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Insurrectum posted:
No specifics but your aversion to the smart features is justified. My plumber on an old job had some experience installing them and they can trip on some edge cases and become a nuscience. Like if you have a set routine and you have guests over and use both showers and someone flushes downstairs while someone is getting water and now your house suddenly is using a lot more water it interprets that as a leak and kills the valve. However better safe than sorry for some of us and that's OK.
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Jun 21, 2022 06:01
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gp2k posted:OK so my house is hot during the day even though it is kinda nice outside. Any advice on how to keep the inside closer to the outside?? Get a "window fan" they sit in your windowsill and can suck in the nice cool air. also insulate your attic? the roof will always get hot and your attic is always going to be hotter in the summer than ambient air so it'll cook your house if you don't have proper insulation .
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Jun 21, 2022 12:19
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tater_salad posted:Get a "window fan" they sit in your windowsill and can suck in the nice cool air.  Have the fan blow out and open a few other windows in the house. Pulling a negative on your house will create more airflow than trying to pull air in. Someone posted a youtube video way back of a guy testing both airflow direction and fan placement and found that not only does sucking air out of the house work better (as long as you open other windows for make-up air), but the key is to move the fan a few feet away from the window for maximum efficiency. For some reason I can't find it for the life of me, but it was a pretty clear difference.
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Jun 21, 2022 12:29
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Huh. Did not know that. My one bedroom only has one screened window the POs lost all the screens for the other ones. all my other ones so I just use the fan to pull air in since the next closest window I can open is far away.
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Jun 21, 2022 12:32
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DaveSauce posted:
God I immediately thought of setting up cooling on a PC case, went "checks out," and then felt nerdy shame.
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Jun 21, 2022 12:53
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DaveSauce posted:
Matthias Wandel's alternate channel: https://youtu.be/1L2ef1CP-yw
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Jun 21, 2022 13:40
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When this came up before I was confused-- and now I see it's with a pedestal fan so it makes more sense that it needs to be a few feet back, up close it's going to recirculate right around the fan and the diameter of wind is small. Box fan performs more like I expected, still interesting to see the little suction vortices on the face. Wonder if an old style metal 3-blader is better in that regard than the garbage 5 blade new lasko design.
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Jun 21, 2022 14:21
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Qwijib0 posted:When this came up before I was confused-- and now I see it's with a pedestal fan so it makes more sense that it needs to be a few feet back, up close it's going to recirculate right around the fan and the diameter of wind is small. Thanks everyone. I indeed put fans in the window but it doesn't seem to help (the difference I posted reflects fans in the window). I also just spent a crap-ton of money insulating the attic which is why I posted here. Will try adjusting my "fans in the windows" plan and see if that helps.
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Jun 21, 2022 16:15
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gp2k posted:Thanks everyone. I indeed put fans in the window but it doesn't seem to help (the difference I posted reflects fans in the window). I also just spent a crap-ton of money insulating the attic which is why I posted here. How many windows are you opening? With a 10 degree difference you should be able to feel a draft. Is this room receiving the most heat load from the sun? Is it just one room or your whole house? Do you have ceiling fans? Central heating / cooling?
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Jun 21, 2022 16:58
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H110Hawk posted:How many windows are you opening? With a 10 degree difference you should be able to feel a draft. Is this room receiving the most heat load from the sun? Is it just one room or your whole house? Do you have ceiling fans? Central heating / cooling? So far I've had all the windows open. No ceiling fans, but I do have central AC. The thermometer is in the kitchen which is all open floorplan (kitchen + living room + dining area).
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Jun 21, 2022 22:36
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Are you… trying to not run your AC?
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Jun 21, 2022 23:00
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gp2k posted:So far I've had all the windows open. No ceiling fans, but I do have central AC. You might try doing only two or three windows, picking far apart windows on opposite sides of the house.. You can also turn on like your bathroom exhaust fan to force makeup air to come in. If your windows are all right next to each other and open they might not be actually mixing with the air inside your house.
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Jun 21, 2022 23:06
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Upgrade posted:Are you… trying to not run your AC? Per his thermostat post, it’s hotter inside than out
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Jun 21, 2022 23:57
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Upgrade posted:Are you… trying to not run your AC? I have central AC but regularly need to open the windows upstairs because there is no attic and, despite the presence of insulation, it still runs about 7 or 8 degrees warmer upstairs than it does downstairs where the thermostat is. When the air is nice outside but the sun is blazing (which happens frequently up here) then the ol' fan in the window on one side of the house with another window and/or skylight open on the other can take care of the issue in a couple of hours and the A/C doesn't run much because the temperature downstairs is ok. I adjust the orientation of the fan (intake or exhaust) based on the prevailing winds (northwestern zonal flow or onshore flow from Lake Michigan). This process does take a couple of hours so patience is key.
