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What's the tank made from? It might be possible to have a thru-tank level sensor, wire 2 sensors up, 1 to a siren inside the house to let you know to fill up soon, the second to cut the boiler off as a least measure of defence.
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Mar 3, 2011 13:31
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The hot water in my house smells like a wet dog. Is this normal?
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Mar 3, 2011 16:49
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Is it a wet-dog smell, or more like a sewage-y smell, like bad farts? If it's the latter you should try googling "stink pipe."Cakefool posted:What's the tank made from? It might be possible to have a thru-tank level sensor, wire 2 sensors up, 1 to a siren inside the house to let you know to fill up soon, the second to cut the boiler off as a least measure of defence.  Crisis averted, anyway: got oil delivered today, and when we hit the switch to fire the boiler it actually worked.
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Mar 3, 2011 18:52
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jackpot posted:If it came to the point of replacing it and moving it inside (impossible anyway, there's just not enough space) we'd get an electric heat pump and be done with all this drat trouble. I hear some people say oil heat is more efficient, but at this point I'd definitely pay more money to not have to worry about this poo poo anymore. Is natural gas available in your area?
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Mar 3, 2011 19:50
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stubblyhead posted:Is natural gas available in your area?
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Mar 3, 2011 20:14
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Right now I have a boring 12' by 12' concrete slab patio that I am thinking of "sprucing up" and extending by another 6' x 12' (so that it would be 12' wide by 18' long). Is there a general consensus on the best option here: 1) pour a 6' and 12' concrete slab next to existing slab, stamp and stain all of it. 2) stamp/stain existing slab, add pavers that complement slab as the extension. 3) do it all in pavers (covering existing slab)
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Mar 3, 2011 20:49
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So we have a sink, and a place for a sink to go, however the sink is a bit bigger than the space that's currently set for it. See?  Everyone this has been mentioned to says we just need to "notch" the drywall and put it in. I've never done this. What do I need to do?
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Mar 3, 2011 21:20
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So I am planning out a kind of interesting project and was needing some lighting for it. As for the lighting what I needed was something light flexible and reasonably easy to work with. I figured EL Wire would be the best for the job after looking at my options. Basically I am working on this costume: http://www.creativeuncut.com/gallery-08/art/p4-persona-kanzeon.jpg The plates that sit on the radio tower face of hers have this red lighted striping in it. But there isn't that much of it so what I am wondering is would it be safe to buy a decent length of EL Wire and cut it to the sizes I need and hook multiple pieces into a battery pack. And also what would be the best way to go about doing this? As far as materials I am thinking some sort of PVC piping for the main piping rig and running the wiring through it from the plate to the helm where the battery packs could sit in the back. But I am not sure that would work or be safe. Any electrically experienced goons out there with an answer?
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Mar 3, 2011 21:53
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Unless posted:So we have a sink, and a place for a sink to go, however the sink is a bit bigger than the space that's currently set for it. Just notch the drywall, duh . No just cut the drywall nicely where the sink will recess into the wall. So the drywall will be over the lip of the sink. Though how much more room do you need?
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Mar 3, 2011 23:58
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Corla Plankun posted:The hot water in my house smells like a wet dog. Is this normal? Are you on a well? Did you install irrigation lines yourself recently? How long has the smell been there?
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Mar 4, 2011 00:02
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jackpot posted:$400 a month heating bills in a 1,600sqft house, in not-exactly-the-Arctic Richmond, VA This is far from a "fix it fast" suggestion but you may want to look into getting some insulation. That's far too much money for even a 100-year-old house on the Canadian plains, let alone a house in Virginia.
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Mar 4, 2011 00:22
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More drywall notching tips: use a brand-new blade in a utility knife. Make at least two passes - cut the paper cleanly on the first pass, but don't try to power through the whole depth. Once you get the paper cut you can just keep cutting the line til you get through the gypsum.
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Mar 4, 2011 00:36
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Rd Rash 1000cc posted:Just notch the drywall, duh . Like, an inch, not even. I'm guessing I need to take the measurements of the lip of the sink and then mark off the section of drywall and install from there. I'm really really new to this so I'm wanting to exact each step. Thank you so much!
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Mar 4, 2011 00:49
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Unless posted:Like, an inch, not even. I'm guessing I need to take the measurements of the lip of the sink and then mark off the section of drywall and install from there. I'm really really new to this so I'm wanting to exact each step. Thank you so much! Notching the drywall is the way to go; however how are you planning to slide/slip it in there with just a notch? You would have to slide it from the front it looks and then you would need to notch an entire run from front to back on both sides. It also looks like you have tile in the way on the left if you wanted to slide it in. I have doubts about it being able to pop in from the top if you notch it since the unnotched drywall will be in your way. Good luck!
