Home Improvement: Repaired our 27-year-old HVAC system yesterday! |
- Repaired our 27-year-old HVAC system yesterday!
- What is the difference between a 6 vs. 9 vs. 12 year water heater?
- Strange stuff leaking from socket
- Advice on how to tell my bf his plan is stupid
- I am thinking of laying sod for my parent's back yard. Could really use some advice!
- What is this box in my backyard?
- Best way to seal these large gaps between furnace ducts and wall?
- How to replace track light bulb?
- Well, I'm really in deep now!
- How to landscape this trench
- '76 Mobile Home - I-beam collapsing? Am I boned?
- Gas vs Electric Baseboard heating:
- Can I put in AFCI or GFCI outlets Receptacle through entire house?
- Are all sticky felt pads terrible?
- Seal around electrical mast gone?
- Drywall may have mold -- Use contractor or mold remediation company?
- Sump pump pipe drains into neighbors yard
- Stripped 70 year old wood siding. Need advice on sanding fineness and whether to prime
- I need some help figuring out my home electrical.
- Help! What are these parts called?
- Only 2 Wires on Every Receptacle
- Fly Infestation Under Deck Tiles
- How to get the smell of cats out of a house?
- Kitchen Sink Faucet Supply Lines Too Short. I Can’t Figure Out How To Remove Them To Replace With Longer Ones. Help?
- First time heat pump/central air owner. The builder says i should get 20x21x1 filters. What should I get?
| Repaired our 27-year-old HVAC system yesterday! Posted: 04 May 2020 08:57 AM PDT Our 1993-install HVAC last quit about a month ago. We called the repair guys who basically reset our system and breaker and did not discover what the problem was. Only charged for a $90 service call, which was about the best we could have expected. They told us we would likely need a new system, which makes sense considering the age. Saturday evening it quit again. It's been pretty hot and muggy hear lately, and AC is crucial where we live. Tried to reset the outdoor unit and breaker as the repair guys did last time, but no luck. Did a bunch of online research that night and tested restarting the condenser fan with a stick to see if the start capacitor had died; no luck. Tested the ancient cartridge fuses in the disconnect; nothing. Next morning I opened the outdoor unit (a Goodman CE60-3B). Here's a photo inside the cabinet. This unit runs on 240v AC three-phase power. I don't really have any experience with this kind of thing, so I had to do a ton of research. Above this is a hole through that back steel wall with a PVC tube to carry the wires from the fan motor. After reading a ton of stuff, I discharged the run capacitor and tested it with a multimeter and it was showing as dead. However, while I was disconnecting the capacitor, I moved the wires to the motor aside and also found this: the condenser fan motor wires had been reacting with the grounded metal of the unit case and it had eaten both the metal of the case and severed at least one of the wires. I bought a new run capacitor for 6 dollars from a local supply store, then cut out the bad sections of the wires, soldered them back together then and used two layers of heat shrink tube to cover the connections. I covered the hole through the metal with electrical tape and wrote on the unit wall to be sure to pull the PVC tube through after assembling to prevent it from happening again. Also relocated the run capacitor, which had been zip-tied to the end of the lead's length and I think contributed to the wires resting against the cabinet. Hooked everything up, turned it on and JACKPOT, sweet sweet cold air. Luckily the motor was still working, which was my next replacement if it didn't start. Total spent was under $7.00 and I've just been riding this high for two days now. Let me tell you, of all the repairs you can make to your home or vehicle, almost nothing else has the sweet, immediate reward of fixing AC on a hot day. When you feel that cold air hit you through the vent, endorphins flood your brain and you just feel like Superman crossed with Albert Einstein. Not sure how much longer it will last, but it was definitely a major savings over having even this repair done by someone else. [link] [comments] |
