The Home Improvement Q&A Thread

[rhett7660]

Thanks for the suggestion! Due to the central AC running frequently, the humidity is low in the house, but we do see condensation on the windo was but, hmm, that would be on the outside. Maybe I should get the hose out and spray the outside of the house in that area, to see if anything happens on the inside... There is a bay window in the vicinity with shingles on the bump out.

Are you sure the condensation/humidity is low? I would ask around and see if someone can either rent or loan you a dehumidifier. You might be surprised. We were. We then looked at what could be causing it. Turned out we had a lot of air leaks and one leak underneath, small but enough to add to the moisture in the air, the house that was was causing all of the humidity in the house. Especially when the temperature went up and the water to started to evaporate. We also installed a whole house air and heating system which comes with a whole house fan. Next up was fixing the doors and replacing all the windows. We don't use the humidifier anymore.

Once the leak was fixed, we actually went out and purchased a few fans and put them underneath the house and had them going for several weeks. Had to dry out the sand. Huge difference. It was a tiny, I mean tiny leak, but it was enough over time to have the effect on the house and humidity.

 

[puma1552]

There are 2 things you should check:

1. the temperature control knob. It's possible someone turned it to the lowest temperature.
2. the pilot light. That's something an handy home owner can check himself and deal with himself. Most water heaters have the instructions on the heater itself.

A plumbers can deal with water heater issues.

Thanks for this.

I just got home from work, no hot water still.

Went in to see what I could see, temperature control is 3/4 of the way to the hottest setting, so that's probably fine.

There's an LED on the unit that flashes when there's trouble, and best I can tell it seems to flash twice with 3 second pauses in-between, which I guess is an eco failure? This thing has a really bizarre flash troubleshooting scale, based on this pictured table, like if it flashes 3 times with a 1 second interval or 1 time with a three second interval it has the same problem? Bizarre.

So I guess I'll be calling a plumber tomorrow, goddamnit.

EDIT:

Looking in the pilot window, it's not lit/won't lit, and it also seems as if the heater is leaking as under it theres a slight wet ring and all behind the heater the concrete is freshly wet (not dripping from the overflow line etc).

 

[puma1552]

There's an LED on the unit that flashes when there's trouble, and best I can tell it seems to flash twice with 3 second pauses in-between, which I guess is an eco failure? This thing has a really bizarre flash troubleshooting scale, based on this pictured table, like if it flashes 3 times with a 1 second interval or 1 time with a three second interval it has the same problem? Bizarre.

Does anyone know how to read/understand these flash sequence codes? Looking online at someone else who had a "4-2 eco flash failure" it seems that my initial understanding of these codes were wrong, I thought you could have two different flash sequences to mean the same thing, but that doesn't appear to be it.

So using the Eco failure as an example, how do you read this table?

A) The LED flashes 4 times, waits 1 second, then flashes 2 times, and waits three seconds, then this repeats?
B) The LED flashes 4 times with 1 second in between each flash, then flashes 2 times, with three second intervals between flashes, then repeats?
C) Neither of the above/other?

 

[Mousse]

Does anyone know how to read/understand these flash sequence codes? Looking online at someone else who had a "4-2 eco flash failure" it seems that my initial understanding of these codes were wrong, I thought you could have two different flash sequences to mean the same thing, but that doesn't appear to be it.

So using the Eco failure as an example, how do you read this table?

A) The LED flashes 4 times, waits 1 second, then flashes 2 times, and waits three seconds, then this repeats?
B) The LED flashes 4 times with 1 second in between each flash, then flashes 2 times, with three second intervals between flashes, then repeats?
C) Neither of the above/other?

"A" makes the most sense. 4 flash, 1 sec pause, 2 flash = eco failure. The 3 second pause = end of flashing sequence. That's my best guess.

From your previous post of 2 flash and 3 second pause, I believe that = 1 flash, 1 second pause, 1 flash which means ignition failure. That's consistent with you saying the pilot light being off.

