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What's a decent, cheap (~$600 or less) 3+ person couch/sofa? I'm looking at this sofa. I'd love to get something through craigslist, but transporting the thing would be my biggest problem.
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Nov 25, 2013 17:52
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I never buy sofas from craigslist mostly because you don't know what they've done on/to that sofa. Ikea is pretty good for price/quality if you're handy at putting things together.
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Nov 25, 2013 18:13
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Zaftig posted:I always get suspicious when an apartment complex only has positive, glowing reviews. I lived in a pretty terrible complex that had negative reviews, and then one day they were all gone and replaced with five star ratings that I'm sure management worked very hard on. I was apartment hunting last month and saw one complex say something like "I lived here and it was horrible 0/5 I moved to another place and it was better", so I looked up the reviews for the other place. Not a single one under 4 stars, and each review had the manager commenting on them. Closed the page and never looked back.
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Nov 25, 2013 18:35
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I bought a lovely leather-and-wood couch on Craigslist recently; steer clear of anything that's impossible to clean well though. Offices and schools selling off furniture is a better bet than people selling out of their homes, but unless there's a major bedbug issue in your area you should be just fine. Renting a U-Haul van cost me something like $25 to do a local furniture pickup. Personally I'm done with Ikea for functional furniture, it definitely doesn't wear well and moves terribly. That sofa in particular is constructed from pure particleboard, I wouldn't trust it as much more than an occasional-use sofa. Ikea is better for plates and lamps and things, not something that's supposed to support three people sitting on it regularly.
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Nov 25, 2013 21:13
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Leal posted:I was apartment hunting last month and saw one complex say something like "I lived here and it was horrible 0/5 I moved to another place and it was better", so I looked up the reviews for the other place. Not a single one under 4 stars, and each review had the manager commenting on them. Closed the page and never looked back. There is only one good way to use ApartmentRatings, and that is to find out if a complex has the possibility of a bug or mold problem. If I see multiple reviews attesting to that, it's a no go.
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Nov 26, 2013 01:30
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I'm moving from Florida to Colorado at the end of the year. I'm broke, so it looks like I'm going to have to rent a U-Haul and tow my car on a trailer. If I stick to major highways, do I need to be concerned about driving in snow and ice?
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Nov 30, 2013 23:13
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PongAtari posted:I'm moving from Florida to Colorado at the end of the year. I'm broke, so it looks like I'm going to have to rent a U-Haul and tow my car on a trailer. If I stick to major highways, do I need to be concerned about driving in snow and ice? Yes. Buy some chains if you're worried. It snows a lot in Colorado and while they plow like madmen, they can't always keep up. You'll thank me when you're on some mountain pass with a 500 foot drop five inches off the shoulder and a half foot of snow on the ground. When in doubt, take an extra day and let them plow more instead of pushing though. But as a general rule just drive slow and smoothly if it starts to slow – no sudden starts or stops, especially if you're in a dangerous spot. e: Now that I think about it, really you can probably skip chains. Just be aware of conditions and check the weather before you leave for the day. However if you're going to be in CO for a long time and if you don't have a 4-wheel/all-wheel drive car, chains will still be a good investment. Otherwise a good pair of snow tires will do you. kedo fucked around with this message at 15:35 on Dec 2, 2013 |
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Dec 2, 2013 15:27
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So, I got my first electric bill at the new place today, and I'm dealing with some sticker shock. I spent two years in a place with rent-controlled electricity, so I am a little rusty at analyzing these. However, I'm reasonably confident that, in an apartment where I don't pay for heat or hot water, and don't have a loving grow op, I shouldn't have used 1175 kwh  Is this normal? I was expecting to top out at 600 kwh or less. I haven't even unpacked my air conditioner, on account of it's winter, and the complex pays for heat and all that.
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Dec 2, 2013 19:02
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Do you have a lot of really old appliances that use a lot of energy? What about your lights, do you have energy efficient bulbs? Do you leave your TVs and computer and everything on when you're gone all day or at night? Little things add up and if you're used to your electricity costs being stabilized, it's likely that you weren't paying for your full usage anyway.
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Dec 2, 2013 19:09
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We used 440kwh last month, which is for a 2Bd+ apartment with three people. Our heat and hot water is gas, as is the oven/stove. So basically the electricity is just appliances (fridge, microwave, washer, dryer, computer) and lights. If you are leaving the lights on all the time, running a bunch of appliances, it's possible that you're actually running that up, but it seems pretty high. Do you have access to your meter? If you are in a lovely old place, it's possible the wiring is badly done and something (someone?) else is on your meter. If you can see the actual meter you can turn off everything in your place (all lights, actually unplug all your devices) and then check the meter over 10 beats to see if something is still pulling power. If so, then you would talk to the landlord. You can also use this method to work out what is your power sink, although an outlet meter is much easier.