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Jun 21, 2022 23:58
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Can you run your HVAC fan with the A/C off? It may help to circulate air throughout the house.
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Jun 22, 2022 01:02
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RE: hot upstairs chat I have/had this problem in my old house because there was no air return pulling air from upstairs, simply single supplies in each room. Running an 8" return duct up from the basement to the upstairs hallway worked wonders (temp difference between upstairs and downstairs is maybe only 4-5 degrees instead of 10+). Either way... have you tried closing some vents downstairs so it compensates and pumps more air upstairs?
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Jun 22, 2022 01:16
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PainterofCrap posted:Can you run your HVAC fan with the A/C off? It may help to circulate air throughout the house. I can, but it doesn't seem to help that much. What I'd really love is a way to basically blow outside air through all the ducts in the house, but I don't think that's a thing. Well, I guess there are "whole house fans" hmmm
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Jun 22, 2022 04:10
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If it's an upstairs downstairs thing just open the windows up and down and let convection do it's thing
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Jun 22, 2022 04:40
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extravadanza posted:RE: hot upstairs chat Did you install this on the ceiling or the floor level of your upstairs? I have a similar issue and installing a hot air return duct will be a major pain in the rear end. There is already an ostensible cold air return in the form of the open stairway, I figure to have any kind of impact at removing hot air I am looking at something mounted on the ceiling, and even if I wanted to go through with that, I've only got 3.5" of clearance (or less if I have any kind of insulation covering the ducting) along the slanted part of the ceiling the follows the roof deck.
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Jun 22, 2022 13:28
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This is probably the most expensive option, but dual zone system right?
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Jun 22, 2022 13:47
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Upgrade posted:This is probably the most expensive option, but dual zone system right? Yes, as the Correct™ way to do this, it is natrually the most expensive option. I have return ducts upstairs and everything but still have the overall issue; a lot cheaper to open some windows and deploy a $30 fan.
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Jun 22, 2022 13:57
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Just a quick aside for anyone who owns solar. If your installer put the inverter and other electronics on the side of the house where it gets direct sunlight most of the day either make them move it into the shade or put some kind of cover over it. Inverter failed late last week and they came out yesterday to replace it. This is the third inverter since they blew the first one up by incorrectly installing the system by using college kids without supervision. The second one failed as they installed it in direct sunlight so it got too hot when summer arrived and now the third one is in shade. Solar itself is great for where I am but it is all the worst parts of dealing with contractors who are doing everything on razor thin margins.
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Jun 22, 2022 14:12
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Anyone ever dealt with a dead boundary tree on a fence? My neighbor has complained about branches from this newly-dead tree falling on his side of the fence. Frankly I'd like to get rid of it too. It's not in imminent danger of falling over, but it's dead as gently caress and I'd rather head off the problem ahead of time.  My neighbor is kind of a prick, so I'm guessing he would want us to pay for the whole thing even though part of the trunk is clearly on his side of the fence, plus the survey we got when we bought the place actually said the property line extends a foot or two past the fence. So definitely a boundary tree. (I'm almost certain his digging in his yard to put in a pool is probably what put the tree in a death spiral to begin with, but that was before our time.) So it's a multi-layered thing here... how to cut down a tree that is just yards from my garden and his pool, what the gently caress to do about a tree that is basically PART of a fence (do we leave a big rear end stump?), and how to get him to agree to pay for part of it since it's a boundary tree. Obviously "talk to him about it" is the solution, but I'm trying to figure out how to finesse it so it doesn't become a pissy slap fight about property lines and money.
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Jun 22, 2022 15:31
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Sounds like a case for https://www.reddit.com/r/treelaw/
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Jun 22, 2022 15:42
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Chad Sexington posted:Anyone ever dealt with a dead boundary tree on a fence? My neighbor has complained about branches from this newly-dead tree falling on his side of the fence. Frankly I'd like to get rid of it too. It's not in imminent danger of falling over, but it's dead as gently caress and I'd rather head off the problem ahead of time. The survey puts the property line several feet where? Either it bisects the tree or it doesn't. Also the ONLY way to do this unless you have years of experience felling trees is to hire it out. They will take it down in pieces using a crane or one super insane/dumb dude with a chainsaw and climbing rigs. Assuming it's as tall as that perspective makes it out to be expect it to cost thousands of dollars to get down safely. Make sure you get a copy of their insurance proof AND call them to verify its in force. In the name of not having a hazard unless the tree is close to 50/50 you probably need to just foot the bill. You have a survey, where does it stand? If it's 50/50 there is probably a way to compel payment from your neighbor but you would need to check with your jurisdiction. Property line fences often have codes around it and a way to enforce it against a neighbor.
