Fix it Fast: The Early Years 2008-2020

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GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

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 :bang:

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!

# ¿ Mar 4, 2008 18:22

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# ¿ May 2, 2024 01:43

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

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.

The programmable one was the one that caught fire. The current one is 110v, hence the accuracy problem.

# ¿ Mar 4, 2008 22:16

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

wormil posted:

Crossposting from AV...

I bought a used Sanyo tube television for a 2nd tv and there are faint whitish lines running through the screen when I watch [digital] satellite through the coax. (Similar to bad tracking on a VCR) It doesn't happen on component or composite. The picture on coax also isn't as good as the other two. I never noticed the problem on the old 20" TV. Bad coax? Bad what?

This is usually indicative of a ground loop between source and TV.

# ¿ Jun 18, 2010 19:20

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

I have an 18v Dewalt cordless drill at work and at full charge I've never met something I can't drill into, including a bit of concrete. It has 2 settings, one for high speed, one for high torque. It came with two batteries and a 45 minute charger. My dad's old cordless drill was pretty good but this blows it out of the water. The impact action on the one you posted should be the same as hammer for drilling concrete/stone/masonry, if it were an impact wrench it would have a drive head instead of a chuck. No idea on handedness, I haven't used one with a second handle.

# ¿ Jun 21, 2010 15:34

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

grover posted:

I prefer corded over cordless, as batteries have really short lifespans, and it sucks to have to throw away a perfectly good drill after 5 years just because the batteries are shot.

If you pop one of those batteries open, it's a bunch of NiCd or NiMH C cells soldered together. All the electronics are in the charger itself. You can pop it apart and replace the batteries themselves for about $30 with no name brands, $60 name brand. Beats the hell out of having to buy a whole new setup.

# ¿ Jun 22, 2010 19:12

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Don't know it you're still looking, this was from a few weeks ago.

Tyro posted:

Sorry it took me so long to get a photo. This is what I need. It holds a towel bar in the shower. My roommate broke the other one.

Click here for the full 1280x960 image.

Search eBay for "ceramic towel bar" and you'll find stuff like this, which may be an exact match
http://cgi.ebay.com/CERAMIC-Tile-Ba...e#ht_904wt_1144

# ¿ Jul 25, 2010 20:48

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Cakefool posted:

I need to remove an old adhesive pad that was holding a dealer badge to my car. What, in the UK, would I want to get my hands on?

I need to do the same to a hollow door in the house, same question.

Hairdryer to soften it, dental floss to get under it and peel, and Goo Gone to get any residue off. It takes a bit of patience and you don't want to heat it up too much. The Goo Gone will strip the wax off the car and you'll probably want to wash it anyway.

# ¿ Aug 5, 2010 21:27

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Papercut posted:

Bathtub problem:

When I was cleaning the tub, the caulking at the edge of the wall started coming off in little pieces, putty-like. Now in some spots it's started taking on water and turned into a mushy mess. Did the installer use the wrong kind of caulk or something? What is the appropriate type of caulk to use, and how do I remove the old stuff?

Probably just old caulk, maybe the wrong type but I doubt anyone who installs tubs could screw up and use non bathroom caulk. Here's what to do:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/improvement/interior/4213124

# ¿ Aug 20, 2010 02:53

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

mr.belowaverage posted:

Is there any danger or drawback to using a couple cans of spray foam on the gap between my fascia board and roof sheathing?

I have water coming in in bad weather, and there is not time or budget for new fascia and roofing before winter starts. This was supposed to be next years project, but an significant amount of water comes in as strong winds are predominantly from that side of my house.

In my experience, expanding foam isn't nearly as waterproof as it's claimed to be, but in your case it would almost certainly hold you over until the spring, it should at least reduce the amount of water that gets in.

# ¿ Oct 10, 2010 20:02

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Vergeh posted:

I just moved into a new basement apartment, and the bathroom sink has a problem with drainage. Water drains very very slowly, meaning that I usually have a sink full of slowly draining still water, usually with whatever I'm washing down; I don't need to tell you what a pain in the rear end it is to keep the sink clean.

