yep

4/2/2013 10:57:05 AM

Ok, I'll pay it. Thanks guys.

4/2/2013 11:09:44 AM

David, what company is providing the termite insurance? I let mine lapse last year and now that I want to pay it again, I don't even remember who I was using.

4/2/2013 3:18:56 PM

Neuse Termite & Pest Control

4/2/2013 4:48:58 PM

closed this morning

4/5/2013 12:25:52 PM

closed on selling the house you owned?

4/5/2013 1:44:44 PM

no, buying

4/5/2013 2:16:19 PM

oh. i didn't know why you were sad haha

4/5/2013 2:20:53 PM

i don't see much to be happy about

4/5/2013 2:47:19 PM

Then why'd you buy the damn thing?

4/5/2013 3:09:38 PM

cause if i'm gonna piss away $1k every month, i might as well get some equity

4/6/2013 12:29:26 AM

got laminate floors a month ago. water leaked from the outside faucet into the house and flooded my dining room. now some boards are warping up.

4/8/2013 9:58:57 AM

Quote :

"cause if i'm gonna piss away $1k every month, i might as well get some equity "

Its going to be a lot more than that.

Which reminds me...I need to call the electrician...

4/8/2013 11:15:55 AM

That's about what I pay.

4/8/2013 12:01:38 PM

I meant in home repairs/improvement and such.

4/8/2013 12:07:00 PM

You always get water leaks within 6 months of installing laminate.

4/8/2013 10:45:13 PM

AC FROZUP

4/9/2013 7:35:34 PM

replaced the compressor in my 3.5yo A/C unit

4/18/2013 2:34:27 PM

i had to mow the grass today

4/18/2013 3:59:48 PM

my grass is about a foot tall

mowed just before seeding 1.5 weeks ago. don't want to mow until this weekend.

4/18/2013 4:13:28 PM

Yep, doing that after work.

4/18/2013 4:14:03 PM

^^^^ That shouldn't have cost you a dime. The warranty should have covered parts and labor if the unit was only 3.5 years old.

4/19/2013 9:48:02 AM

It might have covered the material had I registered my warranty when I purchased the house. It would not have covered the labor (the majority of the cost of the repair).

4/19/2013 3:49:19 PM

tell me about your experiences retro-fitting a tankless (electric in my case) water heater.

4/29/2013 9:38:55 AM

update: homeowner's insurance covered the cost of my laminate flooring / baseboard repairs. they came and installed everything on Saturday and everything seems to be back to normal.

4/29/2013 10:40:23 AM

Quote :

"tell me about your experiences retro-fitting a tankless (electric in my case) water heater."

Not much to tell. I had a gas water heater in the crawlspace. Mechanical and plumbing permits required to anchor the water heater to an interior wall on my home's foundation, re-route the water pipes, and re-route the gas pipe. Electrical permit required to add an outlet in the crawlspace for the water heater's temp controls.

Wall anchors...Easy enough. Drill a hole and hammer them in. If you're mounting it to a wooden surface it will be even easier.
Plumbing...Can you solder copper?
Electrical...Can you add a box or two and extend the wiring to wherever the water heater will be mounted?

I probably wouldn't have pulled permits if I did it on my own, but I had a plumber do the water heater/gas pipes and I did the electrical. Sounds like you wouldn't be doing gas pipes, but you may have to re-route your electrical depending on where you mount it.

[Edited on April 29, 2013 at 10:50 AM. Reason : s]

4/29/2013 10:47:18 AM

I thought I read from some educated person ITT, that electric tankless is not worth it...

4/29/2013 11:09:53 AM

I heard since the government rebates are over tankless does not pay for itself in energy savings.

4/29/2013 11:25:10 AM

thanks, Skack

current water heater is in its own closet, power already wired in. i would have a plumber do all the connections, and i DGAF that much about "paying for itself" so much as i do about longevity of the unit (will eventually be renting this property and the current unit is too small for more than one person) and extended amounts of hot water.

plus, because it's in a closet, it would allow me to repurpose some of the closet space that is currently taken up by my current electric storage unit.

[Edited on April 29, 2013 at 1:33 PM. Reason : .]

4/29/2013 1:33:17 PM

I'd definitely go tankless on any water heater that is installed indoors. A tank system can wreck your house when it rusts out and make the initial savings moot. I agree on longevity being a big plus too. When I did mine I got around $700-$750 back as a tax credit thanks to the stimulus package. PSNC gives a $100 credit for replacing old systems with newer, more energy efficient, systems as well. Since you're on electric you might want to check to see if Progress Energy offers credits for swapping out older appliances.

[Edited on April 29, 2013 at 3:04 PM. Reason : s]

4/29/2013 3:03:24 PM

I'm in DC, so we're Pepco, but I'll check it out all the same.

4/29/2013 3:17:57 PM

Came across this for all of you concerned about breaking even on these things: http://www.tanklesswaterheaters.com/blog/uncategorized/tankless-tax-credits-renewed/

Granted it's a random blog, but I will probably look into it further, in addition to any credits my utility company offers.

Appears that the tax credits only apply to the gas models.

[Edited on April 29, 2013 at 8:09 PM. Reason : .]

4/29/2013 7:56:40 PM

How difficult is it to wire a light switch to an outlet?

I've got an electrician that quoted me at about $750 to get two of my bedroom outlets to connect to my light switch, and I think that is a tad high.

5/9/2013 12:03:14 PM

if you want the switch on the same stud as the outlet it shouldnt be hard at all.

You could also add a 2 gang reno box and put the switch next to the outlet but youd have to bend over to keep the outlet low or you might be able to raise it up if you have enough slack in the wire without keeping a dead front as a jbox.



