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Finally called and scheduled annual service on the AC and tankless water heater. Plumber was actually able to come right over including a stop at the supply house. (They're a good shop, used them before, slow friday I guess.) You win this time, deferred maintenance. Pushed the AC one into the "off" season - low and behold it's cheaper when it's not August in Southern California. They're coming next week, also not that busy right now.
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Dec 9, 2022 22:25
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BonoMan posted:The other side of that wall is the outside. Those two little pipes go to the outside, point down and drip. I just assumed they were some sort of condensate drain. I'll check the attic again but if memory serves me they are indeed drains of some sort Are your HVAC systems in the attic? Mine drain to the upstairs bathroom sinks (which I think is relatively new code wise) , but the overflow drains to the outside. My last house the HVAC condensate drained to the outside of the house. That's probably what they are. Did you just nick them or cut through the wall of pipe?
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Dec 9, 2022 22:26
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skipdogg posted:Are your HVAC systems in the attic? Yeah it's in the attic. And I just nicked them... Did not cut through the wall. Just gonna put some jb on them and call it a day
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Dec 9, 2022 22:29
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H110Hawk posted:Finally called and scheduled annual service on the AC and tankless water heater. Plumber was actually able to come right over including a stop at the supply house. (They're a good shop, used them before, slow friday I guess.) You win this time, deferred maintenance. Pushed the AC one into the "off" season - low and behold it's cheaper when it's not August in Southern California. They're coming next week, also not that busy right now.  Wife just called and told me to run a bath for the younger kid who had an accident right at preschool pickup. We have no hot water for a bit longer here. I did not tell her I was scheduling this maintenance.
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Dec 9, 2022 22:50
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Run a bath of cold water, dump in half a pot of boiling water, test and decide how much more to add
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Dec 9, 2022 23:14
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i like nice words
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Anne Whateley posted:Run a bath of cold water, dump in half a pot of boiling water, test and decide how much more to add Thanks, dude finished up about 10-15m after they got home. Wouldn't have mattered either way. I would have started water on the stove if it was going to be a long wait.
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Dec 9, 2022 23:17
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So I live in a concrete condo tower with a natural gas fireplace that is *unmetered*. It's now winter and I've been using the gas fireplace to essentially heat the apartment so I don't have to pay for the electric baseboards more than I have to. There's the typical blower fan in the fireplace and I have this turned on and at quite a high setting in an effort to increase the efficiency of the fireplace in heating the 2br unit. This means the fireplace has been running for maybe a week or two. I'm curious if there is any consideration for not wanting to run the fireplace for too long? I have a natural gas leak alarm (tested) at an outlet closeby to the fireplace but I was more concerned about there being some other issue with it being on so long. Am I good to keep using it nearly 100% of the time for the next few weeks?
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Dec 9, 2022 23:49
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A properly installed residential gas fireplace that is in good repair should be safe for a 100% duty cycle. Please solve for the unknowns in that statement. But it should be fine.
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Dec 9, 2022 23:52
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You have a carbon monoxide detector too right?
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Dec 10, 2022 00:06
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Motronic posted:A properly installed residential gas fireplace that is in good repair should be safe for a 100% duty cycle. Thanks, yeah it's a well regarded developer and it's received preventative maintenance recently. Sirotan posted:You have a carbon monoxide detector too right? Yeah that's a good point, it's part of the natural gas detector which I suppose is more of a hazardous gas detector to be more comprehensive in it's naming. I also keep a window in that room just barely cracked, and the hallways in this condo have positive air pressure so there's always a bit of 'fresh' air coming in under the front door.
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Dec 10, 2022 00:48
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Properly designed and installed gas logs keep the gas "outside" of the house, and the fan loop is basically bringing heat in via a heat exchanger. You shouldn't be getting any NG or combustion gasses inside the living space. "Shouldn't" is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. Never hurts to have it inspected.
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Dec 10, 2022 00:56
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BonoMan posted:Ok sorry for the triple post but I've run into a bit of an issue. That looks like a pair of vent stacks that would terminate through the roof, ad the water damage indicate that the pipe jacks/boots on the roof were, or are, leaking.
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Dec 10, 2022 01:54
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PainterofCrap posted:That looks like a pair of vent stacks that would terminate through the roof, ad the water damage indicate that the pipe jacks/boots on the roof were, or are, leaking. I didn't even think about that. When it comes to damage you're the one who's going to know from a glance.
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Dec 10, 2022 02:13
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PainterofCrap posted:That looks like a pair of vent stacks that would terminate through the roof, ad the water damage indicate that the pipe jacks/boots on the roof were, or are, leaking. Good thought. I'll check it tomorrow. It's a brand new roof and the insulation wasn't wet at the moment (and it's been raining for a week). So hopefully it's no longer leaking if that were the case.
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Dec 10, 2022 02:17
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There's no christmas lighting thread so I'm posting here. I tore down my old lights which where about 20% dead by now, non replaceable leds that I'd had permanently mounted outdoors. I went with something more heavy duty this time. 230V rated with E27 sockets for individual bulbs:  I made my own hooks from 4" nails, welded a simple jig to make them repeatedly and identical.   
