im working on isntalling the solar heat panels for the pool, got the demo done on the pergola

Before removing the "roof":



After removing the "roof":



Produced a whole lot more wood than I expected, it overfilled my pickup.

Next step, build the proper slanted roof to support the solar.

6/6/2009 2:04:24 PM

^ Cool, were those panels expensive to get? Is this one of those passive deals where you've got a sort of glass box with black pipes in it that heat up the water passively, sort of like the solar hot water heaters? I always thought those were a nifty idea, especially if they give you enough water to work with.

Today I'm painting, fixing some grout issues in the bathroom (I didn't know you were supposed to sponge IMMEDIATELY so some of it got damaged when I was scraping the stuff off ), and hopefully installing that TP dispenser before the day's out.

I suppose I should also vacuum up the small mountain of spackling dust that's on the floor, along with all the... erm... hair. I'm going to enjoy having a tile floor at my next place. Screw vinyl floors which refuse to become non-sticky.

Also, anybody know of some sort of vinyl flooring restoring/cleaning liquid? Using the standard stuff isn't very helpful as there's still some discoloration on the floor where there have been bathmats/water sitting in the past. I'd like to make this place look as clean as possible.

[Edited on June 6, 2009 at 2:26 PM. Reason : ]

6/6/2009 2:25:08 PM

Quote :

"a webcam can make that happen (at least the first part)"

More shit in my yard. Even if I setup the webcam what good will that do?

6/6/2009 6:23:56 PM

The panels werent too expensive, they were around $200 for 80 sq. ft. of panel.

Same concept as the ones in the enclosed case, but these are much simpler (i.e. cheaper). Just a header tube on each end, with a "ribbon cable" of small tubes between the two headers.

I bought four 2'x10' panels, and they connect up in parallel. The real cost has come in everything else.

The automated controller for the solar was $250, including the motorized valve. The new roof is probably going to cost me at least $100 when I include the shingles. The plumbing is 100-200.

It adds up pretty quickly, but the main reason I chose this route is because I only need a few extra degrees to extend my swimming season by at least 2 months on each end, plus, with my newborn twins, they dont like the water cold, so I can jack up the temp to 90 and make them enjoy the pool that much more.

6/6/2009 9:50:30 PM

Quote :

"bobby - not in the triangle but i somehow recall a Woodcraft in burlington. they'd probably have it. haven't lived in raleigh for years now... it may be gone by now."

I ended up going to woodworker's supply in graham, once i realized it was only 30 min from my house.

I spent about 6 hours staining yesterday, and only got like 10 linear feet done. this is going to take FOREVER

6/7/2009 11:00:49 AM

Yeah, the best part about staining wood is trying to get it off your skin and destroying your clothes. Hope you've got some gojo handy!

Today I am playing with toggle bolts and fiddling around to make the new TP dispenser hold in the wall. After that, more paint to cover the (poorly patched) area where the old TP dispenser had been ripped out of the wall and taped to the wall by a previous, unscrupulous landlord. Maybe I'll try to do a better job using spackle to add texture to the walls, but it's gonna be hard to pull it off w/o one of those ~$8 wall texture in a can thingies.

6/7/2009 4:48:13 PM

yeah, rubber gloves are key.

i wore a hole through them yesterday, and ended up washing my hands in mineral spirits to get it off.

i'm taking a break atm, but it's going a bit faster today.

6/7/2009 5:34:12 PM

Quote :

"The panels weren't too expensive, they were around $200 for 80 sq. ft. of panel."

This seems like an extraordinarily good deal. What's the output per sf of the panels? Do you have any further documentation (Specs, etc.) And where on God's green earth did you find these?

Much appreciated.

6/9/2009 9:45:34 AM

These are not eletricity producing solar panels.

They are just black pipes that water runs through.

Here is a cutaway of what the panel looks like:




Here is an example of the installation for my pool:




I bought my panels from a place on ebay called solar-discounters. Got my goldline automated controller on ebay as well.

6/11/2009 7:09:46 PM

I was looking for something in BTUs perhaps? Like a peak season output?

Still very cool.

6/11/2009 10:12:20 PM

This PDF should have all the info you need.

http://www.fafco.com/SolarPoolHeater/06359G_SunSaver_Spec.pdf

Ill be framing the new roof this weekend, ill post some pics of the new plumbing and the actual panels as well.

