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I'm having an issue with my water heater. It's not getting as hot as it used to. Previously, with my faucets on full hot, the water would get hot enough that you couldn't stick your hand in it for more than a second without getting scalded. But now I can hold my hand under the water indefinitely with no ill effects. As much as I'd like to believe I have somehow obtained the super-human ability to touch hot objects, somehow I just don't think that happened. And what really confuses me is, this water heater is practically new. It just turned 3 last week. The heater is a Richmond Marathon electric 105 gallon polybutylene tank, so corrosion can't be an issue. I tried flushing the tank to check for sediment, but the water that came out was about 98% clear with only a few specs of dirt. The heater has no visible temperature gauge, although there is a Honeywell thermostatic mixing valve on the hot water output. I've tried turning that valve in both directions, and while it does make the water cooler in the one direction, it doesn't get any hotter even with the valve turned fully in the hot direction. Is it possible that one of the elements has burned out so quickly? Is there an easy way I can test this? Or is there some hidden temperature gauge that I haven't seen somewhere on the tank? The plumber who installed the tank didn't leave a manual, and the Richmond website is worthless for troubleshooting information. Thanks in advance for any help.
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Feb 25, 2008 15:33
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It could be a faulty component. I'm not terribly experienced with water heaters, but if it's less than a month old wouldn't it be under warranty?
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Feb 25, 2008 16:05
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Is there a simple way to have one drill turn multiple bits at the same time? Something like the lovely ascii depiction below. The bit to bit spacing needs to be 0.375", which is fairly small in my opinion. It doesn't have to be 7 bits either, just anything more than one. |- Bit 1 |- Bit 2 |- Bit 3 Drill Chuck -|- Bit 4 |- Bit 5 |- Bit 6 |- Bit 7
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Feb 25, 2008 16:48
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Well, if you rigged up some kind of gear system with multiple chucks and everything geared to turn in the same direction...but you'd have almost no power behind the bits, anyway. And the spacing would be a bitch. So the short answer is: No. Not worth the time, effort, and cost. Out of curiosity, why do you need it? Maybe we could figure out a workaround.
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Feb 25, 2008 19:16
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NickNails posted:Is there a simple way to have one drill turn multiple bits at the same time? Something like the lovely ascii depiction below. The bit to bit spacing needs to be 0.375", which is fairly small in my opinion. It doesn't have to be 7 bits either, just anything more than one. It would be much easier to make a simple drilling jig. Take a small piece of hardboard and drill two holes at the spacing you want. Then get a short dowel the same diameter as your drill bit and put it in the first hole. Drill the first hole in your work piece where you want it, then stick the dowel in it, drill through the second hole. Move the jig to the new hole, rinse, repeat.
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Feb 25, 2008 19:28
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I know I can do a fairly simple jig, I just wanted to do all 7 at the same time. It would save time and have the cool factor built in. I have a crapload of terminal blocks that I need to remove screws from. Each block has 7 screws. Fun fun.
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Feb 25, 2008 19:53
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I'm in search of a very simple line frequency meter. I haven't been able to find one at any local electrician supply shops, and the people working there have no idea what I'm talking about. The only ones I can find through google or electricians supply sites are the high dollar bench top models. I'm also not interested in buying another digital multimeter just for the frequency meter setting that comes with some of the more feature packed models. I'm looking for basically a small plastic box with a 3 or 4 digit LED readout and a three prong USA style wall outlet plug. I would be using it to check VAC frequency on large generators used for set lighting. I know they exist. I've seen two of them but I never got a chance to ask their owners where they found them. Anyone know what I'm talking about?
