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Flipperwaldt posted:My dad swears by Loctite 55. Loctite 55 is good stuff, but I've found that the brushable "teflon tape" (PTFE paste) that you can pick up at most any hardware store works quite well (and is obviously much easier to get your hands on).
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Sep 10, 2013 00:46
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Flipperwaldt posted:My dad swears by Loctite 55. After using hemp and then later teflon for many years, he's just baffled that this works the first time every single time. Well, the underlying question really is "how do I fix this." I'll check the store for this and the stuff Motronic mentioned, thanks for the tips.
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Sep 10, 2013 06:04
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stubblyhead posted:Yeah, that's the way I'm doing it also. What's the correct amount to use? I generally go 3 times around. In my experience, when teflon tape doesn't work then it's either the washer or a thread issue (either on the showerhead or the arm). You shouldn't need pipe dope nor anything more than hand-tight (or 1/4 turn past hand tight at most). How does the washer look?
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Sep 10, 2013 06:22
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It took less than a month for the heat exchanger on my oil furnace to plug up completely after I cleaned it. I don't have the tools to do the tuneup, can I assume it's time to call a professional in for cleaning and service?
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Sep 10, 2013 14:14
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stubblyhead posted:Yeah, that's the way I'm doing it also. What's the correct amount to use? The big thing here is to make sure the old tape is off the threads. I've swapped leaky showerheads in many apartments I've lived in with a spaghetti mess of old tape on the pipes. I don't know if this is too  , but I also like to make a straight cut on the tape when I'm done and wrap it nicely.
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Sep 10, 2013 17:05
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canyoneer posted:The big thing here is to make sure the old tape is off the threads. I've swapped leaky showerheads in many apartments I've lived in with a spaghetti mess of old tape on the pipes. I don't know if this is too How old is this shower arm? If you're having this many problems getting a good seal with it, then it might be time to replace it. They're pretty cheap and they just unscrew out of the wall. Stick a screwdriver down the hole on the end and you now have a handle to turn it with that won't mar the finish.
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Sep 10, 2013 17:35
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I have a bathroom that desperately needs a vent fan, but I'd rather not cut a hole through my brand new roof. I'm considering exiting the attic downward through the eaves. Am I going to have trouble in the winter with water condensing at the first bend in the exhaust pipe and dripping back through the fan? Can this problem be avoided by burying the ~2ft of horizontal exhaust pipe down under my blown attic insulation, or will I end up with soggy cellulose?
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Sep 10, 2013 19:00
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kid sinister posted:How old is this shower arm? If you're having this many problems getting a good seal with it, then it might be time to replace it. They're pretty cheap and they just unscrew out of the wall. Stick a screwdriver down the hole on the end and you now have a handle to turn it with that won't mar the finish. My experience has been with slumlord-grade showerheads that disperse water in the worst ways possible. So presumably people are swapping the showerheads with something nicer that they bought themselves while they live there, and then putting it back on before they move out with little regard for keeping it from dripping. In either case, you can't get a good seal without taking off the 3 or 4 layers of old, pilled up teflon tape.
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Sep 10, 2013 19:31
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eddiewalker posted:I have a bathroom that desperately needs a vent fan, but I'd rather not cut a hole through my brand new roof. I'm considering exiting the attic downward through the eaves. If you use insulated flex and bury it you shouldn't get condensation in the hose-- but in the winter all that hot air will condense on the side of your house under the eaves.
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Sep 11, 2013 01:23
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eddiewalker posted:I have a bathroom that desperately needs a vent fan, but I'd rather not cut a hole through my brand new roof. I'm considering exiting the attic downward through the eaves. Call the roofing co and ask them to add a vent sized in your choice. This is a 50 dollar job. Professionally done with some level of guarantee. Also buy the vent pipe that is already surrounded by fiberglass insulation.
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Sep 11, 2013 01:41
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All right. I guess I'll let someone else cut a hole in my roof.
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Sep 11, 2013 03:37
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stubblyhead posted:I just put a new showerhead on, and I can't get it to stop leaking at the connection to the shower arm. I've tried varying amounts of teflon tape and degrees of tightness on the connection, but it keeps dripping. The fitting on the showerhead is round so I'm hesitant to use a wrench on it, but I don't think I can get it any tighter by hand (if that is indeed the problem). What am I doing wrong here? my limited understanding of plumbing tells me that teflon tape on threads is there to prevent the threads from rusting shut and that the actual water seal is made by the contact of the end of the pipe with a rubber gasket on inside of the shower head. If you're trying to prevent a water leak by piling on teflon tape, what you should be doing is making sure there is sufficient contact between the pipe & rubber washer.
