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PainterofCrap posted:I'm old, dude. But not that old.  well that's unarguably the best answer
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Sep 7, 2019 04:05
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/DR: I don't know.
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I have a shower stall in my second bathroom that was not installed properly. The plastic liner that was glued or whatever to the wall behind it but where it meets the plastic shower pan it flexes a bit, which I’ve discovered is causing the silicone bead to dislodge and let water under it. Long term I want to redo it but short term what silicone will be best to seal this? I guess I’m looking for something that will adhere a little better? I tried to redo it with the bath silicone they had at HD but it just came lose again, so for whatever reason it’s not adhering super well to the pan & shower liner.
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Sep 7, 2019 05:00
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Phanatic posted:Because it looks like poo poo. 
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Sep 7, 2019 09:59
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My wife really likes this mailbox but the paint rusted off, this is the second time it happened and we got a replacement. Before we put this one up is there anything we can coat it with to prevent rusting? 
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Sep 7, 2019 17:43
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Small, two-bedroom apartment, shared with a roommate; roommate and I--usually during the summer--have issues with the circuit that supplies the two bedrooms and one side of the living room/kitchen tripping. We run a couple of fans, a couple of computers, a couple of routers, and a TV set, so probably not all that surprising, though it only happens usually like once every couple of weeks or so. I don't think putting any of this stuff on a different circuit is an option (though it is something I will investigate). It's annoying losing a bunch of progress in a game, though; is there a good UPS we could get for home use? How much would you expect a small UPS to increase the power bill? Would a UPS substantially increase the likelihood of us tripping the breaker?
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Sep 7, 2019 17:44
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Thanatosian posted:is there a good UPS we could get for home use? Yep, SH/SC should have more specific recommendations. Thanatosian posted:How much would you expect a small UPS to increase the power bill? Little to none. Thanatosian posted:Would a UPS substantially increase the likelihood of us tripping the breaker? Check the amperage rating on whatever unit you buy, but no, not likely.
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Sep 7, 2019 17:59
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Thanatosian posted:Small, two-bedroom apartment, shared with a roommate; roommate and I--usually during the summer--have issues with the circuit that supplies the two bedrooms and one side of the living room/kitchen tripping. We run a couple of fans, a couple of computers, a couple of routers, and a TV set, so probably not all that surprising, though it only happens usually like once every couple of weeks or so. I don't think putting any of this stuff on a different circuit is an option (though it is something I will investigate). It's annoying losing a bunch of progress in a game, though; is there a good UPS we could get for home use? How much would you expect a small UPS to increase the power bill? Would a UPS substantially increase the likelihood of us tripping the breaker? You in theory have 1440-1920 watts of power to deal with here depending on if it's a 15 or 20amp breaker. Do you have a Kill-a-Watt? https://smile.amazon.com/P3-International-P4460-Electricity-Monitor/dp/B000RGF29Q/ If not grab one, or see if your library will check one out to you. You need to figure out if you're overloading the circuit or if the breaker is old and worn out. One you have to fix, the other the landlord has to fix. Turn off the breaker and make a note of everything which turns off. Does anything with a heating or cooling element turn off? (Your fridge or coffee maker for example.) Does your microwave turn off? Now one at a time methodically go through every wall outlet and put in the kill-a-watt between the wall and your devices. Get into a 3d intensive game or whatever you're doing when it trips. The goal is to draw as much power as possible. Go to Watts and write down the number, whatever the highest one you see. Do this for every outlet. Add those numbers up. If you go above 1440w (12a) or 1920w (15a) in steady state then you need to reduce or distribute load. You can transiently go above this to 1800-2400 watts, but staying there constantly risks the breaker opening especially if it's worn out or some other device has a surge in draw. The UPS will only delay your issue, eventually the breaker will wear out and fail open leaving you without power to those outlets until your landlord replaces it. If either or both of you have bitchin gaming rigs then you might simply be drawing too much power. To directly answer your questions: A UPS would cause a imperceptible increase to your electric bill unless you're full on /r/frugal on your bill, in which case you likely wouldn't have this issue. The UPS shouldn't increase the odds of tripping the breaker, but it won't solve your core problem either. It will let you save your game. You probably would need 3 of them (think $300-500 total) to cover everything, because you can't run extension cords off them, they would need to be colocated with their loads. Edit: The NAS thread suggests the Cyberpower PFC line https://smile.amazon.com/CyberPower-CP1500PFCLCD-Sinewave-Outlets-Mini-Tower/dp/B00429N19W - You should size it to your load and time needs, which you may not know until you get the aforementioned Kill-a-Watt.
