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NerdyMcNerdNerd posted:After having gotten down on my hands and knees, putting my head near the toilet line, and the sink lines... I think it might be both. I think he meant take the lid off the toilet tank and look in there. If the toilet tank water is at all turbulent, there's probably a leak in the some part of the flushing mechanism. It's relatively common and generally easy to fix.
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Jun 8, 2018 15:26
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NerdyMcNerdNerd posted:After having gotten down on my hands and knees, putting my head near the toilet line, and the sink lines... I think it might be both. Put a few drops of food coloring in your tank and see if it dyes your bowl. If so, it's running.
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Jun 8, 2018 16:32
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I spent about an hour checking poo poo out today, first thing in the morning. Wasn't the toilet. Wasn't the sink. It was... the exterior hose faucet, on the outside wall, left open just a hair. 
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Jun 8, 2018 16:53
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Might be more suited to the electronics thread, but wasn't sure... The other day my Toshiba TV (Best Buy branded) model 32L220U went green. It started acting weird while just flipping through channels. My GF was flipping through, then suddenly the parental block turned on and the TV went black and in a very loud voice said a code was needed to unlock. There's no "parental lock" button on the remote, all she was hitting was channel up/down. No buttons worked after that, couldn't power it off, change channels, or attempt to enter whatever code it wanted. Had to pull the power cord. After powering it back on, (almost) everything was green-tinged. You can see it in the album. But system menus and the startup Toshiba logo are NOT green, they look fine. I have tried everything in the menu. I've tried other color modes, fiddled with tint, sharpness, color, reset the modes, even went into the individual RGB settings and tried to turn green down and R+B up and it has barely made any difference. The fact that the logo and some of the menus are the correct colors tells me it's probably not hardware related, but I'm at a loss for what else I can try to get it to go back to normal. You can see in the album there is one item on the main board that looks odd...it's a coil of some kind (an inductor?) with some corrosion/damage right near one of the leads. I've reseated all the cables and connections, but still green. https://imgur.com/a/SswmTzK Edit: Looks like I can order the main board: https://www.tvparts.ca/tvdetail.php?id=9987 but I'd rather not unless I have to...also it's a but pricey considering the TV itself was only like $150. DrBouvenstein fucked around with this message at 18:18 on Jun 8, 2018 |
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Jun 8, 2018 17:53
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DrBouvenstein posted:Edit: Looks like I can order the main board: https://www.tvparts.ca/tvdetail.php?id=9987 but I'd rather not unless I have to...also it's a but pricey considering the TV itself was only like $150. $80+shipping for a $150 TV? Throw it away and get a new one. When we had our TV down for service we set a cap at 1/3 the price of the TV when-new ($1000, so $333) to repair it. Heck, 2016? Don't buy such cheap TV's. Did you buy it on a normal credit card? If so, see if they have an extended warranty.
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Jun 8, 2018 18:30
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H110Hawk posted:Heck, 2016? Don't buy such cheap TV's. Did you buy it on a normal credit card? If so, see if they have an extended warranty. Probably not, GF got it as an open box item from Best Buy just over a year ago. Mostly I was really hoping it could be software related since the menu and logo are fine, but I did a factory reset and still nothing, so off to the recycling center it goes. Edit: V V V Yeah, so far I've tried antenna input, and two different HDMI devices (Chromecast and a PS3, using different ports) and it's all green. V V V DrBouvenstein fucked around with this message at 19:27 on Jun 8, 2018 |
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Jun 8, 2018 18:43
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DrBouvenstein posted:Probably not, GF got it as an open box item from Best Buy just over a year ago. Before you junk it, try different inputs, cables, and input devices. So like, grab a laptop, a different cable, and plug it into a different port. See if it's still broken.
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Jun 8, 2018 19:22
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DrBouvenstein posted:Probably not, GF got it as an open box item from Best Buy just over a year ago. You might see if your TV has a service menu you can get into https://factory-reset.com/wiki/Toshiba_Service_Menu It might let you mess around with or reset some settings normally hidden from the end user.