| What is the difference between a 6 vs. 9 vs. 12 year water heater? Posted: 04 May 2020 04:22 AM PDT Not an expert on water heaters but my house had a "gas whirlpool brand water heater with a 6 year warranty" and it had a backfiring problem after only using it for 3 years. It happened on a saturday 2 days ago, tried calling the customer support but it was the weekeend so wed have to wait until monday to get ahold of them. Anyway, My dad didnt want to wait so long and wanted to fix it ASAP, so he immediately went to home depot to buy a new water heater and ended up getting a "gas A.O Smith brand water heater with a 12 year warranty". What exactly is the difference between a 6 year, 9 year and 12 year? Ive done some research and seems like there really isnt any difference and its just a money scam. But my dad thinks that just because its 12 years its going to last longer because its built differently and better quality ( i dont think thats how it works) Any idea anyone???? [link] [comments] |
| Strange stuff leaking from socket Posted: 04 May 2020 01:27 PM PDT Hello! I live in a co-op in Queens, NY. I recently had water damage, a pipe burst in the apartment above mine. The pipes come through the walls so there is wall and floor damage. I have an insurance claim out but regardless, because of COVID I don't really want people coming to work in my home for awhile. This was about 3 weeks ago. Just recently I also noticed that the socket on one of the affected walls is leaking some sort of greenish pus (see link). I also hear a periodic hissing noise coming from the area. It will be for a few seconds and then stop. I've stopped plugging stuff into that outlet but mainly I'm wondering, what is this and how serious is it? Can anyone shed some light on the subject? Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| Advice on how to tell my bf his plan is stupid Posted: 04 May 2020 05:54 AM PDT My bf and I are planning to move in a few years, so we are trying to fix up our house to sell by that time. My bf got this idea in his head that I'm sure is against code, because I can't find anything like it online. Our basement got flooded a year ago and we had to year out the bottom half of the walls and the carpet. Because of this my bf wants to raise the basement floors. Ok. Not a bad idea. No what he wants to do is make a grid of PVC pipes underneath the floor to be able to hook up to a shop vac to pump water out of it floods or pump hot air to warm the floors if it's cold. I honestly don't believe a shop vac would have the power to do that. Water would get stuck under there and mold would grow. He is acting like I'm stupid. Can anyone give me advice? [link] [comments] |
| I am thinking of laying sod for my parent's back yard. Could really use some advice! Posted: 04 May 2020 05:09 PM PDT Hello Everyone! location: Greater Toronto Area, Canada My parent's have been suffering from a particularly bad lawn. This has been the case for ~ 5 years, when they moved into this place. I have taken it on myself to remedy this situation. My idea for the somewhat patchy and weed infested lawn is to lay new sod + edge a garden bed with brick. My calculations indicate that I am looking to cover an area of around 730 sqft (~68 m2). My action plan is as follows: Weekend 1: 1) Rent a sod cutter to remove existing grass and weeds. 2) Rent Tiller to tile soil Weekend 2: 1) Place new soil/manure mixture 2) Level soil + water 3) Lay Sod Logistics & Resources: I will be renting the sod cutter and tiller from home depot. I will also buy the sod from Home depot. For soil/manure mixtures I am thinking of getting those $1/1kg bags they sell at Walmart. For man power, I only have myself. I have watched tons of Youtube videos, so I think I have an idea of what I should be doing. But I would really appreciate any input from more experienced members about anything I should be looking into, any things I should be aware of etc. Any feedback would be appreciated! Thanks!! [link] [comments] |
| What is this box in my backyard? Posted: 04 May 2020 08:39 PM PDT Bought a new house a few months ago and recently found this box in my back yard. It is about 20 feet away from the house and seems in there pretty solid. I tried opening it, but didn't have much luck. [link] [comments] |
| Best way to seal these large gaps between furnace ducts and wall? Posted: 04 May 2020 07:03 PM PDT Hello, I'm looking to seal the large gaps between the ducts and wall in my utility room. The ducts lead into the crawl space and I really want to block off the gaps to prevent critters and whatnot from getting in. It looks like there is some insulation in there but it was placed in there really lazily and it doesn't very secure. I thought about using spray foam but I wasn't sure if these gaps would be too large for something like that. I wasn't sure if there was another product that would work better. Thanks in advance for any and all advice! [link] [comments] |