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Sep 11, 2013 06:16
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rotor posted:my limited understanding of plumbing tells me that teflon tape on threads is there to prevent the threads from rusting shut and that the actual water seal is made by the contact of the end of the pipe with a rubber gasket on inside of the shower head. If you're trying to prevent a water leak by piling on teflon tape, what you should be doing is making sure there is sufficient contact between the pipe & rubber washer. While a gasket and compression is certainly a good way to make a watertight fitting, it is far from the only way. Many/most threaded pipe connections are sealed with only their threads and a thread sealant. We're talking gas piping, sprinkler piping, old school black iron sanitary lines..........
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Sep 11, 2013 16:23
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rotor posted:my limited understanding of plumbing tells me that teflon tape on threads is there to prevent the threads from rusting shut and that the actual water seal is made by the contact of the end of the pipe with a rubber gasket on inside of the shower head. If you're trying to prevent a water leak by piling on teflon tape, what you should be doing is making sure there is sufficient contact between the pipe & rubber washer. Here's way more than you ever wanted to know about teflon tape: No plumber anywhere at any time cares at all about threads rusting shut. They make way more money when they have to come back and cut all that poo poo out and do it over anyway. Plus, it's usually easier for them. Also, there's way more liability for a plumber that leaves a leaking pipe in your house than one that makes it too hard to disassemble their work later. All these things mean they don't give a crap about rusty threads. The teflon tape really is there to prevent leaking, but it doesn't seal anything on it's own. It is, in fact, a lubricant. No pipes, even if they're cut by a machine to the same size, will be perfect. The realities of modern industry and shipping mean that they'r never perfectly round and never perfectly match up. A gasket provides some measure of wiggle room to correct any imperfection, but you get a perfect seal, you'd have to crank on it to the point that the gasket is destroyed, so you can never get it 100%. What the teflon tape does is lubricates the threads, defeating the forces of friction that multiplies exponentially as the threads (being a simple lever wound around the pipe) go into the other end. By eliminating friction, the pipes can be screwed together much, much tighter. So tight, in fact, that they actually deform, and create a seal. The short version is that teflon tape lets you crank the pipes together so hard that water can't leak out. I probably could have just said that at the start.
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Sep 11, 2013 17:28
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I'm not a plumber but I have done a lot of plumbing and I disagree. PTFE tape stops water from leaking past threads. It fills irregularities in the threads mating That said, I always use BOTH tape and pipe dope; extra insurance against leaks and doesn't hurt anything. If I had to use just one though I'd use the pipe dope.
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Sep 11, 2013 23:35
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I have a stream running through my property, about 10 to 20 feet wide and moderately swift. It never runs dry, but occasionally becomes a raging monster 100 feet wide. Anyone have experience with micro-hydro power, or can point me in the right direction? I'd like to slip a few propeller turbines underwater and power at least my front gate and driveway lighting, maybe even hook into the house. VV Thanks, that was interesting, though far more involved that what I'm planning! VV High Lord Elbow fucked around with this message at 16:49 on Sep 12, 2013 |
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Sep 11, 2013 23:53
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I probably got the link to this from here ages ago as it is, but this is a fascinating read about a guy building his own micro-hydro setup in Chile. Might help, might not, but a great read anyway.
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Sep 12, 2013 04:13
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XmasGiftFromWife posted:Call the roofing co and ask them to add a vent sized in your choice. This is a 50 dollar job. Professionally done with some level of guarantee. Where are you located that you can get a roofing company to do a professional vent installation for $50?
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Sep 12, 2013 07:00
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socketwrencher posted:Where are you located that you can get a roofing company to do a professional vent installation for $50? The midwest.
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Sep 12, 2013 13:14
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dwoloz posted:I'm not a plumber but I have done a lot of plumbing and I disagree. PTFE tape stops water from leaking past threads. It fills irregularities in the threads mating Welp, it's certainly a bit of both for sure. This factoid is one of those things I learned from a plumber like ten years ago and it made sense so I figured it must be true. I just tried to confirm it, but the best I can do is a couple message boards and the wikipedia article on thread seal tape. Right at the top it says, "The use of PTFE tape in tapered pipe threads performs a lubricating function, which more easily allows the threads to be screwed together, to the point of deformation, which is what creates the seal." So I guess it could just be one of those things that people just sort of repeat because it seems plausible. Heck, maybe it's one of those things where no one really knows how it works, they just know it does, and that's all that really matters.
