Are the neutrals tied together somewhere?

10/28/2015 2:58:58 PM

Only thing I can think of. But it must be neutrals from at least 5 circuits tied together; otherwise, I still have 3 more circuits that randomly trip breakers.

10/28/2015 4:05:55 PM

perhaps call an electrician and see if they have any ideas, you don't have to commit to any work just yet, but they may be able to say if it is something that they can troubleshoot/fix.

10/28/2015 5:37:10 PM

When we moved in the seller let us know that the asphalt driveway was laid down last October, and that we'd need to reseal it once it had been there for a year. Considered doing it myself but I also got a quote for $225 (Driveway is roughly 10' wide by 100' long, almost no grade, straight). At that price it's not worth the trouble to do it myself, so they're coming on Friday. Will report back.

I doubt the particular contractor recommendation up here would be of use to anyone (unless BobbyDigital happens to have an asphalt driveway) but it's a price point to work from should anyone else need this service at some future time.

10/29/2015 2:17:17 AM

Closed this morning. FML.

10/30/2015 11:21:13 AM

congrats

10/30/2015 11:30:31 AM

Quote :

"Are the neutrals tied together somewhere?"

Assuming these aren't arc fault/gfci breakers, aren't the neutrals supposed to be tied together? Maybe I am misunderstanding, but the hot wire goes to the breaker, the neutrals go the neutral block and the grounds go the ground block.

10/31/2015 1:56:11 PM

So apparently driveway sealing can be accomplished in an hour by a professional crew. 3 guys showed up, edged, cleared the driveway with a leaf blower and push brooms, applied the sealant, and put up a barrier at the end of the driveway and across the sidewalks to keep people from walking on it.

If 3 pros took an hour, I'm assuming it would have taken me who's never done this before at least 4 and probably 5-6, so I'm okay with what I paid. It does slightly concern me that they only used one coat when most of the DIY tutorials I saw recommended two, but maybe it's a matter of what type of product you use.

11/1/2015 1:09:03 PM

Got a leak in the house. Think it has something to do with a bad shower nozzle in the upstairs master bath. Found a water mark in the ceiling and some carpet that was soaked with water about five feet away from the shower above where the pipes would be. Getting the plumber to show up Monday to make sure it isn't anything worse.

3rd water problem in this house in the last 2 years. I don't know who installed the plumbing but I'd love to give them a piece of my mind.

[Edited on November 1, 2015 at 5:35 PM. Reason : .]

11/1/2015 5:34:47 PM

Let's talk roofs. Mine is being replaced this week and the roofer wants to put in a ridge vent. Roof currently has soffit and gable. The majority of opinions say that if you have gable vents, the ridge vent could be counterproductive.

*I'm unable to to get a second estimate because this was settled as part of closing. Roofer says the seller didn't want it installed, but I can't tell if the seller was saving money or the roofer is just trying to up sell me.

What say you?

11/1/2015 6:26:10 PM

Ridge vent is useless if you have gable vents, so most folks just cover the gable vents with plastic on the inside. In theory the gable vents are blocked for as long as the sheet of plastic holds up. The soffit vents being open everywhere and operable are critical to either vent system being effective. A properly installed ridge vent with good soffit vents is much better than the gable vent system or exhaust fans.

11/1/2015 8:14:57 PM

Quote :

"Assuming these aren't arc fault/gfci breakers"

The 4 breakers tripping are AFCIs.

11/2/2015 10:29:50 AM

i had the roof replaced on the house I sold earlier this year. The roofer put a ridge vent in even though there was a gable, and he moved the exhaust fan down 6 feet. He was a legit dude, and he explained that it can be effective if the rest of the ventilation is situated correctly, you just have to make sure they are working together and not against one another.

My attic was hot as hell in the summer with just the soffit/gable/fan. I plan on putting a ridge vent in the new house when I get the roof redone.

11/2/2015 11:52:05 AM

Welp, I'm not under contract for my first house.

