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Steel wool is very flammable, I'd want to fill that gap with something else personally. Shim something into the larger gaps and then caulk it
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Aug 26, 2022 06:09
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Steel wool ignites at 700°C or 1300°F. Radiators are maybe 90°/200°. You have about as much chance of lighting paper by breathing on it.
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Aug 26, 2022 11:50
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I think my POS 2012 Samsung bottom-freezer fridge is dying. I woke up this morning and it was mildly cool, reading about 55F, while the freezer was 27F. There was also frost all over everything in the freezer. I unplugged it for 5 minutes and plugged it back in. Upon restarting the fridge was giving a "33 E" error, which apparently deals with the ice maker heating element. Both ice makers on this fridge have been broken for years. I'm checking every few minutes and the temps are slowly dropping. Other than checking the temps frequently, is there anything I can try to prevent this from happening again? I really hate this fridge and would rather just get a different model rather than paying for repairs, but hopefully I can keep all my food from going bad while I'm shopping around.
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Aug 26, 2022 17:43
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Good luck getting repairs at all on a Samsung freezer. Samsung's appliance repair services are drat-near nonexistent, and their parts tend to be specialized so regular repair people can't fix them. I learned this the hard way.
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Aug 26, 2022 18:44
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NoSpoon posted:Steel wool ignites at 700°C or 1300°F. Radiators are maybe 90°/200°. You have about as much chance of lighting paper by breathing on it. This is not the right way to think about it. Steel wool can ignite from just a spark, and will instantly heat itself to ignition from contact with a battery. It's a dangerous material to put anywhere that could be exposed to a spark or an electrical current. I don't know exactly where these rat holes are or what's near them but I think an appropriate thing to stuff holes with is a construction-grade filler like expanding foam. Depending on potential exposure to flame or other code considerations (For example, I believe walls between a garage and a house have higher fire rating requirements), a fireproof foam may be advisable or required.
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Aug 26, 2022 18:53
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https://www.touch-n-foam.com/mouseshield.html
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Aug 26, 2022 19:05
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They can (and often do) chew through that foam. This is what you want, then layer the foam on top. https://www.twpinc.com/wire-mesh-by-project/pest-control/mouse-control-meshes
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Aug 26, 2022 19:22
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Hardware cloth is great, but a super big pain in the rear end especially around pipes. If OP can do that too, great, but I've kept field mice out of my old place with just that foam or a similar one from another brand.
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Aug 26, 2022 19:27
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quote:great info on the steel wool idea from everybody Just for clarity, this is what I have: https://www.petro.com/resource-center/how-your-oil-fired-heating-system-works It's hot water baseboard heating powered by a oil-fired furnace. Unfortunately, the house I recently bought is out in the woods and we have an incredible mouse problem. The mice get in through the holes cut for the copper piping and, courtesy of the baseboard heating next to the oven in my kitchen (poor remodeling design), get into my oven and poo poo all over the inside of it looking for food and now we have to replace the oven because it always smells like burning mouse turds and urine whenever we use it. There is no electric nearby -- the oven is LP gas -- but I'd like to prevent this from happening in the future. I know that steel wool is good for plugging mice entrances, but my worry is that, because the piping does get pretty hot, the steel wool would conduct the heat and start a fire in the drywall/flooring. It seems like that mouse foam might be the right solution, but I don't know how well it would take the piping heat. The fireproof foam would take the heat, but I'm not sure if mice could easily chew through it. edit: the hardware cloth is a good idea too, but it would be a pain to work with trying to finagle it in behind the radiator fins in the baseboard heating. That's sort of why I was hoping steel wool would do the trick; all I have to do is stuff it in the holes around the piping with a thin rod. Eason the Fifth fucked around with this message at 19:56 on Aug 26, 2022 |
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Aug 26, 2022 19:43
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Eason the Fifth posted:Just for clarity, this is what I have: Steam heat piping gets hot, but not that hot.
