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If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

d'Kong76 Jan 24 2016 05:08 AM

Plumbing disaster averted. Heard water under kitchen sink before turning in. Some water settling into basement already. Thankfully it didn't leak unnoticed until morning or later. Can't wait to find out what a plumber gets on a Sunday after the blizzard. Cha-ching!

MFS62 Jan 24 2016 02:15 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

Are the roads in your town plowed well enough for the plumber to get to you? Later

d'Kong76 Jan 24 2016 05:24 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

Roads are fine now, at midnight our street was still not plowed. Very lucky and pleased with our new plumber. Cost like a third of what I was expecting.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 24 2016 05:47 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

We have an aftermarket 3-season sunroom on the the back of our joint that the previous owner put up, and every year it falls apart more. Never for instance gotten the roof not to leak at least a little in the rain, and floor must have been poured by a drunken concrete crew. The cats love it though -- it contains their poop box and food dishes, and provides us storage for bikes and tools and stuff, plants in the winter, etc. It comes with detachable storm windows that click into the frame via cheap rubber-and-plastic hinges, but just about all the rubber and plastic is long past their life and of course the parts have long since been manufactured. Upshot is storm windows that aren't stormproof, two windows could not withstand the storm yesterday so I had to shovel the sunroom today. Then, rigged the windows for the next storm. Will cost a billion to dismantle and replace the thing but looks more and more like we're gonna have to.

Ceetar Jan 24 2016 06:59 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: We have an aftermarket 3-season sunroom on the the back of our joint that the previous owner put up, and every year it falls apart more. Never for instance gotten the roof not to leak at least a little in the rain, and floor must have been poured by a drunken concrete crew. The cats love it though -- it contains their poop box and food dishes, and provides us storage for bikes and tools and stuff, plants in the winter, etc. It comes with detachable storm windows that click into the frame via cheap rubber-and-plastic hinges, but just about all the rubber and plastic is long past their life and of course the parts have long since been manufactured. Upshot is storm windows that aren't stormproof, two windows could not withstand the storm yesterday so I had to shovel the sunroom today. Then, rigged the windows for the next storm. Will cost a billion to dismantle and replace the thing but looks more and more like we're gonna have to. Can you convert it into a porch/patio some way? Might save on concrete chop-up costs.

Lefty Specialist Jan 24 2016 07:41 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

Have a wooden deck that's lasted 30 years, built by the previous owners of our house. It's reached the end of its lifespan, and we asked a contractor we know how much it would cost to replace. He asked us if we wanted wood or composite decking. Composite is supposed to last forever and never fade, bla, bla, bla. Showed us some samples and then estimated what it'd cost to replace what we have on the current footprint. It was something close to the GNP of Costa Rica. We said um, let's go with wood. He replied that we'd probably have to replace it again in 25 years or so. I told him I'll be drooling in my Maypo by then, so it won't matter. Wood it is.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 24 2016 08:12 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

Ceetar wrote: John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: We have an aftermarket 3-season sunroom on the the back of our joint that the previous owner put up, and every year it falls apart more. Never for instance gotten the roof not to leak at least a little in the rain, and floor must have been poured by a drunken concrete crew. The cats love it though -- it contains their poop box and food dishes, and provides us storage for bikes and tools and stuff, plants in the winter, etc. It comes with detachable storm windows that click into the frame via cheap rubber-and-plastic hinges, but just about all the rubber and plastic is long past their life and of course the parts have long since been manufactured. Upshot is storm windows that aren't stormproof, two windows could not withstand the storm yesterday so I had to shovel the sunroom today. Then, rigged the windows for the next storm. Will cost a billion to dismantle and replace the thing but looks more and more like we're gonna have to. Can you convert it into a porch/patio some way? Might save on concrete chop-up costs. Floor has to go. Our best bet is probably to just get rid of it and turn it all into outdoor patio, but looks like we could invest a few thou into a replacement unit to be built atop a redone patio floor if only for the cat's sake (they are indoor cats, but one of them really wants to live outside). It's just, the munny. And time. And resale considerations. And everything else. Homeowner blues.