The thing is, I don't think it's a blocked drain. The sink will occasionally burp up an air bubble, and then things drain quickly for a bit. I'm guessing there's nowhere for the air to go. Is this an easy thing to fix?

Disassemble the trap and clean out anything in there, and if there's a lever actuated drain plug, you should be able to pull it out and remove a clump of hair the size of a small dog that's caught on the bottom of the plug over the years. If that doesn't work, pull the trap again and run a snake as far down the pipe as you can.

# ¿ Nov 3, 2010 20:00

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Does US national electrical code allow low voltage and video cable to be run in the same conduit as 110v?

# ¿ Nov 7, 2010 23:35

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Newf posted:

The hot water from the taps at my place has a bit of a brown tint to it - both sinks, shower. The cold is fine. I guess this is probably a problem within the hot water tank? Any ideas?

I've contacted the landlord, but in the meantime is this stuff safe to wash dishes with? shower? Should I still be drinking the cold?

Unless you're sure all plumbing from the water heater to the sink is new and all solder is 100% lead-free (certified lead-free can have up to 8% lead in solder,) you shouldn't be drinking hot water from the tap.

# ¿ Jan 11, 2011 17:36

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Richard Noggin posted:

Now you need to tell us how you flooded your basement.

From a New England perspective, it's a miracle if your basement doesn't flood. After the big 2007 rainstorm, my house was the only one in the neighborhood with a dry basement other than the next door neighbors who don't have one.

# ¿ Feb 10, 2011 20:53

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

thelightguy posted:

Half of a cut potato. Just jam it on there and twist, and it'll usually take the screw base out with it.

This sounds odd if you've never done it, but it's much easier and faster than using pliers.

# ¿ Feb 17, 2011 03:12

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

jackpot posted:

Normally we buy oil 100 gallons at a time and get refilled every three weeks (that's right: $400 a month heating bills in a 1,600sqft house, in not-exactly-the-Arctic Richmond, VA); I know we spend the same amount per winter whether we buy it in bulk or go month-to-month, but mentally it hurts less so I guess that's why we always did it.

I live in CT, our external walls have no insulation, and we spend significantly less than that, and replacing your furnace and installing insulation will pay for themselves in a year, maybe two. You should also look into assistance, CT has environmental programs that offer subsidized, low-interest (~2.2%) loans to pay for stuff like adding insulation and the amount you'll save is more than the interest on the loans.

# ¿ Mar 4, 2011 02:07

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

If your house is as old as the wiring looks, it's probably old BX wiring and any grounding will be through the armored conduit. You would run the ground wire to a grounding screw on the electrical box the light fixture is mounted to.

# ¿ Mar 11, 2011 03:55

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

NancyPants posted:

It'd be extremely creepy if the pellets were noisy. I imagine they'd hum annoying songs.

I don't know what it costs at the stores and that site doesn't seem to have prices listed anywhere, but you could get bulk silica gel online that probably does the same thing. Non-indicating is cheaper than an indicating version, since the second version has chemicals added that change color when exposed to moisture.

The best way to make dehumidifying packets for a large area is to go to Wal Mart and get a bucket of store brand crystalline cat litter (bulk silica,) one or two packs of store brand tube socks, a package of zip ties, and a gutter cleaning scoop (perfect size and shape for filling socks with cat litter.)

# ¿ May 3, 2011 16:38

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Walgreens has some stuff in the cleaner aisle called Lord Byron's Smoke Remover, it's really good but I don't know how antique wood would hold up to it. I think the ideal thing to do would be to seal off a closet or small room and stick it in there with an ozone generator for a few days.

# ¿ May 8, 2011 18:24

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

When I put my new range hood up, it had nickel sized keyhole slots and the manual said to put in screws with washers and slide the whole thing over them, then tighten everything down.

# ¿ May 26, 2011 17:42

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Ballz posted:

White, red and black. For what it's worth, my house is over 50 years old, and there's a decent chance that outlet's been there for ages. Are there adapters out there that go from 220V to 110?

You can use a transformer, but that's inefficient, and I'm completely talking out of my rear end but it probably doesn't meet code. Chances are that was there for an old in-wall air conditioner or bigass window unit since you were wondering.

