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My wife and I are buying a place here in the Netherlands, which is mostly ready to go but there a few things we want to change / touch up (I'm reading through the thread and I've already found some good answers to my laminate floor and Cat5/e/6 questions). One thing I'm wondering in the kitchen: as is the Dutch way, the place comes with a "combi-magnetron" (a combined microwave and oven), which if our rental experience with similar units is anything to go by, are mediocre at both of those things, so we want to put in a plain old regular oven. The current unit is located above the fridge. Normal ovens tend to be taller, and I'm pretty sure I can effectively shorten the cupboard above easily. My only concern is, should I be putting an oven above the fridge? Part of me thinks it'll be fine, but then another part is having concerns about putting the very hot thing on top of the cold thing... (the freezer's the first one under the countertop next to the fridge so that's not a problem). 
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May 18, 2018 22:49
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Ovens & refrigerators are both fairly well-insulated. You'd have more heat rising from the back of the refrigerator than anything else - certainly nothing cool, unless you have a problem with the door sealing - and even then, the cold would drop, not rise.. I don't see a problem.
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May 19, 2018 04:21
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Can anyone recommend a shop-type vac that you personally own or have used extensively at home? I tripped over my bag of diatomaceous earth and now there's quite a pile on the carpet. I read that if I use my normie vacuum to suck it up the DE will burn out the motor or otherwise destroy the machine. I don't need a shopvac big/powerful enough for professional use like say a contractor would do, but I don't want to waste money on lovely one either.
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May 19, 2018 04:29
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A ridgid one from your local home dee-pot should do the trick.
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May 19, 2018 05:28
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PainterofCrap posted:Ovens & refrigerators are both fairly well-insulated. You'd have more heat rising from the back of the refrigerator than anything else - certainly nothing cool, unless you have a problem with the door sealing - and even then, the cold would drop, not rise.. I don't see a problem. Cool thanks. And I imagine they both vent out the front, so that'll work.
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May 19, 2018 09:17
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shits.ridic posted:Can anyone recommend a shop-type vac that you personally own or have used extensively at home? I tripped over my bag of diatomaceous earth and now there's quite a pile on the carpet. Any of them will do. If you want to protect the guts grab a hepa filter kit (it's a filter and bag).
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May 19, 2018 15:04
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Shop-Vac makes a really small version for like $30 (I think it’s 1.5 gallon), and mine works just as well if not better than the expensive one in my work vehicle. You just have to remember to empty it more. Edit: I remember now that I bought mine on clearance for $40 Canadian... no idea what they are regularly, so they may not be as cheap as I thought.
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May 19, 2018 16:11
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Spagghentleman posted:Shop-Vac makes a really small version for like $30 (I think it’s 1.5 gallon), and mine works just as well if not better than the expensive one in my work vehicle. I have both a 1.5 gallon and a 12 gallon 5hp, and there is a definite difference in how much they suck. There are some jobs, like dust collection for power tools, that the big one does much better. However, for simple cleanup tasks, you'll likely be fine with a little one, it'll just take a little longer.
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May 19, 2018 16:27
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shits.ridic posted:Can anyone recommend a shop-type vac that you personally own or have used extensively at home? I tripped over my bag of diatomaceous earth and now there's quite a pile on the carpet. To add to what others have already suggested: no filter will catch that crap. Shop vacs have an inlet and and outlet. You're going to want to buy additional hose to hook up to the outlet and pipe that poo poo outside. The alternate, which would be much more expensive unless you can rent one, would be a vacuum with a water trap filter, like what is used for cleaning oil furnaces.
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May 19, 2018 17:06
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Motronic posted:To add to what others have already suggested: no filter will catch that crap. Shop vacs have an inlet and and outlet. You're going to want to buy additional hose to hook up to the outlet and pipe that poo poo outside. Crazy idea (I've never tried this): take a normal shop-vac, put the HEPA filter over the foam filter, and then put a few inches of water in the bottom of the shop-vac and run the hose under the water. That's a homebrew water trap, and the HEPA should get whatever doesn't turn into concrete inside.
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May 19, 2018 19:54
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HVAC suddenly crapped out. Neither the AC compressor or the furnace will turn on, and the air handler won't blow anything. Apart from installing a new thermostat, is there a good way to diagnose whether this is just a dead thermostat or, god help me, a dead air handler?
