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If I didnt have a toddler, and a newborn due any day now I'd gladly keep mine set lower. I had to fight my wife on it, but since she agreed to test it out, we've both agreed that we sleep better with the house set to 66F at night.
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Jan 18, 2024 19:43
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My wife turned off the thermostat when we went out of town for a long weekend recently. In the winter we get heavy condensing fog sometimes. Water dripping off the fence etc. Apparently that happened while we were away After we got back it took about two days to get the house back to my subjective opinion of "dry" inside again. I think part of it was the air not circulating and becoming stagnant. From now on we're leaving the thermostat on at least 60F going forward. We live in California with mild coastal weather so it costs like $0.30 a day to keep the inside of the house at 65° and I'm ok with that
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Jan 18, 2024 19:51
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100 HOGS AGREE posted:a friend of mine used to winterize unoccupied houses for a management company, what they would do is shut off the water main, turn the taps on, and then pump antifreeze into the pipes by hooking up to the hose faucet. I used to winterize my father-in-laws lakehouse ( he didn't use it anymore and basically let us use it as much as we wanted for a while so long as we did so) and draining the water system thoroughly like you described was pretty much the entirety of it, yeah. I suppose we also didn't leave much in the house, though, in terms of random containers of liquid and stuff. For a week away I'd just keep the heat on a reasonable temp though GlyphGryph fucked around with this message at 20:23 on Jan 18, 2024 |
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Jan 18, 2024 20:11
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Hadlock posted:My wife turned off the thermostat when we went out of town for a long weekend recently. In the winter we get heavy condensing fog sometimes. Water dripping off the fence etc. Apparently that happened while we were away Buy a hygrometer to measure the humidity. They're cheap. You don't want to be at 60% or above since that's when mold starts to grow.
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Jan 18, 2024 20:23
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Yeah we have had a huge explosion of moss especially in the cracks between the pavers; I keep thinking about asking the thread about pressure washers. Current humidity is 85% rh @ 52°F Inside next to my aquarium the thing is reading 40% rh @72°F
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Jan 18, 2024 21:44
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Pavers?
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Jan 18, 2024 21:55
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Pavers are like solid bricks, sometimes brick (usually too slippery) but in recent years made from concrete https://www.homedepot.com/c/ab/types-of-pavers/9ba683603be9fa5395fab90a1021aa8 In the last 15 years or so it's become very trendy for "historic" parts of "downtown" areas of small towns to replace poured concrete sidewalks with these My pavers, for whatever reason have a medium chamfer that seems almost purpose designed for moss to grow in
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Jan 18, 2024 23:26
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When I leave I generally set the house to 60f or 80f depending on if we're heating or cooling. It takes a long time to re-cool the house from 80f if we get home at night, it takes many many hours during the day in summer. I simply don't want to be uncomfortable for that long. I'll hit the quarter turn on the water supply if we're going away for more than a night or so, just to make sure the washing machine doesn't decide to explode. But most of the time I forget or don't because the dishwasher is going when we leave.
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Jan 19, 2024 00:07
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Hadlock posted:My pavers, for whatever reason have a medium chamfer that seems almost purpose designed for moss to grow in Okay, so it is just pavement stones. Never heard that term for them before. Why would you... not want moss between your pavers? Most of the people I know go through active effort to get moss to grow properly between their paving stones (especially the prettier mosses). Maybe your stones are designed for that? Edit: I looked up "moss pavers" and my first two results were "How To Remove Moss From Pavers?" and "How to Grow Moss Between Pavers" and it basically alternates from there on out, which I found amusing. GlyphGryph fucked around with this message at 00:30 on Jan 19, 2024 |
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Jan 19, 2024 00:13
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Cyrano4747 posted:Something that has saved credit card info? Give it a real password. Your actual bank account? Give that a best practices random password. Funny you say that, I had to reset my bank password the other day, did the password manager autofill thing and:  lol. Clown shoes.
