|
XmasGiftFromWife posted:I would at least poly over the windows and consider a roof vent. What part of the world are you in? I have a kinda similar problem - I have a 2 car sized concrete sectional garage with a pent roof. Half the roof is clear GRP sheets and half is metal sheets with anti-condensation coating on (basically felt glued to them). My garage is weather proof, and over the last 3 months has spent 90% of the time shut up because I have been working away 5 days/week. I am getting loads of condensation on the GRP roof sections - so much that it runs down and drips off leaving big puddles on the floor. Is the only solution to this better ventilation or changing the type of roof material? I like the extra light that the clear GRP lets in. It has opening windows - but I don't really want to leave them open when i am away for security reasons or in case an animal or the wind gets in and sets my alarm off. If I fitted ventilation fans how much air do they need to shift? would 12v fans fitted just below the roof do anything? I have also been told that insulating the inside of the clear roof with bubble wrap should stop the condensation. Is this likely to work? I have tried one section today but don't want to buy a whole roll till i know it works!
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2014 17:19
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 21, 2024 15:22 |
|
|
What's the minimum amount of snow that needs to be on the ground for a snowblower to be useful? Or is this snowblower dependent? It's a stage-2 snowblower.
|
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2014 19:34
|
|
|
I just replaced my ancient mercury switch thermostat with a modern honeywell round heat/cool one. From the outside the new and old are essentially identical. The old one had issues with the anticipator and would run the furnace twice, too long and other annoying things. I figured since it was mercury, old as poo poo and covered in lint and dust inside it was due to go. One thing the old one did do right, was display the current temp and get the room to the set point. The top set point and the bottom current temp were always within a degree or so. This new thermostat is all over the place. It seems to hold a temp, but without a separate thermometer handy I can't really tell. The set temp is currently at 65F. The indicated current temp is at 71F. My separate thermometer says it is 68F (where I like it). I am pretty drat certain that the thing is mounted level, I used two different levels to be sure and checked three times. Do I just have one with a crappy thermometer and/or poorly calibrated. Are the tolerances on these things just crap? I assume that if the thermometer is wrong, then the thermostat should take the room temp to that regardless, but the two scales are nowhere near close to each other. Any help?
|
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2014 22:08
|
|
|
Mercury Ballistic posted:I just replaced my ancient mercury switch thermostat with a modern honeywell round heat/cool one. From the outside the new and old are essentially identical. The old one had issues with the anticipator and would run the furnace twice, too long and other annoying things. I figured since it was mercury, old as poo poo and covered in lint and dust inside it was due to go. One thing the old one did do right, was display the current temp and get the room to the set point. The top set point and the bottom current temp were always within a degree or so. What is the model of your "new" thermostat? I can't imagine being level matters unless you've bought yourself another mercury bulb stat. Do they even make those anymore?
|
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2014 22:32
|
|
|
Motronic posted:What is the model of your "new" thermostat? I can't imagine being level matters unless you've bought yourself another mercury bulb stat. Do they even make those anymore? It's the CT87N model. No mercury.
|
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2014 22:47
|
|
|
Mercury Ballistic posted:It's the CT87N model. No mercury. Yeah.....I'm not surprised that it's off. Those thing are (sorry) pretty much junk. That's a contractor's special. For just a few bucks more you can get the same form factor honeywell that's actually a solid state unit that you can be assured at least knows what the temperature is within a degree or two. (example, the T8775C1005). Not to make assumptions, but why not get at least a programmable? You can find them for well under $100 and when used properly the price difference it nearly always makes up inside of one heating or cooling season.
|
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2014 22:58
|
|
|
Motronic posted:Yeah.....I'm not surprised that it's off. Those thing are (sorry) pretty much junk. That's a contractor's special. I googled them, and they got decent reviews, but yeah, seems like junk compared to my superfund special it replaced. I guess I'll get a programmable and swap it in and return this one. Thanks for the advice!
|
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2014 23:06
|
|
|
Mercury Ballistic posted:I googled them, and they got decent reviews, but yeah, seems like junk compared to my superfund special it replaced. I guess I'll get a programmable and swap it in and return this one. Thanks for the advice! Check the website for your local utilities and see if any offer a free thermostat? My electric company sends me a flyer about every 6 months offering a free wifi-enabled 'stat if I agree to let them synchronize my A/C cycles with my neighbors. They'll even run a new C-wire if necessary.
