Home Repairs

[A_B]

I thought dimmable was controlled by the switch. I put a dimmable on a standard switch in my bar and it worked fine.

[A_B]

Is Hue ... viable

This Browns fan says no.

Also true.

[Johnnie]

Here’s my most specific question. I get how it works with lamps. I have a new place where none of the overhead or pendant or chandelier lights are dimmable. Is Hue a viable way to make those lights dimmable without having to change all of the switches?

I don't use Phillips Hue specially, but with my Alexa app I just say "Alexa lights at 50%" and they turn on at 50%

It's a pretty easy set up within the Alexa app on my phone. And you can group together lights with an Echo so that each room can turn on.

And I think you can buy outlet plugs and switches that are Alexa enabled so that you don't even need to keep the switches on all the time.

[mister d]

I thought dimmablenwas controlled by the switch. I put a dimmable on a standard switch in my bar and it worked fine.

Sounds like a miserable 90s white reggae band. Probably opened for Sublime.

[elflaco]

27 year old furnace/ac unit...

the last few years, every season i worry when it comes on...

so the blower circuit board shorted out... so if there's power to the blower, the thing just stays on regardless of what the thermostat tells it to do..
guy looked at it this morning (tried to go the handyman route yesterday but couldn't get the guy to come yesterday) so one of the big shops looked at it.
i already knew it was fried (can see the marks).. but had hopes.. unless they can find a replacement 27 yr old circuit board.. time for a new furnace. he did offer up the option of letting it run all the time... and i can manage it while in the house (but i'm not home usually 3 or 4 days a week)
the missus is not happy obviously..will have three quotes for replacement today.

any swamper have any prior experience with full hvac replacement? anything i should know, look out for? most will offer similar deals.. cash/check/credit full payment about $2000 less than financing it..

overall.. we had roof replaced this year. if we get hvac (and water heater, might as well) and actually sell as planned in next 12mo.. those things are good.. hard to sell a house that needs a new roof and hvac (as people will always look to redo bath and kitchen anyway)

[Sabo]

any swamper have any prior experience with full hvac replacement? anything i should know, look out for? most will offer similar deals.. cash/check/credit full payment about $2000 less than financing it.

We did a full furnace/AC replacement about six years ago. IIRC, it cost less than $6,000. Turns out the furnace we had was too large for the house anyway, so it was very inefficient. We ended up with a Trane furnace and AC, and we also got a whole-house air filter and humidifier as well. Our gas bill dropped quite a bit during winter, and the house is much less dusty.

The only odd thing I can remember about the install is these high-efficiency furnaces need an air intake and exhaust. The HVAC company ran two PVC pipes up the chimney, and the intake pipe was fairly close to the the chimney for our fireplace. That first year, we learned we couldn't run the furnace if we had a fire going because it was sucking in smoke. We ended up extending the intake pipe about a foot lower than the chimney, so it's now drawing fresh air all the time.

ETA: If anyone in your family has a weakened immune system, consider getting a UV light installed. That supposed to help a lot with airborne illnesses. When we had our furnace serviced last month, the tech said the UV light cost about $1,000 installed. We declined it, but it's something we might get the next time we have to replace the furnace.

[BSF21]

any swamper have any prior experience with full hvac replacement? anything i should know, look out for? most will offer similar deals.. cash/check/credit full payment about $2000 less than financing it.

We did a full furnace/AC replacement about six years ago. IIRC, it cost less than $6,000. Turns out the furnace we had was too large for the house anyway, so it was very inefficient. We ended up with a Trane furnace and AC, and we also got a whole-house air filter and humidifier as well. Our gas bill dropped quite a bit during winter, and the house is much less dusty.

The only odd thing I can remember about the install is these high-efficiency furnaces need an air intake and exhaust. The HVAC company ran two PVC pipes up the chimney, and the intake pipe was fairly close to the the chimney for our fireplace. That first year, we learned we couldn't run the furnace if we had a fire going because it was sucking in smoke. We ended up extending the intake pipe about a foot lower than the chimney, so it's now drawing fresh air all the time.

ETA: If anyone in your family has a weakened immune system, consider getting a UV light installed. That supposed to help a lot with airborne illnesses. When we had our furnace serviced last month, the tech said the UV light cost about $1,000 installed. We declined it, but it's something we might get the next time we have to replace the furnace.

Not that it means anything to anyone but every HVAC tech I've worked with or know is firmly on the Fuck Traine...train. I don't know if they're hard to work on or what, but they're universally hated I've found.

