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 looks like our sewage line is possibly backing up... Moved into this house a month ago, it's been unoccupied since January. During move in, the 3rd floor toilet wouldn't flush. Then the dish washer had a standing pool of water in it that wouldn't drain - we cleared it up with baking soda and vinegar, but after we did, the sink in the basement has been backing up when the dishwasher drains, and there is a bunch of black stuff leftover in the sink afterwards. It smells like poop, and I just tried to clean a bunch of it out - it feels like poop too!The kitchen sink has started backing up as well. We're having a plumber out tomorrow, but is there anything I should be aware of in this situation? How much $$ could I be looking at? Do Never Buy (and before you ask, we didn't get a sewer scope during inspection... I meant to but just forgot. hopefully didn't screw myself too bad)
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Aug 15, 2022 19:41
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| # ? May 20, 2024 12:02 |
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"Hi HOA. Do you have approved vendor lists for maintenance or repair activities on condos?" "Yes. You can't have them." "What? Why not?" "You might sue us if you have a bad experience with one, so find your own vendors."  Yeah, I'm going to sue the HOA because I had a bad experience with a vendor, therefore giving everyone a special assessment and ensuring that everyone in the 300+ units in this neighborhood ALL HATE ME. Right. (Someone would seriously do that, wouldn't they?)
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Aug 15, 2022 19:52
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Thom Yorke raps posted:How much $$ could I be looking at? Nobody can answer this question. You could have a simple clog that just past the cleanout that takes them 10 minutes or you could have a collapsed sewer lateral that requires digging up all <x> feet of your yard and is gonna run 5 figures. This is why inspection of that type are so critcal.
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Aug 15, 2022 19:53
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Sundae posted:"Hi HOA. Do you have approved vendor lists for maintenance or repair activities on condos?" Just wait until they fine you for not using an approved vendor.
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Aug 15, 2022 20:02
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Dropped something heavy on the bathroom floor and cracked a tile, goddamnit.
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Aug 15, 2022 20:50
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Upgrade posted:Dropped something heavy on the bathroom floor and cracked a tile, goddamnit. Better or worse than breaking your toe?
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Aug 15, 2022 21:18
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Can’t tape up a tile for a few weeks and expect it to heal.
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Aug 15, 2022 21:20
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brugroffil posted:You can always disguise your TV as Fine Art with the Samsung The Frame panel! Too bad those TVs are poo poo though
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Aug 15, 2022 22:22
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Insurrectum posted:Too bad those TVs are poo poo though By what measure? I have a 2021 model and they're definitely not the latest and greatest 4K OLED 240hz whizbang bullshit, but I think it looks great. I only watch TV once in a while, so the fact that it's not a giant black rectangle 99% of the time it exists in my home is a huge selling point.
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Aug 15, 2022 22:29
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They also suck down so much power compared to being, you know, off. My TV is so warm when I walk past it it surprises me every time.
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Aug 15, 2022 22:33
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Thom Yorke raps posted:
do you have trees in your yard? you could just be some tree roots that need to be cleaned out. if that's the case, i don't think rooter services cost too much. on the order of $100
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Aug 15, 2022 22:41
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Anyone have any experience/perspective on ACs, and the servicing thereof? We just learned that's a thing you're supposed to do (lol) We've been in our house for a year & the AC was installed just before we moved in, so I'm not super worried about anything at the moment. But a cursory google says have a pro come out every year which seems like a lot? Is there stuff I could do to push a pro visit out by a year or two?
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Aug 15, 2022 22:41
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Motronic posted:Nobody can answer this question. You could have a simple clog that just past the cleanout that takes them 10 minutes or you could have a collapsed sewer lateral that requires digging up all <x> feet of your yard and is gonna run 5 figures. This is why inspection of that type are so critcal. What does a sewer scope itself, the tool, cost anyway Greatbacon posted:Anyone have any experience/perspective on ACs, and the servicing thereof? We just learned that's a thing you're supposed to do (lol) Usually I've seen them clean the condenser with something they should probably rinse off but don't, and then the condenser gets holes in it, and then they try to sell you on injecting goop into it, and then you run them off with a sharp stick. slurm fucked around with this message at 22:49 on Aug 15, 2022 |
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Aug 15, 2022 22:44
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Poopelyse posted:i don't think rooter services cost too much. on the order of $100 There is absolutely no professional trade service I'm aware of in 2022 where someone comes to your home and doesn't charge more than that just for showing up. slurm posted:What does a sewer scope itself, the tool, cost anyway Somewhere between $100 and $10,000. Is it a 20 ft usb camera that you need to plug you phone into and load sideload some sketchy app? Or is it a professional unit that's 100+ feet, in a reel, with it's own monitor and ability to record, perhaps wireless, that includes a fix probe to locate where it is from above ground? Or is it something in between those two?