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Jan 19, 2024 00:39
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Why is moss a problem? Moss is pretty
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Jan 19, 2024 00:39
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opengl posted:Funny you say that, I had to reset my bank password the other day, did the password manager autofill thing and: Your password manager almost definitely has a few boxes to tick that will make a valid random password for that but... jesus, the only reasons I can imagine that error as someone who writes that sort of software are all exceptionally worrying. Hieronymous Alloy posted:Why is moss a problem? Moss is pretty Acrocarps can be problematic since they'll expand beyond the gaps and be super slippery, I can see wanting to remove those. I imagine some people just don't like the look though.
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Jan 19, 2024 00:47
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I traveled a lot right after taking possession and didn’t really do much, but that was late summer/fall in Seattle area. This week when I left for about a week and a half I set the thermostat to 55F, but I didn’t shut the water main or anything, it never really occurred to me. Also the Seattle area is getting a real winter spell while I am gone so will be fun to what things are like when I get back. I have a friend that swung by my house yesterday and things looked fine then. House is on slab so I figure pipes should be fairly safe?
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Jan 19, 2024 00:48
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GlyphGryph posted:Your password manager almost definitely has a few boxes to tick that will make a valid random password for that but... jesus, the only reasons I can imagine that error as someone who writes that sort of software are all exceptionally worrying. As someone using very long random passwords out of a PW manager (currently using enpass, used to 1Password) for many many years it still happens a lot more than it should on a lot of sites that should be a lot better about this. (i.e a bunch of devs need to learn to escape user input properly already instead of just blocking it).
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Jan 19, 2024 00:56
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:Why is moss a problem? Moss is pretty Moss is pretty when it's green. I agree. In California the last time it rains is either last week of March or first week of April. By May it's brown and gross and collecting dirt and crap Then it might rain once in November and then maybe three times in December and it's green again. That's a long time to stare at "dead" brown gross moss
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Jan 19, 2024 01:05
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opengl posted:Funny you say that, I had to reset my bank password the other day, did the password manager autofill thing and: I see this way more than I ought to in 2024
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Jan 19, 2024 01:07
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GlyphGryph posted:Your password manager almost definitely has a few boxes to tick that will make a valid random password for that but... jesus, the only reasons I can imagine that error as someone who writes that sort of software are all exceptionally worrying. Honestly I don't blame banks for that. The most common mistakes are properly encoding inputs like that so trying to make it discarded sooner helps their posture. It shouldn't matter, and I bet they make other real dumb decisions because "the input can't have those characters" but still.
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Jan 19, 2024 02:35
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Motronic posted:That's wild. So this is a while ago, but if you're at all curious as to why they're not used everywhere to replace septic systems... I am a wastewater treatment engineer who spent 7 years designing MBR treatment systems, specializing in shipping container built systems for remote mining camps and various other areas - things like marinas, campgrounds, or other places without a connection to municipal sewage treatment or availability to install traditional septic (or any of the various 'improved septic' options out there). In these type of applications, they do make a lot of sense - but it's because of the constraints. And in all of these cases, you need an operator to run the plant. The smallest system I've done was about 2000GPD though, it's certainly possible for a homeowner to operate one of the 250GPD systems they're selling here. They may be accurate re costs, but I doubt it - I'm guessing it's closer to about 50-70k. If it is 25k, have fun dealing with the literal cheapest everything possible. I'm not sure I believe the claimed energy costs either. These effectively turn the homeowner into a wastewater treatment plant operator. While it's certainly possible that everything goes fine and needs minimal attention, I would not put that as a high probability. The membranes foul, the air lift pump is neat (I've even used one to pump MLSS out of an MBR tank back to the aeration tank on one design due to space concerns) but will need cleaning, you'll get 3-5 years out of the membrane at probably 1K/membrane to replace - and I'd be surprised if the membrane wasn't an inhouse design (or at the very least a modified product from a major manufacturer - so good luck when this company goes out of business), it'll use some kind of vacuum pump to pull through the membrane (which will need regular maintenance). Oh, given you're dealing with microfiltration membranes, which should be a pore size near 0.1um iirc, better be very careful you don't nick, scratch, bump, drop, or glance disapprovingly at the membrane when you install it or you'll wind up with a membrane that doesn't filter anymore. I designed the things, I am competent and comfortable enough to do all of the O&M without issue, and if my septic fails they could offer to install one for free and I'd pay to replace my septic. It's a fantastic solution for specific applications, residential use isn't one of them unless there's literally no other option.