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Jun 9, 2018 23:57
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One of my downspout straps has detached from the wall. What kind of screw is best to use for re-attaching it? The screw that they used looks pretty tiny. I'm thinking of using a 1" masonry anchor. \/ Thanks dudes. melon cat fucked around with this message at 03:33 on Jun 10, 2018 |
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Jun 10, 2018 01:27
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melon cat posted:One of my downspout straps has detached from the wall. That'd do it. Just remember to drill a pilot hole.
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Jun 10, 2018 01:36
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melon cat posted:One of my downspout straps has detached from the wall. Yep, use a Tapcon and predrill.
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Jun 10, 2018 02:18
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My kitchen faucet keeps getting clogged lately and I keep disassembling the flow restrictor head to find a new bit of crusty rubber deteriorated black rubber gasket piece jammed in there every couple weeks. Each piece I find is a small arc of what is obviously a larger ring-shaped gasket. Unfortunately I don't have a pic of any pieces at the moment. This is concerning to me that a rubber gasket is completely disintegrated somewhere along the piping, and that I possibly have a leak somewhere because of it? Any ideas where it could come from and if I should care? peepsalot fucked around with this message at 15:36 on Jun 13, 2018 |
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Jun 13, 2018 15:34
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peepsalot posted:My kitchen faucet keeps getting clogged lately and I keep disassembling the flow restrictor head to find a new bit of crusty rubber deteriorated black rubber gasket piece jammed in there every couple weeks. Each piece I find is a small arc of what is obviously a larger ring-shaped gasket. Unfortunately I don't have a pic of any pieces at the moment. It's probably from the faucet itself. It's a pretty easy first plumbing project to repair it. Lookup a youtube video of how to take apart your faucet and with <$5 in parts and a few tools you can fix it up. You are right that it will eventually become a bigger issue. Make sure the cutoff valve under the sink works easily.
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Jun 13, 2018 15:40
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peepsalot posted:My kitchen faucet keeps getting clogged lately and I keep disassembling the flow restrictor head to find a new bit of crusty rubber deteriorated black rubber gasket piece jammed in there every couple weeks. Each piece I find is a small arc of what is obviously a larger ring-shaped gasket. Unfortunately I don't have a pic of any pieces at the moment. My guess is supply line coming from the water heater because I've seen it before. But YMMV.
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Jun 13, 2018 15:56
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peepsalot posted:My kitchen faucet keeps getting clogged lately and I keep disassembling the flow restrictor head to find a new bit of crusty rubber deteriorated black rubber gasket piece jammed in there every couple weeks. Each piece I find is a small arc of what is obviously a larger ring-shaped gasket. Unfortunately I don't have a pic of any pieces at the moment. It could be a leak, but not necessarily escaping your pipes. There are rubber washers inside valves to close off water flow. My guess is that it's coming from the stop valves under the sink. Try this. Close them one at a time and try the faucet for hot or cold respectively. Does the water still run at all for that side with its stop valve closed? If so, the stem washer in that stop valve probably disintegrated and is sending pieces down the tube to the faucet once they break down small enough to fit. If that's the problem, tell us and we'll tell you how to open up that valve without all the water pouring out and making a huge mess.