[Edited on June 12, 2009 at 7:27 AM. Reason : .]

6/12/2009 7:26:28 AM

Have enough DIY on my hands right now and want someone else to throw down a marble floor in a ~6x5 room between the bath and bedroom-- anyone have recommendations? I have the tile and that's it. ._.

6/12/2009 10:26:05 AM

Quote :

"More shit in my yard. Even if I setup the webcam what good will that do?"

most webcam software comes with motion sensing, and it snaps a few pics and saves them to your hdd or emails them

6/12/2009 10:41:00 AM

Solution to dogs pooping in your yard? Rig up some sort of automatic sprinkler system for whenever somebody walks on your front lawn (the lawn in question wherever said animals are leaving steaming dumps). Or you could do something not classy and put a wheelbarrow in your front yard and label it "unclaimed dog poop" and just store it in there. Both options are passive aggressive which are highly favored in this day of congested crappy suburbs and homeowners' associations.

6/13/2009 1:51:10 AM

My wife is under strict instructions to leap out of the front door like spiderman yelling at people who let thier dogs poop in our yard and dont pick it up.

We have several neighbors who do pick it up, and thats perfectly fine by me. If your dog wants to crap on my lawn, i dont mind as long as its not there when I go to mow.

6/13/2009 1:29:52 PM

Picket fence?

6/13/2009 1:39:50 PM

Quote :

"most webcam software comes with motion sensing, and it snaps a few pics and saves them to your hdd or emails them"

Yeah, but what good will that do? There are 100+ homes in the subdivision.

6/14/2009 12:55:29 PM

^^^what does a spiderman yell sound like?

6/14/2009 1:42:42 PM

I believe that reads as if one was leaping like Spiderman.

Not yelling like Spiderman.

It may also need a comma.

6/15/2009 11:34:55 AM

oh

6/15/2009 6:38:15 PM

Yeah, leaping out of the door like spiderman, the yelling part is just because she is a woman...

I know my grammar sucks

6/15/2009 7:10:49 PM

our refrigerator is busted

which is kinda good, b/c it pretty much sucked anyway

[Edited on June 16, 2009 at 8:47 AM. Reason : -d]

6/16/2009 8:46:02 AM

2 days after spending $8,000 on a new roof, my grandmother's water heater busted and flooded the crawlspace. Poor woman

6/16/2009 4:58:49 PM

^^ I was really psyched to replace ours but once I started looking I couldn't find anything stainless that would fit where the current tiny fridge is! ._.

6/16/2009 5:37:23 PM

^^ Damn, talk about bad luck.

Water heaters are pretty damn expensive, too. I was surprised when the one in this apartment broke and we saw how much we were saving by having the home warranty.

'Course we had to pay them like $350 to bring the water heater up to modern building code (needed a pressure regulator or something so they redneck rigged it to the wall), but that was a drop in the bucket compared to the total cost for this new heater.

6/16/2009 7:32:11 PM

probably needed an expansion tank.

depending on the size of the water heater, you will pay $500-$1000 for a new one.

6/17/2009 9:08:02 AM

Yeah that's what it is.

I'm not sure what the base cost of this tank was, but the total cost quoted by another company to install it was almost a few grand (my parents got a quote on it for some reason).

I figured out later that we've got a pretty high-end unit installed in here now, so the price to install one of these isn't as shocking to me now.

6/17/2009 11:05:29 PM

i accidentally broke the top piece of glass in my bathroom's double hung window. it's about 30" x 24". how much do you think it'd cost to get it replaced, labor and all? it's not double pane.

6/18/2009 9:04:48 AM

shouldnt be too bad. depending on the damage a window company should just be able to replace the glass. I would guess $100+ or so.

*unless the window is TDL

6/18/2009 9:44:23 AM

tdl? too damn lazy? to do list?

6/18/2009 9:51:27 AM

true divided light

if the 'grill' or mullion of the window actually separates the glass into smaller pieces. windows like this usually require customization. most windows simulate this look and the 'grill' is placed on the outside of the piece of glass.

6/18/2009 11:00:15 AM

no, it has no grill or mullion. just plain ole double hung single pane

6/18/2009 2:08:46 PM

I just bought a new home. Putting in blinds is a bitch.

