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Douche4Sale posted:Sediment can build up and will be at the bottom of the water heater, while the hot water you use comes out of the top. I'm pretty sure most (all) of the new ones come with a connector built right in. The last 3 that I've had a hand in draining were just hook a 50 foot hose to the tank, run that out the garage or a nearby window, hit the air valve toggle, and open it up.
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Apr 12, 2023 13:46
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Douche4Sale posted:I have a drain right next to mine that goes to the crock with the sump pump in the basement so it is super easy for me. Is there an issue with potentially sending all that sediment into your pump?
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Apr 12, 2023 14:00
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Dr. Eldarion posted:Is there an issue with potentially sending all that sediment into your pump? No. Sump pumps are basically trash pumps. They're meant to deal with that kind of thing because they are intended to be put in a hole fed with buried perforated pipe around your foundation. There's always gonna be dirt and sediment.
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Apr 12, 2023 15:08
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marjorie posted:I think we've had washer chat in here before, but if another thread would be more appropriate, let me know. If you do decide to spend $1200 on a washer and want quality, go with a Speed Queen. https://speedqueen.com/products/top-load-washers/tr3003wn/ I have this in my small house/basement and have no issues with it.
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Apr 12, 2023 15:33
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Delorence Fickle posted:If you do decide to spend $1200 on a washer and want quality, go with a Speed Queen. These are great and super reliable at the expense of: - using massive amounts of electricity - using massive amounts of water - beating the poo poo out of your clothes There are very few times when commercial equipment actually works out for the best in a residential setting. Top loaders are now LESS reliable than front loaders according to some latest reliability reports I'm seeing. But if you must get a top loader you want one with a wash plate, not an agitator. The LG stuff is fine and parts are easily available.
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Apr 12, 2023 15:41
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We're getting a 2 car garage built in our backyard and will need something like 1400 sqft of driveway to get to it. It's going to be a sizeable portion of the backyard so we don't want a concrete slab because it's ugly and will affect drainage. Gravel is not an option because my partner hates gravel because it tends to spread into the yard and such. I would like some kind of astroturf/grass paver setup that we can drive over without ruining in a short amount of time. Anyone have any experience or ideas on what would work? Ideally it would not cost an arm and a leg.
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Apr 12, 2023 16:18
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Delorence Fickle posted:If you do decide to spend $1200 on a washer and want quality, go with a Speed Queen. Motronic posted:These are great and super reliable at the expense of: Thanks to both of you for the replies. I appreciate the Speed Queen suggestion, but I'm definitely not looking to spend that much (the expensive one in my list appears to be semi-permanently on sale for around $950, which is why I considered it, though I'm hoping for something in the $600-$800 range). Also I was under the impression they were out of favour for the reasons Motronic mentioned. For top vs front loaders, I'm willing to have my mind changed, but in looking at reviews for my price range, the overwhelming issue I'm seeing on front loaders is door leaks and hassles with repairing those leaks. For the top loaders, there are way fewer complaints about that, and the issues I'm seeing seem to be less applicable to me (my clothes don't tend to get super dirty, and I don't have the need to wash huge loads). Both front and top loaders have complaints about faulty electronics, which just seems to be a chance with all modern washers. As for impeller vs agitator, what is the reasoning for going with impeller (besides increased capacity in the same footprint)? I was under the impression that with a top loader, an impeller would have more opportunities to run into load imbalance issues since there's nothing keeping your stuff against the sides, though I could understand that it would be gentler on clothes. Fwiw, my last washer was a modern top loader with an agitator and I never had load balance issues and it wasn't hard on my clothes. My current washer (came with the house) is super old and way harder on my clothes, so I think anything I get would be an upgrade anyway, and I'd prefer not having to worry about load imbalance stoppages. If that's a solved problem, though, happy to reconsider.
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Apr 12, 2023 16:42
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SpartanIvy posted:We're getting a 2 car garage built in our backyard and will need something like 1400 sqft of driveway to get to it. Astroturf I think would quickly get hosed up by your vehicles. Concrete and asphalt are cheap, bricks look nicer but are pricier.
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Apr 12, 2023 17:11
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Delorence Fickle posted:If you do decide to spend $1200 on a washer and want quality, go with a Speed Queen. *Taps the Sign labeled MVWP575GW*
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Apr 12, 2023 17:34
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I really like our tankless water heater and I don't regret replacing our tanked heater at all. I doubt it's ever going to save us money, and if that's your goal I probably wouldn't do it. It feels many other things where the point is to spend more money to get more convenience rather than a money saving avenue.
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Apr 12, 2023 17:39
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I like the look of Turfstone driveways but no idea of the cost or long-term upkeep of them.
