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enraged_camel posted:My windows are old-school ones with metal frames, which get hot when they are in direct sunlight. This probably puts additional strain on the AC and costs me a lot of money. Marvin Integrity Series. Find some local door And window contractors, ask if they carry those, get estimates from at least 3 who do, ask whichever one you liked the best if they can match whatever the lowest estimate was. Hubis fucked around with this message at 19:16 on Jun 28, 2018 |
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Jun 28, 2018 19:13
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I own an old house with 30 old windows that are really leaky and just got some quotes for windows that wouldn't look completely out of character. Quotes ranged from $27k-$36k 
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Jun 28, 2018 19:20
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Get some German windows, oh my god they were great when I was there. So many seals, multiple ways to open.. So jealous.
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Jun 28, 2018 21:02
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totalnewbie posted:Get some German windows, oh my god they were great when I was there. So many seals, multiple ways to open.. So jealous. Every door and window in German is completely perfect and they have the most satisfying click when they close.
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Jun 29, 2018 00:27
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totalnewbie posted:Get some German windows, oh my god they were great when I was there. So many seals, multiple ways to open.. So jealous. The ones that can tilt out at the top, or open entirely sideways? I reaaallly want them... but there's only a few places to get them in the US. I also want the security shutters that were super popular over there.. not for the security, but for the blackout effect when I'm sleeping.
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Jun 29, 2018 01:48
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My brother put those windows in his spendy bespoke remodel. I’m insanely jealous. He also has a window where you push on it and it pops out like an inch with a screen border along the perimeter all the way around.
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Jun 29, 2018 02:50
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Last night I discovered some standing water in my basement stemming from right under the inside water meter and control valve. I have a french drain that goes around the perimeter and the pump seemed to be working fine, but there was some bubbling water in the trench right below the water meter. I wish I had wrote down the numbers I could be sure, but I think the outside meter was quite a bit higher than the inside meter. What I suspect is that there's a crack or some kind of break in the pipe between the outside water register and my inside meter. So, a crack inside my basement wall. How hosed am I? I am, uh, not a wealthy man.
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Jun 29, 2018 14:04
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Crosspostin' My house is two stories plus a finished basement. I replaced the HVAC and zoned the duct work 3 years ago. I have created solar screens (90%) and placed them over my large back windows to cut down on heat transfer. I have also closed the inexplicably installed duct bypass that was dumping conditioned air back into the return of my HVAC instead of pumping it upstairs. My house was 82 yesterday. I know it was a really hot day, but it should never be that hot, especially with me running the A/C all day. I've got an HVAC guy coming to clean the coils and do PMCS on the condenser and fan, but I'm wondering if I'm just having air flow issues or maybe my coil is freezing up from running for 16 hours straight every day. Any other ideas from anyone before I pay for an energy audit to see where heat is entering the house?
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Jun 29, 2018 16:44
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No Butt Stuff posted:Crosspostin' How cold is the air coming of your registers? Does your thermostat have an indoor humidity indicator?
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Jun 29, 2018 18:42
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Hubis posted:How cold is the air coming of your registers? Does your thermostat have an indoor humidity indicator? It's cool, not ice cold, not as cold as when I was dumping conditioned air into the return. Indoor humidity is currently 58%
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Jun 29, 2018 19:05
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No Butt Stuff posted:Crosspostin' Was it working properly before and now it's not working as well? How large is the A/C unit, how big is the conditioned space of the house? Can you see the coils easily from where it's installed? Some things that helped me at one point or another - check for anything restricting flow. blocked returns, dirty filters, using the wrong filter, dirty coils. My old system was designed for those cheap fiberglass filters, a thicker filter restricted too much airflow and affected performance. - check the outside unit for proper airflow. make sure no leaves or debris are causing issues with the outside unit. - check windows and door seals. It seems like a small thing, but my cats are punks and tear up the door seals sometimes. replacing them so I couldn't see light around the door made a difference. Hubis posted:How cold is the air coming of your registers? This is a good one to test. I tested the main output of the unit though. Old A/C guy told me I should be seeing 19 to 20 degree drops from input air to output air with my old system. He measured it at 15 and the system was low on refrigerant. Only caused a problem on the hottest of days but ended up replacing a leaky evap coil.
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Jun 29, 2018 19:06
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skipdogg posted:Was it working properly before and now it's not working as well? How large is the A/C unit, how big is the conditioned space of the house? Can you see the coils easily from where it's installed? It worked slightly better than the old SEER like.. 4 system we replaced, although the zoning to push everything upstairs to cool the bedrooms to tolerable for the evening was really the only thing. I still have insane electric bills. It's a 4 ton system I think, 2300 sq ft of conditioned space plus another 700 basement or so. I may be able to see the coils, I think there's only one access panel. I can't find air flow restrictions other than maybe there just flat not being enough returns. I'll have to check my seals and see if I can't get the energy audit guy there soon.