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Jan 19, 2024 03:32
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That's a great post. You never know what domain specific knowledge random goons are gonna bring. So initial pricing might be right but after that it's all catches and you're literally signing up to clean and operate a poo poo plant.
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Jan 19, 2024 14:52
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TrueChaos posted:So this is a while ago, but if you're at all curious as to why they're not used everywhere to replace septic systems... Out of curiosity are there local/state/federal regulations that enforce constraints that make these systems necessary? I'm just thinking back to my time in rural Alaska where you'd have mining camps nearby a stream or an ocean and they just had a few dug outhouses that they'd move once a year. My guess is that it being rural Alaska no one gave a poo poo. Interesting stuff though!
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Jan 19, 2024 14:56
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Motronic posted:That's a great post. You never know what domain specific knowledge random goons are gonna bring. hey, everyone needs a hobby
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Jan 19, 2024 15:21
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Motronic posted:That's a great post. You never know what domain specific knowledge random goons are gonna bring. Pretty much. It's not what I'd consider maintenance heavy, but it's way above what I'd trust most homeowners to do correctly. Hell, most homeowners won't clean the filter every 6 months on a septic system with a pump to reach the leachate field. BaseballPCHiker posted:Out of curiosity are there local/state/federal regulations that enforce constraints that make these systems necessary? I'm just thinking back to my time in rural Alaska where you'd have mining camps nearby a stream or an ocean and they just had a few dug outhouses that they'd move once a year. There are federal, state, and sometimes municipal requirements. I'm in Canada and have been working exclusively in Ontario for long enough at this point that I don't have a clue what the regs in Alaska would be. My guess is that there's a size of camp below which outhouses are allowable, and if they're up in the permafrost, it's not really going to leak anywhere (at least until global warming melts the permafrost  ). A properly functioning MBR system effluent will meet surface water discharge requirements (with UV or other effluent disinfection - typically included, but not included on the system linked).
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Jan 19, 2024 15:48
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I looked at this a little bit when it was brought up before and I thought there was something about a mandatory service contract to go with the purchase of a unit.
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Jan 19, 2024 18:07
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TrueChaos posted:So this is a while ago, but if you're at all curious as to  While we've got you here feel free to lay down any extra knowledge and/or bizarre stories from your time in the biz you'd like to drop on us
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Jan 19, 2024 19:26
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Hadlock posted:
Honestly most of my stories are not that interesting. Remote camps are very eerie during startups, because this say 100/200/800/whatever person camp isn't yet operational, but they generally have the facilities mostly set up - so it's a literal ghost town, generally a few hundred km away from anyone else. Getting there is interesting because it's all private, unmarked, 1-1.5 lane dirt roads with the possibility of oncoming traffic. So the directions are generally like take the highway to kilometer marker x, and turn off the highway onto the unmarked road. Proceed 54.8km and make a left. Proceed 30.2km and take the 3rd right. Proceed 22.6km, take the road to the left of the large tree. So I'd reset the trip computer every turn . Then you generally also have to announce yourself on the radio at every turn, and at specific points. There are no signs, and the GPS doesn't know about the roads, hope you don't get lost. Added bonus is that they'll have a chef there, and given the limited number of people on site, they'll generally make you whatever you want rather than just whatever they're making that day.Funniest story from a startup? Well, when the ops manager assures you that the rental system that's been sitting in the yard for 6months has been fully decontaminated after the previous rental, and all the hoses / interconnecting bits are present, it's bullshit. I discovered this when I had to drive 5 hours each way to the nearest hardware store for parts. I discovered they didn't fully drain / decontaminate all the previous poop when one of the sump pumps wouldn't start and just kept tripping the overload, but it seemed like the motor was running visually. So I disconnected the discharge union, shone a light down the pipe into the pump casing but couldn't really see much. On the assumption everything had been drained, I told the mining camp guy helping me to bump the motor while I looked down the pipe to see if I could see the impeller moving. It was at this point that I got a face full of 6month old wastewater  . Must have been clogged and moving the pump around after undoing the union dislodged it, but it was supposed to have been cleaned out fully after the last rental!!!These days I'm on the consulting side. While I don't get to do anywhere near as much hands on play with equipment (that I definitely miss), the money's a lot better and the probability of literally eating poo poo is almost 0.
