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Shifty Pony posted:I was chatting with my neighbor about the crazy in my house and he showed me how his utilities are laid out. He is a mechanical engineer with experience in semiconductor fabrication plant gas, chemical, and electric supply. I tried to do that with my house. I was making a map and putting it on a set of prints. I found some incredibly strange stuff, and wires to/from nowhere. There's a circuit that does one outlet in every room of the house. There's a circuit that does a light in one room, a receptacle in another room, a switch to nowhere, and some thing else that I can't find. There's a switch that switches another switch, but isn't a 3-way, and doesn't have enough conductors to BE a 3-way, and was apparently original.
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Jul 18, 2013 07:07
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babyeatingpsychopath posted:There's a circuit that does one outlet in every room of the house.
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Jul 18, 2013 09:30
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nmfree posted:Maybe that was for an eventual generator? (probably not) That would be pretty cool if you lived in an area with frequent outages, could put a dual conversion rack mount UPS on that circuit and hook a generator into that. More likely it's just someone being an idiot unfortunately.
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Jul 18, 2013 11:33
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Maybe it was intended to be a lighting circuit (lamps rather than fittings)?
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Jul 18, 2013 15:13
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Reggie Died posted:I have yet to find a stud finder that is more reliable than just knocking on the wall and listening. A contractor came to our house when I was in high school, to install the chimney for a thru-wall fireplace. He used the measure method. Guess who's parents bought the house that the contractor who built the entire development built to give to his daughter as a wedding gift? Guess who built a house in 1956 with 10" centers? Guess who had DRASTICALLY underbid the chimney job? 
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Jul 18, 2013 15:33
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longview posted:That would be pretty cool if you lived in an area with frequent outages, could put a dual conversion rack mount UPS on that circuit and hook a generator into that. More likely it's just someone being an idiot unfortunately. I live in a place with frequent outages. I may set up a system to do this. My fridge is currently plugged into this circuit. You are brilliant. This forum has a way of making lemonade out of lemons.
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Jul 18, 2013 15:52
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The restructuring of the shoddy addons to my place is going very well, with new concrete foundation walls + proper footings taking the load. Unfortunately the addition wasn't put in perfectly square so there is a bit of an overhang on one edge of the foundation wall, but 2x6s were used so there is plenty of load bearing capacity. It's far, far, far more sturdy than it was. I'll get some pics of before and after. Another weird thing that was discovered was the foundation concrete was poured at two different levels for an area that has one flat floor. Like you look at the wall from the outside when it is dug down to the dirt and there is one section about a foot higher than the other. Bizarre. I can't figure out why half the things were done the way they were on this house.
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Jul 18, 2013 18:40
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My friend has a studfinder like this, I used it a couple of times at his house and is pretty awesome. A lot more expensive than little magnet swivel thing but pretty cool regardless. http://www.amazon.com/Zircon-MultiS...ords=studfinder
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Jul 18, 2013 20:45
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MrYenko posted:A contractor came to our house when I was in high school, to install the chimney for a thru-wall fireplace. He used the measure method. Moral of the story; if your clients have plant to wall mount ANYTHING that toggle bolts can't handle, install backing before boarding (and take pictures of EVERYTHING pre-drywall). For instance, towel bars, grab bars, floating shelves, floating vanities, TVs ect ect. Truth be told, as a contractor, most of my jobs require demo to stud. When its doesn't, 99% of the time a drywall plug will work. If its something heavy and absolutely has to be at a very specific location, I'll just sink a screw...if it catches, great if not, time to get out the drywall tools...
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Jul 19, 2013 09:05
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Using a nail is bad, but I can't say I've never done it. What I don't understand is the multiple holes all in the same vertical line. Like the stud curved 2 inches in that short of space. Not a bad construction failure exactly, but the police were called to my grandpa's house this week. A window guy was taking all the screens off his windows preparing to replace a couple windows. Thing is, he was at the wrong house  My grandpa was excited because hey, new screens for free.
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Jul 19, 2013 17:44
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stuxracer posted:Not a bad construction failure exactly, but the police were called to my grandpa's house this week. Speaking of the wrong house...
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Jul 20, 2013 14:56
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Wow.....cha-ching. That guy can hardly contain his excitement at the screwup as he's getting interviewed.
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Jul 20, 2013 16:10
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Motronic posted:Wow.....cha-ching. That guy can hardly contain his excitement at the screwup as he's getting interviewed. Underwood said there were items inside the demolished home, like personal items and antiques, that are now gone for good. Yes officer, my Ming vase, Stradivarius cello, boat, and original Escher lithographs were all inside!
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Jul 23, 2013 20:28
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I was left with my Great Grand Parents house a couple months ago and I have been going through trying to make a list of things that need to be addressed. My parents lived here for about the past 10 years and that means my dad has been "fixing things". I did help replace this breaker box a few years ago as the old one was a screw in fuse type.. But I did not help him add the extra circuits for his computer/radio/gray beard room in the basement. Granted I dont know anything about whats"up to code" but this does not look like it is.    There are several other fixes I need to document but havnt had the time. My current project in the basement is pulling down all the panneling and water damaged wood so I can reseal the block walls and maybe plug a few leaks.  This is another dad fix to control a leak in a wall.  I need to document everything one day and maybe start a thread to help keep me motivated but after 12 hour shifts and a 9 month old baby girl to take care of my free time is usually nap time.