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Feb 25, 2008 22:00
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CapnStubby posted:I'm in search of a very simple line frequency meter. You can make one :o) http://www.sparetimegizmos.com/Hardware/AC_Monitor.htm
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Feb 26, 2008 00:44
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I have a tv ariel attached to the side of my house with a standard coax cable running into our roof. Our signal reception of certain freeviews channels is pretty poor despite being in a good signal area, so I've been trying several different things to get these channels to work. Last night while trying to attach a masthead amplifier I discovered that if I connect a multimeter to the outer shielding of the cable and the other end to the core of the cable, the multimeter beeps indicating the circuit is closed. In fact the masthead amplifier power supply was automatically switching itself off when the cable running to the ariel was connected. I assume this isn't supposed to be the case, and the shielding and core are supposed to be totally isolated, even at the ariel? As I rent the property I will need to get a liscenced company to come out and gently caress with it, and I'm just looking for some conformation about this being irregular before I get on to the letting agency?
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Feb 26, 2008 10:44
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NickNails posted:You can make one :o) Thank you! I'd been searching for "meters" instead of "monitors"
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Feb 26, 2008 18:58
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v1nce posted:I have a tv ariel attached to the side of my house with a standard coax cable running into our roof. Our signal reception of certain freeviews channels is pretty poor despite being in a good signal area, so I've been trying several different things to get these channels to work. Yeah, a dead short between the shield and the core would be a "bad thing" and would probably go a long way to explaining your poor signal 
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Feb 26, 2008 21:00
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Briantist posted:I have some flooring questions. My girlfriend and I are replacing the flooring in a basement. There is carpet down there right now, and under the carpet is padding and tackboard around the edges, and under that is concrete. We just noticed as we were painting that in one corner of the room the carpet is wet. We just had a really heavy rain. I don't think it leaks normally. If you have one in your area, http://www.lumberliquidators.com is a great place to get flooring. It's cheaper than you can get at HomeDepot or Lowes as long as you don't mind installing it yourself. I just picked up 500sq ft of 12mm engineered flooring for 99 cents a sq ft. For a self install you are going to need a table saw with a carbide blade to cut the flooring to fit. You will probably also need a jigsaw to cut the pieces to fit around door frames. When doing a self install you will probably need another person to help you start the floor, holding it in place until it has enough weight to stay put on it's own. It's not a difficult job, just time consuming.
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Feb 27, 2008 20:00
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Thanks everyone who posted carafe-fixing (read: replacing) advice! I guess I'll just have to make do with walking down the block for my morning wake-up until I can get on down to the store. (though with all due respect to Goop and Shoe Goo, the superglued bits are the strongest parts of my sandals. They aren't the good everyday wearing sandals; they're the lovely shower sandals that keep me from catching whatever strain of superintelligent nanoplague is breeding in my dorm's communal shower this week.)
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Feb 28, 2008 05:07
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I could have sworn I saw a link being passed around the forums somewhere where you could custom-design flatpack MDF furniture and have it delivered, does anyone still have it? Basically I've come up with an idea for a media shelving thinger for the laserdiscs (!), dvd's, games, etc etc etc and buying all the tools necessary to build it plus materials would wind up being more of an investment than I necessarily want to make right now. Plus I'm a lazy motherfucker. Anyone have that link? Google gave me about ten million sites that do this for kitchen cabinets but I think storing movies in the kitchen is silly.
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Mar 3, 2008 16:26
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My house is about 50-60 years old and has an old oil heating system. My dad always said that the control for it was 110v, and we always got thermostats that never really worked right (one even caught fire!) The guy at Home Depot said that there should be a transformer in the system that steps it down to 24v. Not knowing who to believe (and my dad died years ago so I can't really get a usable answer out of him) I pulled out my multimeter and started poking contacts with the thermostat both on and off. It's a 4-wire thing, and after testing every combination with the furnace both on and off, I finally got a reading other than 0 between two contacts; 28.4 volts  Is 24v a nominal voltage with a wide tolerance, or this another example of the poorly-trained-but-unionized-chimp wiring jobs that is so pervasive in my house? I'm really sick of having to find that spot between the two sides of the second "5" in "55" on the dial that keeps the house at 70° Help me, Internet, you are my only hope!
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Mar 4, 2008 18:22
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The 28.4V doesn't sound too bad to me. It definitely should not be 110V. Have you considered getting a programmable thermostat? They're a lot more accurate.
