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Fallom posted:Yeah but what if there really is only one problem and he gets banned for using up precious thread posting resources Then he should post it in GBS, they get a much higher resource allotment. The last GBS help my goon hovel is disintegrating thread has had only 3 blurry pics and everyone is really sad about it, so a guy with lots of hovel pics would be a hero.
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May 13, 2018 16:39
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Ok, it's two 20-God-damned-18, surely mankind has developed a better way of putting new screens into windows that doesn't involve this loving bullshit with rubber splines and that loving roller wheel spline tool? This is the THIRD loving TIME I've tried to replace the screen in my kitchen window. I'm not sure why I bother, since the cats keep destroying it to try and get outside, but this screen is a "cat resistant" one, and it's technically done it's job...they have not been able to claw through it, because if they just push lightly on it it comes right out of the channel/groove in the frame. The first time I replaced it last summer, as I was pushing the rubber spline in, I heard the screen getting cut by the tool/spline. Maybe 1/3 of the total perimeter was essentially cut as the spline was pushed into the groove in the frame. Which wouldn't be too bad a problem if the screen cut/broke along the outside, but it got cut on the inside, so a good chunk of the screen wasn't really held in place. It was towards the end of summer, so I said gently caress it and left it, and we just dealt with it by only opening the window a couple of inches so the cats couldn't get out. So this spring, I tried to do it again. I figured I had too thick of a spline (despite the one I used being the exact thickness the screen said to use...I want to say it was .160", but it might only have been .140 or .145.) I used the rest of the same screen and .125" spline, and tried again...nope. I still heard the cracking/cutting of the screen as I pushed the spline into the groove. I ripped it out and got a new screen, just straight up aluminum instead of whatever the cat-resistant one was (I want to saw it was some sort of plastic-coated aluminum.) Again, tried with .125" spline, and this time I noticed the spline rolling tool said to use the "smooth" side to push the screen into the groove first before putting in the spline, so I did...well that process by itself cut some of the screen in a few spots, and like before pushing the spline into place cut a good portion more of it. WHAT. THE. gently caress?! What am I doing wrong here? I tried just not pushing as hard with the spline tool, but then the spline doesn't hold and pops right out. I figure a vinyl/fiberglass screen would probably be more resistant to cutting/breaking, since it's a softer material, but I know that the cats will just claw through it like butter. Edit: Ok, I'm watching a video on putting in aluminum screens, and I guess I was closest to the mark the last time, I just needed to push the screen into the groove slowly with several passes, not try to do it in one go, and push the screen into the groove by pushing in the top and bottom first, then the sides, THEN spline all around. It seems like every tutorial/"how-to" I looked at was only referring to fiberglass/plastic screens. DrBouvenstein fucked around with this message at 19:19 on May 13, 2018 |
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May 13, 2018 18:55
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I have an old Kenmore 70 series dryer. Purchased in 1996 (not by me...it's a hand me down to me). It's been amazing for 10 years now, but started acting weird the other day. Sometimes it would start. Sometimes not. Sometimes, if it did start, it'd complete a cycle... sometimes it'd stop in the middle. I took the back panel off and found this fried wire going from the drum motor housing (I think) to the timer. I'm guessing this burnt wire is not always sending the correct signal to the timer and that would cause the problem I have. Also... fire hazard. Anyway all appliance companies around here want $85 just to come *look* at the problem. I'd rather just replace the wire myself, but, while I can do the work, I'm not experienced at identifying wires. What kind of wire am I looking at here? Splicing connector tips onto the end is well within my wheelhouse. Just want to make sure I get the right type of wire and am not overlooking something that would be a big hazard for me.  edit: This looks like exactly what I'd need - I'd just love to be able to run to Lowe's and get it today instead of shipping it. https://www.repairclinic.com/PartDetail/Wire-Connector/279457/3140 BonoMan fucked around with this message at 16:15 on May 14, 2018 |
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May 14, 2018 16:01
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I have an old dryer outlet (nema 14-30) that I want to use as a regular outlet (to power a microwave). I found this adapter at Menards, but that only plugs into a range outlet (nema 14-50). Is there an equivalent adapter for 30a outlets? If not, would I die in a fire if I replaced the 30a outlet with a 50a outlet (leaving the 30a breaker in place), so that I could use this adapter?