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Aug 15, 2022 22:51
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I just paid an electrician $159 just to show up, earlier today I can't imagine a scope would cost less
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Aug 15, 2022 22:56
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H110Hawk posted:They also suck down so much power compared to being, you know, off. My TV is so warm when I walk past it it surprises me every time. I just measured mine and from being asleep to triggering the motion sensor to put it into art mode, it pulls 50 additional watts. Doesn't seem like that much to me, but it is about $50 a year by my quick napkin math, which isn't nothing. Greatbacon posted:Anyone have any experience/perspective on ACs, and the servicing thereof? We just learned that's a thing you're supposed to do (lol) I just finished my annual service on mine today. No need for a pro if you can watch youtube videos and take your time. Always cut power to your HVAC system while working on it! The two important maintenance issues are to clean the condenser coil outside and to clean/flush your condensate drain line. If you don't keep your condenser coil relatively clean and free of obstructions, your AC will have to run longer to exchange the heat outside and cool your home. If the issue gets bad enough your AC will not be able to keep up with cooling your home in the hotter months as it simply can't get rid of the heat from your home through the clogged coil fins. You can buy special coil cleaner for cleaning it, but really just spraying it down with water to get the big stuff out is usually good enough. If your condensate line clogs, condensation from your evaporator coil will overflow into your drain pan and do either one of two thing. Ideally you have a float switch that will get tripped by the water level rising in the drain pan, and it will shut off your compressor until you remove the water, and avoid damage. If you don't have a float switch, the water level will continue to rise until it overflows the drain pan and possibly cause you a lot of water damage, depending on where it's located. One of my friends in the neighborhood just had this happen last month. They were at Church when the drain pan overflowed, soaking their attic insulation and sheetrock with water until it collapsed from the weight. It's a lot of damage! Depending on your condensate drain line configuration, cleaning it will require different methods. If it's got a P-Trap, run a brush through it to break up and remove any algae grown. If you have a long drain line, you might consider getting a cheap drill-powered snake and running it through the line in both directions. Finally, rinse out the line with a 1:10 bleach and water solution from as close to the evaporator coil as you can. Usually the P-trap. This will flush out anything you broke loose, and the bleach will hopefully kill/slow down what's left. Another trick if you do get a clog or think it's restricted already, is to hook a shop-vac to one end and suck out any gunk you can with it. Those are the two big things I do once a year to my AC and it's made a big difference.
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Aug 15, 2022 22:58
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SpartanIvy posted:I just measured mine and from being asleep to triggering the motion sensor to put it into art mode, it pulls 50 additional watts. Doesn't seem like that much to me, but it is about $50 a year by my quick napkin math, which isn't nothing. Samsung says 30% of normal power on art mode
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Aug 15, 2022 23:04
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Motronic posted:Somewhere between $100 and $10,000. Is it a 20 ft usb camera that you need to plug you phone into and load sideload some sketchy app? Or is it a professional unit that's 100+ feet, in a reel, with it's own monitor and ability to record, perhaps wireless, that includes a fix probe to locate where it is from above ground? Or is it something in between those two? I see your point, I'll try to get one "in between" at work for scoping vents and see how I like it
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Aug 15, 2022 23:04
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brugroffil posted:Samsung says 30% of normal power on art mode Their site also says ~154 Watts is the Typical power consumption, so I guess we're in agreement.
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Aug 15, 2022 23:10
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Sewer inspection: I paid $200 as an add on to my inspection. Went out over 100 feet, gave me a verbal report after and video link that night. Well worth it to know how the poo pipe looks.
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Aug 16, 2022 01:43
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$5500 for a replacement sliding patio door, thanks pella. Won’t even be here until late November. Our back door is original to the house and is in really rough shape, 25 years is a good run for a wooden door without cladding that is completely exposed to the elements and western sun. I love home ownership! 
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Aug 16, 2022 02:57
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devmd01 posted:$5500 for a replacement sliding patio door, thanks pella. Won’t even be here until late November. Our back door is original to the house and is in really rough shape, 25 years is a good run for a wooden door without cladding that is completely exposed to the elements and western sun. I love home ownership! Just wait until they rip it out and find a rotten header.
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Aug 16, 2022 04:31
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It begins. Now that we're seeing the sanded floor (and how nice the lighter color looks) part of me wants to do a water-based stain instead of an oil-based stain for a lighter, although less historically "accurate", end product. Have some test swatches drying right now to make a decision. Water based is more expensive. 
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Aug 16, 2022 13:59
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I’ve had both a plumber and hvac guy from established companies come to the house this year with sub-$100 “we came out but you didn’t opt to do any work” fees but I can’t imagine that lasts much into 2023.
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Aug 16, 2022 15:35
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They’re mostly done with a first pass and the only stain that we can’t get up is one stain of cat piss from 50 years ago. Don’t let your cats piss on floors.