[Sabo]

Not that it means anything to anyone but every HVAC tech I've worked with or know is firmly on the Fuck Traine...train. I don't know if they're hard to work on or what, but they're universally hated I've found.

I just checked, and I'm wrong. I have an Amana furnace and AC, not Trane.

[Johnnie]

I mean, I get that I'm not a plumber and calling a dude to do simple plumbing things is the correct move and $28 for some hardware is fine, but $93 for the labor for 30ish minutes to put a T line in my water line to my swamp cooler is too much.

[sancarlos]

Our heating system is working just fine, and it is almost time to turn it on for the winter. So, my wife says, "you know we've never had anybody come out and look it over just to see that everything is fine. Maybe we should do that."

We've never had any problem with our furnace, so that smacks me as just a waste of money. Swamp thoughts?

[Sabo]

Our heating system is working just fine, and it is almost time to turn it on for the winter. So, my wife says, "you know we've never had anybody come out and look it over just to see that everything is fine. Maybe we should do that."

We've never had any problem with our furnace, so that smacks me as just a waste of money. Swamp thoughts?

Considering where you live, it's probably not the end of the world if you don't. But since we rely on the furnace for at least eight months a year, we get it checked out yearly. The techs clean the furnace, which allows it to run more efficiently. Also, one year, the tech noticed a blower switch wasn't working properly. Fortunately, it was still under warranty by just a matter of weeks, and it was replaced at no charge. It would've cost hundreds of dollars otherwise.

[A_B]

Consider it an oil change that you only have to do every five years or so. Unless you live in a frozen hellscape like sabo apparently.

[The Sybian]

Our heating system is working just fine, and it is almost time to turn it on for the winter. So, my wife says, "you know we've never had anybody come out and look it over just to see that everything is fine. Maybe we should do that."

We've never had any problem with our furnace, so that smacks me as just a waste of money. Swamp thoughts?

We have an annual deal with a plumbing/HVAC company, and part of the deal is a free inspection every year. They clean it out, and if definitely increases efficiency. They also found some louvers that weren't angled appropriately, causing inconsistent airflow through the house.

The question I have, is it worth it to vacuum out the HVAC system? I've read it's a complete waste of money, but also heard it's important and decreases seasonal allergies and improves the airflow.

[A_B]

I wouldn’t do that. Definitely seems like a money grab to me.

[Johnnie]

We're at a little over a week in...



The plan had to change slightly. That post in the center of the kitchen is required because the joists don't run the length of it. This house cut some serious corners by adding another load bearing wall for no reason. Propping up those joists with 2x4s in order to remove the load bearing part was kinda scary.

Also that beam across the front needs to exist to support the roof because of shoddy building design. (I actually helped install that too, which was fun. It's 2 2x6s that sandwich a 1/2 inch of steel.)

But no worry for those changes, everything will be decorative and stained appropriately to accent everything.

There's a tentative date for granite to go in on the 20th. So that means tile and cabinets will be done by then. This thing is coming together nicely.

[Sabo]

How many people are working on this? Noticed the drywall holder, so I assume it’s a small crew. Looks good so far!

[Johnnie]

The drywall, tiling, carpentry, electrical and plumbing is just 2 people. There was a third person to help on demo day. I was only able to help 1 day because I work.

But they've brought in the texture guy today. The granite and cabinets will be done by their respective people and they'll probably bring in big crews on those install days. It's been really impressive to watch and learn.

[HaulCitgo]

Fun stuff. Looks good. Post a before during after.

[HaulCitgo]

Anybody installed an exterior motion detection light? Need to replace one and move another to a different location. Normally the intersection of ladder and electric might scare me off but this one seems doable. Any experience?

[Johnnie]

Update:

The kitchen is like 87% done. The granite went in today and looks great. It complements the tile and cabinets awesomely. I'm very ready for this to be fully functional. Everyone that has seen it has been blown away.

Ultimately though I'm just ready to stop spending money. Maybe I assumed things were going to "meet the budget" or that contingencies were factored into what the budget was, but I had to dip into an investment account to mitigate the damage.

Also, it's kind of an odd feeling that if a slight change has to happen for design reasons it's just the way it is, bill ya later. No specificity to what that price is until I have to write the check, just "well, you said continue with the project..."

But if I happen to think "would it be a good idea if..." or make a slight change because I thought of something or saw something, I get the look like "This wasn't in the plan. If you wanted to make this change you should have said something yesterday."