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Mar 4, 2011 01:14
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jackpot posted:Normally we buy oil 100 gallons at a time and get refilled every three weeks (that's right: $400 a month heating bills in a 1,600sqft house, in not-exactly-the-Arctic Richmond, VA); I know we spend the same amount per winter whether we buy it in bulk or go month-to-month, but mentally it hurts less so I guess that's why we always did it.
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Mar 4, 2011 02:07
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Ahz posted:Notching the drywall is the way to go; however how are you planning to slide/slip it in there with just a notch? You would have to slide it from the front it looks and then you would need to notch an entire run from front to back on both sides. It also looks like you have tile in the way on the left if you wanted to slide it in. I have doubts about it being able to pop in from the top if you notch it since the unnotched drywall will be in your way. This. Also notice the backsplash. You would have to make a notch the height of the backsplash in order to just slide it in (if I'm visualizing what you're saying correctly). An inelegant but possible solution would be to trim the backsplash on the right side to fit the space. Then, again on the right side, notch the drywall (snap a line using a line level so you get a straight cut) so the sink base would fit. Fix sins with caulking. The bead will be large but probably not too bad. If it doesn't turn out correctly or is ugly, run a single line of matching tile on top right of the sinkbase along the wall to hide any issues.
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Mar 4, 2011 02:30
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Realjones posted:Right now I have a boring 12' by 12' concrete slab patio that I am thinking of "sprucing up" and extending by another 6' x 12' (so that it would be 12' wide by 18' long). 4) dig up the old patio and set up forms to make one large pour the size you want. Use curves and poo poo and stamp it. Color with some of the cool graphite type concrete colorings that are out now. e: also run a couple of conduits w/ pull strings underneath the new patio -- then if you want power or speakers or something out there you already have a solution. Flay Minion fucked around with this message at 02:40 on Mar 4, 2011 |
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Mar 4, 2011 02:37
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Flay Minion posted:This. Also notice the backsplash. You would have to make a notch the height of the backsplash in order to just slide it in (if I'm visualizing what you're saying correctly). Wouldn't it be easier to buy a cheap grinder from Harbor Freight and grind the sink down to fit, rather than fixing all that drywall? (Can you grind cultured marble? I've never tried.)
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Mar 4, 2011 04:12
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Realjones posted:Right now I have a boring 12' by 12' concrete slab patio that I am thinking of "sprucing up" and extending by another 6' x 12' (so that it would be 12' wide by 18' long). #1- Obviously you cannot stamp existing slab. With staining you might be able to match old/new concrete depending on the weathering of the old slab. #2- I have 0 experience in concrete stain, but this sounds feasible. #3- If you have a disparate base for a paver patio, such as one half laid on top of existing slab and other half on new base you will experience uneven settling no matter how much tamping you do. Your best options are either add on a separate patio, install ground level wooden decking, or (probably the best option) tear out the whole shebang and start from scratch.
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Mar 4, 2011 07:13
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The water pressure in our shower is weak, our shower head sucks, and I'd like to improve it if possible. It's a shower/tub combo, and when the shower is turned on, a fair amount of water still comes out of the tub spigot. Would a new shower head improve the flow?
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Mar 4, 2011 12:19
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^^^^unscrew the shower head and look for blockage. Replace the tub faucet; the little cheapo valve is bad. It should just unscrew from the wall. Replace with a quality faucet.VikingKitten posted:Wouldn't it be easier to buy a cheap grinder from Harbor Freight and grind the sink down to fit, rather than fixing all that drywall? (Can you grind cultured marble? I've never tried.) All snarkiness aside, it would be easier to buy a sink base that fits. Just pull the faucet and sink and reinstall into a new base. Grinding something like that is not an easy proposition when you need a tight fit. Takes forever, lots of dust, etc. If I had to cut it, I'd use a skil saw with a masonry blade.
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Mar 4, 2011 15:18
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sixide posted:This is far from a "fix it fast" suggestion but you may want to look into getting some insulation. That's far too much money for even a 100-year-old house on the Canadian plains, let alone a house in Virginia.
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Mar 4, 2011 15:49
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jackpot posted:Yeah, I know. This is the second winter we've been in the house, and for various and dumb reasons we keep putting off doing something about this. It's a 60 year old brick house but the windows are poo poo; you can tell just by walking past them that that's where we lose the bulk of our heat. New windows and additional insulation are two things we'll be looking into for this year. As a stop-gap solution, these products will help.
