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Bloodfart McCoy posted:Using one of those Soleus portable AC/Dehumidifier units in dehumidifier only mode for my basement. Does it have a condensation tray or pump? If not, that's why it's being vented: because it's using the heat of the condenser to turn the condensate into steam which is then exhausts. If you are constantly exhausting condensate into the space you're trying to dehumidify all you're doing is heating the space in a very inefficient way.
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Jun 30, 2019 15:20
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Last night I ran my dishwasher (Whirlpool WDT720PADB0) and noticed a smell that I'd describe as akin to burning plastic or rubber. I stopped it, checked the drain line and found a crazy clog in the drain vent in the sink. I cleared the clog and restarted the dishwasher, but it failed to drain the water at the bottom of the washer. I checked the internal filter and cleaned it. Checked the draining hoses and they don't appear to have any issues. My working theory is that the clog caused the drain pump to burn out and causing the smell. That said, I only have a vague sense of how a dishwasher works so I'm just looking for a sanity check to see if there's any other parts I should be investigating?
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Jun 30, 2019 18:39
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BeastOfExmoor posted:Last night I ran my dishwasher (Whirlpool WDT720PADB0) and noticed a smell that I'd describe as akin to burning plastic or rubber. I stopped it, checked the drain line and found a crazy clog in the drain vent in the sink. I cleared the clog and restarted the dishwasher, but it failed to drain the water at the bottom of the washer. Acrid burning smells can be one of many things which you won't really know until you start peaking around behind the curtain. It could be a motor, capacitor, wire, or any number of pieces. Hopefully there will be a big stain of magic smoke that got let out somewhere which makes troubleshooting a lot easier.
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Jun 30, 2019 19:01
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Can a 4" pvc flat sewer cap be glued or welded (or taped??) to sch 40 pvc? I'm building a hydroponics project so the actual liquid flow through the pipe will be very low and non-critical (if it fails I'll have a small mess but it's not going to damage anything). I need the cap flat so I can drill through it for fluid movement/control, and the sch 40 caps that fit over the pipe are all rounded (and 4x the price). If I just paint the blue poo poo on the end of the cap and press it onto the pipe will that basically work? I get it may not be perfectly flush/melted and would need to caulk against tiny leaks, which I may forget to do. Alternatively, if that's a bad idea, what should I use to seal a 4" pvc pipe that allows a 1 to 1/2 inch pipe to pass through?
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Jul 1, 2019 04:16
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Zachack posted:Can a 4" pvc flat sewer cap be glued or welded (or taped??) to sch 40 pvc? I'm building a hydroponics project so the actual liquid flow through the pipe will be very low and non-critical (if it fails I'll have a small mess but it's not going to damage anything). I need the cap flat so I can drill through it for fluid movement/control, and the sch 40 caps that fit over the pipe are all rounded (and 4x the price).
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Jul 1, 2019 12:01
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Motronic posted:Does it have a condensation tray or pump? If not, that's why it's being vented: because it's using the heat of the condenser to turn the condensate into steam which is then exhausts. If you are constantly exhausting condensate into the space you're trying to dehumidify all you're doing is heating the space in a very inefficient way. It has a drain hose that water drips out of. So that’s why I’m confused.
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Jul 1, 2019 13:37
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Bloodfart McCoy posted:It has a drain hose that water drips out of. So that’s why I’m confused. Is this your unit? https://www.sylvane.com/media/documents/products/owner-manual-soleus-air-ky80-100-120.PDF It says it has an emergency condensate tank that under normal conditions shouldn't fill up, and the drain is in case it does (pg 14).
