FishmanPut your goddamned hand in the goddamned Box of Pain.Registered Userregular
@vsove Did you actually post pics of your finished place? I feel like I've been following along for so long that I've been waiting for the moment to congratulate you on how great the place looks when you actually got in, but I don't remember seeing any "finally here!" pics. Show that shit off, dawg.
the emergency shutoff switch for my a/c that triggers when the outflow pipe clogs and backs up failed, so my air conditioning dumped quite a bit of water into places it shouldn't, and it ended leaking through my bedroom ceiling. this has happened before because they told us about it in inspection.
i just didn't expect it to happen again not three months after we had an A/C tech come and clear the pipes
everything is dry and I shopvacced the pipe and that seems to have solved it for the time being, but damn. got drywall and insulation to replace now. I know that the previous owners never did that, because when little ceiling bits came off we could see there was clear long term damage. we're probably going to rip the fucker down and do it properly. i don't need to breath mold.
also i need a shutoff switch that works. I don't care that the pipe clogs that will happen, it takes 5 minutes to fix, but at least warn me before you dump 3 gallons of water on my floor
also: getting a tree service to come and remove the worst palm tree in existence
also: buying a dishwasher because the one that came with the house is busted in multiple ways
my rent went up massively hrm but sadly looking around its not like there are much better options around, i was getting a good deal for this neighborhood before i guess
hrmph
poo
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Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
the emergency shutoff switch for my a/c that triggers when the outflow pipe clogs and backs up failed, so my air conditioning dumped quite a bit of water into places it shouldn't, and it ended leaking through my bedroom ceiling. this has happened before because they told us about it in inspection.
i just didn't expect it to happen again not three months after we had an A/C tech come and clear the pipes
everything is dry and I shopvacced the pipe and that seems to have solved it for the time being, but damn. got drywall and insulation to replace now. I know that the previous owners never did that, because when little ceiling bits came off we could see there was clear long term damage. we're probably going to rip the fucker down and do it properly. i don't need to breath mold.
also i need a shutoff switch that works. I don't care that the pipe clogs that will happen, it takes 5 minutes to fix, but at least warn me before you dump 3 gallons of water on my floor
also: getting a tree service to come and remove the worst palm tree in existence
also: buying a dishwasher because the one that came with the house is busted in multiple ways
Is there not a way to run a bigger, freer-flowing pipe that won't clog? Perhaps there are sharp bends that are allowing the clogs to form?
i don't really know where the root cause of the clog is yet per se
very little of the pipe is accessible, so unless it's within a few feet of the unit itself, then no dice
I am going to take part of the pipe off later in the month so I can do a more thorough vacuum of it, so that might tell me something
it's an inch and a quarter PVC pipe and I think it's possible that when the AC guys cleaned it they didn't get it all...
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Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
32mm PVC pipe shouldn't be cloggin with just a/c drain output running through it. Is there a wasps nest in there or something? Can you rod it out with some stiff wire?
32mm PVC pipe shouldn't be cloggin with just a/c drain output running through it. Is there a wasps nest in there or something? Can you rod it out with some stiff wire?
interesting possibility. I did find a dead wasp in the air intake when I moved in.... unclear where it came from.
When I vacuumed, mostly what I got was sand and dust, no mud or anything which I would expect from a nest. the last few inches of the pipe are definitely clean I know that. because I just got particles and no major clog in the vac, there is still work to do
I wonder what kind of wire I could use just to poke through it and see what I run into. that would at least help me figure out the location of the clog
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Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
If there are no sudden 90 degree bends, a length of fencing wire would do the trick. Just file the end after you cut it, don't want to gouge the shit out of the inside of the pipe, because that will just create something for any detritus that gets in the drain something to catch on, and clog up!
yeah.... about that. unfortunately the exterior end of the pipe starts with a nice, tight 180 bend, and I know there are at least two 90 degrees inside the wall
god doesn't want me to fix this...
I could probably take the 180 right off... but I know there's 90's that I can't see.. geometry demands it, just based on where the pipe starts and ends, it would have to be a pretty malleable/soft wire
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Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
If they're curves:
you're good. If they're elbows:
you're fucked. Pouring some violent drain cleaner down there will basically be your best bet, short of calling out a guy with a roto-rooter to dig the crud out (if it is indeed blocked!).
They have this really cool stuff you can pour down a drain that clings to PVC material and forms a sort of inner sleeve. It lasts for a few days (maybe a week?) and lets you pour some seriously heinous shit down your drain without damaging your pipes. If that's a concern, anyhow.