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Jun 13, 2018 17:26
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kid sinister posted:It could be a leak, but not necessarily escaping your pipes. There are rubber washers inside valves to close off water flow. My guess is that it's coming from the stop valves under the sink. Try this. Close them one at a time and try the faucet for hot or cold respectively. Does the water still run at all for that side with its stop valve closed? If so, the stem washer in that stop valve probably disintegrated and is sending pieces down the tube to the faucet once they break down small enough to fit. If that's the problem, tell us and we'll tell you how to open up that valve without all the water pouring out and making a huge mess. There was actually just an Ask This Old House about this a couple weeks ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TI77VQPNuGY
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Jun 13, 2018 19:27
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kid sinister posted:It could be a leak, but not necessarily escaping your pipes. There are rubber washers inside valves to close off water flow. My guess is that it's coming from the stop valves under the sink. Try this. Close them one at a time and try the faucet for hot or cold respectively. Does the water still run at all for that side with its stop valve closed? If so, the stem washer in that stop valve probably disintegrated and is sending pieces down the tube to the faucet once they break down small enough to fit. If that's the problem, tell us and we'll tell you how to open up that valve without all the water pouring out and making a huge mess. e: I'm not sure that I have a main input shutoff inside the house like they show in the video, but there's an access box in the ground near the street which I could use? There's a shutoff valve to the water heater input but that won't help cutting the cold water. peepsalot fucked around with this message at 19:56 on Jun 13, 2018 |
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Jun 13, 2018 19:48
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peepsalot posted:OK, I tested these and they both seem to shut the flow pretty well, although the cold water valve leaks a lot (leaking at the shutoff itself, getting on hands etc) in the in-between positions (not fully open or closed), so maybe that's it? THere has to be a shut off valve in your house. Furnace/utility room, laundry room. If you're not sure where to look go out to the front of your house to the city shut off, stand facing your house and sort of aim directly from the valve to your house, as perpendicular to the road as you can. Then go to the basement and look in that general area (say like just to the right of your front door but in the basement). *Usually* the service line runs straight from city shut off valve in to the house. Heavy emphasis on the usually part. (ask me how I know).
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Jun 13, 2018 20:56
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peepsalot posted:OK, I tested these and they both seem to shut the flow pretty well, although the cold water valve leaks a lot (leaking at the shutoff itself, getting on hands etc) in the in-between positions (not fully open or closed), so maybe that's it? You probably have a main shut off. Basement, slab or crawlspace? If you can't find it, you can use a curb key and turn it off out by the street. If you're on a well, just flip the circuit breaker. If it's leaking out the handle, then that's the packing washer. You may just have to tighten down the packing nut. That might squeeze it enough to stop those leaks. Sometimes when you turn the valve handle counter clockwise, it can manage to grab the packing nut just enough to loosen it. If that doesn't work, then you'll need to turn off all your water first, because you'll need to pull out the valve stem like in that video. The advice in that video was pretty crap though. You can't just take the stem from any valve and throw it in your old valve. They're manufacturer and sometimes model specific. The same goes for stem replacements. That plumber should be drug out in the street and whipped with that sprayer hose for replacing a metal stem with a plastic one. They also kind of skipped over draining the water lines first! When you take the stem out of the valve like that, you're letting air in and water out.
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Jun 13, 2018 21:08
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wesleywillis posted:THere has to be a shut off valve in your house. I don't believe this was our case, unless it was in our crawl space. In any case, our plumbers always used the city valve. (We now have a quarter-turn right at the main point of entry to our house, easily accessed from the outside.)
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Jun 13, 2018 21:08
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wesleywillis posted:THere has to be a shut off valve in your house. Furnace/utility room, laundry room. The water heater and furnace are in a single little cubby space just big enough to fit them, sort of cornered between the garage and living space. The water heater input and output go through a sheetrocked internal wall in the cubby space. Cant see where it turns off to.
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Jun 13, 2018 21:35
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There usually is one because it's so much more convenient than trying to access the city shutoff. I don't know if it's required by code though. Generally the shutoff will be an accessible point near where the water enters the house. My house is on a slab, like yours, but the water shutoff is on a pipe that comes up out of the ground directly in front of the house and then disappears into a wall. If your water just comes up through the slab, then I'd guess the shutoff, if there is one, would be located near that point of penetration. Anyway, the important thing is that you can shut the water off, which you say you can, so no big deal either way.
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Jun 13, 2018 21:43
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:There usually is one because it's so much more convenient than trying to access the city shutoff. I don't know if it's required by code though. Generally the shutoff will be an accessible point near where the water enters the house. My house is on a slab, like yours, but the water shutoff is on a pipe that comes up out of the ground directly in front of the house and then disappears into a wall. If your water just comes up through the slab, then I'd guess the shutoff, if there is one, would be located near that point of penetration.