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Jun 29, 2018 19:09
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No Butt Stuff posted:It worked slightly better than the old SEER like.. 4 system we replaced, although the zoning to push everything upstairs to cool the bedrooms to tolerable for the evening was really the only thing. I still have insane electric bills. It's a 4 ton system I think, 2300 sq ft of conditioned space plus another 700 basement or so. I may be able to see the coils, I think there's only one access panel. So when you say you zoned the duct work, does that mean you have one air handler and actuated dampers controlling the zones? Was the bypass actuated or set to a fixed amount? My "I'm not a HVAC professional" guess (based on what I think you're describing your system as) is that the bypass is there because depending on which zones are active you may not have enough airflow from the returns across the heat exchanger. The bypass is bleeding off conditioned air into the return, but that is ultimately just sucked back in and cooled even more. With the bypass I would expect you to see less airflow at the registers, but the air should be colder. Meanwhile (depending on a bunch of factors) your air handler/heat exchanger might be operating more efficiently as a result. TL;DR: have you tried restoring the bypass to its original setting?
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Jun 29, 2018 20:15
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I'd put a minisplit in my bedroom if I were in this situation. Too many variables with A/C installs, return air issues, duct sizing problems, list goes on and on. Find a crotchety old man that's been designing A/C systems for a long time. Bonus points if he has an old HP calculator and does his Manual J calcs on paper. Curious about the zoning as well though.
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Jun 29, 2018 21:38
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One handler and zoned ductwork.
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Jun 29, 2018 21:41
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No Butt Stuff posted:One handler and zoned ductwork.
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Jun 29, 2018 21:49
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SiGmA_X posted:Variable speed handler? What type of zone control? I only know a little about it, but if the zoning was designed to use a bypass (kind of retrofit/hack job type of deal) and you removed it...problem found? Ive tried the bypass both ways. Doesn't seem to make a difference. Single speed handler. It was a retrofit on the existing ducting.
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Jun 29, 2018 23:56
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My electric company just sent me a letter saying they'll install a free Nest thermostat thing in my house if I let one of their technicians give me a spiel about energy conservation. Is the Nest stuff a scam or is it a legit improvement? I've got just the standard wall thermostat that says the temperature and it's got buttons for up, down, and hot/cold, which seems to all work fine. Is it possible to adjust the Nest's setting with the physical hardware itself via a touchscreen or whatever, or would I need to download an app to do it? EDIT: Thanks for the feedback! surf rock fucked around with this message at 14:23 on Jun 30, 2018 |
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Jun 30, 2018 05:55
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Tbh you'll probably save money with a smart thermostat over time. I mean, more than the cost of the thermostat. If you can get one for free, do it. And yes, the app is completely optional.
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Jun 30, 2018 06:48
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It's great. I don't even really use the smart functions. But it's nice to be able to adjust your HVAC when you're upstairs or in bed.
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Jun 30, 2018 07:52
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Ordered our first replacement appliance since we bought our place, a fridge. Boy howdy, was that a fun two months of shopping. DO NEVER BUY.
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Jun 30, 2018 12:50
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surf rock posted:My electric company just sent me a letter saying they'll install a free Nest thermostat thing in my house if I let one of their technicians give me a spiel about energy conservation. Sell it on eBay. The electric company is likely getting this from state funding for energy conservation. They will likely tell you to insulate, double pane windows, led lights, new mechanicals/water heater/appliances, etc. There might be big rebates for doing this stuff.
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Jun 30, 2018 15:42
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Sharparoni posted:Ordered our first replacement appliance since we bought our place, a fridge. Boy howdy, was that a fun two months of shopping. DO NEVER BUY. The trick with fridges is to have such specific space needs that only two or three models even fit in the spot you’re trying to fill. Really narrows it down!
