If any systems are dated get a home warranty for first year with code.protection because every asshole that shows up wines about out of code till they realize they can't screw you

3/6/2018 10:03:02 PM

It's also a good time to start to learn how to fix things yourself. Starting setting aside money for a tools and materials fund.

3/7/2018 10:25:20 AM

^^you talking about building codes?

3/7/2018 12:23:35 PM

The low bid shit heads they get to do hvac and plumbing always started taking about how something was out of code and you could see the Glee escape them when they called to find out I paid the extra hundred to avoid their scam

3/7/2018 7:34:35 PM

Came home to find out some dipshit Spectrum contractors had dug a 1'x4'x4' trench in my fucking front yard

also this:

Quote :

"It's February, haven't mowed the grass in months. 70* week hits, weeds explode, fescue wakes up. Wait until the weekend to mow; it's 35* now."

[Edited on March 7, 2018 at 9:08 PM. Reason : fucking hell I am so mad]

3/7/2018 9:06:53 PM

^^I will look into it. We've asked the seller to cover a year of home warranty, so i'll make sure that's added into it.

3/8/2018 8:11:19 AM

My son went to take a shower Thursday night, and there was no hot water. The water heater (in the garage) was pouring water like crazy. Got it replaced this morning with a baller ass Rheem 40 gallon along with the vent pipe (which was not installed correctly and therefore a fire hazard) and a new expansion tank. Also got it on a proper stand-was sitting on a 6 inch high pair of cinder blocks cut in half.

[Edited on March 10, 2018 at 4:57 PM. Reason : .]

3/10/2018 4:56:16 PM

^Just out of curiosity, what made you go back with a traditional rather than tankless?

When ours goes I'm hoping to go back with a tankless water heater.

3/12/2018 1:06:47 PM

tankless is great for endless hot water but not great for quickest drop of hot water to the faucet

[Edited on March 12, 2018 at 1:24 PM. Reason : .]

3/12/2018 1:23:46 PM

Quote :

"tankless is great for endless hot water but not great for quickest drop of hot water to the faucet "

Depends on where you live as well (average temperature). We got hot water pretty quick when it's warm outside and it's warm 80% of the year here. During those few cold spells, you basically get hot water the next day.

3/12/2018 2:17:37 PM

That's not a problem exclusive to tankless heaters. In my house, the hot water lines seem to bleed off all their heat about 5 minutes after the water stops running.

3/13/2018 1:04:43 PM

Comparing pure tankless to pure tank systems - you will get hot water to your faucet faster every time with a tank.

We use an on-demand pump to circulate water while our tankless heater get the water up to temp so we aren’t just pouring water down the drain and that makes our tankless system as fast a tank system once the faucet is turned on, but we have to wait the ~60-90 seconds (depending on which faucet it is) for the pump to run

3/13/2018 5:26:23 PM

do a combined system that has a small tank or you can even buy hybrid models now that are all-in-one units

3/13/2018 6:54:04 PM

which gutter guards should i get?

3/27/2018 11:15:52 AM

No idea. There isn't a tall tree within 300 feet of my house.

3/28/2018 2:24:55 PM

^^ I've been trying to decide too. Have a friend (not very close friend) who installs gutters and his three options where 600, 800, 1200 for 120 linear feet. The $1200 are the Raindrop gutters and are suppose to be maintenance free. The other two I believe may still require some maintenance from time to time.

3/28/2018 2:58:29 PM

Changed out the flapper in the toilet a few weeks ago so it would stop trickling water. Seemed to do the job, though getting the slight increase in the water bill sucked. Hopefully all is well now.

Got the HVAC serviced this morning and guy fixed a decent leak in the duct work in the basement, so hopefully that will lead to lower cooling/heating bills.

3/28/2018 4:26:54 PM

Quote :

"which gutter guards should i get?"

At 3 different houses I have installed the snap in screens from lowes: https://m.lowes.com/pd/Amerimax-Snap-in-Gutter-Filter-PVC-Gutter-Screen/50040810

They work great for leaves but pinestraw can still slowly accumulate. Once I cut down the pine trees at my old house, I did zero maintenance to these things for over 5 years. I put them in my new house 2 years ago and haven't had to mess with the gutters since.