|
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2014 23:13
|
|
|
I checked, nothing like what you mentioned.
|
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2014 02:01
|
|
|
I have a heat pump with oil furnace backup for when it gets really cold and I'm trying to figure out if my oil company's furnace guy is a dumbass. He came out for routine maintenance and flipped my thermostat setting from 2-stage heat/1-stage cool to 3-stage heat/2-stage cool. I didn't understand a word he said but he didn't even know what model of heat pump I had and the system's been working okay for as long as I've owned the house. If I have a 2/1 instead of a 3/2, is the new setting going to damage anything or hurt efficiency? How can I tell how many stages my heat pump and furnace have? Google tells me nothing about my American Standard Heritage 14 heat pump.
|
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2014 02:14
|
|
|
High Lord Elbow posted:I have a heat pump with oil furnace backup for when it gets really cold and I'm trying to figure out if my oil company's furnace guy is a dumbass. He came out for routine maintenance and flipped my thermostat setting from 2-stage heat/1-stage cool to 3-stage heat/2-stage cool. I didn't understand a word he said but he didn't even know what model of heat pump I had and the system's been working okay for as long as I've owned the house. Take the stat off the wall and tell us how many wires/what color/what the terminals are labeled (a picture would be helpful). Stages take wires. If you only have W1 and W2 chances are good you have a single stage heat pump (or a multistage capable set up as a single stage) and an "aux" backup.
|
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2014 09:27
|
|
|
BoyBlunder posted:What's the minimum amount of snow that needs to be on the ground for a snowblower to be useful? Or is this snowblower dependent? I think it is snowblower dependent. I have a two stage that I don't bring out until it is 4" or more. My neighbor has a single stage that he'll use in anything.
|
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2014 12:48
|
|
|
Motronic posted:Take the stat off the wall and tell us how many wires/what color/what the terminals are labeled (a picture would be helpful). Thanks! I got all kinds of wires, including W1 and W2. Don't know what the rest are, but the HVAC guys from this company tend to be dumbasses, so I appreciate your opinion.  On another note, the drat furnace ran ALL NIGHT last night, barely stopping for more than a few seconds before it cycled on again.
|
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2014 14:24
|
|
|
BoyBlunder posted:What's the minimum amount of snow that needs to be on the ground for a snowblower to be useful? Or is this snowblower dependent? For a 2 stage, 3-4" For a single stage, about an inch. Really just using the blade like a shovel until there is enough to toss. And use zero ethenol fuel. And change the oil. (assume you are buying used)
|
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2014 14:30
|
|
|
Tomarse posted:I have a kinda similar problem - I have a 2 car sized concrete sectional garage with a pent roof. Half the roof is clear GRP sheets and half is metal sheets with anti-condensation coating on (basically felt glued to them). Is there any way you could fit vents in the wall or soffit near the upper and lower sides of the roof? Good passive ventilation should negate the need for a powered vent. Another option might be a small wall-mounted exhaust fan, fitted as high as possible, and controlled by a thermostat / humidistat. They are available with louvered outside grills, or shutters if you're concerned about keeping wind out when it's not in use. Many have mesh screens inside the grill to help keep insects and small birds out.
|
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2014 17:49
|
|
|
High Lord Elbow posted:Thanks! I got all kinds of wires, including W1 and W2. Don't know what the rest are, but the HVAC guys from this company tend to be dumbasses, so I appreciate your opinion. From the looks of that wiring, its a one stage heat pump. Assuming the "heat pump" labeling Left side top to bottom Backup heat (furnace) Outside temp sensor Outside temp sensor Right side: 24v Changeover valve Compressor Fan Common That y2 not being hooked up is my first indication that you have a single stage heat pump ( because I have never seen a 2 stage hp that didn't also have 2 stage cool), but an actual model number off the condenser/evaporator outside would confirm that. Edit: and after typing and reading what I wrote, and looking again at the wires connected, y2 would be the only way to get a 2nd heat pump stage so unless the staging is controlled at the furnace with some other logic, I don't think it is possible for it to be a 2 stage HP. Qwijib0 fucked around with this message at 19:15 on Jan 19, 2014 |
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2014 18:47
|
|
|
Entangled posted:Is there any way you could fit vents in the wall or soffit near the upper and lower sides of the roof? Good passive ventilation should negate the need for a powered vent. Another option might be a small wall-mounted exhaust fan, fitted as high as possible, and controlled by a thermostat / humidistat. They are available with louvered outside grills, or shutters if you're concerned about keeping wind out when it's not in use. Many have mesh screens inside the grill to help keep insects and small birds out. It doesn't have a soffit. It slopes front to back with fascia down the sides. I could mount fans in the side fascia really easily though. Do I want exhaust/inlet or both? (I assume i could suck in on one side and blow out on the other and thus move air across the roof? I was wondering if i could just use 12V fans and run them off a small 12v battery with a small solar panel on it. would they just need to run when the temperature outside is significantly different to the temperature inside?