Ceetar Jan 25 2016 01:56 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Floor has to go. Our best bet is probably to just get rid of it and turn it all into outdoor patio, but looks like we could invest a few thou into a replacement unit to be built atop a redone patio floor if only for the cat's sake (they are indoor cats, but one of them really wants to live outside). It's just, the munny. And time. And resale considerations. And everything else. Homeowner blues. tell me about it. on my list of 'broke in 2016' is continually my furnace and my shower. I can't figure out where the shower is actually leaking from (and usually only when my wife showers). I've recaulked a lot of the tiles but I'm clearly missing something. The furnace frequently trips the heat sensor, to the point of burning it out last winter. Still happens. Right now I removed the filter and it seems to be okay. The part the PSE&G guy claimed was causing a blockage wasn't (the AC evaporator coil, I opened the duct up and checked) which makes me hesitant to complain about it again cause they don't seem to have any other solution than 'blockage' somewhere. Additionally, the heat doesn't quite reach the far end of the house very well, I can't figure out if it's because there is a blockage or something, or because it's just too far and we're losing all the heat and it goes from big duct to tiny 6" coil for the last 15 feet, or the house itself isn't insulated enough on the outside under the siding making me lose heat too fast to make a difference in spots.

cooby classic Jan 25 2016 03:01 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

Today the guy from Comcast came to upgrade some service (of course my house looked like something out of "Hoarders") only to find that there really wasn't anything that needed upgraded. And this after three reschedules, due to sick grandkids I went to watch and the weather. (a nonexistent blizzard in our case) I should at least have given him a coffee to go.

themetfairy Jan 25 2016 03:18 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

I had the same deal with our home alarm system (without the sick grandkids issue). The guy from Slomin's looked over what we had and basically told us that there was no reason to upgrade, which saved us some money. I appreciate the fact that the guy didn't try to sell us things that we ultimately don't need.

d'Kong76 Jan 25 2016 03:44 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

Ceetar wrote: I can't figure out where the shower is actually leaking from (and usually only when my wife showers). I've recaulked a lot of the tiles but I'm clearly missing something. Blame it on your wife's hair conditioner! Might be the drain. Depending on the drain, you may be able to reseal everything under the cover and in the floor below and/or replace any seals or gaskets that might be in there? The thing that sucks about showers is it's hard to tell if it's the walls or the floor (a new shower pan for a large shower is expensive I think) and where the water goes is always an adventure.

Ceetar Jan 25 2016 03:53 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

it doesn't leak if I run the shower for 5 minutes without anyone in there, so it's definitely user error. ;-) There was a leak previously (supposedly more than 22 years ago prior to the last owners) so there's a strip of subfloor missing and I can see where it's dripping into the basement from. I'm conducting a slow trial and error system where I wait until it's saturated and then go upstairs and splash water at things and see if it drips. I've narrowed it down but haven't quite figured it out yet, I think it might be shower door track related.

metsmarathon Jan 25 2016 07:19 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

we closed out 2015 with some furnace issues, and i'm looking forward to a full kitchen rebuild this year, hopefully not accelerated by the impending death of our somewhat old refrigerator. all the other appliances work fine, but the layout is a little unhelpful, and lacking in storage and counterspace. the general plan is going to be to take down the wall separating the kitchen and dining room, and slapping in a countertop peninsula in its general place, while not finding too many project gremlins along the way.

Rockin' Doc Jan 26 2016 02:48 AM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

Hot water heater wore out and started to leak last week. Luckily my wife noticed the slow drip from attic into the garage as she left for work. Easy fix, plumber had a new water heater in by lunch. No damage done to the house, but my wallet is hurting. Water heaters (and plumbers) are expensive. This is our second replacement of the hot water heater since we built the house in 1996. The first one lasted 11 years, this one made it 9 years. I guess I should plan on replacing it again around 2026. Hopefully, that will be someone else's problem as I hope to be (or at least dream of) lounging on a tropical beach by then.