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Apr 12, 2023 17:42
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speed queen also bragged to wirecutter about creating a “department of energy cycle” to cheat regulations ime front loaders tend to leak if you let mold grow on the gasket, which can been avoided by drying it off or letting it air dry before fully closing the door, but ymmv
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Apr 12, 2023 18:11
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The solution to front loaders is only fully close the door when they're in operation
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Apr 12, 2023 19:18
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SpartanIvy posted:We're getting a 2 car garage built in our backyard and will need something like 1400 sqft of driveway to get to it. Can you do pavers for just the tire tracks? Maybe that only works for a straight shot (one car)
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Apr 12, 2023 19:19
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Are you actually going to use the garage to hold vehicles and regularly use the driveway, or is the driveway just a nice to have leading back to a workshop/storage building that happens to be able to hold two cars If you're gonna do some kind of paver I'd definitely look at putting some breed of Bermuda grass back there if your climate allows for it. I have Bermuda in my back yard and it holds up real well to being driven on 1-2 days a week
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Apr 12, 2023 19:27
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Maybe use those grass driveway reinforcement grids? Something like: https://www.greendriveway.com/products/gd-grass/tech-specs/ (there's lots out there of similar types)
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Apr 12, 2023 20:48
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Hadlock posted:The solution to front loaders is only fully close the door when they're in operation This. I always leave it and the detergent drawer open when not in use. Also make it easy to notice when you've left stuff in there that needs to be changed.
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Apr 12, 2023 21:25
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We do the same with our toploader Whirlpool since the manual recommended it.
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Apr 12, 2023 21:31
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Verman posted:This. I always leave it and the detergent drawer open when not in use. Also make it easy to notice when you've left stuff in there that needs to be changed. I do neither of those things. I just wash whites last, which I use bleach for. Then everything gets closed and it's fine. I'm sure all of this has to do with humidity in your house, etc.
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Apr 12, 2023 21:31
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Hadlock posted:Are you actually going to use the garage to hold vehicles and regularly use the driveway, or is the driveway just a nice to have leading back to a workshop/storage building that happens to be able to hold two cars Going to be used to hold cars, and the driveway will be used to turn them around to get in and out. It has a small workshop on the side, an office/hobby room on top, and lots of other areas for storage to make sure we don't end up filling it with poo poo and turning it into a glorified shed. We're in Texas so Bermuda is good here. I was thinking Zoysia grass might be better though if I have to sod. Right now I'm thinking of using the TrueGrid Roots system and DIYing it and if it works, great, and if it fails we can then spend a poo poo load on a properly excavated and installed permeable paver setup. We both have tiny cars, a Honda Fit and Mazda Miata, so it's not like there'll be a ton of weight on them. SpartanIvy fucked around with this message at 22:17 on Apr 12, 2023 |
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Apr 12, 2023 22:10
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SpartanIvy posted:We both have tiny cars, a Honda Fit and Mazda Miata, so it's not like there'll be a ton of weight on them. Look at this humble brag. You don't have to point out you have the dream garage.
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Apr 13, 2023 13:08
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MrLogan posted:Look at this humble brag. You don't have to point out you have the dream garage. Not sure are they both manual transmissions? Also I’m partial to the diamond interlocking blocks that grass grows in the holes as a drive.
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Apr 13, 2023 15:25
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Elephanthead posted:Not sure are they both manual transmissions? They are both manuals, actually  We're looking at those diamond blocks but because they have so much surface area concrete they have problems with getting hot and cooking the grass inside, while simultaneously soaking up the water from the roots. So in Texas with a hot sun and low rainfall it seems like a sub-optimal setup unless we put astroturf in them. I'd love to hear if anyone here has experience with them. SpartanIvy fucked around with this message at 15:39 on Apr 13, 2023 |
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Apr 13, 2023 15:31
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You know you're getting old when you're excited to get a new garage door opener... Got home Wednesday and the garage door would open like 1' and then stop. When to check and the springs were fine, which they should be because we just got them replaced a few years ago. Looked like the opener was slipping internally... like you could hear it doing something but the belt stopped moving... well, it was shaking a bunch, so clearly something internal isn't too happy. I'm pretty certain I could handle it, but the one thing I don't have these days is time, so I'm having a local company do it. They told us $525 + tax for a Liftmaster 8450 installed. Honestly less than I thought it'd be to have them do the installation. Say they can probably knock it out in an hour, and it'd probably take me most of a day to do it, so yeah... should be by in an hour, we'll see! Can't complain I guess, the existing opener was probably original to the house, so I'm guessing it was installed around 1999. It's something that I've been thinking about doing, but it's been working up until now so it was way, way down on the priority list. DaveSauce fucked around with this message at 13:07 on Apr 14, 2023 |
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Apr 14, 2023 13:00
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Took the plunge on hiring a house cleaner. We keep our house tidy, but with a toddler and newborn there’s barely time to combat the relentless spread of crumbs and you can forget about other deep cleaning tasks. Fantastic decision. It’s like the whole house got a new set of sheets.
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Apr 14, 2023 16:24
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We have maids come once a month and do a whole house clean (labor is cheap in the South). It makes life so much nicer.