|
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2014 20:34
|
|
|
Qwijib0 posted:Heat pump stuff Thanks!
|
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2014 22:05
|
|
|
Qwijib0 posted:Edit: and after typing and reading what I wrote, and looking again at the wires connected, y2 would be the only way to get a 2nd heat pump stage so unless the staging is controlled at the furnace with some other logic, I don't think it is possible for it to be a 2 stage HP. I concur. The contractor who messed with that sounds like he shouldn't be touching things he doesn't understand.
|
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2014 22:48
|
|
|
Got a sump pump problem. There's no water in the pit but it keeps turning it self on every 2 minutes or so. I tossed some water into the pit to see if maybe the water going through it would unclog something and I noticed that at the base of the body it's shooting out a stream of water back into the pit. I did some googling and I know I'll have to do something about the float switch (hoping I can wiggle it into working again rather than have to replace the whole top assembly) but what about that stream of water?
|
|
#
?
Jan 20, 2014 19:00
|
|
|
Volume posted:Got a sump pump problem. There's no water in the pit but it keeps turning it self on every 2 minutes or so. I tossed some water into the pit to see if maybe the water going through it would unclog something and I noticed that at the base of the body it's shooting out a stream of water back into the pit. Did it freeze? Could be a cracked pump body. Well, it could be whether it froze or not. Hard to say without looking at it and possibly doing some disassembly.
|
|
#
?
Jan 20, 2014 20:21
|
|
|
I hope this is in the right thread. I bought a horse and we need a building to put it in. Initially we were going to throw up a two stall pole barn and call it a day. I started thinking that I could build a multipurpose metal building that would make all my dreams come true (a shop). I threw this together in simplehome 3d and asked for some quotes. The quotes are coming back at around $25k with no finish out. That's a lot of money to me. I mean, my parents first house cost that much (40 years ago). Are metal buildings really this expensive? It's 42' by 40' with a few walls in the middle. The shop, tack room, and covered area have a foundation but the stalls are dirt.   
|
|
#
?
Jan 21, 2014 07:53
|
|
|
A lot of it depends on where you live, of course, but it doesn't seem that awful to me. A co-worker recently got a quote for a two car garage (stick built, with vinyl siding) and it was 11k. Carter Lumber has a cost estimator...you can get a materials estimate on their site without submitting, it just pops up on the side, but if you have them in your area you can also submit and get a quote. http://www.carterlumber.com/pole-barn-estimator. Of course that is just the exterior walls and structural features like doors. ntd fucked around with this message at 13:18 on Jan 21, 2014 |
|
#
?
Jan 21, 2014 13:16
|
|
|
Citycop posted:Are metal buildings really this expensive? It's 42' by 40' with a few walls in the middle. Yes, metal building really are that CHEAP. You're looking at $15k+ worth of materials there if you are getting reasonable quality stuff. The concrete alone is going to be $3k+ in materials. Adding a 12x18 office with a poured floor, insulation and sheetrock just cost me $5k in materials ($1200 of which was lumber, $1000 was concrete, $1400 worth of roofing and siding). This is pole construction with a metal roof and siding and only 3 walls (it was tied into the existing barn). If I had hired the job out it would have easily ended up being $15k.
|
|
#
?
