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Lol california
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Apr 18, 2024 15:58
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Hadlock posted:One old house we were in, the hot water heater was in the garage, and the bedrooms/bathrooms were all on the far side of the house ~65+ feet away, so that's like 2.3 gallons, assuming zero heat loss We are in the same boat. The primary bathroom is on the far end of the house while the guest bathroom is much closer and gets nice hot water. The primary is warm at best. Is there anything you can realistically do in a case like this?
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Apr 18, 2024 16:04
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Can you insulate the pipes?
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Apr 18, 2024 16:23
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:They save water by reducing the amount of water while still getting full pressure and coverage of your hands, dishes, etc. Makes sense for washing, doesn't make sense for filling containers. It also helps with people who stand there counting to 60 while they brush their teeth and leave the faucet running. I'm not going to get on a high horse about that because I also leave the tap going while I do poo poo, but I also live in a state that has more water than it can deal with.
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Apr 18, 2024 16:46
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I don't even leave the tap running while I wash dishes, I forgot just letting the water go for no reason is a thing people did.
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Apr 18, 2024 18:43
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I mean, California only allocates a small amount of water for residential use (most of it is allocated for important things like growing almonds we export out of state) so mandating the restrictors probably does save a lot of water, allowing wealthy land owners to grow and export more almonds Every time you turn on your unrestricted tap, it's like dollar bills leaving the almond farmer's wallet and going down the drain Or something Water rights in California are hosed up, but restrictors are generally good for preserving water, particularly in dry years
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Apr 18, 2024 18:52
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I'm seeking advice on if there's any way for me to hire someone to confirm a slow pool leak from a neighbor vs just talking to him directly. I live downhill a mild slope from my backdoor neighbor who installed a pool about 2 years ago. We noticed over the last 2 years (but didn't put two and two together until recently) that the backyard corner/path directly downhill from their pool is filling with water more frequently, staying damp/not draining after rains ever since they installed the pool. We actually removed and reinstalled a DG path since it was flooded and staying wet (but thought that the flooding came from the torrential California rains) about a year ago. I just hired an landscape person to look at our irrigation system (mostly mulch/trees, no grass) and he also didn't see anything beyond small leaks that were easily repaired. Otherwise, no major leaks but he pointed at the retaining wall as being the source of water. I will probably talk to the pool owner directly behind me, but I was seeking guidance on what I should be asking him, I was thinking of the following: I am having water pool at the base of my property behind your pool. Are you having to refill your pool frequently, and if so can you do a pool leak test? Below is a photo of my irrigation guy pointing at the retaining wall/slope he thinks the leak is coming from, directly behind that fence is the location of the neighbor's new pool. 
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Apr 18, 2024 19:01
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Hadlock posted:Water rights in California are hosed up, but restrictors are generally good for preserving water, particularly in dry years In my mind, sinks are for getting water out of, and all restrictors do is slow down how fast you can get water out of them (which doesn't save water just loses time). Then folks reminded me lots of people just let their faucets run.
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Apr 18, 2024 19:05
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Struensee posted:Can you insulate the pipes? Slab on grade baby
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Apr 18, 2024 19:10
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swickles posted:Has anyone gotten a whole home water filtration system with a water softener? I was originally concerned about iron, but we have crazy high nitrates in our well water. Basically the deluxe package is $7500 with lifetime warranties etc. I was thinking it was going to be a subscription based thing so was pleasantly surprised when it was a one time cost. I am going to call one or two other places to get an estimate, but this doesn't seem terrible. The company is https://www.purfectwater.com/, which seems to have positive reviews across the board. Local markets can be strange things, and without seeing your water quality data + exactly what they're including in the quote I can't comment on if what they're including is suitable. However, $7500 is very much into whole home RO system level of pricing. Whole home RO's are effective, but maintenance heavy, and you could likely get away with a filter + softener setup (dependent on your water quality of course). If they've just quoted you a filter / softener setup for $7500, that is way too much. The right way to do this is to hire someone to test your water, someone not at all involved with selling the system to fix the problem. You're looking for a licensed well inspector who will evaluate your well tell you what you need to do to fix it. A lot of them will spec out systems for you, and then recommend a number of different contractors who can install what they've spec'd.