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Aug 16, 2022 20:11
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Upgrade posted:They’re mostly done with a first pass and the only stain that we can’t get up is one stain of cat piss from 50 years ago. Don’t let your cats piss on floors. with how much houses cost these days, I don't even let my friends piss on my floors anymore
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Aug 16, 2022 21:33
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slurm posted:I see your point, I'll try to get one "in between" at work for scoping vents and see how I like it We had a couple different people come out, one guy had a super lovely one that was just a camera on what's essentially fish tape. The other people both had the Rigid SeeSnake. The SeeSnake was way better, as it could actually get past some obstructions, and more importantly you can *locate* where the head is on the surface. That really helps when you're looking for an issue and need to know exactly where it is before you dig it up
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Aug 16, 2022 22:47
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We found roots in our pipes (we have the trifecta: cast iron under house, orangeburg in yard between house and city pipes, and city PVC pipes) during inspection. Since it looked like whatever was planted nearby was no longer there, they did recommend the rooter and chemical spray. We requested that in our repairs, and I received the receipts for the work done. In total, it was a little over $400 for both the chewing up of roots, the camera snake, and the spraying of the chemical. YMMV. The same company also offers an annual membership for $169 that includes an HVAC service in the winter and spring as well as 2 hot water heater drainings (though the plumber told me I could do that myself). Probably worth it considering there's a 10% off services with the membership and any calls that are made on nights/weekends don't incur the extra service charge. Abyss fucked around with this message at 23:09 on Aug 16, 2022 |
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Aug 16, 2022 23:06
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Abyss posted:2 hot water heater drainings You absolutely can do this yourself as long as you're able bodied enough to hook up a hose and turn a dial. It's as simple as turning off the gas, opening faucets, opening the overpressure valve, and hooking up a standard garden hose. The risk is your 10+ y/o water heater having structural rust that gets dislodged from a draining and flushing. What does their HVAC service even entail for that price? Filter swaps?
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Aug 17, 2022 01:09
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BonerGhost posted:What does their HVAC service even entail for that price? Professional liability insurance.
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Aug 17, 2022 01:15
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I have an attic fan in one of the flat sides of my attic. It has an exhaust vent. I have no intake vent in the attic, so it never really exhausted hot air from the attic. Is there a rule for how big the intake vent should be? I'm going to have one put in, with the hope that it'll stop the second floor (where our home offices reside) from being 30 degrees hotter than the rest of the house in the summer. (Yeah, we have window AC units, but it still is mad hot in the hallway and bathroom)
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Aug 17, 2022 02:33
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Your attic is probably a lot less air tight than you're imagining
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Aug 17, 2022 02:39
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Thom Yorke raps posted:
This happened to me. My septic pump GFCI had tripped. I didn’t know I had a septic pump. Do you have septic? If so does your septic have a pump?
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Aug 17, 2022 03:56
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MJP posted:I have an attic fan in one of the flat sides of my attic. It has an exhaust vent. I have no intake vent in the attic, so it never really exhausted hot air from the attic. Where are you located? Chances are high that your attic gets a lot more air flow than you think.
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Aug 17, 2022 04:06
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MJP posted:I have an attic fan in one of the flat sides of my attic. It has an exhaust vent. I have no intake vent in the attic, so it never really exhausted hot air from the attic. Are you 100% certain you have no soffits in your attic? Because a well built one will at a minimum have some soffits. Otherwise it's possible it's pulling your cooled air from inside the house which sucks.
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Aug 17, 2022 04:55
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BonerGhost posted:You absolutely can do this yourself as long as you're able bodied enough to hook up a hose and turn a dial. It's as simple as turning off the gas, opening faucets, opening the overpressure valve, and hooking up a standard garden hose. No idea, I'll ask them about it before I sign up. The water heater is four years old, so no worries there. There's a sand filter that was attached at some point and corrosion on the copper pipes that will need to be addressed soon. Apparently, the filter was a thing back in the day but no longer is a thing as long as you flush it bi-annually. We have very hard water here so a mineral build up is always looming.
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Aug 17, 2022 06:06
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CarForumPoster posted:This happened to me. I dunno, but a guy came out and spent a few hours clearing the pipes and now there is no problem. $400, felt like a deal
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Aug 18, 2022 20:39
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Replaced the working 20 year old water heater today, they knocked it out in like two hours and did a great clean job. I'm becoming a real fan of using money rather than my time. And also not worrying about my 20 year old water heater dying or flooding me out.
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Aug 18, 2022 22:44
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StormDrain posted:Replaced the working 20 year old water heater today, they knocked it out in like two hours and did a great clean job. There are absolutely jobs where "holy poo poo I paid someone to make this problem go away" is the right choice. Guys who swap water heaters all day every day can do the whole thing before you'd even be done driving to the Orange/Blue store and flagging down an overworked employee to find a water heater. I also did this with a large sliding glass door where the rollers had failed. Over and done in less than twenty minutes and I didn't have to figure out how the gently caress I was going to get a giant glass door out of the tracks and supported without breaking poo poo.
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Aug 19, 2022 00:11
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Plus disposal. Having some dudes grab your five feet of rust and regret and just disappear with it, never to be seen again, is well worth a few bucks.
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Aug 19, 2022 00:35
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