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Jun 13, 2018 21:51
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peepsalot posted:Yeah its fine, I'll go pick up a replacement kit for the under-sink shutoff, and use the city shutoff valve when I cut the main water. I just wasn't 100% sure if using the city valve was considered a no-no and could be fined or something idk. More of a "you break it you buy it" sort of thing. It's what you would use if you have a leak in your main. If for whatever reason you have a plumber out see if they can add a main cutoff for you. With the system already off and drained it's 30ish minutes of work assuming copper pipes in good condition.
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Jun 13, 2018 22:01
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peepsalot posted:I don't have a basement. I have a busted rear end concrete slab that I'm pretty sure the water just penetrates somewhere in the center of the concrete and just goes straight into covered wallspace. It would be neat if there were a valve inside the house but I don't believe one exists. Who says there has to be one? Is it federal law? Been here for a decade and never seen a shutoff valve, aside from the one at the street right at the meter. I mean, i've shut it off before, just needs a crescent wrench. Check an internal wall then. And turn it off at the street if you need to.
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Jun 13, 2018 22:06
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Main water shut off valves are required by code, but maybe really old stuff could be missing it, I dunno. Usually if you can't find it, it's just been covered up in a wall with hard to notice access panel, or maybe no access if someone did a lovely renovation.
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Jun 14, 2018 01:48
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peepsalot posted:OK, I tested these and they both seem to shut the flow pretty well, although the cold water valve leaks a lot (leaking at the shutoff itself, getting on hands etc) in the in-between positions (not fully open or closed), so maybe that's it? So I took the hot side valve apart and the stem came out with no rubber gasket on it. However upon closer inspection the gasket was still sitting in the valve, i picked it out and it is pretty degraded but again wasn't missing whole sections like I was expecting. Anyways, since I only picked up one stem repair kit, I decided to replace the hot side. From what I remember when I had to clear out the faucet head, it seemed the piece was a small arc section of a black rubber thing with an even smaller inner radius than the ones on these stop valves. So I'm not really sure that I've found the source of the debris. Here's a pic of the replaced hot-side valve stem  e: I also have a RO water filtration setup under the sink that T's off the cold valve, with its own tiny multi turn valve, maybe the cuprit is in there? e2: Maybe I'll just wait it out and see if it decides to clog again. peepsalot fucked around with this message at 19:24 on Jun 14, 2018 |
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Jun 14, 2018 19:15
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I need to drill a 6" deep 1/2" wide hole into the center of a 4X4. Am I better off going with a spade bit with a hex end and an extension or should I seek out a regular drill bit > 6" length? Edit: Or a drill bit with a hex end and an extension?
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Jun 15, 2018 05:56
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BeastOfExmoor posted:I need to drill a 6" deep 1/2" wide hole into the center of a 4X4. Am I better off going with a spade bit with a hex end and an extension or should I seek out a regular drill bit > 6" length? Extension sounds wobbly af. Get a long drill bit. These are passable quality. https://m.harborfreight.com/12-in-916-in-58-in-25-in-long-wood-bit-set-3-pc-68824.html
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Jun 15, 2018 05:59
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eddiewalker posted:Extension sounds wobbly af. Get a long drill bit. These are passable quality. Weird, I was looking through every drill bit HF had and didn't see those. They're perfect. Thanks!
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Jun 15, 2018 06:06
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What on earth happened to the corner of my shower? More importantly: how can I fix it? Can I just slap some kind of putty on there, or does the entire shower need to be replaced?  
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Jun 15, 2018 11:56
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Something heavy was dropped on/crushed against the corner to cause the damage. Easy to patch. Being an outside corner though will make it almost impossible to make it look like new. You need a bathtub epoxy repair kit/gel coat repair kit.