 

[puma1552]

So, the heater is trash, new one en route. $1600 installed for a like 40 gallon tall (it's a power vent style), but then it's on sale and the tech gave me a $25 coupon knocking it to $1525, and then if I pay with a check which I will, that knocks it to $1475, and there's a $100 rebate too that I'll get in a few months, so $1375 all in (plus $115 to have the guy come out this morning), unless there are incidental expenses or parts needed.

The cost included pulling permits and everything, and the warranty on the new one is 6 years on all parts including the tank, 6 years labor on the new tank, and 1 year labor on all other parts, so not too bad.

All in all I can't complain too much. I literally received my tax return this morning, so there goes that which nearly covers it...

 

[mscriv]

Did you consider one of the new tankless hot water heating systems? From what I hear they can be about the same price or just slightly more expensive, but much more efficient and cheaper in the long run due to monthly energy savings. I'm going to look into the option when that time comes for our house.

 

[prostuff1]

Did you consider one of the new tankless hot water heating systems? From what I hear they can be about the same price or just slightly more expensive, but much more efficient and cheaper in the long run due to monthly energy savings. I'm going to look into the option when that time comes for our house.

Generally speaking this is not true, at least if the tank water heater you have is halfway new.

I will be replacing my 1986 electric tank water heater with a gas tankless this spring/summer. The main savings for me is floor space and with me being a single guy the amount of hot water I use is very very minimal so I don't really need a lot of hot water all at once.

The downside to a tankless is they are only rated at a temp rise over the incoming temperature of the water at a certain gallon per minute. They can supply unlimited water at that temp but as soon as you go over that gpm mark you will start getting colder water.

If you have a halfway large family and there could be 2 showers and laundry running at once you might be better off with a larger tank water heater.

 

[puma1552]

Did you consider one of the new tankless hot water heating systems? From what I hear they can be about the same price or just slightly more expensive, but much more efficient and cheaper in the long run due to monthly energy savings. I'm going to look into the option when that time comes for our house.

Nah, didn't really see the benefit and most of what I was seeing was saying they were quite a bit more expensive, like $3k+ installed. Plus our house is already set for a power vent heater and the exhaust goes out through the side of the house.

Got it in today, they were done in about 1.5 hours. Did a nice job, everything is back together, and it's great to have hot water again.

 

[puma1552]

On Wednesday morning I noticed some water seemingly running out in two directions from under our gas furnace. Furnace still works well (it is from 1996 so I know it's nearing the end of its life). I opened up the furnace and cleaned out the condensate box, but it was clean and the drain is clear also, no clogs. Wiped up the water on the floor, and now a couple days later there's a bit more under the furnace, but not as bad as before. Furnace still works well. Everything inside the furnace that I can easily access is bone dry, all the way down to the very bottom of the furnace, where the blower is. There is no humidifier on this furnace either.

Am I barking up the wrong tree? Can't possibly be the new water heater, and the only other thing in that room is the water softener, but a good look at that and everything was bone dry. Doesn't really seem like the furnace is leaking water (could really only be from a clogged drain or maybe the secondary exchanger, which isn't easily accessible to look at but I think I should be able to see signs of that leaking elsewhere inside the furnace, maybe down in the blower compartment at the bottom of the furnace)? Again the furnace works ok, but I can't figure out why I have water under the furnace, my dad was just over here and couldn't figure it out either. Don't really need the expense of a new furnace at this point...

 

[Huntn]

On Wednesday morning I noticed some water seemingly running out in two directions from under our gas furnace. Furnace still works well (it is from 1996 so I know it's nearing the end of its life). I opened up the furnace and cleaned out the condensate box, but it was clean and the drain is clear also, no clogs. Wiped up the water on the floor, and now a couple days later there's a bit more under the furnace, but not as bad as before. Furnace still works well. Everything inside the furnace that I can easily access is bone dry, all the way down to the very bottom of the furnace, where the blower is. There is no humidifier on this furnace either.

Am I barking up the wrong tree? Can't possibly be the new water heater, and the only other thing in that room is the water softener, but a good look at that and everything was bone dry. Doesn't really seem like the furnace is leaking water (could really only be from a clogged drain or maybe the secondary exchanger, which isn't easily accessible to look at but I think I should be able to see signs of that leaking elsewhere inside the furnace, maybe down in the blower compartment at the bottom of the furnace)? Again the furnace works ok, but I can't figure out why I have water under the furnace, my dad was just over here and couldn't figure it out either. Don't really need the expense of a new furnace at this point...

