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tetrapyloctomy posted:I've considered a standby system but we've lost power for maybe three hours total over the decade we've been living here. But every bad wind or ice storm that rolls through I wonder if it's going to be the outage that makes me regret holding off. Losing a deep freezer and refrigerator full of groceries even just once would go a ways towards offsetting the cost of one, let alone if it happens in winter and your pipes potentially freeze up. I've been thinking about it myself and I have for years. I know a couple electricians personally so I might ask how comfortable they'd be hooking one up if I bought one from Costco or something and did everything else except wire it. e: Is there a good calculator to figure out how large of one to buy?
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Jun 17, 2023 16:30
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slidebite posted:Same. Most places that sell generators have calculators. If you're not doing something large enough to power everything, in addition to the transfer switch you need for any generator you'll (I believe) need a subpanel for the essential items to which you want to provide power when the generator is running. We could go very small -- just enough to power the refrigerator, deep freezer, and circulator pumps for the radiated heat, plus a few small items like phone chargers -- and get by for the very limited outages we've experienced, but that would not work out very well if we did get hit with a days-long outage like a few local places have had. But sizing for everything would probably end up being a huge fiscal investment that ends up going unused.
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Jun 17, 2023 17:24
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slidebite posted:Same. When I moved my MIL into her new house she had a generator and it came with a short extension cord with male plugs at each end. I think that was the extent of the wiring it in.
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Jun 17, 2023 17:39
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petit choux posted:When I moved my MIL into her new house she had a generator and it came with a short extension cord with male plugs at each end. I think that was the extent of the wiring it in. The Cord That Should Not Be.
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Jun 17, 2023 17:40
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biceps crimes posted:My gas oven has been taking increasingly longer and longer to reach the cooking temp. Was taking about 45 minutes to hit 425f. Ended up fixing it by ordering a replacement igniter and replacing it myself. Was super easy and now the oven hits 425 in about 5-6 minutes So I might be suffering something similar and could use some advice. my Kenmore elite 75233 (I believe is made by Frigidaire) just developed an issue. It has model# 790.74333313 on the tag (but I had 75233 bookmarked from whenever so  )Looks identical to this: https://www.amazon.ca/Kenmore-Convection-Stainless-delivery-hookup/dp/B0745Q39B5 Mrs. was going to bake and noticed it wasn't heating up. It got to about 275 and stayed there. It appears from the LCD display the bottom oven burner is lit, and you can see some orange through the bottom of the oven, but it was not increasing temperature. Does this sound similar? Ideas on troubleshooting? I'm a little confused because it appears there is some flame in the oven burner, but it's not really heating up. Not that I can really see it well. That much I can obviously tell. So it appears the burner is kinda lighting? Mrs is instead going to try and make her fathers day desert for her dad in the toaster oven today instead of the main oven. At least it's an option. e: Found this thread here: https://www.applianceblog.com/mainforums/threads/790-74333313-kenmore-gas-oven-temperature-issues.81596/ Appears to be a common issue. Searching the ignitor # in the thread on Amazon shows a shitload of the ignitors. Any differences between brands for parts like this? slidebite fucked around with this message at 18:53 on Jun 17, 2023 |
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Jun 17, 2023 18:46
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We had a transfer switch installed so I could use a portable generator to power our house in our 3rd year of ownership because the first 2 years featured a lot of wind storms where we lost power, the second winter alone there were 8 different instances of 2-16 hour outages, always when I was off from work and home alone too. Naturally after having the switch installed we've only had 1 outage lasting longer than half an hour since, I suspect all my areas faulty transformers blew in those first 2 years... A proper standby generator with automatic switch is going to run $10k+ but a simple transfer switch between your meter and main panel with a plug for a generator + a portable generator is as little as a 5th of that. If you do the latter you control what loads you're powering by flipping breakers in your main box, obviously you do that before you power on the generator.
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Jun 17, 2023 20:25
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  Always fun to notice water slowly dripping from the ceiling. The popcorn ceiling in that spot is wet but the ceiling itself feels pretty solid so hopefully we caught it before it could cause any major damage. That same area on the ceiling has obvious spots where it was repaired before so who knows how many times it's happened. I guess the condensation drain line or whatever could be leaking?
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Jun 17, 2023 22:52
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Some kid knocked on my door and offered to seal my driveway for $350. Did I get ripped off? He missed some spots, but it looks mostly ok. 
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Jun 18, 2023 00:04
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eddiewalker posted:Some kid knocked on my door and offered to seal my driveway for $350. Did I get ripped off? He missed some spots, but it looks mostly ok. …did he prep the driveway before sealing it with a pressure washer or anything?
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Jun 18, 2023 00:40
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No
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Jun 18, 2023 00:46
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lol
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Jun 18, 2023 01:23
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I've had my driveway which is less than half your size done for $200. Both times, with 2 different companies, they at least used a leaf blower on the driveway to clear loose debris. If the guy did that, then i think it was a fair price.