[Edited on May 9, 2013 at 1:19 PM. Reason : .]

5/9/2013 1:11:02 PM

I got 4 fans put in my house and wired to a switch for 1000$. I guess it depends what floor it's being done on AND how many stories you have.

They make wireless switches you could use.

5/9/2013 1:19:13 PM

Quote :

"if you want the switch on the same stud as the outlet it shouldnt be hard at all. "

Switch is beside the door. Outlets are on the opposite wall (maybe 15' away??) next to the bed.

The electrician made it sound like he'd have to re-wire the whole bedroom. (he said this without taking any of the covers/outlets out and checking the wires)

Quote :

"I guess it depends what floor it's being done on AND how many stories you have."

2nd floor of a two-story house.

I just didn't know if the wiring was already there, you just had to mess with some stuff around the outlet area. As if it isn't obvious already...I know absolutely nothing about electrical shit.



[Edited on May 9, 2013 at 1:23 PM. Reason : .]

[Edited on May 9, 2013 at 1:25 PM. Reason : .]

5/9/2013 1:23:14 PM

there is a good chance your outlets arent on the same circuit as your overhead lights if there isnt already a switch on an outlet. If that's the case it would be purely coincidental that the outlet circuits are all near the switch box. The no thinking approach would be to break the connection at the outlet and run a wire over to the switchbox fishing along the way.

5/9/2013 1:48:33 PM

I need to find my property corners to build a fence... does anyone know the best way to do that? metal detector to find the pins i suppose? I downloaded the original survey diagram from the county already.

Next question... anyone have a metal detector I can hold?

5/9/2013 1:52:43 PM

If you can locate one pin you might be able to find the others using a measuring tape. It completely depends on how buried the pins might be. A metal detector is probably the best way to go thought. You can rent one from most places for approx. $20-40/day.

5/9/2013 1:55:30 PM

I would recommend having a survey done if you are building a substantial fence.

You will find the cost of a survey is a lot lower than the cost of moving a fence.

5/9/2013 2:01:54 PM

agreed. Depends on your individual setup and neighbors but a survey is worth it for a fence imo.

5/9/2013 2:12:04 PM

Quote :

"The no thinking approach would be to break the connection at the outlet and run a wire over to the switchbox fishing along the way."

So basically...hire an electrician so I don't burn my house down.

5/9/2013 2:32:40 PM

750 is crazy find someone you know with some wiring knowledge / grab a book. if you have access to the top plate of the stud wall it should be easy to run.

[Edited on May 9, 2013 at 2:54 PM. Reason : .]

5/9/2013 2:53:41 PM

this is going to be a very small fence... probably less than a grand in building materials... a survey would be a significant portion of that cost. If i can't find the original pins i guess i'll have to but i'd like to avoid if possible.

5/9/2013 3:15:49 PM

^ If it is a relatively small lot or newish construction the pipes should be pretty easy to find. Did the county documents indicate that an actual pipe was located at the boundry? I am assuming when you bought the house you didn't pay for a survey then? You could have the utilities company come out and look for wires before you dig and use them to help you find the corner if there is an utility easment near where you might be putting a fence.

There are also a couple ghetto ways to find them like using a hammer in the dirt around where you think they should be. You will know it when you hit the pipe.

5/9/2013 3:53:30 PM

call before you dig. its free.

5/9/2013 4:45:47 PM

Call no cuts

5/9/2013 5:45:17 PM

Yes, the diagram shows metal stakes were placed in the corners in 1992ish. I wonder if a rare earth magnet tied to a string would be strong enough to find the pins... how deep are they usually buried, anyone know?

5/9/2013 6:42:06 PM

They technically aren't supposed to be buried at all. It's usually just eroded soil, etc. that covers them over time. Ones on my property were only an inch or so, but every lot is different.

5/9/2013 7:24:11 PM

re: wiring outlet on a switch.

depending on your situation, he may either be scamming you, scalping you, or doesn't want to do the job (over pricing in hopes you don't use him).

Though, this can be quite expensive, depending on the situation. To do this properly, he will either have to take the line at the existing box, junction it to a new line, run it to the switch, then run a line back to the existing box; or, run a new line from the panel to the switch and a new line from the switch to the box and pull the old line (well, he could cap it in the box, but I'd prefer it be pulled). Where this is complicated is how he can access the interior of the walls. Can he get to them from above or below and have no drywall work? If there isn't access from below/above, he will likely have to cut drywall, drill studs, install safety plates, etc. If access is easy, I'd say $3-400, depending on if he runs new lines or junctions off the existing. If it requires going through the drywall and studs, then probably $5-700.

Oh, and by "no drywall work", I mean major work; a new line will need to be stapled to studs, so there will be some drywall removal/repair regardless; just one option is much more work.

IMHO, a "good" electrician will pull the old line, run new to the switch and new from there to the box.



re: fence

Get a survey if you can't find your pins. Pins get buried overtime, so they can range from above surface, up to several feet underground if someone added fill. They can be a pain to find; rent a metal detector if you really want to try it on your own. be sure to run a string line from pin to pin. if going without a survey, I'd recommend giving yourself a bit of an easement, just in case you get off. your property platt can certainly help you figure out a general area for you pins. also look for objects that are often on property lines - shared electrical/cable/telephone boxes, existing fences, trees, etc.

and yes, please call the utility locator service first. it's free and very helpful. If you are on well or septic, be sure to get those plans as well. those items should be far enough below grade... but you never know, especially if this isn't a new home.

[Edited on May 9, 2013 at 8:06 PM. Reason : .]

5/9/2013 7:54:57 PM