You could also go buy a couple gallons of bleach and just dump it down there. Bleach isn't expensive, and as long as you have some sort of way to catch it before it gets to, you know, the floor or ground, you should be okay.
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Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
what is the appropriate tool to force one of these elbows off? At the unit, the pipes don't really seem to have a lot of play in them, so I need to be gentle or I might shear the damn thing right off the air handler... it's a 15 year old air handler and it looks like 15 year old joints on the pipes.
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Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
They should really be glued. If they're not, you're lucky. Just give them as much of a twist and a pull as you dare. Using metal tools is just going to crack/smash the piping.
Hey guys, what's the etiquette on viewing a room for rent? Can I bring a friend, or is that weird and rude?
I'll be viewing a room in a 3br apartment and meeting the two potential roommates.
I think it's all in how you play it. If you present it as "I'm here to see the room. This is my friend X" it probably be ok. If you make it seem like you need someone's approval or don't trust the potential rookies or some odd situation, then it would get weird.
Hey guys, what's the etiquette on viewing a room for rent? Can I bring a friend, or is that weird and rude?
I'll be viewing a room in a 3br apartment and meeting the two potential roommates.
If you're not too sure about what to look for then I don't see what the big deal is.
It's not a date or anything.
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Blake TDo you have enemies then?Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.Registered Userregular
Jasc, if everything is glued and you can acceess both sides of the pipe run, disconnect the pipe from the the ac and then bring up the garden hose and some newspaper and plastic wrap (cling wrap).
Wet the newspaper, wad it up and wrap it around the hose then wrap it with plastic wrap. grip it like fuck and get your wife (or someone) to turn on the tap. This will blast through anything that is currently blocking up the pipe.
It also has a high chance of making a mess, but it is honest to god the best way to clean pipe blockages I've found. The only difficult thing you need to do is seal up all the openings bar the outlet, but it isn't an issue in this case as there should only be one.
ChimeraMonster girl with a snek tail and five eyesBad puns, that's how eye roll. Registered Userregular
So I need to still do some touch up but I painted my non-functioning fireplace and a lamp today. Tell me what you think of the color and what suggestions you may have for what I can put in the gap of where the logs would normally be.
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KakodaimonosCode fondlerHelping the 1% get richerRegistered Userregular
I love it when people ask for your advice and then don't listen.
My in-laws found out the hard way that when you hire a live in caretaker you shouldn't allow them to forward their mail to the property. After I told them to not hire a live in and to definitely not allow anything that could be considered as establishing residency.
I just hope the in-laws follow my advice and do a proper eviction. But I'm pretty sure they won't.
yeah.... about that. unfortunately the exterior end of the pipe starts with a nice, tight 180 bend, and I know there are at least two 90 degrees inside the wall
god doesn't want me to fix this...
I could probably take the 180 right off... but I know there's 90's that I can't see.. geometry demands it, just based on where the pipe starts and ends, it would have to be a pretty malleable/soft wire
If you have two 90 degree turns in that short a run it got installed incorrectly. It wouldn't even have to be clogged if the water was pooling fast enough it would back up behind the 90 degree turns. Ideally it should be a straight run to a drain or to the outside. If you want to snake the line you can buy or rent a smaller diameter plumbers snake or a pipe inspection camera(more expensive). If the joints are glued and you can't pull them apart or unscrew them you will need a PVC pipe cutter to open them up. I wouldn't suggest that unless you are comfortable reinstalling plumbing.
So I need to still do some touch up but I painted my non-functioning fireplace and a lamp today. Tell me what you think of the color and what suggestions you may have for what I can put in the gap of where the logs would normally be.
A bouquet of dried flowers is popular.
You could always throw in some stylishly gnarly logs and varnish or paint them.
Brovid Hasselsmof[Growling historic on the fury road]Registered Userregular
I am going to look at a couple of houses tomorrow. Or, well, one house and the place where a house will be, because one of them is a new build that hasn't been builded yet.
The new build is in a good location and will be super modern with good insulation and a 10 year warranty. 2 beds and 2 bathrooms. The older one is in a worse location but will be bigger, has 3 bedrooms.
Remember when I had that bad light fixture and we thought it was a rat but actually it was just a terrible fixture
OK, well, I also have this large living room ceiling fan with a light in it. And since the day we moved in that light has not worked at all. (but the fan is fine) I figured, it's extremely high up in the air (beyond the reach of a standard ladder even), it's probably just burned out and the previous owners were too lazy to change it.
And then I tried to change it and it turns out the fixture weighs a ton and is a huge pain in the ass. So i just left it alone.
Well this morning, it started working! for three glorious seconds. and then it stopped working again.