Rockin' Doc Jan 27 2016 04:29 AM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

Well, this year just keeps getting wetter. Today a 12" water main broke across from my office. Somehow the water it was spewing backed up into my office through the drains and toilets. I had to shut down the office and by the time the city workers arrived and turned of the water to the broken main, roughly 2/3 of the ground floor of my office was soaked with muddy water. ServPro spent over 7 hours cleaning and disinfecting the floors and there are currently 60 drying fans and 20 dehumidifiers running on the 1st floor of my office. Our office will be closed again tomorrow as ServPro completes their clean up and I deal with city officials and insurance companies. We are expected to reopen on Thursday morning and hope to have all of the affected carpeting (3,200-3,800 sq. ft.) replaced over the weekend. Not the greatest start to the year so far.

MFS62 Jan 27 2016 04:39 AM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

Ceetar wrote: it doesn't leak if I run the shower for 5 minutes without anyone in there, so it's definitely user error. ;-) There was a leak previously (supposedly more than 22 years ago prior to the last owners) so there's a strip of subfloor missing and I can see where it's dripping into the basement from. I'm conducting a slow trial and error system where I wait until it's saturated and then go upstairs and splash water at things and see if it drips. I've narrowed it down but haven't quite figured it out yet, I think it might be shower door track related. It might be related to where someone stands when taking a shower. If years of leaks have rotted out some of the flooring under the tub (you say its missing), when you stand at one end instead of the center of the tub while showering, it can pull down on a pipe joint just enough to cause an opening through which water can leak. If it doesn't leak when nobody is in the tub this might be the reason. Buttressing up and levelling the flooring under the tub might prevent the pipes from separating. Give it a try. Later

d'Kong76 Feb 02 2016 07:58 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

Haven't opened this thread; hope your water disaster is all fixed and everything is back to normal, Rockin'. Anyone have any experiences with solar energy?

Ceetar Feb 02 2016 08:16 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

d'Kong76 wrote: Haven't opened this thread; hope your water disaster is all fixed and everything is back to normal, Rockin'. Anyone have any experiences with solar energy? As I understand it, it's from the sun.

d'Kong76 Feb 02 2016 08:21 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016 Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Feb 02 2016 08:21 PM

[fimg=250:3myvxkfp]http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1355/656208532_ccb9768ec5.jpg[/fimg:3myvxkfp] Why I oughta...

Benjamin Grimm Feb 02 2016 08:21 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

I looked into solar panels back in 2009. I compared the cost to the estimated energy savings, and calculated that the solar panels would pay for themselves in 44 years. I'm thinking/hoping that now, seven years later, they might be less expensive and more efficient, so maybe that 44-year figure has been reduced.

d'Kong76 Feb 02 2016 08:26 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

I've noticed more of it around here so I'm intrigued. There's a lot of stuff about it in ads and "news" but I'm leery of the scammers. We have a two story house, but the back room is an old converted porch that can't be seen from the street and the roof gets sun all day. Shit, I could sell power to my neighbors!!

Rockin' Doc Feb 04 2016 03:44 AM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

d'Kong76 wrote: Haven't opened this thread; hope your water disaster is all fixed and everything is back to normal, Rockin'. We were able to reopen at 9:00 AM on Thursday morning, but it was pretty hectic. ServPro did an amazing job getting the office cleaned, sanitiazed, and ready for patients. I truly hope none of you ever need their services, but they are amazing. Now it is simply dealing with the insurance companies (mine and the city's). We are definitely covered by our insurance, but I am hoping I will get picked up by the City's insurer which saves me the deductible and would likely pay for lost production due to business interruption. My insurance only covers loss of business after 72 hours out of work. Losses are remarkably small, compared to what they could have been. Lost some office supplies, cleaning supplies, 2 computers, and office production for a day and a half. Luckily all of the cabinetry and furniture appears to be fine. The biggest expense will be the cost of the clean up.

themetfairy Feb 04 2016 04:24 AM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

I missed this the first time around RD. What a nightmare! I'm glad that you're up and running again!