Could water be leaking in through the furnace ducting? If not the furnace is there another source of water or possibly a leak from outside? Has it rained about the time this water appears?
[doublepost=1457881207][/doublepost]

Did you consider one of the new tankless hot water heating systems? From what I hear they can be about the same price or just slightly more expensive, but much more efficient and cheaper in the long run due to monthly energy savings. I'm going to look into the option when that time comes for our house.

I've picked up bad vibes about tankless water heaters because they can be expensive to install and that they can be prone to clogging if you have hard water.

 

[puma1552]

Could water be leaking in through the furnace ducting? If not the furnace is there another source of water or possibly a leak from outside? Has it rained about the time this water appears?

I traced all the ducting and everything is bone dry. Only other water sources there are the water softener (not leaking) and the new water heater (not leaking). Hasn't been raining either (winter climate) and there hasn't been any snow on the roof for a while. I stuck a fan down there overnight to dry everything up on the floor, so right now everything is back to bone dry, so I guess all I can really do is keep an eye on it for now and see if the water comes back and go from there - furnace is humming along just fine at the moment.

 

[Huntn]

I traced all the ducting and everything is bone dry. Only other water sources there are the water softener (not leaking) and the new water heater (not leaking). Hasn't been raining either (winter climate) and there hasn't been any snow on the roof for a while. I stuck a fan down there overnight to dry everything up on the floor, so right now everything is back to bone dry, so I guess all I can really do is keep an eye on it for now and see if the water comes back and go from there - furnace is humming along just fine at the moment.

That seems strange. I'd have to assume that water on the floor leaked from somewhere, and that it most likely came from a source other than the furnace. My impression is that furnaces do have coils with freon that circulate out to the compressor, but I imagine a leak would leak until it's gone and Im not familiar with how freon acts when it leaks. I assume it does not act like water, but evaporates quickly. Could a sink or tub overflowed or a sink water connection be involved somewhere above? Is there drywall in close proximity that might be effected and show evidence of such a leak?

Anyway, keep an eye open! They do sell inexpensive water detectors at the hardware store that run on a 9 volt battery that would warn of another leak at the onset.

 

[Mr. Buzzcut]

I traced all the ducting and everything is bone dry. Only other water sources there are the water softener (not leaking) and the new water heater (not leaking). Hasn't been raining either (winter climate) and there hasn't been any snow on the roof for a while. I stuck a fan down there overnight to dry everything up on the floor, so right now everything is back to bone dry, so I guess all I can really do is keep an eye on it for now and see if the water comes back and go from there - furnace is humming along just fine at the moment.

Does the furnace have a cold flu? If so, condensation could be flowing back into the furnace.

 

[Huntn]

This qualifies more as maintenance than improvement...

I have a pool, surrounded by a poolscape/deck that has a textured coating which reduces the heat of the sun, so you can walk on it without burning bare feet. Although it looks good, the little indentations in the texture are perfect places for dirt and grime to accumulate. After every winter, we get out and clean the deck, and I end up on my hands and knees, killing my back scrubbing off the crud from the last year. It's brutal I tell you. I'm sure that will elicit some tears of sympathy, lol.

Recently, it dawned on me that a power washer might be the answer and instead of paying $60 per day to rent one that eats gas, after local shopping of 3 brands, Powerstroke, Ryobi, and Green Works, I ended up purchasing a Sun Joe SPX 3000, (web site)the most aesthetic of the bunch that also had the highest pressure rating (2030 psi) of those machines at $200 or less. No one had one locally, so, Amazon to the rescue. I also purchased a 2 year warranty for $11 from Amazon, which for an item like this seems worth it.

And, it works like a champ, including a built-in detergent dispenser, saving me much back breaking work. Of note even as is, it will take me 4 calendar days to finish the deck, ( I'm not out there all day) so purchase was the way to go. I also discovered it's good at removing the grime and algie that appears on the brick vaneer of our house, and for windows and maybe our cars too! I might also tackle cleaning our concrete driveway.