| How to replace track light bulb? Posted: 04 May 2020 06:51 PM PDT I have these track lights on my outdoor patio - I can't for the life of me figure out how to replace a burned out bulb in this thing. The entire outer casing unscrews about a quarter turn then stops, I'm afraid I'm going to break something. How do I replace the bulb in this thing? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 04 May 2020 04:48 AM PDT |
| Posted: 04 May 2020 05:56 PM PDT https://i.imgur.com/PnLJFba.jpg Right side is the house, ramp goes up to a shed / golf cart garage. Cinder blocks along the base od the house and along the incline. Is straight up dirt in that trench ok? Obviously I'm no expert but would imagine rock or something that drains more effectively than dirt would be better for getting water away from the house. Any ideas? Also, house is on a slab. [link] [comments] |
| '76 Mobile Home - I-beam collapsing? Am I boned? Posted: 04 May 2020 07:13 PM PDT Hey there, this is undoubtedly not anything I can "home improve" and may be cause to consider my home unlivable, but I discovered today that one of the two "junior I-beam (main rail)"(According to this diagram, #20) of my old mobile home is bending away, seemingly resting on only about half the edge rather than flat. Regular beam: https://i.imgur.com/EMqS1Ck.jpg Bending: https://i.imgur.com/98ETTpX.jpg No clue what else may be wrong here, but I at least know that one of two apparent major horizontal supports bending away and not resting flat like it probably oughta be isn't good. Am I fucked? Am I, and those I live with, suddenly having to live in a car? We've got nothing else and completely broke with no savings, so I'm kinda spooked here. I've gone into debt just trying to make this place a non-leaky, fire-hazard junk heap over the last few years, and I'm worried it was all for nothing if the place might collapse beneath me at any moment. Mods, if this is against any rules, I apologize, there just aren't any more relevant active subs to ask about this in and it just looks like a pretty important structural part to me. [link] [comments] |
| Gas vs Electric Baseboard heating: Posted: 04 May 2020 07:12 PM PDT I am looking into purchasing a home (condo). It has a gas stove, which implies there is a gas line coming into the building, which is good. However, the entire house is heated with electric baseboard heating which is expensive and less efficient that forced air gas heating. Why the heck would the house be designed like this? If a gas line is there, then why not use gas heating?? Edit: I am not a very handy person so my apologies if this seems like a silly question but I am genuinely curious. [link] [comments] |
| Can I put in AFCI or GFCI outlets Receptacle through entire house? Posted: 04 May 2020 05:35 PM PDT My new house has the original receptacles from 1949. The house has only 1 3 pronged plug. I need to upgrade and was wondering if I can use AFCI or GFCI throught the entire house. 20 amp service and I don't know what gauge wire. [link] [comments] |
| Are all sticky felt pads terrible? Posted: 04 May 2020 06:46 PM PDT I am so tired of buying felt pads for my furniture legs just to have them peel off in a day. Does any company make good felt pads or should I just deal with it? [link] [comments] |
| Seal around electrical mast gone? Posted: 04 May 2020 08:55 PM PDT So I heard some squirrels and shit crawling around in it last night. Just went outside to check this morning, and there's no seal or anything there. It's just a big hole with the mast sticking out now. Is this something I can fix myself, or is it best to shell out the cash and hire a professional? [link] [comments] |
| Drywall may have mold -- Use contractor or mold remediation company? Posted: 04 May 2020 06:16 PM PDT We found a leak that has been going on for awhile, in the common wall (wall between kitchen and garage). We got the leak fixed from plumber, but it looks like there may be mold behind wall. One contractor we like will replace the sheetrock on the whole wall (15'x9'). But, if there is mold, not sure if he is qualified to remove it or if we should have a mold contractor come out as well. Thoughts? [link] [comments] |