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Mar 4, 2008 19:16
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NickNails posted:The 28.4V doesn't sound too bad to me. It definitely should not be 110V. Have you considered getting a programmable thermostat? They're a lot more accurate.
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Mar 4, 2008 22:16
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My house was built in 1929 when insulation apparently meant throw another blanket on the bed. I'd like to do something about this. I'm planning on replacing the rest of my original single-pane windows this spring/early summer, but I'd like to get something in the attic other than bare wood. My attic is huge and seems to holds heat in the summer and act like a heatsink for my house in the wintertime. I live in Lubbock, TX, which google tells me is in zone 3. The climate is fairly mild, but we'll get a month or two in the Winter where the temperature drops into the 15-35 range, and 2-4 months of 90-105F in the Summer. It's pretty much always windy, and this house is pretty drafty (although the new windows should help on that front). I actually have been planning to roll some fiberglass out for the last year or two and I keep putting it off because I don't know what rating I'm supposed to get. The stuff I'm reading suggests that I need r-49 in the attic, but you apparently can't even buy anything above r-30 here. Do I need to install multiple layers or can I get by with r-30? Really, having lived for a few years with no insulation whatsoever, I would imagine putting anything at all up there would help a lot.
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Mar 7, 2008 18:59
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Jet-Poop posted:My house was built in 1929 when insulation apparently meant throw another blanket on the bed. I'd like to do something about this. If you want to get to R-49, you can use blown-in cellulose or fiberglass to get to R-49, or you can lay one layer of R-30 in the joist bays, then another layer of R-19 on top, perpendicular to the joists. Otherwise, you can start with a layer of R-30, see how comfortable it makes the house, and think about another layer later. If you decide to go with blown-in, consider insulating the walls as well. Most big box stores will let you use an insulation blower for free if you buy the insulation, and installing it is as easy as waving around a 3" hose for an hour or two. Just don't forget the protection; goggles, respirator, pants and a long sleeve shirt, and gloves; especially if you use fiberglass.
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Mar 7, 2008 22:22
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GWBBQ posted:My house is about 50-60 years old and has an old oil heating system. My dad always said that the control for it was 110v, and we always got thermostats that never really worked right (one even caught fire!) The guy at Home Depot said that there should be a transformer in the system that steps it down to 24v. Not knowing who to believe (and my dad died years ago so I can't really get a usable answer out of him) I pulled out my multimeter and started poking contacts with the thermostat both on and off. It's a 4-wire thing, and after testing every combination with the furnace both on and off, I finally got a reading other than 0 between two contacts; Which contacts are you poking to get 28v? Some oil-fired furnaces use a thermocouple to power the thermostat, so the voltage on those gets weird. The thermocouple only puts out tiny amperage and can't do very much; your multimeter may not be able to read its voltage under normal conditions with a scale that reads 28v. It is also possible to have 110V control, 12V control, and 24V control. You should go to your furnace and poke around near the wiring section to see if you can find the nameplate to get the voltage/current rating.
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Mar 7, 2008 23:11
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I'm living in a relatively old apartment in France (That goes without saying, this poxy country is one big antique). At the moment my kitchen faces a long, open area of land near an airport so I get high winds. Our estate agency is appalling and take a long time to get anything done. Basically the window in the kitchen is very old. You use a handle at the bottom, and push out, so the top part comes in, the bottom part goes out, when you open it. It is a wooden window on a wooden frame, single glazed. During high winds however the top part comes in somewhat, letting in an awful draught. The problem however is that when the top comes in, the bottom comes out a little bit, and seeing as rain is always accompanying the high winds, it pools and bubbles through the small opening in the bottom right of the window, drenching the work surface. Would cheap sticky strips of rubber insulation from the local shop fix this? (Rubber extrusions) I'm anticipating my estate agents doing nothing (Customer service is a paradox in France, I've discovered over three years of other things not being fixed in my place), and I want anything to fix it. What about a small toilet door bolt across the top, to stop the top part flexing in? Cheers from a not very knowledgable DIY person, disgraceful fucked around with this message at 12:42 on Mar 10, 2008 |
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Mar 10, 2008 10:38
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disgraceful posted:Would cheap sticky strips of rubber insulation from the local shop fix this? (Rubber extrusions) I'm anticipating my estate agents doing nothing (Customer service is a paradox in France, I've discovered over three years of other things not being fixed in my place), and I want anything to fix it. What about a small toilet door bolt across the top, to stop the top part flexing in? Something like this across the top might work. How is the window latched shut now? Just across the bottom? 