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Sep 12, 2013 15:26
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Gromit posted:I probably got the link to this from here ages ago as it is, but this is a fascinating read about a guy building his own micro-hydro setup in Chile. This is awesome and everyone should read it. Humankind+tools, gently caress yeah! I'm in my second way through it now that I know how it all comes together in the end. Dude is so lucky the amount of head he gets.
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Sep 12, 2013 22:44
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I can't quite find a desk to match my needs and space available. So I thought I'd buy a maple workbench top and some legs and call it a day. Unfortunately though they sell ready-made top 25" deep, I haven't been able to find legs that are smaller than 28" deep on top. Mounting to the wall isn't an option, only other requirement is it not look like horseshit. Thanks.
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Sep 12, 2013 23:02
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XmasGiftFromWife posted:The midwest. Cool. I'm just wary of going with the lowest bid in a case like this but if that's the going rate then that's fantastic.
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Sep 12, 2013 23:27
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Casimir Radon posted:I can't quite find a desk to match my needs and space available. So I thought I'd buy a maple workbench top and some legs and call it a day. Unfortunately though they sell ready-made top 25" deep, I haven't been able to find legs that are smaller than 28" deep on top. Mounting to the wall isn't an option, only other requirement is it not look like horseshit. Thanks. Do you have a picture of the legs? I can't imagine desk legs that are almost 2.5 feet deep. Could you angle the legs so that they make a \ / shape under the desk?
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Sep 13, 2013 00:05
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Corla Plankun posted:Do you have a picture of the legs? I can't imagine desk legs that are almost 2.5 feet deep. Could you angle the legs so that they make a \ / shape under the desk?
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Sep 13, 2013 04:13
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That crossbar would make a great footrest, though.  
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Sep 13, 2013 14:39
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Casimir Radon posted:The ones they sell are these ones. I'd prefer to not angle them so I can have more usable space down there. How about trimming 1.5" off each end of the upper flange? If it affects stability (I think it would be fine, but in case) you could add some crossbracing.
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Sep 13, 2013 16:18
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I've got some vinyl vertical blinds that are a bit too long, and permission from my landlord to cut them. He said I should just take a pair of scissors but I've got a pretty unsteady hand I know that's gonna look like crap (also they're pretty thick so scissors wouldn't do it, but a pair of tin ships I have would, but still same unsteady problem) I've got a couple trigger clamps, so I'm thinking of clamping all the ends together and using a hacksaw in a miter box to give them all a clean even cut. Any idea what kind of blade I should use for such a thing? Or is this a terrible idea?
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Sep 13, 2013 17:29
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FISHMANPET posted:I've got some vinyl vertical blinds that are a bit too long, and permission from my landlord to cut them. He said I should just take a pair of scissors but I've got a pretty unsteady hand I know that's gonna look like crap (also they're pretty thick so scissors wouldn't do it, but a pair of tin ships I have would, but still same unsteady problem) If you dismantle and evenly stack a metal blade and slow strokes will see you through. Too fast and you will cause melting. Also procure some ulta fine/ finish sand paper or sponge to treat the edges. You might swing by one of the big stores and see if they carry a similar product cut to fit. They might have the tool to use for a 6 pack, a little cash, or it may be a sku. All depending on who you ask and how busy/bored they are.
