^ that's the same one I have/linked to. it doesn't have a grinder, but has that filter pictured. if you have that same filter i'd be amazed if you never have to clean it. while i'm not much of a pre-rinser, if it gets gummed up after a few washes the loan won't be cleaned, i guess because the water can't drain properly.

1/5/2016 4:42:50 PM

I have a kenmore dishwasher with a filter and it's never been appreciably dirty/clogged. I clean it out every few months (generally, only when I'm about to sanitize beer bottles for brewing, when I make sure the washer is free of any debris that could somehow wind up in a bottle). It also has the heated drying, and I don't know if it's just mine, but I have to make sure to open it up after the drying cycle to get the dishes fully dry. I also dump any pooled water on dishes as that takes forever to evaporate. I imagine this may be generally true, since the washer just stays hot for a while, but doesn't do enough to remove water vapor. Hence, opening it up allows for a rapid cool down and evaporation to take place.

1/5/2016 4:44:21 PM

Yeah I open mine up too. Does your filter look like this?

1/5/2016 4:51:35 PM

^'tis it


****

Where do you all stand at DIY Radon Test kits (set out kit for a few days, then mail in for testing) that you can get a big box stores? Two of my neighbors selling their homes just had tests (I assume professional) performed and both came back high. That prompted me to test mine with a DIY kit and came back below the threshold (2pCi/L; max is 4). Those two houses are on slabs; mine is a crawlspace, so I'm assuming it's getting enough ventilation to prevent a build of up radon concentrations, though I normally leave the vents closed. I plan on putting a kit in the crawlspace to test that air directly

Since my kit was a short-term test, does anyone have recommendations for a long-term test? Pro-labs seems to be the popular google result. Not sure what the advantage of paying >$100 for a "professional" to do it when it's an FYI.

[Edited on January 5, 2016 at 5:09 PM. Reason : .]

1/5/2016 4:57:01 PM

I had to pay 150 to get a radon test on a house I was going to buy, on the house I actually bought I used the 2 day hardware store test. Since I didn't do them at the same house I don't know if they were different. I know the inspector told me to do it at different times of the year to really be sure.

If I was going to be in the house for a long time and two of my neighbors had high readings, I would at least call a professional tester to see how they would actually perform the test to ensure my house was at safe levels and probably get it tested (definitely worth knowing for $150).

1/5/2016 5:22:08 PM

Anyone ever gotten an international mortgage? I'm buying a vacation house and can get financing abroad but they require a lot of money down and really limit my buying power. I qualify with the united nations credit union from some prior work I've done with them but their interest rate is up around 9%. Any other options? I'd ideally put ~10% down and keep the interest rate under 7%.

1/24/2016 10:08:18 AM

^^ i dont know if the neighbor things matter though as i've heard it can vary wildly even in the same neighborhood.

1/24/2016 1:35:53 PM

Heat is out...efff. Why do these things always seem to happen (a) at night or (b) over a weekend when you get to pay the premium service call rate? If this was a week later I'd let it ride, with highs in the 60's next Sunday. Oh well.

On a related subject, any of y'all in Raleigh had a furnace & A/C replaced in the last few years? Our unit is original to the house, so I figure we're on borrowed time with it regardless. I need to start planning to get it replaced. Any companies to recommend (or avoid)?

1/24/2016 3:42:58 PM

^Not in Raleigh but I replaced my HVAC system in 2014 (it was ~11 years old). It cost A LOT more than I expected to just be warned. It was seriously like $6000.

1/25/2016 9:09:30 AM

I just replaced one of my two ton heat pumps. American Standard 16SEER. paid $4600. (but in central VA vs. Raleigh, so not sure how useful that is as a reference).

1/26/2016 9:24:52 AM

Quote :

"Any companies to recommend (or avoid)?"

Look for locally owned businesses that have been in business for a while. The big corporate outfits will bend you over and with the newer businesses you can never be too sure what you'll get unless you know some folks who have already done business with them. Manufacturers' websites usually have a list of approved service providers. It's a good place to start.

[Edited on January 26, 2016 at 2:49 PM. Reason : I can't type]

1/26/2016 2:49:33 PM

I have replaced two. One was through Raleigh Heating and Air. The other was through Service Experts. I was pretty pleased with the work that Raleigh H&A did with one exception. They didn't tell me that my thermostat was not compatible with the unit they recommended and it burned something out in the heater. That being said, they came out and fixed it at no extra cost.

Service Experts was used because they have an agreement with Costco where if you install a Lennox (I think) system you get a refund. It ended up knocking about $600 off the price.

1/27/2016 12:06:00 PM

I have a lot of experience with HVACs and their replacement and initial install. I have installed 5 in the last 6 years in different areas.

You should be able to get a good quality unit installed for under 5k, depending on the size (if you want to go economy and go Goodman, under 4k). You start to get into premium units above 6k, and the super premium above 8k. You should be able to get a 16 SEER, however, in the under 5k budget.