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Dec 2, 2013 19:15
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Factor in if its an older building as well, along with the old appliances thing. Some buildings let out heat/cold air like theres no tomorrow and cost more to keep at a stable temperature. Im used to paying about 80$/mo in BFE, California, but I'm looking at about 120/mo in Portland, OR for a 1/1 in a not-ancient building. I believe its free to have your electric company come out and check your meter to make sure you're getting charged the proper amount. vv: derp, sorry 
ladyweapon fucked around with this message at 19:34 on Dec 2, 2013 |
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Dec 2, 2013 19:17
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Heat shouldn't be a factor; the heat is rent-controlled. We're not even home between 6:30 AM and 5PM all week, and we turn all the lights off, and all that. It's 2 people in a 1-bedroom apartment. We cook every day, but it's not like we leave the stove on all night. I've read that unplugging your tv and consoles instead of turning them off only saves a few dollars a year, so that's probably not it. The landlord thinks the meter must have been mis-read, and they're looking into it for me. I just hope I'm not stuck in a place with hosed up wiring.
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Dec 2, 2013 19:28
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deadly_pudding posted:Heat shouldn't be a factor; the heat is rent-controlled. We're not even home between 6:30 AM and 5PM all week, and we turn all the lights off, and all that. It's 2 people in a 1-bedroom apartment. We cook every day, but it's not like we leave the stove on all night. I've read that unplugging your tv and consoles instead of turning them off only saves a few dollars a year, so that's probably not it. That does seem like a lot for a 1-bedroom. Hopefully it's something wrong with the meter. I read somewhere that unplugging all your stuff instead of just turning it off saves about $3/month. Your TVs and whatnot will drain more energy when plugged into a power bar/surge protector, because that stays on even when your stuff is turned off. If you turn off the power bars, that is where most of the energy savings comes from. But yeah like you said it's only a couple bucks a month at best and probably isn't contributing much if anything to your overall electric bill. It's good that your landlord is looking into it.
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Dec 2, 2013 19:38
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razz posted:That does seem like a lot for a 1-bedroom. Hopefully it's something wrong with the meter. Yeah, all she got out of the power company was "try doing your own meter reading lol". Alas, my meter at this time more or less reflects the bill  My problem is that 6 light bulbs, a tv, an xbox, and a kitchen shouldn't be consuming upwards of 1200 kwh per month. Time to turn off my breakers and see if the meter still spins.
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Dec 2, 2013 22:28
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You should pull out your bill and go through it carefully. I have seen utility companies tack on legacy charges to new accounts without batting an eye - meaning that if someone moved out two months ago with a balance, they might try sticking that to you. I have also seen them do this when the place has been vacate but still drawing (due to a fridge, showings, etc.) even though your account wasn't in place then. It's a poo poo move, but it happens.
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Dec 2, 2013 22:40
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They also may have charged you a fee for "turning on" your electricity or getting it switched over to your name. When I moved into my old house I had to pay $100 to get the utilities switched over to my name (which is obviously ridiculous, all they did on their end was click a few buttons because it never actually got turned off). It was a while ago but if I recall they split that $100 fee over 3 months, so my bill was artificially high during the first 3 months.
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Dec 2, 2013 22:46
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I figured it out lol. When I read the meter last night to see how it compared to their estimated read, I hosed up because of that clockwise-counterclockwise thing they do. Turns out I only used 280 kwh, not the 1175 that the company assumed I used. Corrected bill is in the mail 
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Dec 2, 2013 23:29
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I want to make my apartment look like a nightclub (by which I mean that I want glowy things on my walls) but I don't know where to get started. Here's an example of the look I'm going for: I'm looking into EL strips/wires which look like they might be what I want. Is there any material I could read, like a guide to doing this type of thing or what the good brands are? I haven't come across anything like that so far.
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Dec 3, 2013 07:41
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chiyosdad posted:I want to make my apartment look like a nightclub (by which I mean that I want glowy things on my walls) but I don't know where to get started. Here's an example of the look I'm going for: Are you going for loud like that picture? You can do some pretty subtle poo poo with fiber-optics to make like starfields on your walls/ceiling, too. If you want more of the TRON look, as opposed to just rope light everywhere or fiber-optics sticking out of the wall, you're gonna have to essentially put up plates on your wall with linear gaps you can recess LEDs into. They make LED strips like tape that you can use for this purpose, or you can use just use rope light, because you're going to be hiding the actual light sources behind the opaque part of the plate, and then you can use like frosted plastic or stretched cloth to diffuse the light into a seemingly solid line. Congratulations on your ambitious interior design project!
