Home Improvement: I now know why my dryer wouldn't start |
- I now know why my dryer wouldn't start
- Old window frames from 1920 house
- I built a bridge to reach the other side of my attic
- If used to have an expensive habit of dropping/misplacing drill bits constantly. This little mod has saved me from losing countless drill bits over the last couple years. Cheap to do and it’s saved me a lot of money and frustration.
- LPT - When adding a subpanel or even just a circuit to an existing panel use a piece of the outside wire sheathing to label the hot wires.
- Wall mounted toilet experiences/reliability.
- What color should I accent my roof?
- Electric tankless water heater vs. regular water heater?
- Tile won't be remotely flush with drywall....
- Why is buying 3M respirator cartridges and filters so confusing? Which is best for spray painting?
- Contractor keeps adding to costs
- Looking to install electric curtains
- Tired old garage
- Anyone convert recessed CFL fixtures to standard e26? What bulbs fit in the cans?
- DIY faucet replacement
- Putting screws into ceiling joist in apartment complex
- Water damage from shower, house 4 years old
- Really stuck -- two contrasting professional opinions on furnace leak of carbon monoxide
- Auger made hole in sink pipe? Faulty pipe or user error?
- Sanity Check for caulking LVP / Engineered Hardwood transition
- 1960s cinderblock basement
- Why does my house smell?
- First time home buyer here... what should I buy to get ready?
- Should I replace wood shingle siding with stucco - and should I remove a deck to replace it everywhere?
| I now know why my dryer wouldn't start Posted: 16 Nov 2020 02:16 PM PST I have a Kenmore Elite HE3 dryer that wouldn't start. The buttons worked, but when I pushed the start button, all the dryer would do was make a click sound. So I did a little googling and found how easy it was to fix it myself! When I got in there, I found a quarter shoved up against the fuse, both burnt and melted. ( https://imgur.com/a/etlGDXq )I'm glad it wasn't most serious! And it was less than $10 to fix. [link] [comments] |
| Old window frames from 1920 house Posted: 16 Nov 2020 09:46 AM PST Over the summer we renovated our attic, which included installing new windows. I still have the old window frames and I'm wondering if I should just dump them or try to sell them? The house was built in 1920 in Connecticut so they are pretty old. Would hate to just dump them if someone could put them to use. Edit here are some pictures of the attic: - https://imgur.com/a/trd0iVH - https://imgur.com/a/3Y6Ykqo [link] [comments] |
| I built a bridge to reach the other side of my attic Posted: 16 Nov 2020 02:37 PM PST I've only ever reached the far side of my attic once and that was during the home inspection before purchase. It's an unnerving crawl across the open attic pulldown stairway frame. I built a bridge to make the journey easier. Since I can't fit long 2x4s or sheets of plywood in my car. I used pre-cut lengths from Home Depot and cut down the 2x4s to the right length. My invention had a surprise reward for my efforts! Take a look at the album. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 16 Nov 2020 09:35 PM PST |
| Posted: 16 Nov 2020 08:22 AM PST Have you ever been frustrated by incorrect labels on the panel cover? This is a little trick I learned a long time ago. It works best on new subpanels but I've also used it retroactively when adding a new circuit to an existing panel and I want to clean things up. When preparing each the wires from each line coming into the panel, save a small 2" long piece of the sheathing on the wire (usually white, yellow, or orange depending on wire size). Before you connect the hot wire(s) to the actual breaker write the circuit name on the sheathing and slip it over the hot wire. This way you will never be fooled by mislabeling on the panel. Here's an example of a 100amp subpanel I installed yesterday in one of the cabins I'm building: https://imgur.com/a/SmcKQAp [link] [comments] |
| Wall mounted toilet experiences/reliability. Posted: 16 Nov 2020 11:45 AM PST Doing a bathroom remodel, a wall mounted toilet would save me approx 10 inches and would be fantastic as far as I am concerned. However I do wonder about the long term reliability epically for having well water on the harder side. I do have softener that works very well. Also, has anyone had any experience with these? Either good or bad. [link] [comments] |
| What color should I accent my roof? Posted: 16 Nov 2020 07:03 PM PST I am building a green house, just like in this photo, except windows arent true color. What color should I accent my roof to my house? Brown or Green? This house will be in a wooded community. Other suggestions im open to as well! Brown https://i.imgur.com/Q895blC.png Green [link] [comments] |
| Electric tankless water heater vs. regular water heater? Posted: 16 Nov 2020 08:59 AM PST My water heater sits in my fairly small laundry room at the moment and I'd like to switch it out to an electric tankless water heater to gain some space there. I read up a bit on them and I think the biggest hurdle is to know whether it would work with your electrical setup in your house as they seem to draw a lot of power. The biggest one I've found requires 4 double pole breakers each with 40amps. My house is 200 amp overall. I do have space for 3 double pole breakers in my panel it seems like, so not sure how feasible it is to install that in my setup. They have a lower-powered one that only requires 3, but not sure if it would meet our needs. I don't want it to be a frustration (i.e. can't shower when the laundry machine is on). Does anyone have any experience with these things? How feasible is it to make it happen? (I'd have someone come and install it of course, just seeing if it's even worth inquiring about) [link] [comments] |