# ¿ Jun 30, 2011 04:51

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Raviv posted:

New homeowner here. We just moved into a house built in the 50s. We have a mix of two and three prong electrical outlets.

The three prong outlet in our office was making my computer act strange, so we cut the power and looked at the outlet. Surprise! There's no ground wire, and it doesn't seem to be actually grounded.

So the question is: Is there an easy/safe way to add a ground to this outlet, so that we can plug electronics into it? or should I just call an electrician to come deal with this?

If the existing wiring uses armored conduit, you can ground through it, there should be a grounding screw on the box.

# ¿ Jun 30, 2011 22:01

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

kid sinister posted:

That isn't right, all basements need at least one floor drain in case of water leaks. Stagnant water in a dark basement is a surefire recipe for mold and mildew. Look over by your furnace and water heater for a floor drain. Water heaters need them in case they need to relieve pressure, and air conditioners need to drain off the water they accumulate. Find the hose attached to your furnace/AC and follow it to the drain.

My furnace pressure relief valve drains onto the floor.

As does the upstairs bathtub :saddowns:

# ¿ Jul 7, 2011 19:13

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Is there anything other than acetone that can remove superglue but isn't likely to damage the finish of a hardwood floor?

# ¿ Jul 13, 2011 00:05

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Kaluza-Klein posted:

Gross question, but the cat proudly took out a mouse last night, and I've noticed now that there are some nice blood stains on the carpet. Pretty heavy :/.

Hydrogen peroxide.

# ¿ Jul 18, 2011 01:51

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

SkunkDuster posted:

My bathtub has separate handles for hot and cold water. Due to the hard water and mineral deposits, I needed to use a gear puller to get the handles off the splined shafts last time I replaced the gaskets a few months ago. I'm going to be taking them off again this week which will require using a gear puller again. While I have them off, is there a particular type of grease I could put on those shafts that will hold up to the heat/cold/moisture present in a shower so I don't have to keep using a gear puller every time I want to take the handles off?

My shower is in pretty bad shape and I don't have the money right now to fix it correctly with a new tub and surround, so I'm probably going to have to pull those handles off a few more times over the next year or two for repairs while I save up the money to get my bathroom completely redone.

Get some silicone grease. They have it in the plumbing section at Home Depot.

# ¿ Jul 20, 2011 17:13

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Grape Juice Vampire posted:

Hey goons, I'm carving a pipe and I need to know what kind of finish to use on it. Is there a specific brand of food/smoke safe finish I should use on it?

Beeswax.

# ¿ Aug 19, 2011 02:16

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Difference Engine posted:

I have a 32in flat screen that is wall mounted in my bedroom on a wall I share with my roommate. Unfortunately because of the size of my bed and my room it is really the only wall that works for having the TV there. As it is mounted on the wall my roommate can hear the TV rather well because of the vibrations through the wall.

My question is, is there a way that I could mount it that would dampen the sound going through the wall? Something like using foam between the screws and the mount? How well would something like that work, if at all?? Thanks.

Something like this will help, but not a whole lot and they may not fit into the holes in the mount. If you're feeling ambitious you can start taking the mount apart and fitting them on as many fasteners as you can. You'll need to get longer screws, trim the isolation washers to the right depth, and put another washer on the other side of each to maximize the effect. I don't think they're intended to be load bearing across their axis so test fit them without the TV first and see if they seem strong enough.

# ¿ Sep 26, 2011 20:22

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang posted:

How easy is it to replace a front door? I'd like to get one that opens on the left rather than on the right that also has lots more insulation.

Where would I need to measure from, Will the whole frame come out? Who would I get to do this for me if I chicken out?

You're probably better off buying a pre-hung door. Remove the molding and measure the old frame, chances are you'll have to shim the new one, make sure it's perfectly level or it will keep getting more and more crooked until it falls off. It's a 2-person job unless you're huge.

Mount it to studs with 3" screws and replace the 3/4" hinge and strike plate screws that come with the door with ones at least 2" long. This provides protection against kicking, and what good is a door if it's not secure?