In the Raleigh area, I would recommend A Maynor Mechanical. Top notch guy. He was also a flight instructor of mine. He is going to be competitive on price, and will install with a high degree of competency and professionalism.

I would avoid any of the big shops, like Weather Master. They are going to charge you a lot more due to their overhead.

[Edited on January 27, 2016 at 2:09 PM. Reason : .]

1/27/2016 2:09:04 PM

I paid $5500 for a Trane heat pump installed by Allen Kelly (one of the bigger names) in late 2010, but that included $1000 of ductwork. message_topic.aspx?topic=605100

[Edited on January 27, 2016 at 2:24 PM. Reason : I've got a friend who works there if anyone needs a contact]

1/27/2016 2:23:25 PM

Garage door track is slightly loose so that when the door is coming down, it shakes laser just enough for it to kick the safety on

1/27/2016 2:33:07 PM

Well, tighten that shit up

1/27/2016 3:13:17 PM

I know, it's so minor, but it's the first thing to go wrong with the house since we've moved in

1/27/2016 3:39:28 PM

Hot water heater is starting to act up...seems like the supply of hot water doesn't last nearly as long as it recently did. Can't fill the master bath tub up, it gets cold before the tub fills (admittedly it's a large garden tub). Also forget about things like taking a shower and running the dishwasher within the same time frame. However, if you give it a few minutes, it does get hot quickly again.

The limited amount of research I've done seems to suggest the lower element might have burned out. Has anyone replaced an element in a hot water heater? Is it even worth doing when the unit is almost 10 years old?

I'm also going to try flushing it, but I can't imagine that would cause this sort of problem.

1/27/2016 7:06:15 PM

^While I haven't done it, youtube leads me to believe that replacing an element is fairly simple and is pretty cheap (e.g. worth it even on an old unit). Additionally, the water level must be lowered in the unit to do the replacement, so it is a good time to do a flush.

Either you have a bad element(s) or the diptube has broken off and fallen into the tank. Both are repairable for little money. Though for most units, the element repair is generally cheaper/easier.

[Edited on January 28, 2016 at 8:46 AM. Reason : .]

1/28/2016 8:45:36 AM

Is anyone familiar with the NC Residential Electrical Code? My house was built in 2012, and I believe at that time, AFCI breakers were required only in bedrooms. I want to replace two AFCI breakers for two rooms that are not bedrooms with normal breakers (living room and bonus room). Just wondering if this is a code issue for me or not.

Or if you know what document/chapter this is in - I can't find it.

[Edited on January 28, 2016 at 1:40 PM. Reason : ,]

1/28/2016 1:39:39 PM

Technically, starting at the beginning of this year, NC requires AFCI protection on any circuit in which an outlet is changed. With that said, who cares? Replace it. Most homes in America don't have AFCI.

1/28/2016 9:36:36 PM

About to go through the selling then buying process. Having never done either this is going to quickly become stressful I feel.

1/29/2016 8:37:29 AM

Doss, I'm with you. My wife and I are moving to Miami in the summer for a job, and we've decided to buy (for the first time).

1/31/2016 7:56:21 PM

2015 was pretty good to me, but I have already began to assume 2016 is gonna suck. We are probably gonna list beginning of April so the next 2 months I basically have to move most of the shit out of the house into storage. Then once we sell, move into an apartment with as little as possible until we either find a house or one is built. There is very little chance of the things overlapping so between all of that along with all the money its gonna cost its gonna be a stressful year.

2/1/2016 8:18:35 AM

I've replaced the elements on the water heater in my old house. As long as you can get a hose on it to empty the heater it is a very simple job. My water heater was in the house (condo) so I had to run the hose out the back door. Turn the breaker off, turn off water, hook up hose at bottom, open valve, open pressure valve at the top to allow water to come out the bottom. Take out both elements, go to Lowes and get replacement elements ($10 - $15 each), install, turn on water and wait till full to turn power back on. Turning on the power before filling with water could burn the elements out.

2/1/2016 10:26:30 AM

^That does sound reasonable. My water heater is right next to the floor drain that the sump pump lives inside, so I should be able to drain it off into there (I presume that's also the main wastewater exit for the house but I'm not 100% sure).

If nothing else, it's certainly worth $40 (2 elements and a short hose, I don't want to drag my 100' outside hose into the house) to try to fix it before calling a pro or replacing it.

2/1/2016 12:05:19 PM

washer went out. luckily...home warranty hasn't expired yet!

2/1/2016 3:17:11 PM

Everything just snowballs w/ owning a home. We went from a repipe and a new kitchen to ceiling to repipe and a kitchen remodel.

2/1/2016 7:48:56 PM

welp, snowmageddon left me with a leak in the roof by the chimney. Been raining all day, and i got a trickle of water coming from the point where the chimney meets the roofline. ffffffuuuuuuuuuuu

2/1/2016 11:45:25 PM

Damn...just got an $8,200 quote for siding, roof, and chimney repair. Massive rain falls have produced some leaking in the house, so I know the repairs are needed...but I was hoping this wouldn't go north of $5k.