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Sep 7, 2019 18:05
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Assuming you get 2 UPS's (1 for each computer) make sure to turn off one of them before you reset the breakef after a trip. Wait until the running one has recharged it's battery before turning the other one back on, if both try to charge at the same time it might trip the breaker all over again.
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Sep 7, 2019 18:21
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tomapot posted:My wife really likes this mailbox but the paint rusted off, this is the second time it happened and we got a replacement. Before we put this one up is there anything we can coat it with to prevent rusting? Rustoleum comes in clear
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Sep 7, 2019 18:24
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H110Hawk posted:You in theory have 1440-1920 watts of power to deal with here depending on if it's a 15 or 20amp breaker. Do you have a Kill-a-Watt? https://smile.amazon.com/P3-International-P4460-Electricity-Monitor/dp/B000RGF29Q/ If not grab one, or see if your library will check one out to you. You need to figure out if you're overloading the circuit or if the breaker is old and worn out. One you have to fix, the other the landlord has to fix. Turn off the breaker and make a note of everything which turns off. Does anything with a heating or cooling element turn off? (Your fridge or coffee maker for example.) Does your microwave turn off? Yeah I had a breaker that would always trip while vacuuming. It was going bad / wasn't put in all the way or something. Speaking of breakers, is it true that the master breaker wears out really easily? Somebody told me that electricians don't like turning it off because it does. Sounds like  to me. Maybe if you flick it without turning off the other breakers first?
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Sep 7, 2019 18:37
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Charles posted:Yeah I had a breaker that would always trip while vacuuming. It was going bad / wasn't put in all the way or something. That might just be because when they go it's pain to replace. I don't know enough to know how load plays into it, in theory the closer to the breakpoint it is the easier the throw as the spring is already under tension. In general breakers aren't meant to be flipped constantly, so if you are using them like a light switch or tripping them constantly you're going to burn through them faster. If you need a lightswitch level of on/off counts then you should get a proper disconnect box for that circuit or set of circuits.
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Sep 7, 2019 18:48
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Thanatosian posted:Small, two-bedroom apartment, shared with a roommate; roommate and I--usually during the summer--have issues with the circuit that supplies the two bedrooms and one side of the living room/kitchen tripping. We run a couple of fans, a couple of computers, a couple of routers, and a TV set, so probably not all that surprising, though it only happens usually like once every couple of weeks or so. I don't think putting any of this stuff on a different circuit is an option (though it is something I will investigate). It's annoying losing a bunch of progress in a game, though; is there a good UPS we could get for home use? How much would you expect a small UPS to increase the power bill? Would a UPS substantially increase the likelihood of us tripping the breaker? Maybe this is relevant, but the breaker hasn't ever tripped while running the vacuum, even though the draw is heavier. Is that indicative of a bad circuit, rather than a load issue? Ham Equity fucked around with this message at 20:13 on Sep 7, 2019 |
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Sep 7, 2019 18:59
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Thanatosian posted:Maybe this is relevant, but the breaker hasn't ever tried while running the vacuum, even though the lost is heavier. Is that indicative of a bad circuit, rather than a load issue? If you're worried an outlet is bad then go methodically to each one and look for brown poo poo stains on the outside, and give your plugs a gentle giggle/rock right at the outlet (not the cord, the plug itself.) Listen for anything snap crackle or popping, or a distinct acrid smell. If you get any of those discontinue use of that outlet and call your landlord saying "One of my outlets is sparking and has a smoke smell I'm worried about a fire." They should have someone out by Monday at the latest if they're worth the rent you're paying. Are any of your plugs loose in their outlets? Are they snug in other outlets? The outlet could also be worn out but that shouldn't cause the breaker to go unless it's AFCI. If it's wires inside the wall then it's going to be a fun game with your landlord where they replace the breaker because you've worn it out tripping it all the time but it doesn't fix the root cause.
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Sep 7, 2019 20:11
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H110Hawk posted:If you're worried an outlet is bad then go methodically to each one and look for brown poo poo stains on the outside, and give your plugs a gentle giggle/rock right at the outlet (not the cord, the plug itself.) Listen for anything snap crackle or popping, or a distinct acrid smell. If you get any of those discontinue use of that outlet and call your landlord saying "One of my outlets is sparking and has a smoke smell I'm worried about a fire." They should have someone out by Monday at the latest if they're worth the rent you're paying. Are any of your plugs loose in their outlets? Are they snug in other outlets? The outlet could also be worn out but that shouldn't cause the breaker to go unless it's AFCI. The wiring and all the plates are fairly new (I want to say in the last ten years or so, but maybe before that); I haven't noticed any issues with them at all, but I'll check; some of them aren't in easy visual range.