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Jun 30, 2018 18:05
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I'd love to invoke the wisdom of this thread one more time. When you walk into my house, there's a giant blue wall on the left. The only features on the wall are a door to the garage on the far left, two vents on the mid-right (one up on the wall and one near the floor), and several outlets along the bottom. Here's a photo:  Sorry for the lighting, it's kind of a cloudy day. Here's another photo of the living room from a different angle, for some context:  Here's the overall layout of my living room, as rendered in spreadsheet form (green means exit, red means closet, and blue means window) :  The reason I'm posting is because I'm not sure how to decorate this giant wall, or if I should even try. As noted in the spreadsheet, it's 19 feet long and the room has a vaulted ceiling. My best guess is that I should basically put up two sets of artwork, one that's either a smaller collage or a single large piece centered on the right side (so, kind of centered between the couch and the coffee table) and another that's a larger collage centered on the left side (so, centered on the dining table) with a gap in the middle. Does that make sense? Related to this, I would love suggestions for wall art. I tend to like putting family and friend photos on shelves; I'm more inclined to do an artsy kind of collage on walls. I also have several pieces of my mom's art that I want to get framed that I'd like to put up either here or in one of the two bedrooms. She was killed in a car crash this past November, and putting her art up is really important to me, but I think I'm a little more inclined to put those up in one of the bedrooms than in the living room. It's maybe a little too personal for that public of a setting. Here's some of the art I've seen online that I've really liked: http://steveruizart.com/post/146956340492/roman-road-gouache-ink-and-enamel-on-paper http://steveruizart.com/post/109028607427/ripple-ripple-gouache-ink-and-enamel-on http://steveruizart.com/post/124757767357/again-gouache-ink-and-enamel-on-paper-25-x I've thought about buying these three and putting them up as a set, but I'd probably do that either on a smaller wall on the other side of the living room near my desk, or in the kitchen, or maybe in the guest bathroom since these are smaller pieces. Fun fact: I think this art was actually made by a goon; I feel like I found this here in the SA Mart. https://fineartamerica.com/featured/wild-in-flower-erin-hanson.html https://fineartamerica.com/featured/jeweled-hills-erin-hanson.html https://fineartamerica.com/featured/crystal-light-erin-hanson.html https://fineartamerica.com/featured/northern-rim-erin-hanson.html This one's another set (in my mind), kind of a spring --> summer --> fall --> winter idea. I could see maybe doing a little collage with these four on the big wall. https://fineartamerica.com/featured/a-pathway-in-monets-garden-giverny-claude-monet.html https://fineartamerica.com/featured/three-red-trees-andrew-king.html https://fineartamerica.com/featured/verso-la-spiaggia-guido-borelli.html https://fineartamerica.com/featured/lungo-il-fiume-tra-i-papaveri-guido-borelli.html https://fineartamerica.com/featured/prague-old-street-yuriy-shevchuk.html These are just some random pieces I like. I also really like Leonid Afremov's work. I think another goon posted that they had this one as a three-vertical canvas, which looked terrific. Anyway, any advice about (1) what kind of structural layout I should consider for decorating the wall, or whether I should try to do so in the first place, and (2) suggestions for artwork are all appreciated. Thank you all! surf rock fucked around with this message at 22:30 on Jun 30, 2018 |
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Jun 30, 2018 22:25
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surf rock posted:Related to this, I would love suggestions for wall art. I hope this isn't too off topic. Does your city have any art markets for local artists? In my area, DC's Eastern Market has artists selling stuff almost year-round. The quality varies a lot, but it's nice because you can meet the artists and see the art in person before you buy. And sometimes they'll negotiate a little bit on price. I personally like to focus on art that has personal significance to me (lots of stuff from my grandparents' house and paintings by my talented aunt) rather than worrying about cohesive themes. It sounds like you're headed that direction with your mom's pieces, but I completely understand being hesitant to hang those a space like that.
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Jun 30, 2018 22:50
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Lady Bureaucrazy posted:I hope this isn't too off topic. Does your city have any art markets for local artists? In my area, DC's Eastern Market has artists selling stuff almost year-round. The quality varies a lot, but it's nice because you can meet the artists and see the art in person before you buy. And sometimes they'll negotiate a little bit on price. I appreciate that advice; I'll try that. I think that, overall, my main interest for the living room art is that it's simply aesthetically pleasing and it goes well together, but it would be fun to have some stories about it, as well. Thank you.
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Jul 2, 2018 02:13
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Wee massive storm just came through and dumped an 1.5” of water in most of our unfinished basement via the sewer drain and our lovely rear end basement door/frame. Nothing’s ruined since I was down there at the time it started and was able to move stuff around - but besides bleaching the floor down, running the humidifier and getting a couple new fans to move the air around - any good advice? Nothing fecal etc came up, I think it’s just a grey water drainage line, but this is the first time the house has done this since we bought it in September. There’s a old probably not operational sump pump that isn’t hooked up and it’s in the highest point of the floor so it’s not helpful. I’ve got a 4 gal wet/dry vac, and some buckets and mops for the remaining dirt that came up from the drain. Plus bleach.
