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Democratic Pirate posted:I’m out of the loop on how many companies cover the whole spectrum of insurance, but have heard the ozempic+ wave is hitting health insurance companies hard and the rate increases will be rolled out over a few years. Any time you hear an insurance company bitching about the cost of anything they're merely using it as an excuse to raise rates ten times more than the things actually costs and thus increase their c-suite bonuses. If insurance companies didn't want to pay for whatever fad drug is out there they simply wouldn't pay for it. I used to work in insurance compliance and I have zero faith in anything they say. Anything they touch is absurdly profitable, and if it isn't they'll (probably fraudulently) simply make it profitable. And maybe I'm jaded but homeowners insurance companies and the fleet of actuaries they employ have to be the most knowledgeable people on the planet about climate change. "Oh gee plywood is expensive gotta raise rates" reads like the same excuse as any other time their number goes up.
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Apr 8, 2024 05:41
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Our policy premium went up 17% but the total is a relatively reasonable $950/yr with enhanced coverages, and the original rate was about 25% lower than what every other provider wanted so I expected they would pop up. We bundle with our auto insurance and that didn't go up any (first time that's ever happened), which made staying the best financial option. I have also seen too many stories of people switching them getting a "replace your roof within a month or your coverage is canceled" ultimatums from the new provider to risk going through full underwriting to save like $30/yr.
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Apr 8, 2024 10:26
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In the last two years, our policy has doubled. When I used a broker to shop around last fall, there wasn't anything better. This is in suburban Chicago and not a flood plain. I did have a roof claim four years ago, but man it sucks paying so much.
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Apr 8, 2024 11:30
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BigHead posted:And maybe I'm jaded but homeowners insurance companies and the fleet of actuaries they employ have to be the most knowledgeable people on the planet about climate change. "Oh gee plywood is expensive gotta raise rates" reads like the same excuse as any other time their number goes up. The actuaries are mostly just looking at the past few years of claims and saying "here's what we expect for claims plus 15% profit" or whatever, climate change doesn't directly matter except for explaining cost drivers. The actuaries are certainly seeing the effects but even if you're a climate truther it doesn't really matter for calculating a 5yr average.
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Apr 9, 2024 04:27
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We have an in ground pool with kind of patchy looking floor I'm guessing what's remaining is the original pool paint, or whatever. The "plaster" itself is fine, it just looks weird with lighter and grimier sections, looks like the automatic pool cleaner cleaned certain areas more than others Do I just need to pay a guy to drain it, sand it down and then repaint it. I think we'd also like to replace the rim of rock around the edge, it looks like some kind of natural sand stone and after 20 years is looking pretty rough. I think this is called the coping A full "replaster" can cost $10-30k I guess? I don't think I need that. The pool is about 20 years old and showing no wear besides needing new paint But I have no idea about how this works
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Apr 9, 2024 23:47
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In 2019 our policy cost $1400/year. For our 2024 renewal, it's $2800. And we got off lucky
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Apr 10, 2024 01:25
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I’m fairly non confrontational but apparently an older lady scanning yards and taking a picture of the bushes next to my driveway is enough to prompt me to head outside for a friendly chat. She disappeared before I got downstairs and outside though. Homeownership: vigorously defending my large yet tidy bush
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Apr 10, 2024 02:38
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PainterofCrap posted:I don't even know where to start Well first, find a plastic bottle...