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May 19, 2018 21:47
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Did you check fuses or breaker? I hate to ask something so basic...
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May 19, 2018 22:03
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grassy gnoll posted:HVAC suddenly crapped out. Neither the AC compressor or the furnace will turn on, and the air handler won't blow anything. Apart from installing a new thermostat, is there a good way to diagnose whether this is just a dead thermostat or, god help me, a dead air handler? If your air handler were dead it shouldn't prevent the compressor from cycling, nor the furnace from firing. So I'm going to guess thermostat. I bet YouTube has some instructions on how to troubleshoot. We have ... five identical thermostats in the house? Something like that. Lots of radiator zones for heat, and then two controlled the A/C units (but when we put in the new two-stage unit we got a Honeywell smart thermostat for it). So when something was on the fritz, I'd just flop another thermostat into the spot in question and see if it helped. edit: the furnace and the A/C compressor should be on separate circuits, but can't hurt to look, yeah.
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May 19, 2018 22:44
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It’s worth noting that a lot of newer (mine is a Rheem) air handlers actually put an automotive-style blade fuse on the low-voltage DC thermostat wiring. It saved my rear end when I was swapping thermostats and tried to make the magic blue smoke come out.
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May 20, 2018 00:34
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That's not a "newer" thing, the 24v transformer has (edit: should have) a fuse protecting it. Sometimes it keeps the transformer alive in the event of a fault, sometimes it doesn't.
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May 20, 2018 02:43
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I always try to use transformers with the reset on them because of, uh.. my extensive experience with burning up transformers.
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May 20, 2018 03:22
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My girlfriend broke her condo door key this weekend only to discover no one else had a copy so she had to get a locksmith out who drilled it to get it open. The locksmith helpfully did not have a replacement cylinder so she's only had her interior deadbolt the rest of the weekend. Is this something I can buy and replace myself since the hard part of drilling it is over? The door appears to be Pella and it sounds like they use a couple different multi-lock manufacturers. Is the cylinder standardized or do I need to figure out who makes it before buying a replacement? Where would I go to buy this?
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May 21, 2018 21:00
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Wondering if I could get some input or advice regarding air conditioner size and placement in my new apartment. Moved in last fall but now that it's heating up I want to get everything prepared for summer. First, here's a rough floor plan I put together showing the layout and square footage:  All of the rooms are "connected" via doorways and I rarely have any doors closed. Because my dining room and living room share large french doors and there is a window directly across from the office room, I was considering putting a 10K BTU window unit there and then a 5-6K BTU unit in the bedroom. Does this sound like it would work efficiently, or would I be better off putting smaller units spread out in different locations? Ideally I'd like to limit the amount of units I install to keep the noise levels down but I realize this might not be ideal. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!
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May 21, 2018 21:04
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Teabag Dome Scandal posted:My girlfriend broke her condo door key this weekend only to discover no one else had a copy so she had to get a locksmith out who drilled it to get it open. The locksmith helpfully did not have a replacement cylinder so she's only had her interior deadbolt the rest of the weekend. Is this something I can buy and replace myself since the hard part of drilling it is over? The door appears to be Pella and it sounds like they use a couple different multi-lock manufacturers. Is the cylinder standardized or do I need to figure out who makes it before buying a replacement? Where would I go to buy this? Take a quick picture of it, but assuming it's bog standard then yes, you can go to any hardware store or locksmith and get replacement hardware. It's odd the locksmith couldn't rekey you on the spot, especially if she had both halves of the key. You don't see like "Medeco" or something on the key itself do you? Compare the keyway part to other keys on your keyring, especially if one is for a kwikset lock. (The top cut away hills and valleys is the biting on your key, the other axis is your keyway.) If you see a bunch of extra cutouts or odd angles in there you might have a restricted keyway. If you have a specific question let us know the exact brand and numbering on your key, or take a picture of both sides of the key and blank out the biting part. If it's a restricted keyway you're in for a world of pain. (Well, money.)
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May 21, 2018 21:23
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grassy gnoll posted:HVAC suddenly crapped out. Neither the AC compressor or the furnace will turn on, and the air handler won't blow anything. Apart from installing a new thermostat, is there a good way to diagnose whether this is just a dead thermostat or, god help me, a dead air handler? Did you check the water pan? If your condensate drain is clogged most units have a float switch that will keep it from turning on at all if there's water in the pan.