Examples: "Oh, hey. There's a countertop over there now. Shouldn't there be an outlet put in that wall?" I get a partial death stare. Like I should have already known that that would be required. (Amongst anything else that I've thought through.) Or "Hey, since you subcontracted a stain guy, maybe I get outlet covers that are wood and their stain might be a cool complement since I had to buy them anyway." "Sure, if you want them stained that'll be an extra $35 for his time." Nope. Took me 10 minutes with the stain I bought that he used for that part of the project.

Maybe I'm just so used to the way the military works, but I have zero concept of "every tiny change = more money." Or maybe if every thing isn't detailed explicitly I just assume it's factored in and it's fine.

Ugh, and when I post pics I'll highlight it, but the $9k cabinets (thanks Trump tariffs, an additional cost for paying with my credit card, and the final cost suddenly showing higher due to tax not being factored into my initial quote) got installed expertly, but the measurement was off by 7 inches. That created a gap on the wall and forced the lowers to shift which created a gap next to the stove. That gap had to be covered by more granite and there will have to be a spacer placed there which looks ridiculous. Plus the initial granite measurement was off too. So there was another $600 spent. Like...fuuuuuck.

Yeah, I'll buy my wine fridge later. The additional stuff I wanted to do in the spring is pushed until fall at the earliest.

Anyhoo, at the very least this should push the value of the house up by a decent amount.

[A_B]

Update:

The kitchen is like 87% done. The granite went in today and looks great. It complements the tile and cabinets awesomely. I'm very ready for this to be fully functional. Everyone that has seen it has been blown away.

Ultimately though I'm just ready to stop spending money. Maybe I assumed things were going to "meet the budget" or that contingencies were factored into what the budget was, but I had to dip into an investment account to mitigate the damage.

Also, it's kind of an odd feeling that if a slight change has to happen for design reasons it's just the way it is, bill ya later. No specificity to what that price is until I have to write the check, just "well, you said continue with the project..."

But if I happen to think "would it be a good idea if..." or make a slight change because I thought of something or saw something, I get the look like "This wasn't in the plan. If you wanted to make this change you should have said something yesterday."

Examples: "Oh, hey. There's a countertop over there now. Shouldn't there be an outlet put in that wall?" I get a partial death stare. Like I should have already known that that would be required. (Amongst anything else that I've thought through.) Or "Hey, since you subcontracted a stain guy, maybe I get outlet covers that are wood and their stain might be a cool complement since I had to buy them anyway." "Sure, if you want them stained that'll be an extra $35 for his time." Nope. Took me 10 minutes with the stain I bought that he used for that part of the project.

Maybe I'm just so used to the way the military works, but I have zero concept of "every tiny change = more money." Or maybe if every thing isn't detailed explicitly I just assume it's factored in and it's fine.

Ugh, and when I post pics I'll highlight it, but the $9k cabinets (thanks Trump tariffs, an additional cost for paying with my credit card, and the final cost suddenly showing higher due to tax not being factored into my initial quote) got installed expertly, but the measurement was off by 7 inches. That created a gap on the wall and forced the lowers to shift which created a gap next to the stove. That gap had to be covered by more granite and there will have to be a spacer placed there which looks ridiculous. Plus the initial granite measurement was off too. So there was another $600 spent. Like...fuuuuuck.

Yeah, I'll buy my wine fridge later. The additional stuff I wanted to do in the spring is pushed until fall at the earliest.

Anyhoo, at the very least this should push the value of the house up by a decent amount.

That doesn't sound like a perfect installation. And if it was a measurement they did in advance, I cannot in any way see why you should be the one footing that overage cost. That should have been on whomever fucked up the measure. Seven inches is pretty substantial!

[mister d]

Easy sig quote there if it weren’t intentional.

[mister d]

We have very hard water here and my plastic dishwasher filter seems calcified in place. Any ideas here?

[A_B]

[brian]

We have very hard water here and my plastic dishwasher filter seems calcified in place. Any ideas here?

Buy a new dishwasher?

Seriously, though we usually use CLR cleaner for anything like that. That stuff has probably given me cancer 10x over, but it does the job.

[Ryan]

We have very hard water here and my plastic dishwasher filter seems calcified in place. Any ideas here?

Empty cycle with vinegar or one of those lime things?

[mister d]

CLR is my last gasp. Vinegar cleaned nicely but did nothing for the filter.

[Johnnie]

Alrighty, you saw the before, here's the after.

I love it. I spent more than I thought I should have and had to dip into a retirement account to offset some of that overage, but it's done. I guess I can take solace in the fact that a contractor/home builder friend of my contractor said she wouldn't have touched this for less than $65k. (Note: I paid way less than that.)

