HOLY BALLS

8/9/2021 3:15:35 PM

I taught my kids how to install a dimmer switch last week. Works great. They already know how to YouTube, so I'm not planning on doing a home improvement chore myself ever again from now on.

8/9/2021 9:17:18 PM

What could go wrong?

8/10/2021 9:50:06 AM

How much could this cost?

8/12/2021 5:58:08 PM

I guess that electrician ignored NEC Article 314 for box fill.




Home Ownership woe 2021 - having to get an 80' tall dead Oak tree cut down in my back yard. Quotes were all over the place, even had two companies refuse to even quote it.

8/16/2021 8:53:56 AM

wtf at that switch box!

9/3/2021 9:44:21 PM

Tree removal went a lot smoother than i thought. The felling grapple they had attached to their crane was amazing to watch in action.

9/9/2021 10:10:02 AM

It really is quite a thing to observe

9/16/2021 10:57:31 PM

Tankless water heater died two weeks ago. Understandable, it was prob about 15 years old and came with the house. It was in the linen closet in the bathroom, so had a plumber put the new one in the garage. Installed everything and it worked great for 2 days. Suddenly the water pressure dropped and it won't produce the water temperature it is set to. Plumber has been out here for two days now trying to figure out the problem. Sediment was kicked up and clogging the faucet aerators, so that solved the pressure issue. Still getting temperatures at a max of about 100F and the plumber can't figure out any issues. Anyone have any similar experiences?

I'm thinking of just returning the damn thing and getting a new one. First world problems, but still a pain in the ass.

[Edited on September 21, 2021 at 12:23 PM. Reason : ]

9/21/2021 12:22:50 PM

I ain't no scientifical engineeramabob, but it sounds like your heating element doohickey might be on the fritz

9/23/2021 4:37:29 PM

Hey Jeepin4x4 you live in RDU? I have a couple trees I need removed from our property and received quotes for $2300, $4500, and $6000 with Bartlett refusing to do the work.

10/11/2021 4:04:02 PM

A huge company bought my neighbors house and then proceeded to cut down all the trees on our property line several of which appear to be on my property. The trees were over six feet tall and had been there 14 years. What legal recourse do I have?

12/22/2021 11:50:53 AM

We are UC on a house with a natural gas rinnai, I saw previous owner added a small electric tank heater and a circulation pump. This all seems very complicated to me.

1/1/2022 10:42:00 AM

^^ If they weren't on your property, none. If they were entirely on your property, you might have some recourse. "Boundary trees" sometimes have their own chapter in legal textbooks.

1/3/2022 1:12:05 AM

^^ I think those more complicated setups are getting more common for water savings and/or convenience purposes. Apparently CA now requires the recirculators if the pipe runs are longer than a certain length to reduce the amount of water people dump down the drain waiting for hot water to arrive. And the small tanked unit let's you avoid dumping water while you wait for the tankless to get going and can help with sudden demand problems, like when you're in the shower and someone starts running the dishwasher.

I talked to my plumber about doing a tankless + tanked water heater setup just for convenience, because I wanted to have continuous and endless hot water. But he talked me into just getting a massive 80 gallon tank heater and calling it a day instead of having the extra complication.

1/3/2022 9:52:20 PM

I don't have gas as a utility available, going propane tankless would mean adding a big tank in the yard and getting regular deliveries which reduces or eliminates any cost savings. I'd have to oversize an electric tankless to at least a 120a unit since my tap water in the winter is regularly in the mid 40s or lower. I do not use a lot of hot water, so when it's time to replace my ~50 gallon traditional electric I'll be looking at a heat pump unit. It lives in the garage the noise so isn't a concern, and the slower recovery rate (without the electric backup) isn't a problem with my limited use, it makes the most sense.

1/9/2022 3:59:03 PM

Woe: been waiting since early May for a fucking permit application to pass to have footing holes inspected for my home addition. FINALLY got passed today. Now hopefully we don't have any more delays in the process. (We will)

8/12/2022 9:56:52 PM

Replaced a leaky kitchen faucet a few weeks ago (was not that much more money to replace the faucet than replace the cartridges)

Then about a week after that, the garbage disposal started leaking, so I replaced that

Then a couple of weeks after that, my dishwasher couldn’t even melt the wax plug in a bottle of dishwasher cleaner, and I noticed a few dishes came out not cleaned well, so I replace that this weekend (that one was sort of a PITA. Not difficult, but tedious and annoying).