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Apr 10, 2024 02:53
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PerniciousKnid posted:The actuaries are mostly just looking at the past few years of claims and saying "here's what we expect for claims plus 15% profit" or whatever, climate change doesn't directly matter except for explaining cost drivers. The actuaries are certainly seeing the effects but even if you're a climate truther it doesn't really matter for calculating a 5yr average. That’s not entirely true in fact insurance companies are pushing for better scientific data on the changing climate. It makes sense that they would want to forecast massive climate disasters and not just react to them. I feel like this will only make insurance that much more expensive because our planet is pissed. https://www.npr.org/2023/05/18/1176852678/insurance-firms-need-more-climate-change-information-scientists-say-they-can-hel
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Apr 10, 2024 04:09
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Guys, would appreciate some advice. As I mentioned in this thread previously, I've been losing power often enough for long enough that I've basically committed to getting a genny and figuring out what needs to be done to hook it up prior to next winter, especially since I have no unpowered access to water. A friend of mine has a whole bunch of stuff they nare going to be putting in an estate sale next week (their last parent just permanently transitioned to a care home), but are offering some of it in advance to people who might want it. One of those items is a "7000EU inverter generator" and they are saying they'll let me have it for $700. I have not actually done any of the work I was planning to do to figure out what I'd need or anything about generators at all, hah, so I have no idea if this is the completely wrong item for the job, if the job is something I could do cheaper some other way, or if this is an absolutely amazing deal I'd be a fool to pass on. I also suspect they know as little as me and are basically putting random prices on things and would accept any counteroffer that sounds good to minimize how much time they have the spend thinking about it, because its a lot of stuff. Any info would be appreciated Edit: Whatever I got, I might also end up using it as a festival/event generator sometimes, since I tend to run camps with around 30 people in them, but so far our normal borrowed or rented gennies have been much smaller than this and sufficient so it might be overkill for that. GlyphGryph fucked around with this message at 05:16 on Apr 10, 2024 |
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Apr 10, 2024 05:04
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raggedphoto posted:That’s not entirely true in fact insurance companies are pushing for better scientific data on the changing climate. It makes sense that they would want to forecast massive climate disasters and not just react to them. I feel like this will only make insurance that much more expensive because our planet is pissed. My interpretation of this article is that insurance companies are realizing they don't know much and probably should, maybe I'm just cynical. Hopefully states push back to ensure that rates are actually justified.
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Apr 10, 2024 05:18
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GlyphGryph posted:A friend of mine has a whole bunch of stuff they nare going to be putting in an estate sale next week (their last parent just permanently transitioned to a care home), but are offering some of it in advance to people who might want it. One of those items is a "7000EU inverter generator" and they are saying they'll let me have it for $700. Assuming that's actually a Honda EU7000, that's both a screaming deal but also something that is going to be able to run a good chunk of your house. Not your absolute highest power draw things like your central air, but certainly enough to handle a well pump and a lot of day to day tasks. The right way to hook it up is a generator inlet, in conjunction with some form of switchover. This can either be a separate breaker box that you relocate your critical circuits to and can then switch those between generator and utility, like this, or an interlock kit that lets you install a backfeed breaker and has a plate that ensures utility and generator breakers can never both be closed at the same time. Interlock kits are much cheaper to buy and install but they are panel specific, whereas a transfer switch kit will work on basically anything.
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Apr 10, 2024 07:02
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They sent a picture and it says "Honda FI EU 7000is" on the side, so its probably a screaming good deal, then.
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Apr 10, 2024 13:05
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GlyphGryph posted:They sent a picture and it says "Honda FI EU 7000is" on the side, so its probably a screaming good deal, then. The magic of google says that's a $6800 generator.
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Apr 10, 2024 13:08
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That's a loving Cadillac of generators. Even if you have to replace the entire fuel system because it sat with bad gas in it for a decade $700 is still such an amazing deal that you should you should also bring your friend a case of whatever their favorite beverage is.
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Apr 10, 2024 13:59
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Unfortunately, I forgot they moved two states over, which wouldnt be so bad if I hadnt moved two states in the opposite direction. Ugh. I was willing to make a day trip of it (especially since they are also offering a two story inflatable slide for practically nothing, as well as a trailer to carry it all on) but that's too drat far. We were gonna be meeting up at the end of next month anyway, but I doubt they'd want to drag it along. Ah well. What could have been, and all that.
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Apr 10, 2024 14:07
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GlyphGryph posted:Unfortunately, I forgot they moved two states over, which wouldnt be so bad if I hadnt moved two states in the opposite direction. Ugh. I was willing to make a day trip of it (especially since they are also offering a two story inflatable slide for practically nothing, as well as a trailer to carry it all on) but that's too drat far. Frankly I'd probably be willing to stay a couple nights in a hotel to pick it up, since the alternative (buying a generator yourself) is still going to be way more expensive than trip + time off + hotel.