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Sep 7, 2019 20:15
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Fallom posted:Rustoleum comes in clear Thanks we’ll give it a try.
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Sep 7, 2019 21:18
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How can I remove a stuck universal sink hole cap/cover from a kitchen sink? Edit: It'd be that circular plate of metal on a kitchen sink when there would be an empty hole otherwise. The bottom parts holding it in place are PVC and they're stuck together. RandomPauI fucked around with this message at 08:21 on Sep 8, 2019 |
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Sep 8, 2019 08:18
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Some ideas: - coping saw to cut the PVC - Drill the metal plate from the top then stick in various screwdrivers to leverage it out Some pics and your plan for the newly empty hole could provide more insight.
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Sep 8, 2019 15:16
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Use a dowel or pipe to hammer it up from the bottom.
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Sep 8, 2019 16:30
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RandomPauI posted:How can I remove a stuck universal sink hole cap/cover from a kitchen sink? What have you tried so far? A basin wrench didn't work?
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Sep 8, 2019 18:00
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I had a coat hook attached to a brick/plaster wall using the blue plastic inserts and screws but it fell out of the wall after a couple of years of use - the other 2 are still attached fine. Those is old brick ( 100+ years ) and it feels like quite a lot of it has deteriorated in the hole so now the hole is much bigger than before. On one side it feels like quite a bit of material is gone on the top side - at least 1/2” or so. Is there anything that could be used to fill the hole that could also be drilled out to remount the rack? Given the size and depth of the hole whatever goes in there needs to be injected to some degree and ideally would expand. This is for a small metal hook that only needs to hold a couple of winter jackets and if it falls off will likely not hit anyone so I done needs super high safety factor. I know probably the best solution is open up around the hole a repatch with brick and mortar but I’m hopping for a less invasive fix if possible. Pic 
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Sep 8, 2019 20:29
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fankey posted:Is there anything that could be used to fill the hole that could also be drilled out to remount the rack? You might be able to do the toothpick trick: get a bunch of toothpicks, stick 'em in glue, then shove them in the hole. Cram as many as you can in there, then drill a pilot hole and use a wood screw.
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Sep 8, 2019 20:32
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fankey posted:I had a coat hook attached to a brick/plaster wall using the blue plastic inserts and screws but it fell out of the wall after a couple of years of use - the other 2 are still attached fine. Those is old brick ( 100+ years ) and it feels like quite a lot of it has deteriorated in the hole so now the hole is much bigger than before. On one side it feels like quite a bit of material is gone on the top side - at least 1/2” or so. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Quikrete-8-6-oz-Epoxy-Concrete-Repair-Sealant-862049/207102853 Don't even bother filling the hole and trying to drill it back out. Just epoxy your blue anchors back in back in with this stuff.
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Sep 8, 2019 20:46
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I haven't tried a basin wrench yet. Phone posting which is why no pics right now. The plastic nut holding it in place is stuck solid to the plastic bolt. It won't tighten or untighten.
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Sep 8, 2019 21:19
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RandomPauI posted:I haven't tried a basin wrench yet. Phone posting which is why no pics right now. The plastic nut holding it in place is stuck solid to the plastic bolt. It won't tighten or untighten. Use a basin wrench. Get angry at it. If it's that stuck, then you'll probably break it or the shaft off. Either way, breaking it off works!
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Sep 9, 2019 00:59
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fankey posted:I had a coat hook attached to a brick/plaster wall using the blue plastic inserts ... Smear white glue on a dowel. Hammer the dowel in, and wait 24-hours. The glue will bind the clay in the brick. After it sets, trim the dowel flush, then drill away. You can try this with a plastic anchor: the glue is the critical element. Or, start over: Motronic posted:https://www.homedepot.com/p/Quikrete-8-6-oz-Epoxy-Concrete-Repair-Sealant-862049/207102853
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Sep 9, 2019 04:04
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The basin wrench didn't work, but that's because the sink design made it an awkward effort. I've made headway cutting into the plastic nut and removing a few chunks at a time until it either breaks off or gets small enough to pass thru the hole.
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Sep 9, 2019 05:31
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My new house was previously occupied by a smoker. It's clear that she didn't smoke a lot in the house, from the looks/smell I'm guessing it was only in bad weather or maybe just towards the end of her occupancy there (elderly woman who is now in a care home.) Even with just the light amount of smoking, I assume the process is basically the same...clean with TSP, then cover with a good primer, like a Killz brand? I don't want to risk stains/smells coming through if I skip the TSP clean, even though the inspector told me he didn't think it was necessary. Yet I imagine he'd still do it on one of his properties. DrBouvenstein fucked around with this message at 17:01 on Sep 10, 2019 |
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Sep 10, 2019 16:16
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Replace the HVAC filter. If you got carpet, replace that too. It really depends on how bad the smell is. You might be able to get by with just a wash of everything.