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Mar 4, 2011 15:56
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jackpot posted:[/quote] My sister and her husband bought a terrible house that had the same problem. I went on got a bunch of plastic window winterizing kits they sell for about 10 dollars or so and covered every window on the main floor. It made a significant difference. It's a pain to do each year, but seems to help as a quick, cheap solution to poor windows. For my own question, when I get a high pitched whine from my shower when first turning it on and lifting the lever thing on the faucet to switch to shower mode. If I only pull it 1/2 or 3/4 of the way up the whining goes away, though some water still comes out the faucet rather than just the shower head. Do I just need new faucets or is it a piping issue? Sounds like the whine comes from the shower head or thereabouts.
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Mar 4, 2011 16:11
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I'm finishing my basement and I noticed that both of the windows in the basement make a poor seal when closed. I thought it was the lack of full spray foam coverage around the window, but after re-spraying foam I see that it isn't. These are new basement windows (hopper lift-up type). What would be a good option for tightening/building up the seal?
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Mar 4, 2011 16:26
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^^^^ can you post a picture?ack! posted:For my own question, when I get a high pitched whine from my shower when first turning it on and lifting the lever thing on the faucet to switch to shower mode. If I only pull it 1/2 or 3/4 of the way up the whining goes away, though some water still comes out the faucet rather than just the shower head. Do I just need new faucets or is it a piping issue? Sounds like the whine comes from the shower head or thereabouts. Probably a clogged water saver in the shower head. Remove head, look inside, there should be a gasket with a hole in it. Remove debris. I usually take the drat things out but you could replace the shower head if water savings is an issue. Remember to use teflon tape when you put the head back on. Sorry to monopolize answers to these questions ITT... Flay Minion fucked around with this message at 16:31 on Mar 4, 2011 |
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Mar 4, 2011 16:26
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http://www.windoorinst.com/pages/our-products/windows-hopper-basement.cfm This is pretty much what it looks like. I know it's the seal because if I apply manual pressure to the window, the draft closes up and I can tell it's sealed (especially since it's -25C out).
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Mar 4, 2011 17:17
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Ahz posted:http://www.windoorinst.com/pages/our-products/windows-hopper-basement.cfm So the window itself isn't sealing? Not the area around the window or trim? During the install you may have shoved the window casing askew and slightly out of square. This is a typical issue with awning type installs. Check square and plumb before you go to all the trouble to take it out. You should be able to shim it back into square. If all is square, the window itself may be defective.
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Mar 4, 2011 17:57
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There is no casing yet. I'm finishing the window now as it's just attached from the outside, sealed around the edges and spray foamed from inside. I'm fairly hesitant to reinstall the window considering it's nailed into concrete from the outside flange and then they used some super sealing adhesive blue goop to make a tight seal.
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Mar 4, 2011 19:14
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Flay Minion posted:^^^^ can you post a picture? Most shower heads have a rubber gasket in them (so no sealant is needed some times). You never use teflon tape because it looks tacky and it usually shows. Put dope on the first 3 thread and that is usually enough. Turd Herder fucked around with this message at 22:21 on Mar 4, 2011 |
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Mar 4, 2011 22:18
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Rd Rash 1000cc posted:Most shower heads have a rubber gasket in them (so no sealant is needed some times). You never use teflon tape because it looks tacky and it usually shows. Put dope on the first 3 thread and that is usually enough. Tape does look tacky when it shows, but you can fold a strip of tape in half and it will stay hidden. I don't really enjoy working with putty so I usually end up doing this instead.
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Mar 4, 2011 23:22
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Is it safe to pour waste down the cleanout pipe of a sanitary sewer system? A friend is staying at my house in an RV for a while, and is not sure where to dump the black water tank.