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May 14, 2018 16:47
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Mr Executive posted:I have an old dryer outlet (nema 14-30) that I want to use as a regular outlet (to power a microwave). I found this adapter at Menards, but that only plugs into a range outlet (nema 14-50). Is there an equivalent adapter for 30a outlets? If not, would I die in a fire if I replaced the 30a outlet with a 50a outlet (leaving the 30a breaker in place), so that I could use this adapter? Email a company like StayOnline and ask if they sell such a monstrosity? Technically this is what you're looking for: https://www.amazon.com/NEMA-L14-30P-5-20R-Plug-Adapter/dp/B004XW85IU but it makes no mention of UL rating or wiring diagram. For example, where does that second hot go? Do not buy something not UL rated for your purpose, it will burn your house down. If you can find an outlet that accepts #10 wire (I assume your wire is this size, check) I think you could break the tab off the hot side, wire black to the top, red to the bottom, neutral and ground to their respective lugs. The 5-20 outlets I saw on homedepot.com accept up to #12 so that wouldn't work. A local electrician supplier is likely your best option.
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May 14, 2018 16:59
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H110Hawk posted:Email a company like StayOnline and ask if they sell such a monstrosity? That cord you linked isn't exactly what I'd need as that's an L14-30. My outlet looks just like a 50a range outlet, but the neutral is "L" shaped instead of straight. Swapping out a 14-50 for a 14-30 should use the same wires. If I leave the 30a breaker in place, this should be safe, right? It would only become dangerous if that 30a breaker was upgraded to 50a, which isn't something that I or a future homeowner would accidentally do without knowing what they were doing....I assume
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May 14, 2018 17:26
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Mr Executive posted:That cord you linked isn't exactly what I'd need as that's an L14-30. My outlet looks just like a 50a range outlet, but the neutral is "L" shaped instead of straight. Swapping out a 14-50 for a 14-30 should use the same wires. If I leave the 30a breaker in place, this should be safe, right? It would only become dangerous if that 30a breaker was upgraded to 50a, which isn't something that I or a future homeowner would accidentally do without knowing what they were doing....I assume Eh leaving off the "L"ocking portion of it yields similar results in straight blade. I think the one I linked is dangerously midlabeled - I bet the output is 6-20R (125/250V hot/hot/something (G+N bonded?  )) Check in the burn your house down thread: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3090739 I think you are correct about the uprated outlet on a lower breaker but they should know.
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May 14, 2018 18:06
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Thanks, didn't know that thread existed. I posted something over there.
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May 14, 2018 18:27
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BonoMan posted:I have an old Kenmore 70 series dryer. Purchased in 1996 (not by me...it's a hand me down to me). You can get the wire spec off the existing wire sheath where it should be printed. You may also need to replace the device the damaged wire attaches to if it was damaged by the heat.
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May 14, 2018 18:31
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BonoMan posted:I have an old Kenmore 70 series dryer. Purchased in 1996 (not by me...it's a hand me down to me). That's just a crimp on female blade connector. You can get those at any hardware or auto parts store as well as a crimper tool to put it on. It happened because of a loose connection. It looks like it was a bad crimp and not that the connector was loose. You probably won't need to replace that thermometer(?) it was plugged into. Just make sure you use the connector for your wire size. You should be able to read the wire gauge on the side of it. Buy more wire of the right size and a butt connector too if you need more slack.
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May 14, 2018 20:05
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Dishwasher isn't draining, or rather is draining incredibly slow. Lines aren't clogged and pump doesn't have any obstructions. Also drain pump runs with no issue when out of it's housing. What other things should I check?
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May 14, 2018 22:04
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kid sinister posted:That's just a crimp on female blade connector. You can get those at any hardware or auto parts store as well as a crimper tool to put it on. It happened because of a loose connection. It looks like it was a bad crimp and not that the connector was loose. You probably won't need to replace that thermometer(?) it was plugged into. Just make sure you use the connector for your wire size. You should be able to read the wire gauge on the side of it. Buy more wire of the right size and a butt connector too if you need more slack. awesome thanks for all the intel!