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Aug 26, 2022 19:59
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Pilfered Pallbearers posted:Steam heat piping gets hot, but not that hot. Yeah, hot water baseboard is usually set around 165F.
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Aug 26, 2022 20:01
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Lester Shy posted:I think my POS 2012 Samsung bottom-freezer fridge is dying. I woke up this morning and it was mildly cool, reading about 55F, while the freezer was 27F. There was also frost all over everything in the freezer. I unplugged it for 5 minutes and plugged it back in. Upon restarting the fridge was giving a "33 E" error, which apparently deals with the ice maker heating element. Both ice makers on this fridge have been broken for years. I had something similar on a side by side last year or so. Things got warm, but the freezer section was iced over. I had to take all the food out, (Moved to an ice filled cooler temporarily) unplugged the fridge, cleaned the coils in back, removed the shelves from the freezer section, took the interior back panel off, and found the heat sink (probably wrong term) was completely iced over. Ran a heat gun over the ice until it melted enough that I could get the ice out of there. That bought me some time, maybe a month. I think it was the thermostat that went there. I replaced it after the second or third time, but the problem persisted so I just ended up replacing with something new. Since you are talking a bottom freezer unit, your setup will be different, but it might be something similar. You might be able to get away with replacing the thermostat, but as others have said, Samsung parts might be hard to come by, and I don't know how to access your system. Look up the manual, see if you can find parts, and if you are mechanically inclined, give it a go. But you might be better off putting that time and effort into a new unit instead. If your freezer is having the same ice build up mine was, this will at least buy you some time, so it's not an emergency.
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Aug 26, 2022 20:56
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CzarChasm posted:I had something similar on a side by side last year or so. Things got warm, but the freezer section was iced over. I had to take all the food out, (Moved to an ice filled cooler temporarily) unplugged the fridge, cleaned the coils in back, removed the shelves from the freezer section, took the interior back panel off, and found the heat sink (probably wrong term) was completely iced over. Ran a heat gun over the ice until it melted enough that I could get the ice out of there. That bought me some time, maybe a month. I think it was the thermostat that went there. I replaced it after the second or third time, but the problem persisted so I just ended up replacing with something new. From what I remember, Samsung parts are only gettable by Samsung repair techs, of which there aren't many, and a lot of the ones that do exist aren't great. When our Samsung fridge broke down a few years ago, I think one goon mentioned that their state plus 2 adjacent states only had 3 Samsung repair people to serve their whole 3-state area, and only two of those were any good. Most non-Samsung repair people can't fix them, and many straight-up don't even service them. Samsung seems to be one of those brands that just isn't easily fixable. They're like the Volkswagon of appliances, minus the reliability and good reputation. I. M. Gei fucked around with this message at 21:14 on Aug 26, 2022 |
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Aug 26, 2022 21:09
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Lester Shy posted:I think my POS 2012 Samsung bottom-freezer fridge is dying. I woke up this morning and it was mildly cool, reading about 55F, while the freezer was 27F. There was also frost all over everything in the freezer. I unplugged it for 5 minutes and plugged it back in. Upon restarting the fridge was giving a "33 E" error, which apparently deals with the ice maker heating element. Both ice makers on this fridge have been broken for years. Bottom freezers are really good at staying cracked open at floor level, letting the cold air leak out. Btw freezers and fridges just hold air in, they suck at cooling the items. Put water jugs in your freezer to keep everything cold enough during power outages, as long as you don't open it. Or only open it real fast to grab the ice cream, just in case. Wasabi the J fucked around with this message at 23:03 on Aug 26, 2022 |
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Aug 26, 2022 23:00
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I went on vacation and came back to a running toilet. When I pulled the lid, it looks like the valve to fill the tank stops filling the tank at the correct height, but the fill tube continues to fill the bowl. All the advice I'm finding via Google is to adjust the float (which does not solve this problem). Is this a pull the valve off, clean all the parts, and reinstall it kind of repair?
