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in California, you have to replace your entire house with Tamper Resistant Outlets per code when remodeling...at least I did when multiple inspectors sniveled about it. As mentioned, the outlets do "break in" and get easier to use though, to the point you don't notice them after a while.
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Jul 16, 2020 16:58
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Also helps for potential buyers with kids, later on when they sigh relief knowing they won't have to replace every one themselves. It's straightforward, but incredibly tedious.
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Jul 16, 2020 17:53
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Jenkl posted:Also helps for potential buyers with kids, later on when they sigh relief knowing they won't have to replace every one themselves. I think this is just as silly. A working outlet should be left alone. Toss in those little plastic covers if it's not TR and you need baby proofing. Once it needs replacement you add TR. And working means easy in/out, grips the plug well with no sagging out, and no "wiggle room" for the arcin and sparkin.
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Jul 16, 2020 18:07
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Sundae posted:Your guess is as good as mine. There's simply no reason for it. A flush is a defined quantity of water, so a restrictor makes NO SENSE. Just curious, was it inside the tank on the bowl refill line? Or was it the main feed to the toilet out of the wall? My toilet valve came with an adjustable flow restrictor for the internal tube that would allow you to under-fill the bowl and save water. Internally, the valve is refilling the bowl and the tank separately, you set tank fill by the float height, and bowl fill by using the restrictor, which still shuts off when the tank is full. I just took it off, under-filling it made me have to flush twice anyway.
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Jul 16, 2020 19:14
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H110Hawk posted:I think this is just as silly. A working outlet should be left alone. Toss in those little plastic covers if it's not TR and you need baby proofing. Once it needs replacement you add TR. And working means easy in/out, grips the plug well with no sagging out, and no "wiggle room" for the arcin and sparkin. Yeah I wouldn't replace them for literally no reason, just if you're already going to do it... Our home had multiple broken outlets and needed it. TR seemed obvious there.
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Jul 16, 2020 19:15
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LloydDobler posted:Just curious, was it inside the tank on the bowl refill line? Or was it the main feed to the toilet out of the wall? It was on the main line connecting into the toilet, just below the threads. The toilet tank itself also has an adjustable float height to reduce the amount of water per flush if desired. All the main-line restrictor did was make it take longer to refill the damned tank between flushes.
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Jul 16, 2020 19:20
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Ugh, yeah that's really stupid.
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Jul 16, 2020 21:06
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Sirotan posted:Unless you have kids I'd probably swap them out anyway, I find them really hard to use myself. I just let my son play with the outlet instead
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Jul 17, 2020 00:14
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Andy Dufresne posted:I just let my son play with the outlet instead  I love TR outlets.
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Jul 17, 2020 02:15
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This may expose my lack of parenting skills but my son loves to play with my laptop charger. I am good about keeping him away from the outlets (he's only been crawling for 2 weeks), but the other day he had the laptop tip of the charger in his mouth and wouldn't let it go. I tried it myself and it turns out it gives you the same type of zing as a 9v battery. Dell chargers have some sort of lower voltage signal for communicating charger voltage so it wasn't full bore. And now we both have super powers
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Jul 17, 2020 12:51
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H110Hawk posted:I think this is just as silly. A working outlet should be left alone. Toss in those little plastic covers if it's not TR and you need baby proofing. Once it needs replacement you add TR. And working means easy in/out, grips the plug well with no sagging out, and no "wiggle room" for the arcin and sparkin. Apparently, many of those plastic cover things are choking hazards. Plus, they look trashy. I replaced working outlets with TRs for much of my house with the arrival of a toddler. I was already going around and checking/fixing backstabs, and while you have the outlet out of the wall, might as well switch it over. The TRs are about $1 in the bulk pack. That's not going to break the bank.
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Jul 17, 2020 13:26
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Anyone know how to remove a stripped hex set screw that's too small for a screw extractor bit? I wanted to disassemble my faucet to see why the heck it was letting me turn it 180 instead of 90 degrees and here we are, stripped in the least fun way.