[Edited on August 15, 2022 at 1:12 AM. Reason : And I’m pretty sure my plum tree is almost dead)]

8/15/2022 1:11:18 AM

Quote :

" But he talked me into just getting a massive 80 gallon tank heater and calling it a day instead of having the extra complication."

It seems most plumbers think this way. It is true that a conventional hot water heater can last several decades with no problems. The tankless ones are delicate little flowers and any savings you have on energy will be spent paying for service calls and repairs over time.

8/15/2022 9:18:09 AM

Woe: just kidding...still no permit passed for the addition on my house. still have these shitty footing holes / a large trench that collects water.

11/2/2022 5:11:51 PM

^ are you DIYing it? pics!

11/22/2022 5:22:18 PM

Update: we FINALLY have our permits issued!!!!!

^no, we have a contractor. here's a pic of where we're at. this was dug out back in June, for context. no movement from this trench since then...till now.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/CKfq4HDkqTLiReZ77

11/23/2022 10:38:07 AM

Glad you're getting some work out of your contractor. Ours is filing for bankruptcy.

11/24/2022 1:32:32 PM

^oof. sorry to hear that. they're out here now, redigging the trench, getting it ready for inspection tomorrow (I hope), then hopefully concrete poured by the end of the week. they're hoping for framing to be completed by the end of the year.

11/29/2022 11:10:16 AM

woe: no inspector came by today. goddamn trench filled up with water again. Had to pump it out like I've had to every rain. I'm getting too old for this shit.

[Edited on November 30, 2022 at 4:34 PM. Reason : ]

11/30/2022 4:34:04 PM

Gotta get the septic drain field replaced.

1/2/2023 9:46:39 PM

^damn. that sucks, my guy.

We made some progress! Permits issued and we're at the framing stage. Lumber has been delivered and framing starts tomorrow (but OF COURSE rain is in the forecast tomorrow...). always something...

1/3/2023 2:43:22 PM

Just as I said...

They showed up to do framing, made very little progress, and the bottom fell out. Hopefully something will happen tomorrow.

1/4/2023 8:06:04 PM

Yay, framing is underway! Inspector is coming out, but apparently has issues with a bay window that the architect conveniently left out of the plans (moving our existing bay window to the opposite corner). smh.

1/6/2023 12:51:51 PM

so far things are moving. progress pics:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/CKfq4HDkqTLiReZ77

1/9/2023 2:44:20 PM

looking good!

I tried to finish my third floor walk up attic to get more space, but the engineer said I would have to rip out the ceilings in the other floors and add beams/steel to get it to work. I also don't think I can add off the back of the house because I don't exactly know where the septic leach field is (and I've paid a company to come out and map it and they couldn't determine anything).

I am now down to building a "studio shed" to get a new office when I have to give up the bedroom I am in now.

1/12/2023 8:40:15 PM

^^^ I dont know what it is with inspectors.

One had a problem with every little thing on building a workshop.

Then when I added the garage, there was a literal 2nd story room that wasn't in the original plan. Different inspector. He just laughed, said "good luck ever selling this house" and signed off.

unless some drastic shit happens, I'm here till death, so whatever.

1/19/2023 9:07:34 PM

Absolute pain in the ass trying to get any propane companies to come out here and quote me for a larger tank. Only one that actually came out quoted 4x the expected price from a quick googling of current prices for the area.

Wouldn't be such a big deal, but it's holding up finishing off the basement, cause the original builder cheaped out on the electric panel when 400A panels were plentiful 3.5 years ago. Now you got a friggin 7mo wait, and there's no way we can come closer to putting what we want in the basement with a 200A service.

1/25/2023 12:02:17 AM

What's your general area?

1/25/2023 9:55:37 AM

Mooresville, NC. Where is Hank Hill when you need him?
Also, looked up propane furnace comparisons today. Looks like we're gonna get hosed on that all around.

And bit of a necro, but holy hell that switch box at the end of the previous page. I see 6, possibly 7 different connections. At a minimum, 1) Source, 2) Sockets, 3) lights, 4) fan. What's the other 2/ 3? Hallway light, maybe nearby powder room (fucking lazy douche electrician), and a toilet alcove? I'm living the mixture of 14 and 12 awg wire. That gives me a god damned warm fuzzy all around.