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Jun 18, 2023 01:24
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Jun 18, 2023 01:24
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Some Guy From NY posted:they at least used a leaf blower on the driveway to clear loose debris. Indeed. You don't need to pressure wash asphalt before you seal it. That's just ridiculous. I needs to not have loose debris on it or anything out of the ordinary that would normally make it not a candidate for sealing - like if you have moss and lichen growing on it it's probably so cracked up that sealing is basically useless even if you pressure wash that stuff off.
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Jun 18, 2023 01:33
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Man, I wouldn’t buy anything bigger than girl scout cookies from some rando that showed up at my house, y’all are wild.
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Jun 18, 2023 02:00
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Thufir posted:Man, I wouldn’t buy anything bigger than girl scout cookies from some rando that showed up at my house, y’all are wild. Well also this because that's classic scam. I didn't mean my previous post to endorse this at all. Even if hey are doing a good job, that kind of marketing should be an instant "no".
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Jun 18, 2023 02:15
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A guy running Facebook ads quoted me $500 based on photos last year, but he never showed up. This kid said his dad was trying to teach him a trade, and he was already here with the goop. I figured it wasn’t particularly complicated work, and I didn’t have to ruin a pair of shoes doing it myself.
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Jun 18, 2023 02:28
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eddiewalker posted:A guy running Facebook ads quoted me $500 based on photos last year, but he never showed up. I think the classic scam is ‘we’ll come seal your driveway tomorrow but we need half up front’ and then they steal the deposit and never come back to do the work.
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Jun 18, 2023 04:13
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petit choux posted:When I moved my MIL into her new house she had a generator and it came with a short extension cord with male plugs at each end. I think that was the extent of the wiring it in. I think you just started posting in this thread last week, so I'll just clarify that this is really dangerous. Those cords are dangerous for anyone handling them, because it's really easy for one side to be livec and you get shocked. It's also dangerous because it probably means there isn't a transfer switch, so it could kill a lineman trying to fix the power because it can backfeed to the grid.
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Jun 18, 2023 05:52
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Thufir posted:Man, I wouldn’t buy anything bigger than girl scout cookies from some rando that showed up at my house, y’all are wild. In the early to mid 80s some guys doing a nearby construction job offered to asphalt our driveway with their leftovers for, like, a few hundred bucks. My dad wasn't home to discuss it, so my mom figured it was a good deal and she went for it. ... nothing has gone wrong, and despite never having been sealed through almost forty Pennsylvania winters the driveway is still fine. Absolutely crazy. I'm with you, I'd pretty much never accept any offer from someone going door-to-door.
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Jun 18, 2023 07:43
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Danhenge posted:I think you just started posting in this thread last week, so I'll just clarify that this is really dangerous. Those cords are dangerous for anyone handling them, because it's really easy for one side to be livec and you get shocked. It's also dangerous because it probably means there isn't a transfer switch, so it could kill a lineman trying to fix the power because it can backfeed to the grid. I ain't gonna deprive no linewife of her man, not on my watch. Okay, I showed you all pics of my kitchen. I think the last thing holding me back is that I have never cut through an external wall before. The pipe from the back of the hood measures 4", does one use a hammer drill and a 4" hole bit?
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Jun 18, 2023 15:31
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I can't look away from the brick
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Jun 18, 2023 15:36
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devicenull posted:I can't look away from the brick Yeah it was like fourth on the list of concerning things up there. Number one was my fat rear end not falling off the foot wide or so planks that I had to crawl along to get that far. Precariously balancing on the 2x4s after gingerly stepping up from the ladder, in the probably 120 degree attic, contemplating how I'm going to crawl 20' was the only time in my life I've had to stop and keep myself from panicking. Stupid HVAC being in the attic instead of the garage they was built years after the house. The ceiling is dry today so hopefully it's not a major problem before the HVAC company can come in.
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Jun 18, 2023 15:43
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I sold my house last fall with the hood vent run being supported by a cardboard box for a breast pump. Couldn't really see it from anywhere in the kitchen unless you're 7'6"+ so I just left it instead of making a proper support. I'm the PO.
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Jun 18, 2023 16:07
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petit choux posted:I ain't gonna deprive no linewife of her man, not on my watch. You won't need a hammer drill unless you're cutting through masonry but do use a drill with a side handle and hold it firmly. A good sized hole saw bit like that can bind up suddenly and torque a drill right out of your hands and really end up hurting you.
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Jun 18, 2023 16:08
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Can anyone recommend a good brand/model of Photoelectric (my state requires they be photoelectric) smoke detectors? I currently have Kidde p12040 detectors and have had issues with false positives in the middle of the night. I replaced one last year that kept going off, and the replacement has the same issue. Unless there might be another issue causing it anyone could think of?