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Jul 24, 2013 14:00
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evilnissan posted:This is another dad fix to control a leak in a wall. So instead of fixing the leak he built an elaborate drainage system to manage the leak, makes so much sense 
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Jul 24, 2013 15:55
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Parallel Paraplegic posted:So instead of fixing the leak he built an elaborate drainage system to manage the leak, makes so much sense Its an in-wall fountain!
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Jul 24, 2013 16:15
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P.S. STILL COMPLETELY DEVOID OF MERIT
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Parallel Paraplegic posted:So instead of fixing the leak he built an elaborate drainage system to manage the leak, makes so much sense Well, usually you're supposed to relieve the hydrostatic pressure on the wall by drilling holes in it to LET the water come in, and then let it flow through a small trench into a sump pump basin. Just sealing the wall without relieving the pressure isn't going to be a long-term solution. Although, neither is baking pan with a bunch of PVC piping coming out of it.
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Jul 24, 2013 16:20
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I don't understand why he didn't just run the pvc straight up to the funnel. In any event, it's wonderful. 
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Jul 24, 2013 16:24
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Bad Munki posted:I don't understand why he didn't just run the pvc straight up to the funnel. Don't you see the other water inlet, on your left?
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Jul 24, 2013 16:41
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Ahahahaha, I do now. Wunderbar!
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Jul 24, 2013 16:44
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Guesticles posted:Its an in-wall fountain! Its like a vegas hotel down there when its a heavy rain. The whole basement is a water works, There is a well down there that's about 20' feet deep with hand laid block walls all the way down. Think "The Ring".....  I will take a picture of the inside when I get home from work. Then there is a side room with a near 10X6X8 block cistern under it that's holding about 1000 gallons of water.. No pics right now due to the room that the access hatch is in is currently full of my dad's poo poo that he left in the basement that we stuffed in there while we pull the paneling down to figure out how many and where all the water leaks are. At one time the house was plumbed where the well water was used for drinking and sinks and the cistern was used for toilets and other non drinking uses. Now everything runs off city water but the pumps and most of the old lines still there.
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Jul 24, 2013 17:14
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evilnissan posted:Its like a vegas hotel down there when its a heavy rain. I was thinking Silence of the Lambs, actually.
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Jul 24, 2013 17:30
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evilnissan posted:I did help replace this breaker box a few years ago as the old one was a screw in fuse type.. But I did not help him add the extra circuits for his computer/radio/gray beard room in the basement. Granted I dont know anything about whats"up to code" but this does not look like it is. Eh, that job looks messy as can be and definitely not pro, but I only see one possible violation. The panel outlets aren't GFCI protected since they're in an unfinished basement, assuming they aren't on a GFCI breaker hidden behind the panel door. I can tell the old circuit cables were ran into those junction boxes for extensions then into the new panel one at a time of planning where which cable groups of should enter the box, instead of "the first knockout I see". Other than that, it could maybe use some NM staples to make it look cleaner and more organized.
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Jul 24, 2013 18:43
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Guesticles posted:I was thinking Silence of the Lambs, actually. Pickman's Model.
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Jul 24, 2013 20:28
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DNova posted:Well, usually you're supposed to relieve the hydrostatic pressure on the wall by drilling holes in it to LET the water come in, and then let it flow through a small trench into a sump pump basin. Just sealing the wall without relieving the pressure isn't going to be a long-term solution. Although, neither is baking pan with a bunch of PVC piping coming out of it. Ah that makes sense, I live in coastal Florida and nobody here has a basement because they would basically all be underwater all the time no matter what you did due to the water table being RIGHT THERE and all the ground being made of sand. Thanks for the info in case I ever move 
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Jul 25, 2013 00:56
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Part two of my basement of never ending water. Click for big. "It puts the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again"    I keep the sump pump on to keep the water level down and it seems to help a little with the water problem on the back wall near the well. Unfortuntly it drains into the old drain for the kitchen sink when that room use to be a kitchen so the hose reaches out behind the peg board wall down to the old drain sticking out of the floor. There are two hot water tanks for the house one is ok.  The other needs new hoses.  Because dad. What to do about the old vent hole for the old tank that was gas....  Nice view and nice holes from where he ran cables to his antennas. Water coming in this area, this was is not a perimeter wall so water is making its way this far through the blocks.  That white pipe going into the floor drain.. thats for the dishwasher in the kitchen upstairs... Remember the cake pan water feature I posted earlier? This is the drain from the pan.  Running across the floor at the bottom of the stairs.  Through a wood frame wall and into a floor drain in the bathroom... This is a view of the main room, at one time half to the right of the screen door was carpeted and setup as a living room. The back half had office desk and a gas (at one time wood) stove.  I am removing the panel walls trying to figure out how to handle the water leaks in the walls. The screen door leads to the cistern room of doom.  Revisit of the breaker box.  Everything is marked, but is it marked correctly.. I have sever light switches that do not seem to do anything in the house...  Drain for the washing machine... yep.  And whats behind door number 1?  Its a furnace, so far the only issue I know of is during heavy rain water gets blown into the exhaust and drips out the elbow just before the furnace.  The cistern room.. Full of my dads stuff. The arched water pipe is the city water coming into the house.  The pump is still hooked up and should work if turned on.. If the pipes are even connected to any thing or if they are even capped is a question I don't know the answer to.   Jump in, the waters fine.      