Jan 21, 2014 16:59
|
|
|
I have a window / window sill problem that's progressively getting worse and I am terrible at DIY. I hope that this is the best place for this, but if a mod thinks it should be elsewhere and/or deserves its own thread, that's fine - I just hope someone can help me. To explain, I think it's best I show you some pictures and then try to describe what's happening. I can only hope that it's something common and easily fixed, because I really can't afford to buy a new window or sill. Click any of the pictures for huge versions.    As the pictures hopefully show, my window sill is damaged. My apologies for the crappy smartphone pictures and terrible lighting. The white goop is the remnants of the sealant I'll mention in a minute. I'm pretty confident that the blackness is either mold or rot, but I know nothing about wood or what condition it should be in. The only thing I'm sure of is that the seal between the window frame and the sill has been obliterated through years of Scottish weather. I can press down on the sill and a gap will appear. No other window in my house is like this. The main problem that this causes is, during winter and other cold snaps, an insane amount of condensation builds up on the inside of my window. I'm talking ridiculous levels; I can use about 10 sheets of kitchen roll (absorbent paper towels) in an attempt to dry it, 5 of which will come off almost dripping wet. Most of the time, it's just the bottom-third of the glass and the bottom frame that gets wet. On bad days, the entire window pane gets covered in condensation that will re-appear within about an hour of being wiped dry. I've tried a few amateur repairs, mostly using waterproof sealant that my Dad had in a cupboard. It claimed to be quick-drying and mold-resistant, but after a few weeks of relatively dry weather, I checked the seam again and it was both wet and furry with mold. For now, I'm just using cut-up strips of a Sham-Wow I bought as a joke to try and soak up the worst of the water (otherwise, it pools up on the sill) and to try and jam the gap (like a crappy draught excluder). Can anyone help me with some advice about what to do here? My current plan is just to do damage control until warmer weather; wiping up condensation where possible and replacing the Sham-Wow strips every couple of days. Once it's warm enough outside that the temperature difference doesn't cause condensation to form, I was going to go at it with a mixture of bleach & water before a thorough drying and some sort of decent wood sealant (possibly of the outdoor variety). Really sorry for the wall of text in what should be a "quick questions" thread, but this has been getting worse for the past three years and I'm really afraid that it's going to cost me hundreds of pounds to fix. 
|
|
#
?
Jan 21, 2014 22:38
|
|
|
Single pane windows will get condensate on them when it's cold out and warm inside. Either wipe it off daily, or apply that plastic over the windows that you use a hairdryer to affix. No amount of waterproofing will help, because water isn't coming in. It's already in the air.
|
|
#
?
Jan 21, 2014 22:46
|
|
|
Flash Gordon Ramsay posted:Single pane windows will get condensate on them when it's cold out and warm inside. Either wipe it off daily, or apply that plastic over the windows that you use a hairdryer to affix. Thanks for the quick reply - I've never heard of this plastic stuff you mention, but I'm not sure how much it would help in my case. The problem is that there's an actual gap between my frame and my sill. Freezing cold air is coming in through this gap and causing the massive condensation. None of the other windows in my house have this frame / sill damage and none of them get condensation to this degree, so I'm assuming that the damage is the main cause. As the pictures show, it's getting worse: moisture causes more rotting of the seals, which causes more moisture, etc. I'm wiping it off more or less hourly when I can, but it's like a bandage on a broken leg at this point.
|
|
#
?
Jan 21, 2014 22:54
|
|
|
It's generally called something like a "window insulator"; it's basically the poor man's double pane window. It will help a lot in your situation, because it will keep the warm, moist house air separated from the windowsill. (You'll probably still get a fair bit of condensation on the plastic, though). edit: caulk on the outside of the window may work better as a stop-gap repair than your previous attempt Zhentar fucked around with this message at 23:14 on Jan 21, 2014 |
|
#
?
Jan 21, 2014 23:09
|
|
|
Zhentar posted:It's generally called something like a "window insulator"; it's basically the poor man's double pane window. It will help a lot in your situation, because it will keep the warm, moist house air separated from the windowsill. (You'll probably still get a fair bit of condensation on the plastic, though). Ah, a bit of Googling around seems to show a few places in the UK I could get that from. My windows are already double-glazed; will this still have the desired effect? I get the feeling that, like you say, the water's just going to keep condensing on the plastic. Unless it goes over the entire window area? Given how flexible the wood is around that gap, I'd be worried that it would just rip and be rendered useless.
|
|
#
?