I did a ton of research initially into different gutter guards because I was fed up dealing with blocked gutters (mostly leaves and pinestraw sitting on top of the guards and preventing water from actually going into the gutter). After watching my dad install the more expensive guards and still having issues, I decided to try out the ones from Lowes. Benefit is the cost and the fact that I could easily install them myself. Hell, for $100 I did my entire house. They are easy to cut, and you just need to make sure you snap them in completely and install them correctly with the shingles (not hard).

If you have pine trees sitting over top your house, you should look at a different options. Obviously I stand behind this because I have installed them at multiple houses and still vouch for them.

3/28/2018 11:00:40 PM

welp it's official. joined the home owner life. The glistening glow of everything in the house turned into finding every cosmetic issue or potential future problem

3/29/2018 8:29:57 AM

Quote :

"finding every cosmetic issue or potential future problem"

Get used to it. It will never be perfect. The good news is that 90% of the things you find wrong will go completely unnoticed by any guests. They will stick out like a sore thumb to you though.

3/29/2018 9:10:42 AM

^

3/29/2018 9:13:15 AM

^^

3/29/2018 1:37:57 PM

it was way less expensive than i assumed to have someone clean my gutters, i'm never doing it myself again

4/2/2018 1:20:11 PM

Once or twice a year I’ll come home to an ad stuck in the side of my mail box that offers gutter cleaning for like 99 bucks, I plan on taking them up on it this year

4/2/2018 3:02:15 PM

finding a competent painter / handyman / repairman that will return your calls and at least appears legit (contract, insurance, etc) is frustratingly difficult.

if anyone has recommendations for the east wake area (wendell / knightdale), please let me know. I need some drywall, baseboard, and shoe molding in my pantry removed due to water damage. Check behind the wall for any other issues, then repair. Repaint the entire pantry. Need 2 prefinished doors repaired (scratches / gouges on doors). Would like some recently installed shoe molding to be finished out (sand corners, set nails, fill nail holes), then paint shoe molding and baseboard (1 hall, 1 bath, 3 bed, 5 closets).

4/3/2018 7:51:26 AM

anyone have a simple carpenter bee solution? I have not been able to track them back to their current bore and they are swarming my house preparing for an invasion.

4/3/2018 8:49:53 AM

Quote :

"finding a competent painter / handyman / repairman that will return your calls and at least appears legit (contract, insurance, etc) is frustratingly difficult."

So true. I had a french door I wanted to install. Did some research online and found some guys with good reviews. Went through four of them before someone finally answered. Left voicemails for the others and never heard back. The guy I did finally talk to never called me back.

4/3/2018 9:00:31 AM

Yep on the handyman issue.

Trying to get some soffit and facsia repaired right now, and hate ladders.

Called 6 different people, all of whom were recommended off of Nextdoor. Only got 1 answer, said he would come by and give a quote. - Nothing for over a week.

4/3/2018 9:12:42 AM

^^^I've seen pictures of a block of wood with a jar on the bottom that is supposedly a carpenter bee trap.

4/3/2018 9:24:24 AM

There's an underground pool at a family member's house and I'm apparently in charge of getting it back in working order after 10 years of not being used. So far I've raked and cleared all the vines and poison oak, drained the gross water and leaves, and torn out the ruined liner. Anyone have a rough estimate for a new vinyl liner, assuming all pipes and pump are still useable? It has sand on the bottom and concrete walls.

4/3/2018 4:51:35 PM

Quote :

"underground pool"

Cool!

4/3/2018 6:42:03 PM

that would be scary

************

1) Any recommendations on shower cleaners (fiberglass). Got some scum, hard water, and idkwtf stains I can't get out.

2) I feel like I've asked this before, and I'm sure others have, but is it dumb switch to a tankless water heater on electric? My current one hasn't ever produced a sufficient amount of hot water, even though it checked out fine. Seems like it's getting worse though. It's in my crawlspace and if it were to be replaced, the new tank can't get taller; it could get somewhat wider, though by only so much until it would have to be relocated and some lines rerun. And it's still a damn tank. Other option is to add a second tank and split the load.

3) I had a third, but forgot. I'll be back.

[Edited on April 4, 2018 at 6:51 AM. Reason : .]