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Jun 22, 2022 15:51
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Get an arborist to do it. Cutting down trees in confined spaces (ie: anything within range of the tree like houses and pools) with poo poo that can be damaged is asking for someone with lots of insurance. There's multiple parts to the job. Tree cutting, then removal (what do you do with 5 tonnes of tree?), after that is stump removal, and in your case fence fixing. Also tree law.
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Jun 22, 2022 15:53
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H110Hawk posted:The survey puts the property line several feet where? Either it bisects the tree or it doesn't. The fence puts about ~10% of the trunk on his side of the fence. But the boundary line makes it more like 50%. We're absolutely going to get an arborist to do it. We had a good company come clean up dead branches when we moved in and I'd have them come back. I just don't want to foot the bill solo because, as y'all say, it will be expensive to do. And frankly having him bought in is helpful if and when the fence takes a shot from a branch.
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Jun 22, 2022 15:58
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Tree law is complex and varies depending on your location. Some places you might be able to force him to help pay for removal since it's on the property line. Some places, if you could demonstrate that hacking at the roots killed the tree, you could hold your neighbor responsible for removal/replacement (and some places award up to 3x damages, and the cost of a tree that old/big is not trivial...). In most places, however, an obviously dead tree is 100% your liability if it falls and damages something, so you'll probably want to get on this sooner rather than later. Call a few licensed arborists in your area to get quotes for removal. It ain't gonna be cheap, but given proximity to stuff you NEED a licensed, insured professional to take care of this. Cheap out at your own risk. Getting the high-up parts is the hardest... once that's done you can deal with the stump/remains later on your own if you don't want to deal with the fence right now, but I don't see why that's a big deal, looks like just replacing a few of the pickets? Chad Sexington posted:My neighbor is kind of a prick, so I'm guessing he would want us to pay for the whole thing even though part of the trunk is clearly on his side of the fence, plus the survey we got when we bought the place actually said the property line extends a foot or two past the fence. So does this mean the property line is 1-2' on YOUR side of the fence, or 1-2' on HIS side of the fence? Given that it's like a 2' diameter tree, that can significantly change who's problem this is.
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Jun 22, 2022 15:59
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Chad Sexington posted:It's not in imminent danger of falling over, but it's dead as gently caress and I'd rather head off the problem ahead of time. That's a dead ash tree. It's not leafed out at all, it full of emerald ash borer. They last about a year or two after they stop leafing out before they start shedding major sections of their crown. So yes, it is very likely in imminent danger of falling over because it's been dying for about 4 to 6 years before the point where it stopped leafing out at all.
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Jun 22, 2022 16:01
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And of course, keep us updated on our own in-house treelaw story!
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Jun 22, 2022 16:20
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Chad Sexington posted:The fence puts about ~10% of the trunk on his side of the fence. But the boundary line makes it more like 50%. The survey is what matters. HIS fence (its on his side) is not what matters. Start getting quotes and ask him if he has a preferred arborist to fell it. Also yeah if it's dropping branches those are rotting off - that rot goes to the core. You could be 1 week or several years from it falling but unfortunately there is no way to know that prior to it caving in your bedroom.
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Jun 22, 2022 17:09
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I finally convinced my dumbass neighbors to finally trim their Sycamore tree, but of course they had it done in the most obnoxious way possible, even though I offered to help pay for it. I had suggested they trim the height of the 80 foot tall monster via "pollarding" and thin it out a bit and also noted that it would still provide plenty of shade for their backyard while also providing me a bit a relief. Instead they had it trimmed at the fence line vertically up about 20 feet so now their tree looks dumb and lopsided and the vast majority of it still exists except for the tiny section near our shared fence. So maybe 10% of it's obnoxiousness will be reduced but quickly filled right back in within a few years. Note that they also admitted: 1. 25 years ago knowingly planted the Sycamore tree (they knew would be obnoxious and didn't care) in their backyard 5 feet from the fence bordering my always downwind house. ....... a. It's probably less than 15 feet from my actual house so at the bare minimum for eventual root issues 2. Also note before they planted that tree there was already a stretch of existing old cypress trees on my side of the fence (now removed), and they let their dumb tree just grow huge and mash into them for years Keyser_Soze fucked around with this message at 18:20 on Jun 22, 2022 |
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Jun 22, 2022 17:48