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Mar 4, 2011 23:34
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Rd Rash 1000cc posted:Most shower heads have a rubber gasket in them (so no sealant is needed some times). You never use teflon tape because it looks tacky and it usually shows. Put dope on the first 3 thread and that is usually enough. Yeah yeah, you must be a real plumber (as opposed to me, a general maintenance guy that has to do a little of everything)-- I love what pipe dope does but I hate using it as the poo poo somehow metamorphosizes into a creeping alien slime that propogates onto everything, tools, hands, clothes aaauugh! Anyway, you're right but I prefer the sanitized clarity of teflon tape. Get offa my lawn 
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Mar 4, 2011 23:47
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sixide posted:Tape does look tacky when it shows, but you can fold a strip of tape in half and it will stay hidden. I don't really enjoy working with putty so I usually end up doing this instead. I never said use putty, I said use Pipe thread sealent (pipe dope) http://www.google.com/products/cata...ved=0CEYQ8gIwBA Flay Minion posted:Yeah yeah, you must be a real plumber (as opposed to me, a general maintenance guy that has to do a little of everything)-- I love what pipe dope does but I hate using it as the poo poo somehow metamorphosizes into a creeping alien slime that propogates onto everything, tools, hands, clothes aaauugh! Wipe the brush off on the inside top part of the can. It cleans it up pretty well. Turd Herder fucked around with this message at 23:54 on Mar 4, 2011 |
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Mar 4, 2011 23:51
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Low-Pass Filter posted:Is it safe to pour waste down the cleanout pipe of a sanitary sewer system? A friend is staying at my house in an RV for a while, and is not sure where to dump the black water tank. Ya it should be fine since it still goes to the city sewer or septic tank.
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Mar 4, 2011 23:53
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Any chimney experts here? I need to replace my chimney crown, it was built with mortar over wood which is pretty drat rotten by now. The chimney is stone with a foot or more void around the flue tile, so I need to span that gap but obviously don't want to use wood again. Is there any reason I shouldn't use Durock and thinset? If I stack 4 or 5 pieces of Durock, stepped back a few inches each level, held together with thinset and covered with mortar on top that should give me a good slope, I could cut the bottom piece near flush to the edge of the stone and place a galvanized drip edge all the way around. High temp sealant between the flue and the board and maybe a waterproof top coat. Seems like this would work fine to me, and easier than forming and pouring a concrete crown. But I don't find anything like this technique on the web so I'm unsure.
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Mar 5, 2011 00:17
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Similar to the 'making this sink fit' thing, I have an already tiled bathroom I'm taking a shower stall out of and installing a bath. The gap is 1660mm tile-to-tile and I can get 1600mm baths or 1675mm. I've had some people say take the tiles out & slip the tub under the remaining tiles to fit the 1675mm in, some say put the 1600 in & fill the gap. Problem is, no-one can tell me what to fill the gap with. What's the best solution?
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Mar 5, 2011 00:33
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scheissmacht posted:Any chimney experts here? I suppose it would work but the only way I've ever done this looks like this: flashing/roofing tar. Then use that flexible Crown Coat stuff on top. Was pretty quick and inexpensive. e: This is the stuff I meant Flay Minion fucked around with this message at 17:20 on Mar 5, 2011 |
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Mar 5, 2011 17:09
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Flay Minion posted:Grinding something like that is not an easy proposition when you need a tight fit. Takes forever, lots of dust, etc. If I had to cut it, I'd use a skil saw with a masonry blade. Good to know! re: leaky windows - you can also use bubble wrap. Just tape it along the window edges and tape the seams - the little bubbles of air insulate surprisingly well.
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Mar 5, 2011 17:46
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I have a quick question for anyone who knows a bit about plumbing, though I don't know if anyone can provide me with more information than I already have. I own a condo that I am renting out and my tenant called to let me know that some sewage had backed up into her tub. I called a plumber to take care of the issue and after finishing up he told me that after snaking the line through the toilet he found baby wipes, feminine hygiene products, and a washcloth in the drain. When I asked if he thought the tenants had flushed those things he said couldn't give me a definitive yes or no because he couldn't find any access drains outside and had no idea how our pipes connected to those of our neighbors. Our condo is on the first floor, and the front half is partially underground, while the back half is level with the outside. Above the unit are two upstairs units that meet in the middle of our condo. I know the lady on the upper left has a small child so the cloth and baby wipes may have come from there, but then again our unit's toilet is on the right side. With all the rain and snow melting here in New England the drains are pretty full, however, my husband and I lived there for four years and experienced heavy rain but never had any such issues. Unfortunately I don't know if anyone else in the condo has experienced this issue so I'm now left wondering if was something caused by our tenants, or an issue with the city or common pipes. I mainly need to know this to determine whether we need to get reimbursed for this from the condo since the pipes are their responsibility, but if our tenants did the damage we will have to bite the cost we paid to have it fixed. Edit: I told our tenants to make sure they aren't flushing anything like that down the drain. This is their first time living away from their parents so I wonder if they may not have known any better. Hopefully the issue doesn't pop up again if in fact they were responsible for the damage this time. Opera Bitch fucked around with this message at 05:15 on Mar 7, 2011 |
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Mar 7, 2011 05:13
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