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PageMaster posted:Anyone have experience with home water detectors and shutoffs? It looks like the two big-names are Flo by Moen and the Phyn Plus for about the same price. I'm half interested in it for the emergency shut shut off, and half for small leak detection. Do they actually work as intended? Any pros or cons to one or the other? I'm in the market and the Moen flo looks legit. I'm still not sure on the value of adding additional sensors, but I'm installing mine specifically to catch long term pinhole leaks and for that it seems perfect
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Nov 16, 2021 06:21
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w00tmonger posted:I'm in the market and the Moen flo looks legit. The flo seemed like a no brainer when the Phyn Plus was $200 more expensive, but now that they're the same in not sure which I would go with. It looks like both will catch leaks so maybe based on the better app?
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Nov 16, 2021 07:50
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Arsenic Lupin posted:The inflation rate in 1981 was 10%. That's why CDs paid so much interest, and people tend to forget that. I dunno what CD stands for but I do know inflation also eats the value of your loan too.
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Nov 16, 2021 10:10
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PageMaster posted:Anyone have experience with home water detectors and shutoffs? It looks like the two big-names are Flo by Moen and the Phyn Plus for about the same price. I'm half interested in it for the emergency shut shut off, and half for small leak detection. Do they actually work as intended? Any pros or cons to one or the other? meatpimp posted:I have a Flo just after the main valve of my house. I bought it after having a dishwasher drain leak that did $50k of damage, followed by a contractor who broke a PVC line during kitchen re-install and didn't tell me, leading to another $20k of damage, all from water. Quoted to not retype. Battery still holding on the remote sensor, maybe they fixed the battery drain issue. Really, when I got it 2 years ago, it was a public beta system. TONS of bugs and annoyances with the device, accessories, and app. Now, it seems fairly stable.
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Nov 16, 2021 12:47
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EVERYWHERE 
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more falafel please posted:My washer has started doing an extra rinse cycle after the spin cycle completes. There's a switch to turn that off, and it's always been off, but it's doing it anyway. The spin cycle is operating correctly, the drain isn't clogged, water's draining out the standpipe, etc. It just spins and then very helpfully soaks the clothes again. some of each probably. It sounds like your control board is having issues. I'd unplug the switch fully and see if it still does it to fully eliminate "failed switch" from the equation. If it still does this then you're probably looking at a new control board.. which may or may not cost close to the washer's replacement cost to replace.
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Nov 16, 2021 14:16
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more falafel please posted:Is this more of a "order a replacement part and hope it's the right one" problem or a "the Maytag repair guy will have the part on his truck, does 6 of these a week, and will charge you $50" problem? It has been my experience that durable goods are no longer durable. We were told it would be cheaper to order a new washing machine than fix the one we had. Washing machines used to be the example held up when you asked what a durable good was.
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Nov 16, 2021 14:34
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His Divine Shadow posted:I dunno what CD stands for but I do know inflation also eats the value of your loan too. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Certificate_of_deposit
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Nov 16, 2021 14:47
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On October 1, I sent the guy a $16,000 deposit. It's not unreasonable for me to be asking when work might start, right? It's not some fly by night company, they do a lot of work for my (very large) employer. But still. I'm a little worried here that I'm $16k in the hole with nothing to show for it but some emails.
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Nov 16, 2021 16:24
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cruft posted:On October 1, I sent the guy a $16,000 deposit. It's not unreasonable for me to be asking when work might start, right? I would.. how much work is getting done kuz 16k sounds like a lot. But yeah try and get an aprox start date and if not tell them you dont want to work with them. Fun story hope it doesn't happen to you. Put down a 1/2 deposit for concrete work (wont do this again), guy said I'll be there in apr.. well Apr. Sucked (snow rain etc) , so called him end of APR for updated date.. 2-3 weeks. Over and over and over gain 2-3 weeks, oh it rained, oh it's windy, oh I can't find guys etc. Gave him 1 deadline, then he said I'll be there in 2 weeks, didn't show no communication. I'd rather have had a patio than the money so said.. Fine 2 weeks or check in the mail. Ended up having to file small claims, and then the last business day before court he dropped off cash refund, gently caress man.
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Nov 16, 2021 16:32
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cruft posted:On October 1, I sent the guy a $16,000 deposit. It's not unreasonable for me to be asking when work might start, right? Hopefully you also have a signed contract? Not just some emails? Because if so I will email you for $16k. Heck I'll be pen pals with you. It's not unreasonable to get the person on the phone and talk about expected start dates. Wasn't one in the contract? Has that date elapsed?