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Apr 18, 2024 22:48
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Your local full service pool shop (Leslie's) will test your water for free, and probably your aquarium shop too. They won't test for stuff like arsenic and lead or coliform bacteria though. About 50% of water companies/cities will test your water for free if you're on their system. Doesn't apply if you're on well water, of course
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Apr 18, 2024 23:09
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Finally getting around to replacing the terrible ceiling fan in my townhome's living room, and I discovered a gift left to me by Gary. That electric box is hanging down past the ceiling drywall by a good half inch. It's loose enough that I can easily shake it back and forth with my hands. That seems decidedly not good. I got the fan down, removed the electrical box (one of the screws was stripped, thanks Gary), and this is what I found.  The existing metal rod that goes between the joists is firmly installed. It's probably from the original construction in 1985. The bracket on top of the rod is a complete mismatch in size and shape to the rod. This bracket is the component that secures the electric box to the metal rod, so that explains why I could shake the electric box back and forth. When I first discovered the loose electrical box I did some research and determined I'd probably need to replace the entire electrical box structure. I purchased one of these Raco Retro-Brace units in advance. Funny enough, the bracket that comes with this Raco unit is identical to the one I found sitting loosely on top of the old install metal rod. Did Gary go down this same road, discover the firmly installed metal rod, and just slap the Raco metal bracket on top without any further thought? I'll never know. In any case, I think I have two options: 1) Find a way to remove the old install metal rod so that I can install the Raco unit. I don't know how to do this without being really destructive to the ceiling drywall, and I'd prefer to avoid that. There are also pipes close by that constrict the space I have to work with above the drywall - there's only about a half inch clearance between the metal rod and the pipe visible in the photo above. One of the joists is close to the electric box hole, so I can see that the metal rod appears to be secured with a staple. I might be able to find a way to pry that staple out, but I have no idea how I'd deal with the other side of the rod since it is connected to a joist that is much further away from the hole.  2) Find a bracket and electric box that is compatible with this decades old metal rod. This seems like the easy way out, but I have no idea where to even begin with this, or if it is even possible. Any suggestions?
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Apr 19, 2024 05:29
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Is the rod everything is hanging from, installed half an inch too low? If that's the case, seems like it's best to just open up that whole area, install a modern rod at the correct height, then patch over the area and paint.
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Apr 19, 2024 05:35
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You've stared too long into the abyss, you must now become Gary e: Use zip ties to "secure" the bracket e2: The problem is actually that the ceiling is too high, obviously. Decrease the height of the ceiling by half an inch, use whatever creative means necessary QuarkJets fucked around with this message at 05:57 on Apr 19, 2024 |
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Apr 19, 2024 05:50
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Patch over the whole and live without a fan.
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Apr 19, 2024 14:12
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GlyphGryph posted:Patch over the whole and live without a fan. This is violence
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Apr 19, 2024 14:37
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Just put everything back the way it was, apply expanding foam until it stops wobbling.
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Apr 19, 2024 15:15
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Just make sure you use approved fire retardant expanding foam in your walls, rather than the flammable stuff
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Apr 19, 2024 17:44
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Hadlock posted:Just make sure you use approved fire retardant expanding foam in your walls, rather than the flammable stuff It has to say inflammable right? I got in so much trouble because of that as a kid
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Apr 19, 2024 18:15
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If I want to Gary it up then I could just extend the ceiling hole a couple inches to the side, install the new support rod a couple inches to the side of the existing one, and then rely on the large ceiling fan shroud to cover up the now oversized hole in the ceiling drywall. Or I could spend roughly $40 on materials and learn how to do the common task of drywall patching, but that takes effort and new things are scary.
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Apr 19, 2024 19:45
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TrueChaos posted:Local markets can be strange things, and without seeing your water quality data + exactly what they're including in the quote I can't comment on if what they're including is suitable. However, $7500 is very much into whole home RO system level of pricing. Whole home RO's are effective, but maintenance heavy, and you could likely get away with a filter + softener setup (dependent on your water quality of course). If they've just quoted you a filter / softener setup for $7500, that is way too much. After getting a few quotes for similar systems (Water softener and acid reduction, new UV light, and under sink RO system) this company seems to be competitive with what other major companies are offering. I have figured I could probably buy the stuff individually and pay our local plumber the parts/labor rate, but it only comes out to save a couple hundred bucks and doesn't come with the lifetime warranties and such.