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Dec 12, 2022 08:37
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Looks like my initial hesitation on getting a mini-split cold-climate heat pump pays off. As far as I can tell, I'll be eligible for both the federal tax rebate that starts next year, AND the direct rebate from my electric company. Should be about $4000 saved total.
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Dec 12, 2022 16:58
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Does anybody have a recommended method or hardware to hang picture frames on sloped walls? My house has a few 80° walls I haven't bothered with yet and I'm getting tired of them being empty.
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Dec 13, 2022 15:56
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We're planning on repainting the bathroom walls and a wooden vanity. My wife has some Benjamin Moore colors picked out; has anyone used their Aura Bath & Spa interior paint?
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Dec 13, 2022 17:10
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Tremors posted:Does anybody have a recommended method or hardware to hang picture frames on sloped walls? My house has a few 80° walls I haven't bothered with yet and I'm getting tired of them being empty. keyhole hangers on the sides about halfway down on both sides right at the balance point would be effective I think with a reasonable wall anchor.
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Dec 13, 2022 17:23
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I'm lazy, but I would just do a regular hook with a command strip on the bottom of the frame
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Dec 13, 2022 17:31
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Toebone posted:We're planning on repainting the bathroom walls and a wooden vanity. My wife has some Benjamin Moore colors picked out; has anyone used their Aura Bath & Spa interior paint? I don’t have experience with that particular paint but I’d recommend Benjamin Moore Advanced for the vanity.
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Dec 13, 2022 19:46
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His Divine Shadow posted:There's no christmas lighting thread so I'm posting here. I tore down my old lights which where about 20% dead by now, non replaceable leds that I'd had permanently mounted outdoors. I went with something more heavy duty this time. 230V rated with E27 sockets for individual bulbs: Looks nice!
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Dec 13, 2022 21:47
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Masonry crew arrives tomorrow to tear down a section of brick wall so I can repair some water infiltration damage around the window. I have everything I need sitting in the garage, hopefully. I have a day to get the carpentry, etc. done before they come back and reinstall the wall with proper house wrap, etc. And of course there’s gonna be a shitload of rain in the evening tomorrow so they better tarp the poo poo out of it.
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Dec 13, 2022 23:56
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So the idea to try to slightly soundproof a room/wall in my home has floated through my head, and I'm wondering if anybody has any general goon recommended info dumps on them. I'm also wondering just how much a solid wooden door vs a hollow, cheap piece of poo poo door, has an effect on sound dampening. Basically my bedroom shares a wall with our office/hangout room upstairs, and while my partner sleeps like the dead, I'm considering trying to do a little sound dampening. Thoughts?
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Dec 14, 2022 14:11
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Johnny Truant posted:So the idea to try to slightly soundproof a room/wall in my home has floated through my head, and I'm wondering if anybody has any general goon recommended info dumps on them. Putting in a door sweep that seals against the floor gave me good results. A solid door would be the next obvious step but it's not going to do much as long as there's a big air gap.
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Dec 14, 2022 14:50
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Johnny Truant posted:So the idea to try to slightly soundproof a room/wall in my home has floated through my head, and I'm wondering if anybody has any general goon recommended info dumps on them. It might look stupid, but you could hang a heavy curtain over the door. It might muffle sound a little and it would a lot cheaper than a new door. And a lot less of a pain in the rear end.
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Dec 14, 2022 15:13
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Johnny Truant posted:So the idea to try to slightly soundproof a room/wall in my home has floated through my head, and I'm wondering if anybody has any general goon recommended info dumps on them. Start with a white noise machine if you don't have one. I greatly prefer mechanical ones. They're what therapist's use to keep you from hearing conversations in rooms you are often sitting right outside of. Solid doors will help, you can mimic it more easily with the curtain idea. Plus the sweep at the bottom if you have a air gap there.
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Dec 14, 2022 15:51
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Tiny Timbs posted:Putting in a door sweep that seals against the floor gave me good results. A solid door would be the next obvious step but it's not going to do much as long as there's a big air gap. This is key. Sound loves to "leak" through any opening it can find. A solid door is an improvement, but a sealed door will do much better.
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Dec 14, 2022 16:02
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brugroffil posted:This is key. Sound loves to "leak" through any opening it can find. A solid door is an improvement, but a sealed door will do much better. Too right. When I was younger and going to school for this sort of thing, we learned that for every 3% of gap the sound leaking in will be 6db louder (consider that 50% louder)
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Dec 14, 2022 16:52
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drat, I didn't even think about the door gap! Great advice. I'll see about maybe repurposing our old blackout curtains, too
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Dec 14, 2022 22:50
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Johnny Truant posted:drat, I didn't even think about the door gap! Great advice. I'll see about maybe repurposing our old blackout curtains, too You gotta go rule of cool and get yourself a door draft snake like this: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1352388806/door-draft-stopper-snake-draft-blocker *fond memories of my grandparents house in England
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Dec 15, 2022 06:38
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Our washer recently leaked and we've learned our lesson and gotten a drain pan to put under it moving forward. Unfortunately the floor in our laundry room is not tilted toward the drain in the center-front so I'll be running a drain line to it from the drain pan. I'd like to be notified if there's a leak so I'm looking at moisture sensors and such options. I'd prefer something that doesn't need to be professionally installed, so I was thinking some sort of sensor that can trigger a smart plug to immediately cut the power to the washer if it detects water. Any suggestions as to setups or brands?