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Dec 3, 2013 13:52
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chiyosdad posted:I want to make my apartment look like a nightclub (by which I mean that I want glowy things on my walls) but I don't know where to get started. Here's an example of the look I'm going for: Most of the lights in that picture don't seem as much as small strip-lights, but rather hidden lights. Have a false ceiling with appropriate cutouts, then place lamps between the false ceiling and the real one, optionally with gels to create color. You can also use reflective, colored paint with white lights when it's mostly reflected light that makes it into the room. Using indirect light like that will overall make the lighting more pleasant. Naturally you can do something similar with the walls. The main problem with that kind of installation is of course when you need to maintain the lamps, make sure they are sufficiently accessible. For places like under tables, behind couches and such, LED strips or cold-cathode lights can be useful.
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Dec 3, 2013 14:32
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Not sure where else to ask, but since were on the topic of keeping costs down: are electric blankets worth the cost vs jacking up the heat? I keep it about 65 (according to the dial at least) in my apartment at all times, but it's dropping to the low thirties at night and I'd like to not end up with a $200 electric bill somehow. I also don't know how much an electric blanket would affect my bill, but I can't imagine it's much? What do people who live in actual cold weather do? I can handle being cold/layering up any other time except when I sleep. 
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Dec 3, 2013 16:34
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ladyweapon posted:Not sure where else to ask, but since were on the topic of keeping costs down: are electric blankets worth the cost vs jacking up the heat? I keep it about 65 (according to the dial at least) in my apartment at all times, but it's dropping to the low thirties at night and I'd like to not end up with a $200 electric bill somehow. I also don't know how much an electric blanket would affect my bill, but I can't imagine it's much? What do people who live in actual cold weather do? I can handle being cold/layering up any other time except when I sleep. Get a down comforter.
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Dec 3, 2013 16:46
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ladyweapon posted:Not sure where else to ask, but since were on the topic of keeping costs down: are electric blankets worth the cost vs jacking up the heat? I keep it about 65 (according to the dial at least) in my apartment at all times, but it's dropping to the low thirties at night and I'd like to not end up with a $200 electric bill somehow. I also don't know how much an electric blanket would affect my bill, but I can't imagine it's much? What do people who live in actual cold weather do? I can handle being cold/layering up any other time except when I sleep. I doubt they use much electricity. You're only using enough to warm a very small area as opposed to your whole house.
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Dec 3, 2013 17:03
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ladyweapon posted:Not sure where else to ask, but since were on the topic of keeping costs down: are electric blankets worth the cost vs jacking up the heat? I keep it about 65 (according to the dial at least) in my apartment at all times, but it's dropping to the low thirties at night and I'd like to not end up with a $200 electric bill somehow. I also don't know how much an electric blanket would affect my bill, but I can't imagine it's much? What do people who live in actual cold weather do? I can handle being cold/layering up any other time except when I sleep.
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Dec 3, 2013 17:53
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You definitely want a thick comforter. If you put the electric blanket underneath it and turn it on 15 minutes before you go to bed, you can turn it off as soon as you get in bed and the comforter will keep you warm the rest of the night.
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Dec 3, 2013 17:55
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In the winter, I use this cloth bag full of seed corn that my friend made, which you microwave for 3 minutes and then stick under your covers. I also have a down comforter from Ikea. Those two things make it totally warm even when it's 0 degrees out.
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Dec 3, 2013 17:58
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ladyweapon posted:Not sure where else to ask, but since were on the topic of keeping costs down: are electric blankets worth the cost vs jacking up the heat? I keep it about 65 (according to the dial at least) in my apartment at all times, but it's dropping to the low thirties at night and I'd like to not end up with a $200 electric bill somehow. I also don't know how much an electric blanket would affect my bill, but I can't imagine it's much? What do people who live in actual cold weather do? I can handle being cold/layering up any other time except when I sleep.
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Dec 3, 2013 17:59
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I have a down comforter and a fleece blanket Flash Gordon Ramsay posted:You definitely want a thick comforter. If you put the electric blanket underneath it and turn it on 15 minutes before you go to bed, you can turn it off as soon as you get in bed and the comforter will keep you warm the rest of the night.
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Dec 3, 2013 18:12
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[Drat. Wrong thread.]
photomikey fucked around with this message at 18:56 on Dec 3, 2013 |
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Dec 3, 2013 18:50
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ladyweapon posted:This is genius, I'm gonna do this. Thanks! I hate electric blankets because they're not as comfortable with those wires in them. Granted, the modern ones are WAY less noticeable than the old style. Personally, I just use a large heating pad that I turn on before I go to bed, and leave on until I'm comfortable, and then kick it out of bed.