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Apr 19, 2024 20:15
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Kefit posted:If I want to Gary it up then I could just extend the ceiling hole a couple inches to the side, install the new support rod a couple inches to the side of the existing one, and then rely on the large ceiling fan shroud to cover up the now oversized hole in the ceiling drywall. Assuming that bar hanger isn't the kind with an adjustment screw in the middle, can't you just give it a couple good wacks with a hammer to dislodge it from the joists on either side and then pull it out? Or, hell, just leave it up in the ceiling and replace with a new one? Edit: oscillating tool to cut it on the middle then bend it back enough to get it out of your way or dislodge from the joist, is what I'd be doing before having to patch your drywall and probably repaint your entire ceiling Sirotan fucked around with this message at 21:32 on Apr 19, 2024 |
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Apr 19, 2024 21:27
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GlyphGryph posted:In my mind, sinks are for getting water out of, and all restrictors do is slow down how fast you can get water out of them (which doesn't save water just loses time). Then folks reminded me lots of people just let their faucets run. You're mind is wrong. Bathroom sinks and showers are for washing up and they're time based activities. Kitchen sinks are for both filling and for time based washing. Less flow over time is less water. Simple as.
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Apr 19, 2024 21:54
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Sirotan posted:Assuming that bar hanger isn't the kind with an adjustment screw in the middle, can't you just give it a couple good wacks with a hammer to dislodge it from the joists on either side and then pull it out? Or, hell, just leave it up in the ceiling and replace with a new one? I'm hesitant to attack the bar hanger with anything too forceful because there's a pipe that crosses about half an inch above it. The idea of leaving the old bar hanger in the ceiling has occurred to me. I can't install the new one directly beneath the old one for a few reasons, so I would need to install the new one an inch or two away, parallel to the old bar hanger. I'm fine with this, but it would require extending the circular hole in the ceiling into an oval that isn't completely filled by the electrical box. The ceiling fan shroud is probably large enough to cover up the entire oval shaped hole that would result from this. This would make me into the Gary for the next person to work on this fixture some years/decades from now, but otherwise this approach feels more reasonable the more I think about it? Sirotan posted:Edit: oscillating tool to cut it on the middle then bend it back enough to get it out of your way or dislodge from the joist, is what I'd be doing before having to patch your drywall and probably repaint your entire ceiling The official youtube tutorial for the Raco brace product showcases a technique like this. I don't have a cutting tool on hand that could do the job, though i could probably borrow one. I do find myself doubting that I could non-destructively remove the old bar even if I cut it though - it seems to be really firmly embedded in the joists. Kefit fucked around with this message at 22:21 on Apr 19, 2024 |
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Apr 19, 2024 22:09
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Kefit posted:The official youtube tutorial for the Raco brace product showcases a technique like this. I don't have a cutting tool on hand that could do the job, though i could probably borrow one. I do find myself doubting that I could non-destructively remove the old bar even if I cut it though - it seems to be really firm embedded in the joists. Congrats, you've now found a reason to buy an oscillating tool! They're extremely useful in all kinds of situations and you will thank yourself later.
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Apr 19, 2024 22:18
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Kefit posted:I'm hesitant to attack the bar hanger with anything too forceful because there's a pipe that crosses about half an inch above it. That's probably why your fan is hanging a half inch lower than it's supposed to. Can you mount the fan 16" left or right (or whatever your joist spacing is) where no pipe is in the way, or, maybe there's a V shaped hanger that only needs to attach to one 2x4 instead of bridging between two
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Apr 19, 2024 22:28
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Hadlock posted:That's probably why your fan is hanging a half inch lower than it's supposed to. The fan was hanging half an inch too low because Gary used too large of an electrical box connected to a bracket plopped loosely on a completely mismatched bar hanger. I could simply use a shorter electrical box to make the existing install flush with the ceiling, but it would still be a really loose and insecure installation because of the inappropriate bracket. The pipe presents no clearance issues for the new Raco hanger I plan to install. This was one of the first things I checked on when I noticed the pipe was there.