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Jul 2, 2018 02:32
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Anya posted:Wee massive storm just came through and dumped an 1.5” of water in most of our unfinished basement via the sewer drain and our lovely rear end basement door/frame. Nothing’s ruined since I was down there at the time it started and was able to move stuff around - but besides bleaching the floor down, running the humidifier and getting a couple new fans to move the air around - any good advice? Nothing fecal etc came up, I think it’s just a grey water drainage line, but this is the first time the house has done this since we bought it in September. Concrobium
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Jul 2, 2018 03:06
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surf rock posted:I'd love to invoke the wisdom of this thread one more time. You lucky bastard, I wish I had that kind of wall space. If I could make a recommendation, go take a bunch of sweet photos, get on Mpix when they have a 30% off sale, and get a gently caress ton of 8x10s on metallic pearlescent paper printed with generic frames from the dollar store, and go to town on that wall. Just put them on randomly or in a pattern with wall safe command Velcro adhesive steps, and it'll be awesome and completely unique to you. 2$ - 3$ per print (depending if you can catch a sale), and a dollar per frame. If you want art, I've gotten awesome deals on art from garage sales and stuff, but that's a huge pain in the butt and who knows what you'd find. Just find what you like and fill in from there  E: if you want cheap Chinese factory art, I honestly kind of like a lot of the stuff here: https://afremov.com/Deal-of-the-Day/ Catatron Prime fucked around with this message at 04:17 on Jul 2, 2018 |
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Jul 2, 2018 03:53
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Oh no
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Jul 2, 2018 14:43
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So my condenser was clogged with 2 years worth of yard clippings and laundry lint. Thing may still be a bit undersized for my house but at least I'm not paying 500/mo for an 82 degree house now. Closer to 350/mo for a 72 degree house. Whatever, I've got the energy audit guy coming to tell me where to air seal tomorrow. e: Also, re: the Nest. I work for an electric utility with a similar program. They send you the nest and a 50 dollar check, then a 25 dollar check yearly for having it installed. The catch is they can adjust your thermostat up 4-5 degrees on peak demand days 5-8 times a summer. You can immediately set it back to your old setting if you'd like. That's it. I would take advantage of it because playing with my thermostat from my bed or office is cool.
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Jul 2, 2018 14:52
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No Butt Stuff posted:So my condenser was clogged with 2 years worth of yard clippings and laundry lint. Thing may still be a bit undersized for my house but at least I'm not paying 500/mo for an 82 degree house now. But what if I’m paranoid about hackers changing them all to 55 degrees and causing brownouts?
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Jul 2, 2018 17:39
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StormDrain posted:But what if I’m paranoid about hackers changing them all to 55 degrees and causing brownouts? Or Alphabet/Google/Nest deciding you aren't cool anymore and intentionally remote-bricking the device.
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Jul 2, 2018 18:11
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Just keep your old thermostat in your basement or something and swap them back out?
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Jul 2, 2018 18:41
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CloFan posted:Oh no Congratulations! You get to buy a new water heater! The most expensive purchase which you'll never get to show off to anyone.
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Jul 2, 2018 19:42
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Experiences with dual zone AC anyone? We need to put in central air, and I'm looking at my options. I know that it's more complicated and prone to issues, but it seems like the only way to get consistent temperature in a 2 story house with a cathedral ceiling. I guess you can also get two separate AC units.
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Jul 2, 2018 19:46
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EAT FASTER!!!!!! posted:Congratulations! You get to buy a new water heater! I would think a new roof is your most expensive purchase you don't get to show off. Water heaters are like $500-$1,000 depending on the size, and fairly easy to replace.
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Jul 2, 2018 19:46
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potatoducks posted:Experiences with dual zone AC anyone? We need to put in central air, and I'm looking at my options. I've found a ceiling fan on the second story with mostly open clearance to the first story tends to circulate air well enough to keep things steady, but it's definitely going to depend on overall size and layout (especially where the thermostat is). Sure wouldn't mind dual zone though, and if the cost difference isn't much...
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Jul 2, 2018 19:49
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potatoducks posted:Experiences with dual zone AC anyone? We need to put in central air, and I'm looking at my options. I have a dual zoned system with one unit. I would recommend going with the variable stage motor.
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Jul 2, 2018 19:55
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EAT FASTER!!!!!! posted:Congratulations! You get to buy a new water heater! Bird in a Blender posted:I would think a new roof is your most expensive purchase you don't get to show off. Water heaters are like $500-$1,000 depending on the size, and fairly easy to replace. Listen to these scrubs who've never had to replace a septic system, drill another well, or repair foundation/drainage issues.
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Jul 2, 2018 20:12
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