Xenix fucked around with this message at 00:58 on Aug 27, 2022 |
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Aug 27, 2022 00:52
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Xenix posted:I went on vacation and came back to a running toilet. When I pulled the lid, it looks like the valve to fill the tank stops filling the tank at the correct height, but the fill tube continues to fill the bowl. All the advice I'm finding via Google is to adjust the float (which does nothing). Is this a pull the valve off, clean all the parts, and reinstall it kind of repair? Unless you have a "weird" toilet you probably just want to fire one of these right on in there: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Fluidmaster-400A-Universal-Toilet-Fill-Valve-400ARP25/100554467 Toilet valves are universally junk but that one is a lot better than most and easy to put in just about anything even reasonably "standard". You can certainly try to disassemble and clean stuff, but again...these parts are junk and if they're old enough to not be working right they will probably fall apart as you try to do this.
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Aug 27, 2022 00:59
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Xenix posted:I went on vacation and came back to a running toilet. When I pulled the lid, it looks like the valve to fill the tank stops filling the tank at the correct height, but the fill tube continues to fill the bowl. All the advice I'm finding via Google is to adjust the float (which does not solve this problem). Is this a pull the valve off, clean all the parts, and reinstall it kind of repair? might be the flapper. If it's not sealing perfectly, you'll get a small leak into the toilet bowl and the toilet will 'run' constantly to maintain the water level. fiddle around with it, see if you can get it to stop running by pressing down on the flapper
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Aug 27, 2022 12:01
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Wasabi the J posted:Bottom freezers are really good at staying cracked open at floor level, letting the cold air leak out. To be clear, you are suggesting putting jugs of water into the freezer during normal operation so that they freeze and help keep things cold if the power goes out, NOT adding jugs of liquid water to the freezer after the power has gone out, correct?
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Aug 27, 2022 18:39
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Blowjob Overtime posted:To be clear, you are suggesting putting jugs of water into the freezer during normal operation so that they freeze and help keep things cold if the power goes out, NOT adding jugs of liquid water to the freezer after the power has gone out, correct? Yes, that's what they're suggesting. Residential fridges and freezers are typically barely adequate to keep things that are already cool/cold cool or cold. Without some thermal mass they have little chance of bringing much of anything down to temp without warming everything else up. This is most often seen when people go an put hot leftovers in their fridge and everything ends up warm. Or move-in day for shore rentals - people load the fridge with lukewarm poo poo from their car with the door open for 15 minutes and then wonder why nothing is cold by dinner time and start calling the rental agency to say the fridge is broken. It's not.
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Aug 27, 2022 18:43
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Blowjob Overtime posted:To be clear, you are suggesting putting jugs of water into the freezer during normal operation so that they freeze and help keep things cold if the power goes out, NOT adding jugs of liquid water to the freezer after the power has gone out, correct? Correct. What you're doing is adding "thermal mass" to the fridge/freezer. That mass makes it so that the temperature inside fluctuates more slowly. It takes a lot of energy to raise the temperature of water, so a block of ice can absorb a lot of ambient heat while still remaining frozen. I understand that doing this not only provides some insurance against power outages, it also makes the cooler more efficient. If your cooler is nearly empty, then the temperature can bounce up and down quickly: when it's not running, the air inside warms up quickly, then when it starts running, the air cools quickly. That leads to rapid on/off cycles that are harder on the cooler. So if you're the type that doesn't regularly have a cooler full of food, consider tossing some jugs of water in there.