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Sep 10, 2019 16:58
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kid sinister posted:Replace the HVAC filter. If you got carpet, replace that too. It really depends on how bad the smell is. You might be able to get by with just a wash of everything. No HVAC filter to replace (all electric baseboard heating (ugh, not happy about that but no money in budget to get a new furnace yet)) and yes, the sole carpet in the house, living room, will be torn up. I figure I might as well tear it up AFTER I paint, right? It's OG hardwood underneath so at this point to me it's a glorified dropcloth. I might could just clean and not paint in maybe 1 or 2 of the rooms, but the living room and bedroom are not nice colors, honestly. I'd be painting them even if there wasn't some light smoke residue.
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Sep 10, 2019 17:02
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I live in Seattle and contrary to popular belief we don’t actually get a large quantity of rainfall. However, the last couple of days it’s been more than normal and this morning while doing a load of laundry the sink drain was going slow and someone thought the toilet was clogged because it wouldn’t drain even though no one had deuced. I tried this a couple of times to verify it wouldn’t flush and it would reliably just fill up before slowly draining on its own while my washing machine was draining. The toilet is higher along the drain chain and I believe the washing machine should be my last drain location. I’m assuming this could be a backup in my sewer line but what is the likelihood my municipal sewer is just at capacity and it’s backing up because of that? I’m on top of a hill and it hasn’t rained much in at least 12-24 hours and there hasn’t been any actual flooding anywhere near by.
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Sep 10, 2019 18:08
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If it's your municipal sewer your neighbors will be having the same problems. Ask them.
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Sep 10, 2019 18:19
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DrBouvenstein posted:No HVAC filter to replace (all electric baseboard heating (ugh, not happy about that but no money in budget to get a new furnace yet)) and yes, the sole carpet in the house, living room, will be torn up. I figure I might as well tear it up AFTER I paint, right? It's OG hardwood underneath so at this point to me it's a glorified dropcloth. You may want to turn off the power to those heaters and clean them out before it starts getting cold. I imagine that they won't smell too good once they heat up. Not ripping out the carpet until you paint is very common. You just need to tape off the trim. You may find damage to the floors underneath, you might not. It depends on how nasty the previous owners and their pets were. Refinishing your hardwood is a bit more involved. Here's a tip that's really helped for removing padding staples. A lot of people like to pry them up with flathead screwdrivers, but that can really screw up the wood if they're hammered in too far. You need diagonal wire cutters (dedicated wire cutters, not ones built into other tools), needlenose pliers, channelock pliers and some cardboard. Use the cutters and cut the staple in the middle. Use the needlenose to bend up either half of the staple. Lay down the cardboard. Use the curved head of the channelocks in a rocking motion against the cardboard to pull the staple out.
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Sep 10, 2019 18:59
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Teabag Dome Scandal posted:I live in Seattle and contrary to popular belief we don’t actually get a large quantity of rainfall. However, the last couple of days it’s been more than normal and this morning while doing a load of laundry the sink drain was going slow and someone thought the toilet was clogged because it wouldn’t drain even though no one had deuced. I tried this a couple of times to verify it wouldn’t flush and it would reliably just fill up before slowly draining on its own while my washing machine was draining. The toilet is higher along the drain chain and I believe the washing machine should be my last drain location. I’m assuming this could be a backup in my sewer line but what is the likelihood my municipal sewer is just at capacity and it’s backing up because of that? I’m on top of a hill and it hasn’t rained much in at least 12-24 hours and there hasn’t been any actual flooding anywhere near by. Do you know if you live in one of the areas that is combined sewer, meaning the storm drains go into the sewer? If you don't know, this map may give you a good idea. https://www.700milliongallons.org/rainwise/eligibility/ The light blue areas are generally. If they're at capacity they will just dump into Lake Union / Fremont Canal (look up Combined Sewer Overflow). However with all the leaves and stuff knocked down by our storm I wouldn't be too surprised if it caused some blockage. Be sure to ask your neighbors (or post on Nextdoor) if they have any issues as Motronic said. Otherwise maybe you need to get sewer scoped.