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Nov 16, 2021 16:39
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more falafel please posted:My washer has started doing an extra rinse cycle after the spin cycle completes. There's a switch to turn that off, and it's always been off, but it's doing it anyway. The spin cycle is operating correctly, the drain isn't clogged, water's draining out the standpipe, etc. It just spins and then very helpfully soaks the clothes again. There is not a lot lot to these washers, the timer is the only "control board" the thing has, which is what sounds like is having an issue here maybe. You could get a new one and install it yourself for $250ish: https://www.repairclinic.com/PartDetail/Timer/WPW10243947/1548640 I have repped Repair Clinic plenty of times but for real they are great, 365day free returns and you can also call and talk to someone who might be able to help you diagnose the issue. Depending on the washer age and if everything else is working just fine, I wouldn't throw it away even if the most expensive part is what has died.
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Nov 16, 2021 17:01
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cruft posted:On October 1, I sent the guy a $16,000 deposit. It's not unreasonable for me to be asking when work might start, right? If it's a real company with a track record, that money is usually recoverable if your worst dreams come true. I've been authorizing checks for construction activities for a decade and I've never had a straight up 100% loss (back of the envelope - $20-30MM total? Mostly residential). I've gotten work I wasn't happy with, I've had people stop picking up the phone for warranty issues, but even the guy who got arrested and did a jail term made good when he got out (he was a demolition contractor, it was kind of his MO). Contractors don't always keep the most accurate schedules and it can also be hard to know how much communication a client wants, or what their timeline is. It sounds like perhaps you haven't discussed a timeline, given you haven't mentioned that the contractor has blown a particular date or expectation. If they have blown an expectation that you communicated, call and find out why. If you haven't set an expectation, call the contractor and discuss what will work given their book of work and your timeline. Understand that if they perform outdoor work and you live in a heating climate, they are scrambling to finish jobs at the moment and may be short on administrative time into next month. H110Hawk posted:Hopefully you also have a signed contract? Not just some emails? Because if so I will email you for $16k. Heck I'll be pen pals with you. To build off of this - a 'contract' can exist at a variety of levels of sophistication. It can be something drafted by a lawyer that runs on for pages, it can be a one page estimate with some standard jargon on the back, or it can even just be an email. What's important is that you have some written documentation of what the scope of work is as well as the cost for performing that scope of work. That said, if you don't, that isn't the end of the world. I just paid someone $10k last week for asphalt paving where I never met the contractor, I didn't have a pre-existing relationship, and the first piece of paperwork I got (well, besides their certificate of insurance) was an invoice when the job was finished. If a contractor has a good reputation and doesn't have a history of customer's failing to pay, it can get pretty loose and everything can still work out. I wouldn't advise this method of contracting, but if you've found yourself in a similar position don't beat yourself up about it.
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Nov 16, 2021 18:14
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cruft posted:I'm $16k in the hole with nothing to show for it but some emails. Hopefully the emails include a contract, or at least scope of work?
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Nov 16, 2021 18:36
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Tezer posted:To build off of this - a 'contract' can exist at a variety of levels of sophistication. It can be something drafted by a lawyer that runs on for pages, it can be a one page estimate with some standard jargon on the back, or it can even just be an email. What's important is that you have some written documentation of what the scope of work is as well as the cost for performing that scope of work. Yeah, an email where they say "I will do X, Y, Z for $25k. $16k up front. Agreed?" and you reply back "Yes, where do I pay?" is a contract. It's not very good, but it gets the job done. You could say all of that out loud to them in person and shake hands and it's a contract, albeit the worst type. Give them a call and get some expectations set. If it's a month out, text or email them a week before and re-confirm. Nothing is "hostile" until one of you makes it as such. As a homeowner/consumer I try and set my "minimum contract" at the default forms word ships with with their name and contractors license number up top. You know, "formal letterhead." Anything beyond that is gravy.
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Nov 16, 2021 19:01
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meatpimp posted:Hopefully the emails include a contract, or at least scope of work? This is a good discussion that I don't want to derail, but for me specifically, yes, there's a scope of work and cost of goods that I authorized. And the owner's back to responding to me. I'm not super concerned about it, and I don't want to be a pest because I know work is crazy right now, but it'd be nice to, like, know if we're talking spring 2022 or summer 2025 or winder 2030 or what. And I think we're going figure that out now.
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Nov 16, 2021 20:07
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I want to install some floor mounted door stops. One room has penny tile flooring. I’m not sure this will work since the stops are installed by driving a mounting wood screw into a pre drilled hole. I’m sure I can drill into the tile well enough but not sure about driving a wood screw into the hole. Any ideas?