Outside of a sliding barn door to separate the wash room from the kitchen, a couple of outlet covers, and finishing the bench along the back wall and putting my ginormous mirror there too, it's done well ahead of schedule.

And yes, my white dish washer is staying because it works.

[govmentchedda]

Looks great!

[duff]

And yes, my white dish washer is staying because it works.

Just because they do your dishes doesn't make them an it.

And being in New Mexico, I would have thought the dish washer to be brown.

[mister d]

Looks really good (although that mismatched dishwasher would possibly give me an aneurysm).

[BSF21]

Awesome Johnnie. Enjoy!

[HaulCitgo]

Yep looks good. Thanks for the other angles. Was wondering about the sink plumbing but see the cabinets now.

[sancarlos]

Nice work!

[rass]

Looks good man

[Johnnie]

Thanks everyone! I just made my final payment to my contractor this morning. I'm glad this transaction is done.

To reiterate, factor in $5k - $10k in potential changes. And maybe I'm just so used to how the military dumbs things down, but literally itemize every single thing and do a walk-through with wanted work. Also, assume nothing. Except that more money will be spent than you like.

There was just so much that I thought was "part of the project" that simply wasn't. And there was stuff that was talked about that I thought was part of the base cost that was extra.

Anyhoo, now to build a bench, a dining table, stain my barn door, and look for a backsplash.

[Moreta]

Looks really great! I’m living with a painfully outdated kitchen because I can’t face all the decisions I’d have to make in the process.

My daughter just bought a condo after a minor flip (new paint everywhere, new flooring everywhere, new bathroom vanities, but not much of substance done) and has discovered some amusing issues. Seller added handles to the cabinets and drawers in the tiny kitchen and didn’t realize that, with a range installed, the handles impede the opening of the oven door. So, she has to remove all the handles, fill the holes they drilled to install them, and REpaint them all. Welcome to homeownership kid!

[Johnnie]

Looks really great! I’m living with a painfully outdated kitchen because I can’t face all the decisions I’d have to make in the process.

Thank you so much! For me, it all came down to money. You can price out the materials, but the labor is just a killer. I designed the layout of everything, but my contractor figured out the best color scheme and look that wouldn't be dates in a few years.

My daughter just bought a condo after a minor flip (new paint everywhere, new flooring everywhere, new bathroom vanities, but not much of substance done) and has discovered some amusing issues. Seller added handles to the cabinets and drawers in the tiny kitchen and didn’t realize that, with a range installed, the handles impede the opening of the oven door. So, she has to remove all the handles, fill the holes they drilled to install them, and REpaint them all. Welcome to homeownership kid!

Oh man, I've already detailed my having to learn about too much of my roof and drywall. But the silliness you find once you rip out walls tells you a story about 1970s craftsmanship and where they cut corners. Which reminds me, I didn't post progress pics...

[The Sybian]

But the silliness you find once you rip out walls tells you a story about 1970s craftsmanship and where they cut corners. Which reminds me, I didn't post progress pics...

For all the stupid shit I've found in my house, I was terrified to rip out the kitchen. Other than some hilariously hideous 1960s wallpaper behind the old built-in fridge, the kitchen was actually problem free behind the walls. The plumber came in to redo the gas pipes, and just marveled at the quality of the work and materials, said, "shit, this'll be easy, I don't have to replace anything." Absolute shocker.

Moretta, you have no idea how right you are about all of the decisions. I'd recommend working with an interior designer to help make those decisions. That said, we brought one in, and that did not go well. At all. Our builders have a large showroom, and trying to pick out counters, backsplash, flooring, appliances... and imagine how they will look together was overwhelming. We had complete sensory overload the first day, and had to walk out.

We had our hands forced and had to renovate, as we had a 1985 SubZero fridge built into the cabinets, and the freezer was dying. My wife just wanted to replace the appliances and keep the rest, but we couldn't replace the fridge without destroying the cabinets, and for some reason it would have been more expensive to try to save the counter than just replace it (it had some very narrow points around the sink and cooktop), so they couldn't guarantee saving it. Then removing the counters would destroy the backsplash, so essentially we had to gut the kitchen to remove the fridge. We had at least 5 different builders sketch out numerous ideas for reconfiguring the layout of the kitchen, but in the end, my wife preferred the existing layout. She panicked over whether our choice of counter would work with the rest of the choices, so we ended up getting the identical counter we already had. At least they could use the existing counter on the island, so that saved a couple grand.

[EnochRoot]

So our oven won’t start. You press BAKE, and then set the temperature, and then soon after it just clicks. No gas. The burners on the top work fine though.

How much is this going to cost me to repair?