4/4/2018 6:46:56 AM

^#2, what do you have the temp set at on the built in t-stats? Curious, because i'm in the same situation and water is just not as hot as i want it to be.

this was posted higher on this page

Quote :

"tankless is great for endless hot water but not great for quickest drop of hot water to the faucet Depends on where you live as well (average temperature). We got hot water pretty quick when it's warm outside and it's warm 80% of the year here. During those few cold spells, you basically get hot water the next day."

4/4/2018 8:17:32 AM

heh. maybe I should read

No clue on the tstat. I'm guessing that it's located inside the panel on the tank?

4/4/2018 8:45:31 AM

yes. both the upper and lower elements have t-stats that you can adjust with a flathead screwdriver. I think the max that they safely recommend is 125 F.

4/4/2018 10:07:09 AM

I was going to ask the same about the temp. I turned mine up to 130+ I think and that solved my supply issue. I can check if u want WD. Shit is too hot to wash your hands in straight up but that's not a big deal.

I've heard conflicting reports about tankless. Maybe some with them here can comment.

4/4/2018 10:37:55 AM

if you're spending the money, go with a hybrid system

4/4/2018 11:16:57 AM

That's the if.

When my electric died I just spent the $300 or whatever and got a new one. Wasn't trying to spend $1000+ just on the unit.

4/4/2018 11:38:40 AM

Hybrid water heaters are pretty neat, but they're expensive as fuck (4+ times the cost of a standard water heater). They get you 95 - 98% efficiency instead of about 85%. I wouldn't think about one unless I lived in an area with really expensive electricity.

Quote :

"1) Any recommendations on shower cleaners (fiberglass). Got some scum, hard water, and idkwtf stains I can't get out."

1 part blue Dawn liquid dish soap to 3 parts white vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray liberally and let sit for half an hour. Most everything should wipe right off. Your house might smell like vinegar for a day or two.

Depending on the stains in question, you might need something bleach base. Hydrogen peroxide is also worth trying on stains.

4/4/2018 1:32:42 PM

4^,5^ thanks; I'll try to check the tstat this weekend.

^thanks. I hate vinegar, but use it enough for cleaning that I can deal.

***

back to my old fridge issue; OP:

Quote :

"Anyone have kitchen fridge recommendations? Currently I have a samsung french door with a bottom freezer. The layout is fine. the [mechanical] design has flaws. if my latest attempt at preventing some issues fails, I'm getting a new fridge. and not a samsung."

So I lied. I'm not going to get a new fridge yet. The icing issue is back, but I've got a few more suggestions from internetting. So I'll try those first.

from darkone

Quote :

"The coil inside my Samsung wasn't sufficiently defrosting and it starting icing up and failing to cool about 2 weeks after the warranty expired. After some trials and tribulations, I found a service manual for the thing. I've since relocated the ice sensor and learned how to put it into defrost mode manually. That's prevented any more icing issues. Recently, the ice maker iced up and the bin wouldn't rotate or come out. Turning off the ice maker and letting everything sublime and then getting all the ice build up out seems to have fixed things for the moment."

I must have not read this a while back, because that's pretty much my issue. I notice it first because the fan starts to make noise from ice buildup on the defroster coils / fan. That also means there's a huge sheet of ice and water beneath the deli drawer. Temps start to rise, etc. I've manually defrosted it several times (power off). Also added wire from the defroster down the defrost drain; apparently didn't work.

So I read about the leakage kit from samsung, that some people say has worked for them. So I'm going to put that in ($10). Also read that the fridge needs to be off the front wheels (extend the front pedestals). Then as you said, a sensor needs to be relocated.

But questions: I'd like to check all the related components for proper function / voltage / etc before going further, but am not sure of what / where / specs. I know how to force defrost mode; but does it automatically end? If not, how do you end it (and how do you know if ending it has been successful and if defrosting was successful, without having to take the back cover off)?

Samsung RF26 (RF263BEAESR)

I have the same issue with the ice maker. It is absurd. However, I've found that if you use it a lot, it tends to ice up less. I don't use a lot of ice, so it's a constant issue for me.

[Edited on April 5, 2018 at 8:41 AM. Reason : .]