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Jun 15, 2018 17:35
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Hyperlynx posted:What on earth happened to the corner of my shower? More importantly: how can I fix it? Can I just slap some kind of putty on there, or does the entire shower need to be replaced? Somebody hit the corner with something really heavy. It looks like fiberglass, you can see the fibers. HycoCam is right, they make chip kits for bathtubs and the like. You might have to build the corner back up with an epoxy like Bondo and sand it flat before coating it. Repairing fiberglass takes special epoxy. Here, look what I found: https://youtu.be/mLEZ9sCQtiY Protip: just like painting, tape off and use drop cloths before applying this stuff. kid sinister fucked around with this message at 18:59 on Jun 15, 2018 |
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Jun 15, 2018 18:56
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Can anyone point me to a good tutorial on what supplies to use to weather seal and flash a window I am replacing? My house is in central Texas with open stud construction. I am resizing a kitchen window opening, keeping the same width but reducing the height so that the window will run at countertop height between the counters and the wall cabinets. My house has a felt paper vapor barrier and some sort of wood fiber siding. I've found plenty of videos on how to do this with a house that has tyvek flashing, or using Dupont FlexWrap, but I don't think these techniques/materials are compatible with felt paper. The window is vinyl with a nailing fin. Basically I know that I will need to shingle in some felt paper above and below the window, but I don't know what material to use for the sill pan, and if I should just use some asphalt based adhesive backed tape for the sides and top of the window or another product.
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Jun 15, 2018 22:08
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HycoCam posted:Something heavy was dropped on/crushed against the corner to cause the damage. kid sinister posted:Somebody hit the corner with something really heavy. It looks like fiberglass, you can see the fibers. HycoCam is right, they make chip kits for bathtubs and the like. You might have to build the corner back up with an epoxy like Bondo and sand it flat before coating it. Repairing fiberglass takes special epoxy. Here, look what I found: https://youtu.be/mLEZ9sCQtiY Righto. Thanks!
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Jun 15, 2018 22:57
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I've just scraped a decade's worth of oily dust sludge from the kitchen ventilator fan.  Tomorrow I'm going to have to shop for some chemical and mechanical implements to clean it properly. Is there some oleophobic coating or other chemical magic I can coat the fan with so it stays clean for longer? Not a decade obviously, but hoping to just do an easy clean every other year.
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Jun 17, 2018 14:43
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I've got this quarter turn valve for an outside spigot that's letting a small trickle of water by when shut off, so I'm assuming I need to replace the O-ring. Before I take it apart I wanted to buy what I needed, since access is really poor and I don't want to do it twice. Having a hard time finding what I need though. Here's a couple pictures I was able to get, any ideas?   e: Maybe this one?: https://www.hammondvalve.com/data/files/PM11LF.pdf
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Jun 17, 2018 17:34
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opengl128 posted:I've got this quarter turn valve for an outside spigot that's letting a small trickle of water by when shut off, so I'm assuming I need to replace the O-ring. Could you just replace it with a frost free sillcock?
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Jun 18, 2018 02:22
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kid sinister posted:Try weatherstripping first. Air gaps are also noise gaps. Done. I think it helped a little. Is there anything else I can do? For context to anyone else that can help, I'm trying to soundproof a window, or at least deaden the sound coming from the lovely AC unit that is directly outside it.  I just put on weatherstripping around the cracks. Would a foam plug help? I can't find any that are wide enough. It's 6' x 3'. The window is a piece of poo poo, it doesn't even properly close and it's completely loose. I told the landlord and they put on some clamps so it won't open. Maybe my best play is to play hardball with them to replace it. Any advice there appreciated, landlords suck.
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Jun 19, 2018 00:16
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Ramrod Hotshot posted:I just put on weatherstripping around the cracks. Would a foam plug help? I can't find any that are wide enough. It's 6' x 3'. The window is a piece of poo poo, it doesn't even properly close and it's completely loose. I told the landlord and they put on some clamps so it won't open. Maybe my best play is to play hardball with them to replace it. Any advice there appreciated, landlords suck. Does your state/locality have a "window (or second) egress required" for bedrooms? I believe they all do for fire safety reasons. If those clamps aren't as easy to open as the normal latch then you likely have a leg to stand on there.
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Jun 19, 2018 00:23
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