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May 14, 2018 22:42
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BonoMan posted:I have an old Kenmore 70 series dryer. Purchased in 1996 (not by me...it's a hand me down to me). Judging by the location of the burn (at the exit flue) and that it is on the high-temp limit switch, and the alarming quantity of lint I see at the limit-switch orifice, I'm guessing that you've had a few fire-lets there which burned the wire and have made your high-limit switch stupid. This will result in the odd behaviour you describe. The switch shouldn't be more than $25. you can replace it by unscrewing it. Google up the model number and "parts" and you will find a part number. Search for "appliance parts" in your area to find a place that will sell you the switch. Most appliance parts places stock these; usually one type is used on several models. Get a set of crimp-able female spade connectors, cut the burnt wire back, bare the last 1/4" on clean wire & crimp on a new connector. Attach to your freshly-installed switch & go of for a test cycle. And for chrissakes, vacuum out the flue line and the underside of your dryer/burner area, as well as you dryer vent line, before you burn your house down. You're lucky you got a warning. PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 01:29 on May 15, 2018 |
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May 15, 2018 01:21
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PainterofCrap posted:Judging by the location of the burn (at the exit flue) and that it is on the high-temp limit switch, and the alarming quantity of lint I see at the limit-switch orifice, I'm guessing that you've had a few fire-lets there which burned the wire and have made your high-limit switch stupid. This will result in the odd behaviour you describe. Yeah I trimmed the wire back and crimped on a new connector. Now to replace the sensor. I have vaccuumed and cleaned all of the lint out. Of the wires, exhaust, lint area... everything (that was after I took those photos). This dryer was purchased in 1996 by a coworker, handed down to her sister, then back to her and sold to me 10 years ago ($75 total for this and the washer which is still going). It developed a hole in the lint trap and that's where some of that lint got out. We're replacing the lint trap too.
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May 15, 2018 15:47
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BonoMan posted:Yeah I trimmed the wire back and crimped on a new connector. Now to replace the sensor. Take off the lint duct and clean in there too. On a old Kenmore, it's the duct on the left when the back cover is off. There are 4 little bolts around the blower wheel at the bottom and 2 screws on top where the lint trap goes. Once it's loose, it can be a pain to maneuver it out of the dryer, but I promise it's possible. Take it outside, shake it upside down, clean around the blower wheel as best you can. Protip for putting Kenmore ducts back together: do the 2 screws on top of the dryer first! That way if you screw up and drop them down the duct, you don't have to take off all the hard to reach screws down below to take the duct off again and retrieve the screw you dropped inside.
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May 15, 2018 18:24
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kid sinister posted:Take off the lint duct and clean in there too. On a old Kenmore, it's the duct on the left when the back cover is off. There are 4 little bolts around the blower wheel at the bottom and 2 screws on top where the lint trap goes. Once it's loose, it can be a pain to maneuver it out of the dryer, but I promise it's possible. Take it outside, shake it upside down, clean around the blower wheel as best you can. Protip for putting Kenmore ducts back together: do the 2 screws on top of the dryer first! That way if you screw up and drop them down the duct, you don't have to take off all the hard to reach screws down below to take the duct off again and retrieve the screw you dropped inside. Yup did all that! In fact you can tell it's off in the picture I posted  . Still, I appreciate all the in depth advice. Really don't want to buy a new one of these! $75 for a washer/dryer pair that's lasted me 10 years is probably the deal of the century for me.
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May 15, 2018 19:30
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Quick lawn maintenance question: I recently bought a house and the backyard is mostly weeds/clover. Should I tear out everything until I have a giant dirt lot before laying down sod/seed or is possible to dump a bunch of seed and weed and feed and have everything work out alright?
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May 15, 2018 22:49
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I view the clover in my lawn as a low maintenance feature!
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May 16, 2018 00:05
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glynnenstein posted:I view the clover in my lawn as a low maintenance feature! I am actively overseeding with clover!
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May 16, 2018 00:57
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baquerd posted:I am actively overseeding with clover! Somewhere in your neighborhood: Bees are making the most delicious honey
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May 16, 2018 02:52
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baquerd posted:I am actively overseeding with clover! I'm thinking about doing this for the small grass patch in my xeriscaped back yard because I hear it's resilient to dog piss.
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May 16, 2018 04:29
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PainterofCrap posted:Somewhere in your neighborhood: Bees are making the most delicious honey Bees are awesome and so passive, don't mind them. The yellow jackets need to DIAF though, but it's hard to target them specifically unless you track them and spot the nest.
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May 16, 2018 12:17
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Don't gently caress with your clover. It feeds pollinators, it sprouts early, stays GREEN to keep the lawn looking good, it's super soft on your feet, it takes almost no water, and it has lovely little white flowers. Clover is awesome, don't get rid of it.
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May 16, 2018 15:42
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EAT FASTER!!!!!! posted:Don't gently caress with your clover. It feeds pollinators, it sprouts early, stays GREEN to keep the lawn looking good, it's super soft on your feet, it takes almost no water, and it has lovely little white flowers. I was walking around a city this weekend where clover-heavy lawns are apparently A Thing, and it was adorable. Large swaths of little white flowers covering whole lawns.