Fucking home ownership...

2/2/2016 11:45:34 AM

^ if the rain damaged your roof, your HOI may cover it. if so, $8200 is definitely worth a claim.

I'm getting quotes on my leak first, and depending on how much it'll be, i may or may not use insurance.

2/2/2016 1:19:28 PM

i've had a fair number of issues with my house of the last 6 years, but these comments certainly make me feel a lot better about it.

2/2/2016 1:34:02 PM

^^

The house was torn down and re-constructed it when I purchased it 6 years ago (new roof and siding...which are the problem areas now). Seeing that we only experienced leaks with the "1,000 year rain" that occurred a few months ago (only recently was able to finally get someone out to check it out), think there's a good chance of this being covered?

I've never filed a homeowners claim before.

2/2/2016 3:14:26 PM

I've had to call my agent a few times, and usually your agent will advise you on whether to open a claim or not. When the adjuster comes out, realize that everything they agree to fix is negotiable, and if you feel that you are getting shafted, tell them. There are companies/people that do nothing other than negotiate on your behalf against insurance companies (although I think these are more common in situations where houses are completely destroyed).

It doesn't hurt to talk to your agent. Once when my dog bit a kid (who had been shooting my dog for weeks with his pellet gun and I never knew since I was at work) I was sued for $300k and the person suing it opened a claim with my insurance. More recently I filed a claim last winter during the snow when a tree touched my roof. I ended up filing a claim to get about 2k towards the 7k cost of a new roof, plus they paid me $1500 since I removed the trees and did some minor repair before the roof could be replaced (and that 1500 was definitely negotiable, I showed pictures of all the work I did and the adjuster changed the amount from 500 to 1500).

2/2/2016 4:21:59 PM

Had to order a replacement "pella 2 point bolt mortise lock body" for my storm door because the spring in the latch assembly broke. Pretty simple DIY.

2/9/2016 11:14:19 PM

arg

starting to notice some cracks in my ceiling and wall. Very very thin ones but still. No noticeable cracks on the brick outside.

The house is 50 yrs old, I would have figured that if there were any foundation issues they would have cropped up before I was born.

2/10/2016 10:28:39 AM

That may be nothing to be concerned with. If the cracks are along the seams of the drywall (where it is taped and mudded together) its usually just cosmetic. If you start seeing diagonal cracks especially around doors and corners then there is likely some movement.

2/10/2016 11:03:24 AM

^Yeah, found one crack near a door kinda like that but a lot thinner and not quite so diagonal. I just finished fixing the plumbing in the bathroom sink too. It never ends .

2/10/2016 11:22:13 AM

There are some condos off Trailwood that have such serious settlement I showed a foreclosed one once and it had a broken window. You could follow the crack from the top corner of the room diagonally right through the window, out of the bottom corner of the window all the way to the ground.

I have never seen anything like that before, but I guess it was repairable because people still live in the building.

2/10/2016 11:26:03 AM

Have you received a lot of rain this year where you live? Any changes to local drainage? Could be that the ground has been saturated and/or soil has migrated and is not causing problems.

2/10/2016 12:05:42 PM

Had some really heavy rain around Christmas (I think everyone did) but outside of that nothing I can think of. I've marked the cracks though so I'll check back in a week to see if they've grown. I just dread getting a foundation specialist in, I feel like the inspection alone will be at least a few hundred bucks.

2/10/2016 1:18:48 PM

well, 2nd weekend of draining water heater. This time I replaced the elements and thermostats (and learned that I may have the only bolt-in element water heater in Raleigh). After connecting everything back up and turning the water on, I noticed the tiniest dampness under the bottom element, which I think had been there all along (it was pretty rusted under the element). So I said fuck it, disconnected everything, and am now waiting on the plumber to install the new water heater.

2/15/2016 9:21:00 AM

2/15/2016 11:01:50 AM

On a related note, are electric tankless water heaters worth it these days? My current tank doesn't have the capacity for more than 2 showers and I really don't care to add another tank

2/15/2016 12:42:31 PM

Mine is awesome, but I don't have anything to compare it to.

2/15/2016 2:44:51 PM

when I was comparing, everything i saw was that electric tankless units were huge power hogs, couldn't handle much water volume and were generally inferior to gas units-- i assume you're asking because gas isn't an option for your house?

2/15/2016 5:10:17 PM

Wait...I think I have gas/tankless.

2/15/2016 7:12:04 PM

i have a gas tankless and love it except for the delay to get the first drop of hot water

i bought one of these and have been extremely happy since http://www.chilipepperapp.com/

2/15/2016 9:03:48 PM

^3, well it is, if I want to add a tank and gas line run in my house. which may happen eventually if I do a fireplace, but it's not on my radar for now.

[Edited on February 16, 2016 at 8:29 AM. Reason : .]

2/16/2016 8:29:32 AM

alls I know is my tankless takes damn forever to get warm/hot (at least the faucets do...the shower is about normal waiting time)

2/16/2016 6:44:54 PM