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Sep 10, 2019 20:07
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DrBouvenstein posted:My new house was previously occupied by a smoker. It's clear that she didn't smoke a lot in the house, from the looks/smell I'm guessing it was only in bad weather or maybe just towards the end of her occupancy there (elderly woman who is now in a care home.) A water-based primer like Kilz 2 won't do much for sealing smoke stain and odor, you'll likely need an oil-based primer to be effective like Original Kilz or similar. A shellac primer like Zinsser BIN would be best but if it's not too heavy it may be overkill. Sherwin Williams has a paint called Harmony you can use as your topcoat that helps neutralize environmental odors and would help with residual smell coming from things that aren't getting sealed or removed.
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Sep 10, 2019 20:50
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Charles posted:Do you know if you live in one of the areas that is combined sewer, meaning the storm drains go into the sewer? Ohh that must have been what one of my neighbors was talking about when she mentioned a separated sewer system on my neighborhood group. Thanks for the lightbulb! According to that map I'm not combined but I'm a couple blocks away. When I get home from work I'll see if anybody is outside and handy to ask if they were having problems. I had it scoped when I bought it 3 years ago but I can't remember how far he went.
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Sep 10, 2019 23:02
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Teabag Dome Scandal posted:Ohh that must have been what one of my neighbors was talking about when she mentioned a separated sewer system on my neighborhood group. Thanks for the lightbulb! According to that map I'm not combined but I'm a couple blocks away. When I get home from work I'll see if anybody is outside and handy to ask if they were having problems. I had it scoped when I bought it 3 years ago but I can't remember how far he went. Well before jumping to the conclusion of a sewer scope talk to a plumber of course. But that's why in some neighborhoods they want you to build the rain gardens / water cisterns, so heavy rain gets "delayed" through the system and doesn't overwhelm the water treatment facilities and end up getting dumped raw. I want to put in a cistern but in 1947 they didn't actually build these houses 10 feet apart so it's tight quarters where I'd put it.
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Sep 11, 2019 00:28
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I started trying to remove some wallpaper in a friends bathroom to repay a favor, and it's been a huge pain. I don't have any renovation experience so forgive my ignorance. It's not hard because I can't get the wallpaper off (they have one of those steamers and a perforating tool), but because when the wallpaper does separate from the wall, it seems to leave half the glue behind. Pretty sure this isn't normal from the vids I've seen. I'm curious if it's because I'm not steaming it long enough, or if it's a problem with the wallpaper/how it was applied that's out of my hands. It was put up originally decades ago by the previous owner so I don't know anything about it. Also, there are parts of the wall that are a darker brown but feel more or less just like the white, so I dont THINK it's glue but I have no idea if part of the drywall is painted and part isn't or what the deal is. Posting some photos below, note that its torn so roughly from my initial peeling before I had tools. Thanks for any advice!  
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Sep 11, 2019 01:37
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Cowboy Curtis posted:I started trying to remove some wallpaper in a friends bathroom to repay a favor, and it's been a huge pain. I don't have any renovation experience so forgive my ignorance. It's not hard because I can't get the wallpaper off (they have one of those steamers and a perforating tool), but because when the wallpaper does separate from the wall, it seems to leave half the glue behind. Pretty sure this isn't normal from the vids I've seen. I'm curious if it's because I'm not steaming it long enough, or if it's a problem with the wallpaper/how it was applied that's out of my hands. It was put up originally decades ago by the previous owner so I don't know anything about it. Wrong tool. This is what you want: 
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Sep 11, 2019 02:02
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Cowboy Curtis posted:I started trying to remove some wallpaper in a friends bathroom to repay a favor, and it's been a huge pain. I don't have any renovation experience so forgive my ignorance. It's not hard because I can't get the wallpaper off (they have one of those steamers and a perforating tool), but because when the wallpaper does separate from the wall, it seems to leave half the glue behind. Pretty sure this isn't normal from the vids I've seen. I'm curious if it's because I'm not steaming it long enough, or if it's a problem with the wallpaper/how it was applied that's out of my hands. It was put up originally decades ago by the previous owner so I don't know anything about it. Yes, it's normal. Now mix up a spray bottle of a couple tablespoons of cheap dish soap, a capful of fabric softener and HOT water. Spray the leftovers. Wait 10 minutes and scrape with a plastic scraper (or a proper metal one if you're sure you won't get too crazy and damage the wall). Not coming off? Spray again, wait. It sucks, but it eventually works on anything where it's going to. If someone used some odd adhesive you're boned and the standard answer I've given many times before it don't bother taking any of the paper off, just throw up 1/4" drywall.
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Sep 11, 2019 02:34
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I’ve followed up scraping glue with Zissner Gardz Problem Area sealer, which smells awful but works fantastically with only one coat (at least on plaster that was wallpapered). Provided, you’ve got to get most of the glue off first, but this stuff makes it so you don’t have to kill yourself scraping.
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Sep 11, 2019 17:42
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