Someone hold me

11/5/2015 8:30:50 AM

So i put a new roof on my house about a month ago. Older house with original roof. We put in a ridge vent but I do not have have any soffit vents. Am I hurting myself or just need to get those soffit vents at some point?

Ridge Vent was included in the replacement.

11/5/2015 10:25:48 AM

Do I really need a Radon test?

11/5/2015 10:56:13 AM

I bought one at Lowes ($12) and left it at the house during the inspection. I picked it up 2 days later and got the results within a week. It was pretty painless and a lot cheaper than the $150 I paid the inspector on the house we ended walking away from.

When making this large of a purchase, it was worth $12 to me.

That being said, the previous owner could have sealed it in a plastic bag when I left to keep the reading down and I would never know.

11/5/2015 11:09:57 AM

Spend the $150 bucks so the owner can spend the $1200 for the mediation system.

11/5/2015 3:09:30 PM

Time to repipe this bitch.

11/6/2015 3:50:30 PM

Quote :

"Do I really need a Radon test?"

Yes. I skipped this buying a home in the NC mountains, and when I tried to sell the place the prospective buyers did their own test and it turned up positive. So I had to whack $1500 off of the agreed price so they could put in a mitigation system. FUN.

11/7/2015 3:45:46 AM

anyone have any recommendations for roof repair?

11/9/2015 11:11:57 AM

Otto's Exteriors have both repaired my roof and eventually replaced the whole thing for a very reasonable price with high quality shingles (50 year)

He is a local guy in raleigh and lives in my hood.

http://www.raleighresidentialcontractor.com/

11/10/2015 11:07:43 AM

I contacted Otto's for roof repair before and he told me they only do full replacement. For minor repair he recommended Pedro at 919-427-6650. I had him come do a little minor repair (vent boots, replace a few shingles, etc.) and I thought he did a good job with that.

11/10/2015 3:50:21 PM

oh that must have changed... he did a repair on my roof maybe 4 or 5 years ago.

11/11/2015 2:55:18 AM

Quote :

"Quote : "Assuming these aren't arc fault/gfci breakers" The 4 breakers tripping are AFCIs."

I hate those things. I understand the benefit they are suppose to provide but have yet to see a set work under normal circumstances at all.

FML: had HVAC work done this week, and the fridge looked at. Fridge needs a part.

Anyone have extended warranty with Lowes and done their lemon policy? Had one agent tell me 6 calls, another tell me 3 under just the extended. Ive had 6 now done but most were under manufacturers.

11/11/2015 8:40:47 AM

^^He may do larger repair jobs or possibly still does for existing customers - not sure. Mine was very minor so he probably just didn't want to bother with it. Seemed like a good guy, though.

11/11/2015 9:51:44 AM

So I got the house I'm buying inspected.

overall in great shape, but a few issues.
1 window has a crack
4 windows have lost their seal
and the gas range doesn't have exterior venting, it only has recirculating.
oh, and the center burner for the range only ignites about 30%

What should I do next?
How good of a position am I to negotiate knowing the owner wants to move asap (he's paying two mortgages right now)


[Edited on November 11, 2015 at 2:36 PM. Reason : a]

11/11/2015 2:23:27 PM

let your realtor do the negotiating. you're in a good position. either have him fix the problems or have your own person come in and do an estimate and the seller can credit that to you at closing in escrow till the work is completed.

11/11/2015 2:30:18 PM

Recirculating vents blow donkey balls. Ours basically circulates the smoke straight to the smoke detector...fucking horrible. Basically have to have someone stand on a chair underneath the smoke detector every time we cook bacon or anything else smokey. Can't wait for the house addition and moving the kitchen.

Definitely try and get rid of that circulating vent.

11/11/2015 3:07:47 PM

And it's in violation of current code. This was most likely installed prior to the change, but all gas stoves now (and for a while now...) must be vented to the exterior.

[Edited on November 11, 2015 at 6:02 PM. Reason : I'd be a prick and say I want it vented to the outside.]