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Jul 1, 2019 16:49
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Nevets posted:Is this your unit? Not the exact one but close. Same company. Will find mine when I get home. When left on and vented in AC or duhum mode my unit will just start draining water if the drain is open. If my unit is working correctly that basically means one of two things: #1. Venting is unnecessary in dehum mode and is only required in the manual so the hot [now dry] air in the room doesn’t increase the temperature. My guess is most people buy these portable units as an AC for prime use, not as a dehum. OR: #2. In dehum mode the majority of the moisture is being expelled with the hot [now wet] air and must be vented so the moisture does not get recirculated back into the room. However, if the moisture is being vented this would be a design flaw, because then the unit would just continually suck moist air from other parts of the house, outdoors, etc due to a vacuum being created by the venting not replacing the air that the unit takes in. On top of everything, the condensate tank fills up with water anyway regardless of venting. Each option is stupid. If #1 is true then the company is just lazy and didn’t feel like explaining that the AC the customer bought could actually raise the temp of a room if used unvented in dehum mode. If #2 is true then we have a bigger problem and my whole unit is essentially useless. It will try and dehumidify the world. Maybe I should just let it run for a few days and see what happens... logic and reasoning might not work in this case  EDIT: Actually if #1 is true that’s almost just as bad. Because then the company would be recommending venting out the warm [dry] air and the same vacuum situation would be created as in #2. The room may get more dry but at a great expense of energy and money. The only reasonable solution would be to NOT use the vent at all and keep all the hot [now dry] air in the room so that the pressure remains the same and no extra wet air is being sucked into the room. This poo poo is too much. I’m sorry everyone. Bloodfart McCoy fucked around with this message at 18:32 on Jul 1, 2019 |
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Jul 1, 2019 18:23
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This is mine: https://www.manualslib.com/manual/262387/Soleus-Air-Pe2-09r-32.html?page=3#manual It apparently has “evaporative air technology” which should move all moisture out through the exhaust vent. It says it should only collect water in extremely humid conditions. HOWEVER... this thing drains water just like any regular old dehumidifier. I don’t know... maybe I should just buy dehumidifier instead of driving myself crazy trying to figure out how this thing works.
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Jul 1, 2019 20:40
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I really hate the orangey trim on my house. I’m pretty sure it’s oil based as it didn’t change at all after a power washing. I want to darken it up a lot, probably something like a chestnut or dark gray - can I just apply the new stain right on top of the old stuff?
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Jul 2, 2019 03:20
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TheManWithNoName posted:I really hate the orangey trim on my house. I’m pretty sure it’s oil based as it didn’t change at all after a power washing. I want to darken it up a lot, probably something like a chestnut or dark gray - can I just apply the new stain right on top of the old stuff? Old stain looks rather light, so if your going darker it should not be a problem going right on top. Test your new stain in a spot that isn't seen very easy, incase you don't like the outcome. That wood looks really dry. You might want to look at a stain that protects as well (like deck stain). As another option, you can paint it a solid color as well. That's my 2 cents...
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Jul 2, 2019 16:12
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Ivoryman posted:Old stain looks rather light, so if your going darker it should not be a problem going right on top. Test your new stain in a spot that isn't seen very easy, incase you don't like the outcome. That wood looks really dry. You might want to look at a stain that protects as well (like deck stain). As another option, you can paint it a solid color as well. That's my 2 cents... I think we are going to paint most of the trim a solid different color, like a dark gray and restain the points. It’s west facing so you’re right, it’s super dry.
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Jul 2, 2019 19:18
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H110Hawk posted:Acrid burning smells can be one of many things which you won't really know until you start peaking around behind the curtain. It could be a motor, capacitor, wire, or any number of pieces. Hopefully there will be a big stain of magic smoke that got let out somewhere which makes troubleshooting a lot easier. Replacing the drain pump did indeed solve the problem. Getting the bastard out of there was no fun, and getting it back to exactly like it started seems impossible, but I think I'm the only one who will notice.
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Jul 2, 2019 21:44
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Johnny Truant posted:Edit: I was actually just zoning out staring at my hammock straps and I'm pretty sure if I use them in combination with the ratchet straps it'll be perfect, hmm.. This combo is most excellent, and I can now hammock almost anywhere! 11/10, highly recommend.
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Jul 4, 2019 20:24
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Bloodfart McCoy posted:#2. In dehum mode the majority of the moisture is being expelled with the hot [now wet] air and must be vented so the moisture does not get recirculated back into the room. However, if the moisture is being vented this would be a design flaw, because then the unit would just continually suck moist air from other parts of the house, outdoors, etc due to a vacuum being created by the venting not replacing the air that the unit takes in. On top of everything, the condensate tank fills up with water anyway regardless of venting. This is exactly how portable AC units are designed to work. They will, in fact, create a negative pressure zone pulling warm (or, in your case, humid) air in. Congratulations on figuring out why portable ACs are inefficient and worse than window units.