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Jan 19, 2024 21:44
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TrueChaos posted:Honestly most of my stories are not that interesting. Remote camps are very eerie during startups, because this say 100/200/800/whatever person camp isn't yet operational, but they generally have the facilities mostly set up - so it's a literal ghost town, generally a few hundred km away from anyone else. Getting there is interesting because it's all private, unmarked, 1-1.5 lane dirt roads with the possibility of oncoming traffic. So the directions are generally like take the highway to kilometer marker x, and turn off the highway onto the unmarked road. Proceed 54.8km and make a left. Proceed 30.2km and take the 3rd right. Proceed 22.6km, take the road to the left of the large tree. So I'd reset the trip computer every turn Business, Finance, and Careers > Homeowners: Septic guy says the probability of literally eating poo poo is almost 0
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Jan 19, 2024 22:17
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Dishwasher died of course What models can fit a half sheet?
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Jan 19, 2024 23:17
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Submarine Sandpaper posted:Dishwasher died of course If I take out the middle tray the standard thread favorite Bosch 800 works (mine is a benchmark, but same thing pretty much). It might even work if I just adjust the middle tray up all the way......it's been a while.
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Jan 19, 2024 23:19
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I know the thread consensus on the dishwasher, but is there any agreement on fridges and (electric) ovens? My parents are in the market. I recall someone suggesting a month of consumer reports can be good, might try that if I can't find any good info.
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Jan 20, 2024 00:23
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I would be interested in fridge recs as well, since everything in my freezer melted today and whatever the problem is is beyond my ability to fix (seal seems good, vents arent blocked)
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Jan 20, 2024 01:06
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Jenkl posted:I know the thread consensus on the dishwasher, but is there any agreement on fridges and (electric) ovens? My parents are in the market. I recall someone suggesting a month of consumer reports can be good, might try that if I can't find any good info. if they’re looking for a range and not just an oven make sure they go induction for the cooktop. it’s a life changer
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Jan 20, 2024 01:21
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Submarine Sandpaper posted:Dishwasher died of course I can fit several half sheets in my regular bosch dishwasher, assuming you mean 18x13x1". Middle rack has to be all the way up, ours is a 3-rack. They take up a ton of room but you can stack dishes "under" them as long as you leave about a half inch-inch gap between the closest dish and the half-sheet. We have 2 of them, and can still fit like 8? dinner plates in, maybe 1-2 more small plates. Plus some shallow soup bowls or a medium mixing bowl in the bottom rack alone. And there is still the room where the silverware basket would go to put like a cheese grater or something similar, another mixing bowl if you don't have too many plates. Middle rack still has room for our largest frying pan or a big mixing bowl.