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May 16, 2018 15:55
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dupersaurus posted:I was walking around a city this weekend where clover-heavy lawns are apparently A Thing, and it was adorable. Large swaths of little white flowers covering whole lawns. Every time I bring my 3 year old home from daycare, the first thing she does it run over to our large clover patch and look at the bees and then pick three flowers (one for me, her mom and my brother in law that's staying with us). It's sooooooo cute. edit: Update on my dryer. Took apart the heating element to really give everything a good solid clean. Put it all back together just fine. Fired up the dryer with the back off. Noticed that my new wires sparked a little bit on the first firing. I turned the dryer off and then back on. No spark and none after. Don't know if I did a bad crimping job (although I've done a million... they make it fairly foolproof) or if it's just something along that line in general that's causing it. But it never repeated after that initial few sparks. The dryer itself went for about 10 minutes but got louder and louder before shutting itself off. Definitely sounded like a motor or pulley or something. It wasn't quite the "bad belt in your car engine" sound, but you could tell SOMETHING was trying to shake itself apart before it stopped. So I'm guessing something with the drive motor assembly. At this point, after going days without a dryer - my wife is about to kill me - I'm just going to call someone in. It looks repairable by myself, but I'd rather just be safe than sorry and burn everything down. BonoMan fucked around with this message at 16:05 on May 16, 2018 |
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May 16, 2018 16:00
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Grass is better than clover if your yard gets heavy use, like if your family has rowdy touch football games or a rousing round of croquet in the backyard every weekend. Clover can't take the punishment. Most homes don't have that kind of use though.
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May 16, 2018 16:02
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EAT FASTER!!!!!! posted:Don't gently caress with your clover. It feeds pollinators, it sprouts early, stays GREEN to keep the lawn looking good, it's super soft on your feet, it takes almost no water, and it has lovely little white flowers. It also forms a symbiosis with special bacteria that allows the clover to literally use nitrogen from the air as fertilizer. That fertility can be used for other plants when the above-ground parts of the plant are chopped or die back for winter. Some day I'll have my clover lawn instead of grass and ajuga and yarrow and plantain and clover and dandelion and ground ivy and vetch and and
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May 16, 2018 16:03
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I’d love to put in clover, but I share a backyard and front yard with my neighbor and I assume it spreads.
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May 16, 2018 16:55
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Epic Doctor Fetus posted:Quick lawn maintenance question: I recently bought a house and the backyard is mostly weeds/clover. Should I tear out everything until I have a giant dirt lot before laying down sod/seed or is possible to dump a bunch of seed and weed and feed and have everything work out alright? Where do you live? If you have a zoysia or other warm grass lawn, the clover will outgrow the grass until summer. You might already have grass under the clover.
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May 16, 2018 22:12
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So...I've got termites in my front porch. Caught pretty early and I'm on a termite warranty with quarterly visits and pest control so the "call a professional" side is handled. There's lawn stuff I've intended to do since I moved in ~20 months ago that, for time and money reasons just has't happened yet, but since this has happened I do have some motivation to get it done sooner rather than later. The front of my house was landscaped pretty shittily by someone who loved flowers but didn't really understand proper planting as far as distance from the foundation, etc. so everything has to come up. There's two massive hydrangea bushes planted about 6" from the foundation and maybe a foot from each other, just to give you an idea of  I'm dealing with.I'm planning on raking out all the bark mulch and, after all the plants are removed and new things planted (properly), adding lava rock. I'd like to plant some things that are termite repellent and all I can find that's in the perennial group is vetiver grass (which I like, but I'm not in a zone it'll survive the winter) and catnip. If I plant catnip, am I going to be loving swarmed by neighborhood cats? I'm allergic and I'm sure it will drive my dog bonkers, plus I don't particularly want cats digging around/pooping in my yard. Is catmint same to catnip as far as termite repellent properties? Any other recommendations on this project?
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May 17, 2018 00:21
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I don’t know what I’m talking about but my gut tells me to just worry about keeping up with the pest company and making the area have good airflow and not worry so much about termite repellent plants.
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May 17, 2018 00:32
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13Pandora13 posted:So...I've got termites in my front porch. Caught pretty early and I'm on a termite warranty with quarterly visits and pest control so the "call a professional" side is handled. If you've got a warranty, call it in. I can think of a couple worse plants planted that close to your foundation than pretty flowers. All plants are termite repellent, while they're healthy anyway. Well, if you've got a tree that's on the way to its death but not quite there yet, they might eat the insides of that, but that's about it. We have a plant thread here in DIY if you have more questions. Look up your USDA zone and post that too.