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Apr 10, 2024 14:10
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Yeah, that is definitely in the "rent a truck and spend a few days on the road" level of deals IMO
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Apr 10, 2024 14:22
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GlyphGryph posted:Unfortunately, I forgot they moved two states over, which wouldnt be so bad if I hadnt moved two states in the opposite direction. Ugh. I was willing to make a day trip of it (especially since they are also offering a two story inflatable slide for practically nothing, as well as a trailer to carry it all on) but that's too drat far. If he's in Illinois, I'll buy it. I'm sure lots of other goons would too. My mom had that model, but I found out it was technically owned by her landlord (her extended family owned the house she rented) so I couldn't inherit it.
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Apr 10, 2024 15:52
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I was walking around our backyard and noticed these roots heading towards our AC units and my wall. The trees they’re coming from aren’t very large, maybe 8-10 feet at a maximum and I’m not super attached to them either.  I’m assuming these need to be cut, how can I ensure that this is removed properly and/or not tunneling into my foundation? I can probably dig down and cut these myself with hand tools but is there anything I should be weary of regarding the concrete slab for my AC units? adnam fucked around with this message at 20:36 on Apr 11, 2024 |
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Apr 11, 2024 19:42
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I wouldn't do anything about that, maybe water the trees some more cause the ground looks very dry. What kind of trees do you have?
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Apr 11, 2024 20:07
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adnam posted:I was walking around our backyard and noticed these roots heading towards our AC units and my wall. The trees they’re coming from aren’t very large, maybe 8-10 feet at a maximum and I’m not super attached to them either. 8-10' tall or wide? How long have you lived at this house? Is it possible there was a much larger tree in this location previously? I am skeptical that an 10' tall tree would have surface roots that large and far away, and they look pretty dry and old, but I am not an arborist.
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Apr 11, 2024 20:11
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Next time it rains and the ground is soft you can just go after them with a $8 pair of gardening shears. They will degrade in a couple years, maybe. Looks like a non issue Agree those look like runners from a much larger tree maybe 15'-20' away
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Apr 11, 2024 20:15
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Sirotan posted:8-10' tall or wide? How long have you lived at this house? Is it possible there was a much larger tree in this location previously? I am skeptical that an 10' tall tree would have surface roots that large and far away, and they look pretty dry and old, but I am not an arborist.  I am bad at estimating height, but I also realized those are the trees post winter trimming. I’ll go ahead and cut them myself. The concrete AC slabs look pretty intact though and they remain level so that’s reassuring.
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Apr 11, 2024 20:36
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adnam posted:I was walking around our backyard and noticed these roots heading towards our AC units and my wall. The trees they’re coming from aren’t very large, maybe 8-10 feet at a maximum and I’m not super attached to them either. Are they even real concrete? The usual thing to do these days is a pad like this
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Apr 11, 2024 23:45
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Those are definitely poly pads.
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Apr 12, 2024 00:01
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devicenull posted:Are they even real concrete? The usual thing to do these days is a pad like this I really just assumed they were concrete but I think that’s true. Either way time to pull out some biggie shears and go to town on this guys. Thanks
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Apr 12, 2024 00:32
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Ham Equity posted:Our garbage disposal switch stopped working. We plugged it into a different outlet, and it worked fine. So, there's a GFCE outlet that the Test and Reset buttons don't seem to be working that the garbage disposal is plugged into; some Googling seems to indicate that it's likely either an outlet that went bad (it was previously working, so this seems fairly likely) or a fault in the circuit going to the outlet somewhere. The plan is to pick up a new GFCE, then get under the sink, remove the old one, test to see if it will reset when not wired up, then try the new one, however, we've never previously went looking for the breaker that that outlet is attached to, so I'm not 100% sure what breaker it is; with the outlet not resetting, is there any way to test for activity to the outlet and figure out what breaker it is, or do I basically just need to turn off power to the whole house while we work on it? A little late but we get this if we spill a bunch of water down the wall while doing the dishes. The outlet gets wet enough to fault. We can reset it after it dries out. So the electrical issue may be a symptom of a water issue.
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Apr 12, 2024 01:00
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We recently installed mini split units on our house. We’ve had them before and they’ve been whisper quiet. This system has an intermittent hissing noise that seems to be coming from the refrigerant loop. It’s particularly loud at the compressor. Video with sound. This doesn’t seem normal and I’m worried it’s a sign that there is low refrigerant or air in the lines but am looking for other opinions.