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Jul 5, 2019 04:11
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Might be a stupid question, but I am flummoxed. I want to hang shelves. I live in an old apartment building in NYC, but the drywall seems like it was done within the last few decades. I've found some weirdness finding studs in previous apartments: unequal spacing, probably due to the landlord's cousin doing the work or some such nonsense, or a fireplace!! covered in drywall. This apartment seems to have 3/4" drywall, and possibly metal studs. I haven't been able to find a wood stud anywhere, and where they are supposed to be... it feels like something hard, metal, and moves slightly. I obviously always stop at this point because I do not want to explode a radiator pipe, water pipe, or conduit. What gives?
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Jul 5, 2019 16:17
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KillHour posted:This is exactly how portable AC units are designed to work. They will, in fact, create a negative pressure zone pulling warm (or, in your case, humid) air in. Congratulations on figuring out why portable ACs are inefficient and worse than window units. Well I came up with a pretty good solution to this problem. Found 70 pint GE dehum on Craigslist in excellent shape for $50. Hooked it up and it’s been keeping my basement dryer than the Sahara desert. Also I sold the portable AC unit for $175 
Bloodfart McCoy fucked around with this message at 17:10 on Jul 5, 2019 |
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Jul 5, 2019 17:08
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I need to move a bathroom light fixture up the wall about 4 inches. The cabling comes up from the floor, and doesn't have 4 inches of slack. Is there a way to splice some extra length up without having a visible junction box?
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Jul 5, 2019 18:26
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canyoneer posted:I need to move a bathroom light fixture up the wall about 4 inches. The cabling comes up from the floor, and doesn't have 4 inches of slack. You need a special splice that is rated being buried in the wall like this one: https://www.amazon.com/TE-Connectivity-CPGI-1116415-2-Non-Metallic-Splice/dp/B000VHF1B0 Make sure whatever you get is UL listed and complies with code 334.30(B) of the NEC, and even then your local code may be stricter and disallow it.
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Jul 5, 2019 19:17
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Nevets posted:You need a special splice that is rated being buried in the wall like this one: Good news, I pulled off the bathroom mirror and found a half drywalled hidden junction box, so I guess I'll use that instead. Thanks, prior owner
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Jul 5, 2019 19:33
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I posted about this before just a quick follow-up; I made these floating shelves. I put 12 inch lag screws in the studs and cut off the heads, and used an auger bit in the back edge of some stair treads, to cut holes for the screws to slide into. Slapped some cabinet paint on them to try out a color. No pictures of the holes, but an auger bit and a drill guide block screwed into place was good enough to get straight enough holes in pine treads to place on the screw shafts. I'm sure hardwood treads would've been more difficult. The picture below has some weird perspective of the depth. The shaft of the screws goes past half of the tread; friction so far is holding it but I was/am maybe going to pin nail some quarter round against the wall and into the shelf to "lock" it down more, but as they are situated it takes some real force to pull them off and they do not sag.  The day after I installed them, we had a little earthquake here in Vegas and so far, so good! The previous owner just hung the other shelves in the picture with lovely ¢1 drywall "anchors" you get in every bag of cheap hardware, and no where loving NEAR a stud. So they gotta come down eventually, and they've been self uninstalling, helpful!   
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Jul 5, 2019 19:39
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Tl;dr - open 2" pvc pipe in basement just started dripping, have no idea why or what it is for...thoughts? Come home to find that a 2" PVC pipe in my basement is dripping and I can't figure out what it could be! I noticed it pretty easily on the other side of the wall in the garage (water was dripping down some shelving and out through drywall), so for me not to have noticed earlier, I figure it has only been dripping for maybe a day or so. It has been sunny and humid the past couple of days but not anything too unusual. House is about 6 years old, 2 stories + attic. So Google has failed me with standard plumbing stuff and I can't figure out what this pipe could be. These pipes run across the front of the house (parallel to the street) and underneath a 1st floor bathroom that has a toilet, washer/dryer and 3/4 shower (The bathroom is to the right, so the open end is "away" from it, the end of the foundation is just to the left of the photo). The 3" pipe is obviously the drain coming from the bathroom, and I don't know what the other 2" capped pipe is. The leak is clearly coming from inside the PVC pipe and when I look in it with a flashlight, it just runs straight until I can't see anymore. The 1st floor bathroom and dryer exhaust out the front of the house, and the entire waste system roof vent is at the back of the house. There is a central A/C unit but that condensation gets pumped into the drain piper further along. The room above the 1st floor bathroom is just a bedroom. The rate of the leak doesn't seem to change when I flush/run washer/turn on sinks and it has been consistent over the past several hours when the temp + humidity outside has dropped, so I'm losing hope that it is some condensate issue. The water appears to be clean and doesn't smell. The house was clearly built to have 1st floor washer/dryer and the basement is pretty small, so I don't think it would be piping for future fixtures (although who knows). Does anyone know what these 2" pipes would be and why one would be leaking? https://imgur.com/a/2F5t44d I should also say, if you follow the pipes they run into the garage under it's ceiling, and are boxed in with drywall, and none of that is wet.