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Mar 10, 2008 14:47
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Yeah, it's about 135mm wide, 125mm tall, roughly. It's strange, only part of the bottom extends outwards. A large handle at the bottom keeps it all locked in place, so because we get a lot of high winds, the top is not very strong to deal with it. Here are some shots, sorry for the quality, but they give a rough idea. Click for bigger if you need to The window:  Up close at the corner:  So you see in this corner, when the wind blows strong it pushes the top in which pushes against the bottom outwards and this corner gives. Rain bubbles up into it and flows onto the counter (obviously not in that shot.) I'm thinking of giving that bolt a shot, anything to watch out for, or is the rubber a bit better to seal it? disgraceful fucked around with this message at 15:07 on Mar 10, 2008 |
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Mar 10, 2008 15:03
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disgraceful posted:I'm thinking of giving that bolt a shot, anything to watch out for, or is the rubber a bit better to seal it? Hrm. I was thinking of a different style window and the rubber might be a better solution. Does the window hinge in the middle, or on the top? I would look for some very thin adhesive-backed rubber of closed-cell foam (you can get it at https://www.mcmaster.com) and put it between the window and the lip. Try a variety of thickness and hardness values.
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Mar 10, 2008 15:21
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The window is fixed in the middle on both sides by semi-circular devices, and they roll on those when you push it out. I'll have a look for this. I'm confident i'll have to resort to this because when the floor in the bathroom collasped in 2006 they fixed it but left it untiled, despite several harrassing calls. There's problems with the toilet too and when the plumber recommended that the crack on the toilet bowl could cause issues in the future they were unwilling to replace it Thanks a lot! disgraceful fucked around with this message at 16:13 on Mar 10, 2008 |
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Mar 10, 2008 16:02
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Can anyone recommend me a good online store for electronic components in England? Free shipping would be nice, but I'm not all that bothered. I just need components for various projects I want to do, and the only shop I've got near me is Maplin, which is a bit of a trek, and doesn't necessarily have all the bits and pieces I need.
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Mar 10, 2008 16:09
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Naxr posted:Can anyone recommend me a good online store for electronic components in England? Does it matter much where an online store's main warehouse is located as long as their service is good? I order Phidget stuff from Canada occasionally and I get it in two days with a reasonable shipping charge. Also I'd think that people from GBR could save some cash ordering from abroad, what with the exchange rate and all?
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Mar 10, 2008 21:18
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I've got an interior decorating question regarding paint, hope it fits in here. Not looking for a big discussion, just a couple of quick answers (if I should make a separate thread about it or put it in A/T let me know). Is there any particular reason you generally see trim like baseboard and door/window trim painted a ligher (generally white or off-white) shade than the wall, rather than the other way round? I'm picking out paint colours and was thinking going dark on the trim might add some contrast, but I never see it in magazines or pictures. Personal taste aside, I was just wondering if the reason you don't see it is because it generally (or universally) looks bad or something. I've got a pale laminate floor, if that helps. Here's a quick snap of the floor colour so you can tell what a horrible idea it would be 
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Mar 12, 2008 23:04
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ClockworkZero posted:I've got an interior decorating question regarding paint, hope it fits in here. Not looking for a big discussion, just a couple of quick answers (if I should make a separate thread about it or put it in A/T let me know). Is there any particular reason you generally see trim like baseboard and door/window trim painted a ligher (generally white or off-white) shade than the wall, rather than the other way round? I'm picking out paint colours and was thinking going dark on the trim might add some contrast, but I never see it in magazines or pictures. Personal taste aside, I was just wondering if the reason you don't see it is because it generally (or universally) looks bad or something. I think it's supposed to serve as a highlight that defines the edges and other features.