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Dec 3, 2013 23:52
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ladyweapon posted:I have a down comforter and a fleece blanket Get a heated mattress pad instead of a blanket. I have one and it does a much better job of warming up the entire bed than an electric blanket. They're also more comfortable. Well not uncomfortable anyways, I don't really notice mine's there.
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Dec 9, 2013 10:54
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This repair company I'm with usually treats me right but I need to confirm a problem. My heater is an old York Steller. It is leaking from what I think is the condensate pan(?). It's a gas high efficiency and because of that it just gush water. The model #p2udd12n07601c . An image is here  So what happens is that it will start up, produce heat, but then it looks like it will lose suction. If I shut off the power while it's running, it will drop tons of water.  The people said he could not find the part at all, but what I am looking for is the name of the parts. I think the pan is the condensate pan and the motor is the draft inducer motor. Also calling a York tech so they can confirm they can't do anything. I really don't want to pay 4500 for a whole new heater and I don't want to be screwed by this company I thought was treating me right.
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Dec 10, 2013 03:24
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That sure looks like a complicated piece of machinary! I can't tell you anything, but if you don't get an answer here you might want to try over in DIY. I am not sure if there is a heater thread, but you could start in the Fix it Fast thread and move on from there. There are threads for plumbing and wiring, but those don't seem quite right.
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Dec 10, 2013 21:22
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I know this comes up frequently, but any suggestions for a good very portable bed frame for a box spring and mattress? There was an Amazon link posted a little while back which I bookmarked, but lost all my bookmarks and can't seem to find it in the thread. Also if anyone has any new advice I'd enjoy hearing it.
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Dec 11, 2013 21:04
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cheerfullydrab posted:I know this comes up frequently, but any suggestions for a good very portable bed frame for a box spring and mattress? There was an Amazon link posted a little while back which I bookmarked, but lost all my bookmarks and can't seem to find it in the thread. Also if anyone has any new advice I'd enjoy hearing it. I love my metal box springs. Just do an Amazon search for "metal box springs", it's the first thing that pops up. It replaces both the frame and the box spring thus making your entire bed infinitely more portable (because traditional box springs suuuuuuck especially when you're moving). Now when we move, we only have to fold up the metal box spring and move the mattress. No useless giant box spring AKA a pallet covered in thin fabric to move around. Plus it is maybe 4 inches taller than a regular frame so tons of storage. I thought it might be crap because looking at the pictures, it doesn't look that sturdy. My husband and I have had it for months and it's freaking awesome. It doesn't squeak AT ALL which is why I was forced to destroy my old box spring. I'll never go back to a wooden box spring.
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Dec 11, 2013 21:48
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razz posted:I love my metal box springs. Just do an Amazon search for "metal box springs", it's the first thing that pops up. It replaces both the frame and the box spring thus making your entire bed infinitely more portable (because traditional box springs suuuuuuck especially when you're moving). Now when we move, we only have to fold up the metal box spring and move the mattress. No useless giant box spring AKA a pallet covered in thin fabric to move around. Thanks for this, this is something I was looking for but didn't even know that I was looking for it.
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Dec 11, 2013 23:40
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Thankya, this is what I was looking for. Although I will add that this product is available for cheaper on Walmart's website. Walmart's online store is pretty awesome.
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Dec 12, 2013 15:26
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cheerfullydrab posted:Thankya, this is what I was looking for. Although I will add that this product is available for cheaper on Walmart's website. Walmart's online store is pretty awesome. Walmart has a nice Site-to-Store feature where you can buy a product online and pick it up at your local store (if that location does Site-to-Store, most do). It's nice because then you don't have to pay shipping! You just have to pick it up in the store I believe in the Layaway department. Other stores like K-Mart do this as well. K-Mart also has an online store that is WAY nicer and has 10 times more items than their brick-and-mortar store.
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Dec 12, 2013 16:52
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Ramadu posted:Thanks for this, this is something I was looking for but didn't even know that I was looking for it. Ditto, this is fabulous. Thanks!
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Dec 12, 2013 22:09
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ladyweapon posted:I have a down comforter and a fleece blanket I live in WI and am a cold sleeper but too lazy/poor to get an electric blanket, and I find that sticking a hot water bottle in my bed down by where my feet are 10 mins or so before getting in makes a huge difference. Old school, but it gets the job done.
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Dec 13, 2013 03:11
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