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Jul 6, 2019 03:14
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That is quite a mystery. I can't think of any reason why you'd want to have an open pipe that ends in a finished cavity. Perhaps it was supposed to be capped like the other one (it's not been popped off to the left somewhere by gravity-fed water pressure by any chance?). That doesn't explain what it's for, though. I guess if you're really invested you could run a camera up (or down) or flush some dye through various places to see if any comes through. Might also be worth taking off the other cap (with bucket in place) to see if it's full of water, provided you're happy putting it back on again.
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Jul 6, 2019 10:47
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Jaded Burnout posted:That is quite a mystery. I can't think of any reason why you'd want to have an open pipe that ends in a finished cavity. Perhaps it was supposed to be capped like the other one (it's not been popped off to the left somewhere by gravity-fed water pressure by any chance?). That doesn't explain what it's for, though. I guess if you're really invested you could run a camera up (or down) or flush some dye through various places to see if any comes through. I can move the other pipe up and down and doesn't feel like it has any weight to it. There isn't a cap around and doesn't seem like there was any large splash of water that would come after something popped off. I'll see if I can borrow a scope and try to fish it down...It just boggles me why it would be so consistent when I don't hear my well pump going randomly or any usage making it drip faster or slower, like where is the water coming from 
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Jul 6, 2019 13:21
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Poorly run AC condensation drain? Would make sense if this only became an issue in the summer.
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Jul 6, 2019 13:36
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I think I solved it with a help of a neighbor (we are in a development) who suggested it could be a drain from the washer overflow. My stackable washer in the 1st floor bathroom has an overflow pan that has about a quarter inch of water in it, which went up a bit after running a wash. Also noticed a faster rate of dripping (still not a deluge of water) after the wash. I took the front panel off the washer and not only did I find a bunch of socks, but also a fair amount of water splashed around. I ran a rinse & spin cycle and upon the spin, water went flying from the bottom of the tub. So it looks like my washer has a leak and the water is filling up my drip pan and it either is meant to have a slow drain or there is so much dog hair in it that it only drains at a snails pace...Who knew?
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Jul 6, 2019 14:59
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Still a bit odd that it just discharges onto some plywood. Might wanna get that seen to!
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Jul 6, 2019 17:29
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Jaded Burnout posted:Still a bit odd that it just discharges onto some plywood. Might wanna get that seen to! Yea that is the top shelf of some shelving the previous owner put in, so I'm not sure if he cut the pvc short or what, but I'll definitely be putting something on the end to make sure it flows to a much better location....
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Jul 6, 2019 19:50
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Crazyweasel posted:Tl;dr - open 2" pvc pipe in basement just started dripping, have no idea why or what it is for...thoughts? A/C's have a primary drain pipe, which you described. They also have an emergency drain should the 1st become clogged, and those typically drain the overflow pan and terminate in a location where they can (optimally) be easily seen. Ours is sent out the eve, in front of a window. If they're dripping, you need to find somebody ASAP to clear the primary. Because if the secondary drain clogs (bees or algae are the usual culprits), then the pan overflows, and the next exit is our ceiling sheetrock.
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Jul 8, 2019 00:17
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galliumscan posted:A/C's have a primary drain pipe, which you described. They also have an emergency drain should the 1st become clogged, and those typically drain the overflow pan and terminate in a location where they can (optimally) be easily seen. This is not necessarily a thing everywhere. It depends on the install and jurisdiction. In mine all that is required is a float switch in the pan which will just make the unit turn off (obviously a cheaper and worse solution).
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Jul 8, 2019 02:19
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zhar posted:there is an upstairs window on my house that needs maintenance (it is rotting). it would be a lot easier if it could be removed due to the height, however the hinges look like this: Wasabi the J posted:Wait what? Like it's just sitting on top of the ceiling drywall, and they just screwed up into it from the room?