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Jul 17, 2020 20:16
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MJP posted:Anyone know how to remove a stripped hex set screw that's too small for a screw extractor bit? I wanted to disassemble my faucet to see why the heck it was letting me turn it 180 instead of 90 degrees and here we are, stripped in the least fun way. You might need to glue or JB Weld in a sacrificial screw or allen key.
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Jul 17, 2020 20:24
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Basically there's four ways to remove a screw that has its normal tool interface for unscrewing it stripped out completely.
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Jul 17, 2020 20:29
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There's one more option: Drive the next size larger wrench into it with a hammer. Also works for external bolts and sockets. If it's tiny this will likely not work.
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Jul 17, 2020 23:31
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I like to go a little larger with a Harbor Freight torx key.
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Jul 17, 2020 23:45
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LloydDobler posted:There's one more option: Drive the next size larger wrench into it with a hammer. Also works for external bolts and sockets. This is my preferred method as well. I like the funny looks my MIL gives me when I'm liberating some cheese grade screw she's stripped somehow using a random larger driver and a hammer.
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Jul 18, 2020 01:51
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Leperflesh posted:Basically there's four ways to remove a screw that has its normal tool interface for unscrewing it stripped out completely. Dead on. I recommend the turn it into a slot head option if you have a Dremel. If you don't have a Dremel this is an excellent excuse if you want one.
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Jul 18, 2020 12:36
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You do have to be careful when slicing a screw head in half to make it a slotted, if you go too deep the head will split and come off the shaft instead of turning. "Too deep" is impossible to determine until it comes apart, and for really lovely screws any depth of cut could be too deep, so you just gotta take a light pass and see if you can get the screwdriver to grip and if not, take another pass, etc. and kinda ease into it. innuendo Drilling out a screw driven into a softer material almost definitely results in the drill bit deflecting off into the softer material though, so bear that in mind too. LloydDobler posted:There's one more option: Drive the next size larger wrench into it with a hammer. Also works for external bolts and sockets. This is kind of head modification but yeah it's possible sometimes. I've broken a couple of screwdriver handles by hammering on them though, so watch out for that. I also didn't mention the application of heat, but kind of on purpose. There are cases where it can help, but also a lot of cases where it's dangerous, and some where you're destroying the temper on some tempered steel and will invisibly, permanently weaken the part, so don't do this unless you're sure it'll be OK.
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Jul 18, 2020 22:52
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Leperflesh posted:This is kind of head modification but yeah it's possible sometimes. I've broken a couple of screwdriver handles by hammering on them though, so watch out for that. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-5-16-in-Slotted-6-in-Demolition-Screwdriver-48-22-2860/302212554 Demolition driver, designed for hammering, all tools not designed for it carry a small risk of exploding and sending shards into your eyeballs.
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Jul 19, 2020 05:48
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So I've got a cold storage room in my place, in the basement under the front porch. We'll be gutting the room (slash have) to repair what must have been a god awful concrete pour, combined with PO incompetence. Bringing someone in for that piece. What I'm wondering is, are there any good (even if expensive) options to frame/finish the walls and ceiling, with insulation, that are thinner than the standard 2x4 framing? That's all I'm really familiar with and Im not quite sure where to start looking. I figure there's going to be a trade-off between thickness, insulation, and cost, but I'm open to spending a bit more to do this well.
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Jul 22, 2020 01:36
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First sewer repair quote in: 25,000 dollars. gently caress me in the rear end, that's >10% of the value of my drat house.
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Jul 22, 2020 06:03
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sewer repairs are $$$.. got anyone else coming plumbing varies a LOT. What's wrong with yours?
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Jul 22, 2020 14:20
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Jenkl posted:So I've got a cold storage room in my place, in the basement under the front porch. The standard for that mess around here would be rigid foam. More expensive, but higher r-value for the thickness. Bonus points that when applied directly to a basement wall it acts as a vapor barrier too when properly taped.
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Jul 22, 2020 16:46
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tater_salad posted:sewer repairs are $$$.. got anyone else coming plumbing varies a LOT. Had it inspected when I bought the house 2 years ago, was told there was debris in the line but it was sound. Sewer inspector was wrong. It was a blister, the line is partially crushed and will need replacing in the next year or so. No, there is no recourse for going after any inspectors, in any US municipality.