11/11/2015 6:01:29 PM

^ Where is that written?

11/11/2015 6:07:16 PM

section 505.1 of the mechanical (exhaust) systems code, but now that I'm re-reading it, there are circumstances where that isn't true. I could have sworn it was all domestic kitchen exhaust, with the exception of electric ranges with certain features, but that gas always had to be exhausted to the oustide, but the code doesn't read that way and neither does a google search. Guess I and a few builders were incorrect

One nuance is the manufacturer's instructions/range design. Venting must follow, at a minimum, the manufacturer's instructions. Also, stoves with open top broilers must be vented to the outside.

[Edited on November 11, 2015 at 6:40 PM. Reason : forgot about gas code. 623.]

11/11/2015 6:33:48 PM

Yeah, that what's my cursory google search revealed. GE recommends external venting, but doesn't require it. Still going to ask for the repair though.

11/11/2015 6:43:05 PM

sorry bruh.

11/11/2015 6:45:25 PM

Ha, no worries. I wonder how much it'll be to vent to the outside

11/11/2015 7:29:59 PM

^ it is a $600 cost on my new construction.
I think it would depend on the exterior home material (siding, brick, etc) and how much electrical and framing needs to be changed.

11/11/2015 7:43:16 PM

The biggest issue is that's in an inside unit townhouse, so I think that might make things a bit more difficult.

11/11/2015 8:05:23 PM

It was bound to happen, but I finally made a mistake during the whole house remodel on the new home.

I was hanging a magnetic knife bar in the kitchen and drilling through the kitchen tile backsplash when I drilled a hole into the bathroom drain for the guest bathroom upstairs. The bathroom is not directly over the kitchen, but retrospectively I should have considered the pipe would have to go down a different wall since there are a lot of windows under the bathroom. The hole was made with my smallest drill bit, but there is still a trickle of water that comes out of the hole when the toilet is flushed. Guess I have to cut out the tile, patch the pipe, and then hope to god I can find a spare tile.

11/19/2015 9:19:43 PM

Quote :

"section 505.1 of the mechanical (exhaust) systems code, but now that I'm re-reading it, there are circumstances where that isn't true. I could have sworn it was all domestic kitchen exhaust, with the exception of electric ranges with certain features, but that gas always had to be exhausted to the oustide, but the code doesn't read that way and neither does a google search. Guess I and a few builders were incorrect "

Did this change in 2015? I always thought if you met the natural ventilation requirement (4% of your square footage is openable surface area like windows and doors) that you just had to adhere to manufacturing specifications. In my limited experience consulting for multi-family this was pretty standard to avoid having to duct in outside air to the space.

11/20/2015 11:05:22 AM

Anyone one in here done any serious home automation? I am in the process of replacing most of my switches and many outlets with insteon. Coupled with Amazon Echo, it is pretty compelling. The lights all turn on when I walk into rooms (then turn off after), I can say 'turn on the outside lights/kitchen lights/etc' and it happens, it makes sure my garage door is shut at a certain time, lights turn on when I open doors... It is pretty awesome. If we here something go bump in the night, I just say 'turn on everything' and the house lights up like a tree.

11/25/2015 9:47:32 AM

sounds pretty baller. how much did that run you?

11/25/2015 10:56:58 AM

Its not horrible. By the time I end up automating everything that I could ever want to automate, it will likely be around $1500-$2000. I am adding a few switches every week to ease into it. I think it is the best way because you find out what you like, what works, what doesn't, and you can tweak your plan. I will have all the important stuff done for well under $1,000, then it is a process of fancying up things... Stuff like the laundry room light coming on automatically when the door opens, and having the porch light ramp up when someone comes to the porch (then sending me a txt message- think delivery person that doesn't ring the bell).

11/25/2015 11:31:39 AM

I've been wanting to do it, but the plethora of competing standards and questionable level of integration and compatibility across vendors has given me pause.