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Dec 15, 2022 17:17
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The Midniter posted:Our washer recently leaked and we've learned our lesson and gotten a drain pan to put under it moving forward. Unfortunately the floor in our laundry room is not tilted toward the drain in the center-front so I'll be running a drain line to it from the drain pan. I'd like to be notified if there's a leak so I'm looking at moisture sensors and such options. I'd prefer something that doesn't need to be professionally installed, so I was thinking some sort of sensor that can trigger a smart plug to immediately cut the power to the washer if it detects water. Any suggestions as to setups or brands? Can’t you try to shim up the washer so it drains the right way?
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Dec 15, 2022 17:30
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Possibly a dumb question: I live in central Texas. In 2021 we had the arctic storm that put temperatures around here in the teens and even single digits at times. My house had an electrical outage for about 2-3 days and not long after power was restored we had a water outage for about a week. Absolutely miserable. Next week it is predicted to drop into the teens for 2-3 days. I have a wood-burning fireplace (insert?) that's original to the house, which has a gas line which I believe is used for starting a log. As I understand it, this style of fireplace is pretty much only for aesthetics, and most heat is lost through the chimney. I have considered buying a gas burner conversion-thing along with some sort of fire stones or ceramic logs mostly for aesthetics, since the fireplace has been kind of empty and ugly for many years now, but I'm wondering if there is anything I could do with a gas burner that could provide a decent amount of heat in the even that the Texas power grid shits the bed again. I have had a chimney sweep come by and run a brush through it and clean it out. But I've never used it since I bought the house in 2014. I assume it's generally safe to use for burning stuff, but I haven't had a reason to. Back when I had the facade for the fireplace redone during a remodel I had considered replacing the unit with one of those fireplace inserts that has a built in fan for actually providing heat, but they seemed expensive and I didn't have room in my budget. Obviously, now if I wanted to do anything, that wall would probably have to be torn open. TL;DR: Is a gas burner kit capable of providing any appreciable amount of heat in the event I really needed it, or is it purely for aesthetics? Something like this: https://starfiredirect.com/collections/fire-glass-burners/products/rasmussen-small-vented-custom-pan-burner Here's the fireplace:  
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Dec 19, 2022 02:08
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Fireplaces are notoriously inefficient for heat generation. Just get a generator, preferably one that is dual fuel and keep fresh gas and a few tanks of propane. Calculate the amount of energy you need for devices you want to keep powered and get one of that rating. Although good luck finding a decent one for a decent price this time of year with an impending storm headed your way...
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Dec 19, 2022 02:19
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Wood fireplace with gas starter is awesome don’t you dare put in some fake log bullshit. Last house had that and it was great, this house has an unvented gas only and I hate it. Stinks up the entire room and makes it way too goddamn hot, gotta crack a window.
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Dec 19, 2022 02:43
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Has anyone ever used vinyl peel and stick wallpaper and can tell me how fastidious I have to be with my wall prep before applying it? I've got a bathroom in lovely condition that I want to just slightly improve because the project to gut the whole thing likely won't occur for another year or two. The main wall has a layer of wallpaper residue on the top half (I pulled off the wallpaper but a super thin layer of it remains and behind that, all the glue) and I thought getting the peel and stick variety to slap on top would save multiple hours of steaming it all off, but I am reading that your walls have to be clean and smooth or it won't stick. I've got a sample of it on the way already but am now doubting that this is going to work.
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Dec 19, 2022 17:49
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I can't imagine getting a good look out of it if the wall isn't smooth. You will probably see the glue as a texture through the peel-and-stick. If the glue decides to delaminate at some point it will come off, and you will never get all the bubbles out as it were at the transitions. Kind of depends on how thick the glue is I guess? Maybe skim coating would make it differently bad?
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Dec 19, 2022 18:09
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H110Hawk posted:I can't imagine getting a good look out of it if the wall isn't smooth. You will probably see the glue as a texture through the peel-and-stick. If the glue decides to delaminate at some point it will come off, and you will never get all the bubbles out as it were at the transitions. Kind of depends on how thick the glue is I guess? Maybe skim coating would make it differently bad? Yeah I am definitely not going to be skim coating it. It currently looks like this:  I mean it's kinda smooth................................... I'm gonna have to steam it all off no matter what, won't I 
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Dec 19, 2022 18:18
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If you're OK with potentially doing it twice I would yolo it.
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Dec 19, 2022 18:25
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