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May 17, 2018 00:32
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The Dave posted:I don’t know what I’m talking about but my gut tells me to just worry about keeping up with the pest company and making the area have good airflow and not worry so much about termite repellent plants. kid sinister posted:If you've got a warranty, call it in. They have already came for the regular quarterly treatment (last week) and the termite re-treat supersoaker of termite insecticide (yesterday), this is just something I should have done anyway. No rotting/dying trees in the front yard, but I back up to woods (my back yard is fairly large though so distance from my front porch, back to the woodline behind my yard is like 75-100ish yards). I will ask in the plant thread too, thanks! 13Pandora13 fucked around with this message at 01:09 on May 17, 2018 |
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May 17, 2018 01:03
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Wasabi the J posted:Dishwasher isn't draining, or rather is draining incredibly slow. Lines aren't clogged and pump doesn't have any obstructions. Also drain pump runs with no issue when out of it's housing. If you have a dishwasher drain airgap (this thing,  ) then take it apart (a screwdriver or a couple chopsticks, it sort of snaps apart) and see if there's any bullshit stuck in there. I had this exact problem a couple months ago and the whole works was corked with bullshit. Cleaned it out and ran great.
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May 17, 2018 01:07
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EAT FASTER!!!!!! posted:Don't gently caress with your clover. It feeds pollinators, it sprouts early, stays GREEN to keep the lawn looking good, it's super soft on your feet, it takes almost no water, and it has lovely little white flowers. Fair enough, but then how do I deal with the other weeds without killing the clover? I know the answer is probably "just pull them," but maybe there's a better way? kid sinister posted:Where do you live? If you have a zoysia or other warm grass lawn, the clover will outgrow the grass until summer. You might already have grass under the clover. I live in the South. I'm not sure what type of grass my lawn is, but I see mostly Bermuda, centipede and zoysia at the stores, so I'm guessing it's one of those. Thanks for all the replies!
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May 17, 2018 12:41
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Epic Doctor Fetus posted:Fair enough, but then how do I deal with the other weeds without killing the clover? I know the answer is probably "just pull them," but maybe there's a better way? You can spot treat the other weeds if there are few enough, but I have definitely seen yards where there is enough of a complex ecosystem of weeds that you have to kill everything and start over if you want almost entirely straight grass or grass/clover mix. I can effectively kill dandelions and a few other species without harming my clover though recently I've been looking at the dandelions and thinking about harvesting them for salad.
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May 17, 2018 13:50
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BonoMan posted:
There is an idler pulley on the drum belt - the bearing goes. It tends to emit a rumble when doing so. They're about $25 and easy to replace. However, they typically eat themselves noisily with causing your dryer to shut off, so you may have other issues. Wasabi the J posted:Dishwasher isn't draining, or rather is draining incredibly slow. Lines aren't clogged and pump doesn't have any obstructions. Also drain pump runs with no issue when out of it's housing. Check the flow rate when it's actually pumpimg water. My niece's dishwasher had the same problem (plus PO hooked it up to cold water; the inside smelled like a septic system); the thing ran through a full cycle just fine - and you could hear the pump running - and we watched it drain water into the garbage disposal...problem was, the impeller was worn or broken, so the flow rate was miniscule compared to the Niagra we witnessed after I replaced the pump (about $50). PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 02:55 on May 18, 2018 |
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May 18, 2018 02:45
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DP
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May 18, 2018 02:53
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Thanks for dishwasher help. Buying new pump. Also replacing ac fan motor because I'm a goddamm idiot cheapskate (and have an AC tech on call for help). I'm going to take this time to clean the furnace housing. What breaks down caked on dust?
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May 18, 2018 14:50
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PainterofCrap posted:There is an idler pulley on the drum belt - the bearing goes. It tends to emit a rumble when doing so. They're about $25 and easy to replace. However, they typically eat themselves noisily with causing your dryer to shut off, so you may have other issues. Yeah it turned out to be a bad motor. We took everything apart with the repairman and isolated it to a dysfunctional motor. It's definitely something I could have done myself and intended to (trying out the small fixes, like the aforementioned wire, first). It was pretty easy. But my wife had gotten to the "ok time to call the repairman - stop trying to fix it yourself" point - so I had to do it. Cost $215 to fix and he walked me through all of the (easy) steps in case I did it myself in the future.
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May 18, 2018 15:01
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