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Jul 25, 2013 03:10
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That well is both awesome and frightening. Also, what's going on in those last few pictures? Is it some sort of basement cistern, or what the hell?
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Jul 25, 2013 03:16
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His earlier post states that it is in fact a basement cistern. And goddamn that's some Rube Goldberg level plumbing there.
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Jul 25, 2013 03:22
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Bad Munki posted:That well is both awesome and frightening. That's the basement cistern under room with the pump. I risked life, limb, and cell phone taking some pics of the inside. It would be impossible to stop water from getting into it but it would make an awesome wine cellar/secret room.
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Jul 25, 2013 03:27
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Nah, just hang some unprotected lamps in there and throw some floating pool toys in, call it an indoor pool. I just raised the value of your house by like $50k.
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Jul 25, 2013 03:36
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Like this? http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3346097 Thread picture links are dead, but fortunately there are websites like the Internet Wayback Machine!        e. vvv 
Dillbag fucked around with this message at 04:31 on Jul 25, 2013 |
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Jul 25, 2013 03:55
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That was precisely the case I was referencing, I just didn't have the pics handy.   
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Jul 25, 2013 04:03
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I love those lamps hanging out right above the pool, instead of some sort of ventilation. Who needs to worry about mold if you're all going to get electrocuted first!
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Jul 25, 2013 19:28
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I've never seen a sump-pump before. I assume they are needed when the city's drains are higher than the basements? Wouldn't it just be easier to not build a basement that deep, or not at all? All the houses I've seen just have a drain or two in the basement that goes to the storm water system or whatever, no pumps involved. The idea of depending on a pump to not have a flooded basement seems kinda scary.
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Jul 25, 2013 19:51
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It's a pretty common thing, all the houses I've lived in have had them.
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Jul 25, 2013 20:12
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What did they do before electric pumps were a thing? Did people have an ox down in the basement or a steam engine or something? Most all the houses here are turn of the century-ish. How did basements manage before sump pumps?
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Jul 25, 2013 20:14
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I'm guessing the world was completely different and we weren't really building suburban subdivisions with houses so close that all drained into each other along with cheap municipalities not burying their sewers deep enough.
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Jul 25, 2013 20:15
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Man now I want to learn all about the history of sump-pumps. Although now that I think of it I did know someone with one. I had a friend in a more suburban area (is it a suburban thing?) that was also sort of low-lands that I think used to be marshy swampy land (or is it just a terrain thing?) and they had one. They did a big reno in the basement to put in a suite and one of the things was having to put in a back-up sump-pump as well as a ton of other drainage and plumbing related things. That was a reno from hell, ended up costing over 100k to just fix up an existing suite to meet code. They found all sorts of horrific stuff like structural drywall and an entire outer post for the house being taken out so a window could go in leading to the whole house actually sagging a couple inches in that corner. Also the toilet's plumbing went down, then up, then down again, leading to poo-smell water being trapped and sometimes backing up, so they had to re-do all the plumbing as well. The dumbest thing was the stair issue. To get into the suite there was a door level with the back yard that you'd open, there was a small landing then 2 steps down. Well, that just doesn't meet code, the landing had to be bigger otherwise it was clearly a horrible death trap. But the stairs couldn't be moved because of sump pump being right there plus doors. So what they had to do was dig a big external stairwell that also cost a fortune because it needed a drain at the bottom. PS Just asked a bunch of my friends about sump pumps, many didn't even know what they were and none reported ever having one or knowing anyone who did. I guess my city just has good deep pipes.
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Jul 25, 2013 20:22
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I know my grandparents old house in Milwaukee, WI didn't have one. So probably the sewers were below the level of the basement. But all the houses I've lived in have been suburban in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and they've had sump pumps. And actually the last two houses have been ones where for whatever reason most of the neighborhood homes send most of their rain water towards the house, so they had to be built up and super pumped. So I'm guessing in all those cases the drain in the basement is below the sewer, which makes sense since those were disposable homes in disposable suburbs.
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Jul 25, 2013 20:26
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My house was built in 2007, the lot was crested to drain away from the house, and the basement floor is only 4' underground, and I have a sump. It only ever runs during a really heavy rainstorm, but it does occasionally click on. The soil drainage around here is poo poo in general, though, so there you go.
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Jul 25, 2013 20:29
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