| Sump pump pipe drains into neighbors yard Posted: 04 May 2020 05:50 PM PDT Hello Folks, I had a sump pump installed in my crawlspace. Unfortunately, they made it drain into my neighbors yard. I was thinking of installing a PVC pipe and directing it towards the drainage ditch in my backyard. I don't want to have a naked PVC pipe end in my yard, but I'm having trouble finding any emitters for the 1.5-2 inch diameter pipe they used. Am I going about this the wrong way? It rained hard here recently and it's made a mess of the neighbors yard and I don't want to be "that neighbor". [link] [comments] |
| Stripped 70 year old wood siding. Need advice on sanding fineness and whether to prime Posted: 04 May 2020 08:20 AM PDT See pic below. Used a Diamabrush to strip the paint. Now using 40 grit to level divits. Then 80 grit to smooth. Should I just a higher grit before priming/painting? Should I use primer? Thinking a peel bonding primer might be best. Or a paint and primer in one like Behr Premium Ultra or Clark and Kensington [link] [comments] |
| I need some help figuring out my home electrical. Posted: 04 May 2020 05:29 PM PDT We've got an older home that's had all sorts of fun stuff done to it. Most of the second story and half the kitchen is on one circuit. I'm trying to split out the kitchen stuff. I found the outlet where the power comes into the house. I figured I could find the branch that ran to the kitchen and disconnect it from both ends and run a new line to the kitchen. My problem is I can't find how the kitchen wires into the upstairs. I've gone through every switch and outlet and at this point am pretty sure there's a hidden junction box behind the walls that splices in probably 5 destinations. I really don't want to start tearing down the walls to find a hidden junction box. Can I just cap off the live wires down in the kitchen and run new ones in? Is that bad? Thanks for the help! [link] [comments] |
| Help! What are these parts called? Posted: 04 May 2020 07:21 PM PDT Our movers lost pieces to our bedframe during the move. We're trying to find replacement parts. Any idea what the bottom fastener pieces are called and where I can find them? The bed company is closed due to covid and Home Depot had no ideas. [link] [comments] |
| Only 2 Wires on Every Receptacle Posted: 04 May 2020 07:17 PM PDT |
| Fly Infestation Under Deck Tiles Posted: 04 May 2020 05:06 AM PDT So I have a unique situation... I live in an apartment on the top floor of a building. I have a large terrace/deck that is made of those raised teak deck tiles for uneven surfaces (http://www.hardwoodhome.com/sitebuilder/images/strucutral_deck_tiles-407x301.jpg). Due to the position of my apartment (inside corner) and the direction it faces (North), the deck get's literally zero direct sunlight. This leads to standing water and moist conditions under the tiles, which in turn, leads to a massive amount of flies. The property management wants to send an exterminator in, but I don't really want the chemicals to be used, and I worry that spraying once won't be a long term solution. Has anyone encountered an issue like this before, and if so, how did you deal with it? [link] [comments] |
| How to get the smell of cats out of a house? Posted: 04 May 2020 07:05 PM PDT Hi! And thank you in advance for any advice. My grandpa recently passed away and left behind a house, which I'm planning to travel to on weekends to fix up and move into (or resell). My grandma kept cats since the 1970s. The whole house still smells like cats, even though no cats have been there since 2015. I'm also very, very allergic to cats. Even nowadays, with no cats, I can barely stand to be inside the house for more than a few hours. Does anyone have any advice for ridding a house of its deep-rooted cat odor? More specifically, any experience getting a house to be more allergy-proof? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 04 May 2020 06:59 PM PDT We just bought this beautiful kitchen sink faucet and they supply lines are about two inches short and I want to replace them but cannot figure out how to remove them and it doesn't say in the manual how to remove them. Anyone have any clue? It is the American Standard Fairbury 4005SSF | 529-222. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 04 May 2020 04:34 PM PDT |
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