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Mar 13, 2008 01:29
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Indeed. The common trends for trim are either painted white or off-white or stained in one of the various shades of wood. Or at least they were when I still worked for Sherwin-Williams.
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Mar 13, 2008 12:54
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ClockworkZero posted:I've got an interior decorating question regarding paint, hope it fits in here. Not looking for a big discussion, just a couple of quick answers (if I should make a separate thread about it or put it in A/T let me know). Is there any particular reason you generally see trim like baseboard and door/window trim painted a ligher (generally white or off-white) shade than the wall, rather than the other way round? I'm picking out paint colours and was thinking going dark on the trim might add some contrast, but I never see it in magazines or pictures. Personal taste aside, I was just wondering if the reason you don't see it is because it generally (or universally) looks bad or something. All the paint vendors have an online tool that lets you play around with paint schemes. I think darker trim looks okay in some cases. 
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Mar 13, 2008 23:40
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FatMonster posted:All the paint vendors have an online tool that lets you play around with paint schemes. I think darker trim looks okay in some cases. of course, why didn't I think of that!  Thanks for the replies gents
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Mar 13, 2008 23:47
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how do you deal with those copper wires in audio cables with the little (i think) Nylon thread inside them? I'm trying to rewire some REALLY hold earphones to a rather new headphone jack and i just cant seem to get a connection. I can post pictures if it'll help.
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Mar 16, 2008 22:53
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I usually melt the sheathing off with a lighter, stripping them tends to tear the wire. Make absolutely sure the ground wire isn't touching the other two leads of the jack. Hot glue gently melted on can act as insulation once it's soldered on, but you have to make sure you'll be able to get the housing back on over it.
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Mar 17, 2008 17:34
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Wouldn't that just melt the sheathing all over the wire? Tearing the wire is defiantly what's happening here and probably why i cant get a connection.
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Mar 17, 2008 17:55
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FamousThomas posted:Wouldn't that just melt the sheathing all over the wire? It'll smell bad, anyway. Do you use a stripping device of some sort? Then don't, yhey tear the copper. Just get a sharp hobby knife and make a careful cut around the sheathing. You'll feel it when you've cut through the sheating and hit copper with the blade. Then you can just pull the sheathing off. The nylon thread burns away when you touch it with the soldering iron. Don't forget to clean and re-tin after touching the nylon wire to prevent crap getting into your joint.
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Mar 17, 2008 23:20
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How far up a wall do toilet inlet supply lines usually go? I want to hang a cabinet above the toilet, but don't want to poke a bunch of holes in any pipes. The screws will be put into the wall about 75 inches above the floor, but one of them will centered over the shutoff valve (just much higher up on the wall).
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Mar 18, 2008 06:21
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There's a chip in the white formica of my fridge So - what can I use to fill it, that would give a shiny white finish, and blend reasonably well with the surrounding plastic. And how would I do it? Any help would be fantastic. Amphigory fucked around with this message at 11:27 on Aug 28, 2013 |
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Mar 18, 2008 10:28
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Amphigory posted:
Is speed urgent? What do you have to hand? Do you have the piece that came out or is it obliterated? I've used fimo to fix similar chips in the past - fill the hole & cure with a halogen lamp (carefull not to burn the unit) Another option is specific plastic filler, but you'll struggle to match it colour wise. edit: I've only done black & red repairs, never white.
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Mar 18, 2008 10:55
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Yeah - I'd like to do it quickly as my girlfriend doesn't like seeing it!
Amphigory fucked around with this message at 11:29 on Aug 28, 2013 |
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Mar 18, 2008 11:13
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