| Tile won't be remotely flush with drywall.... Posted: 16 Nov 2020 09:20 AM PST It's looking like the tile won't be flush with the drywall....maybe about as much as 3/4". The tub instructions say the backer board should be below the flange. Schluter Kerdi says to have it right at the top of the flange. Of course having it below the flange means the tile will stick out even further. Not sure what direction to take this. Just live with the tile sticking out and find some sort of decorative quarter round? Unfortunately, we didn't set the tub perfectly center in the opening. It's a little bigger of a gap on the left. It's set in a mortar bed so it's not going anywhere unfortunately. So, the finished product will protrude more on the left. For reference....it's a rental home not a million dollar house in the hills. [link] [comments] |
| Why is buying 3M respirator cartridges and filters so confusing? Which is best for spray painting? Posted: 16 Nov 2020 07:38 PM PST |
| Contractor keeps adding to costs Posted: 16 Nov 2020 08:54 AM PST I'm having some remodeling done by a contractor. They are removing a wetbar area to open up the floor plan and adding wood floors. They tore out the walls over the weekend, but now they keep finding things that increase the total cost. Is that typical for a contractor to do? I feel like they should have given a better estimate. [link] [comments] |
| Looking to install electric curtains Posted: 16 Nov 2020 08:54 PM PST I'm looking for a 4 wire electric curtain rod, I don't want any built in controls as I want to wire it into a z wave contoler to control it from my alarm system. I don't need the curtains, just the rod and motor. Any recommendations? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 16 Nov 2020 08:52 PM PST My house and garage in Southern California were built in 1924, and have some serious termite damage. It's been tented recently. I want to fix up the garage and I'm not sure where to start. A previous owner also drove into one of the walls and knocked it off the concrete foundation. I took off the drywall and it's just the studs beneath with siding nailed to the exterior. None of it appears to have ever been fastened to the concrete slab. Some of the studs are eaten down to the nails. I'm surprised the garage is still standing. Should I brace the wall, take off the siding and replace the studs one at a time? Or should I just build a new frame and install it as one piece? [link] [comments] |
| Anyone convert recessed CFL fixtures to standard e26? What bulbs fit in the cans? Posted: 16 Nov 2020 08:49 PM PST Procrastination means I need to fix some failed recessed CFL fixtures (new bulbs don't work, so the 13 year old ballasts must be dead). I'd have liked to have done a ballast bypass and replaced the socket or the can with an e26 socket. But I need a solution that can be done without the kind of research I need to for that. So I'll be bypassing the ballasts and using g24q-4 to e26 adapters. The adapters will mess with the current spacing of the fixtures and even after adjusting them I suspect there will be limits on the type of bulbs I can use. I think I'd like to use something like a BAR30 or BAR40 in the fixture after the conversion. Has anyone else performed this sort of conversion and can tell me if the bulbs will fit OK? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 16 Nov 2020 08:44 PM PST Hi! I recently decided that it would be a great idea to replace the standard bathroom and kitchen faucets in my apartment with zero plumbing experience outside of installing a shower head. "How hard could it be?" I thought to myself. "Just unplug the current faucet and plug in the new one. Should be as simple as hooking up a PS4 to a new tv." I quickly learned just how much I'd underestimated my opponent. The hot water shut off was easy, but the cold water would require some sortve "key of destiny" that I'd learned about through the fables of YouTube. My pride obscuring common sense, I used an 8mm ratchet to close the valve. Though it lessened, the water continued to flow. I battled with the valve for almost an hour before it finally became a slow drip. I placed a small bowl under the cold water line expecting some dripping and disconnected the hoses. I wrestled the old faucet out of the sink and beamed with pride knowing I would soon be finished with my quest. I began to install the new faucet - screwing on the fasteners and connecting the water lines. It was here that the kitchen dealt a deafening blow. The faucet was a 3/8 inch connector and the lines were 1/2 inch. There would be no avoiding a journey to Lowe's. Once there, I met a kind, soft spoken man named Jesus that guided me to the "key of destiny" to contend with my water flow issues. He held out his hand and gave me the adapters I needed to finally vanquish my foe. He then wished me luck and disappeared into the aisles. I arrived home anxious to finish the project. I connected the adapters to the faucet and turned on the water. The key significantly easing the amount of effort required. Water poured from the new faucet but there was a new problem...leaks! Leaks at all connection points. A quick request to the oracle Google says I may need a pipe joint compound but I've also somehow managed to tighten the adapters onto the pipe so hard that I'm now removing the male pipe fittings they were being screwed on to. TL/DR: tried to diy a kitchen faucet replacement without proper know how. Have somehow seared the adapters onto male pipe fittings and have leaks. Do I just replace the male pipe fittings and adapters altogether? If so, do I need to buy a specific kind (copper?)? What kind of pipe joint compound is best for this type of project? [link] [comments] |