 

[Apple fanboy]

This qualifies more as maintenance than improvement...

I have a pool, surrounded by a poolscape/deck that has a textured coating which reduces the heat of the sun, so you can walk on it without burning bare feet. Although it looks good, the little indentations in the texture are perfect places a for dirt and grime to accumulate. After every winter, we get out and clean the deck, and I end up on my hands and knees, killing my back scrubbing off the crud from the last year. It's brutal I tell you. I'm sure that will elicit some tears of sympathy, lol.

Recently, it dawned on me that a power washer might be the answer and instead of paying $60 per day to rent one that eats gas, after local shopping of 3 brands, Powerstroke, Ryobi, and Green Works, I ended up purchasing a Sun Joe SPX 3000, (web site)the most aesthetic of the bunch that also had the highest pressure rating (2030 psi) of those machines at $200 or less. No one had one locally, so, Amazon to the rescue. I also purchased a 2 year warranty for $11 from Amazon, which for an item like this seems worth it.

And, it works like a champ, including a built-in detergent dispenser, saving me much back breaking work. Of note even as is, it will take me 4 calendar days to finish the deck, ( I'm not out there all day) so purchase was the way to go. I also discovered it's good at removing the grime and algie that appears on the brick vaneer of our house, and for windows and maybe our cars too! I might also tackle cleaning our concrete driveway.

I bought a Karcher many years ago. Get lots of uses out of it. Cars, block paving, patio and brickwork.
You might find one of these useful as well.

Makes even shorter work of decking etc.

 

[Huntn]

I bought a Karcher many years ago. Get lots of uses out of it. Cars, block paving, patio and brickwork.
You might find one of these useful as well.
View attachment 627337
Makes even shorter work of decking etc.

Ok, what is that?

 

[Apple fanboy]

Ok, what is that?

It's an attachment for your pressure washer. Contains a spinning brush that makes even quicker.

 

[JamesMike]

It's an attachment for your pressure washer. Contains a spinning brush that makes even quicker.

Looks like a handy item.

 

[0388631]

I've got a pavement cleaner like that. Mine's steel or something though. I have an electrical power washer I bought sometime in 2002 or 2003. I have a much more powerful gas powered one I'll only use during the weekday, typically Fridays as I take them off. I do so not to piss my neighbors off by doing it on the weekend.

I need to replace some cracking concrete pathways in my yard leading to my fruit trees and whatnot. I've considered doing cement sections again, since I can do that myself in a weekend. But I've also considered doing cobble pavers. I use loose pebble gravel off the pathways. Any con to using pavers aside from having to measure and cut them for hours? I use a clear tarp liner under the gravel to prevent moisture loss. That's... oh maybe 6 years old now.

Also need to purchase a collapsible pool fence. Already have the nub slots. Not too concerned at the moment as the kids are still crawling. I've purchased a quality surface tension control arm alarm for the pool. It emits a piercing loud sound. No false alarms yet. Might actually do a double fence. One around the rim of the pool and one near the surrounded plants/shrubs. Or even use a ground stake version further into the grassy areas. Might have to call in the city inspector to make sure I don't puncture any gas lines.


By the way, is it possible to rewire a patio overhand portion of the house with wiring to support an outdoor fan? I've spotted a rather nice dual fan design but I'm not sure if I need more power or standard power will work. Had the house rewired in 2009 to support very high power use FWIW.

This is what I intend to use, but perhaps one with light in the middle. I think it looks quite nice.

 

[Huntn]

We have a small decorative alcove (40" wide, 15" deep) in our entrance hallway that my wife wanted to glass shelving put to show off some figurines she owns. One quarter inch thick glass, the backside edge is curved to fit in the alcove, the front side is straight, I wanted a finished- beveled, rounded edge on the front side. Despite having explained what these were to be used for, they came back from the glass shop with a relatively rough edge. I've taken them back for more work. What I learned from this experience.