A) Original concern from the old fixture? A bad wire to the fixture? Unlikely, as the fan has always worked perfectly, and the fan/light appear to be on the same switch, although it wouldn't turn on long enough for me to confirm that.
A lightbulb that's on it's last legs and just decided to work for a bit following a cold snap?
C) A shit ass 20 year old bargain basement ceiling fan that is wired properly but just has rotten innards and it needs to be replaced?
I'd say B, and maybe even C. If the fan is working fine it's probably B.
not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
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Blake TDo you have enemies then?Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.Registered Userregular
I'd say D) it's an old fixture and it just shifted slightly, there was a connection and it worked randomly again until the heat built up, it expanded and it stopped again.
If you wanted to fix it it would probably be the cost of a new fan parts plus maybe 100, 150 for electrician labor.
Side note, you probably could do this (re wire it) it is not hard. However you shouldn't. because firstly if you sell the house, if they find out you did the electricity in discovery its a reason for them to walk away, and secondly if there is a fire and the insurance found out that you did the wiring not being an electrician, they would not pay out.
i would never rewire it myself because it's 20+ feet in the air and extremely heavy. in fact it's probably a two man job. or at least a one strong man with a very good extension ladder job
Brovid Hasselsmof[Growling historic on the fury road]Registered Userregular
Has anyone here had experience of being a live-in landlord, ie subletting a room? Particularly helpful if any UK people have. As this is a thing I am going to have to do.
Has anyone here had experience of being a live-in landlord, ie subletting a room? Particularly helpful if any UK people have. As this is a thing I am going to have to do.
I owned a house and rented to friends.
Things to do:
1. Full lease terms etc.
2. Do not let people slide on stuff more than once. I had a late rent penalty, and everyone got a free pass once.
3. Make rent due a week before mortgage - this will allow you to let people synch up their paychecks to rent better without you sweating bullets.
4. Spell out as much as you can in terms of damages/expectations, just don't be a dick (dishes do not go there, maintenance of property etc. does)
Remember when I had that bad light fixture and we thought it was a rat but actually it was just a terrible fixture
OK, well, I also have this large living room ceiling fan with a light in it. And since the day we moved in that light has not worked at all. (but the fan is fine) I figured, it's extremely high up in the air (beyond the reach of a standard ladder even), it's probably just burned out and the previous owners were too lazy to change it.
And then I tried to change it and it turns out the fixture weighs a ton and is a huge pain in the ass. So i just left it alone.
Well this morning, it started working! for three glorious seconds. and then it stopped working again.
A) Original concern from the old fixture? A bad wire to the fixture? Unlikely, as the fan has always worked perfectly, and the fan/light appear to be on the same switch, although it wouldn't turn on long enough for me to confirm that.
A lightbulb that's on it's last legs and just decided to work for a bit following a cold snap?
C) A shit ass 20 year old bargain basement ceiling fan that is wired properly but just has rotten innards and it needs to be replaced?
what do we think?
Going with what Blake said, there are some fans where the lighting fixture piece and the fan are separate entities with connecting wires inside. Those connections may be loose/corroded. It's generally simple to unbolt the light fixture piece, lower it, and inspect the wiring if thats the case and you have the right access to it. From the sounds of it though, it'd be a pain in the ass to do that.
Has anyone here had experience of being a live-in landlord, ie subletting a room? Particularly helpful if any UK people have. As this is a thing I am going to have to do.
-If you're the homeowner, make sure you get a proper lease written up. Go and look up the legal requirements of landlords https://www.gov.uk/browse/housing/landlords. Work out how to use the tenancy deposit scheme; its a faff but when you need that deposit it'll be worth it.
-If you're renting and subletting either a) make sure they are on the rental contract post haste or b) don't sublet.
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Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
Remember when I had that bad light fixture and we thought it was a rat but actually it was just a terrible fixture
OK, well, I also have this large living room ceiling fan with a light in it. And since the day we moved in that light has not worked at all. (but the fan is fine) I figured, it's extremely high up in the air (beyond the reach of a standard ladder even), it's probably just burned out and the previous owners were too lazy to change it.
And then I tried to change it and it turns out the fixture weighs a ton and is a huge pain in the ass. So i just left it alone.
Well this morning, it started working! for three glorious seconds. and then it stopped working again.
A) Original concern from the old fixture? A bad wire to the fixture? Unlikely, as the fan has always worked perfectly, and the fan/light appear to be on the same switch, although it wouldn't turn on long enough for me to confirm that.
A lightbulb that's on it's last legs and just decided to work for a bit following a cold snap?