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Aug 27, 2022 18:45
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I have an EGO mower whose handle assembly no longer snaps into its clasp: It's because that pointed bit has stripped away after a couple years of usage. You can even see where it has peeled back. This is a problem because every time that pointed bit slips out of that hole it shuts off the mower. Is there some sort of plastic paint that I can apply around it so it will catch back into that hole properly? I was thinking of trying this Bumper Repair stuff. melon cat fucked around with this message at 19:36 on Aug 27, 2022 |
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Aug 27, 2022 19:08
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Does it need to be opened again? If not, I'd just use epoxy. If yes, try to get a replacement part .. If youre trying to build the plastic back up with Bond-o or similar, I don't think you'll come up with a long lasting fix
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Aug 27, 2022 20:30
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BIG-DICK-BUTT-gently caress posted:Does it need to be opened again? If not, I'd just use epoxy. If yes, try to get a replacement part .. If youre trying to build the plastic back up with Bond-o or similar, I don't think you'll come up with a long lasting fix Yes it needs to be opened and closed constantly. Guess I'll just replace the part.
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Aug 27, 2022 21:04
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BIG-DICK-BUTT-gently caress posted:might be the flapper. If it's not sealing perfectly, you'll get a small leak into the toilet bowl and the toilet will 'run' constantly to maintain the water level. fiddle around with it, see if you can get it to stop running by pressing down on the flapper No. The tank is not losing water. The valve has a fill tube to fill the bowl (like this valve has https://www.lowes.com/pd/Fluidmaster-Universal-Toilet-Fill-Valve/1001097428) and the fill tube won't turn off when the valve is done filling the tank, so it just continues to put a small amount of water into the bowl constantly. I bought that valve and will be replacing the whole thing today.
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Aug 27, 2022 21:16
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Crossposting this here... Would love some basic wiring help! I am swapping 2 three way switches for dimmers. I have lutron dimmer switches. The available wires in each outlet do not match, and do not match up to any of the "guides". Outlet one has: a ground (bare copper), white, red, and black  Outlet two has: a red and two blacks 
Upgrade fucked around with this message at 22:24 on Aug 27, 2022 |
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Aug 27, 2022 22:21
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I also have a wiring question. I know there is such a thing as an in line gfci for power tools, like this: https://a.co/d/eUYtA7E But is there an in line surge protector? Looking for something to use for my band playing in bars. I don’t want just a standard power strip type because there’s a good chance it’s going to get covered in beer/alcohol when playing in a bar, and I want the surge protector because sometimes the power in those places is dodgy as poo poo and I’d rather not have a power surge wipe out the mixer or my amp. If there’s something I could splice into an extension cord, even better. AFewBricksShy fucked around with this message at 00:16 on Aug 28, 2022 |
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Aug 28, 2022 00:13
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when I had my shower done they hosed up and forget to plastic everything off, so dust got everywhere. While they paid a cleaning company to deal with it afterwards, there is dust sitting in the bottom of the bathroom exhaust fan. How can I get this out? A straw would definitely fit in there (that's about the same width as those gaps), but I need to connect that to a vacuum attachment somehow (??) - that might actually work by taping it to the end of the attachment you use to get into corners and the area along baseboards. There's no place for it to exit except above, so I don't think using one of those keyboard cleaners would do the trick.
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Aug 28, 2022 00:15
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actionjackson posted:when I had my shower done they hosed up and forget to plastic everything off, so dust got everywhere. While they paid a cleaning company to deal with it afterwards, there is dust sitting in the bottom of the bathroom exhaust fan. How can I get this out? A straw would definitely fit in there (that's about the same width as those gaps), but I need to connect that to a vacuum attachment somehow (??) - that might actually work by taping it to the end of the attachment you use to get into corners and the area along baseboards. There's no place for it to exit except above, so I don't think using one of those keyboard cleaners would do the trick. Doesn't the grate come off? They're usually either friction fit or held in with a couple obvious screws.
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Aug 28, 2022 02:06
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Upgrade posted:Crossposting this here...