MFS62 Feb 04 2016 03:00 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

We're having an ongoing soap opera about the delivery and installation of an appliance. I'll relate the long (and frustrating) story when it is (hopefully) done. (I don't want to give it a kenehora) Later

Zvon Feb 05 2016 09:02 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

Does anyone else have a hotmail account? My hotmail has gone all wacky. I can't see the text and the in-box window is totally different. Does anyone know If there was an update or something? Does this have something to do with browsers no longer being supported on the older versions of windows? I can't see the font to see if what I typed is correct. My quick contact list no longer exists- this is messed up. I've used this Email for 18 years! I'd be a shame if I couldn't use this Email account anymore.

themetfairy Feb 05 2016 09:25 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

Zvon wrote: Does anyone else have a hotmail account? My hotmail has gone all wacky. I can't see the text and the in-box window is totally different. Does anyone know If there was an update or something? Does this have something to do with browsers no longer being supported on the older versions of windows? I can't see the font to see if what I typed is correct. My quick contact list no longer exists- this is messed up. I've used this Email for 18 years! I'd be a shame if I couldn't use this Email account anymore. I just used Hotmail in Chrome, without any issues.

Zvon Feb 05 2016 09:50 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

Thanks TMF. I'm experiencing this in both Chrome and Firefox. When I just came to this board the layout was all messed up and different and then it was okay upon refresh. I imagine I'll work it out.

themetfairy Feb 05 2016 11:19 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

Have you cleared your cache lately? Sometimes that helps.

Zvon Feb 06 2016 01:41 AM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

themetfairy wrote: Have you cleared your cache lately? Sometimes that helps. Good idea. thnx :)

MFS62 Feb 10 2016 02:52 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

MFS62 wrote: We're having an ongoing soap opera about the delivery and installation of an appliance. I'll relate the long (and frustrating) story when it is (hopefully) done. (I don't want to give it a kenehora) Later It can now be written. We bought a new clothes dryer almost two weeks ago, with delivery two days later. The salesman said we needed to buy an electrical cord. I told him we already had a dryer hooked up in that spot. But he said we needed one because "all dryers need a new cord". When the guys delivered the dryer, they couldn't hook it up because ... you guessed it - the old dryer had been hard wired back to the circuit breaker and there was no plug for the new cord. SO, my daughter's boy friend came here this past Sunday and installed a new outlet. I usually can do electrical work myself, but this line is 220 volt and Homey don't play 'dat. The guys came back today and installed the vent and the new dryer and hauled the old one away. We are drying some towels as we speak. Later

Ceetar Feb 16 2016 03:33 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

Shower still doing the leak thing occasionally, I'll get there. Toilet's been suspect since we moved in, but it's occasionally not sealing correctly again, leading to the sporadic quick on/off every 30 seconds or so. Because I've got crazy water pressure this bangs the pipes each time until I jostle the tank and fix it. Garage door opener broke on Saturday. Maybe from the cold, but was grinding and spasming. Tried lubricating the chain and that made it work for 4 seconds and then the motor died. oops. My kitchen sink's hot water handle isn't working correctly. Over time it needed more and more force to fully shut, until now it actually shuts at about 75% rotation and if you keep pushing it goes back on. I probably just need to replace the thingy inside (gasket? i forget what the little widget is called) which means looking it up again and going to the store. My camera is wonky, as mentioned in CHEESE. Unique Camera in Fairfield, NJ where I bought it responded to my email and said they'd help, but this still means bringing it in and dealing with return/exchange. And my cat is dying.

themetfairy Feb 16 2016 04:51 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

Sorry Ceetar :(

d'Kong76 Feb 16 2016 05:01 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

Now that's a Iiab,Iwb list! Our garage was briefly frozen shut over the weekend. The motor is pretty new and we had a service call in the summer for a snapped cable. I held my breath because I'm probably black-balled from service from the company. The guy in August was over two-hours late and then spent 8 minutes fixing it and his pen didn't work so he said I'd get a bill. The bookkeeper lady (with a phone voice that makes one want to reach through the wire and slap her silly) called me wanting $150 on a card immediately and I told her to send me a bill like the service guy said. She said they don't bill people anymore. Really. This went on monthly until I finally just sent a check the last week of the year. I have a few plumbing issues to deal with in the coming weeks. Need to buy some fixtures for one of them before calling my new plumber.