This is a pretty good overview of what you need to know http://www.door.cc/How-To-Install-A-Door.html

# ¿ Sep 27, 2011 19:59

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

CharlieWhiskey posted:

Remedial reciprocating saw question: Are all reciprocating saw blades interchangeable with all reciprocating saws? I've only seen this kind of shank:

and I'm having trouble believing that all manufacturers agreed on a standard without prompting. When should I expect a different kind of shank?

Generally, when you see something like that, it's not so much that everyone agreed to a standard as everyone copied the first one that did it.

Maniaman posted:

I was hooking an antenna up from the roof to 6 HD TVs. The TV's are fed through a 6-way unpowered splitter. Since the splitter is in the attic I have one coax cable coming down the wall that I can hook whatever I want up to to get it to the splitter. I was coupling the coax from the antenna to the coax going to the splitter and got shocked hardcore. Like, tingle going up your arm and hair standing up shocked. I dont know if I've ever thrown something that fast.

What the heck is wrong with my setup?

simplified mspaint diagram:

The first thing to do is check your antenna grounding and make sure it's up to code. http://www.dennysantennaservice.com/1171010.html

truncated aardvar posted:

What's the best way to kill Endermen at the moment in Pre 4? I stumbled upon one in a cave the other day and killed him pretty easily, but the others I encounter outside don't want to party and just teleport away.

You're pretty much out of luck unless you have some diazinon sitting around in the garage.

# ¿ Oct 20, 2011 02:44

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

stubblyhead posted:

The kitchen has goddamn carpeting in it, with at least one or two layers of asbestos tiling underneath, with beautiful hardwood floors on the bottom. Each layer is firmly affixed to the layer below, so we've just left this hideous red carpeting in the kitchen.

Have you considered pouring concrete over it and putting tile or linoleum on top of that? When in Rome ...

# ¿ Nov 17, 2011 21:53

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

SkunkDuster posted:

I'm kind of thinking the same thing. I think a lot of the theory of spray booths comes from industrial applications where concentrations are much higher and there is a risk of getting sued. If it does blow up, I have a fire extinguisher handy.

There is no air intake for this room. It is my entire basement. An overpressure system would just blow all the fumes upstairs to the main floor of the house. That's not a bad idea, but will not work in my situation.

edit: Replying to your edit, I can't weatherseal anything tight. I have a cat door installed on the door leading to the basement that is pretty much a 6x10 hole because the cats refuse to push open the flap so I just removed it. The litter box is in the basement and the toddler is upstairs, so I'm stuck with that arrangement. Also, with the furnace and cold air returns in the basement, I just don't think a positive pressure system is very feasible. Even if it would work, I'd think a simple spray booth exhausting out a 4" hole through a plywood covered basement window would be a lot easier.

With a furnace in the basement, be really careful and do an airflow test near the furnace to make sure you're not sucking flue gases back into the house.

# ¿ Nov 21, 2011 22:13

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

SkunkDuster posted:

Oh, okay! I didn't realize it was related to the spray booth idea. I thought he was saying, "You have a furnace in your basement? Dude, you're going to die!"

Sorry I wasn't clear. I meant to just double check that with the fan and furnace running at the same time, you're not affecting airflow up the chimney significantly. I would just put a smoke pencil to the butterfly valve on the flue and make sure it's sucking in air like usual.

Looking over your description again it doesn't sound like there would be any problem, but after narrowly avoiding carbon monoxide poisoning due to a furnace problem and due to an exhaust leak in my car a few years ago I'm extra cautious.

# ¿ Nov 23, 2011 05:31

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Yeah, just blast it with spectracide. You don't want anything growing in the rocks anyway, right?

# ¿ Nov 26, 2011 02:42

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Dexter Stratton posted:

I have an older Lennox Conservator III (G16R) gas furnace in my house, and it does this thing where about five minutes after it ignites, it starts and stops and is generally fitful. From reading I've done online, it's the flame sensor. This should be an easy fix, but I can't find the stupid sensor! Does anyone have any experience with this furnaces, or furnaces in general? I found the manual online but couldn't decipher the b/w low res photos.

It's a probe that sits right in front of the pilot light next to the igniter.