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Aug 28, 2022 02:41
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devicenull posted:Doesn't the grate come off? They're usually either friction fit or held in with a couple obvious screws. the only thing I noticed was the two blower screws https://s1.img-b.com/build.com/mediabase/specifications/broan/785752/broan-lp80-installation-275.pdf on page 8, item 9 I'm not sure if removing those would help though. I'm not sure what they even do.
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Aug 28, 2022 04:45
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Seems like you want to take the motor out and clean the surround itself? (If I’m understanding the original picture correctly). If it had an moisture in there it’s probably caked on and simple suction might not get it or leave streaks. I think taking out the mower (for repairss and upgrades) is pretty common for those fans and usually is just a couple screws and some cabling.
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Aug 28, 2022 04:55
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The bathrooms in the house I recently moved into had just been remodeled, and we realized today that the drain cover in one of the showers was grouted into place, so we can't lift it off to clean out the drain. What's the best way to remove the grout? I tried using a dremel cutting tool but I think it's too wide -- the gaps are really narrow and it was making contact with the metal.
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Aug 28, 2022 06:39
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It looks a lot to me like there's a metal box frame, and then the grate fits into the frame. Have you tried pulling up on the grate with something? e. found this pic with a quick google image search for oatey rectangle shower drain: 
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Aug 28, 2022 07:14
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Yeah that's exactly what it is. We have the same thing in two different showers, and we can pull the other one up just fine using the little hook from that product picture, but this one is stuck in there because there's grout all around it. It's kinda hard to see well in the picture because the gap is so small, but it's the same grout that's between the tiles.
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Aug 28, 2022 07:30
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dizzywhip posted:the same grout that's between the tiles. Surely grout won’t stick to metal too well. Have you tried pulling hard? I’d try fishing a few bits of wire through the holes so you’re not just pulling on one tiny bit of metal, then pulling hard. Spending some quality time smacking the grate with a rubber mallet might loosen it up too.
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Aug 28, 2022 11:16
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Even a utility knife might work to get the grout out.
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Aug 28, 2022 13:42
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Are there just a couple spots of adhesion like in the lower right where the second tile in is a little askew or all the way around? Wear eye protection. I am having trouble envisioning a space too small that the tiniest little Dremel dentist tool style thing wouldn't obliterate out the necessary grout. Or death wheel. Or actual dentist pick. Or the corner tip of an oscillating tool? Is it loose at all? Could you bop it with a rubber mallet (only hitting the metal grate) to sort of knock it free? Is it installed at a angle or otherwise out of true which could be friction fitting it?
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Aug 28, 2022 16:29
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melon cat posted:I have an EGO mower whose handle assembly no longer snaps into its clasp: I can't see the other side...but can you wrap a large Velcro loop-strap, or a rubber snap-strap around it to secure it closed? I'm thinking of the rubber strap that Hewlett-Packard used on their laptop power supplies to hold the cords looped for transit; can't find the exact thing, but something like this:  Getting a new part may be difficult & expensive, and if this thing works so well for you, in a year or two you might have to deal with it again. dizzywhip posted:The bathrooms in the house I recently moved into had just been remodeled, and we realized today that the drain cover in one of the showers was grouted into place, so we can't lift it off to clean out the drain. If you can't tap on it, then pry it up without bending the stainless - try running a grout chaser by hand along the seams. A Dremel rotary tool with a composition blade should make short work of it; you'll need full-face protection. PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 16:35 on Aug 28, 2022 |
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Aug 28, 2022 16:30
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PainterofCrap posted:I can't see the other side...but can you wrap a large Velcro loop-strap, or a rubber snap-strap around it to secure it closed? good idea 
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Aug 28, 2022 17:45
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actionjackson posted:the only thing I noticed was the two blower screws update this worked! thanks. Leperflesh posted:It looks a lot to me like there's a metal box frame, and then the grate fits into the frame. Have you tried pulling up on the grate with something? this is similar to what I just got on my shower, the kerdi-line. yes you should have a tool like that to get it off.
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Aug 28, 2022 21:30
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