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Sep 13, 2013 18:27
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Amazon and other places sell blind cutters, get a good consistent cut with every slat, well worth ten bucks. E: buy a used one, resell it back on Amazon when you're done 
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Sep 13, 2013 18:33
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Casimir Radon posted:The ones they sell are these ones. I'd prefer to not angle them so I can have more usable space down there. http://www.amazon.com/Waddell-2921-Country-Pine-Table/dp/B000VWHR08/ref=pd_cp_hi_0 http://www.amazon.com/Black-Adjustable-Table-Leg-Set/dp/B001DSZVTI/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hi_9 http://www.amazon.com/28-Office-Height-Table-Leg/dp/B000WITW86/ref=sr_1_24?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1379115146&sr=1-24&keywords=table+legs
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Sep 14, 2013 00:37
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I have a 2 stroke blower thats always been perfect but now will only run a few seconds on full or half choke. Not at all with no choke. Spark plug looks fine. I replaced the gas and I know the gas is good (weedeater). What should I look at? 2 weeks ago I was using it, stopped it for something and then when I tried to restart I messed up the cord. Couldn't start. I let it sit on the porch with gas in it for 2 weeks until last night when I took it apart to fix the cord. (I didn't touch carb or fuel tank doing this) Vin BioEthanol fucked around with this message at 21:23 on Sep 14, 2013 |
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Sep 14, 2013 17:53
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Vin BioEthanol posted:I have a 2 stroke blower thats always been perfect but now will only run a few seconds on full or half choke. Not at all with no choke. Spark plug looks fine. I replaced the gas and I know the gas is good (weedeater). What should I look at? Air leak? Check your gaskets.
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Sep 14, 2013 18:12
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Does anyone have experience with steam heating? I'm preparing to convert my 1890s home to steam radiators. Most people seem to want to go the other way, so there's not a lot of information available. If anyone has good links or advise, especially relevant to Canada, it would be appreciated. Hope this is a good spot for this post. I didn't see a steam heat thread.
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Sep 14, 2013 23:21
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Guys, Just installed a new washer, a Whirlpool Cabrio. It's making a loud and sharp metal grinding noise (maybe not metal, but that's the best way I can describe it) at times, and I have no idea what it is. Repair line is not available until Monday, but I'd really like to do some laundry if I can fix this quickly and easily. I took a video hoping that it might help : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7oMHjC0I54 Any ideas? 
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Sep 15, 2013 01:58
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mr.belowaverage posted:Does anyone have experience with steam heating? I'm preparing to convert my 1890s home to steam radiators. Most people seem to want to go the other way, so there's not a lot of information available. If anyone has good links or advise, especially relevant to Canada, it would be appreciated. I think thermal fluid (including water) is the way to go. For heating steam needs to heat to 212f. With fluid you only heat to low 90s max. Also less conductive loss compared to steam. You should see a significant drop in price comparing steam to fluid.
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Sep 15, 2013 04:28
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Alfajor posted:Guys, Just installed a new washer, a Whirlpool Cabrio. It's making a loud and sharp metal grinding noise (maybe not metal, but that's the best way I can describe it) at times, and I have no idea what it is. Repair line is not available until Monday, but I'd really like to do some laundry if I can fix this quickly and easily. I took a video hoping that it might help : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7oMHjC0I54 Check the notice inside the lid. "Sounds during washing may be different than normal." I recently used the GE models of these washers and they do sound very different. I suspect it's normal.
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Sep 15, 2013 09:15
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XmasGiftFromWife posted:I think thermal fluid (including water) is the way to go. For heating steam needs to heat to 212f. With fluid you only heat to low 90s max. Also less conductive loss compared to steam. You should see a significant drop in price comparing steam to fluid. I keep looking at fluid and always start to dream of steam again. You can't beat how quickly steam can change the temperature of a room, and where I'm located we never have the same temperatures for long. Of course, fluid hydronics are way more popular and prolific. Mostly manufacturers and contractors. I'm weighing the pros and cons and trying to install the whole system myself, during my reno. (Except the gas connections of course) Any good resources for DIY on either system? Google brings me a million blogs where someone hired a contractor, or installer company pages.
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Sep 15, 2013 14:44
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mr.belowaverage posted:I keep looking at fluid and always start to dream of steam again. You can't beat how quickly steam can change the temperature of a room, and where I'm located we never have the same temperatures for long. As attractive as steam sounds, it isn't practical to heat with unless the building is huge or you have steam onsite anyways (sanitization, machinery, etc). It's just too expensive to heat water through a phase change. You'll have to deal with the popping and such of expansion/contraction noises too. Hydronic heat would be the way to go. With a well designed system you can give each room its own zone and save energy. Sorry I don't have any DIY links, the PanGlobal power engineering books go over system design pretty thoroughly.
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Sep 15, 2013 15:39
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I could swear TOH just did an episode that included conversion but I cannot get the videos to load in my phone. I think the biggest potential problem either way is the condition of the supply line and radiators. You say convert, what system is in place?
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Sep 15, 2013 20:47
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