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Sirotan posted:Did you install this on the ceiling or the floor level of your upstairs? I have a similar issue and installing a hot air return duct will be a major pain in the rear end. There is already an ostensible cold air return in the form of the open stairway, I figure to have any kind of impact at removing hot air I am looking at something mounted on the ceiling, and even if I wanted to go through with that, I've only got 3.5" of clearance (or less if I have any kind of insulation covering the ducting) along the slanted part of the ceiling the follows the roof deck. I installed it as high as I could (to suck the hot air that lingers on the ceiling) and it ended up about at head height, with the ceiling going to 6'5" - 7' depending on room. My upstairs rooms all have knee walls, but I was lucky enough to have 1 unfinished room to box out some space for the return. Ideally a return could go in the wall cavity itself, but my old house has fire block and the drywall is not directly attached to the studs, but offset with 1/2" wood strips for some reason... Also I didn't really have a single wall that ran all the way from the basement to the top of the second floor. extravadanza fucked around with this message at 18:11 on Jun 22, 2022 |
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Jun 22, 2022 18:09
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gp2k posted:Thanks everyone. I indeed put fans in the window but it doesn't seem to help (the difference I posted reflects fans in the window). I also just spent a crap-ton of money insulating the attic which is why I posted here. have you considered a window unit? midea makes some nice smart inverter units that basically function like window mounted heat pumps and have their own integrated thermostat/wifi control, might be able to fill the gap without killing your electric bill two of these (one on each floor) https://www.costco.com/midea-12%2C000-btu-cooling-inverter-window-air-conditioner.product.100849391.html were able to carry our 2,222sqft house while we were waiting for our HVAC install and since they are inverters they can do heating as well if you need that in the winter
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Jun 22, 2022 18:40
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Nthing the "get an insured arborist to do it, verify insurance". Find a physical yellow pages and hire one of those guys they've been around and seen some poo poo, don't do like the guy near Seattle recently who hired some "insured" rando off Craigslist and it went through their neighbors house, turned out he did not have insurance, repair bill coming up on quarter million bucks Given how old the fence is, and the fact that the tree clearly started life on "your" side of the fence, even with an updated survey, you're going to have a lot of work on your hands to get them to pay for something that pretty clearly looks like it lives on your side. The trunk is partially on his side but 99% of the mass, in particular the center of the trunk, is on "your" side of the fence. If you or the previous owner ever paid for maintenance/trimming of the tree, that's probably going to count against you. That treelaw Reddit sounds interesting The fact that the trees roots were in the way of where he wanted to build his pool doesn't really factor into this How long do you plan on living there? How much do you value not being in a pissing contest with your neighbor for the next decade? I bet you could squeeze him for $500, maaaybe $1200 but I'm not sure it's worth the hassle of getting the stink eye from them every time you see them in the front yard for the next 20 years
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Jun 22, 2022 18:58
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Keyser_Soze posted:I finally convinced my dumbass neighbors to finally trim their Sycamore tree, but of course they had it done in the most obnoxious way possible, even though I offered to help pay for it. I had suggested they trim the height of the 80 foot tall monster via "pollarding" and thin it out a bit and also noted that it would still provide plenty of shade for their backyard while also providing me a bit a relief. If I had a sycamore and my neighbor asked me to do this to it https://www.google.com/search?q=pollarding+sycamore I would be internally groaning so hard
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Jun 22, 2022 21:29
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Not to that extreme, obviously (and I didn't actually say the word "Pollarding" or show them pics from the internet of some horrible loving example of it so I could internet edgelord) but loving ANYTHING beyond what they did would have helped, duh. Also note this is  on tiny lots, not some 10 acre spread somewhere else. Here is a shot of my front patio about 50 feet downwind from the dumbass tree. It's this every 3 days or so and it's not even the loving fall yet, and note these dumb trees dump leaves over like 6 months instead of all at once like a normal loving tree.  Here is a pic of the house like 10 years ago before I bought it. Remember the cypress trees on the left were there for 20 years before they planted the sycamore.  Here it is from April. 
Keyser_Soze fucked around with this message at 23:23 on Jun 22, 2022 |
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Jun 22, 2022 21:42
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Epitope posted:If I had a sycamore and my neighbor asked me to do this to it Yeah, pollarding an 80’ Sycamore is a hard no for me dog
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Jun 22, 2022 22:09
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Epitope posted:If I had a sycamore and my neighbor asked me to do this to it Yeah I looked that up and now I’m on the neighbor’s side
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Jun 22, 2022 22:37
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| # ? May 9, 2024 20:36 |
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Keyser_Soze posted:I finally convinced my dumbass neighbors to finally trim their Sycamore tree, but of course they had it done in the most obnoxious way possible, even though I offered to help pay for it. I had suggested they trim the height of the 80 foot tall monster via "pollarding" and thin it out a bit and also noted that it would still provide plenty of shade for their backyard while also providing me a bit a relief. You could just run a ditch witch down the fence line and sever all the roots and wait for it to die. Edit: it might fall on your side that way though. Run the ditch witch through their yard instead
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Jun 22, 2022 23:18
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