| Putting screws into ceiling joist in apartment complex Posted: 16 Nov 2020 11:57 AM PST I'm trying to put some screws into a ceiling joist in my apartment. I located the joists with a stud finder, but when I knock on the spot I want to drill it sounds hollow and slightly metallic. In fact, anywhere I knock on the ceiling it sounds hollow and metallic. Is this normal? I'm kinda scared to drill. [link] [comments] |
| Water damage from shower, house 4 years old Posted: 16 Nov 2020 08:01 AM PST Hi my house is only a few years old. I've been getting this water damage and it's getting worse and worse, and I can no longer ignore it. Is this as bad as it looks? Will I need more than just a plumber? Thank you!!! [link] [comments] |
| Really stuck -- two contrasting professional opinions on furnace leak of carbon monoxide Posted: 16 Nov 2020 09:30 AM PST I thought the furnace was 20yo (original with house) but it seems that it's newer based on the professional opinions. Can't get ahold of previous realtor to find out exact age so it's unknown. AC for sure is 20yo and looks like it's gone through hell. Company 1: Paid to have annual maintenance done (first time since buying home last year) from a well-rated local company. Says refrigerant is low and furnace has a leak of 2ppm. Says furnace is in great condition. Repairs would be costly, but recommends replacement as leak could worsen and ac is older. Sends an estimate for replacement ($9k) but no other upselling or follow-up. Company has been really nice and easy to work with. The invoice doesn't say "REPAIR OR REPLACE ASAP"; it only states the problems and recommends a CO monitor being installed (which we already have). Company 2: Had our Home Warranty send out a tech. He said furnace is in great condition, likely not 20yo, but detects a leak of 0ppm. Says ac is low on freon, "tightened a valve" and added freon and everything is good now. He was hard to work with and not super explanatory on questions I had. It was more like, "There's no problem. End stop. Nothing to explain." I understand both companies have a motive -- Company 1 to sell appliances; Company 2 to limit repairs that the Home Warranty would have to pay out for. I'm not sure who to trust, but more than anything, we haven't run the furnace because we have a young toddler and we worry about carbon monoxide leaks at any level. We have the detectors but obviously a low level leak could sneak by it all winter. What should we do? I don't know that I would trust a third opinion at this point because they'd probably have a motive to upsell us too. I'm leaning toward buying our own low-level CO detector (how much does one cost?) and just keeping an eye on it? [link] [comments] |
| Auger made hole in sink pipe? Faulty pipe or user error? Posted: 16 Nov 2020 11:16 AM PST Hi! I hope this is an okay place to ask this but I am in a rental unit and my bathroom sink has never drained well. We're talking a good 30 minutes to drain after I wash my hands. Due to covid my building is only making necessary maintenance repairs, of which a slow sink is not. I bought an auger and figured I'd try to unclog myself. Drano wasn't doing a thing and the plastic snake I had didnt pull up much of anything. I figured it was too short. Sent the auger down and it immediately burst through the bottom of the pipe. So my question is, is that something I should have been cautious of and been more careful about, or was the pipe faulty? The auger said it is made for sinks and it is hand powered. [link] [comments] |
| Sanity Check for caulking LVP / Engineered Hardwood transition Posted: 16 Nov 2020 07:59 PM PST Hello, I'm going to be replacing a majority of my floor currently covered in tile / carpet with LVP. I hate moldings and these would span 5ft and 3feet between rooms. My hope was to install them as close as possible. I would like to make a transition piece / header board to all other boards at the transition. There is a similar header board for the other patch of engineered hardwood flooring. similar to this: https://www.solanaflooring.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/HPIM1686.jpg Would I be good to nail and glue this board down and silicone caulk the 1/8-1/16 gap in-between? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 16 Nov 2020 07:34 PM PST How would you guys recommend we finish this basement? (1965 ranch home in Iowa) We have a good budget to do this, I just want to do it /right/. I'm totally willing to get my hands dirty and do some of the work myself, but I need to know what to expect, where to start, and what I should hire out rather than do myself. We feel pretty good about the waterproofing. It looks like the previous owners did some professional water proofing, and it has a robust sump pump. The ceilings have been finished. The drywall leaves a lot to be desired and each room needs more light. I'm considering ripping and redoing the whole ceiling to accommodate for possible HVAC changes and can lights. The rooms have heat venting into the room but no return air. Do we need to vent return air through these rooms for circulation? The bathroom is terrifying, with the sink not plumbed into the concrete. How expensive does that kind of work run for? The current layout is terrible for that bathroom. Would it be possible to cut a doorway into the cinderblock wall for the bathroom, rather than having the entrance be through the laundry room? The doors being in the cinderblock walls is tripping me up. How do we finish these cinder block walls with framing and drywall, while installing a doorway, without this looking really strange? Or should we just frame out and drywall the exterior walls, leaving the interior walls cinder block? Thank you to everyone for your help! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 16 Nov 2020 07:28 PM PST USA, Michigan two story house with a basement, built in late 1950's About a month ago one morning I smelled something in our house. It smelled chemical like, maybe petroleum based, possibly accetone. I was in our upstairs bathroom and thought it might just be one of my wife's hair care products. When I got home after work later in the day as soon as I walked in the door in our kitchen I could smell it again. After sniffing around the house I determined it was coming from our basement utility room where we have our gas furnace, gas water heater and our electric clothes washer and gas clothes dryer. I called Consumers our gas and electric company and said I may have a gas leak, they sent someone out within an hour. The technician said they could smell it as well as soon as they walked in the kitchen door. They used a wand like device used for detecting gas, they got no reading anywhere in the house. We went down to the basement and the tech put their wand all over the room, near every gas fitting and it detected nothing. I even questioned if it was working correctly. We went outside the house to where the gas meter enters the home, the tech used a staff like device to make a deep hole right next to the meter and then put the wand down in the hole and again no reading. They then disconnected the meter from the gas line and we could both immediately smell the natural gas, and their wand detector immediately made a sound as it detected it, so the wand was working just fine. The technician could not determine what the smell was but could say it was not a natural gas leak. I then called a local HVAC and plumbing company to come out and see if they could figure out what was wrong. Unfortunately the person they sent had a cold and could not smell anything. They did check out the furnace and our air conditioner and found nothing wrong. They did a pressure test on the lines of the air conditioner and it was fine although the air conditioner was low on coolant (Freon?) They applied the soapy bubble liquid to the lines of from the air conditioning unit that run from outside the house to inside and found no leaks. About a week later when the smell persisted I called the HVAC company back and asked for another tech to come out who did not have a cold and could maybe diagnose the problem. They sent one out and he also could not figure it out. He did notice some corrosion on the top of my water heater and suggested I get it replace. The water heater is about 10 years old. So after three people have come to my home to try to detect the source of this smell I have not figured it out. I am quite certain the smell is coming from our utility room, it is obviously strongest there. I did google looking for answers and found that an acetone type smell may be a leak in the air conditioning unit. But since this was checked it does not seem to be the problem. If anyone has any ideas on what the smell might be it would be appreciated. Thanks. [link] [comments] |
| First time home buyer here... what should I buy to get ready? Posted: 16 Nov 2020 06:34 AM PST Hi everyone, as the title says I am set to close on my first home pretty soon/ mid December. The inspection and negotiation portion of the process are over and we are getting closer to closing this out. What are some things I will need in my home that I might not be thinking of? I do live in a fully furnished apartment right now and I'm bringing my stuff with me so I'm not looking for things like furniture or TVs etc, but I'm thinking more in the sense of like... a ring doorbell, security system recommendations, beginner tool sets? (My dad is VERY handy and has a huge workshop that I will always have access to but I don't have any myself). Anything that you would say "every home owner should have one of these" Thank you in advance for your advice!! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 16 Nov 2020 01:17 PM PST House is in South San Francisco. Built in the 50s with an addition (built in 70s) with wood shingle siding: On the side that faces the sun the shingles are in poor shape and rather loose. The other two sides look fine to my eye though the edge at the corner isn't great: Questions:
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