1. Discuss machine vs hand cutting- I don't have enough experience in this department. I don't know what % of glass shops have this ability (machine cut). Machine cutting is better, cleaner, more exact. The small shop I went to can't do that. I'm not clear if machines are used to make curved cuts on a sheet of glass. In my case they were done by hand Anyone know?
2. Talk to the person doing the cutting- not the secretary. I took in a piece of wood that represented the space these shelves were to fit in, but clearly explained it was not an exact template, but this was not passed on. What we got back, curved cut on the backside is imperfect, wavy, but fortunately is not noticeable by virtue of being in the back against the wall.
3. Bullnose edges- Despite having china cabinets with bullnosed edge glass shelves (made in the orient), according to the company, those can't be done and are only done outside the country now?? Huh? I need to check around about this.

 

[puma1552]

Not really a Q&A but I want to show off the raised vegetable garden I made over the weekend for my wife (she helped a bit too by getting me tools, handing me screws, and she did the staining). Previous garden was 16' x 8' and about 8" deep at ground level with those typical 3" x 3" timbers that are rounded on the sides or whatever (you know the ones), this new one is a more manageable 8' x 6' and stands about 33" tall, garden floor is about 8-8.5" from the top. We have a lot of excess dirt from the old foot print we still need to get rid of and then we will need to buy a yard or two of rock to get it all cleaned up. Can't use the old garden dirt in the new garden since I've sprayed weed killer in it every week for two years (never had anything planted in there), so we will just get fresh topsoil/potting soil to put in the garden. Pretty happy with how it turned out, cost around $300 but could've been closer to $250 had we not stained it or had I not needed a tin snips to cut the metal.

 

[D.T.]

By the way, is it possible to rewire a patio overhand portion of the house with wiring to support an outdoor fan? I've spotted a rather nice dual fan design but I'm not sure if I need more power or standard power will work. Had the house rewired in 2009 to support very high power use FWIW.

This is what I intend to use, but perhaps one with light in the middle. I think it looks quite nice.

We're shopping some fans just like that, nickle finish, but dual design, kind of what I call "resort style".

 

[mscriv]

Not really a Q&A but I want to show off the raised vegetable garden I made over the weekend for my wife (she helped a bit too by getting me tools, handing me screws, and she did the staining). Previous garden was 16' x 8' and about 8" deep at ground level with those typical 3" x 3" timbers that are rounded on the sides or whatever (you know the ones), this new one is a more manageable 8' x 6' and stands about 33" tall, garden floor is about 8-8.5" from the top. We have a lot of excess dirt from the old foot print we still need to get rid of and then we will need to buy a yard or two of rock to get it all cleaned up. Can't use the old garden dirt in the new garden since I've sprayed weed killer in it every week for two years (never had anything planted in there), so we will just get fresh topsoil/potting soil to put in the garden. Pretty happy with how it turned out, cost around $300 but could've been closer to $250 had we not stained it or had I not needed a tin snips to cut the metal.

Nicely done sir. What vegetables do you all want to plant in it?

 

[puma1552]

Nicely done sir. What vegetables do you all want to plant in it?

My wife has a bunch of Japanese vegetable seeds she bought when she was home visiting last month but I think she's going to pick up a few more things here to plant as well...honestly, I'm not sure what she has or is planning...not much of a veggie guy myself, once I dump some dirt in there it's all her from there on out!

 

[JamesMike]

Not really a Q&A but I want to show off the raised vegetable garden I made over the weekend for my wife (she helped a bit too by getting me tools, handing me screws, and she did the staining). Previous garden was 16' x 8' and about 8" deep at ground level with those typical 3" x 3" timbers that are rounded on the sides or whatever (you know the ones), this new one is a more manageable 8' x 6' and stands about 33" tall, garden floor is about 8-8.5" from the top. We have a lot of excess dirt from the old foot print we still need to get rid of and then we will need to buy a yard or two of rock to get it all cleaned up. Can't use the old garden dirt in the new garden since I've sprayed weed killer in it every week for two years (never had anything planted in there), so we will just get fresh topsoil/potting soil to put in the garden. Pretty happy with how it turned out, cost around $300 but could've been closer to $250 had we not stained it or had I not needed a tin snips to cut the metal.

You did a good job.