 08:25 on Aug 24, 2008 |
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2008 08:18
|
|
|
EssOEss posted:A question about light fixture wiring: I'm trying to install some lights onto the ceiling and have run into a snag. Namely, I don't know where the wires run! Therefore, I don't know where it is safe to drill. Get somebody to turn the light on and off (about once every 5 seconds depending on how responsive your detector is) while holding the wire detector on the ceiling, and see if you can spot any difference in the signal strength. EDIT: Temporarily fitting higher wattage bulbs may also help. Soup Dragon fucked around with this message at 09:12 on Aug 24, 2008 |
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2008 08:49
|
|
|
Thank you guys for your earlier help 
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2008 13:31
|
|
|
disgraceful posted:Thank you guys for your earlier help No worries, how did it all turn out?
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2008 13:57
|
|
|
Thanks, Haikeeba. Washed the walkway yesterday and it looks great.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2008 14:11
|
|
|
Quick plumbing question: The shower in my master bathroom is one of those shower/tub things with the little stick on the tub faucet that you pull up to switch it over to a shower. I think that valve is wearing out / out of adjustment, because no matter how much you yank on it now you still get a spray at reasonably high pressure coming out of the tub faucet, even though the showerhead does have pretty good flow. How the hell do I go about adjusting this?
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2008 16:25
|
|
|
Wapp posted:Thanks, Haikeeba. Washed the walkway yesterday and it looks great. No worries. Pleased to hear it turned out well. IOwnCalculus posted:Quick plumbing question: The shower in my master bathroom is one of those shower/tub things with the little stick on the tub faucet that you pull up to switch it over to a shower. I think that valve is wearing out / out of adjustment, because no matter how much you yank on it now you still get a spray at reasonably high pressure coming out of the tub faucet, even though the showerhead does have pretty good flow. You need to either replace the valve, or replace the washers inside it. How easy it will be depends if the valve is on the spout itself, or in the sort of housing thing. I'm not explaining this well, so I'll steal some pictures: is it like this:  Or like this:  ? In my experience, the type with the knobs attached to it are easier to fix, as although it can be a bugger to get off the wall, once you have, it's normally possible to access the diverter valve, and then it's normally just a couple of O-rings to replace. The second type is dead easy to get off - you basically just unscrew them, but a lot of the time they are sealed units inside, and you can't replace the washers, meaning you have to get a new one. BUT your mileage may vary. The best advice I can offer is to take off the fitting (making sure you remember to turn off the water beforehand) and have a butchers at the innards. If you can get the valve out, the parts generally aren't expensive or rare. It's definitely DIYable at any rate.
|
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2008 02:16
|
|
|
EssOEss posted:Can I splash-proof my bathroom door and doorstop somehow? Right now, the water from showering hits them and there's a nice puddle outside. I'd like to avoid installing a shower curtain since the showering area is pretty small. I can't think of any reasonable alternative, though... am I just going to have to put up a curtain? Woah woah, let's back up here a second. You don't have a shower curtain? How on earth do you not get water all over the entire bathroom, never mind the puddle outside?
|
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2008 19:23
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 9, 2024 22:19 |
|
|
stubblyhead posted:Woah woah, let's back up here a second. You don't have a shower curtain? How on earth do you not get water all over the entire bathroom, never mind the puddle outside?  They are much better than showering in a bathtub / 3x3ft cube, especially for two people
|
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2008 22:04
|
|