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Jul 22, 2020 18:17
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Today I learned, not too surprisingly I guess, that there are sewer stents.
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Jul 22, 2020 18:20
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Blindeye posted:Had it inspected when I bought the house 2 years ago, was told there was debris in the line but it was sound. Is it underneath someone else's concrete driveway?
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Jul 22, 2020 18:28
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therobit posted:Is it underneath someone else's concrete driveway? Nope, straight out the front of my house to the street. None of the repair is under my driveway or my foundation (not that this quote repairs either. There would be a 4 foot wide trench halfway into the street, though. The real issue is depth. My house has a basement so it is an 8 foot excavation.
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Jul 22, 2020 18:36
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Motronic posted:The standard for that mess around here would be rigid foam. More expensive, but higher r-value for the thickness. Thanks. That makes sense. How might I go about putting up drywall (or alternatives)? I'm thinking just strapping, but when I've seen that it seems you end up driving everything through the foam and into the concrete. I'm a bit put off on putting more holes in the drat thing. I figure the room would want 2 outlets and an Ethernet port ideally, thinking protruding boxes for those to keep the walls as thin as I can. Just run it between or below the strapping if possible.
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Jul 22, 2020 20:26
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This roof thing is being a real nightmare. My insurance company asked me to get someone to put up a tarp and I did, it cost me $450. That goes toward my deductible I suppose. The leak is around the exhaust fan for the bathroom so as one does they tarred up the border with the tarp and the roof since it's a flat roof. If they just laid it down it would get water underneath it as soon as it rained. Then they sent out someone to inspect the roof and they didn't have any tar with them to lift it up and then replace it. And now they want me to have another contractor come out to remove the tarp then they will have another inspector come around and then I need to have the contractor come out a third time to replace the tarp. Insurance company knew it's a flat roof and I told the inspector the day before that it was a flat roof and that had been tarred around the edges of the tarp to ensure that it was water tight. Just absolute loving morons.
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Jul 22, 2020 20:37
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Jenkl posted:Thanks. That makes sense. You would probably have to countersink the concrete anchor heads, so choosing that material to hold up and last would be key. I don't know if dampness would be a concern (for the wood or wall), just be aware a vapor barrier can work against you as well and trap moisture places. Maybe consider sealing the concrete or black tar stuff? That's out of my wheelhouse some. Furring strips can be anything though and as thin as you want within reason, might not accommodate your electrical boxes that way though. Quaint Quail Quilt fucked around with this message at 20:58 on Jul 22, 2020 |
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Jul 22, 2020 20:53
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Jenkl posted:Thanks. That makes sense. Good advice above......but an alternative is to do the walls up with rigid foam as a vapor barrier and actually build a false wall. Maybe 1" rigis foam taped as a vapor barrier, then build a 2x4 or 2x3 wall to also insulate with traditional cheaper methods and the sheetrock that? It's all very situation specific.
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Jul 22, 2020 23:27
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Motronic posted:Good advice above......but an alternative is to do the walls up with rigid foam as a vapor barrier and actually build a false wall. Maybe 1" rigis foam taped as a vapor barrier, then build a 2x4 or 2x3 wall to also insulate with traditional cheaper methods and the sheetrock that? It's all very situation specific. If you're going that route you can also look into chemical sealants as a vapor barrier on the concrete, then build the false wall with traditional insulation.
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Jul 22, 2020 23:48
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Blindeye posted:Nope, straight out the front of my house to the street. None of the repair is under my driveway or my foundation (not that this quote repairs either. There would be a 4 foot wide trench halfway into the street, though. Are you 300ft from the main? $25K is a lot of money, even in FU-pricing terms, for digging a trench and $100 in PVC. With that kind of quote, I'd be asking around to find someone that can run an excavator for 2 separate days, and just have the plumber do the connections. Someone to run an excavator all day is less than $1000, a thousand for a day's rental & delivery, thousand to the plumber (way high), thousand for permits, and you're still nowhere near 1/2 that quote.