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Apr 14, 2023 16:55
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Is there anyway to deep clean years of cigarette smoke out of a home, reliably?
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Apr 14, 2023 23:44
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how sensitive are you to the smell
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Apr 14, 2023 23:52
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Natty Ninefingers posted:Is there anyway to deep clean years of cigarette smoke out of a home, reliably? Yeah. Rip out anything fabric, pull down the dry wall, slap killz on the studs. Re-do the interior with new dry wall, carpet, etc. IIRC some kind of gently caress you industrial steam cleaning got done to the kitchen tile, the cupboards were old 80s garbage and the countertop was similar price/age linoleum so they went in the dumpster anyway. You might be able to get away with less if it was just a few years, but the above is what my in-laws had to do with an elderly relative's house that had a few decades of cigarette smoking under its belt.
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Apr 14, 2023 23:52
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Natty Ninefingers posted:Is there anyway to deep clean years of cigarette smoke out of a home, reliably? Take up smoking? Just kidding. As someone who grew up with parents who smoked in the house, and thankfully they quit years ago, its going to be difficult. It depends on how often they smoked in the house, how long they did it for, and where they they preferred to do it. At the very least, you're looking at scrubbing the walls, doors, trim, ceiling. Basically all surfaces. Like using a sponge and some sort of solvent or soap (vinegar), several times to try and remove the top layer of tar. Then you're going to need to kilz a layer or two. Then repaint. I would include trim, ceilings and doors if they are painted. For floors, it depends on the type of flooring you have. Hardwoods, give them a good scrubbing/mopping with something that won't harm the wood but can cut the tar, maybe some dilluted vinegar. Unless you have them refinished, thats about the best you can do. If you have tile or laminate, probably a good cleaning is about all you can do. If you have carpet, you can try to have them professionally cleaned. Your best bet is replacement of the padding/underlayment and the carpet. I wouldn't install anything new until everything else is done. Wipe down light fixtures, outlet covers and switches. Its incredible how much cigarette smoke will infiltrate. I would replace anything you can. The tar might still bleed out from time to time especially in places like bathrooms if the walls get a little damp during showers. You might also want to hire someone to clean your furnace air ducts. You might also want to look at an ozone generator.
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Apr 15, 2023 00:49
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Oceans of Awesome Orange. Followed by oceans of TSP. Then Kilz. Congratulations on your new full-time job for the next three weeks.
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Apr 15, 2023 04:09
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You misspelled years
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Apr 15, 2023 04:37
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Natty Ninefingers posted:Is there anyway to deep clean years of cigarette smoke out of a home, reliably? For my house, it was: - Rip out everything permeable. All cloth, carpet, carpet pad, drapes, etc, gone. There is no saving anything that is not solid. - Replace the fridge. Months of running it while full of baking soda didn't work. - Same with the vent hood. - Scrape out the popcorn ceilings. Mine had 2% asbestos, which meant men in space suits came and ripped it down for me. - Post-asbestos cleaning of the air ducts by other men in space suits. - At least two scrubbings of each wall with TSP, until they were no longer tacky when dry. Same for all kitchen cabinets, inside, outside, and top. - Light sand of the texturing on the wall (orange peel) plus new texturing/patching on the ceiling to hide all the gouges from the asbestos removal. - Two coats of kilz on every wall and one on the ceiling. - New paint, carpet and pad, window dressings, furniture, refrigerator, vent hood, bathroom vent, HVAC grates. It took a few weeks to get through it all. I'm allergic to smoke (and also everything else) but after all that work it was fine to live in.
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Apr 15, 2023 09:33
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I've also heard good things about using ozone generators to remove the remaining smell once you've gone through and thoroughly cleaned everything.
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Apr 15, 2023 13:00
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Sirotan posted:I've also heard good things about using ozone generators to remove the remaining smell once you've gone through and thoroughly cleaned everything. Obligatory reminder to not be around while that UV light is on lest it gently caress you up.
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Apr 15, 2023 16:53
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I find it best to just remove the whole house and start fresh. How else are you gonna get a 12 foot tall posting basement?
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Apr 15, 2023 18:34
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Elephanthead posted:I find it best to just remove the whole house and start fresh. How else are you gonna get a 12 foot tall posting basement? That's a posting pit
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Apr 15, 2023 18:54
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Did we ever get a resolution from the goon that bought(?) a cat lady house? It sounded like they were making progress, but I forget if there was more to the story...
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Apr 15, 2023 19:05
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Baby Proof posted:Did we ever get a resolution from the goon that bought(?) a cat lady house? It sounded like they were making progress, but I forget if there was more to the story... The cats reclaimed it and turned OP into their cat lady
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Apr 15, 2023 20:03
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QuarkJets posted:That's a posting pit Hey I follow the eel pit guy on Instagram and he’s living the life
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Apr 15, 2023 20:06
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