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Apr 19, 2024 22:42
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I now have an 11k lb CNC mill in my garage but getting it in means my already a bit cracked and sunken driveway is now more so. Has anyone hired a concrete leveling company to raise and repair cracks? Any special concerns or questions to ask? How much did they charge? I know the cracks will still be pretty apparent, I don’t care much for the looks if it’s levelish. There’s a few spots but here is the worst of the cracking and misalignment 
CarForumPoster fucked around with this message at 21:23 on Apr 21, 2024 |
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Apr 21, 2024 19:44
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Think you’ll need a new slab poured there. The swayback will crack if levelling is attempted and you already have displaced breaks.
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Apr 21, 2024 21:54
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Sirotan posted:Assuming that bar hanger isn't the kind with an adjustment screw in the middle, can't you just give it a couple good wacks with a hammer to dislodge it from the joists on either side and then pull it out? Or, hell, just leave it up in the ceiling and replace with a new one?  I borrowed my step-dad's giant reciprocating saw with an 8" metal cutting blade to cut through this bar while it was still embedded between the joists. Don't do this. It's absolutely the wrong tool for the job. I cut in short spurts, but I still lost control of it the millisecond it finished cutting through the bar. Thankfully I only ended up cutting through about an inch of ceiling drywall, but it could have been much worse given all the pipes and wiring up there. I'm spooked enough by this experience that I'm ordering an oscillating multitool just so I don't get tempted to do something stupid like this again. Though in retrospect I think the best solution to this particular situation would have been to drive down to Home Depot and spend $30 on some cheap large bolt cutters. The Raco retrofit brace was an extremely easy install once I got the old bar out of the way.  It's beautiful. I have avoided becoming Gary today, but there is always hope for tomorrow.
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Apr 21, 2024 22:23
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Kefit posted:…Though in retrospect I think the best solution to this particular situation would have been to drive down to Home Depot and spend $30 on some cheap large bolt cutters….
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Apr 21, 2024 22:48
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Nice work. Bolt cutters are just as hackey as a reciprocating saw with an 8" blade imho. You'll be glad you got the oscillating tool the next time you run into another Gary special.
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Apr 21, 2024 22:50
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Option B is a 4" grinder. I wish I'd spent the $14 on the cheap model at harbor freight a decade ago. Between the cut off blade and the grinder disc you can do enormous sums of money worth of damage to your house
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Apr 21, 2024 22:55
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Kefit posted:
Are you sure about that? You're missing a clamp connector around where the wires come into the box. Something like this
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Apr 22, 2024 00:24
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The Raco kit comes with a little plastic insert that serves that purpose. I just hadn't put it in yet when I took the photo.
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Apr 22, 2024 00:28
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Kefit posted:The Raco kit comes with a little plastic insert that serves that purpose. I just hadn't put it in yet when I took the photo. Not an expert, but I do believe you also need to ground that box (connect the bare copper to a screw directly against the inside of the box).
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Apr 22, 2024 00:54
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Che Delilas posted:Not an expert, but I do believe you also need to ground that box (connect the bare copper to a screw directly against the inside of the box). Yea, looks like the hole on the bottom left is for that
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Apr 22, 2024 01:09
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So I need some guidance, I've got this thing  that I want to use for this hole  The frame that's already in there doesn't line up with the screwholes for the mount that I have, so it needs to come out. Since the new one isn't flush and there's a board on the right side it seems like the right play is to shift the hole to the left and patch up what I don't use on the right. If there's another option I didn't consider I'd be willing to give it a shot
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Apr 22, 2024 01:53
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Hotel Kpro posted:So I need some guidance, I've got this thing Screw the brush plate (white) directly into the existing mud ring that is installed. Apply face plate. Ditch the black plastic remodel mounting ring.
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Apr 22, 2024 17:00
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I need a new washer and dryer. I’m not in a huge rush but what brands should I be looking at? The current one is Samsung and kinda sucks. Also does homedepot or lowes take the old ones away? They are on the second floor and I can’t be hosed to move them myself.
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Apr 22, 2024 19:18
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