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Jul 23, 2020 00:06
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$25k is a lot unless the city has hilarious requirements for digging in their street. It wouldn't surprise me if half the cost or more was cutting and repairing the street. Either way, second bid time if you can wait that long.
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Jul 23, 2020 00:09
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B-Nasty posted:Are you 300ft from the main? $25K is a lot of money, even in FU-pricing terms, for digging a trench and $100 in PVC. 60 feet total distance, ~15 feet of which is street and the rest is my property. Requirements are pretty much the correct fill materials (can't re-use the onsite material, apparently, but I am less than 10 miles from 3 different suppliers of engineered fill because of large industrial projects my town services). I hated this quote because they didn't break down their costs but did give a list. The first four have been described to me as costing between 800 and 3000 dollars depending on the orientation of the piping in my street: - Obtain Required Permits - Provide Required Street Construction Bond to City of Richland - Pay Fee to Cross City of Richland A/C Water Main - Prepare Traffic Control Plan and Provide Traffic Control as Required The rest is the actual work. This exact job has been done in my neighborhood and takes a 3 man crew with one excavator approximately 8 hours: - Saw Cut Asphalt, Remove and Export - Excavate and Tap Existing Sewer Main - Connect Service from Main to Existing Plumbing Outside of House - Backfill and Compact Trench - Patch Asphalt Where Necessary Asphalt patching is on a side-street and is about a 4x15' patch. Mind you this is a deep enough trench that it needs prefab shoring dropped in. The first bid I got was just before COVID for 18,000 using a breaching head (so two holes dug at the house and the street). Neighbors 2 doors down had theirs done last week for 20k (including replacing their galvanized water main) and waiting on a bid from their contractor. Neighbor across the street paid 25k. A few plumbers refused to even do the work, some aren't returning calls (including the one recommended to me by a friend who does home renovation for a living in the area). Mind you this is not a coastal city but there is a construction boom out here, which even being a COVID hotspot isn't seemingly affecting. I was originally budgeting 12-15k based on my civil engineering experience, but this poo poo is beyond the pale and almost smells of regional price-fixing. I have at least 2 more bids coming in, but would like to get 8 (which would cover every contractor licensed to do work in the region). Blindeye fucked around with this message at 00:29 on Jul 23, 2020 |
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Jul 23, 2020 00:26
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Blindeye posted:I was originally budgeting 12-15k based on my civil engineering experience, but this poo poo is beyond the pale and almost smells of regional price-fixing. I have at least 2 more bids coming in, but would like to get 8 (which would cover every contractor licensed to do work in the region). I appreciate you posting the breakdown. I guess every possible factor is working against you to drive the cost up (except maybe the cheaper fill.) It sounds more involved than a typical sewer lateral. You may want to look into if your state has a loans program for sewer/septic work. PA does, for example: http://phfa.org/programs/pennvest.aspx There's no income limit, and the interest rates are lower than you'd get through any other loan (HELOC, etc.) Even if you're comfortably positioned financially, I'd seriously consider taking a 1.75% loan, knowing other investments (like pre-paying the mortgage) are likely to do better.
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Jul 23, 2020 01:47
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B-Nasty posted:I appreciate you posting the breakdown. I guess every possible factor is working against you to drive the cost up (except maybe the cheaper fill.) It sounds more involved than a typical sewer lateral. Nah, I have financing lined up that is competitive with that, it just angers me because I literally wanted to avoid this specific thing and still got hosed.
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Jul 23, 2020 03:55
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Look into trenchless sewer replacement. It sounds like a huge amount of your costs is the trench, if trenchless is possible it could save a big pile of money.
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Jul 23, 2020 05:53
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Leperflesh posted:Look into trenchless sewer replacement. It sounds like a huge amount of your costs is the trench, if trenchless is possible it could save a big pile of money. The 18k quote was trenchless. One contractor said they would need to bring the equipment in from a city 3 hours away, still another said their COVID crew is too small to use it. Trust me, I've been spending all my excess brainpower on dumb sewer poo poo.
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Jul 23, 2020 15:33
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