C) A shit ass 20 year old bargain basement ceiling fan that is wired properly but just has rotten innards and it needs to be replaced?
what do we think?
Going with what Blake said, there are some fans where the lighting fixture piece and the fan are separate entities with connecting wires inside. Those connections may be loose/corroded. It's generally simple to unbolt the light fixture piece, lower it, and inspect the wiring if thats the case and you have the right access to it. From the sounds of it though, it'd be a pain in the ass to do that.
20+ feet in the air?
How much does a new fan and light cost?
Because it's in such a dangerous spot and you've had experience with bottom-of-the-bargain-bin fixtures before, and seeing as you're going to have to call out a sparky to fix this properly anyway, get a decent new fan and have the sparky fit it.
That is the path I see with the least cost and annoyance towards happy fan/light ownership.
It could be a dicky wire, but if that's because the unit is a cheap piece of crap in the first place, what's next to go after the spark wrangler fixes it?
a quality fixture will be 200-250, probably 200 for the sparky to put it in, and I may need a special accessory to install it because it extends several feet from the actual mounting point... I figure it's a $500 job minimum
Not a major priority as long as it doesn't catch on fire.
I have a ladder but even if I got on the very top step i would only be able to scrape the fixture with my fingertips
I'm assuming from your description it's just a pole-mounted ceiling fan. You can easily get a pole compatible with your new fan at Lowe's or wherever. Or hell, the existing pole is likely compatible, assuming you get a fan finished in the same sort of metal. Wiring should still be ripped out but electrician etc etc.
Posts
the emergency shutoff switch for my a/c that triggers when the outflow pipe clogs and backs up failed, so my air conditioning dumped quite a bit of water into places it shouldn't, and it ended leaking through my bedroom ceiling. this has happened before because they told us about it in inspection.
i just didn't expect it to happen again not three months after we had an A/C tech come and clear the pipes
everything is dry and I shopvacced the pipe and that seems to have solved it for the time being, but damn. got drywall and insulation to replace now. I know that the previous owners never did that, because when little ceiling bits came off we could see there was clear long term damage. we're probably going to rip the fucker down and do it properly. i don't need to breath mold.
also i need a shutoff switch that works. I don't care that the pipe clogs that will happen, it takes 5 minutes to fix, but at least warn me before you dump 3 gallons of water on my floor
also: getting a tree service to come and remove the worst palm tree in existence
also: buying a dishwasher because the one that came with the house is busted in multiple ways
hrmph
Is there not a way to run a bigger, freer-flowing pipe that won't clog? Perhaps there are sharp bends that are allowing the clogs to form?
very little of the pipe is accessible, so unless it's within a few feet of the unit itself, then no dice
I am going to take part of the pipe off later in the month so I can do a more thorough vacuum of it, so that might tell me something
it's an inch and a quarter PVC pipe and I think it's possible that when the AC guys cleaned it they didn't get it all...
interesting possibility. I did find a dead wasp in the air intake when I moved in.... unclear where it came from.
When I vacuumed, mostly what I got was sand and dust, no mud or anything which I would expect from a nest. the last few inches of the pipe are definitely clean I know that. because I just got particles and no major clog in the vac, there is still work to do
I wonder what kind of wire I could use just to poke through it and see what I run into. that would at least help me figure out the location of the clog
god doesn't want me to fix this...
I could probably take the 180 right off... but I know there's 90's that I can't see.. geometry demands it, just based on where the pipe starts and ends, it would have to be a pretty malleable/soft wire
you're good. If they're elbows:
you're fucked. Pouring some violent drain cleaner down there will basically be your best bet, short of calling out a guy with a roto-rooter to dig the crud out (if it is indeed blocked!).
what's the risk of drain cleaner here? an chance of pipe erosion?
You could also go buy a couple gallons of bleach and just dump it down there. Bleach isn't expensive, and as long as you have some sort of way to catch it before it gets to, you know, the floor or ground, you should be okay.
It'll say on the bottle if it'll wreck PVC pipes. Get the most heinous shit you can find that is PVC safe.
I'll be viewing a room in a 3br apartment and meeting the two potential roommates.
BF3 Battlelog | Twitter | World of Warships | World of Tanks | Wishlist
But you're the one looking for a place to rent so whatever you want, if you think your friend will help you make the right choice then bring em
If you're not too sure about what to look for then I don't see what the big deal is.
It's not a date or anything.
Wet the newspaper, wad it up and wrap it around the hose then wrap it with plastic wrap. grip it like fuck and get your wife (or someone) to turn on the tap. This will blast through anything that is currently blocking up the pipe.