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May 21, 2018 22:09
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H110Hawk posted:Take a quick picture of it, but assuming it's bog standard then yes, you can go to any hardware store or locksmith and get replacement hardware. It's odd the locksmith couldn't rekey you on the spot, especially if she had both halves of the key. You don't see like "Medeco" or something on the key itself do you? Compare the keyway part to other keys on your keyring, especially if one is for a kwikset lock. (The top cut away hills and valleys is the biting on your key, the other axis is your keyway.) If you see a bunch of extra cutouts or odd angles in there you might have a restricted keyway. Unfortunately, she pitched her broken pieces so I don't have a picture to offer. I do remember that the key body? (whatever the bit is called that doesn't contain the actual teeth) was much larger than my kwikset keys and square if that helps narrow it down. She did send me a picture of the broken bit but I'm not sure if that will be enough to be helpful. Something is etched into the key but I'm not sure if thats the brand and numbering you were talking about?
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May 21, 2018 22:15
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Teabag Dome Scandal posted:Unfortunately, she pitched her broken pieces so I don't have a picture to offer. I do remember that the key body? (whatever the bit is called that doesn't contain the actual teeth) was much larger than my kwikset keys and square if that helps narrow it down. She did send me a picture of the broken bit but I'm not sure if that will be enough to be helpful. Something is etched into the key but I'm not sure if thats the brand and numbering you were talking about? The important stuff would be on the head of the key. It doesn't look all that special. Is the hardware physically removed from the door now so she just has a hole where the handle should be?
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May 21, 2018 22:44
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H110Hawk posted:The important stuff would be on the head of the key. It doesn't look all that special. Is the hardware physically removed from the door now so she just has a hole where the handle should be? No, the lock is still fully assembled so she can deadbolt the door from inside. Its only the outside keyhole that is non functional but it is still installed.
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May 21, 2018 22:50
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Teabag Dome Scandal posted:No, the lock is still fully assembled so she can deadbolt the door from inside. Its only the outside keyhole that is non functional but it is still installed. Take a picture, but odds are that is 100% regular sold-at-home-depot door hardware.
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May 21, 2018 22:58
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n.. posted:Did you check the water pan? If your condensate drain is clogged most units have a float switch that will keep it from turning on at all if there's water in the pan. This turned out to be it, and it's not something that ever would have occurred to me to check. Thanks for the assistance, everyone. I gotta go return a thermostat.
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May 22, 2018 01:12
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H110Hawk posted:Take a picture, but odds are that is 100% regular sold-at-home-depot door hardware.   
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May 22, 2018 02:50
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Yeah, that looks stock.
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May 22, 2018 02:53
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I believe that is called a mortise set, looks like their essential hardware set. I would call around to make sure it's in stock before driving anywhere. Once you have it installation should be easy, especially if you get a Pella brand replacement. Try door/window specialty stores.
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May 22, 2018 02:59
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H110Hawk posted:I believe that is called a mortise set, looks like their essential hardware set. I would call around to make sure it's in stock before driving anywhere. Once you have it installation should be easy, especially if you get a Pella brand replacement. It would appear that is their Eclipse Satin Nickel from the Essential line! Thanks! I didn't think it would be the entire door assembly though I'm not sure why. Everything is closed by now but will I be able to buy just the cylinder? That's all I should need to replace, right?
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May 22, 2018 03:42
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Teabag Dome Scandal posted:It would appear that is their Eclipse Satin Nickel from the Essential line! Thanks! I didn't think it would be the entire door assembly though I'm not sure why. Everything is closed by now but will I be able to buy just the cylinder? That's all I should need to replace, right? Without further disassembly and someone with more knowledge than me it's hard to know exactly what was destroyed when drilling. Sort of depends on what parts are available. Maybe call the emergency locksmith and ask if they can cut you a deal on repair since it's 2 calls?