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Jun 18, 2023 18:40
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I have an embarrassingly amateurish electrical question, but I'm just worried about overloading my outlets. In my office I have a computer that can pull about 1000W under a stress load (I'm a 3D guy and have multiple GPUs rendering) on an outlet. Because of just poor positioning of... everything in this room I have a few other things on this single outlet. Monitor, speakers (Edifier bookshelf monitors), Fiber modem, Eero wireless router. And because the bottom half of the outlet is connected to the light switch (which I plan to undo), everything is routing into the single top outlet. I will note this is only temporary as my computer is heading back to my workplace office soon, but for the time being I'm going to spread things around the room with some hastily laid extension cords. Elsewhere in the room I have a TV, Xbox and lamp plugged into another outlet. So my question is: Does it matter if everything is on that single outlet vs the whole room? Or is it more of a "doesn't matter if it's all on one outlet or 10... you should be focusing on the circuit as a whole?" Or both?
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Jun 18, 2023 20:49
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As long at the plug is good and snug and you are using a high quality surge protector with a built in breaker it is fine.
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Jun 18, 2023 20:56
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slidebite posted:So I might be suffering something similar and could use some advice. Fwiw I bought the cheapest one on Amazon prime and it was a Robert Shaw, made in USA. $47 vs $160 from the online appliance parts people. Probably took me longer to give good deep cleaning from all the fluff bunnies then doing the actual swap. 30 minutes total including the cleanup, and oven once again works like a champ.
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Jun 18, 2023 21:02
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BonoMan posted:So my question is: Does it matter if everything is on that single outlet vs the whole room? Or is it more of a "doesn't matter if it's all on one outlet or 10... you should be focusing on the circuit as a whole?" As Shifty Pony mentioned, you'll want to make sure you're using a good surge protector for a load that high. It should be rated for at least the full 15 amps the outlet can provide. You should also be focusing on the circuit as a whole, and if the other outlets in that room are on the same circuit, you may be getting close to the maximum capacity of the circuit. If it's a 15 amp circuit it's 1,440 watts continuous load and 1,800 watts temporary. If it's a 20 amp circuit it's 1,920 continuous and 2,400 temporary. That means you should not be pulling more than 1,440 or 1,920 watts from the entire circuit for more than 3 hours at a time.
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Jun 18, 2023 21:14
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I concur with SpartanIvy. Generally the safe continuous draw on a circuit is 80% of its rated max load. For a 15A circuit at 120V, that's 15*120*.8 = 1440 watts. The breaker won't trip until you hit its rated max load (at 15*120 = 1800 watts), but you're not supposed to run at that level of load. Rather than a surge protector, I'd recommend having a UPS (uninterruptible power supply), mostly because it'll save your computer from potential damage if the power suddenly cuts out. It also serves as a surge protector. I consider a UPS to be basically obligatory for anyone who uses their computer in a professional capacity.
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Jun 18, 2023 22:38
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Awesome thanks y'all!
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Jun 19, 2023 15:56
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Bosch 800 is in. It was real fun to discover yesterday that the cutoff valve for the dishwasher supply line doesn’t close all the way, so I had to shut off the main while I installed.  The reviews are right, it is a complete fingerprint magnet and I haven’t even taken off the plastic wrap yet.
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Jun 19, 2023 18:07
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devmd01 posted:The reviews are right, it is a complete fingerprint magnet and I haven’t even taken off the plastic wrap yet. Such is the trade off for the highest performing reasonably priced dish washing machine in the industry.
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Jun 19, 2023 18:31
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devmd01 posted:Bosch 800 is in. It was real fun to discover yesterday that the cutoff valve for the dishwasher supply line doesn’t close all the way, so I had to shut off the main while I installed. Never trust an existing stop valve.
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Jun 19, 2023 18:41
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My Bosch 800 arrived today! It has to live in my living room while I'm still painting and installing cabinets in the kitchen but this is the first time in 82 years my house has had a dishwasher and I am so incredibly excited to never have to hand wash things again.
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Jun 19, 2023 19:38
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StormDrain posted:Never trust an existing stop valve. Learned that when installing my bidet, good advice to live by
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Jun 19, 2023 20:10
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This stuff works the best to clean stainless steel and keep fingerprints off: Sheila Shine
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Jun 19, 2023 20:56
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I literally still have the front plastic on my SS Bosch. We moved in spring of 2017.
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Jun 20, 2023 05:44
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Microwave decided to stop microwaving. Ordered a new one that I get to pick up from best buy today! Kind of excited, the old one wasn't very good, it is too big, no sensor cooking, loud fan, poor light that got hot, and was kind of broken for a long time in that once in a few uses you'd shut the door and the inside light, fan and Turntable would spin as if it was cooking but no microwaving. New one is slim format with the most powerful fan. Still a Samsung which is a huge con in my list. I also have glad I got a few quotes for my new shower enclosure, first quote was $2700 and the latest is from a company I know and worked with for $1600.
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Jun 20, 2023 18:00
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