It also has a high chance of making a mess, but it is honest to god the best way to clean pipe blockages I've found. The only difficult thing you need to do is seal up all the openings bar the outlet, but it isn't an issue in this case as there should only be one.
Satans..... hints.....
My in-laws found out the hard way that when you hire a live in caretaker you shouldn't allow them to forward their mail to the property. After I told them to not hire a live in and to definitely not allow anything that could be considered as establishing residency.
I just hope the in-laws follow my advice and do a proper eviction. But I'm pretty sure they won't.
If you have two 90 degree turns in that short a run it got installed incorrectly. It wouldn't even have to be clogged if the water was pooling fast enough it would back up behind the 90 degree turns. Ideally it should be a straight run to a drain or to the outside. If you want to snake the line you can buy or rent a smaller diameter plumbers snake or a pipe inspection camera(more expensive). If the joints are glued and you can't pull them apart or unscrew them you will need a PVC pipe cutter to open them up. I wouldn't suggest that unless you are comfortable reinstalling plumbing.
sky penny sig by StylusImage, on Flickr
A bouquet of dried flowers is popular.
You could always throw in some stylishly gnarly logs and varnish or paint them.
Satans..... hints.....
Rock Band DLC | GW:OttW - arrcd | WLD - Thortar
The new build is in a good location and will be super modern with good insulation and a 10 year warranty. 2 beds and 2 bathrooms. The older one is in a worse location but will be bigger, has 3 bedrooms.
At the moment I'm leaning towards the new one.
Still can't really believe I'm househunting.
Better yet: Baby doll parts. Great conversation starter.
@Bowen @chrishallett83
Remember when I had that bad light fixture and we thought it was a rat but actually it was just a terrible fixture
OK, well, I also have this large living room ceiling fan with a light in it. And since the day we moved in that light has not worked at all. (but the fan is fine) I figured, it's extremely high up in the air (beyond the reach of a standard ladder even), it's probably just burned out and the previous owners were too lazy to change it.
And then I tried to change it and it turns out the fixture weighs a ton and is a huge pain in the ass. So i just left it alone.
Well this morning, it started working! for three glorious seconds. and then it stopped working again.
A) Original concern from the old fixture? A bad wire to the fixture? Unlikely, as the fan has always worked perfectly, and the fan/light appear to be on the same switch, although it wouldn't turn on long enough for me to confirm that.
C) A shit ass 20 year old bargain basement ceiling fan that is wired properly but just has rotten innards and it needs to be replaced?
what do we think?
If you wanted to fix it it would probably be the cost of a new fan parts plus maybe 100, 150 for electrician labor.
Side note, you probably could do this (re wire it) it is not hard. However you shouldn't. because firstly if you sell the house, if they find out you did the electricity in discovery its a reason for them to walk away, and secondly if there is a fire and the insurance found out that you did the wiring not being an electrician, they would not pay out.
Satans..... hints.....
I owned a house and rented to friends.
Things to do:
1. Full lease terms etc.
2. Do not let people slide on stuff more than once. I had a late rent penalty, and everyone got a free pass once.
3. Make rent due a week before mortgage - this will allow you to let people synch up their paychecks to rent better without you sweating bullets.
4. Spell out as much as you can in terms of damages/expectations, just don't be a dick (dishes do not go there, maintenance of property etc. does)
Going with what Blake said, there are some fans where the lighting fixture piece and the fan are separate entities with connecting wires inside. Those connections may be loose/corroded. It's generally simple to unbolt the light fixture piece, lower it, and inspect the wiring if thats the case and you have the right access to it. From the sounds of it though, it'd be a pain in the ass to do that.
-If you're the homeowner, make sure you get a proper lease written up. Go and look up the legal requirements of landlords https://www.gov.uk/browse/housing/landlords. Work out how to use the tenancy deposit scheme; its a faff but when you need that deposit it'll be worth it.
-If you're renting and subletting either a) make sure they are on the rental contract post haste or b) don't sublet.
20+ feet in the air?
How much does a new fan and light cost?
Because it's in such a dangerous spot and you've had experience with bottom-of-the-bargain-bin fixtures before, and seeing as you're going to have to call out a sparky to fix this properly anyway, get a decent new fan and have the sparky fit it.
That is the path I see with the least cost and annoyance towards happy fan/light ownership.
It could be a dicky wire, but if that's because the unit is a cheap piece of crap in the first place, what's next to go after the spark wrangler fixes it?
Not a major priority as long as it doesn't catch on fire.
I have a ladder but even if I got on the very top step i would only be able to scrape the fixture with my fingertips