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May 22, 2018 03:53
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emotive posted:Wondering if I could get some input or advice regarding air conditioner size and placement in my new apartment. Moved in last fall but now that it's heating up I want to get everything prepared for summer. If you want to keep the noise down, your best bet is going to buy a little bigger than you need then run them on the low speed. Because of the size of the single vent, the larger the coil and opening you get, the better chance of it running at its lower speed quietly with enough power to get the job done This 12K BTU LG for instance is CR rated _fine_ on high but _very good_ on low, so as a unit to tackle the living/dining/office area of ~400sqft it'd probably do the trick using mostly low, so you can also get nice long runtimes for dehumidification. If you need a boost, just it on high for a bit. https://www.amazon.com/LG-LW1216ER-Window-Mounted-Conditioner-Control/dp/B01D3FOIR4 For your bedroom, this is apparently the quietest unit without mixed reviews https://www.lowes.com/pd/Frigidaire-250-sq-ft-Window-Air-Conditioner-115-Volt-6000-BTU-ENERGY-STAR/1000195131 6K BTU, but on low, it's probably not wildly oversized for your bedroom.
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May 22, 2018 04:47
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grassy gnoll posted:This turned out to be it, and it's not something that ever would have occurred to me to check. Thanks for the assistance, everyone. I gotta go return a thermostat. Sweet, glad to have helped. Squirt a little bleach into the drain trap once a year or so to keep it from gunking up.
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May 22, 2018 06:01
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We wanted a dishwasher installed in our kitchen, but the only place it could go had the only set of draws on the way. One of our cupboards was floor to ceiling, so what I did was to remove the shelves from the bottom half, and install the drawers in there instead. The door to the cupboard was actually extended to cover the bottom half with just another 'door' attached, so I removed that, and now it sort of works. The issue is that the door doesn't 'quite' come low enough, so I want to extend it. (Or if someone's got a better idea im all ears!) . I've got the removed lower half door (which you can see in the lower right of the picture), and a bunch of paneling from installing the dishwasher that matches the current door, but I don't really know how best to go about it? I could just cut the lower half, but then the pattern would look kinda weird? Any tips (including what tools to use, I'm an utter noob) would be massively appreciated! Thanks!
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May 22, 2018 11:07
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Can you buy drawer front blanks in the same style? Fixing one of those over the gap would look okay without stopping you using the cupboard and would be a drat sight easier than making a cut-down door look nice.
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May 22, 2018 11:36
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cakesmith handyman posted:Can you buy drawer front blanks in the same style? Fixing one of those over the gap would look okay without stopping you using the cupboard and would be a drat sight easier than making a cut-down door look nice. Hmm, possibly. These fronts came with the flat though, and I'd have to just search manually tho find out what they are / where they're from, or try and match as close I could, plus there's no guarantee (although it's worth checking) the gap is the same size as a drawer front, in which case is essentially the same issue. If it is (might be, a lot of this stuff seems like it was designed to be modular) that's a great shout though, I'll go measure it. Even if it's a little bit bigger I can probably fudge it.
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May 22, 2018 12:54
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Teabag Dome Scandal posted:It would appear that is their Eclipse Satin Nickel from the Essential line! Thanks! I didn't think it would be the entire door assembly though I'm not sure why. Everything is closed by now but will I be able to buy just the cylinder? That's all I should need to replace, right? If that's all the locksmith damaged, then yes. That is indeed a mortise lockset, which in turn takes a mortise lock cylinder. They're used in retail doors a lot. Those are kind of weird. You take the cover plate off the latch side, then unscrew a little set screw inside. That set screw holds the cylinder in place. Once the set screw is loose, the entire cylinder can unscrew out of the door face. Once you got that out, then comes the hard part of finding a duplicate. Also, I don't know how much of a perfectionist you are/she is and it's hard to tell from the picture, but the locksmith may have damaged more than the cylinder. He may have drilled too deep and that escutcheon around the cylinder may have been scratched.
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May 22, 2018 18:19
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We have a driveway that is made of river rock. I suspect the previous owners "recycled" the rock into this space, as it's full of dirt and debris to the point where it's an eyesore. Is there a good way to clean that out?
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May 22, 2018 18:53
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sweet_jones posted:We have a driveway that is made of river rock. I suspect the previous owners "recycled" the rock into this space, as it's full of dirt and debris to the point where it's an eyesore. Is there a good way to clean that out? What kind of debris?
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May 22, 2018 18:57
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Dirt mostly. In sections, the dirt is at level with the rocks, despite the overall depth of the driveway being ~ 4". That's the reason I suspect they moved rocks from elsewhere on the property. There's also sand in noticeable piles and then the lovely debris that the neighboring pine and Siberian Elm have dropped.
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May 22, 2018 19:15
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Either take it apart and get rid of anything that's not rocks, or pressure wash away anything that's not rocks.
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May 22, 2018 19:53
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