4/5/2018 8:27:40 AM

For manual defrost:
1) Hold down the energy saver and fridge buttons at the same time for about 5-8 seconds. The display will change
2) Hit the fridge button until until it says something like "rd" or "rf" (I can't remember exactly)
3) The fridge will now defrost and it will beep constantly the whole time.
4) It will either stop itself or you can do it manauly be repeating step one and then step two until the display is blank.
5) It will revert to normal operation


Moving the sensor:
Remove all the shelves and make sure the system is de-iced. Remove the back panel from inside the fridge. At the upper right of the coil, there is a pill-like sensor if a white, plastic bracket. From the factory, it's installed on the inlet side of the coil, all the way to the right. Move it to the outlet side of the coil, just to the right of where it was installed from the factor. Put everything back together.


The wire from the defrost heating element down to the drain hole addresses a different problem that what you've described. That's for when the defrost drain gets plugged up with ice. The idea there is that the wire conducts heat from the defrost element down inside the drain hole and prevent ice accumulation. If you're seeing ice and water accumulating in and beneath the deli drawer, you're having that problem too.

BTW, defrosting just by turning the power off can take days unless you're leaving the doors open.


Self Diagnosis:
Press both buttons (upper left– upper right) simultaneously (No sound when both buttons are pressed at the same time) ’til the display quits blinking and beeps, 8- 12 seconds, then release and read Fault Codes. This will also cancel the Fault Mode created by self-diagnosis at power up.

Drop me a PM and I'll send you the service manual I have.

4/5/2018 1:16:23 PM

Quote :

"Hybrid water heaters are pretty neat, but they're expensive as fuck (4+ times the cost of a standard water heater). "

i think they said they had a small electric already, so they would just need to buy the tankless

4/6/2018 8:49:54 PM

Quote :

"just"

4/6/2018 9:20:23 PM

^^?

When I say hybrid, this is what I mean:
https://www.hotwater.com/water-heaters/residential/electric/proline/xe/voltex-hybrid-electric-heat-pump/

It's a water heat with a heat pump inside that captures and recycles waste heat.

4/9/2018 11:39:54 AM

i've seen those heat pump heaters but they were always called heat pump water heaters, i guess they are also called hybrid

it looks like what i'm talking about is a combined system. i had a tankless with a 10 gal (i think, maybe it was 6?) that i plan on doing again.

4/9/2018 12:01:25 PM

At what point are you just back to a gas water heater?

The main advantages of a tankless water heater is that you don't have to spend gas maintaining tank temperature and that you can't run out. If you throw a tank back in the mix - even a small one - you lose one advantage. I know there is some lag with initial hot water delivery in tankless systems. But, in my experience, it's not a noticeable difference more than having to push the water out of the hot water lines that have sat and cooled off.

Also, you have to use a fuck ton of hot water for even an entry level gas water heater to not be able to keep up. I've never not had hot water in my house with my gas heater.

I'd be interested in seeing some cost studies. That is, one with realistic numbers unlike the ones you see on manufacturers' web sites.

4/9/2018 2:56:04 PM

the tank was small and electric and mounted a little bit closer to the bathrooms than the tankless. the cost is just the cost to keep 6 or 10 gallons of water warm (i think it was actually 6, not 10). i think mine was 1,500 watt, so probably much less than $50/year since that heater is just storing water

i have no idea what duty cycle to expect to run numbers, but this random blog had someone who monitored their unused water heater (40 gallon) and had an effective duty cycle of just 0.0161:
https://www.mygreenpeacebuddies.com/power-cost-of-idle-electric-water-heater-46276.html

4/9/2018 4:22:05 PM

winds during the last storm ripped a shutter off my house (vinyl, so cheap at least). hoping I can get the remaining portions of the fasteners out of the holes and just put new fasteners in. assuming whatever size my current fasteners are is at least standard

4/18/2018 9:27:01 AM

^ You can probably drill the old fasteners out with whatever size bit made the hole in the first place It's usually 1/4". The new fasteners should tap right into the old holes.

4/18/2018 11:48:15 AM

This deluge of rain over the last three days has completely clogged parts of my gutters with Oak tree catkins.




Thankfully i don't have too many linear feet of gutter, but it's still a nightmare right now. I need to find the right gutter system to deal with these.

4/25/2018 11:32:14 AM