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Jul 8, 2019 05:28
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galliumscan posted:A/C's have a primary drain pipe, which you described. They also have an emergency drain should the 1st become clogged, and those typically drain the overflow pan and terminate in a location where they can (optimally) be easily seen. Ours is sent out the eve, in front of a window. If they're dripping, you need to find somebody ASAP to clear the primary. Because if the secondary drain clogs (bees or algae are the usual culprits), then the pan overflows, and the next exit is our ceiling sheetrock. What's great is when the seams on the drip pan develop a leak. Ask me how I know!
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Jul 8, 2019 11:24
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Crazyweasel posted:I think I solved it with a help of a neighbor (we are in a development) who suggested it could be a drain from the washer overflow. I have this exact setup for my washer. It's weird as hell, but it drains into a sink in my basement. I only figured this out when I tried to move the washer and it kept getting caught on the drip mat below it, and I found the pipe. I'd suggest you add some piping to your overflow pipe and drain it in a sink/drain if you can.
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Jul 8, 2019 11:33
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The ceiling fan that I hung about a week ago has the light portion randomly turning on. It happened last night around 1030pm and today around 1pm. I didn’t change the dip switches from the default, so I’m wondering if it’s picking up a neighbors signal. This is a HD fan, but I can’t remember the brand off hand. I assume it’s a fairly common brand. The bulb is a built in LED unit. In order of likelihood: 1. Interference 2. Some sort of power surge on the line? 3. Ghosts I’m going to change the dip switches and see if that fixes it, any other ideas if that doesn’t work? Seems weird it would just start now. Literally Lewis Hamilton fucked around with this message at 19:00 on Jul 10, 2019 |
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Jul 10, 2019 18:58
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big crush on Chad OMG posted:The ceiling fan that I hung about a week ago has the light portion randomly turning on. It happened last night around 1030pm and today around 1pm. I didn’t change the dip switches from the default, so I’m wondering if it’s picking up a neighbors signal. This is a HD fan, but I can’t remember the brand off hand. I assume it’s a fairly common brand. The bulb is a built in LED unit. If you’re on the default address, neighbor makes the most sense to me. That 433mhz stuff goes surprisingly far. I control mine with a $1 Aliexpress gpio transmitter buried in a cabinet in my basement.
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Jul 10, 2019 22:47
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I have a pair of circumaural headphones where the foam's outer coating is flaking off and gross. They're still good headphones otherwise and the underlying foam isn't coming apart, just the surface. Can I use a spray like the ones in this video to re-coat the foam or will it just flake off immediately too?
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Jul 11, 2019 16:17
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Corla Plankun posted:I have a pair of circumaural headphones where the foam's outer coating is flaking off and gross. They're still good headphones otherwise and the underlying foam isn't coming apart, just the surface. Can I use a spray like the ones in this video to re-coat the foam or will it just flake off immediately too? What brand? My old Bose QCs were like that until someone told me that they just pop off and I could order new ones on Amazon.
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Jul 11, 2019 16:22
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Corla Plankun posted:I have a pair of circumaural headphones where the foam's outer coating is flaking off and gross. They're still good headphones otherwise and the underlying foam isn't coming apart, just the surface. Can I use a spray like the ones in this video to re-coat the foam or will it just flake off immediately too? Check that the manufacturer doesn't just sell new foam. For example: https://en-us.sennheiser.com/v4r/sajari_search?q=earpads Recently renewed my HD 580's and I can't believe I waited that long.
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Jul 11, 2019 16:48
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Corla Plankun posted:I have a pair of circumaural headphones where the foam's outer coating is flaking off and gross. They're still good headphones otherwise and the underlying foam isn't coming apart, just the surface. Can I use a spray like the ones in this video to re-coat the foam or will it just flake off immediately too? 20 min to watch someone do a 2 part mold and pour the wrong way lol. Just buy new ones. You will spend far more money and time trying to make some. https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1...160.9O64BcX8UEg
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Jul 11, 2019 16:48
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JEEVES420 posted:
I can fall into this trap very easily. For me it’s a slippery slope between “Eh, let me just grab my tools and poke around for a little bit” and heading to the hardware store to buy $50 in parts for something I can by new for $60. Is the $10 in savings worth a frustrated couple of days in the basement playing Frankenstein? ... Occasionally.
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Jul 11, 2019 17:27
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