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Apr 12, 2024 14:11
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Dobbs_Head posted:We recently installed mini split units on our house. Be specific: "I/me and my whatever bought and self-installed mini splits" is going to have wildly different advice from "I hired someone to install mini splits". Dobbs_Head posted:This system has an intermittent hissing noise that seems to be coming from the refrigerant loop. It’s particularly loud at the compressor. Sounds like a restriction. I'd go back to "how were these installed"? There are a lot of ways to contaminate the lines and cause issues that sound like that. It's also possible the equipment was bad out of the box.
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Apr 12, 2024 14:22
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Motronic posted:Be specific: "I/me and my whatever bought and self-installed mini splits" is going to have wildly different advice from "I hired someone to install mini splits". We hired a professional HVAC company licensed and insured in my state to perform the installation with all required permits and inspections. It’s within the warranty period. I reached out to the company who did the installation, my experience with them is that they try to downplay customer concerns and tell us things are “normal” when they are not so I am looking for language, descriptions, and such that I can use to make them fix it.
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Apr 12, 2024 15:02
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Dobbs_Head posted:We hired a professional HVAC company licensed and insured in my state to perform the installation with all required permits and inspections. It’s within the warranty period. I reached out to the company who did the installation, my experience with them is that they try to downplay customer concerns and tell us things are “normal” when they are not so I am looking for language, descriptions, and such that I can use to make them fix it. "It's making this noise. I've never heard that from a mini split before, nor has anyone else I've talked to who has had min isplits. Something is not right and I need it made right." You don't need technical language, you need to be firm as a part of a business transaction that has not been completed to your satisfaction.
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Apr 12, 2024 15:33
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Ja you have to be persistent. If calling isn't shifting them, email them: that leaves a paper trail that they would be wise not to ignore.
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Apr 12, 2024 17:09
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Legitimate question: what’s the right course of action if a contractor does lovely work, you contact them and ask them for rework, and they blow you off/tell you to kick rocks? Sue them? I’ve been lucky to have mostly positive experiences with contractors so far, just want to know what steps to take if it ever comes to that.
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Apr 12, 2024 17:50
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illcendiary posted:Legitimate question: what’s the right course of action if a contractor does lovely work, you contact them and ask them for rework, and they blow you off/tell you to kick rocks? Sue them? If they stop engaging you write a demand letter and send it certified mail. Past that you're asking your municipality for help if they require contractor registration and a perofrmance bond/have requirements for the permittited work you're having an issue with or you go straight to a lawyer.
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Apr 12, 2024 18:17
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illcendiary posted:Legitimate question: what’s the right course of action if a contractor does lovely work, you contact them and ask them for rework, and they blow you off/tell you to kick rocks? Sue them? Have you paid them? Best practice is to not pay until you have inspected and verified all work meets your standard. It doesn’t always go that well, see my post about a hissing minisplit. After final payment it gets much harder to get a contractor to do anything.
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Apr 12, 2024 21:25
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The other issue too is that they won't hesitate to slap a lien on your house if you haven't paid yet. My parents work in a construction adjacent field, and they have had to put a lien on a house like a handful of times while some of the subcontractors will do it at the drop of a hat, so maybe tread carefully and engage a lawyer if you can if your contractor is the type, and your municipality makes it easy for them.
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Apr 12, 2024 21:40
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Our house came with 2 huge rolls of carpet in the garage, matching the kind of carpet that's basically all throughout the rest of the house. I don't know how old they are but they're in great shape ... is there any reason to keep these around? I was thinking of cutting into one of them to make some throw rugs or something and then maybe donating the other, reclaiming that corner of our garage in the process.
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Apr 13, 2024 23:04
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QuarkJets posted:Our house came with 2 huge rolls of carpet in the garage, matching the kind of carpet that's basically all throughout the rest of the house. I don't know how old they are but they're in great shape When my parents got there carpet replaced they had a good chunk left over they elected to keep. They made some into runners and rugs which are great for when they would have company in the winter and/or muddy conditions. You can also learn or have someone replace sections of carpet if it gets burnt or noticeably and permanently stained.
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Apr 13, 2024 23:53
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QuarkJets posted:Our house came with 2 huge rolls of carpet in the garage, matching the kind of carpet that's basically all throughout the rest of the house. I don't know how old they are but they're in great shape Carpet the garage floor. Why not? 
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Apr 14, 2024 01:04
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