Insteon was the vendor that seemed to have their shit together the most, so it's good to know, Carzin, that you've found the same thing (I know you're as obsessive about researching this kinda shit as I am).

However, the Amazon echo was not out when i last looked at this, and that's makes this a much more compelling use case.

which Insteon line are you deploying?

11/30/2015 9:36:29 AM

I'm all for home automation, but $2,000 to save a few steps and flicking a switch just ain't in my worth it column.

[Edited on November 30, 2015 at 9:48 AM. Reason : except for text-to-action to turn all lights on. that's worth a few hundred I'd say]

How do you have it set up for text-to-action in multiple rooms?

[Edited on November 30, 2015 at 9:49 AM. Reason : .]

11/30/2015 9:48:09 AM

im with you. im far too cheap to spend that kinda lewt, but it is still cool.

11/30/2015 1:15:30 PM

I don't know why I typed text-to-action. Must have been thinking voice-to-text. Meant voice control.

mondays.

[Edited on November 30, 2015 at 2:16 PM. Reason : .]

11/30/2015 2:15:48 PM

Quote :

"which Insteon line are you deploying?"

I am sticking, for the most part, to all Dual Band stuff. The only 2 switches I have had weird issues with (out of the 16 devices I have installed now) were the regular single band toggle switches. I am switching the entire house to paddle. Before I spend too much more money I am going to monitor what I have for a month and see how reliable all of this stuff is.

Quote :

"I'm all for home automation, but $2,000 to save a few steps and flicking a switch just ain't in my worth it column."

it is a luxury. To each his own

Quote :

"How do you have it set up for text-to-action in multiple rooms? "

With Alexa, you discover the devices on your network (I think it discovers through the Insteon hub) and with those devices, you add them to groups. So, in the kitchen, where I have 3 lights, I add those lights to the 'kitchen' group then say 'Alexa, turn off kitchen lights' and it happens.

What we are using this for, so far...

-Both garage doors are controlled by insteon. I have them set to a schedule. If for some stupid reason I have left the garage door open (it happens from time to time), then at a set time, the controller will close the doors if they are open. I can also open the garage for friends/neighbors if I am not there. That is a nice option if you don't have an extra key to dole out.

-I have a motion sensor hidden in my front porch stoop. When someone comes up the stoop, it activates the porch light. It also sends me a txt message. This is useful for security and to know when those FedEx/UPS guys dump stuff on your front porch without ringing the bell.

-I have a motion sensor in the kitchen. When someone walks through, the lights turn on. If there is no subsequent motion, the lights will automatically turn off after 5 minutes

-I am installing a sensor on the front door. When the front door is opened, it will turn on the chandelier and the dining room lights. Those lights will turn off after 5 minutes of being activated.

-The garage lights, which are notorious for staying on and burning out, will be controlled by the garage door opening (set to time on/off) as well as when someone opens the entryway to the garage from the house.

Ceiling fans are controlled, bedside lamps are controlled. Either they turn on when triggered by sensor, by a remote, by the iPhone app, or by Alexa.

I also plan on putting water sensors in a lot of key areas. They will trigger an i/o module that will actuate a water shutoff valve under the house if water is detected.

So, home automation goes a lot farther than just turning off lights.

[Edited on November 30, 2015 at 4:14 PM. Reason : .]

11/30/2015 4:12:40 PM

That all sounds awesome.

12/7/2015 3:22:15 PM

My Samsung refrigerator, 7 weeks post warranty, froze up and stopped cooling last night. The way the thing is designed, you can't access the evaporator coil while it's still iced up so I had to wait for it to thaw on it's own. That gave me plenty of time to find zero help from Samsung on the internet. I finally figured out how to trigger the defrost manually this morning after it deiced on it's own. Now, since I brought my multi-meter home from the office, I get to troubleshoot the defrost cycle. Yea! So fun!

12/8/2015 5:29:22 PM

Any Wake county residents planning on appealing their new tax valuations?

12/9/2015 7:45:39 AM