Jan 21, 2014 23:15
|
|
|
Yeah, it goes over the entire window area. If you rip it, then no, it won't work, but they are generally fairly durable.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2014 00:26
|
|
|
Zhentar posted:Yeah, it goes over the entire window area. If you rip it, then no, it won't work, but they are generally fairly durable. You said that window was double glazed? That window doesn't happen to get foggy between the panes when it's cold and foggy outside, does it? Also, you can caulk that gap that cold air is coming through if it's under 1/2" wide. Strip out any old caulk first and apply the new stuff. For a newbie I would stick with acrylic caulk, it cleans up easier than silicone. Apply a small bead, then wet your finger and run it along the bead to make a smooth finish. The only problem is that you might have to wait for a warmer day to apply it so that the temp is high enough for the caulk to cure properly.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2014 06:05
|
|
|
Citycop posted:I hope this is in the right thread. What software did you use for this? Is it free? I can't find anything called simplehome 3d.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2014 07:06
|
|
|
Ugh installing 3/4 inch maple hardwood... its gorgeous. 6 rows later- find a split that is separating in a board. Replace it now or wait til its all in and replace it then? Edit: Part 2- ever since reading this instructable: http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Supercharged-Bluetooth-Speaker-v20/ I've had the desire to buy a couple of floor speakers on craigslist and turn them into a pair of bluetooth full range speakers.. a big ol Jambox. I know nothing about home audio and nothing about electronics. What would be the best thread for figuring out how to apply this hack? And/or how deep into an electronics education would have to go to know enough to accomplish said goal? TheBigBad fucked around with this message at 07:25 on Jan 22, 2014 |
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2014 07:22
|
|
|
FISHMANPET posted:What software did you use for this? Is it free? I can't find anything called simplehome 3d. SOrry ... sweet home 3d http://www.sweethome3d.com/
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2014 14:45
|
|
|
I am having some weird toilet issues. Basically I will flush the toilet and the water will fill up the bowl, kind of swirl around, and not really have any suction going down. And then one time I flushed, stuff didn't go down, and I was about to get a plunger when I came back and saw that stuff had actually gone down. Is this a clog? Should I just go to the store and get a plunger? If so, which kind of plunger? Are there any procedures that I should know about? How do I dispose of any debris that comes up?
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2014 17:19
|
|
|
Insane Totoro posted:I am having some weird toilet issues. Toilet clogs are usually caused by one-off events, like a single spectacular dump with too much toilet paper, but can accumulate, especially if you tend to flush things down the toilet that aren't entirely safe for the septic system (facial tissues are a common one). A plunger will help resolve many different types of clogs. You may also need a plumber's snake to resolve a bad clog, and these are best wielded by a plumber. Drain cleaner like Drano will help open the pipe from certain types of clogs, but (and this should go without saying) it's not going to help you if your toilet is already completely clogged -- you're just going to overflow your toilet and get drain cleaner and lovely toilet water all over the floor. If you have an issue with the septic system, you'll want to hire a professional. By the way, before you flush that toilet again, put some towels around that toilet. If you overflow the toilet testing it to see if it's still clogged, you don't want to get lovely toilet water all over the floor. Get a plunger for your toilet. It's a plunger. You put it in the toilet when you think your toilet is clogged. If you don't know what to buy, ask a friendly human at the hardware store. I can't believe you don't own a plunger. While you're out, buy a fire extinguisher. Vulture Culture fucked around with this message at 17:44 on Jan 22, 2014 |
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2014 17:38
|
|
|
It's probably wise to have a plunger on-hand anyway, and they're not horrifically expensive. You want one like this, not the kind that are shaped kind of like a trumpet bell. Those are for sinks, if I recall correctly; you need a different shape for toilets to get a good seal.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2014 17:38
|
|
|
Insane Totoro posted:I am having some weird toilet issues. Everyone with a toilet should own a plunger. The only thing more embarrassing than having a guest clog your toilet is not being ready to deal with it. I don't think there are any procedures more complicated than putting the plunger in the water to make a seal against the hole at the bottom then forcing down in one firm motion. See if that fixes it, because its cheaper than a plumber and you need to know how anyway.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2014 17:41
|
|
|
eddiewalker posted:I don't think there are any procedures more complicated than putting the plunger in the water to make a seal against the hole at the bottom then forcing down in one firm motion.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2014 17:42
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 21, 2024 15:22 |
|
|
This is the only location in the house that has slow drainage. I own a single family home and we have municipal sewers here, so no septic tank. Something like this is called a flange plunger right? I'll order something for store pickup at Home Depot today. http://www.amazon.com/Korky-93-8-Original-Plunger/dp/B001DDP4JA/ And then once I plunge the sucker out, I can pour some of this in there and that will help prevent future clogs? http://www.drano.com/en-US/Products/Pages/Build-Up-Remover.aspx If it's that easy, yeah I can do that! I suppose a bucket and some waterproof garbage bags would help too in "disposal" right? And I have a fire extinguisher! Thanks!
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2014 17:55
|
|