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Nov 16, 2021 20:40
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Phil Moscowitz posted:I want to install some floor mounted door stops. One room has penny tile flooring. I’m not sure this will work since the stops are installed by driving a mounting wood screw into a pre drilled hole. These are pricey, but I have used a couple to make about 20 holes in ceramic tile. Never broke a tile and the bits last well. Start at a 45* angle to the workpiece and slowly swivel to square. Have someone keep spraying with water to keep it cool and get the crap out of the hole. Once you have the hole through the tile, following with a wood screw should be nbd. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwauk...cB&gclsrc=aw.ds meatpimp fucked around with this message at 21:02 on Nov 16, 2021 |
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Nov 16, 2021 20:59
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Phil Moscowitz posted:I want to install some floor mounted door stops. One room has penny tile flooring. I’m not sure this will work since the stops are installed by driving a mounting wood screw into a pre drilled hole. Quick question: is this a flooring with any type of waterproofing under it? If so, I wouldn't. If it's just tile with subfloor behind it, you want to drill a hole in the tile so that the screw won't touch the tile and mount it essentially into the subfloor. You might want a very slightly longer screw?
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Nov 16, 2021 22:28
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cruft posted:This is a good discussion that I don't want to derail, but for me specifically, yes, there's a scope of work and cost of goods that I authorized. And the owner's back to responding to me. I'm not super concerned about it, and I don't want to be a pest because I know work is crazy right now, but it'd be nice to, like, know if we're talking spring 2022 or summer 2025 or winder 2030 or what. And I think we're going figure that out now. Not much to add except thanks for sharing/starting the discussion, and maybe some commiseration. It's hard to find contractors at all, let alone someone that will do good work. We want to vet, but not knowing what is standard or expected makes it hard to know what's a red flag and what's normal. Also, not wanting to be a pest and scare off a good thing, but wanting to do due diligence and avoid a bad situation.
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Nov 16, 2021 22:40
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Epitope posted:Not much to add except thanks for sharing/starting the discussion, and maybe some commiseration. It's hard to find contractors at all, let alone someone that will do good work. We want to vet, but not knowing what is standard or expected makes it hard to know what's a red flag and what's normal. Also, not wanting to be a pest and scare off a good thing, but wanting to do due diligence and avoid a bad situation. drat, you absolutely nailed the experience. The joint just called me and asked if I'd be around tomorrow for them to start work. I didn't need it to start tomorrow, I just wanted to know when they were going to start. But I'll take it. Here's hoping it doesn't screw up the house.
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Nov 16, 2021 22:53
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nm posted:Quick question: is this a flooring with any type of waterproofing under it? If so, I wouldn't. It’s just subfloor, and I think the screw is replaceable so a longer screw would be an option. Thanks!
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Nov 16, 2021 23:05
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Phil Moscowitz posted:It’s just subfloor, and I think the screw is replaceable so a longer screw would be an option. Thanks! If you've never drilled tile, make sure you watch a video and have the right bit so you don't crack it.
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Nov 16, 2021 23:49
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nm posted:If you've never drilled tile, make sure you watch a video and have the right bit so you don't crack it. I will. We’re talking about penny tile, which is smaller than the diameter of the doorstop, so hopefully even the worst case scenario is hidden cracked tile.
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Nov 17, 2021 00:05
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maybe i'll make a thread about my modern renovation I've been doing on my condo for the last few years. Close to the end, just had the bathroom vanity and linen closet, which were maple and framed, painted, and then slab doors were added with blum tip-on so I don't need handles. Vanity is just about done, but here is the linen closet before/after
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Nov 17, 2021 15:25
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Does anyone have an idea of what kind of material is behind this wall? Built in the early 1900s on the Canadian prairies:
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Nov 18, 2021 01:51
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That's probably plaster behind the drywall.
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Nov 18, 2021 01:56
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I am the flighty homeowner today, and I want to apologize to all the contractors in this thread. I didn't realize the floor-mounted minisplit units were going to render an entire wall unusable until they got installed. A wall-mounted unit would be far better in our small house, where floor space is at a premium. The last remaining unit is already unpacked and they're coming by tomorrow to install it, and they haven't drilled any holes yet. I realize this is a dick move, and might screw up their scheduling, and probably will add to my cost and annoy everybody, but looking at the way we shoved furniture around to let them get in to install it made me realize what a pain in the rear end it's going to be to live another 20 years this tiny bedroom, that can't even fit a queen size bed, with an entire corner that can't have any bedroom furniture. For those who don't recognize my av, I've been trying to find someone to do this work since May. I'm paying far out the rear end ($30k for 5 minisplits and an electrical service upgrade) for the only HVAC company in the entire state who will even return my calls, and they are doing really excellent work from what I can tell.