I know, hardly the worst "home ownership woe", but I'm not good with power tools

[Edited on June 18, 2009 at 11:45 PM. Reason : v]

6/18/2009 11:43:32 PM

Ordering replacement windows here, soon. 5'2" x 33" x 6 and two smaller for kitchen and bath.

Yuck.

6/19/2009 8:45:07 AM

Anybody have any experience with Geothermal systems? We are going to be installing one soon and curious of any "gotchas" from folks who have owned. New construction, so not replacing anything existing.

6/20/2009 9:34:27 AM

What do y'all think about gas vs. electric heating/cooling

[Edited on June 20, 2009 at 2:23 PM. Reason : asd]

6/20/2009 2:23:20 PM

^Gas is much more efficient than a air-to-air heat pump for heat when it gets real cold and it's cheaper than running an electric heat-kit that's usually installed to supplement air-to-air heating.

^^ What do you mean by geothermals? If you're talking about a water-to-air heat pump, I have a fair bit of experience installing and servicing them. If you have a reliable well, they usually perform very well.

[Edited on June 20, 2009 at 2:32 PM. Reason : more info]

6/20/2009 2:28:04 PM

Mowing in 95 degree heat
Large ant hills
Weeds

6/20/2009 2:53:55 PM

^^ thanks. The rates really vary during fuel crises though right? I guess we're not in Chicago or smthg but is it something I should worry too much about. (More in reference to prices than efficiency).

6/20/2009 9:22:24 PM

Quote :

"What do you mean by geothermals?"

http://www.waterfurnace.com/how_it_works.aspx, so yes, the heat pumps I believe. We figured about seven years until we see a return vs. traditional system based on our expected usage. Good to hear from somebody firsthand they are as reliable as reported. Thnx.

6/21/2009 5:48:02 PM

http://www.waterfurnace.com/how_it_works.aspx

6/21/2009 6:09:02 PM

My biggest woe is finding a new house!

9 months on the market with realtor #1 = 9 showings and 0 offers

2 weeks on the market with realtor #2 = 3 showings and 1 offer.

We are closing 7/31 and we have yet to find a new house. It is going to be a busy month.

BTW, who wants to help me move in the July heat?

6/22/2009 12:05:49 PM

Just hire movers. So worth it.

6/22/2009 12:09:33 PM

I am definitely considering it...

6/22/2009 1:05:00 PM

we hired a mover just for the big stuff, and moved everything else ourselves.

Best $1000 I ever spent.

especially with a Washer and Dryer upstairs that was moved to an upstairs location in the new house. Fuck that, I don't want to be a paraplegic.

6/23/2009 8:50:21 AM

anybody know any tricks for reducing thatch? i've got fescue that's in decent shape, but I've also got tons of thatch that will be a pain when I try and overseed in the fall. how can i cut down on that?

currently i've been leaving it pretty high, and i bag the clippings thinking that it'll help...

ok nm google to the rescue! if anyone has anything to add plz do

6/23/2009 11:24:07 AM

oops heres the link http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/pages/publicationD.jsp?publicationId=487

6/23/2009 11:57:19 AM

I just get out there with a metal rake and go to town on the yard.

6/23/2009 11:58:38 AM

The oven caught fire last week.
The heating element burnt through, and now I need to replace it or buy a new oven.

6/23/2009 12:33:20 PM

^x9, ^x10 That's what I would call a closed-loop water-to-air heat pump. I've never installed or serviced one of those. I've always worked on open-loop systems. Open-loop systems are usually cheaper and easier to maintain. The water for an open-loop system is drawn from a well and then put back into the ground after it's used for heat exchange. In a close-loop system you have a closed loop that's filled with water and the ground through which the loop in run is used to absorbs/provides the heat. Closed-loop systems can become a real pain in the ass if you have to service the buried loop. Usually you have to bury the loop pretty deep (6+ feet). Of course, an open-loop system requires a reliable well. They both have their pluses and minuses. I prefer open-loop systems because they're easier to installed and more people are qualified to service them. The advantage of any water-to-air system is that ground water is a constant temperature throughout the year making the designs very efficient.

[Edited on June 23, 2009 at 12:37 PM. Reason : not enough ^s]

6/23/2009 12:34:21 PM