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Jan 20, 2024 05:17
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cr0y posted:How do you guys "shutdown" your house if you are going to be away for more than say a week? My buddy gave me poo poo for being paranoid A week? Lock door, set thermostat to eco (min 52, max 90ish I think), and try to remember to turn off the non smarthome lights. More than 3 weeks? I'd mess with the water shutoff valves at that point imho. I would very much like to install a smart water leak shutoff sensor, and it looks like there's some good mainstream options now instead of the early adopter stuff I looked at ten years ago. Been through all the ups and downs of smarthome stuff so I'm wary with what I bother wasting my time with now. On the topic of travel, this might be overkill but I've found it to be a super convenient gadget for frequent travelers -- portable routers are awesome for restricted or public wireless networks. You can set it up as a repeater and have it broadcast your own wireless--basically set the mac address on the travel router to be the same as your computer, connect up to say, a hotel network with the computer, then switch over and pop in the SSID creds on the router and voila, it'll broadcast your own wifi to hook up to. No device restrictions (eg with hotel wifi or hotspots), and I have wireguard configured to encrypt all my traffic and tunnel it over to my home network. Little bit higher latency, but no device restrictions, no concerns about using sketchy networks, no need to configure my roku to a new network, it's all plug and play with the saved wifi network config from the router. Plus you can use the vpn to stream from your local plex instance at home without having to open up any unnecessary ports on your router. Perhaps overkill, but it's simple, convenient, and gives me connectivity and peace of mind where I might not otherwise have that.
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Jan 20, 2024 13:44
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What's the thread's go to recommendation for moisture/mildew resistant bathroom paint? I'm finally getting around to it and I want to make sure I just get the good stuff the first time around since the coverage in there right now is pretty awful and I get a good amount of condensation on the ceiling that sticks around for a while even when I run the exhaust. A friend of mine recommended Sherwin Williams Duration but that seems more general purpose than explicitly for bathrooms so I want a second opinion here.
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Jan 20, 2024 14:51
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Quality paint in semigloss is what you need/want. Duration is great paint, but it's not made to be applied by homeowners. It's very unforgiving, especially in some colors and sheens. Unless you have a lot of painting experience or are shown how to paint with this stuff your results may be less than adequate. One of the most noticeable differences is in backrolling (you have to, it has to be done the right way at the right time, you need to be using the right nap roller) which gets touchy enough that you can start pulling entire sections of paint off the wall if you wait too long. This is especially prevalent in anything using the super dark base.
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Jan 20, 2024 15:06
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Catatron Prime posted:A week? Lock door, set thermostat to eco (min 52, max 90ish I think), and try to remember to turn off the non smarthome lights. I’m considering getting this: https://www.moen.com/flo $500 for the water shutoff, prob $500ish for someone to install it (haven’t gotten a quote yet), seems worth it to avoid major water leaks. I got a 3 pack of the sensors , and 1 works great, 1 won’t turn on (prob just needs a new battery), and one probably bas a faulty sensor because it keeps goes off immediately upon setup. So that has been a bit hit or miss on that part. I’ll take any opinions on if getting a shutoff like this is a good idea or not.
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Jan 20, 2024 16:22
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I used SW Duration in my bathroom recently after it was recommended to me for that purpose and it looks great, would recommend.
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Jan 20, 2024 16:55
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Duckman2008 posted:https://www.moen.com/flo I think my utility offers rebates on these to help reduce water waste. It has to detect slow leaks to qualify. (This might, I haven't clicked the link.)
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Jan 20, 2024 17:17
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Well poo poo my water pipes seem to have frozen in the last couple hours. What the gently caress do I do now? I turned off the valve as close to the frozen area as I can, but the freeze is prior to that point. Edit: I have added a space heater next to the pipe and am going at it with a hairdryer at the earliest valve, a bit if water is running again GlyphGryph fucked around with this message at 17:52 on Jan 20, 2024 |
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Jan 20, 2024 17:43
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Speaking of water sensors and frozen pipes - do they trigger if you drip the faucet to prevent pipe freezing in the winter?
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Jan 20, 2024 17:45
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