# ¿ Nov 28, 2011 06:21

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Dexter Stratton posted:

Show me cause none of these objects looks like a flame sensor:

I'm pretty sure it's that thing that looks kind of like a spark plug. It should have a metal wire that sticks into the flame path and there should be a wire attached to it.

# ¿ Dec 2, 2011 05:42

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

SkunkDuster posted:

At $15 each, I figure it is better to have and not need than to need and not have. I can always wire them up with 4 fixtures per switch or remove some bulbs. I'll probably go full blast though, because I can't imagine that you can have too much light in a woodworking or auto repair shop.

I think you're underestimating the amount of light those are going to put out. It's going to be movie-set-bright in there.

# ¿ Jan 4, 2012 01:31

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Should I be pressurizing the old bladder-less expansion tank on my furnace when I drain it or is it sufficient to just drain it completely? I've had to drain it a few times in the past year but I never emptied it completely, so I'm taking the time to do that now and hoping it will fix it. Is draining it part of routine maintenance? if so, how often should I do it?

I checked a few DIY and home repair forums and the few discussions of old tanks were a bunch of idiots slapfighting ("air does not dissolve in water, I suggest you all do some research and edit your posts") and nobody really gave a clear answer.

# ¿ Jan 9, 2012 03:07

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

ThoiBoi posted:

My parents have had a outstanding issue with gophers at their house. It's been ongoing for years and we have yet to find a solution. They then end up with holes all around their yards and I'm so sick of seeing mounds of dirt every time I go home. Does anyone have any actual effective way of getting rid of them for good? I've tried the ultrasonic pest control stakes:
http://www.thefind.com/garden/info-sonic-mole-gopher-repeller but to no avail.

Any help would be great!

Run a hose from the exhaust pipe of a car to a hole for a few hours. If you have an old car with a carburetor instead of fuel injection, choke it so it runs rich and produces more carbon monoxide. I don't know if it matters to you or your parents at all, but CO poisoning is a painless death so it's humane in addition to being effective. Once they're gone, stick a few big smoke bombs down the hole to help you find all of them and fill them in with dirt, sticking a few big rocks down there if they're deep.

GWBBQ fucked around with this message at 21:23 on Feb 28, 2012

# ¿ Feb 28, 2012 21:17

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

I disassembled the whole pump/motor/burner assembly of my oil furnace, cleaned it all, and replaced the igniter electrodes because they were abated far past the point that they could be bent back to within tolerances. The furnace ran for a couple of hurs then stopped again. I'm out of ideas.

# ¿ Mar 8, 2012 16:05

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# ¿ May 2, 2024 01:43

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Why can't I go a week without a major home repair lately? Yesterday, the kitchen sink suddenly stopped completely. I tried snaking it with a small snake, a slightly larger one, and even a closet auger, and no success. A whole bottle of Drano Max did nothing after four hours ("clears fully stopped drains in 15 minutes," my rear end,) so I assumed that it was corrosion building up and finally clogging it like had happened with my shower. I got some new PVC and sawed out the 60 year old iron pipe downstairs from just above the pipe that goes through the concrete up almost to the ceiling and the clog is above that.

The inside of the pipe was pretty gross, grease buildup had narrowed the 2" pipe to around 3/4" and there was an abundance of that wonderful black sludge that inhabits drain pipes. I tried running all 3 snakes up from below, but after putting about 10 feet in with no more resistance several times, I'm assuming I'm just running it up the vent. I pulled the trap of and tried snaking it from upstairs again with no success. I put the wall elbow back in upside-down to give me something to pour into and put some more Drano into it, but it's been sitting for 45 minutes with no results. I'm out of ideas.

babyeatingpsychopath posted:

Sorry, I can't find your original problem. Did you fix the flame sensor and/or thermocouple? All that other stuff helps, but those two insignificant bits are what lets the whole apparatus know it's working.

I ended up bypassing the Tiger Loop because I couldn't get it to draw in fuel and it seems to be working so I assume that's the problem. I just replaced the thing a few months ago so I'm a little annoyed, but I'll try it again when I have some free time.

# ¿ Mar 19, 2012 00:44

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