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Nov 19, 2021 00:26
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Floor mounted wtc
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Nov 19, 2021 05:36
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cruft posted:I didn't realize the floor-mounted minisplit units were going to render an entire wall unusable until they got installed. A wall-mounted unit would be far better in our small house, where floor space is at a premium. The floor mounts resemble smaller PTACs, without cutting a huge hole in your wall. Cassette unit >> Wall mount >>>> floor mount.
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Nov 19, 2021 14:21
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B-Nasty posted:The floor mounts resemble smaller PTACs, without cutting a huge hole in your wall. These Mitsubishi floor units are, for some reason, about twice as big as the wall units. I believe the HVAC dude's reasoning that floor units make you feel warm/cool faster and that's desirable. Also they're quicker to install since they just drill a hole in the floor. With the wall unit we have already installed, there are two holes that go all the way through the outside wall of the house, and a sort of gutter around the tubes that run between the holes. Lots more work and materials.. If it's faster to install and better at getting the room to temperature quickly, I get why they prefer floor units. But for this room it makes more sense to have as much usable periphery as possible. The HVAC dude is going to call me this morning, hopefully. We'll see. The floor unit is already unpacked so it's possible I'm the owner now, although it'd still be worth it to me to eat the cost of a $600 unit if it means I have options for locating a chest of drawers. UPDATE: the installers showed up today and said it made a lot of sense to make this change. They're going to come back on Monday with a wall-mount unit and put it over the window. So I guess the moral is don't be afraid to ask questions, even if it makes you extremely uncomfortable to the point that you have trouble sleeping. cruft fucked around with this message at 17:01 on Nov 19, 2021 |
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Nov 19, 2021 14:29
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i love unironically love goons giving up 30k and still too polite to want to make waves
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Nov 19, 2021 17:32
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The Saucer Hovers posted:i love unironically love goons It's likely that the abuse I suffered while working retail in college has made me overly concerned about being an rear end in a top hat customer, but I'm okay with erring in this direction.
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Nov 19, 2021 17:43
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this blum hinge system I got for my new drawers is like a fuckin supercomputer https://www.blum.com/us/en/products/motion-technologies/tip-on-blumotion/movento/programme/ 
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Nov 19, 2021 19:51
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I feel like there's some sort of local regulation that the PO must attach anything in or on a wall using two differently size wood screws or inappropriately sized nails.
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Nov 19, 2021 19:54
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The Saucer Hovers posted:i love unironically love goons Anxiety sucks. I have to be the "wave maker" in the household generally. I have the tummy troubles and cramped up shoulders right now from having to make a bunch of waves with several different people all week.
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Nov 19, 2021 20:05
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Danhenge posted:I feel like there's some sort of local regulation that the PO must attach anything in or on a wall using two differently size wood screws or inappropriately sized nails. For my PO it was "any problem where the solution is a nail or hook in the wall, use 10. When we ran new wiring in the basement through the joists, I pulled out so many nails that weren't doing anything, so they wouldn't rub against the romex and cause a short in 50 years.
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Nov 19, 2021 23:48
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actionjackson posted:this blum hinge system I got for my new drawers is like a fuckin supercomputer some assembly required
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Nov 20, 2021 01:47
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Goddamnit. Just spent an hour too long installing a smart thermostat on my upstairs unit. Couldn't figure out what I had hosed up with connecting the C wire on each end and why I wasn't getting power to the new tstat. Finally figured out there's a shutoff switch for the air handler cover, which I hadn't put back on yet. Figured it out when I popped the cover off the main unit air handler to double check how I had connected that one, and then walked by that tstat and noticed it was off. I guarantee I did this exact same thing when I installed the other one three years ago and forgot in the meantime.
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Nov 20, 2021 18:46
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I'm in the process of drywalling my basement ceiling and installing resilient channel as well. It's a pretty old house and the joists aren't exactly all level. How important is it to have everything perfectly level when installing resilient channel and drywall? I've heard that the channel does help even things out by itself and using 5/8" thick drywall also helps. Or should I be shimming everything to get it all level? The difference between the lowest and highest joist is around 1/4" of an inch and most other joists fall between that range. The channel I'm using also says to space them out as on 24" OC for 16" OC joists would there be any downside if I did 16" OC instead other than having to buy more?
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Nov 21, 2021 01:45
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actionjackson posted:this blum hinge system I got for my new drawers is like a fuckin supercomputer “Hello ladies, my drawers open with a tip-on-blue motion” They really should have named it “just-the-tip”(tm) system for full extension.
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Nov 21, 2021 02:59
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