Ceetar Feb 16 2016 05:10 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

still trying to decide if I busted the motor trying to fix it. A brief (2 minutes) google search didn't really reveal that same motor anywhere so I'm still debating as to fix it myself or call someone. I'm also trying to decide if I should even bother, the unit seems pretty old and maybe I should just get a new one. If I do that, maybe I should just get a new door as well, since the door A. lets mice in and B. has no insulation.

d'Kong76 Feb 16 2016 05:20 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

Our motor is a Liftmaster, Sears also sells the Craftsman ones too. That's not something I would try and fix myself. Between the springs and the cables and getting stuff lined up I feel it's a little dangerous. I need a new garage door too.

Ceetar Feb 16 2016 06:24 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

Stanley Standard Digital. Motor itself is Universal Electric Co and that's what I'm talking about replacing myself (not the whole setup)

d'Kong76 Feb 16 2016 09:34 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

Doesn't look too complicated if you can get replacement.

Ceetar Feb 16 2016 09:39 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

d'Kong76 wrote: Doesn't look too complicated if you can get replacement. I guess I should try to figure out if it's actually the motor or if there's some sort of capacitor or fuse

themetfairy Feb 16 2016 09:59 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

My doorbell started continuously playing this afternoon. Thankfully my son was working from home today and was able to reach the box and remove the battery from it. D-Dad will figure out whether it can be fixed when he gets home.

Ceetar Feb 16 2016 10:08 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

themetfairy wrote: My doorbell started continuously playing this afternoon. Thankfully my son was working from home today and was able to reach the box and remove the battery from it. D-Dad will figure out whether it can be fixed when he gets home. did it get wet inside perhaps?

themetfairy Feb 16 2016 10:35 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

Ceetar wrote: themetfairy wrote: My doorbell started continuously playing this afternoon. Thankfully my son was working from home today and was able to reach the box and remove the battery from it. D-Dad will figure out whether it can be fixed when he gets home. did it get wet inside perhaps? That's a distinct possibility.

d'Kong76 Apr 10 2016 04:36 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

Home Depot is giving away stuff today... Mulch - 5 bags $10 Garden Soil - 5 bags $10 Trip to orthopedist for cortisone shot after putting 20 bags in truck - $275

John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 17 2016 04:00 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

spent all day yesterday doing annual screen windows swap, and replaced with new screen. also set up pitch back for lunchpail. he proceeds to throw ball 1 right through new screen.

d'Kong76 Apr 17 2016 04:48 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

I know it's not funny, but it is. It's in a boy's spring-time DNA or something...

John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 17 2016 06:19 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

Even more funny because in order to replace the screens, I needed 2 trips to Home Depot to get the right sized spline.

d'Kong76 Jul 17 2016 12:40 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

Anyone have any experience with the epoxy JB Weld? We have a bunch of wrought iron outdoor furniture that needs a repair or two. A friend of mine said he'd teach me to weld if I get a starter set from Harbor Freight but some on Yahoo and Google mention this JB Weld stuff. Guess it's worth a shot but figure I'd ask The Pool.

Ceetar Jul 18 2016 01:52 PM Re: If it ain't broke, It will be in 2016

d'Kong76 wrote: Anyone have any experience with the epoxy JB Weld? We have a bunch of wrought iron outdoor furniture that needs a repair or two. A friend of mine said he'd teach me to weld if I get a starter set from Harbor Freight but some on Yahoo and Google mention this JB Weld stuff. Guess it's worth a shot but figure I'd ask The Pool. My brother in law is a big fan of the stuff and we used it on..umm..I can't remember what we used it on. But it held pretty well. good stuff. I don't know if it'll hold up on something that's load-bearing though, so depends what's wrong with the furniture.