Not sure why A Tanzarian felt the need to undo all the wires for a simple timer. Should have been a quick swap out

1/26/2023 1:26:55 AM

I think I counted 4 bare/ground wires. That's crazy.

1/26/2023 7:56:09 AM

There are 7 cables, and a lot of them were sticking 6-8 inches out of the box. I had to undo everything in order to trim it up and make room for the timer. It has a larger body than the previous switch and wouldn't fit. Even after cleaning things up I still had to cram the damn thing in there.

I'm not exactly sure where everything goes, but there are 3 bedrooms and 2 baths on the same circuit. The electrician apparently used that switch box as a central junction box. We'll probably install recessed lighting in the living room sometime this year. When I'm in the attic for that I'll take a look at installing a junction box to clean things up and reduce fill in the switch box.


I took a look at the bankruptcy filing for the contractor we hired to do some yard work. He owes $2.6 million against $230k in assets.

1/26/2023 6:15:08 PM

3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms on the same circuit? Did you fuck this guy's wife before he did the job? To hell with putting a junction box in the attic, run at least two other circuits so you don't blow a fuse if some asshole turns on all the lights and fans at the same time.
Btw, was I right about the 12 and 14awg chilling in the same box? That's probably bad, too (as in, it's probably a 20A circuit with 14 gauge wire in it)

[Edited on January 26, 2023 at 11:41 PM. Reason : ]

1/26/2023 11:39:22 PM

It's all 14 awg on a 15 amp circuit.

Our house was built in the early 60s. We're lucky there's more than just an upstairs circuit and a downstairs circuit.

1/27/2023 12:22:47 PM

Wondering if it's worth insulating the hot water pipes in the basement before they close up the ceiling. I know it makes sense for a crawl space and unheated areas in general, but not sure if the temperature differential is enough when it's~70F

1/29/2023 10:51:07 PM

do it.

1/31/2023 1:28:53 PM

Welp, got the run from the heater to the master shower done today. We'll see if I notice a difference. Kinda wish I had some this before I had all the HVAC run for the basement. Making some of it a lot harder.

2/1/2023 8:36:15 PM

My house turns 100 this year.

2/4/2023 1:25:25 AM

Quote :

"Wondering if it's worth insulating the hot water pipes in the basement before they close up the ceiling."

It's quick and cheap to do and can only make things better.

2/5/2023 3:51:14 PM

are the hot water pipes PEX or copper?

2/6/2023 1:23:44 PM

apparently ive got some moisture in my crawlspace, which is causing the insulation to fall

ive got two options (to do it right, i guess)

1 - tear down insulation and put new stuff up
2 - have no insulation under the floor and instead insulate the foundation walls

(this is i addition to a dehumidifier ofc)

thoughts?

2/6/2023 3:04:33 PM

1) Insulate the floor. Insulation is cheap and it degrades over time. The pros can install it for cheaper than you can buy it. Insulation the foundation too if you want.

2) Solve the humidity issue. The moisture is coming from somewhere. Do you have vent issues (are they open in the summer, because they shouldn't be)? Is the drainage around the perimeter of your house correct? Is there a vapor barrier on the ground under the house? Etc...

2/7/2023 12:34:15 PM

Quote :

"are the hot water pipes PEX or copper?"

PEX. Went ahead and did it. Took several hours over a couple days, but I notice a difference. Gonna turn down the temperature on the heater now.

2/8/2023 5:11:59 PM

synapse, I had a similar thing happen in my previous house. Crawlspace was very moist and insulation was holding it in and starting to grow mold in some places. The previous owners didn't have a vapor barrier, so that was the primary suspect. Ultimately, the company I went with recommended removing the floor insulation in general as the crawlspace doesn't really get cold enough in this climate (Northern Alabama) to need it and obviously in the Summer, heat is rising and the crawlspace doesn't get hot. With the insulation there, it really just promotes mold growth when it gets wet.

After removing the insulation, I noticed no difference in temperature. Also installed a vapor barrier and a dehumidifier in the crawlspace. I moved out about three years later, but had it inspected once a year with no returning issues, in addition to me checking myself every few months.

2/13/2023 1:51:11 PM

^^think I am going to do the same.

2/13/2023 3:39:40 PM